hard work pay off中文的八卦，Yahoo名人娛樂都在討論

這篇文章精闢描繪了現今台北市政府乃至於整個台灣對表演藝術的態度，卡勒看了既氣憤又無奈，在此翻譯分享給各位粉絲。希望我們都能盡微薄之力，慢慢改變台灣對藝術的看法。只有當我們能夠尊重一項專業時，它才能蓬勃發展，讓台灣發光。

＿＿
〈今天在公共場合發飆了〉
譯／卡勒

這是我第一次當眾情緒失控，氣到不行。

今天本來過得開開心心的，想說去參觀一下台北市街頭藝人考試，應該會更加愉快。到了國父紀念館，看見表演者都在各自的表演區準備就緒，感覺滿不錯的。直到我看到評審團的主審如何對待那些表演者，我就再也無法閉口不語。

我先說明一下這個考試：每位表演者都必須報名繳費，才能參加街頭藝人證照考試。他們有三分鐘的表演時間，希望能藉此獲得證照，就能靠自己的興趣來賺點小錢。但這位帶隊的評審（如照片所示）似乎很沒耐心。還不到一分鐘，他就硬生生打斷一個歌手的表演，說：「很多人都會唱不同語言的歌捏，像是英文歌啊什麼的。你唱一首來聽聽！」於是這個歌手開始唱台語歌。但才唱沒兩句，那位主審就和旁邊的評審交頭接耳，根本沒注意聽，接著他直接轉身離開，揮手示意其他評審跟上。

那個歌手根本唱不到一分半的時間（說好的三分鐘呢，不但沒有，還一直被這個評審打斷）。要記得：這個評審可是有領薪水的，是這些滿懷希望的表演者付錢請他來這邊看他們一展長才的。他基本上一再用同樣態度對待每個表演者，默視他們的用心與努力。連一句感謝的話也沒有說。他一副自己是大老闆的樣子，高高在上，俯視這些可悲的表演者。想聊天就聊天，想離開就離開，一聲「謝謝」、一個讚賞的手勢都沒有。一個鼓手在表演的時候一直被他打斷，說要「換點別的」。換了三次，他就頭也不回的走了。其他評審只是跟在他後頭，什麼也沒說。

於是，我走向前去，彬彬有禮的詢問他的大名和名片，告訴他希望未來能私下跟他一對一聊聊。他出言不遜，問我是什麼人。我能看出在他眼中，我這個年輕人不過就是個區區大學生。但我不是。我是個四十歲的舞蹈家、製片人，還是指導過全球各大名校與藝術節的教育家。

他不想給我他的名片。他似乎不太爽，而且很驚訝竟然有人會出聲。於是我說我可以留下自己的聯絡資訊，但我們需要好好討論一下剛剛的考核情形。

今天台北市政府審核表演者的方式，不僅不尊重，而且還嚴重侮辱了整個表演藝術圈。我不想把話說那麼白，但他讓我別無選擇。

我告訴他：第一，他對表演者的態度很不尊重。身為一個教育家，看到這種狀況，我是沒辦法保持緘默的。第二，這樣的審核流程對表演藝術社群很不公平。如果他不能把表演藝術者當作人看待，那他對藝術的看法又有何可取之處。我可以看出他氣炸了。但老話一句，他讓我別無選擇。他對待這些表演者的態度非常低劣。身為一個藝術家與藝術推動者，我必須有所行動。

承辦單位向我道歉，說考核必須繼續進行。我說我沒有要他們停下來的意思，只是想知道可以如何跟他們聯絡，討論這件事。跟我熟識的人，就會知道我是什麼個性。我這個人隨遇而安，幾乎不在公共場合發脾氣。但我今天所目睹的，對所有的表演藝術者來說都是天大的侮辱與蔑視。

這位高傲的評審完全不在乎我的意見。從他的眼神看得出來。基本上，他就是他自己所處世界的主宰，他說一，沒有人能說二。那就是他一貫的作風。在場的所有年輕員工都怕他。他今天表現這麼輕慢、無理、高傲，我真的很想知道他為什麼要這樣。

事後有幾個人走過來，感謝我勇於出聲抗議。他們其實也覺得很不滿，卻沒有勇氣對那個評審、或是對核發證照的單位表達意見。一名來自新北市的承辦人員說，看到表演者被如此對待，就連她自己也感到很不好受。

我不明白為什麼大家不站出來聲援彼此。台北市政府辜負了自己的市民，更是辜負了自己的表演藝術社群。

作為一個理應提倡藝術、文化與誠信的政府單位，他們今日的表現可說是慘不忍睹。這就像是叫貓、狗、鳥、猴來參加考試，然後告訴牠們考試內容是爬樹一樣。荒謬至極。

我留下聯絡資訊，他們說之後會跟我聯繫。如果他們沒這麼做，這就會成為我下一部製片計畫的主題，肯定很有意思。就拍一部紀錄片吧，拍攝一群滿懷希望與抱負的表演者受到何等對待的紀實。

我很抓狂，我很氣憤。真心希望他們能改變這般膚淺看待藝術的方式。

謝謝大家關注這個議題，我剛剛把評審的照片拿掉了，原因是我希望大家不要將這位評審當成壞人，而也我們把焦點專注在這個事件上，而不是人身上，我們才能真正長期的改善這個問題．因為我不會中文，所以我會和我的夥伴們一起再產出一篇更詳盡完整的中文文章，屆時也煩請大家一同關注，讓台灣的藝術環境更好，最好也謝謝幫我翻譯以下文章的朋友，我非常訝異這篇造成的影響力，感謝你們！

I CAUSED A SCENE TODAY IN THE PUBLIC

Today I got very angry and upset for the first time in public in front of a crowd.

What started out as a nice day, I thought it would only get better by attending the street performance artist's exam in Taipei. Everything seemed nice when I saw the performers were all prepared in their provided locations around the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall. But after I saw the head of the judge panel treated the street performers while performing, I couldn't keep my mouth shut.

Let me explained: each performer had to pay to register for the license exam. They were given 3 minutes to present their work(s) hoping they'd get a lisence so they can earn some sort of living from their passion. This one particular judge (pictured) leading the group seems impatiently listen and watch the street performers. It barely hit the one minute mark, he aggressively cut into the song of a singer and told the performer "many singers sing in different languages like English etc, sing in another language!"(I paraphrased with my bad Chinese translation). Then the singer started singing in Taiwanese language. But barely two sentences, he talked to another judge barely paying attention to the performer this head judge basically just left and gestured to the rest of the group to follow him.

The singer sang barely a minute and a half (they were promised 3 mins and they kept being interrupted by this judge). Bare in mind, this judge is earning a wage while these hopeful performers were paying him to be there. He basically did the same thing over and over again disregarding the artist's intent and hard work. Not a single word of appreciation. He just acted as he was a big boss looking down on these petty performers. He chatted as he wished and walked away without saying a "thank you" or a gesture of acknowledgement. A percussionist kept being interrupted asking him to do something different. Then he just left after the third time. The rest of the judges just followed.

So, i approached him politely asking for his name and his business card. I told him I wanted to talk to him one on one in the future. Degradingly he asked me who I was. I could see in his eyes that he saw a young man who looked like a student to him. But I was not and am not. I am a 40 year old dance artist, filmmaker and educator that have taught around the globe and in many prestigious colleges and festivals.

He didn't want to give me his business card. He seemed annoyed and surprised that someone spoke up. So I said I can give him my contact info but we needed to talk on how the exam went.

The way Taipei city exams the performers today was both disrespectful and insulting to the arts community in general. I didn't want to say this all out. But he left me with no choice.

I told him, for one, the way he treated the performers was disrespectful. As an educator I could not be quiet when I see something like that. Second, the process of the exam is not doing the art community any justice. If he cannot see the artists as a human being first, then what does it say about his view on the Arts. I could see him pissed off. But again he left me with no choice. He was very degrading towards these performers. As an artist myself and an art advocate I had to do something.

The organizer apologized to me said the process needed to go on. I told him I wasn't trying to stop them. I merely want to know how I could get in touch with them to discuss this. If you know me well enough, you should know my temperament. I am a happy go lucky person. I almost never get angry in the public. But it was genuinely insulting and degrading to every artists based on what I saw today.

This arrogant judge didn't care of my opinion. I could see it in his eyes. He was basically the superior in his world and his way was the right way. That's how he had always done it. All the young staffers there were afraid of him. Today he was disrespectful, rude, and arrogant. I really want to know why he does what he does.

After the incident, a few people came up and thanked me for speaking up. They felt the same way but they didn't have the courage to say it to this judge or the organization that issues these licenses. One organizer from the New Taipei City said even she felt bad seeing how the performers being treated.

I don't understand why people don't stand up for each other. The Taipei City has failed their community and even more so to their arts community.

For an organization that is supposed to advocate for the arts, culture and authenticity, they did miserably today. It is like giving an exam to a dog, a cat, a bird and a monkey then telling them that their exam is climbing a tree. It's absolutely ridiculous.

I left them my contact information. They said they will contact me. If they don't, this could be an interesting subject for my next film project. A documentary on how these hopeful, aspiring performers being treated.

I am mad and I am angry. I really hope they will change their shallow way of seeing Arts.

P.S. Share or repost in Chinese. They need to change. Thanks.

台北國際藝術村－寶藏巖 Taipei Artist Village－Treasure Hill
Taipei National University of the Arts
臺北表演藝術中心 Taipei Performing Arts Center
National Theater and Concert Hall, Taipei
中正紀念堂 Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
National Taiwan University of Arts

似乎黎真喎！！！

(Update: 中文繹版連結：https://www.facebook.com/329728177143445/posts/1800273350088913/)

“An open letter to Eric Kwok, and for everyone re homophobia, discrimination and bullying”

Dear Eric,

Imagine this. You are one of the contestants on a TV talent show. You are sitting in a room with other hopefuls and one of the judges walks into the room and demanded this: “Raise your hand if you are not homophobic.”

I’m very sure you will raise your hand.

You don’t have to answer me whether or not you really are homophobic. But stay with the feeling inside your mind. How do you feel?

Your feelings are most likely the same as the feelings of your contestants when you walked into a room and asked them to raise their hands to declare their sexual orientation publicly. Because in this day and age, homophobia is just as “controversial” as homosexuality, if not more.

The reason why I’m writing this open letter to you is because after reading your apology, I want to take the opportunity to address to you, and everyone out there, the need for proper etiquette regarding LGBT issues, and to address the forms of micro-aggression, bullying and discrimination the LGBT community faces everyday especially in the workplace.

I’m taking this incident seriously because from my personal experience, this is not just a one-time slip-up for you.

I remember long time ago I was so looking forward to meeting and working with you because you are, after all, Eric Kwok the great songwriter.

You were very friendly when we talked privately. Then I started to notice how once there were audiences, media or other people around and when the cameras were turned on, you would start making insinuating and demeaning gay jokes about me and in front of me. Jokes and comments even my closest friends wouldn’t dare to make in public.

At first, I didn’t really pay too much attention. I just brushed it off as juvenile and trivial. In fact, I had been so used to these jokes since growing up that I learned not to react much.

However, as time progressed and we worked on more occasions, the same thing would happen repeatedly. The teasing and the stereotypical gay jokes continued and you would make sure that the spotlight would fall on me afterwards. The jokes no longer felt light. They felt hostile, even vindictive.

In fact, it felt like bullying.

One of these incidents was well documented in tabloids back then and you can still look it up yourself on the internet.

I came to the realization that it was not just a one-time thing. I don’t know if it’s intentional or unintentional but it’s definitely a habit and a pattern.

So many questions would be in my mind every time after working with you. Why does Eric do that every time? Is he picking on me? Does he hate me? Is he homophobic? Does he think homosexuality is something funny? Does he do this to other people too? Did I do something that pissed him off? I remember I was nothing but courteous. So why do I deserve this?

I had no answers for all of these questions. All I knew was I became fearful of working with you, dreading what words would fall out of your mouth to put me in an awkwardly embarassing position. But still I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt. You’re from California you shouldn’t be homophobic. I even defended you in my head by telling myself to loosen up.

But it’s not just you. Throughout my years in the entertainment industry, I have encountered and endured so many chauvinistic “tough guys” who like to use homosexuality as a laughing stock or source of bad comedy which were all discriminating and demeaning, yet not funny.

It’s not only me. I’m sure many people of the LGBT community face this everyday in their workplace. People around them would claim their intentions were harmless but we all knew deep down that these “jokes” have the power to put people someone in an embarrassing, inferior and even threatening positions.

We kept quiet and tolerated. Sometimes we even felt obligated to laugh along just so we couldn’t afford to look “petty” or “stiff”, especially in front of people of higher authority and stature.

So Eric I want to ask you.

Why have you been so obsessed with my sexuality all these years?

Why are you so fascinated by other people’s sexuality?

Why is being gay such a huge issue to you even to this day that you had to make it the first thing you asked your contestants?

Why you also had to specifically make a post on social media about that fact you questioned people about their sexuality?

Why do you take so much pride publicly in your ability to guess who are the gay contestants even when they weren’t ready to share that information?

And most of all why do you find all this to be so funny?

To begin with one’s sexual orientation is a very personal thing which others have no right to intrude, even in the entertainment industry where you are supposed to be fine with “controversy”.

This is for you and everyone out there: using your power and authority to demand someone to declare his or her sexual orientation, especially in a work environment, is ancient, barbaric and unacceptable.

Kicking someone out of the closet is just pure evil.

The fact you did what you did, especially with your stature and on broadcast TV, is not only wrong, but also you are telling the Hong Kong audience that it’s alright to continue this form of intrusion and micro aggression that the LGBT community wants to see gone.

You’re leading a very poor example by giving Hong Kong audience the impression that being gay is still a taboo.

How are your contestants, who are boys of young age, going to offer new perspectives to the Hong Kong audience under your guidance if you perpetuate stereotyping and demonstrate to them that being gay is still an issue?

I feel sorry for any contestants who are in fact gay sitting in that room that day too. They must have been traumatized seeing the way you forced your inquisition. The impression you left them with is that the entertainment industry is still a very unfriendly place for gays. Is that what you want them to think?

But most of all, it’s the attitude, tone and manner with which you shared about this incident on social media, giving people the impression that any matter regarding sexual orientation is still something shameful and laughable, which is on top of list the thing that the LGBT community fights hard everyday to change.

When you said in your apology you “have great respect for gay people, especially their hard fight for equality” I became baffled as what you did, in the past to me or in that room to the boys, is the exact thing that makes the LGBT community’s ongoing fight for equality so difficult.

Putting people down, perpetuate stereotypes, heckling and ridiculing yet making it look OK is anything but liberal and respectful, or Californian. I don’t see any “entertainment values” that are of good taste if they are made up at the expense of other people’s struggle.

If this incident happened in America, where you grew up, you would’ve gotten yourself in such hot waters that you probably can’t get out of.

I just want you and everyone out there to know that it’s not okay. And it never was. Never will be.

Being “as liberal as it gets” is great. Having gay friends is great too. Having dinner with your gay friends is absolutely fabulous! Playing all these cards to avoid being labelled as “homophobic” is very convenient. But having class, empathy, kindness and authentic respect is a completely different territory. These don’t come automatically with backgrounds.

At this point you don’t owe me an apology. I just hope that after this incident you can really start working and living with the essences of a truly liberal and creative individual. Inspire changes and end stereotypes. Start new trends and break old patterns. Embrace and not segregate. Do the work.

I had been away from Hong Kong and the industry for a few years now. It breaks me heart that I have to write this sort of open letter when it’s already 2018. I want to make this industry a safer, nicer and more accepting place to work in when I return. I want members of the LGBT community in Hong Kong, who have been so supportive of me and my music, to also have safer and nicer working environment in their respective lives.

I don’t mind coming off as an over-reacting petty bitch with no sense of humour if my message finally comes through and everyone, including you, “gets it”. I rather have no sense of humour than a bad one.

To all the contestants of the show. If anyone ever asks you if you are gay and you are not ready to discuss, it’s OK to stand up for yourself and say this: “It’s a rude question to begin with. You have no right to get an answer from me to begin with. And it doesn’t matter. It SHOULDN’T matter. It’s 2018. I hope one day I can use my craft to inspire the world and to make this become a non-issue.”

But if you are ready to be open, you have my complete support and love.

Let’s hope that through acceptance, learning and effort, one day there will no longer be any “controversial questions”. Wouldn’t we like that Eric?

Yours truly,
Pong

#LGBT
#homophobia
#safeworkplace
#中文版稍後會有
Eric Kwok 郭偉亮

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💪💪💪💪💪

(Update: 中文繹版連結：https://www.facebook.com/329728177143445/posts/1800273350088913/)

“An open letter to Eric Kwok, and for everyone re homophobia, discrimination and bullying”

Dear Eric,

Imagine this. You are one of the contestants on a TV talent show. You are sitting in a room with other hopefuls and one of the judges walks into the room and demanded this: “Raise your hand if you are not homophobic.”

I’m very sure you will raise your hand.

You don’t have to answer me whether or not you really are homophobic. But stay with the feeling inside your mind. How do you feel?

Your feelings are most likely the same as the feelings of your contestants when you walked into a room and asked them to raise their hands to declare their sexual orientation publicly. Because in this day and age, homophobia is just as “controversial” as homosexuality, if not more.

The reason why I’m writing this open letter to you is because after reading your apology, I want to take the opportunity to address to you, and everyone out there, the need for proper etiquette regarding LGBT issues, and to address the forms of micro-aggression, bullying and discrimination the LGBT community faces everyday especially in the workplace.

I’m taking this incident seriously because from my personal experience, this is not just a one-time slip-up for you.

I remember long time ago I was so looking forward to meeting and working with you because you are, after all, Eric Kwok the great songwriter.

You were very friendly when we talked privately. Then I started to notice how once there were audiences, media or other people around and when the cameras were turned on, you would start making insinuating and demeaning gay jokes about me and in front of me. Jokes and comments even my closest friends wouldn’t dare to make in public.

At first, I didn’t really pay too much attention. I just brushed it off as juvenile and trivial. In fact, I had been so used to these jokes since growing up that I learned not to react much.

However, as time progressed and we worked on more occasions, the same thing would happen repeatedly. The teasing and the stereotypical gay jokes continued and you would make sure that the spotlight would fall on me afterwards. The jokes no longer felt light. They felt hostile, even vindictive.

In fact, it felt like bullying.

One of these incidents was well documented in tabloids back then and you can still look it up yourself on the internet.

I came to the realization that it was not just a one-time thing. I don’t know if it’s intentional or unintentional but it’s definitely a habit and a pattern.

So many questions would be in my mind every time after working with you. Why does Eric do that every time? Is he picking on me? Does he hate me? Is he homophobic? Does he think homosexuality is something funny? Does he do this to other people too? Did I do something that pissed him off? I remember I was nothing but courteous. So why do I deserve this?

I had no answers for all of these questions. All I knew was I became fearful of working with you, dreading what words would fall out of your mouth to put me in an awkwardly embarassing position. But still I tried to give you the benefit of the doubt. You’re from California you shouldn’t be homophobic. I even defended you in my head by telling myself to loosen up.

But it’s not just you. Throughout my years in the entertainment industry, I have encountered and endured so many chauvinistic “tough guys” who like to use homosexuality as a laughing stock or source of bad comedy which were all discriminating and demeaning, yet not funny.

It’s not only me. I’m sure many people of the LGBT community face this everyday in their workplace. People around them would claim their intentions were harmless but we all knew deep down that these “jokes” have the power to put people someone in an embarrassing, inferior and even threatening positions.

We kept quiet and tolerated. Sometimes we even felt obligated to laugh along just so we couldn’t afford to look “petty” or “stiff”, especially in front of people of higher authority and stature.

So Eric I want to ask you.

Why have you been so obsessed with my sexuality all these years?

Why are you so fascinated by other people’s sexuality?

Why is being gay such a huge issue to you even to this day that you had to make it the first thing you asked your contestants?

Why you also had to specifically make a post on social media about that fact you questioned people about their sexuality?

Why do you take so much pride publicly in your ability to guess who are the gay contestants even when they weren’t ready to share that information?

And most of all why do you find all this to be so funny?

To begin with one’s sexual orientation is a very personal thing which others have no right to intrude, even in the entertainment industry where you are supposed to be fine with “controversy”.

This is for you and everyone out there: using your power and authority to demand someone to declare his or her sexual orientation, especially in a work environment, is ancient, barbaric and unacceptable.

Kicking someone out of the closet is just pure evil.

The fact you did what you did, especially with your stature and on broadcast TV, is not only wrong, but also you are telling the Hong Kong audience that it’s alright to continue this form of intrusion and micro aggression that the LGBT community wants to see gone.

You’re leading a very poor example by giving Hong Kong audience the impression that being gay is still a taboo.

How are your contestants, who are boys of young age, going to offer new perspectives to the Hong Kong audience under your guidance if you perpetuate stereotyping and demonstrate to them that being gay is still an issue?

I feel sorry for any contestants who are in fact gay sitting in that room that day too. They must have been traumatized seeing the way you forced your inquisition. The impression you left them with is that the entertainment industry is still a very unfriendly place for gays. Is that what you want them to think?

But most of all, it’s the attitude, tone and manner with which you shared about this incident on social media, giving people the impression that any matter regarding sexual orientation is still something shameful and laughable, which is on top of list the thing that the LGBT community fights hard everyday to change.

When you said in your apology you “have great respect for gay people, especially their hard fight for equality” I became baffled as what you did, in the past to me or in that room to the boys, is the exact thing that makes the LGBT community’s ongoing fight for equality so difficult.

Putting people down, perpetuate stereotypes, heckling and ridiculing yet making it look OK is anything but liberal and respectful, or Californian. I don’t see any “entertainment values” that are of good taste if they are made up at the expense of other people’s struggle.

If this incident happened in America, where you grew up, you would’ve gotten yourself in such hot waters that you probably can’t get out of.

I just want you and everyone out there to know that it’s not okay. And it never was. Never will be.

Being “as liberal as it gets” is great. Having gay friends is great too. Having dinner with your gay friends is absolutely fabulous! Playing all these cards to avoid being labelled as “homophobic” is very convenient. But having class, empathy, kindness and authentic respect is a completely different territory. These don’t come automatically with backgrounds.

At this point you don’t owe me an apology. I just hope that after this incident you can really start working and living with the essences of a truly liberal and creative individual. Inspire changes and end stereotypes. Start new trends and break old patterns. Embrace and not segregate. Do the work.

I had been away from Hong Kong and the industry for a few years now. It breaks me heart that I have to write this sort of open letter when it’s already 2018. I want to make this industry a safer, nicer and more accepting place to work in when I return. I want members of the LGBT community in Hong Kong, who have been so supportive of me and my music, to also have safer and nicer working environment in their respective lives.

I don’t mind coming off as an over-reacting petty bitch with no sense of humour if my message finally comes through and everyone, including you, “gets it”. I rather have no sense of humour than a bad one.

To all the contestants of the show. If anyone ever asks you if you are gay and you are not ready to discuss, it’s OK to stand up for yourself and say this: “It’s a rude question to begin with. You have no right to get an answer from me to begin with. And it doesn’t matter. It SHOULDN’T matter. It’s 2018. I hope one day I can use my craft to inspire the world and to make this become a non-issue.”

But if you are ready to be open, you have my complete support and love.

Let’s hope that through acceptance, learning and effort, one day there will no longer be any “controversial questions”. Wouldn’t we like that Eric?

Yours truly,
Pong

#LGBT
#homophobia
#safeworkplace
#中文版稍後會有
Eric Kwok 郭偉亮