The simmering tension between showbiz artists and entertainment companies came to a head when Chen Chusheng, winner of the 2007 Super Boy contest, walked out of a live New Year concert on Dec 31.

He went missing for 15 days before resurfacing on Jan 14 to file a suit to terminate his contract with E.E Media, a big name in China's entertainment industry and a sponsor of television's wildly popular Super Boy and Super Girl contests.

At a Beijing press conference the next day, Chen apologized to fans for his impulsive walkout, but justified his break-up with E.E Media.

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He said the company had failed to keep its promise of Chen singing the theme song of the blockbuster Painted Skin and providing him with his own studio. It also arranged too many commercial performances during the post-production of his album, Chen added.

"It is a long drawn out conflict. I can say that I spent almost the whole of 2008 negotiating with the company, all in vain."

A lawyer Wang Jun told the Beijing-based Legal Mirror that Chen could sign up with any other company until the lawsuit is settled and this could take about six months. There has been no official response from E. E. Media so far.

Earlier in 2008, Hong Kong actress and singer Isabella Leong locked horns with Emperor Entertainment Group over her contract. The company filed a lawsuit in the High Court on April 3, 2008 suing Leong for breaking a 10-year contract which Leong's mother signed for her when she was only 12 years old. Leong filed a writ against the company later that month. In November 2008 the legal battle ended in an out-of-court settlement, with the star "free to pursue her career".

Zhang Liangying and Zhou Bichang, both winners of the Super Girl contests, also ran afoul of their management company in 2005, but this got settled out of court.

Wang Xudong of Cosmos Media, another entertainment company, says disputes over contracts are not unique to the entertainment industry.

"It's just that this industry is always under the spotlight and attracts quick attention. Plus, it thrives on controversy."

Zhou Wei, chief editor of www.67.com, a popular entertainment news portal, says some companies are eager to earn quick profits and this often creates problems.

"Some companies try to earn as much as possible in the shortest time, using stars only as money-making machines. For example, they arrange frequent performances for singers who may have just one hit song, making them sing it 10,000 times on all kinds of occasions to make quick money, instead of providing training or setting up long-term plans for their growth."

In the slack Chinese music industry, only the albums of top singers sell more than 100,000 units, at about 30 yuan ($4.4) apiece. For most of the others, a more realistic figure is 30,000 to 50,000. But a commercial concert provides much higher earnings. For a B-list singer, two or three songs can earn 50,000 to 100,000 yuan ($14,700). Some top singers such as Jay Chou and Andy Lau command more than 500,000 yuan for a show.

Senior critic and writer Tan Fei, however, believes the entertainment companies have a point.

Hong Kong actress and singer Isabella Leong was involved in a dispute last year with Emperor Entertainment Group over her contract. File photo

"Chen's breach sets a bad example," he says. "I don't think his behavior deserves advocacy, otherwise, we will see many concerts without singers. Moreover, how many firms will dare invest their money and energy in new actors or singers if the risk is so huge?"

The tussle between the stars and the entertainment companies will continue for quite a while, says Tan and adds that aspiring stars should think carefully before stepping into show business.

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Hong Kong actress and singer Isabella Leong was involved in a dispute last year with Emperor Entertainment Group over her contract.

"They should be mentally prepared that they would have to compromise a lot in this industry," he says.

But all three agree that China's entertainment industry is far from professional.

"It has a short history of only about two decades, while America's has been around for a 100 years," Wang says. "The relevant rules are not adequate."

"This is a vanity fair where rules are not accorded enough respect," Zhou agrees.

Tan says: "In a mature entertainment industry, people would refrain from courting publicity by whipping up controversy that does damage to both the artists and the industry.

"The industry can grow only when honesty and integrity are restored." （By Liu Wei /China Daily)

 

 

然而，资深评论家作家谭飞相信娱乐公司有自己的立场 （香港艺人的，略） “陈树立了坏榜样”他说，“我不认为他的行为应该得到同情，否则，我们会在很多演唱会上看到艺人缺席。此外，如果会冒这么大的险，还有多少公司敢为新人投入钱和资源？” 艺人和娱乐公司的斗争还会持续， 谭说，他补充道有志气的艺人应该在踏入娱乐圈前仔细想清楚。 “他们应该在精神上做好准备，在这一行他们可能要妥协很多”他说。 但是他们三人都同意中国的娱乐产业还远不专业。 “它的历史还很短，才20年，而美国有约100年”王说，“相关规则还不完善。” “这是一个名利场，而规则并没有得到足够尊重”周同意道。 谭说“在一个成熟的娱乐产业里，人们应该克制住为了出风头而煽动争议的行为，这对艺人和工业都是伤害” （说这么狗屎的话，你才为了出风头！！） “这个行业只有当诚实和正直重建的时候才能成长”。（中国日报/2月12日，译及旁白来自陈楚生群“赖床考拉”）