I think Taiwanese television producers try to induce panic attacks on the viewers with repeated boinging sounds, whistles, clashing symbols, buzzers, rapid Chinese chatter, trippy animations, and flashing lights. Unfortunately my apartment doesn't get any American channels, so I have pathetically spent one too many lunches watching Chinese soap operas and game shows.
Today there was a commercial on that begun with an American “Go Army” clip. It had our soldiers doing pushups, swiftly saluting their captains, maneuvering jets--the whole nine yards. I started feeling pretty pumped and patriotic but remembered, I’m not in America, where is this going? It ended up being a moped advertisement constructed from splices of military recruitment commercials. Not sure where the connection between sweaty guys sporting dog tags and street scooters is (maybe an attempt at sex appeal?), but hey… that’s why it’s cultural observation #2.
Game show!
I have to tell you a funny thought I had the other day when we were watching tv... We were watching a show for about 15 minutes and I was laughing and enjoying the Taiwanese drama when all of a sudden Tori said,"can you translate what has been going on?" ha I could only laugh at the fact that I thought we were both enjoying the show. Poor tori... staring at a screen not knowing what the heck was going on!
ReplyDelete