Chilam Cheung’s Intolerant Attitude Criticized by Fans
Chilam Cheung’s (張智霖 ) Weibo blog rant on the errors made by the Triumph In the Skies 2 <衝上雲霄II> production assistants has set off a flame war. Left waiting on set for two hours due to scheduling errors, Chilam angrily blasted the production assistant’s ineptitude. Chilam’s angry remarks inflamed the online community, who criticized him for his intolerant attitude.
Netizens left comments retaliating Chilam’s claims because they feel the responsibilities of production assistants are not easy; it is also understandable for new staff to make mistakes. They do not feel that Chilam should make such a ruckus on his blog. Many netizens also blasted Chilam for living a lavish lifestyle and not understanding the difficulties of a normal job. One netizen wrote, “Just because you are an actor does not mean that other people are of lower class and have to accommodate you all the time!” Many of them encouraged the production assistants to go on strike and that the producer should also take responsibility.
When fellow costar Ron Ng (吳卓羲) was approached about the controversy, he said, “Chilam has a high EQ, so it probably happened more than once. However, production assistants also carry a lot of responsibility and stress in their jobs, so we need to be more understanding. If it were me, I would work with the production assistants to figure out a mutual solution.”
Lawrence Ng (吳啟華), who will be returning to TVB in February to film a new series, also commented on the recent incident. He said, “I’ve come across new directors and new crew before. I admit that their lack of experience has led to more work for everyone. There is more tension and stress when filming a TVB series because the cast and crew don’t get enough rest. I also yelled at a crew member before because I was so burnt out. After calming down, I treated the crew member to dinner and apologized. I also made sure to change my ways so that we can all work together in peace.”
Source: Ming Pao, Oriental Daily
This article is written by Natalie for JayneStars.com.
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Chilam is human and is not Angel or God. He has right to be mad and annoyed and rant wherever he likes just like what we always do. The PA has annoyed him many times.
Then he should approach them directly and deal with it through proper channels. Throwing a tantrum online is never productive, and just reflects poorly on the person.
i agree. just like the eason wife’s issue w/the way she stated CHINESE are rude. seriously, in a social media site and you stated CHINESE???? she is chinese herself what is she trying to prove and gain? you can talk to you friends good friends this and that but announcing online for all to see? never a good person’s behavior.
Doesn’t necessarily reflect badly on the person. He didnt actually say anything controversial… The PA actually was inept and did not fulfil his responsibilities. Its not like he named names or anything to try to get the guy sacked. he was just venting his frustrations and i dun see how doing it online is not “a proper channel”.
I wouldnt compare chilam with eason’s wife. Both are completely different thing. And i understand why eason’s wife was upset; she was just tryin to have a good time with her family. Bt for posting stuffs tht will clearly upset others is not a wise choice. Bt for chilam, he should understand the difficulties of a PA job. They are the ones who have to stay on a set longer than actors to prepare props and all that. Should give them more credit
agree w/TVBFanatic n kiki…
sometimes i feel like just b/c they are celebrity and they act like they are the boss’? Yes, he has a right to be upset but i dislike any individual voicing their anger on media sites for all to see like hes so right and others are so wrong. He has temperaments and others do too. If you have problems w/them, tell them in person and work it out i/o of sneakily going into media sites and BS about such n such….never a good thing for any situation.
chps – you think going online to vent is a “proper channel”? really? How does it solve anything? By drawing media attention to his employer? By embarrassing his employer publicly? that is proper channels?
Proper channels would be to go to the director to complain if he wanted to… or to his manager, or to TVB directly. He could have even gone to speak to the head of the PA and discuss the issue. Those could have lead to a quick resolution.
But running home to throw a tantrum on the web? How is any of his Weibo followers going to help the issue?
What’s the big deal? We should thank him for confirming how bad things are in TVB, haha.
TVB new motto: we don’t give a sh*t
Haven’t you wondered if he already complained through the proper channels?
An example would be perhaps a gadget of yours malfunctioning. Perhaps you called the helpline, and they hemmed and hawed, pushing you from one person to the next, then made you wait for an hour on hold, yet when you post a raging comment on about how crappy their service is on twitter, they get back to you at lightning speed.
Social networking gets them working.
No… I don’t use social networking sites. No more than I would sit down on a public bus and start sharing a photo album with strangers.
And usually when I am unsatisfied with a product I write a physical letter to them. Physical letters, I find, are less likely to be ignored than emails or telephone calls.
Throwing tantrums on the net is not professional.
besides.. what do you think would happen if a PA started posting stuff about Chilam being very difficult and mean to people? Would the PA lose their job? Be reprimanded? Would netizens take their side?
What about all the people complaining about Viann using Weibo to attack Ron? Why defend Chilam but not Viann? Same thing isn’t it? She couldn’t get the response she needed from him, so she took it public no?
IMHO, there is no need to these sites at all.
Perhaps you should look into something called “Locked” or “Friends-only”, and even among friends you can select to share certain items with your family, your colleagues or whatever groups. It’s definitely not anything like sharing your undies with the stranger on the bus.
Yes, physical letters may get their attention. But think about how long it would take for the post to get there physically? Perhaps, you even need to pay for courier services for it to get there in an hour? How much would that cost? $10? $20?
Facebook or twitter is instant and free. Time saving and cost efficient. First rule of any business.
And trust me, whenever I need to comment about a certain service, I post it on their facebook and twitter, and instantaneous reply (during office hours). When I’ve sent them MULTIPLE emails (3 or more days to reply), called the hotline (been on hold for ages), it’s social media, where their deficiencies are exposed to the world that gets them moving.
Posting on facebook or twitter about a service/item is one thing. About a person/people is another. This should have gone to his managers/HR.
But it would seem you and I have a very different ideology in regard how to handle personnel issues. I prefer to keep things internal and work through channels within the business to resolve them. You prefer exposing them to the public and working through the media and public to resolve them.
To each their own I guess.
I agree with TVBFanatic. If he is really dissatisfied with PA tardiness, then he should go and speak with the producer and head PA.
Working just 6 months as a PA (which comprises EVERYTHING, even cleaning up the set) I would say the PA is inexperienced and careless. He deserved a lecture by his superior, but not losing his job.
If he had complained and the situation doesn’t improve, well go on strike. He has the star power, but let’s not use it on a small PA.
Imagine if Chilam is a newbie actor and his acting sucks, causing NG for 2 hours in a straight row, would you like the older, much famous co-star to openly complaint how sucky he is, he should find another job online? How would he feel?
TVBFanatic, SehSeh,
I think readers are pretty divided as to whether Chilam Cheung did the right thing through public exposure of grievances on Weibo.
What may have started out as a matter between several individuals (Chilam, the artists involved, and the production staff) now includes the greater public.
Whether it is right or not has to do with an individual’s habit of resolving conflicts. Individuals that like to resolve the matter more quietly with the parties involved, although it may not receive immediate attention may choose to not say anything publicly. This is the type that doesn’t mind swallowing certain injustices, with a greater tolerance for a less noticeable correction.
Others may think that the problem originated from the ineptitude of the production assistants. Why should you pay for others’ mistakes with your time? Thus, this principle carries further in justifying whichever channel/ mechanism to air those grievances, hoping to correct similar future mistakes.
I do agree that airing of public grievances through social media would receive faster attention. But it’s also a reflection of ourselves and the methods we choose to resolve problems. And whether our own principles are always above others’ genuine mistakes or lack of abilities. Or whether they can be more yielding and tolerant.
Hahaha… if Chilam did not put into twitter, we wont have a field day and discussing like mad…as if it is end of the world.
Does anyone know if Chilam complained to the management lvl or manager of the PA? No one? Who knows the whole truth to this situation? Nobody? Calling someone unprofessional or a diva when they don’t know the whole truth is just irresponsible and childish.
I agree with TVBFanatic that Chilam should have handle the PA issue through proper channels and not online.
agreed with TVBFanatic, she should not put it online, bad idea.
i mean *he
I agree with TVBfanatic too. Chi lam’s is being rude, even though he has a reason to be angry and it is a social site. One has to be responsible for what he said publicly. And my initial reaction was, this is embarrasing his employer, and embarrassing himself perhaps!
Looks like as if these papers come here to read reactions and then report.
Natalie: on the article it says “When fellow costar Ron Ng (吳啟華) was approached about the controversy, he said…” Do you mean Lawrence Ng? That is not Ron’s chinese name.
It looks like Natalie accidently copied Lawrence’s Chinese name as Ron’s too.
Goddessofkrw,
The edits have been made. Ron Ng did comment on Chilam’s controversial incident.
If you watch the video of Ron’s response, it was quite good and diplomatic. Almost redeemed him in my eyes.
Hmm… I just assumed this happened time and time again, up to the point Chilam can no longer tolerate their ineptitude. Even if it were a one time thing, there’s nothing wrong with having standards and expectations or else we’ll all just be floundering in mediocrity here. However, he should have dealt with the matter privately instead of publicly lambasting them.
Quite frankly, Chilam have every right to rant on his personal Weibo, seeing as the PA did commit a mistakes – if not many more as expressed by Myolie and Ron. However, it is also reasonable for his fans/the audience to criticise him for not being understanding enough.
I find it amusing to see how Chilam has a good guy image but Weibo has “exposed” the chinks in his careful constructed “armour” image. I’ll say it again, Twitter and the likes are a gift to us ordinary people because it totally reveals the celebrities’ real personality.
Good guy also has temper. That I understand. But he seems harsh. So he is not Mr Mild Guy.
Maaaaaaybe. Depends on the circumstances and whether it was a one-off or in reality several strings of mistakes which lead to his outburst.
one off or not, it was unprofessional.
So was the PA.
So what you are saying is that two wrongs make a right?
Interesting.. I was always taught differently.
It’s his social network, so he is allow to rant.
When you are delay at a doctor appt, airport cancel/delay, concert, etc.. with an appointment for says 30 minutes, you get really annoy and some people post it online through twitter, facebook, tumblr, livejournal, and etc… BUT HE WAS push back for 2 hrs…
How is it unprofessional? He is a person, not a robot. Do you think he is just going to accept it and move on?? Dude, it’s a renting place that cost THOUSANDs of Dollars and that two hours that was cut off, he + the crews will now have to hurry and finish his part or else have to reschedule for 2 more hours +$$$$ Do you think he have 2 more hours? They always working: commercial, photoshoot, family etc..
I think it’s funny how Lawernce Ng complain and get a few comment but when Chilam complain, it become an explosion.
It’s true that the PA have a lot to do also, but it’s all still on communication issue, so TVB you guys better start to look into this some more.
ALSO LEAVE THE GUY ALONE.
You are more than welcome to your opinion.
No where did I say his anger was misplaced. I’d be miffed to… but IMHO it would have been better to take this up with the director or management… not through the public.
And I won’t leave him alone… why should I when he made the whole incident a public affair by using Weibo? 😛
“I think it’s funny how Lawernce Ng complain and get a few comment but when Chilam complain, it become an explosion.”
The difference is, Lawrence Ng apologised to the crew member and tried to work better with him after he calmed down. Chilam, on the other hand, posted a second sarcastic comment after his first rant 2 hours later.
Why did Lawrence comment on the situation? Had nothing to do with him. .. *rolls eyes*. Way to stay relevant in the media, Lawrence…
Why are you pissed at him, when the reporters are the ones asking for his comments?
And it actually HAS to do with him, as both lawrence and chilam came back to TVB, and thus they both aren’t familiar with the wreck that tvb currently is?
Saw an interview about Chilam, I think it was this year.
He was going on and on about how laid back he was, this proves
otherwise.
my laid back friends have been known to get mad if provoked or pushed too far. but that doesn’t prove otherwise. usually something has to happen over and over for them to get pissed. I think the same thing happened to Chilam.
I don’t see anything wrong with it. We often complain about our bosses/co-workers on FB or Twitter all the time. No one is perfect, give him a break geez.
When we complain about our bosses or coworkers on FB or Twitter, we often lose our jobs which is why it is wise not to do so… Another curse that those social networking sites have bought on the new generation, which is why I never ever use mine and regret even getting an account in the first place…
Not quite true. Unless you live in Africa, there’s something called Freedom of Speech and Americans loves to sue. It’s not as easy as it sounds to fire your co-worker for making nasty remarks about you.
Who does not get mad every now and then, especially with such a stressful job like acting. I wonder why everyone is making such a big deal about it??
I’m on Chilam’s side. The PA knew what kind of job they are getting into. 6 months is really not new on the job anymore. Do your homework on the position and take notes and if you make numerous mistakes you will get reprimanded. They went to the set 2 hrs early and then had to wait for probably another 2 hrs for set up. That is 4 hours of wasted time for not just the actors but everyone else. One person mistakes can cost lots of extra money and time. At my company, ppl get fired all the time if they do mistakes that affect the whole group that could have been avoided or cost the company additional money.
I second your comment.
LOL, netizens encourage PA to go on strike.. hehe
Chilam is a great guy when my sister saw him in HK and asked for a pic he posed for 3 pictures….and I believe the PA was probably intolerant…just cause you are new doesn’t mean anything pay attention respect the actors and use common sense…. Being a newbie is no excuse be responsible apologize ….and these fans that critize Chilam ….whatever!!!!!
It makes me think of Jenny Lau and the bad temper director. Ok, a newby sucks, then you can do or say something that is not accepted by others, or even seems disrespectful? Haha may be chi lam just *teaching* the PAs
Agree. Chi Lam has the right to post on his weibo what he thought. The newbie must respect the job and focus on doing their job. All of you are working now to understand that no matter you are new or experience you must do good job.
And if I didn’t because I am new on the job I wouldn’t expect the boss’ hired help to b*tch about me in public to the world using twitter. I expect to be pulled aside quietly and reprimanded so that I can have some of my whatever that is left of my dignity. More so when I am so lowly paid and get scolded by everybody else, I certainly do not need someone else who is highly paid to include a 2 hour wait to write to the world urging me to quit my job. Imagine same PA person tweet about the actor doing a bad job, certainly the actor will say break of code of ethics.
How do you know that Chilam didn’t do so? Or it may not be his place to do so? Or the PA continue making mistakes after mistakes?
And it seems that the PA may be quite notoriously inept, as Myolie said he became good? if she didn’t think he was bad, why will there be a need to change?
Since he tweeted in anger I doubt he did so. Point is by airing his grievances and then posting the 2nd sarcastic remark it doesn’t do him favours but rather have more posts about his inflated self entitlement and ego which may not be the case but looks like it on the surface. If a PA is so notoriously inept you think TVB wouldn’t fire him or her? Unless that PA is related to some big gun. People makes mistake. Yes waiting 2 hours is too hard for him since he probably had to wait some more in between preparing a shoot but to post what he did, urging them to resign is like telling everyone how inept they are and how the company should fire them. People depend on their jobs for a living and we all know how “well” TVB pays and to me it is very insensitive of him to post what he did. He should have reworded it and not appear to sound harsh and then like a prima donna.
Angry is one thing, but to air it publicly is another. I certainly would not appreciate my boss telling everyone how he is unhappy with my performance. There must be tact because he will probably work with the same crew later and some of these crew may go on to do better things in future and he may be involved with the same crew but on a different level. You end up seeing the same people and the industry is small. Why burn the bridges?
And scheduling must be another’s responsibility so the mistake may involve several departments and not just a specific department. If someone is bad at their job, it is not the actor’s job to tell them so but the director and the producer. The actor is paid to act, promote AND wait. I felt he handled this badly.
And we all know some actors do treat the crew badly like they don’t exist. Many treat them as colleagues. And between colleagues and colleagues, you don’t go b*tching about your colleague in twitter.
@Funn,
You’re right in term of ethic as someone recognised like ChiLam shouldnt “act” like a Diva but when someone is angry, he will tend to do irrational stuff without thinking further..
I suddenly remember (is it Ron) who said Chi Lam has high EQ? well, he doesn’t seems so..
Funn Lim,
well said hahaha 🙂
Did you know that some ppl will get depressed and mentally disturbed when they got harrassed and insulted publicly esp on the internet. I think Chi Lam should really file his complain to the PA’s boss or whoever in charge then ranted them online.
I agreed with Nicole that under some “circumstances” like services, we must bring them online so it can be taken care of immediately but when its only a PA who works closely with you and almost everyday you will be seeing him/her, i think its best to give him another chance to correct himself/
But Chilam didn’t name the person, and up to now, we don’t know the name of the PA.
The thing is, everyone is saying that Chilam overreacted, but we really don’t know how many times the PA bungled things up.
Like if I go to a restaurant, and they mess up my order once, twice, fine, I’ll tolerate, although mildly annoyed. Three times, I’m getting pissed. More? I’m walking out of the door and ranting about it on twitter. Myolie had said it happened more than once or twice, so the PA probably had his soft reprimand, yet did not buck up.
sigh.. I understand your point, if the PA Messed up my schedule many times, I’d probably smack the hEll out of him like WWF. Maybe Chilam was frustrated and thought twitting it out will coold down his anger :P.
Anyway.. bad luck for the PA hehehe.
I’m of the opinion that Chilam had the right to complain over the ineptitude of the PA but not publicly, however angry he was. Maybe he could have written a letter to the relevant authorities listing his complaint and to request that the mistake would not happen again.