Although only four episodes of TVB drama, Friendly Fire <法網狙擊>, have been broadcast, the content in two episodes has already brought about a wave of political controversies with mainland China. Starring Michael Tse (謝天華), Tavia Yeung (楊怡), Sammy Leung (森美), and Sharon Chan (陳敏之), the drama is the first production of producer, Man Wai Hung (文偉鴻). The script contained dialogue that appeared to shame the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Leung Chun Ying (梁振英). Another scene involving pregnant mainland Chinese women greatly offended mainland netizens, who criticized TVB and demanded for an apology. Shaming the Chief Executive of Hong Kong? In episode 3 of Friendly Fire, one scene featured police officer, Kam Po Tei (Sammy Leung) trying to toss trash into a nearby garbage can, but missed and sent it flying onto Ai Mei San’s (Sharon Chan) face. As a policewoman, she charged him and said, “Even if it was the Chief Executive who broke the law, the punishment is the same as all commoners.” This line was interpreted as shaming Leung Chun Ying, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, who has close ties to Beijing. Another example happened in episode 4, where Kam Po Tei found out that Law Gai (Chung Chi Kwong 鍾志光), a dishonest agent, has been illegally changing the structures of apartment units in order to make more rooms for rent. Angrily, Kam Po Tei exclaims, “You won’t be off the hook even if you are the Chief Executive.” Again, his words seemed to shame Leung Chun Ying. Mainland Netizens Offended and Demanded Apology The scene in which an illegal mainland pregnant woman, Wong Fei Fei (Mandy Wong 黃智雯), is eating hot pot in a hospital room seemed to bring a real-life situation from last year onscreen. A Hong Kong mother had complained about a mainland mother for eating hot pot in a hospital room, and interestingly, the exact same thing happens in the drama. In the scene, Fei Fei exclaims, “All you Hong Kong people know are to file complaints. Not showing understanding at all.” This starts a heated argument and Fei Fei’s husband later retorts, “You Hong Kong people are of such low quality!” Mainland netizens were deeply offended in how they were being portrayed in the drama, and stated that Friendly Fire seemed to be anti-mainland China They condemned the producer and scriptwriter and heavily demanded TVB for an apology to be made. Producer Responds to Controversy In a telephone interview, producer Man Wai Hung stated that the script was not aimed at shaming the Chief Executive. It only wanted to emphasize the saying of how emperors who violate the law receive the same punishment as commoners. Regarding how the drama may be prohibited to broadcast in mainland, Man Wai Hung said, “Even if that happens, I will not be disappointed. I am from a Hong Kong broadcasting company, and I want more freedom in my creativity.” Creds: ihktv
I expected complaints when I saw the episodes. It was offensive for those from the Mainland for sure. I think if HK wants to cut back on such problems - Mainland women giving birth in HK -; then voters should ask their reps to come up with some sort of laws that tighten up the right to citizenship for birth in HK for foreigners/non legal HK residents.
the mainlands is hating cause Mandy was too good at it didn't know someone actually ate HP in hospital..funny scene -lol
I haven't seen this drama, but it sounds like it could have been aimed towards being quite offensive and derogatory. If a series was shot in the USA with representation of Latinos only being unfavorable (dropping out of school, shooting each other up over drugs in gangs, illegally immigrating to give birth in US hospitals [and in all these cases the characters were represented as foolish and primitive]) then people would raise a shit fit. If the director is reinforcing only negative stereotypes and allowing his cast to be caricatures of these stereotypes, then I'm not surprised he's going to get criticism. There's a way to represent real life situations and hardships that people face without making them into ridiculous characters on screen and further reinforcing hatred or negative sentiments towards an already marginalized group of people. Then again, entertainment doesn't have a moral obligation to be politically correct. The director is allowed his free speech, he just should be prepared for the backlash as well.
HP in a hospital is a first for me but the main issue is about people trying to cheat the system. Why should mainlanders be offended, these things actually happens. It's just TV imitating life. That whole issue with mainlanders going to HK to have babies is a major problem for the HK taxpayers and residents who also need those resources.
Personally, I think TVB has actually tapped into the pulse of HK's current events and is using popular sentiment to boost ratings. Of course, they're purposely taking a very one sided us (HK) versus them (Beijing) stance by cleverly and deliberately scripting these "coincidental" parallels. Mainlanders hate HK as much as HK detests mainlanders; remember this? [video=youtube;_nUkiaDS3g4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nUkiaDS3g4[/video] So IMHO, Kudos to TVB for telling it like it is. And for those that want more mainland 'morality' (won't embed, watch on youtube): [video=youtube;y7Jp2-I0_KM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7Jp2-I0_KM[/video]
I think there's a difference between being offensive and being realistic. Many series in USA does show the current problems and situations they have, not only latinos, also with afroamerican people, asians, etc. Do they feel offended? I dont think so, is just the crude reality, even though it doesnt apply to all cases, is the majority. Same goes for mainlanders, even though China grew a lot in these past years, you'll still notice that the culture and customs in mainland are still far from being completely civilize. People smoking indoors, spitting all over the streets, not respecting lines, even children with holes in their pants to pee in the streets. Don't get me wrong, I work in China and is an amazing place, but you do notice the difference in cultures when you go to HK, is completely different from China.
I went to China and HK this past Oct. China (Beijing, was bad) but the small towns outside was very good. People there treated others with respect. Then there was HK. Nothing bad to say about HK, it was GREAT!
Like a lot of big cities but especially like HK, going to a restaurant to eat can be a bitch, the wait can be very long. So dam long and mass amount of people on the streets.
I agree with you that there is a difference between being offensive and realistic, but there is also something known as being realistically offensive; an example would be someone who points out the existence of one's big red pimple (ie. "wow, look at the size of that huge pimple on your forehead!"). While everyone knows it's there, by directly highlighting and bringing especial attention to it, there is a heightened degree of embarrassment which engenders extra unease. This is even more of a sting if said attention caller was an object of secret affection (eg. it was a girl you had a private crush on, who called out your pimple; since you like her, it hurts twice as bad to have it come from her). Likewise we have to remember that for years, Hong Kong had grown and progressed tremendously under British administration, to the point of being the darling of the east; while the PRC could only look on in jealous rage as its state run factories were considered international laughing stocks. This created obvious envy from mainlanders even as it was certainly a deep wounding of Chinese national pride. Now that this object of affection (HK) had by comparison, fallen from her high horse (the north too, grown in leaps in bounds financially), there's a certain sense of righteous indignation by northerners for ever having been perceived as beneath or inferior to HK. The problem is their own realization of from where and whence they came; they know that a generation ago, they were paupers and beggars that had to kiss the hand of HK in hopes of a charitable cast off. That unavoidable and uncomfortable history is the big red pimple, so to speak, on the national forehead. Like the Mexicans that come to the US, it's a love hate relationship. The Mexicans love Mexico and have pride in their nation, except when they realize that they have to prostitute themselves in American fields and kitchens in order to get by; that hurts, and with pain comes a certain degree of hate. Insofar as the PRC, they haven't yet developed the cultural skill sets, and frankly, I don't expect them too. HK'ers too, were probably once like their northern counterpart, except under a century and a half of British control, had lost the desperate selfishness that northerners retain. Moreover, with the socialization process being tragically molded by the one child policy, I doubt that people in the PRC are ever going to advance to being more socially acceptable (to HK) any time soon.
This is the gist of what I was getting at: There's a way to represent real life situations and hardships that people face without making them into ridiculous and detestable (and often far off the mark) characters on screen and further reinforcing hatred or negative sentiments towards an already marginalized group of people. Media is capable of both reflecting public sentiment (you cater your work to what sells) and driving it (media can provide a powerful too for shaping and manipulating public consciousness). When a mainstream broadcasting network (whether CCTV, TVB, or whatever) reinforces negative sentiments and stereotypes towards an already marginalized group of people, then this might reflect something not so great of the world in which this is permissively carried out or even encouraged. I guess I also wonder if we might want to build a different kind of world. Maybe there's a bunch of bitter feelings on both sides, but a he said she said sort of justifier doesn't seem the most effective way to move forwards in doing so. Anyways, I probably think too much about issues I shouldn't bother with. If this all seems like garbally gook, then chalk it off to just the late night ramblings of someone who is way too sleep deprived.
Cailini, you're absolutely right that media can be quite selective and dangerously skewed in their portrayal methods, and to be honest, you're not thinking too much, but rather exercising an intelligent mind. If more folks in the world thought as you do I suspect life as we know it wouldn't be as problematic, LOL...
I agreed with the pimple example...but so far in this drama the director hasn't directly point it out that way, if we put the pimple example into practice it'll be more like "Yoo Mainlanders suck! Mainland is worst than HK"...something like that. But so far the director has only mock of some of the situations that tend to happen nowdays in HK with mainlanders. I've seen some movies where they make fun of some HK people and their culture and i laugh of it, because it doesn't matter what other people say, i know better than anyone what good things my home has and what other things are not so good from my place. This comes more related to the "face" for chinese people because they think they are looking them down instead of looking at everything as a fun joke.
I thought it was offensive even though I am not Chinese .. lol Ya'll ALL CHINESE .. damn it .. why can ya'll live in harmony? All this hatred .. mainlanders, taiwanese, or hkese .. your ancestors were all from CHINA. Culture wise, I think it's about the same everywhere .. you see ppl spitting in the US too .. kids think it's cool .. cowboys/countryman spitting sunflower seeds . yuck .. pp pee along the road .. even in the city lke NYC or SF .. pp right in the fountain or sidewalk plants
