Janet Hsieh Exposed - A Critical Review of Taiwan's Fakest Celebrity
Note: For
Chinese translation through Google Translate, click
here. However it is imperfect with many errors.
Revised June, 2011
Janet Hsieh 謝怡芬, whom her
shallow airheadish fans rave is "oh so wonderful", is the host of
"Fun Taiwan" on the Travel Channel and The Learning Channel. On her
show, she goes around Taiwan exploring mediocre sites and places that pale in
comparison with her pretty face, while hyping them up with contrived enthusiasm.
In doing so, she actually gives Taiwan a bad image, because the uneventful
ordinary places she goes to on her show would NOT be fun if she wasn't there,
which might discourage people from going there.
Though she is nothing special, she has become a media darling and her
airheadish fans treat her like some Goddess above criticism. Amazingly, she is
one of the few celebrities without critical review, at least that I'm able to
find. So let me be the first to write a critical review of her. (since I happen
to have a history of being the
first to do things)
First, sure she has good looks, has modeled before, and possesses an outgoing
enthusiastic personality. I guess that's enough to win over simple drooling
guys and the executive producers of the Travel Channel.
But that's pretty much all she has. There is nothing unique or special about
her. She has not done anything to deserve any fame or "Goddess
treatment". There are many Asian American girls like her who could fill
her shoes. And her accomplishments (qualifying for medical school, playing
violin, etc.) are typical for Chinese Americans. (My Taiwanese cousins and
family friends have the same accomplishments)
The chief problems with Janet Hsieh are: Her personality is bland. Her jokes
are corny and her antics are cheesy. For example, when she puts on a dress, she
says the corniest things that make you roll your eyes. And when she's bathing
under a waterfall, she raves, "Ohhh this is sooooo wonderful!" which
anyone can do. Her cheesy lines, combined with how loud she is, makes her
annoying to those with distinguishing ears. She does not give any deep
meaningful insights on her show. Instead, she says the most simple things that
anyone can say.
Plus she is not a good actor and seems to feign her emotions. There is no depth
to her. Just look at her eyes (since they say that the eyes are the window to
the soul). Notice how vacant and self-absorbed they are. They do not show one
who is rich and soulful on the inside. Instead, they show an empty airhead on
the inside. Look carefully at them when she's on TV and you will see what I
mean.
Thus, she is way overrated and over-treated, hyped up by the media without any
substantive reasons, similar to how Britney Spears was hyped up even though she
didn't have much talent or charisma. Janet has no special accomplishments. She
is not a good or talented actress. She does not make you feel emotions. She has
no charm or charisma. She has not done anything special. She has not stood up
to evil with any courage. She has done nothing but rave like an airhead on her
show.
Thus, it is no surprise that her fans tend to be airheads themselves, since
like attracts like. Just look at the comments on her facebook fan page that she
gets everyday, and you'll see how airheadish they are. None of the comments
have any substance.
http://www.facebook.com/janethsiehonline
It's no wonder she's so popular. Deep intelligent aware people do not tend to
be popular with the dumbed-down mainstream population (which is prevalent in
Taiwan and America). That's why popular people tend to be fake, dumbed-down (or
at least act like it), plastic and inauthentic, rather than truthful and
genuine. After all, as great thinkers have said:
"The men the American public admire most extravagantly are the most daring
liars; the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell them the
truth." - H. L. Mencken
"Ninety-nine percent of the people in the world are fools, and the rest of
us are in great danger of contagion." - Thornton Wilder
"Whenever people agree with me I always feel I must be wrong." ?
Oscar Wilde
Furthermore, the places that Janet Hsieh goes to in her Fun Taiwan series are
very mediocre, the kind that old retired Taiwanese, who don't have the guts to
go overseas, go. They are not places that young people would really enjoy. Or
she goes hiking up mountains and waterfalls in naturesque areas, which are
nothing special and exist all over the world.
There is nothing really "fun" about these places on her show, except
for her "fun personality", which is more fake than authentic, because
she makes a big deal about nothing and overcompliments everything around her.
Now, there's nothing wrong with having enthusiasm and child-like wonder, but
when you're PAID to do these things, it calls into question how much of your
emotions on TV are real and how much is merely acting to make the show positive
and pleasant.
You might think I'm being pessimistic and overly critical. But I am just
calling it like I see it. I've seen many things in this world, and met
thousands of people. I'm very insightful and have distinguishing taste in
separating substance from hype. That being said, to me Janet Hsieh's acting and
enthusiasm on her show seems fake and contrived.
Plus she is not an independent thinker. She got good grades in school, played
violin, and wanted to become a doctor, etc. which is very typical for a
Taiwanese American. I've known many ABC's who fit the same bill.
Sure, Janet has looks, popularity, money, and a fun life. She may be a great
girl by conventional standards. But her assets and qualities are ordinary and
shallow. She is not original in any way at all. She does not revolutionize
anything or have great vision to change things, society and people's lives. She
does not help end suffering in the world, or fight evil or injustice, or debunk
lies, propaganda and illusion. She does not even think ?outside the box?, nor
has she shown that she can. She is a conformist, like most females are.
She's just an attractive entertainer that nerdy ABC sheep drool over. That's
nice yeah, but it's only surface level, and nothing that will stand out in
history.
Now I'm not saying that Janet is bad or anything. I'm sure she's a fine person.
I'm just saying that she's nothing special or unique. I know many ABC girls
that are just like her, who became doctors, got good grades, are pretty, etc.
Her interests are typical and conventional. She is not extraordinary, original,
unique or one-of-a-kind. She does not get compliments and
comments like these, for example. Instead, she acts fake, artificial and
annoying.
Look at the writing in her
blog for example. There are no great profound truths or insights in it.
Nothing intellectual or deep. Compare it to Winston Wu's articles,
which says speak for themselves. There is no comparison. Look at Winston's
masterpiece essay Debunking
the Myth of Freedom and Democracy in America for example. Everything in it
is 100 percent "outside the box". Can Janet ever write anything like
that? No way. Of course not. Janet is a typical conformist, not a truth seeker,
and as such does not think like that.
Plus Janet's personality seems fake and programmed, not authentic. Her updates
on her Facebook Page, as
well as the praises she receives there, are very airheadish and superficial.
Notice her eyes as she speaks or walks, and you will see a plastic vacant look,
as if she's spaced out. There is nothing deep, intellectual or profound about
her. She exudes plastic optimism, which is reflective of the fake US culture
she grew up in, which does not allow you to express how you really feel, but
only allows you to show a plastic face to everyone everyday. She is not known
for anything unique which sets her apart from any other fun-loving extrovert. There
is NOTHING original about her at all, compared to the one-of-a-kind Winston
Wu, as evidenced by these quotes.
Now compare her with fellow Taiwanese American Winston Wu - Writer,
Traveler, Freethinker, Passive Income Enterpreneur, and Founder of the Happier Abroad and SCEPCOP movements. Very well
traveled folks have called Winston Wu the "most atypical and unique Asian
male" as well as the "most freethinking Asian". See here for examples
and see this Chart
of Winston Wu's character traits and attitudes that truly set him apart
from other Asians. Also see this list
of quotes from fans who call Winston Wu a "Hero, Inspiration, and
Legend", words which very few people in the world get called. Winston
Wu's work has even been praised by Nobel Prize Winners and reputable published
authors. See here for
their praises and compliments.
Janet Hsieh, on the other hand, has NOTHING like that which sets her apart from
the rest. And she has not done anything that no one else has, or been the first
to do something, like Winston Wu has. See here for his list of 10
Uncommon and Outstanding Accomplishments. No Nobel Prize Winners or
intellectual authors praise Janet's work. No one calls her a "Hero or
Legend." She has not overcome any insurmountable odds, has not stood up
against overwhelming forces, nor fought for truth, nor had the courage to stand
alone for what's right. And she has no real intellectual achievements that are
praiseworthy. There is nothing original or unique about her. All she did was
study hard and use her looks to get into modeling and then onto television.
There isn't much substance to her. She simply got hyped up by the media, which
has a history of hyping up people with looks but no substance, talent or
charisma - such as Britney Spears.
Janet Hsieh claims to have toured 36 countries, however, anyone can backpack
through a lot of countries in a short period of time. Darting through multiple countries
on a backpacking tour does not make you cultured. What makes you cultured is
how many countries you have resided in LONG-TERM. My Cultural and Expat
Advisor, for example, has been to 30+ countries, speaks 10 languages, and has
resided LONG-TERM in 9 countries. If you look at the depth of his blog and
cultural comparisons, you will see what a real well-traveled cultured expat is
like. NONE of Janet's writings are anywhere near as deep and useful as his. Have a look at his Expat
blog and see for yourself. In it are direct and mostly accurate comparisons
between cultures and their ways, without political correctness. On the other
hand, all that Janet can say about any culture is: "This culture is so
wonderful. The food was so good. The people were so friendly. I had a great
time! Wooo hooo!" which in fact, every host of the Travel Channel
says. So what's new?
Anyhow, with experience in other cultures, she should easily see that Taiwan is
one of the dullest and coldest (socially) cultures in the world, with no social
energy, vibe or excitement. (but of course she's paid to say the opposite) It's
pretty much a dead land of robotic slaves without imagination, creativity or
passion. Any well traveled observant person can see that from their
perspective.
But since she's a PAID host, actor and promoter of Taiwan tourism, she has to
do whatever the producers want, including raving with enthusiasm about the most
dull mediocre things. And when she does, it raises a critical eye from astute
observers as to how sincere and natural she is.
I would bet that if she were not paid to host a TV show, she would not spend so
much of her own time, years it seems, traveling around Taiwan with so much
excitement. You can only see so much in Taiwan, since it's a small country. Yet
she's spent years going to sites in Taiwan on her show.
What's annoying is her rabid ranting that Taiwan is so wonderful and friendly
which stands in stark contrast to the truth and cold hard reality of Taiwanese
life. The way she rails about Taiwan is so fake too.
In reality Taiwanese women are very closed, stiff, inhibited, introverted,
conservative, stone faced and not open to strangers. In Taiwan there is no eye
contact or smiling to others in public. No one talks to you if they don't know
you. To them, that's normal. But in the rest of the world it is not.
I know I'm going to take heat for this one, but it's one of those things like
"The Emperor's New Clothes" where no one wants to admit something
obvious for fear of condemnation and ostracization.
Taiwanese are not just shy and introverted, they are EXTREMELY shy and
introverted, to the point where if you are outgoing, you will feel awkward and
out of place, like you should not be outgoing when everyone else is not. Thus
that part of you will feel "suppressed".
The only types that talk to strangers in Taiwan are the elderly/senior
citizens. Not young adults and especially not young adult females. No way. Hell
no. The girls in Taiwan are super conservative, and not very approachable or
easy to chat up without a proper introduction, unlike in Europe where females
are far more open and relaxed with strangers. That makes Taiwan an ice cold
place. And it tells you that since the older generation is more friendly, it
must have been friendlier in the past.
However, I'm sure if you look like Janet Hsieh, then Taiwanese people will be a
lot warmer and more approachable to you. Or if you are a white guy, then
Taiwanese girls will be more receptive to approaches. But not if you're an
Asian guy. No way. If you are an Asian male, Taiwanese females will put on
their super conservative mask to you. Not a single serious down-to-earth mature
Taiwanese person I know denies that. It's simply too obvious.
In fact, I do not sense any social energy at all in Taiwan, even though I am
very sensitive and attuned to energy in my surroundings. Zilch. Nada. If you've
never left Taiwan, you might not understand what that means. But if you've
lived in high social energy places like Latin America, Russia, parts of Europe,
the Philippines, Southeast Asia, etc. you will know exactly what I mean. Taiwan
is a frigid place for the true extrovert. And it is nowhere as friendly in real
life as Janet Hsieh portrays it. No way.
In fact, the name of her show "Fun Taiwan" is an oxymoron in terms.
In reality, typical Taiwanese life is anything but fun. It is totally devoid of
passion, interests, and freedoms. Instead, it is a cold bleak soulless robotic
existence to corporate slavery (or slavery to your own shop) 6 or 7 days a
week, giving away 80 to 90 percent of one's priceless life to bondage, rather
than enjoying any kind of truly RICH LIFE. Work and money are the Gods of
Taiwanese people. It's a horrible existence. I pity them.
What passes for fun in Taiwan is usually lame, gay, and a weak attempt behind
an aura and culture of inhibition. People don't truly live to the max or with
full richness of heart and passion in Taiwan, the way that people do in Latin
America for instance.
Mainstream Taiwanese do not deny any of the above. They admit to it and say
that it is their culture, and that they are not like foreign countries. They
even consider America, one of the loneliest and most isolating countries in the
world, to be open and friendly. What does that tell you?!
The only people who deny the above are certain groups of expats who somehow
claim to be unusually lucky in Taiwan's social and dating scene, hippies and
backpackers who always say that people are friendly in every culture no matter
what, politically correct folks, and of course Travel Channel hosts like Janet
Hsieh, who are PAID to say how wonderful, exciting and friendly Taiwan is.
But those who are unbrainwashed and who sees things as they are will find the
above to be obvious. Few people will admit and see things as they are. Many
only see what they WANT to see.
This is a sick world of illusion, propaganda and lies. And I'm glad to be one
of the few who are free and liberated of that.
For my complete
observations about Taiwan, click here
In fact, a Taiwanese girl I emailed, who told me that Taiwan was friendly
because it was the popular cool thing to say, was sent my observations about
Taiwan above. Upon reading it, she admitted that I WAS RIGHT! See what she had
to say below. It's quite revealing coming from a mainstream Taiwanese girl.
"hi, winston,
what a long letter! haha
actually, i admit i feel a little offended when i read ur mail first
time...(sorry)
but then, i thought u r right. :D
if we compare taiwan with other countries, i know, our people r colder and
more shy. it is truth. i think it is because of our culture and tradition. we r
not so welcome to strangers, just most people want to protect themselves first.
i totally agree u that people affect each other. so when your surrounding is
a close space(people just chat or talk with their friends),u will be a member
of them, no doubt.
but i still notice sth different between our sentences,
i think why u feel so disappointed about taiwanese,maybe one reason is just
cuz of u r a male. people r usually more friendly to female than to male. :)
another reason is maybe u go to wrong place, for example,if on the
road,maybe most people don't want to talk to u because they r busy or they are
teached don't talk to strangers. but if u go to social places, like
pubs,concerts,night markets,restaurants,shopping streets, etc. u might find sth
a little different.
and i said that people in chiayi r kind and friendly,
i mean people who live in southern part of taiwan r more friendly than
northern part of taiwan. :D (every taiwanese knows this.)
of course we can't compare with USA,europe and other western countries i
know... but heyhey i am very sure that we r better than china! :D
so how is ur trip in taiwan? maybe u can try other couchsurfers!
enjoy!
Amber"
According to this news article,
Janet's show is now suffering from low ratings. Well the solution is simple. Go
somewhere interesting Janet! Go to Japan or China and show places there, rather
than always staying in the boring uneventful Taiwan.
Now, I know it may be unpopular to criticize someone as popular as Janet Hsieh,
but as these great quotes exemplify:
?Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth.? - Gandhi
"The men the American public admire most extravagantly are the most
daring liars; the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell them
the truth." - H. L. Mencken
"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed
by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning
yourself." - Friederich Nietzsche
Thank you for reading my critique.
See
comments to this article or post one of your own.
See
more critical reviews of Janet Hsieh.
Janet Hsieh vs.
Winston Wu: Airhead Celebrity vs. Intellectual Freethinker
Anti Janet Hsieh blogs:
http://janet-hsieh-sucks.blogspot.com
http://janethsiehsucks.wordpress.com
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