Truong Anh Ngoc approached the conversation quite comfortably. Not in the capacity of a football commentator, journalist, or famous writer, but as someone who is of interest to the online community.
But when I asked: “Do you know what flex is?” – He replied: No, I have no idea what flex is!
Someone who doesn’t know what flex is and doesn’t care about this trend is being labeled by the online community as the “father of flex”, along with a slew of new phrases appearing in the Gen Z dictionary like offside, check VAR,… So, what will happen when the original person speaks up?
Commentator Truong Anh Ngoc
Born: 1976
– Famous Vietnamese football commentator, sports reporter, and journalist.
– Invited by the world’s leading football magazine, France Football, to participate in the Ballon d’Or voting in 2010.
– Head of the Vietnam News Agency’s bureau in Italy during the period of 2007–2010 and 2013–2016.
– Has been commenting on the ITALIA National Championship at FPT since 2018 to present.
– A person with many comments and sayings going viral as the trend of “flex” is renewed.
I Don’t Follow Trends, I Create Trends
Hello Mr. Anh Ngoc,
Do you often follow trends on social media?
I don’t. I’m not someone who follows trends often and I also rarely update about them. Some people really enjoy watching what’s trending online, but I don’t. Occasionally, if something fun comes up, I just participate then. Because I always believe that I should be the one to create trends; if I follow trends, it doesn’t really suit my personality!
So, are the comments on social media, the way you open and close quotation marks to emphasize something, creating a trend?
No, opening and closing quotes is just to explain something to people, not intentionally creating something special. If this is considered special, then there must be a problem, because they are viewing this as something unusual.
Occasionally, some people ask me, “There are many groups mocking Ngoc online, why is that?”, and I just laugh because they lack depth.
They are missing something that makes life more interesting: It could be that the books lack appeal to them; it could be that the sports that help them stay fit or trips away don’t benefit them at all,… Instead, they think of pulling others out to make fun and find joy.
Some people often “press” you, implying to put you in a “dead end”, do you ever think you are “flexing”?
No, that’s not my intention. In fact, I don’t even know what “flex” is. If it’s boasting, that’s not the case, because this is entirely about experiences and practical knowledge. Even if I were to show off, it would be showing off the right things; showing off what I have isn’t wrong, right?
But I never want to say something for people to copy, screenshot, and turn into memes to spread everywhere, or twist it to mean something else, or place my words in a different context and then judge.
So the trend that many young people are doing, to be honest… I don’t like it much!
But I realize that, in fact, those kids are just having fun and don’t mean any harm, even though some look at me with negative eyes in those memes. There are even people who print my quotes on shirts and wear them to meet me. *laughs*
However, I still often tell them: “Hey kids, it’s fun, but don’t have too much fun,” because we still need to respect each other.
One more thing I want to say around this story is about all the famous people in the world, even the talented ones who are turned into humorous, satirical, and mocking memes,… is completely normal. But don’t let this go too far to the point of personal attacks, spending so much time on personal pages digging up silly quotes to comment back and forth, that’s not very nice. It’s a waste of time!
Meanwhile, we could spend time exercising, caring for our parents and friends, reading books, or engaging in more beneficial entertainment,…
I’ve Been Famous for Over 20 Years, Since Back When People Wanted to “Bring Me Down”
How do you feel about your previous comments or quotes going viral again, either positively or negatively?
There are people who cannot do what I have done, cannot go to the places I have gone by myself, so they unintentionally dislike the things I am showing everyone. That the trips, the good books, or what I say on TV, the great confidence in front of the public are things that make them feel uncomfortable.
Fortunately, in the past 2-3 years, the youth have known me more, and that’s a good thing. They create forums, fanpages, meme images, or say anything about me there. But they should look at my house, look at my personal page to see what I have done, where I have been, and what stories I have written about?
And becoming famous among the youth, I find it normal. I also thank all the young people who care about me in all ways. Whether they love or hate, mock or tease, it’s all still care.
“Mr. Ngoc, I don’t like the way you write this at all,” if a young person directly goes to your Facebook to say this, instead of hiding in anonymity in groups, how would you react?
Very much. There are many comments like “You should just stick to football,” “What do you know about this to write,” or some advice like “In my opinion, you should do this, that,”… a lot.
But you should never advise others to do what you want when you don’t understand them. I don’t force them to read. If they read and can’t share, feel uncomfortable, they can give feedback in another way.
But in this story, that negative reaction becomes motivation. I never feel sad about such negative comments. Because each person’s approach is different, their education, living conditions,… And I have been in media long enough to know that those negative comments are just a way to vent frustration.
There are also many cases where young people comment negatively so that I respond. Like reading a book, some find it very useful, but others feel it’s a waste of time. The important thing is that they are still commenting, which means they still care. When you write something on social media and no one pays attention to you, that is the real failure.
What’s Wrong With Showing Off What You Have?
If faced with haters, what would you say?
The first thing I need to say is that I almost never read what you mock. Usually, I only know when friends send it to me. I’m not curious to go on social media to read because it’s a waste of time. I also don’t need to explain that I am this or that.
We are living in the 21st century, let’s step out of our comfort zones. Why do you say what I share is showing off? Just because you have a negative bias.
What’s wrong with showing off? People show off what they have, the places they have been, the experiences they have, the achievements they have made. There’s even “showing off” emotions, feelings, intellect,… and many other things. We use social media not just to keep a closed diary. What I share there is simply the world I live in.
When I talk about my dreams and aspirations, that is a good thing. Only those who are not confident, who do not have the courage to express their opinions about something, should feel regretful.
Another regret is when you misunderstand someone. If you have nothing to show, nothing to say, yet you speak as if you are right, then that is deception. And if you speak the truth but are still “condemned”, then of course anyone would feel sad.
How do you resolve relationships with those who dislike you? And for those who like you, how do you ensure their praise does not “drown” you?
I am a person who is not affected by anything at all, except for personal development. I only fear repeating old patterns, losing creativity; I fear that more than anything else.
As for being cared about, whether hated or liked is still good, because it makes people more curious about me. From there, they visit my personal page, click follow, and my fame will increase. Whether people praise or criticize, at some point they will understand everything. And I am patient enough to wait for you!
Do you have any advice for young people using social media to express themselves?
Each generation, age, or stage of life has its own way of “playing” (on social media). For example, older people do not interact much on social media, but they can meet and chat, read books over tea or in cafes.
However, young people tend to spend more time on social media and the internet. They have their own way of “playing” like creating memes, trolling,… to express their personality and identity. However, everything should have limits. When it exceeds the limits, that becomes another story, and the “game” will change accordingly.
If possible, go outside and experience more to see the world and interact with people who have positive energy so as not to be affected by the negativity that social media brings.
Thank you for your insights!