Why We Love Anita?

Hong Kong

My friend looked at Goodbye Anita, and asked, “Why do Hong Kong people love her so much?” and I couldn’t really explain it.

Then I said, “Well, she’s our Princess Diana, I guess.”

“But she’s a pop star.”

“We don’t have royalty. I mean she wasn’t born into it, she wasn’t married into it. She earned it every step of the way.”

“So more worthy, in many respects.”

“Every place need their stars. People need people to love, stories for people to dream, something that bonds us as a culture, as a place. She did that for 20 years. We need to pay our respects.”

“I think you did a good job.”

“Thanks, I made her known to you at least.”

Published by Yan Sham-Shackleton

Yan Sham-Shackleton is a Hong Kong writer who lives in Los Angeles. This is her old blog Glutter written mostly in Hong Kong from 2003 to 2007. Although it was a personal blog, Yan focused a lot on free speech issues and democratic movement in Hong Kong. She moved to the US in 2007.

3 thoughts on “Why We Love Anita?

  1. The same reason why Studio 54 got to be so great was because Steve Rubell noted that having no royalties, America turn to its celebrities to worship and adore. So Rubell presented 54 as a way to honor its own brand of royalty.
    COOL LAYOUT btw. very eye friendly… =)

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  2. True, as much as the privacy issue really irks me, it’s a huge part of human nature to find some sort of symbol, a collective ideal and then place it on a person to do some kind of worship. Since we are no longer a religious society, and monarchies are in the wane, celebrities are the modern day dieties.
    All of which if you look at it carefully is pretty inane and in some ways sacrificial. Previously that sort of life had it’s perks in power, and now it has it’s perks in money, but it also had its impact on one’s psyche and relationships. We’re funny creatures, humans.
    On the other topic. Everyone likes the red more than the grey.. I guess I might keep it after fixing it up a bit.
    Yan

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  3. “Every place need their stars. People need people to love, stories for people to dream, something that bonds us as a culture, as a place. She did that for 20 years. We need to pay our respects.”
    Yes, I agree with you. I am currently listening to her ‘nu ren hua’ and ‘qing mi ai ren’ piano track.
    Tears roll down when i saw what you said.

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