What is the most exciting job aside for being a movie or music star? Being a reporter covering the entertainment beat. You always have something to show off to your friends: Autographs and photos? I have got so tired of them. Who is your idol? Ok, I'll bring five signed albums to you tomorrow. You want an up-close view of the stars' real appearance? Who cares when I have seen them more often than my colleagues?

But the job can be as picky just as some stars seeking a perfect cosmetician. For those eager to be an entertainment reporter in China, my advice is, be young. That means if you are over 30, forget it, it's dangerous.

You will find yourself submerged in a group of teenagers and 20-somethings. A bigger mistake is made if you think you can stand out as a senior. Nobody pays attention to anyone middle-aged among dozens of cute boys and girls.

Running into a press conference for a film or album release in China, you might think you have entered a party of disillusioned hippies, pseudo yuppies and wannabe rappers. Dubious art lovers wearing long hair and a single earring show up and disappear, holding cameras or notebooks. It's easy to find the latest fashion elements in the costumes shining around you. Occasionally you may find one or two who look like they're middle-aged, but wait, they are in GAP caps and colorful T-shirts.

With graying hair and a frail heart, you'll definitely be lonely among them. You might want to find another place to work.

But don't judge the entertainment reporters - yuji in Chinese - by appearance. Sometimes they raise really sharp questions. If embarrassing the interviewee is the goal, they sometimes do excellent jobs.

In a film's premiere ceremony, a Hong Kong actor was bombarded by a journalist:

"You have played an undercover cop many times, why do you think all the directors want you to play that kind of role?"

The actor seemed totally confused and struggled to keep his professional smile.

"That you may ask the directors."

"Could you talk about your impressive covert role in Infernal Affairs?"

"Sorry, but I am afraid I did not star in that movie."

"Then how about that smart secret cop in Confession of Pain?"

"I was not in that movie either"

"Thank you."

The audience burst into laughter, except for the actor, who could do nothing but squeeze out a bitter smile. But this disaster did not end.

When he was struggling with his broken putonghua to answer another question, some reporters began to audibly murmur. What's worse was that his microphone was playing up and his voice was very low.

When most people cocked their ears to hear what the actor was saying, a veteran reporter slammed everybody's eardrum with a shout:

"Give him a good microphone! Don't you see he cannot speak well? How can we hear without a good mic when he speaks so poorly?"

Sometimes I am really confused as to who it is that can't speak well.

(China Daily 08/10/2007 page20)