12/29 (Tue.) Controversial metro cards (Host:Flora)

[florada0330]

Dear YOYOers,

This is my first time to host a meeting. To be honest I had a hard time to choose a topic. In the end I decided not to be so serious, so I asked my husband’s opinion, and he grabbed this news from CNN. I guess this is what most men curious about, isn’t it?

http://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/03/trave ... tro-cards/
(CNN)A cautionary tale for public transport officials around the world who might be considering using adult film stars to spice up their marketing plans.
A set of sexy pre-paid swipe cards featuring Japanese adult video star Yui Hatano has proven to be both popular and controversial in Taipei.
The drama all started August 26, when Taiwanese card producer EasyCard announced that it had teamed up with the popular actress for a limited edition set of the stored value cards, used to pay for rides on the city's metro and buses and small convenience store purchases.

According to the Taipei Times, the move drew much criticism from the public, particularly among parents, educators and women's advocacy groups.
Some critics -- including Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je, whose government holds 40% of the swipe card company -- complained that the cards would be available at major convenience store chains, making them easily accessible to children.

In a statement posted on its website, EasyCard apologized for the controversy and said the cards would only be sold via a phone line.
In response to the public outcry, Hatano issued a statement in Japanese and Chinese.
"Just because I'm an adult video star, does that mean I can't participate in charity activities and contribute to society? Can't I use action to repay the love for me from Taiwan?"
Online images of the set show two versions of the stored value cards -- an "Angel" and a "Demon."
There is no nudity in either image, one of which features Hatano wearing white, the other black.

Cards sold out in four hours
Controversy aside, it would appear some have no problems carrying around Hatano's image in their wallets.
On September 1, EasyCard announced the 15,000 available cards had already sold out by 4:18 a.m. local time, just four hours after phone lines opened.
All of the proceeds from the cards, priced at NT$250, are being donated to charity, said the company.
According to English-language news site Focus Taiwan, a "Purchase Yui Hatano EasyCards" Facebook campaign drew approximately 47,000 members.
Many fans complained the phone line was constantly busy.
"This was the first time I wanted to contribute to charity this much, but not even a single phone call got through," said one fan, as quoted by Focus Taiwan.
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Questions:
Session I
1. Why are the cards wildly popular?
2. What type of criticisms have been aimed at the Taipei City Government? Which groups against the Yui Hitano cards?
3. Why was this Japanese AV star chosen? Aren't there any good Taiwanese stars to promote public transportation?

Session II
1. Why did the cards sell out so quickly? What does that say about Taiwanese culture?
2. If you were Taipei City mayor, would you approve this project?
3. How would you explain the card to your kid if you have one?
********************************************************************************************************************************************
Agenda:
6:45 ~ 7:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal / Getting Newcomer’s Information
7:00 ~ 7:10pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
7:10 ~ 7:50pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
7:50 ~ 8:10pm Summarization (20 mins)
8:10 ~ 8:25pm Regrouping / Instruction Giving / Taking a 10 Minutes Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
8:25 ~ 9:05pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
9:05 ~ 9:25pm Summarization (20 mins)
9:25 ~ 9:30pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements ********************************************************************************************************************************************
聚會日期：列於該貼文主題內
聚會時間：當天請準時於 6:45 pm 到達 ~ 約 9:30 pm 左右結束
星期二聚會地點：丹堤濟南店
地址、電話：台北市濟南路三段25號 地圖 (02) 2740-2350
捷運站：板南線 忠孝新生站 3 號出口
走法：出忠孝新生站 3 號出口後，沿著巷子(忠孝東路三段10巷)走約 2 分鐘，到了濟南路口，左轉走約 2 分鐘即可看到。
最低消費： 80 元


注意事項：
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給新朋友的話：
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[Rock]

I cannot think of any reason that it was so popular, nor can I understand why anyone would take it as a shame. Is it because the card was issued by a government department?

Maybe we need another debate to sort things out?

[Luis Ko]

in my humble opinion, it will be ok, only if it's not from the government. unless the industry is legal here, it won't be justifiable, let alone it's from the government and, there will always be some groups of people against it, no matter what. i would say the card itself is not a shame, shame on the government instead haa~

by the way, popular or not, maybe that's something about sheep behaviour lo~

[Iris Wu]

Maybe a bit too late, there are two more articles in this regard:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wor ... ipe-cards/
http://www.asianews.network/content/cri ... oversy-381

I kind of like the second one, in general, some crisis management training would be good for new administration teams.

[florada0330]

I think the cards are so popular just because the counterforce. Most people, including me, probably don’t even notice Hatano is on some Easy Cards. Since it’s just a limited edition, I don’t think it will be wildly used in public. I don’t understand why those groups make it big deal; Unfortunately, they’re successful.

The strategy of this project is that Easy Card tries to attract more male users, so they chose her. I believe there are more suitable actresses than her. In my imagination, if they chose other “good girl”, the goal of growing 100% was harder to make it.

[Iris Wu]

Morris raised a good point at the end of the meeting. "Politics" is probably one of the reasons why this incident went on for weeks and cost someone's career. Mayor Ko's opponents might have used the opportunity to make a political attack.
Even so, with Mayor Ko's personality, he hardly back down, but why this one? I guess he agreed that the issue of this controvertial EasyCard was "poor social perception".

[Kooper]

Objection! This is definitely a discrimination - a discrimination against a particular type of profession, adult film actresses, stigmatized as being dirty, immoral, or shameful. Why human right advocates keep silent in this case?

First of all, Miss Hatano didn’t break any Taiwanese laws. It’s true that acting in porn movies is illegal in Taiwan, but she has never shot the films during her stay in Taiwan. Second, the photos of Hatano in the two cards, at least to my eye, are nowhere near obscene. As a matter of fact there are a lot more magazines displayed in the shelves of convenient stores and bookstores with photos much more revealing or sexually arousing. Why is there only little, if ever, concern about them? Plus, don’t forget that a portion of the sales will be donated to charity. Miss Hatano was not even trying to make money, but do good to Taiwanese society.

The only reason this case was singled out was simply because of her job. In Italy even a porn queen was elected to the parliament. Shouldn’t we Taiwanese be a bit more open-minded and tolerant?
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Last but equally important, I am not a fan of Miss Hatano.

[Rock]

Objection! This is definitely a discrimination...

Last but equally important, I am not a fan of Miss Hatano.

Why are you so angry if you're not a fan?