Complaint against TVB's 2008-9 Mr. Hong Kong Contests by OJE

According to the Organization for Justice and Equality (OJE) of the States, their alliance has already submitted a complaint to the Hong Kong Broadcasting Authority against TVB's 2008 and 2009 Mr. Hong Kong Contests in early November this year.

The concerned Mr. Hong Kong Contest Shows were broadcasted in Hong Kong on the Jade Channel on August 2 of 2008 at 8:30 p.m. and on July 25 of 2009 at 8:30 p.m. respectively. They were also broadcast in various countries including the United States of America and Canada. These programs showed sexually provocative behaviors and setting, besmirched the images of both Chinese men and Chinese women, discriminated against males, and caused family audience to be very embarrassed and affected the youngsters deleteriously.

OJE was demanding TVB to make significant improvements including showing the concerned programs only after 10:00 p.m. which is the effective off "prime time" watershed by today's standard. Besides, TVB should NOT discriminate against men by allowing only female audience and judges in the show. It should also abandon the sexual harassment of the male contestants wearing only wet and tight Speedo swimwear by sex-thirsty screaming female audience.

TVB was also requested to honor the cultural and racial factors pertaining to Chinese communities in various parts of the world where the Mr. Hong Kong programs would be broadcasted. OJE was of the opinion that TVB’s production of Mr. Hong Kong programs violated various sections of the Generic Code of Practice on Programme Standards (the Code), issued by Hong Kong Broadcasting Authority pursuant to section 3 of the Broadcasting Ordinances (Cap. 562). The main reasons are:

1. A major part of the program was similar to a male stripper show to which no audience under 18 should be admitted. TVB violated the Code, chapter 3 section 3, which requires producers to preserve decency and decorum in producing TV programs so as not to cause embarrassment and offend viewers.
2. In both the alleged shows, the specifics of the male contestants’ sex organs were exposed due to the tight wet swimwears, making public and explicit what many people regard as private and exclusive, thus violating chapter 5 section 1 of the Code.
3. The continuous screaming, whistling, and sexual harassment by the all-female audience towards the male contestants were disgusting and intolerable to family audience especially children. For example, in the show on 25/07/09, Miriam Yeung (楊奷嬅), the female M.C., even said something alluding to the contestant's swinging (of his sex organ--added for clarification)!” These were definitely very indecent, appealing to prurient interest, and not presented with tact and discretion, thus violating chapter 5 section 1 and 2 of the Code. These were shocking and offending the viewers, in violation of chapter 2 section 1 of the Code.
4. The programs substantially lowered the moral standard of regular television broadcasts for general audience in Hong Kong. It sullied the image of females who were basically depicted as sex thirsty women in the shows. People were shocked that the TVB advertisement of the show in 2008 even showed a Chinese woman with a bleeding nose staring at an almost nude man. Again, chapter 2 section 1 and chapter 5 section 1 of the Code were violated. 
5. The contests seriously discriminated against and humiliated males as only female audience and judges were allowed. The male contestants, only covered individually by a tight and wet Speedo swimwear and with their bodies wetted through down, had to walk close to the female judges to be harassed and even probed by them including at their breasts.
6. By broadcasting these salacious and offensive programs at 8:30 p.m., TVB has caused deleterious and undesirable effects on viewers under 18 years of age. In accordance with chapter 7 section 3 and chapter 2 section 6 of the Code, when there is a large audience of children or young viewers, the producers need to follow more stringent guidelines even at or after 8:30 p.m. since the concerned shows were broadcast on Saturday evenings during the school summer holidays.

In accordance with the laws of Hong Kong, probing or touching a person of the other sex in public especially at such personal parts as the breasts is a criminal offence liable upon conviction to imprisonment of 10 years. The aforesaid phenomena definitely denigrated and insulted the male contestants based on gender, and were in violation of chapter 2 section 2b of the Code. In fact, scenes in which pleasure is taken in the infliction of humiliation upon others should be avoided (chapter 7 section 4), and scenes in which the infliction or acceptance of humiliation is associated with sexual pleasure should be eliminated (chapter 7 section 5). The alleged contests were in violation of both.

Since the program was shown in various countries, TVB needs to follow chapter 3 section 20 of the Code. That is they should have respect for the cultural, religious, and racial sensitivities of the intended recipient countries and places. Similar requirement is also specified in chapter 5 section 9 regarding non-domestic broadcast.

OJE also opined that the Mr. Hong Kong Shows have tarnished the image of both Chinese men and women as Chinese men were shown as degraded gigolos willing to be humiliated and discriminated against in the shows. Also, Chinese women were depicted as lecherous and sensuous ladies eagerly probing the contestants' bodies. Therefore, the elegant, poised, and decent image of Chinese ladies was totally shattered by the irresponsible shows.

Reported by Citizen Lai (independent observer)