Joint Statement by unprecedented International Coalition
Protest against TVB regarding Mr. Hong Kong Contest (2009)
broadcast everywhere in the world
broadcast everywhere in the world
DATE: August 09, 2009
1. ORGANIZATION FOR JUSTICE & EQUALITY (U.S.A.)
2. CHINESE CHRISTIANS HERALD CRUSADES – L.A. (U.S.A.)
角聲---羅省
3. CONCERNED CITIZENS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA (U.S.A.)
4. PATIENTS’ ADVOCATE (U.S.A.)
病人權益協會
5. SAN FRANCISCO CHINESE CHRISTIANS UNION (U.S.A.)
三藩市華人基督教聯會
6. CHRISTIANS SOCIAL CONCERN FELLOWSHIP (Vancouver, Canada)
基督徒社會關懷組
7. CONCERNED PARENTS OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver, Canada)
英屬哥倫比亞家長聯盟
8. JUBILEE CENTER FOR SOCIAL ACTION (Toronto, Canada)
銀禧社會行動中心
Our U.S.-Canada coalition is disturbed and concerned pertaining to the Mr. Hong Kong Contest program produced by Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB) in Hong Kong, echoing our Hong Kong affiliates led by Hong Kong Sex Culture Society. This program recently broadcast at channels for general audience in different parts of the world at virtually prime time, showed sexually provocative behaviors and setting, tarnished the images of both Chinese men and Chinese women, discriminated against males, and caused tremendous embarrassment to family audience affecting youngsters deleteriously. We urge TVB to make considerable improvements if they wish to continue in producing such program and urge citizens everywhere to file complaints.
We are a coalition of groups in the United States of America and Canada. We appreciate the contributions of TVB to Hong Kong. But while we welcome the efforts of TVB to delay the broadcast time in U.S. a little and show less bodily contact between contestants and judges in the Mr. Hong Kong contest of this year due to our previous complaints, we believe that the latest program is still basically a male stripper show -- lascivious, low-class, offensive, and unacceptable for general television audience especially youngsters.
The problem areas include:
1. This program substantially lowered the standard of regular television broadcasts for general audience in the United States of America, Canada, and Hong Kong.
2. It sullied the image of females and degraded them seriously. The ladies in the program screamed, whistled, and ridiculed at the almost totally nude men continuously for a long period of time, similar to the case in a striptease nightclub. Many male sex predators actually obtain sexual satisfaction by watching such female expressions and females should not be exploited in such a manner.
3. It seriously discriminated against and humiliated males. All the 600-audience and judges were females. The male contestants were almost totally nude, only covered by a tight Speedo swimwear. Their bodies were wet and they had to walk close to the female judges to be harassed and even probed by them. The conversations were mostly sex related. It is especially obvious that the program is very discriminatory when compared with the Ms. Hong Kong Contest.
4. A major part of the Mr. Hong Kong Contest was similar to a male stripper show which does not allow any audience under 18. But the TVB show was broadcast at channels for general audience virtually at prime time, thus causing family audience tremendous discomfort and embarrassment and affecting youngsters deleteriously. For example, the show was broadcast at 9:30 p.m. east coast time in U.S., which was actually 6:30 p.m. for U.S. west coast viewers.
5. The program which was broadcast in different parts of the world, caused people of other races to have negative perception of Chinese especially Chinese women, since it besmirched the images of both Chinese men and women and degraded them seriously! We cannot afford to have this when we are working assiduously to fight against discrimination.
Very few decent Chinese families can keep the television set on continuously with this shameful show! We are stunned!
We strongly urge TVB not to discriminate against men by allowing both men and women to be the judges and the audience, not to tarnish the images of both Chinese men and women by abandoning the sexual harassment of nude men wearing wet Speedo swimwear by seemingly sex-thirsty screaming women especially by avoiding bodily contact, and not to broadcast this low-class lustful male stripper show at channels for general family audience virtually at prime time.
Our complaint of last year was strongly supported by journalists, educators, parents, etc. everywhere. There have been many complaints against this program year after year, yet TVB still stubbornly refused to make considerable improvements and just kept repeating the same defensive statements as a broken record. In fact, according to reports, recently TVB was under serious condemnations and protests by citizens in Hong Kong due to a combination of reasons including low-quality and low-class programs.
A publicly held television broadcasting corporation, especially one in a leading position, has to be mindful of social ethics and social responsibilities and has to listen to the viewers. Only with this mentality can it serve the society properly.
Moreover, what can TVB top administrators gain for the shareholders and supporters by stubbornly and outrageously producing such a salacious, shameful, and discriminatory program for general audience year after year? The Mr. Hong Kong show really blemished the reputation of TVB especially that of its leaders, producers, and actresses related to the show.
Suffice it to say, our coalition maintains that the Mr. Hong Kong Contest program produced by TVB is unacceptable for the aforesaid reasons and that TVB must make considerable improvements related to the above-mentioned problem areas if they wish to continue with such production. We will file complaints and urge people to do the same. We will also continue to monitor the various programs and even the business practices of TVB in different regions and will take appropriate actions if necessary.
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