No Tomorrow, No Tomorrow
Whenever we make our runs to Target or to U-Mart (Jessica’s Spanking new supermarket) to stock up shelves, I’m stuck in the backseat listening to either Mikayla’s children’s songs in Chinese or Rich’s 4-CD boxed set of Hong Kong’s Greatest Hits in the past 3 decades.
Ugh. This is as ethnic as it gets. I have to hear Mikayla sing the Chinese version of “Bingo” with modified lyrics spelling out “C-H-E-A-T”. Whatever…and when the alphabet song comes on, Mikayla comments about how the kids “sang the song funny” because they don’t say their R’s properly. Not to mention the letter W is pronounced as, “double oooh”.
Whatever. Sometimes daddy gets sick of her music and pops in his stuff. I groan quietly and roll my eyes because boxed CD set isn’t 100% appealing either. I don’t know which one I despise most!
But I do admit, there are a few songs by a these talented artists which are truly amazing. I’ve come to a conclusion that their best works are usually the ones where the musical compositions are traditionally Chinese sans the bippity pop influences. I realize I sound old-fashioned, but if you heard any of the J-Pop or Cantopop crap, you'd vomit uncontrollably.
Well, in this one particular CD, these 80’s Hong Kong megastars are listed in the same cluster marking their highest achievement in popularity and record sales. Well, whatdya know, three of these popstars are already dead.
I was listening to Leslie Cheung’s (Farewell, My Concubine) voice emanating from the speakers and immediately fell in love with this song. I also realized how wonderful his voice was. In the past, I’ve always hated his music and thought his hit single, “Thanks, Thanks, Thanks Monica” to be the cheesiest piece of sh-t in the mid-80’s. But he was the hottest ticket in town during his heyday, and remember, every Britney has a Christina, right? So his rival was Danny Chan (An Autumn’s Tale – Hollywood’s remaking it in 2006).
Danny held an image of being good-looking, clean-cut, and posh. He was like an Asian version of Harry Connick Jr. with spiky hair possessing the ability to write, direct, and play his own music. Only problem is, he couldn’t dance if his life depended on it. This is how Leslie drop-kicked Danny’s ass into doofus oblivion. Leslie grazed the covers of magazines with his toothy smile and won hearts of every hormonal 14-year-old (adopted “Monica” as their moniker, obviously). Danny, on the other hand, appeared a bit reserved and had a problem posing in front of the cameras.
There were plenty more artists, but only ONE female artist who could single-handedly changed Hong Kong’s pop culture forever…Anita Mui, a.k.a. “Chinese Madonna” (look it up if y’all don’t believe me). Our beloved Madonna Louise Ciccone had an uncanny knack of making friggen underwear appear hip and layering a bunch of torn and ripped vintage clothing into something fashionable. A lot of 80’s clothing wasn’t exactly pleasing to eye nowadays, but back then, it was HOT.
And Anita Mui, did just that. She knew the formula for success by following Madonna’s footsteps while adding a personal flair and a Chinese twist to the whole equation. The only thing Anita couldn’t exploit was wearing lacy underwear on stage, let's not forget, we are talking about a semi-conservative culture here. Plus, undergarments are extremely appealing when one possesses C cups or better. Heck, Victoria’s Secret didn’t pick models with likes of Twiggy, right?
However, in the following decade(s), everything about these 3 lives changed. Drastically.
As the world began to openly discuss sexual orientation, some people began coming of the closets as well. It was still an unbearable topic to discuss in Asia, but it couldn’t be ignored.
In the 90’s, the tragedy began with Danny Chan. His musical popularity dwindled as younger rivals dominated the music scene with their flashy moves and designer suits. He became a recluse, adopted odd mannerisms, and disappeared from the public eye. Soon after, he died.
There is much speculation about the cause of his death - some say it was from alcoholism, while others believed he led a secret double life and died of AIDS. Supposedly he was in a coma for months and no one knows for sure, but he just went – pffffffffftt. Gone, just like that. His death was highly unusual for a young man who lived to be 35.
A decade later, Leslie Cheung, hurled himself off of a 24-story building. It was reported that he was suffering from severe bouts of depression and left a suicide note. Some believe Leslie’s depression revolved around the time he starred in, “Inner Senses” which was a widely acclaimed psychological horror film. He played a psychologist who meets a young girl claiming to see supernatural beings haunting her and helps her gain closure about her past. When the girl is cured (‘cuz there ain’t no such thing as ghosts, the good doctor said), then he begins to see terrifying ghosts chasing after him.
And who would’ve thunk it – Ol’ Leslie was flamingly gay and openly admitted his sexual orientation in his tightwad society. Leslie’s death shocked the Asian community proving that the sociological issues in Hong Kong were very real and prevalent. For someone who appeared to have it all - wealth, fame, and good looks - it was apparent how Leslie was a tormented soul and died a horrible death.
During this timeframe, a slew of Hong Kong megastars (both young and old) had passed on due to disease and depression. It was one magnificent funeral after another.
Then a few months later, Anita died of cervical cancer. Since she was well aware of her critical condition, she made sure she lived her final days to the fullest. Anita dressed to kill - from head to toe in designer labels, hosted parties every day and week, bought gifts for all of her friends, donated huge sums of cash to Buddhist temples, released a final album, threw a farewell concert, and devoted the concert DVD to her fans. Unlike Danny or Leslie, she died nobly and accepted the consequences of her fate.
All the while, it was odd having the press following her footsteps with the knowledge that she would perish before our eyes. You would see stupid headlines about how Anita looking weak and pale or her stomach being a bit round from the ‘swelling’. Man, they’re just as bad as the British paparazzi.
Although Anita didn’t face a horrible death, she suffered internally as well. Anticipation of death must have been excruciating for her. It's almost as though these megastars paid a hefty price for their fame and fortune. All three had never been married or have any children. Their lineages ended with them. Never allowed to be satisfied, ever. Not even in the afterlife.
Based on what I do know about reincarnation, Danny and Anita will have to 'recover' and heal from their diseases before they can be freshly embodied. This could take years, even decades as a wounded soul cannot survive in a human form. Unfortunately for Leslie, he will repeatedly leap off the building every moment of this spiritual limbo until he can find closure to what caused his death in the first place. He may never reincarnate.
Undoubtedly, Leslie’s death is by far the most disturbing. As I pointed out in my earlier blog, what motivates someone to do something? What acts a catalyst to a particular substrate? The questions revolving why will never be answered, but what were his last thoughts? What was it that made it so hopeless?
The Chinese are such pessimists, tragic endings seem to be a societal norm. The culture is so negatively charged because they don’t want to be jinxed by all of the positives. How does one live under the constant negativity? I see and hear news reports about children, as young as 6 (the same age as Mikayla), jumping out of their windows because they can’t face their parents with a mediocre report card. What is it about this society that compels people to act this way?
Suicide is common; you better hope no one lands on you while you’re walking on those streets. I’m assuming that no one wants to die in their own home because they don’t want to leave a spiritual imprint of death, so they’re gonna take a leap from the roof. Knives are too messy, guns are illegal, and drugs may not guarantee death.
So whenever I hear these three artists on the CD back to back, I see morose pictures of death.
Ugh. This is as ethnic as it gets. I have to hear Mikayla sing the Chinese version of “Bingo” with modified lyrics spelling out “C-H-E-A-T”. Whatever…and when the alphabet song comes on, Mikayla comments about how the kids “sang the song funny” because they don’t say their R’s properly. Not to mention the letter W is pronounced as, “double oooh”.
Whatever. Sometimes daddy gets sick of her music and pops in his stuff. I groan quietly and roll my eyes because boxed CD set isn’t 100% appealing either. I don’t know which one I despise most!
But I do admit, there are a few songs by a these talented artists which are truly amazing. I’ve come to a conclusion that their best works are usually the ones where the musical compositions are traditionally Chinese sans the bippity pop influences. I realize I sound old-fashioned, but if you heard any of the J-Pop or Cantopop crap, you'd vomit uncontrollably.
Well, in this one particular CD, these 80’s Hong Kong megastars are listed in the same cluster marking their highest achievement in popularity and record sales. Well, whatdya know, three of these popstars are already dead.
I was listening to Leslie Cheung’s (Farewell, My Concubine) voice emanating from the speakers and immediately fell in love with this song. I also realized how wonderful his voice was. In the past, I’ve always hated his music and thought his hit single, “Thanks, Thanks, Thanks Monica” to be the cheesiest piece of sh-t in the mid-80’s. But he was the hottest ticket in town during his heyday, and remember, every Britney has a Christina, right? So his rival was Danny Chan (An Autumn’s Tale – Hollywood’s remaking it in 2006).
Danny held an image of being good-looking, clean-cut, and posh. He was like an Asian version of Harry Connick Jr. with spiky hair possessing the ability to write, direct, and play his own music. Only problem is, he couldn’t dance if his life depended on it. This is how Leslie drop-kicked Danny’s ass into doofus oblivion. Leslie grazed the covers of magazines with his toothy smile and won hearts of every hormonal 14-year-old (adopted “Monica” as their moniker, obviously). Danny, on the other hand, appeared a bit reserved and had a problem posing in front of the cameras.
There were plenty more artists, but only ONE female artist who could single-handedly changed Hong Kong’s pop culture forever…Anita Mui, a.k.a. “Chinese Madonna” (look it up if y’all don’t believe me). Our beloved Madonna Louise Ciccone had an uncanny knack of making friggen underwear appear hip and layering a bunch of torn and ripped vintage clothing into something fashionable. A lot of 80’s clothing wasn’t exactly pleasing to eye nowadays, but back then, it was HOT.
And Anita Mui, did just that. She knew the formula for success by following Madonna’s footsteps while adding a personal flair and a Chinese twist to the whole equation. The only thing Anita couldn’t exploit was wearing lacy underwear on stage, let's not forget, we are talking about a semi-conservative culture here. Plus, undergarments are extremely appealing when one possesses C cups or better. Heck, Victoria’s Secret didn’t pick models with likes of Twiggy, right?
However, in the following decade(s), everything about these 3 lives changed. Drastically.
As the world began to openly discuss sexual orientation, some people began coming of the closets as well. It was still an unbearable topic to discuss in Asia, but it couldn’t be ignored.
In the 90’s, the tragedy began with Danny Chan. His musical popularity dwindled as younger rivals dominated the music scene with their flashy moves and designer suits. He became a recluse, adopted odd mannerisms, and disappeared from the public eye. Soon after, he died.
There is much speculation about the cause of his death - some say it was from alcoholism, while others believed he led a secret double life and died of AIDS. Supposedly he was in a coma for months and no one knows for sure, but he just went – pffffffffftt. Gone, just like that. His death was highly unusual for a young man who lived to be 35.
A decade later, Leslie Cheung, hurled himself off of a 24-story building. It was reported that he was suffering from severe bouts of depression and left a suicide note. Some believe Leslie’s depression revolved around the time he starred in, “Inner Senses” which was a widely acclaimed psychological horror film. He played a psychologist who meets a young girl claiming to see supernatural beings haunting her and helps her gain closure about her past. When the girl is cured (‘cuz there ain’t no such thing as ghosts, the good doctor said), then he begins to see terrifying ghosts chasing after him.
And who would’ve thunk it – Ol’ Leslie was flamingly gay and openly admitted his sexual orientation in his tightwad society. Leslie’s death shocked the Asian community proving that the sociological issues in Hong Kong were very real and prevalent. For someone who appeared to have it all - wealth, fame, and good looks - it was apparent how Leslie was a tormented soul and died a horrible death.
During this timeframe, a slew of Hong Kong megastars (both young and old) had passed on due to disease and depression. It was one magnificent funeral after another.
Then a few months later, Anita died of cervical cancer. Since she was well aware of her critical condition, she made sure she lived her final days to the fullest. Anita dressed to kill - from head to toe in designer labels, hosted parties every day and week, bought gifts for all of her friends, donated huge sums of cash to Buddhist temples, released a final album, threw a farewell concert, and devoted the concert DVD to her fans. Unlike Danny or Leslie, she died nobly and accepted the consequences of her fate.
All the while, it was odd having the press following her footsteps with the knowledge that she would perish before our eyes. You would see stupid headlines about how Anita looking weak and pale or her stomach being a bit round from the ‘swelling’. Man, they’re just as bad as the British paparazzi.
Although Anita didn’t face a horrible death, she suffered internally as well. Anticipation of death must have been excruciating for her. It's almost as though these megastars paid a hefty price for their fame and fortune. All three had never been married or have any children. Their lineages ended with them. Never allowed to be satisfied, ever. Not even in the afterlife.
Based on what I do know about reincarnation, Danny and Anita will have to 'recover' and heal from their diseases before they can be freshly embodied. This could take years, even decades as a wounded soul cannot survive in a human form. Unfortunately for Leslie, he will repeatedly leap off the building every moment of this spiritual limbo until he can find closure to what caused his death in the first place. He may never reincarnate.
Undoubtedly, Leslie’s death is by far the most disturbing. As I pointed out in my earlier blog, what motivates someone to do something? What acts a catalyst to a particular substrate? The questions revolving why will never be answered, but what were his last thoughts? What was it that made it so hopeless?
The Chinese are such pessimists, tragic endings seem to be a societal norm. The culture is so negatively charged because they don’t want to be jinxed by all of the positives. How does one live under the constant negativity? I see and hear news reports about children, as young as 6 (the same age as Mikayla), jumping out of their windows because they can’t face their parents with a mediocre report card. What is it about this society that compels people to act this way?
Suicide is common; you better hope no one lands on you while you’re walking on those streets. I’m assuming that no one wants to die in their own home because they don’t want to leave a spiritual imprint of death, so they’re gonna take a leap from the roof. Knives are too messy, guns are illegal, and drugs may not guarantee death.
So whenever I hear these three artists on the CD back to back, I see morose pictures of death.
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In seeking to explain the state of Scotland today, one columnist recently suggested that the hate of Margaret Thatcher ran so violently and pathologically here that two decades on, people here unconsciously reject any of the virtues she extolled - individualism, private enterprise, moving away from wealth redistribution, efficiency, etc. To this day, old men who have not worked a day since the 80s will curse publicly about Thatcher and how she is still responsible for all the evils in the world, not themselves or the 16 years they've had to pull themselves up.
In any culture or mentality it is always easier to live in fear of spirits, ancestors, of a domineering invisible female that holds power over you, then to break free from that and follow your own path.
In any culture or mentality it is always easier to live in fear of spirits, ancestors, of a domineering invisible female that holds power over you, then to break free from that and follow your own path.
