Credit pic to frontiernet.net
I used to watch Asia because they had many young singers and are constantly bringing in good new talents. Asia used to be fun to watch but until recently when they get too involved in the Vietnam War and communism. Also there is a big change in singers and MCs. I miss Asia when they had Lam Thuy Van, Thanh Truc, Shayla, Gia Huy, and the old gang of singers who were definitely much better than the new singers nowadays. And making it worse Asia is constantly promoting beauty queens and pageants, which were fun at first and now it is getting annoying and unnecessary. Asia is a big mess. Here are five reasons I don’t watch Asia anymore…
1. There are too many new singers at Asia who cannot sing or carry on a good show. Furthermore they do not look good or have any charm to them. People like Thai Doanh Doanh, Y Phuong, Minh Thong, Khai Tuan, Chau Tuan and more. In Asia 54, they had talent show winners singing and it was horrible. I think that more and more Asia is losing good singers and ending up with a variety of singers who are really bad to okay and only a few are good.
2. Second I just hate it so much now when Asia groups old singers with new singers and do group performances or pairs through out the show leaving little to none solo acts. This is going too far and it is taking away from the singers because audiences are not able to see how the singers performance alone and see their individual personality. With pairs, you have to perform a way to fit with your partner and with group it is basically how Asia wants it and staged it so you get a little part of your own contribution to the act. I think this is so unfair to the singers who have to conform to Asia. And this makes me think of Anh Minh, and the reason she left Asia.
3. Third. Asia’s involvement with the Vietnam War and fighting Viet Cong and communism is flooding into the show. I know that Asia’s staffs are strong anti- Viet Cong but they need to take that outside of the show. I watch music productions for the entertainment and not to force or throw at in the face these political involvements, promotions, someone’s personal believes or asking me to help raise money. I don’t want to get into charity and donation but we all know that the money barely makes it to those in need. Back to the idea, when Asia do shows about the Vietnam War, they are singing old songs and have lots of old singers, which is not cool because I don’t enjoy watching it. They are losing a large part of the young audience when they do many shows like that. Asia is focusing too much on hating Viet Cong that they take away the art of the show and the feeling from the music.
4. Next, Asia is losing originality because they are constantly bringing back old songs and doing remix to the song or doing “lien khuc,” mixing many songs together and letting a bunch of singers sing them. First off, most people know these songs and heard it many times. Most of these songs are often classics or were made famous by other singers. And so what Asia is doing is ruining good songs and annoying people when the songs are taken to be cut up and given to singers who can barely and fully sing the song good to express the meanings.
5. TOO MANY MCS!!! One is enough, two is acceptable but like 4 and more? Do you really need that many? Maybe if the MCs are good, but most of them are not. Ky Duyen, Cong Thanh, Nam Loc, Viet Dung, Orchid Lam Quynh, Trinh Hoi, Leyna Nguyen, Dang Tuyet Mai, Thuy Duong, all of Asia’s singers and staffs, and possibly more. These people were and are MCs of Asia. Asia's recent MCs cannot lead a show or introduce a song well because mostly they recite from the memorized script. And the jokes on Asia show are really typical, dry, corny, and over done that it is unfunny and awkward. The many guest speakers or singers who were called up to speak are so unnatural and awkward. The MCs might not be a bad public speaker, but they are better off in a different field of public speaking that does not include leading a show. Nam Loc is probably better off doing a show about commemorating soldiers who died during the Vietnam war and Leyna Nguyen is best reporting news on American TV where she can fully tell the story and connect with viewers through English because I feel that with Vietnamese Leyna cannot find the right words or the most fit words to convey her thoughts and it takes away lot for her as a host. In general, Asia’s MCs lack personality, creativity and connection with the audiences.
How about yourself? If you also don’t like watching Asia, post your reasons. If you do like watching Asia tell why. I want to hear your thoughts.
Comments
I'm a PBN fan.
Politics is the attraction for the old veterans who can't get over the fact that It's over.
Yes, I agree. I think for most of them or people who experienced the Vietnam War and the whole ordeal, it is a lifetime impact and hard to get over it. For me, a younger generation it is hard to imagine the effects and so I don't see the importance as much as my dad would see it. For that, I kind of understand their side and why they still hold on to it even though it's over. But it bugs me though for Asia to constantly bringing it into their show and that I cannot stand.
And how is Asia releasing cds out when all their singers get to singer HALF a song in every performance.
Have you visited Rangdong? The comments for PBN are generally bad while the comments for Asia are like "awesome job!" "great production!" urgh..please!
I'm 26, so I suppose a little old, but I was born in Australia. Since I turned 21 I started to watch PBN and Asia videos for personal enjoyment, as opposed to just watching them with the family or hearing it on in the background when my parents or relatives watched them.
Anyway, just a bit of background before I give my comments, because I think it explains alot about the viewers likes/dislikes, prejudices etc.
I really enjoyed the social commentary on both the most recent PBN 90 and Asia 56(?) videos. I agree that the Asia social commentary is slightly more partican political and directed, but both are equally important for young people growing up outside of Vietnam. The stories told on both the PBN and Asia videos go such a long way towards connecting the various generations of Viets living outside of Vietnam.
Politics might sound boring at first, but beneath the surface, everything is political and a genuine understanding of the Vietnamese community and culture requires an understanding of political biases.
In concluding my comments, I should say, I know very little about Vietnamese culture being born in Australia, but from the little I've seen on the PBN and Asia videos, I feel very proud to be a Viet.
On the other comments about Asia videos, I agree that some singers are not that talented, but the same can be said of some PBN singers.
On the group performances, I like them because you get to see a few sides to a singer. But I agree, it shouldn't be at the expense of individual performances.
On the MC's, I really like the various contributions that each MC makes. And even for someone who doesn't speak vietnamese that well like myself, you can tell which MC will make which comment and which joke. I think the fat man without the beard and Ky Duong are great general MC's who if there had to be two, they should be the ones.
On the number of Lien Khuc/remixes, I really like them, but the themes and appropriate singers do need to be chosen carefully. Sometimes a lien khuc is excellent for bringing together a series of great songs and singers to really immerse the viewer in a particular theme, like "lien khuc chuyen hoa sim" or "lien khuc mua". I dislike dance remixes of viet songs generally.
Anyhow, my thoughts on the issue.
Michael
On a nonjoking side, Asia was found by 3 musicians who had strong tie to the VN War. Every April 30th or so they will make a damn VN war DVD. The damn war ended +30 years ago... Anyway, it's a theme they will always use anually.
As for the war, most of the people are bitter over because they used to work on rice patties and when the war was over they get to come to American and have a great life. So they hate that they have nothing better to do and they want to go back to the way things used to be, working on rice patties and having nothing much to eat.
Then came a new wave of singers like Lam Nhat Tien, Trizzy, Nini, Ha Vy, Vina Uyen My, Trish, Shayla, Le Tam, Thanh Truc and Gia Huy that gave Asia productions a fresh new perspective.
Then came the the collaboration of war songs, along with the multiple MC's
After that came replayed/remixed/revamped songs sung by singers that couldn't really sing, this is where Asia Productions lost its originality.
what happened to them?