Poster gets attention, but some say message stinks

There are many words in the English dictionary to describe what it is like to be in love, but the one used on a poster in MTR stations in Hong Kong has not exactly tugged at the heartstrings of some commuters.

Shaw Mei-kwan is starring in the comedy play Love is Shit, written by Hong Kong playwright Wong Chi-lung, which has been advertised on posters all week in MTR stations. The one-woman play is being shown at the Shouson Theatre at the Hong Kong Arts Centre in Wan Chai from November 17 to 20.

The play's Chinese name on the advertising poster is Love is Snow - which refers to the female protagonist whose name is Snow. But because of the similarities between the English translations of snow and shit, the producers decided to use the derogatory term in the English title as a little twist to grab attention.

This it has done, but not without annoying a few people along the way.

'My children are adults now, but I definitely would not like my 14-year-old grandson seeing this,' Sia Lee, an X-ray technician at a private clinic in Central, said. 'There are enough bad influences as it is.'

Cosmetics importer Coco Lau, who has two boys aged 16 and 18, agreed: 'I think it's offensive and not healthy,' she said.