bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Katie Lau

WHAT IS IT with Hong Kong men and women? A spat raging in cyberspace over the past six months has pinned the worst stereotypes on both sexes. And judging by the level of mutual contempt, it's perhaps not surprising that so few marry each other.

The squabbling began with a tongue-in-cheek website called the Hong Kong Girls Disaster Management Centre (konggirl.hkloves. com). Launched in August, it set out to 'improve the psychological well-being' of Hong Kong women - gong nui in colloquial Cantonese.

Its definition of gong nui: manipulative, egotistical, phony, coquettish, controlling, money-grabbing and enslaved by designer brands. The men who indulge these overbearing women were 'dogs'.

The website was an immediate hit, especially with men still smarting from previous media reports that showed Hong Kong women found them wanting. It was payback time for years of slights. On YouTube, one resentful male uploaded a video on which he rapped through his list of pet hates about the Hong Kong woman, and it's attracted more than 30,000 views.

Not long after, local females retaliated with a list of '81 sins committed by Hong Kong men', detailing their less-than-desirable traits. Not only were local men geeky-looking, they were irresponsible, chauvinistic and feeble-minded underachievers with low self-esteem.

The debate degenerated into a vicious, irrational fight, with sexist remarks exchanged on both sides.

Ng Hing-hung, a 25-year-old university student, even tried to organise an anti-Hong Kong women rally in October but failed to attract  supporters. He concedes many friends don't share his views, but remains active in e-forums advocating his 'cause'.

Although he hasn't been a victim, Ng cites stories of men being abused by the women in their lives, some complaining of being bashed with handbags or slapped in the face. What angers him most are women who apply double standards under the guise of feminism.

'It's not fair for women to ask for equality without giving up the privileges. They demand equality at work, but expect to be treated like princesses when they date,' he says.

The phenomenon inspired director Lam Tze-chung  to film the romantic comedy I'll Call You,   a satirical take on Hong Kong women who pick on men.

But how far does this clash reflect diverging expectations of the sexes? Anthony Fung Yik-him, an associate professor of communications at the Chinese University, suggests cyberspace encourages extremes of expression because it offers anonymity. It's a convenient channel for individuals to vent their frustrations about dating or anger with a partner.

'They may not be able to express their feelings in public because they don't want to jeopardise their social and professional life,' says Fung, who has an interest in gender issues. '[In cyberspace] they feel they don't need to bear any responsibility.'

Even so, others reckon there is some truth to the accusations.

Marketing executive Tsang Yat-yu says criticisms of the current generation of Hong Kong men are  valid although some are exaggerated for dramatic effect. 'I'd say about 60 per cent of it is true,' she says.

'Hong Kong men are not as decent as before, maybe because of flaws in their upbringing; they are too spoiled. At the same time, women are now more aggressive at work and more confident about themselves. They aren't as restrained as they were 10 years ago.'

Similarly, account executive Wong Kai-man rates Hong Kong women poorly compared to those on the mainland  and Taiwan, whom he describes as being more compliant and gentle.

'Hong Kong women are more materialistic and realistic. But they are tough because of their good education and financial independence,' he says.

While Wong says he has no trouble finding a girlfriend, his friends often find it hard to please 'overbearing' dates, or face rejection because they are 'not good enough'.

'They don't understand why women expect them to pay the bills all the time when they talk about gender equality,' says Wong, who visits the online forum occasionally. 'They have double standards.'

Newspaper columnist Avin Tong Hei-man suggests the online battle has been waged by some conservative men who have a hard time accepting a loss of power.

'Women can have successful careers now, just like men, so men don't have the mileage anymore,' says Tong, who has defended Hong Kong women in her articles.

Career-focused women may feel differently when they reach their 30s or 40s, when there'll be few men available who fit their requirements, she says. 'I often hear stories of how they'd settle for any single guy. We're not like men, we depreciate with age,' she says.

Whatever the case, the sisters have been doing well for themselves. The number of women receiving tertiary education has doubled over the past 20 years to 451,300. Similarly, 110,400 women now earn more than HK$30,000 a month, about twice as many as a decade ago.

Social commentators say the rise in social status and pay  encourages women to reconsider their options. They tend to find greater fulfilment in career and friendships, while the search for a partner is less of a priority. Over the past 15 years, there has been a  39 per cent rise in the number  of unmarried women compared to a 8.5 per cent increase among men. That may also explain why more local men are looking elsewhere for partners. Last year, more than 40,000 men married women from the mainland, about twice as many as those who wedded local women.

Fung argues the online feud only represents a small, extreme group. 'There are always bigoted men who think their rights are encroached when women get more power. It takes time to fix that,' he says.

The media is also partly to blame for fostering a materialist culture that leads people to associate money with love, he says. 'Those traits are found in societies elsewhere,' says Fung. 'But Hong Kong is more of a capitalist society than the mainland and Taiwan, and women here are more likely to be seen as gold-diggers. A lot of people's value systems are based on money.'

Cultural commentator Perry Lam Pui-li  says the cyber frenzy has deeper roots in real life although the internet is a convenient platform for venting long-suppressed frustrations. 'It can't happen out of the blue. The phenomenon brings out hidden problems in society.'

The relationship between men and women is in a constant state of tension because they have different expectations of each other. But in Hong Kong the disparity is more pronounced because it's such a highly commercialised world, Lam says. The way gossip magazines played up model Cathy Chui Chi-kei's marriage to Henderson scion  Martin Lee Ka-shing reinforces the stereotypes of both sexes in such a materialist society.

Lam also sees the boundaries blurring between the virtual and real worlds. 'Those who keep posting views on the internet may become more daring to express their views in real life.'



BEAUS & ARROWS

South China Sea