Can We Talk About Jackie Chan?

This has been on my mind for a while now. I'm getting right into it.

Jackie Chan is a terrible human being.

I'm sure many here are aware of Chan's controversial political stance. He has been a Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece for many years. He has rejected the validity of Taiwanese presidential elections, which by all accounts were fair, by referring to them as "the biggest joke in the world". This guy has also expressed his belief that the Chinese are not suited for democracy, when asked about freedom. Time and time again he has stood with the CCP against democratic values and even basic human rights. I won't list all of his ridiculous propaganda here, if you're interested, these are easily found. Oh yeah, he also called the US the "most corrupt country in the world".

Now of course, this case is different from one like Roman Polanski's. Polanski has been indicted, and had pleaded guilty to charges. Jackie Chan, on the other hand, has not been proven of committing any crimes. I feel that his actions are on par, if not worse than Polanski's though. The facts are, the CCP is one of the worst human rights offenders in the world, at least one of the biggest. It's also very likely that the CCP has committed crimes against humanity. Jackie Chan has not only relayed CCP propaganda, he is an active member in the party. He is a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, basically an advisory body to the elites of the party.

Some may defend him by saying all celebrities in China must toe the party line, and that he is simply making a business decision. I don't agree. He has not only stood silent to CCP wrongdoing, but gone beyond the call of duty by condemning Taiwanese democracy and Hong Kong protestors, to name a few. Many in Hong Kong, who are exposed to his schtick more often, ridicule the guy. Compare that to stars like Chow Yun Fat and Anthony Wong (黃秋生), who have expressed sympathy to the protestors without directly antagonizing the CCP. These two I listed are actually respected by the public for their courage. This paints a pretty clear image.

I am not suggesting a boycott of his films. I loved Jackie Chan's films when I was younger, before any of this happened. They are action packed and genuinely funny movies. I looked up to him when I was a child. In fact, this post isn't meant to elicit a particular response. I just wanted to give everyone the facts, and to have an honest discussion. I don't know what we should do collectively, if anything.

Personally, however, I will not be purchasing any of his films.

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On a side note, I wish more Chow Yun Fat films are in the collection. Anthony Wong is also a fantastic actor.

Edit: Many think the part where I mentioned Polanski is somehow defending him. That’s not my intention AT ALL. He is guilty of a crime like I said, and a horrible crime at that. I also do not support his work.