by An Vũ
The domestic entertainment world is a miniaturised luxurious version of modern society, where good and evil collide and sometimes we cannot distinguish one from another.

In that world, there are no rules for fame, which are followed by intentional scandals and tricks.

And, then, there is fame and there is notoriety. This story is about one such example of bad fame. It is the case of scandal-hit lingerie model Trịnh Ngọc Trinh, who was raised as a poor rural girl in the central province of Trà Vinh to a self-appointed star in show business.

Her biographical film, Vòng eo 56 (waist size 56), scheduled to be shown in April, tells the story of her poor past, and how she overcame right and wrong to become famous today.

She herself has produced the film which is directed by Vũ Ngọc Đãng, who is quite well-known among domestic movie makers. The movie, which she told reporters, had an expenditure of VNĐ18 billion (US$800,000).

Trinh, 26, was reported to drop out of highschool at an early age, and was discovered by a model manager whilst she was working as a bar waitress.

After undergoing a couple of cosmetic surgeries and a few public relation stunts by her manager, in addition to taking part in unauthorised beauty contests, Trinh has now transformed herself into a modern and dandy model.

However, what made her famous was neither her effort nor her talent, but her bad behaviour and reckless comments. She bragged about how her affluent lifestyle was supported by rich men, and showed off her inappropriate dress sense, with the media naming her “The queen of bikini”.

Following the news, public arguments also erupted before the launch of the movie. Trương Hải My, a Vietnamese movie fan, voiced her fury.

“Why don’t we make movies about scientists, researchers, scholars who silently devoted themselves for our nation? Instead, they are bought off by a gold digger to promote her shameful life. Can someone tell me whether my children can learn anything from this trash?”

Another person who wished to remain anonymous said voicing his concern, “She has the finance, which we all know, is supported by rich men. Of course, she can do anything, even make movies about her private life. But I know she has no experience in modelling and acting. How far will she go to make this movie even more humiliating?”

Traditionally, it is not seen as strange when influential and successful individuals write biographies of their lives. Nevertheless, scandalous models or actors also following in their footstep is being seen in recent years.

However, there are fans who support what Trinh is doing and have faith for her.

On Facebook, one ‘Guava Lim’, said, “Anyone’s life can become a story. So what if she is a lingerie model surrounded by scandals, if she had sold her body to become famous? Besides her reckless comments and dullness, what had she done wrong to us? She did not steal our livelihood or cause harm to our family. Please leave the girl alone!”

Alongside Ngọc Trinh, singer Thủy Tiên, the maker of numerous hit love songs for teenagers and youngsters, had the launch of her feature film Vợ ơi... Em ở đâu? (Wifey... Where are you?), last month. As the producer of the movie, Tiên and her famous husband, football player Nguyễn Công Vinh, played small roles too.

Once again, the quality of the movie leaves a question mark for the audience.

“Both the producer and her husband are famous celebrities, so the pressure on them is tough. The question is, did they make the movie for a serious purpose or for fun?” Trịnh Chung Dân, a social network’s movie blogger asked.

As for myself, I am not a Vietnamese movie goer and do not find it necessary, nor am I interested in going to the cinema to catch up with Trinh or Tiên. That is not because I have turned my back on the domestic movie industry, but my sense tells me the industry cannot go further if they keep making these kind of movies.

Writer Y Ban, who is famous for her feminist writing style, asked, “Who is going to see those kinds of movies, or do they last only for a while in the theatre, and are then forgotten?” Making films is just like putting a selfie on their fan page each day, she added.

“Most of them think they are beautiful, so they have the right to do so. They also have money, so they can do anything. However, if we take a larger view of this matter, there is no way they can empty their pockets making movies about themselves without expecting profits.”

She also added that the audience should wait and see if those stars can forever remain as beautiful, and keep on fooling the people.

“Many people said those stars assumed they had done big things, achieved a great deal at a young age. Is it too early for them? There are many individuals out there who contribute silently with dedication, but do not wish to be honoured. We all know they are the ones who are truly loved and admired by the audience!” – VNS