The idolization of Chien-Ming Wang and social psychological factors in Taiwan

摘要

This study aims to explore the relationship between the idolization of Chien-Ming Wang and the social psychological factors in Taiwan. Documentary analysis was applied to analyze the time and political background of baseball development in Taiwan. Also in-depth interviews with sports journalists in Taiwan, the CEO of the World Games 2009 in Kaohsiung, and Wang’s fans were conducted. It was found that Wang’s image of a baseball superstar in Taiwan is related to the colonization of Taiwan by the Japanese. Because baseball was brought to Taiwan by the Japanese, as one of the colonized people, the outstanding baseball player Chien-Ming Wang’s appearance in the major league, the highest level of baseball, represented a way the Taiwanese people released their pressure from the complex about being colonized. Besides, in the aspect of political background, after the war, baseball was not recognized by KMT, the ruling party. However, under the pressure from the international environment, the government started to use baseball as a tool to consolidate its regime. In addition, with the complex political background and economic recession in Taiwan, people’s lives were difficult. Wang’s outstanding performance in baseball fields thus made the Taiwanese people to place hopes on him. Therefore, mass media had paid quite a lot of attention to Wang, further making him a superstar in Taiwan.