The curse of know-all celebrities

The Southern Metropolis Daily and a popular website conducted a survey on "the celebrity you like to boo off the stage most" after students booed scholar Yu Dan at Peking University, off the stage at a Kunqu Opera performance. Irrespective of its results, which has attracted the attention of a huge number of netizens, the survey is bound to throw up a lot of problems, says an article in Nanfang Daily. Excerpts:

On the list of the celebrities "you like to boo off the stage most" are academics, TV presenters and other media personalities. The criteria for their selection are not known, but the public is familiar with most of them, for they are seen regularly on TV or in newspaper photographs and reports.

Hopefully, the survey will compel celebrities who think they are omnipotent and can talk or write on any topic to go into self-reflection.

There have been "know-all personalities" in every era, but never has their number been as large as it is today. A genuinely learned person must have a major field of expertise. It is possible for such a person to understand related fields by analogy, but it is impossible for him/her to have an in-depth understanding of everything. Many of the celebrities on the list pretend to have exactly that - they are invited to speak on different topics only to end up talking nonsense most of the time.

That the need of such a survey has arisen is proof that people are fed up with know-all celebrities. The survey would be worthwhile if it prompts celebrities (and potential celebrities) to appear on fewer public shows and debates.

(China Daily 11/28/2012 page9)