Letters | Boyscation: Hong Kong gay dating show must beware of pushing stereotypes
- Readers wonder if TVB’s first LGBT-friendly reality show adds to misconceptions, and ask the Hong Kong government to follow Japan and France in legislating against food waste
TVB’s first LGBT-friendly reality show, Boyscation, is proof that despite the national security law, Hong Kong is still a freer and more open society than some people in the West might imagine.
The participants in the dating show appear to be a diverse mix from different walks of life. There are some moving stories. It would seem TVB has done well. But I call on progressive readers to consider what could have been done better here, so as not to do any further damage to the community.
Hong Kong is still a society that cleaves to divisions of social class, gender, education, occupation, where you live, etc. The reality show is positive in that it has gathered men from different backgrounds. One participant is a senior lecturer at one of Hong Kong’s most prestigious universities. Another is in the catering profession. Yet another works in the entertainment industry. Clearly, the production team is keen to dispel stereotypes and this is something we should celebrate.
But it remains questionable whether the show promotes a genuine cause for social justice and upholds minority rights – or if it reinforces certain stereotypes of the minority. After all, going by their jobs and professed interests, the show’s participants present a far more leisurely bourgeois picture than the average Hongkonger.