Disputes amongst artists and state agencies have cast a shadow over the Vietnamese showbiz industry from the start of the year.
Model and former judge Ha Anh and Vietnam’s Top Model runner-up Tuyet Lan (from left to right)
One of the biggest debates is centred around Vietnam’s next top Model (VNTM). It started when a foreign agency mistook runner-up Tuyet Lan as the winner of VNTM 2010 in their invitation to New York Fashion Week, despite Huyen Trang having won the coveted award.
In an attempt to protect Huyen Trang, putative pop-singer and model Ha Anh who judged season one of the show, spoke up against the VNTM organisers. She accused them of deliberately causing the problem. In response, the production company Multimedia accused Ha Anh of publicity seeking, claiming she wasn’t worthy of being a judge. Tuyet Lan who was at the centre of the dispute also conveniently accused Ha Anh of bullying her during the first show. An undignified catfight followed with Ha Anh and season two judge Do Manh Cuong trading insults on Facebook.
Ha Anh said, “they are taking advantage of the two girls to divert public to me, that’s unethical behaviour."
In response, Multimedia CEO Le Quynh Trang said, “Ha Anh is only hungry for publicity. If she’s an international model like she claims, she should have known the New York Fashion Week.”
The whole dispute reached a climax when the VNTM organisers threatened to sue Ha Anh and she challenged them to do so. "Let's all go to court and clear this matter up," the model said.
Scandal has also marred the Vietnam’s Got Talent franchise. The dispute started when a 15 year old girl, Quynh Anh, was rejected. Her family immediately opposed the decision and accused the organisers of fixing the result. They insist on their daughter’s talent. The dispute came to light when Quynh Anh ostentatiously sent a letter to the National Assembly Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children.
The controversial dispute has seen many criticise the girl’s family for deluding themselves over their daughter’s talent, while others have sympathised over the fate of the youngster.
State agencies have also been involved in tit-for-tat battles, with the Vietnam Centre for Protection of Music Copyright (VCPMC) and the Ministry of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Performing Arts Department (PAD) in dispute over music copyright fee payments.
The issue began when over 30 well-known musicians signed a joint-petition on February 16 asking the Prime Minister to take drastic steps to deal with the increasing music copyright infringements.
This dispute became increasingly bitter when both the VCPMC and PAD posted their arguments online. The VCPMC said the PAD should pay more attention to enforcing the law over copyright and performance licensing, while the PAD accused VCPMC of not being transparent about their payments.
Quynh Anh’s mother accused the organisers of Vietnam’s Got Talent of cheating
Director of PAD Vuong Duy Bien and Director of VCPMC, songwriter Pho Duc Phuong (from left to right)
