Celebrities’ “titles” from ECAT create an “egad” moment

“Well, good!” we hear some people saying. This would be the segment of the population that regards entertainment reporters as the height (or the depth) or nosiness. The complaints filled the online chat-rooms all year about these reporters’ ethics and integrity and lack thereof, assailing the scribes’ manners, their choice of words, and even the way they dress.

Well, the latest controversy whirling around the ECAT stems from its “Titles of the Stars” year-end list of the 10 most-talked-about people in show business, which assigns them colourful “titles” based on the stories they generated.

We used the word “colourful” lightly. How would you describe “Tui Ting Mia”, which means “Buffalo Abandons Wife”? That drew the public’s wrath most, along with “Lang Thong Rong Ha Phua” (“Got Stomach Pumped to Get Back at Husband”. (These are the creations of showbiz gossip-mongers, remember, not poets.)

ECAT’s Thitipon Jutimanon mounted a weak defence.

“Our association has had a tradition of bestowing titles on people in the entertainment circle since 2005 and it always gets dramatic feedback. Some people say they’re too harsh, some aren’t pleased with them and some says they’re unacceptable, but all these titles come from actual news stories.”

Here we go. You got a minute? 

“As for Tui Ting Mia,” Thitipon continues, “Tui comes from Peter’s famous song ‘Chao Tui Yoo Nai’ [‘Where is the Buffalo?’] and we just linked it to his news.”

He means actor-singer Peter Corp Dyrendal, who roamed, somewhat buffalo-like, from home this year. As for Miss Stomach Pump 2015, that’s Pattaratida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong, who attempted suicide soon after splitting up with her long-time boyfriend, singer Phakin “Tono” Khamwilaisak. “Tangmo’s title came from what she revealed after being released from hospital,” Thitipon says with disarming innocence.

“We wrap up the news and rephrase it. We play with words and make it more colourful. Giving the stars titles is a form of entertainment criticism. It’s justified, just like film criticism, music criticism and even beauty-pageant criticism. Media around the world do this. Everything is based on facts and there’s no bias. 

“But we humbly accept all feedback with an eye to improving our work next year.”

Banyong Suwanpong has some feedback for them. A member of the Thai Journalists Association’s Ethics Committee, he notes that the “titling” has been slammed by academics in mass communications and “professional media”, as well as the general public. “Some of the titles violate human rights and show disrespect for human dignity. It’s almost as if ‘the media’ is a ‘better human being’, so it has the right to nag anyone any way it likes. 

“They claim these titles are ‘based on the facts’ and just teasing, but people with discretion think differently. People in the limelight who are given titles with insulting meanings suffer from those names.”

Over at Pantip.com, a pair of quotes ably sums up the consensus: “Seeing those titles, I just hate ECAT. They are a bad example for the media,” says one. “These titles are really insensitive,” another concurs. “How can they joke about a person who survived a suicide attempt?”