Taiwan TV declines broadcast of A-mei's video, Friday July 3, 2009 Taiwan Options

[prella]

Yahoo! News

The latest music video of the new song by Chang Hui-mei or A-mei, "Hei Chi Hei", is shockingly filled with scenes of kidnap, sadomasochism, assassination and sexual connotations. Besides the Taiwanese MTV channel, other Taiwanese TV stations have declined to broadcast the music video.

A-mei's new album AMIT (based on her aboriginal name) has a strong vengeance theme, and "Hei Chi Hei" is a contemporary hard rock song with six foul words in the lyrics. Her record company has taken initiative in censoring those words to produce a standard version, and planned for the "original restricted" version to be broadcasted after 9pm starting Thursday night. However various TV stations have said that the vulgarities were but a minor problem and that the gory scenes and sadomasochistic images made the video undesirable for broadcast.

Overwhelming response to the music video on MTV channel boosted the record company's confidence in having wider promotions, but the TV stations' rejections were unexpected.

In considering A-mei's persistence in retaining the purest concept of the album, the record company would not consider snipping any more of the music video to cater to broadcast requirements. Instead they are currently exploring other less stringent avenues to allow fans to watch the uncut video.

A-mei "transforms" into "Amit" in the video and had to spend four hours in the image creation. The black crystals used cost NT$100,000 per set (about S$5000). Male lead in the MV, Chen Chu-xiang was dressed as a sadomasochistic King, top naked with leather straps around his body. The accompanying dancers are also dressed in dominatrix outfits.

The songstress thought very highly of the concept by famous MV director Bounce and described it as "very cool".

[purpleclouds]

cable tv shows porn all the time and everyone has a remote control in choosing to switch channels. What about the unsuspecting viewers, the young innocents whom do not need to see such scenes? I think it's great that some stations chose not to show things that are offensive to the majority of people. Those that choose to show this should have a clear warning for viewers allowing enough time for them to turn to another station.

[suna_tuna]

wow. I really want to see the music video

[addicted2ipod]

wow. I really want to see the music video

Haha, I was afraid it was just me. Sexy assassinations FTW!

[Tiffiany_45]

I really don't know who A-Mei is, but this article has sold me on her! I LOVE that she didn't fold and didn't allow her video to be cut! She rocks!!! I agree with purpleclouds, censorship is ridiculous, you have free will, change the station! Don't limit an artist's vision for closed minded views!

(I'm passionately against censorship)

~Tiffiany~

[bapeman]

using a gun in an mv i remember recently "penny" i forgot her last name had that censored cuz guns in taiwan are illegal. but a-mei's mv maybe not as violent

This post has been edited by bapeman: Jul 6 2009 4 38 PM