The idea of ‘Asianfishing’, whereby people of non-Asian descent use make-up, clothes or different means to seem East Asian, shouldn’t be new within the leisure business. For lengthy, it has been used to stereotype a selected part of society. Just a few months in the past, Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma was known as out for sporting a ‘brownface’ for her character within the movie Chakda Xpress.
And now, a Hong Kong TV sequence is dealing with backlash over using ‘brownface’ after one in every of its actors darkened her pores and skin with make-up for her position as a Filipina home employee. For the unversed, ‘brownface’ is known as make-up completed to darken one’s face and different uncovered pores and skin to mimic the pores and skin tone of an ethnic or racial group.
“I’m reworking into one other individual,” actor Franchesca Wong, who seems within the present Barrack O’Karma 1968 with visibly darker pores and skin, stated in a Twitter video as she utilized make-up. “I’m sun-tanning proper now.”
After the episode aired on Tuesday, a number of folks took to social media to name out the casting of a Hong Kong actor over an precise Filipino to play the character, and for blatantly reinforcing the unfavorable stereotypes related to Asians.
“The Hong Kong media is raving concerning the efficiency of a neighborhood actress portray her face darkish to play the position of a Filipina in a TVB sequence. I didn’t watch the present (not planning to) however this simply feels so incorrect. Why does this nonetheless exist nowadays?,” Vivienne Chow, a journalist wrote on Twitter.
The Hong Kong media is raving the efficiency of a neighborhood actress portray her face darkish to play the position of a Filipina in a TVB sequence. I didn’t watch the present (not planning to) however this simply feels so incorrect. Why does this nonetheless exist nowadays? pic.twitter.com/nRo169Kmy0
— Vivienne Chow (@VivienneChow) April 12, 2022
Many individuals expressed their displeasure over the ‘brownface’ within the remark part of the actor’s Instagram publish.
“How are some folks so blind to blatant racism lmao. Actually disappointing,” a person wrote.
One other person commented: “Disappointing to see so lots of my very own unable to acknowledge the issue of brown dealing with, stereotyping, and the overwhelming quantity of informal racism.”
“If you happen to’re going to symbolize a marginalised inhabitants that’s topic to systemic racism, it’s essential do higher (ie symbolize them with dignity and respect). Not this brown face stereotype. That is simply embarrassing and outdated for HK TV business and anybody concerned,” one other remark learn.
Raly Tejada, the Philippines’ Consul Common in Hong Kong, expressed his considerations in a Fb publish and wrote, “The present is downright ignorant, insensitive and completely disgusting. It can’t be denied that the portrayal of the Filipino helper and use of brownface reinforces unfavorable stereotypes that characterize the ‘Ban Mui’ – an offensive Cantonese slang.”
“Current world occasions ought to have taught TVB that it’s unacceptable to assign a corresponding social worth to a selected race. You don’t have any proper to mock and mock folks based mostly on their race and ethnicity,” he added.
After receiving flak, TVB defended the present’s storyline and known as it “merely a dramatic story-plot based mostly on creativity”.
“TVB has at all times strived to supply top-notch leisure expertise for our viewers and we want to emphasize that it was by no means our intention to indicate disrespect or to discriminate towards any nationality in any of our programmes. We want to specific our concern to anybody who may be affected on this matter,” the broadcaster informed CNN.
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