Audiences demand apologies for costume "mishaps"

After numerous criticisms of Vietnamese stars for nude photos and "costume malfunctions", audiences continue to be dissatisfied with the apologies.

Singer Thuy Tien

Many believe that such scandals are an attempt by artists to further their careers. It is not uncommon, after one of these incidents, that the performer holds a press conference or apologises on their blogs or in internet forums. But many of them are insufficient for fans, who believe that they are shirking responsibility by blaming external factors.

One such incident took place at a recent concert in Hanoi, given by singer Thuy Tien. Afterwards, she explained to her fans, via Facebook, that she, "...just wanted to be herself."

"I believe you should always be who you want to be. It is dishonest to create some image of perfection, and pretend to be like that. No one is perfect, and human beings have the right to make their mistakes," she said.

Some days later, at a meeting with her fan club, she somewhat backtracked. She apologised for her her dress, saying that during the day of her performance, she was asked by the club owners to dress sexy. She also blamed the photographer who chose to take the image from angle that would make the costume appear more provocative.

Many, however, were not satisfied with this explanation, thinking that it lacked honesty.

Duong Yen Ngoc, a model, also shocked audiences with by not wearing a bra and covering her nipples by just two pieces of fabric, at a recent show in Ho Chi Minh City. Many in the audience saw this as a PR stunt.

Ngoc used Facebook to explain, "It was just an accident. The lights from the flashes made the costume seem more distasteful than it actually was. I regret the situation, and would like to apologise to all of my fans."

Similarly, many of her critics were not appeased by her words.

The singer, Minh Hang, caused outrage with a performance at a charity event in 2011 with her translucent costume. The concert was for, and also attended by, members of the Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, as well as disadvantaged children. The organisers were fined VND3.5 million (USD166.6). Her explanation was that the photos had somehow been altered.

Thuy Tien

Duong Yen Ngoc

Minh Hang

dtinews.vn