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🇹🇼 Taiwan /Culture & Society

Ex-AV star slams Taiwan wages, posts Cantonese insult

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Former AV actress Maria Hamasaki, now a DJ in Hong Kong, sparked controversy by calling Taiwan's wages the lowest in Asia.
  • Her comments, made on Threads, cited Taiwan's frequent earthquakes and potential conflict with China as reasons for not developing there.
  • Hamasaki further inflamed the debate by posting a license plate number that, in Cantonese, translates to a vulgar insult, drawing mixed reactions from Hong Kong netizens.

Former adult film star Maria Hamasaki has ignited a firestorm on social media after declaring Taiwan's wages the lowest in Asia. Now working as a DJ in Hong Kong after retiring from the industry in 2024, Hamasaki addressed frequent questions about why she doesn't pursue opportunities in Taiwan.

She stated that settling in Taiwan would diminish her value, citing intense competition and the island's environment, including frequent earthquakes and the threat from China. Hamasaki specifically targeted DJ wages, calling them the lowest across Asia. Her comments garnered nearly 500,000 views and 2,000 comments, with some netizens criticizing her popularity and others agreeing with her assessment.

This is just lighting a fire? This much heat isn't even enough to cook instant noodles.

— Maria HamasakiHamasaki's response to the backlash on social media.

Hamasaki, seemingly unfazed by the backlash, retorted that the controversy was merely "lighting a fire" and insufficient for boiling noodles. She then posted a license plate number, DLLM-67, which, when interpreted through Cantonese slang, translates to a crude insult. This move led some Hong Kong netizens to jokingly welcome her as a true Hongkonger, impressed by her sharp tongue.

You've already surpassed Hongkongers.

— Hong Kong NetizenA comment from a Hong Kong netizen reacting to Hamasaki's use of Cantonese slang.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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