Latest news with #Namewee
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Sorry, not sorry: How China's nationalistic netizens played into Malaysian rapper Namewee's hands
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Namewee is boycotted on the mainland for his 'anti-China stance', after his songs mocked the country's leader and nationalistic netizens. HONG KONG – If a picture speaks a thousand words, a removed picture shouts out even more. Controversial Malaysian rapper Namewee on July 21 took down photos he had earlier posted on Facebook of himself with actor Eric Tsang and singer Kenny Bee. This came after the two veteran Hong Kong celebrities issued formal apologies for their appearance alongside the rapper, for which they caught flak from Chinese netizens. Namewee is boycotted on the mainland for his 'anti-China stance', after his songs mocked the country's leader and nationalistic netizens. In a fresh Facebook post on the same day the pictures were taken down, Namewee shared his latest song, Letter of Apology . He cited the lyrics: 'I'm now ready to admit my mistakes/ Although it's just a small issue/ I'm willing to bow down and admit that I'm weak/ And reflect on all my foolish mistakes.' It was a master stroke: In an instant, he generated free, large-scale publicity for his most recent work, simultaneously putting on display the absurdity of the nationalistic outcry over the photos and the motivation for the artistes' apologies as implied in his new song. Namewee's initial post on July 19 had seemed innocuous enough. It was just pictures of the celebrities smiling for the camera, with his message in Chinese stating merely 'wishing you a successful performance tonight', ahead of a concert taking place that night in Genting, Malaysia. It looked and read like an innocent post from any other delighted supporter of Tsang and Bee who had been lucky enough to meet their idols in person. But it was the Chinese netizens' outrage over the post, and the pandering apologies it immediately elicited from the Hong Kong artistes who quickly sought to distance themselves from the rapper, that made it news. And Namewee cleverly capitalised on that to draw attention to his latest song, which – coincidentally or not – touches on a similar topic and had until now gone largely unnoticed elsewhere, especially on the mainland where his works are banned. With one innocuous post, and then its removal, the singer channelled outcry against him into publicity for his latest satire. The official music video for Letter of Apology shows the rapper at a press conference –speaking in mainland-accented Chinese – stating his desire to 'clarify matters' before breaking down in mock tears, bowing in apparent repentance, and crooning his 'apology' to his audience. A description – in Chinese – of the song on his official YouTube channel reads: 'After (issuing) the letter of apology, you will be propelled to fame and riches, arriving at the zenith of your lifetime… Only after writing my letter of apology, will I achieve prosperity! ' The song satirises the self-criticism and self-censorship demanded by China's hypersensitive, ultranationalistic keyboard warriors from those public figures who inadvertently offend the lucrative mainland market they cater to. Its lyrics also hint at the sense of self that some celebrities sacrifice to stay on the right side of their Chinese audiences, with one stanza stating: 'Can you accept/ That I can now only voicelessly await my fate/ No more need to wonder/ If I can still call this life my own.' Taiwan-based Hong Kong political commentator Sang Pu said he found Namewee's self-censorship of the photos and his subsequent post sharing his music video a 'brilliant' move. 'Namewee's deletion of the pictures caused them to be more widely circulated,' Mr Sang told The Straits Times. 'The photos resulted in the apologies from Eric Tsang and Kenny Bee, which then allowed Namewee to publicly juxtapose the two artistes' letters of repentance against the scenario depicted in his song.' 'From this, we can see how sharp-witted and humorous Namewee is,' he added. Muar-born Namewee, 42, also known as Wee Meng Chee or Huang Mingzhi, made his name producing songs that poke fun at sensitive political issues . He has been blacklisted in China since 2021, after the release of his ballad single Fragile, which contains barbed references to President Xi Jinping and issues including the country's tight censorship . In 2023, Namewee revealed that he was banned from performing in Hong Kong as well. Tsang's July 21 apology on Weibo, while not directly naming Namewee, expressed regret over the 'unintentional mistake' of having taken a photo with 'a certain person' whose background he had been 'unaware of'. 'As a Chinese citizen, I've always been committed to safeguarding our country's dignity and national sentiment,' Tsang wrote in Chinese. 'If I had known (his background), I would never have had any contact with him.' Bee issued an almost-identical apology on his own Weibo account. Tsang, 72, who has been in the show business since the 1980s, is general manager of Hong Kong's biggest television broadcaster TVB, which is expanding significantly in mainland China. Bee, also 72, was lead vocalist of Hong Kong 1970s pop group The Wynners and has in recent years taken on several minor acting gigs produced in mainland China. The two artistes' grovelling apologies are just the latest illustration of the pressures that celebrities can face even when they are not major players in the mainland market. But their eagerness to clarify the matter could also be linked in part to the additional spectre of a national security law over Hong Kong society. Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong in 2020 after mass anti-government protests in 2019 and early 2020. Hong Kong subsequently introduced its own such legislation in 2024. The emphasis on national security in the city since then has resulted in its people increasingly policing their opinions made in public. Under Hong Kong law, sedition can also cover anything that incites 'hatred, contempt, dissatisfaction or disaffection' with the authorities. While it is clear that Tsang and Bee have not contravened any law, appearing to be aligned with Namewee whose work mocks China – however tenuous the link – could still potentially cause a rift not just with their mainland business partners and supporters, but also among those in Hong Kong. Ultimately, though, the artistes' main motivation for their apology is essentially 'greed', according to Mr Sang. 'The reason (Tsang and Bee) allowed themselves to be controlled by their entertainment companies and to publish the formal apologies scripted for them, is because of the money they still hope to make off their mainland audiences,' he said. 'This is a choice they must make: Would they prefer to eat standing (by their own principles), or do they want to eat on their knees (at the mercy of others).'
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kenny Bee and Eric Tsang distance themselves from Namewee to avoid China's wrath
22 Jul - Kenny Bee and Eric Tsang are not very subtle when it comes to freeing themselves from the wrath of mainland netizens, as they swiftly apologise for taking photos with controversial performer Namewee. The singer and the producer, who were spotted in a photo shared by Namewee after he met them prior to their Malaysian "Wow! Super! Happy 30 Years" concert at Resorts World Genting on 19 July, released their individual statements, with Kenny saying that he was not aware of Namewee's controversies. Stating that the photo was just purely a courtesy interaction, he added, "If I had known his position earlier, there would have never been any contact." He then took a photo holding the statement to show his sincerity and clear position, and signed his name in the blank space of the statement to show that he agreed with the content. Eric Tsang also echoed similar sentiment on Weibo, saying, "If I had known about the relevant situation in advance, I would never have had any contact. This incident was purely an unintentional mistake, and in no way does it mean that I have any support or agreement with that person's views. Once again, I express my deepest apologies to everyone." It is noted that Namewee has been banned in China after releasing a song called "Fragile", which went viral in 2021. The song satirises the social issues in China, the political status of Taiwan, as well as many other issues. (Photo Source: SCMP, HK01)
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Namewee uses group photo scandal to publicise his work
22 Jul - Controversial Malaysian entertainer Namewee didn't seem to be bothered by Kenny Bee and Eric Tsang distancing themselves from him following the recent backlash over their photo together. The singer, whose photo with the two Hong Kong legends sparked the wrath of Chinese netizens and prompted both Hong Kong icons to issue a statement denouncing any involvement with him, revealed on social media that he has already deleted the said photo. He expressed, "To avoid affecting the 'Motherland's' peace and stability, and for the safety of our comrades in the Greater Bay Area, Hong Kong, we have deleted the previous group photo post... Please, I sincerely ask all netizens not to question me about why I did this. If you want to ask someone, go ask your boss." He then said, "To the netizens in Hong Kong: You guys are seriously f****ing amazing," and added a slew of laughing-crying emoji. He later used the attention from the media and public alike to promote his song "Letter of Apology" on Instagram Story and wrote, "And now, I've decided to admit my fault. This was nothing more than a minor storm. I lower my head, bravely show vulnerability, and harshly criticise my own foolishness..." It was earlier this week that Kenny Bee and Eric Tsang decided to release their statement of apology to mainland netizens, after they were criticised for having a picture of them taken with the singer, who is known to be a big critic of China's policies. (Photo Source: Namewee FB, HK01, SCMP)
New Straits Times
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Kenny Bee, Eric Tsang distance themselves from Namewee after controversial photo
HONG KONG: Veteran Cantopop singer Kenny Bee and actor Eric Tsang have distanced themselves from controversial Malaysian singer-actor Namewee after a group photo they took together drew criticism from netizens. The Straits Times of Singapore reported yesterday that Bee and Tsang, both 72, were recently in Malaysia to perform as part of the Wow! Super! Happy 30 Years concert at Resorts World Genting on July 19. Namewee, 42, took a photo with the pair before the show and subsequently posted it on social media on July 19, with the caption: "Wishing you a successful performance tonight." The image of the trio together quickly went viral on social media, with numerous netizens criticising Bee and Tsang for their association with Namewee, whose full name is Wee Meng Chee. The hip-hop artiste has been blacklisted in China since the release of his satirical single 'Fragile' in 2021. The track was widely seen as containing sharp criticisms and veiled references to Chinese President Xi Jinping and various China-related issues, including Taiwan's political status and censorship in China. Bee, a member of the pop group The Wynners, took to the Chinese social media platform Weibo on July 20, uploading a photo of himself accompanied by a statement. "As a Chinese citizen, I have shown patriotism through concrete actions and firmly upheld the dignity of the country and national sentiment," he wrote in Chinese. "Recently, during an event in Genting, Malaysia, I took a photo with a certain person without noticing that it caused a misunderstanding." Bee clarified that it was purely a courtesy interaction on a public occasion, and he was unaware of Namewee's background or previous remarks and actions. Tsang, the host of the Hong Kong variety series Super Trio, posted a similar statement on Weibo on July 21, adding: "Once again, I express my deepest apologies to everyone." In a now-deleted statement on Facebook, Namewee wrote in Chinese: "In order not to affect the peace and stability of the 'motherland' as well as the safety of our comrades in Hong Kong in the Greater Bay Area, we have removed the previous post and photos." He also shared his new song, 'Letter Of Apology (2025)', on Facebook on July 21, quoting the lyrics: "And now I have decided to admit my mistake. This was just a small storm. I lowered my head and bravely showed my softer side. And criticised my brainless self."
Hype Malaysia
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hype Malaysia
Eric Tsang & Kenny Bee Apologise After Taking Photo With Namewee
When stars gather in one place, it's often expected for them to take photos and share them online. Unfortunately for Hong Kong stars Eric Tsang (曾志伟) and Kenny Bee (钟镇涛), their recent photo with Malaysian singer Namewee (黄明志) wasn't so well-received. Eric and Kenny were recently in Malaysia for the 'Wow! Super! Happy 30 Years' concert at Arena of Stars, Resorts World Genting. Attending the concert as an audience member was Namewee, who met with the cast backstage. Before the concert, the singer shared photos of himself with the HK stars on his social media, wishing them good luck for their performance. Also in the photo was local influencer and SteadyGang member, Tomato. While the photo itself seemed innocent, the two HK stars received backlash for associating themselves with Namewee due to his controversial image. The Malaysian-born media personality has been banned in China for his views against Chinese President Xi Jinping and his remarks on China-related topics. As such, both Eric and Kenny issued public apologies on their individual Weibo and distanced themselves from Namewee. In his post, Kenny wrote, 'During an event in Resorts World Genting, Malaysia, I inadvertently took a photo with an individual, which caused misunderstandings. I was unaware of that person's background and inappropriate past actions. If I had known his position earlier, I would never have had any contact with him. This incident was an unintentional mistake and does not mean that I agree with his views.' On his Weibo, Eric wrote a similar apology, adding, 'As a Chinese, I have always been committed to safeguarding national dignity and national sentiment.' Meanwhile, Namewee has since deleted the post from his social media. He explained the move, saying, 'To not affect the peace and stability of the 'motherland' as well as the safety of our comrades in Hong Kong in the Greater Bay Area, we have removed the previous post and photos.' It's worth noting that Namewee hinted that he was forced to remove the post due to the backlash. What are your thoughts on this? Sources: China Press (1)(2)
