HOST:

Welcome you all to ‘THE TALK”. I’m here with you to shed light on a heated debate whether
[TOPIC]Though I still don’t even know how to survive through this THIRTY MINUTES, hopefully
our guests will. One of our guests today has an infamous past getting snooped on a daily basis.
Let’s watch a video to get to know her past.
[Video drama]
Can you guess who she is? (ASK THE AUDIENCE) Don’t worry if your guess is wrong
because we’re going to disclose her identity in the very next minute. I’m the host, Nam Trung,
and let's join me in welcoming today’s famous guest, Miss Hai Tu.
[Hai Tu walk in like a fabulous biatch]
HOST:
How are you doing these days?
H.TU
Yes, thanks 4 asking, I'm good btw. It’s such an honor to be invited here. Out of all kinds, this
host right here is my favorite.
HOST:

Oh, many thanks. Now I even can discover another side of you. You totally act indifferent and
somehow give out a cold and tentative vibe on the internet, especially when it comes to your
scandals.

H.TU:
It’s a hot potato, isn’t it. Well, actually, I debuted 2 years ago as an actress but up till now, I still
receive much attention from the audience, which I really appreciate. And you know, we humans
can not please everyone. The haters are not goin’ stop hating, and those gross indignities and
contemptuous insults will not dissipate. Now, when I read the critics, I just get over it, just like
one of my favorite quotes: “Let bygones be bygones' '.

HOST:
Totally agree.

HT
Uhm, you know, that is why I might seem a little bit like, you know， ”distant“ , but that’s the way I
soothe myself from the critics.

HOST:
How do you feel about these scandals? Some evidence has been captured and spread
throughout the social platforms. Like, you were pregnant, you have a 2-year-old toddler and
you’re hiding it in a singer’s house.

HTU:
 What? There’s no way you guys gonna believe that rumor. I meet those crappy cringey things
all the time. One day, they will even come up with a story of my family prefered sexual
imprinting and then I’m supposed to be a boy but now I’m a girl, so maybe I’m adopted. That’s
how tabloids work.

HOST:
But don’t you think that’s just too….

HTU:
No, just imagine it, a long endless dark brown crappy shit coming out from those people. [hand
gestures]

Host: Haha, that’s an interesting thought coming from our guest. Well, some believe those are
just tabloid crap to attract more viewers, and some are in the opposite. Some might question the
veracity of those evidence. But no worries, I’ve invited another special guest that will help us in
taking a leap to the unknown. I introduce you, Linh the journalist from Kenh14.

(Journalist steps in)

Host:

Can you share some information about yourself before we have a serious talk?

14:

Yes, of course. Hi everyone. Now, I’m working on finding specialized news of showbiz at
Kenh14. Spilling the beans of famous stars who have received a lot of attention from netizens
about private life or other things recently is my biggest mission.

HOST:
The audience also wants to know how long you've been working as a journalist. And what has
led you to your current profession?

14:
I have been working for 5 years now. Curiosity is one of my characteristics so I just go down the
flow.

Host:
Some people regard journalists working for tabloids as “pernicious” to such information-oriented
world. What’s your opinion?

14:
I’m also a down-to-earth person so I always feel disgusted by some people who judge a book
by its cover, like they always think the flashy, showy exterior represents their character, I mean
lots of celebrities are pretty on the surface, but yeah, they have terrible personalities. This
makes me feel that I’m quite suitable with tasks like celebrity observation and news hunting to
state my consideration and expose the hypocrisy of certain people.
Host:
Hypocrisy? Can you be more specific? Who are you talking about?
14:
Taking a hot girl who is trending recently in social media as a prime example, she is always
arrogant and thinks that she is a real artist and famous for her own ability; However, in reality,
she drastically took advantage of other people's fame to leverage her own name. Well, I would
like to keep this celebrity anonymous out of respect for her privacy.

Host:

Thank you for some information. May I have some thoughts about scandal veracity? How do you think
about misleading scandals？Are they actually “misleading” as people always say?

14: (TO HOST)

Actually, coming here today, I am very happy to be able to help people understand more about
my interesting work. In Vietnam, the job is not as ubiquitous as others but the income is
lucrative, especially one or two scandals are explored on the first page, you can get hundreds of
millions out of that.

HOST:

Well, that’s a billion dollar business isn’t it. Can I ask you this question first? Why do people love
stories about celebrities?

14:

Well, that’s a tricky one. Well, do you feel like sometimes you are jealous of the celebrities’ life,
about their spotless appearance, they have huge mansions and multi-million assets, beautiful
boyfriends/girlfriends, walk on the red carpet, people idolize and put them on the pedestal?

HOST:

Yes, definitely, sometimes I feel like they get it too easy, like it all falls into their lap out of the
blue, they just do their job, which is acting, singing, and sometimes dancing, but they earn
millions, why many people are working their heart out just for a pittance, definitely not fair, so
sometimes I just thought maybe they don’t deserve it.

14:

Yes, that is what I am about to say. The scandalous stories about them shatter these perfect
images, and expose them in the rawest way, like they are just any mortal human beings with
flaws and foibles. And I think people enjoy that feeling, like “Yeah, see, so they are not that
 beautiful, not that smart, so they don’t deserve their wealth and fame.” This is the psyche of
many Vietnamese people. Well, I don’t mean to offend anyone, but facts are facts.

H.TU:

No, it’s not fair at all, I think they don’t see the hardship, the trials and tribulations of a celebrity,
it’s not a free meal that is handed to us and we achieve it effortlessly. It’s crazy behind the
scenes, like I have to wake up at 3a.m in the morning for a scene, it’s exhausting.

14:

Well, my mom wakes up at 3a.m too but she never complains about that. And you know what,
she only earns one tenth of your salaries.

H.TU:

No, I am not complaining, but I say that people earn their dues to get to the top. We have to
compete with other people, like so many of them jostle for one single spot of the limelight. We
try really hard, sometimes by our sweat, blood and tears. And sometimes we have to
experience something that other jobs never have, like assaults from complete strangers, even
sexual assaults or harassment from the people of this industry.

14:

That comes with the territories.

HOST:

Well, it’s getting hotter and hotter, maybe we will come back to this later on. Well, maybe I
should change the question. Well I have some questions from the audience below. He asked
how the paparazzi can nose out interesting and private news about celebrities?

14:
We need to use different methods flexibly, the most traditional method is probably stalking their
house, or their car. Patience is the vital factor if you want to have shocking news because some
famous people hide very well; Therefore, moving constantly is a featured trait of a journalist.

HOST:
But as I know, high-end condo and villas for the rich are frequently surrounded with guards and
you must have some sort of residential identity/card to enter such places. How do you deal with
that?
HT:
It would be incongruous of you sneaking in a private yet luxurious place to catch the private
moments of our celebrities.

41
 However, in some difficult circumstances, using other ways like bugging is an optimal choice to
reach our goal.
HOST:
Bugging? Can you explain more clearly?
14
Well, attaching eavesdropping devices in cars or even clothes (if possible) may be quite risky,
and you know, sometimes considered to be a bit “dirty” but the method is actually effective.
HOST:
Really?! Don’t you think that the action is illegal in any circumstances?
14:
I don’t care about the problem. Why can parents follow their kids the whole day through apps, or
husbands observe their wife by a bugging device when they suspect their partner is unfaithful?
Therefore, it’s not fair that I can't use more sophisticated equipment to reach my goal in
working.

H.TU:

Actually, I don’t think your justifications are right, you just want to rationalize about terrible things
you have done. First of all, you and your agency do not really have jurisdiction with us and even
nothing. That is not to say, it is never legal or reasonable for parents to monitor their children or
for a husband to follow his wife, no matter from any perspective.

HOST:
Why do you think so?

H.TU:
Because we all need privacy, in such a condition, a privilege and also a primitive human right,
so under no circumstance should we use our authority irresponsibly. If you follow someone
because of your suspicion, it's clear that you never trust them. And celebrities as well, they all
need privacy as any human being, so just give them a break, please.
HOST:
Many people consider that famous stars have to accept the unacceptable, because they are
public figures and basically means fair game. Taking a famous sentence of Sơn Tùng as a
prime example, “Để ngồi được vị trí không ai ngồi, phải chịu được cảm giác không ai chịu
được”
H.TU
It can be true in some situations, but rumors and scrutiny of private life can greatly affect the
artist. I mean they can feel extremely paranoid about everything they are doing, from going out
with their family to just simply be at home. It’s super stressful, they have to maintain their best
appearance around the clock. I mean a human can’t do that to another human.

HOST (tổng hợp)

 I understand your consideration. In my opinion, the legality of using bugging devices follows
stars and artists is still a gray area, but we all agree that famous artists are still made of flesh
and blood, and they obviously can be traumatized mentally if subject to this stalking for too long,
fearing that every word they are saying is recorded and eavesdropped from complete strangers.

H.TU:
Yes, it’s one of the basic ethics of any journalist. I can’t believe that a famous paper like Kenh14
can employ such dirty tactics.

HOST:
Well, it is not only a famous paper, but also the most circulated paper in our country. I have to
mention it in case you and the audience don’t know about it. By the way, congratulations on
Kenh14’s achievement, must be a huge feat for such a young news agency. As a journalist
working there, can you tell us what might be the reasons for it?

14:

I think there are many reasons. The most important thing is probably that channel 14 knows
what readers want, we obviously all love celebrity stories and sensational stories, and channel
14 has done a great job. In addition, the channel's content is also very diverse, from politics ....,
not everything is really tabloid as people think. There are articles that are invested a lot, not
inferior to dantri or vnexpress as you assume. As you can see here

HOST:

Well people love drama, right, Kenh 14 is like a treasure chest of endless controversy and
drama.

14:

Well, I would take it as a compliment, and we will even try to improve on that aspect, one of the
signatures of our papers.

H.TU:

Actually, I've read K14 and there are some interesting points, but it's still tabloid after all. It can
be seen that it's all about celebrities, and this newspaper especially likes to cause controversies
and divisions. All kinds of things, constantly comparing one person to another from beauty,
clothes to education. There's still a story about astrology these days. It's ridiculous.

Ho:
Oh, Incidentally, we have also collected some really “meaningful” photos of this newspaper, do
you guys want to see it?
 HOST
But you know what? This is not the worst.
(mn tìm thêm ảnh nhá, t nhớ là nhiều lắm mà đọc cười sặc luôn, nó để hẳn trong một collection
nào ý) =)))))))

H.TU:
Holy cow. That’s unprecedented in traditional broadsheets. How on Earth a paper can write
such a thing. Why can they manage such an unethical style of writing that came out of
nowhere? You know what, these journalists are true comedians and hedonists.
Look at the second picture of Chi Pu sitting between two chairs, I'm laughing the shit out of me.

H:
Yes, to my mind, it is not very newsworthy, or some people will call it worthless because it didn’t
offer any information valuable to the audience. They solely focus on reeling in as many views as
possible.

HT:
Yes, this is exactly the obsession of the media with celebrities, now if I fall on the chair, I’m
afraid that they will make a splash about it.
H:
Yeah, a shocking title, you mean. Something like “Hai Tu bất cẩn vấp ngã khi đang mang thai.”
HT:
Oh yeah? Now I know you really have the potential to become a journalist.
H:
Oh no, you will not want to try me.
HT:
Yes, I am.
14:
Knock it off you guys. Stop making fun of my occupation.
Well, don’t you find it hilarious? I think they deliberately make these headlines only to raise a
laugh from the audience, that’s all. No sweat over it. Right? And I want to raise the issue with
the fact that you just slammed us. If our country doesn’t have a so-called tabloid newspaper,
you will never be as well-known as today.
H:
Yes, I agree with her to some extent. Hai Tu, sometimes, you have to admit that celebrity and
tabloid have a symbiosis relationship, we benefit from your private affair and in turn, you gain
more exposure with your audience, right?
HT:
Well some celebrities may love to weaponize their drama to get the publicity, but I am simply not
that kind of person. I never asked to be their object of curiosity. I can be a famous actress in my
own right.
14:
Well, good luck with it! And you know what, the journalists are not to blame. There’s hardly any
reason that Kenh 14 thrive but for the principle of supply and demand that regulates and
stipulates the motivation of output products, people love scandalous, splashy news, and we
provide it for them. We can’t make our ends meet if we keep writing about politics, economics or
philanthropic stories, even if we want to.
HT:
So yeah, now you blame the audience. Now writing silly stories becomes your livelihood, you
must be very rich, financially and spiritually, hah?
14:
Ok, stop being so self-righteous. Tell me the last time you really read something important on
your precious broadsheet papers?
HT:
Well, I read about Ukraine and Russia. I have to remind you that I am not particularly well-read,
but I will steer clear of the tabloid at any cost.
14:
Ok, so you read about Ukraine and Russia like anyone else in the world right now, and can you
do anything with it? I have to tell you, you can be well-versed about politics, about economics
but you can’t really apply it in real life. You know that Russia invaded Ukraine, so you are going
to fly to Ukraine to rescue the innocent people?
H:
Yes, I have to agree about it, we are basically powerless about it.
HT:
You are acting like a terrorist you little punk. Don’t ever bear in mind such a thing when Russia
decided to uphold the humanitarian corridors to save thousands of lives in Ukraine. Depreciating
a communism country will not help you become a better journalist. Same when you intervene in
my private affair. What’s so addicted to discover other people's personal life?
14:
Because your stories gave us a thrill, even the cheap one. And political or international news
are all about weighty, nerve-racking, problematic topics. We have already had our fair share of
problems and troubles to deal with. Why do we have to care about the people who live far
beyond our border?
HT:
That sounds irresponsible at best, if you can’t write something important, so just stop
perpetuating the sensationalism of the news.
14:
Well, being an actress starring in music videos sounds so useful to our society.
H:
Well, it’s turning real hot. I think you all have your own idea about what is right and wrong with
the so-called tabloid paper. It is safe to say that people love tabloids (I mean not everyone but
mostly are). It doesn’t mean that people are uncivil, nosy or ignorant, they want instant thrill and
shock from gossipy and sensational news. And journalists are the people who provide it for
them, voluntarily or involuntarily. However, Hai Tu here, she has her point, right? She hopes for
the better future of journalism, where celebrities can have complete privacy and only worthy
news is published. Thanks 2 you guys for joining us today.