Henry’s Coming! (Gratuitous plug time, again)

Life for listings publications, I am informed, is getting tougher as interactive wireless technology gives nightlife fans personalized, second-by-second information on entertainment and dining options. Hence a move by the management at Time Out Hong Kong to shift the weighting of the magazine’s content a bit away from the traditional hamburger reviews towards some more substantial fare.

Whether letting Hemlock loose on 6,000 words of cover feature about Hong Kong politics is the best way to do that, I have no idea. But that’s what has happened for the June 22-July 5 issue, which looks forward one year to the arrival in office of the Big Lychee’s next Chief Executive. To hell with all the secrecy and mumbling about candidates and elections – let’s just spit out the name: Henry Tang. There’s a long article on the forthcoming pseudo-election, one on the challenges awaiting our visionary new leader, a run-down of the specimens in the running for the job, and a ‘CH Tung vs Donald’ comparison.

Mature stay-at-home types and others who might like this sort of thing and wouldn’t normally read Time Out will find the magazine sporting a hard-to-miss, Warhol-esque portrait of Henry himself as great helmsman; to reassure the young and trendy regular readers, there’s a flash across the top right corner saying ‘KYLIE’S COMING!’ A snip at HK$18. At all good bookstores as of this morning, plus the classier newsstands and 7-Elevens.

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12 Responses to Henry’s Coming! (Gratuitous plug time, again)

  1. Old Timer says:

    Better headline would be ‘A One Horse Race’, although HT’s face seems to be a bit compressed in this pic.

  2. Ted Hollingworth says:

    One actually has to pay $18- for a listings magazine ? While all the others are free of charge ? How do these people survive ?

  3. Stephen says:

    Hold on there Hemlock. I don’t think Beijing has quite made its up mind yet which, is why Rita has been told to run. Rita apparently decides whether to obey orders in 3 months or so then we will know. If it’s negative then it’s Henry the Horse.

    Look forward to the CH Tung v Donald – who is the worse comparison. That’s up there with Carter v G.W.Bush or Heath v Wilson as a real battle of the incompetants. I would give Donald the acolade as he actually thinks he’s good where CH seemed under no such illusions.

  4. Punter says:

    Old Timer, nice one! Methinks Hemmers will have headline remorse. He should have consulted this, his select electoral committee.

  5. Punter says:

    Ted, you can read most of the article for free at http://www.timeout.com.hk (as well as here daily). I, however, will be forking out 18 hard-earned bucks for the additional candidate profiles (as well as the Sebastião Salgado article).

    I also still buy CDs rather than downloading music for free, and I like to support independent artists of all types. I must be mad. Paying for value is so passé.

  6. Old Timer says:

    Actually the headline/subhead in full should be “A One Horse Race (So why the long face?)”

  7. Maugrim says:

    There are some who would see Hemlock’s analysis as tongue in cheek cynicism, when in in reality, it’s sadly true. The other day I received a letter informing me that I was an voter in a Functional Constituency. Like something out of Python or an Irish referendum, the letter stated that i would be considered as being enrolled unless I sent a reply letter (with envelope attached) back and not the other way around. The letter stated however if I were a member of the Chinese Medicine fraternity I should send the letter back to confirm my enrollment. Clear as mud.

  8. Peanut Wong says:

    Henry the Horse: Shanghainese
    Rita the Horse: Shanghainese
    CY the Vampire: also not Cantonese

    As a third-generation Canto stinky tofu vendor, I am deeply humiliated by the fact that we cannot even have a proper Cantonese candidate to lord over us.

    Didn’t Deng Xiao Peng say: “harbour people will rule the harbour”.

  9. Real tax payer says:

    Thanks to Punter for the web-link

    I was out of town so could not have bought the mag even if I wanted to

    I had not noticed that Hemlock wrote the article, so I assumed it was brown-nose BS thing written by a govt weasel

    But no way ! Very entertaining, but – sadly – very accurate

    Who is marching on July 1 this year? I am !

  10. Isaac says:

    I don’t have much to contribute, just wanted to say great piece Hemlock.

  11. Real Tax Peyer says:

    I just bought the issue of Time Out. WELL worth the $18 to get the whole article and the side bars.

    Doesn’t say much for old Henry, but then he doesn’t deserve much .

    I just loved the comments from people interviewed at random , especially the Mr Chan, chef , who said ” What do I know about him ? Well I know he likes to drink red wine and I know he wants to be the next CE. But that’s about it”

  12. Nate says:

    Who cares – Kylie is coming!

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