Entertainment

Thai Soap Opera Faces #MeToo Backlash Over Sexual Assault Scene

Published

4 years ago

February 15, 2021

Bchcomber

Thai Soap Opera Faces #MeToo Backlash Over Sexual Assault Scene

A Thai soap opera is facing an unprecedented backlash on Social Media by the #MeToo movement over a sexual assault scene. An outcry activists hope may spur change in a country which has largely avoided the glare of the #MeToo movement.

Each night, millions across Thailand tune in to watch prime time soaps, “known as lakorn” for their story lines of salacious romance, bitter domestic power struggles and violent revenge.

Despite years of complaints, the shows have proved resistant to criticism, and still commonly show women being sexually harassed and physically abused. Female characters often have kisses forced upon them and are hit by men who they later fall in love with, while rape is used as punishment for “wayward” women – whose remorseful attackers are quickly rehabilitated for the audience at home.

In the past, even the most egregious story lines have attracted only small fines for breaching decency laws and what criticism there has been has rarely dented ratings. That was until this week.

On Feb 7, Channel 3’s Mia Chum Pen (Wife on Duty), showed a scene in which a chained woman was the victim of an attempted sexual assault. The character escaped, but was then spurned by her disgusted husband rather than being treated as the victim.

Within minutes of the show airing, #NoMoreRapeOnScreen, in Thai, was trending on Thai Twitter over the apparent victim-shaming, as a beauty queen joined the admonishment of Mia Chum Pen’s producers.

“I’ve been seeing this on TV from a very young age. This is NOT OK,” said 27-year-old Amanda Obdam, winner of Miss Universe Thailand 2020, in a tweet with a screen grab of the offending scene, adding: “WE NEED TO STOP NORMALIZING RAPE”

I’ve been seeing this on tv from a very young age. This is NOT okay. WE NEED TO STOP NORMALIZING RAPE #ข่มขืนผ่านจอพอกันที pic.twitter.com/2XffZ45bOu

— Amanda Obdam (อแมนด้า) (@amanda_obdam) February 9, 2021

A post on the Facebook page of an anonymous Thai ex-cabin crew member, who shares talking points about society and politics to their 200,000 followers, also railed at the story line.

“Why do they have to portray a victim of rape as a despicable person?” said the post. “The rest of the world has evolved, perhaps we should too.”

For campaigners, Thailand’s soap operas reflect many of the embedded, pernicious social values holding back women in Thai society.

“They strengthen the value of men, while degrading that of women,” said Galevalin Tummaratchai, 37, a researcher on structural violence at Thammasat University. “This show is simply a reproduction of the mentality that men have more value than women – this is why our society hasn’t gone anywhere in terms of gender equality.”

Deep in Thai culture

Despite grim daily media reports of rape and sexual assault, Thailand’s patriarchal society – where women are by convention expected to play second fiddle to the men occupying centre stage – was only grazed by the #MeToo movement.

At the top of the kingdom’s power structure sits King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who upon ascending the throne took a royal consort known as Sineenat in addition to his Queen Suthida, a royal right which had laid dormant for decades under his predecessors.

Meanwhile, the culture of men maintaining their “small house” – a euphemism for a second wife – is widely accepted in Thai society. And core institutions, such as the police and army have very few women in their top ranks.

Common sayings such as “women are expected to be as neat as a folded cloth” underpin ascribed roles for women to be polite, well presented and demure.

Yet younger Thais, who are more outspoken and connected to global discourses, are demanding equality. A widening strata of celebrities, entrepreneurs, CEOs and other prominent women have also lent their influential voices to the calls for change – though they tend to come from wealthy backgrounds and are elevated beyond their gender by their family names.

Thailand’s TV regulator, the National Broadcast Telecommunication Commission, is yet to comment on the Wife on Duty controversy.

“That the state agencies haven’t done anything about this, reflects who is in charge,” Supinya Klangnarong, a former NBTC commissioner, told This Week In Asia. “This patriarchal power is like sediment. As much as ‘Gen Z’ tries to get away from it – it is deep in our culture.”

Supinya, who in 2016 helped drove through fines of 50,000 baht (S$2,217) for Thai media conglomerate GMM Grammy over rape scenes in its Puen Rak Puen Rai series, said there are no women left on the NBTC board.

Weak rule of law

Routine depictions of rape and abuse in Thai soap operas show that they “embrace violence against women” according to Galevalin, the university researcher. “It’s a visual reference to say that rape is a norm.”

How this affects society at large is difficult to say, as comprehensive statistics on assault against women in Thailand are unavailable, and the country’s weak rule of law discourages women from making complaints.

Activists say those who work in the kingdom’s vast sex and entertainment industry – and are routinely exposed to danger – are unlikely to seek justice, or receive a fair hearing if they do raise allegations.

According to the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security’s One Stop Service Centre, in 2018 there were more than 5,000 calls to a hotline reporting allegations of sexual or physical abuse against women.

D One TV Series, the producers behind Wife on Duty, have shown little remorse in the wake of the social media uproar, sharing screenshots of the backlash and boasting of having millions of views for the episode.

“We invite you all to forgive him [the husband in the series],” they said in a Feb 8 tweet. “Fans don’t miss it next week.”

This article was first published in South China Morning Post.

Entertainment

Reports of a Split Contract Point to Taylor Swift and Her Fiancé Travis Kelce’s Matching.

Published

2 months ago

October 8, 2024

Salman

(VOR News) – One of the ways that Taylor Swift showed her support for her boyfriend was by going to a football game that Travis Kelce was playing in while wearing a magnificent plaid suit that matched the outfit that he was wearing.

When this was done, it was done with the aim of making it happen, despite the fact that there were rumors going around about a split contract between the two of them.

The guy, who was 34 years old at the time, made a stunning entrance at Arrowhead Stadium while wearing a magnificent gray and black Taylor Swift checkered suit that was designed by Vivienne Westwood, who was also the designer of the costume.

She donned Taylor Swift clothing to show her support for Travis and the Chiefs.

Furthermore, they had arrived at the stadium earlier that day wearing Taylor Swift’s plaid shirt and jeans that were extremely similar to Kelce’s, which served as the basis for their synchronized costumes. This foundation was the foundation for their coordinated costumes. When Kelce arrived at the stadium, he was still wearing the same shirt and jeans that he had worn earlier.

Furthermore, Taylor greeted the occasion with a good attitude by matching her dress with a magnificent purse in the shape of a heart that she held on her wrist. This was yet another way that she showed her appreciation for the event. This item was a component of her ensemble.

It was stated by the Daily Mail that she made her return with this appearance, despite the fact that she had been absent from the two Chiefs games that came before it owing to her obligations to the Eras Tour. The fact that she had not been present for either of those games did not prevent her from accomplishing this.

“Now you all can shut the heck up about that bulls**t ‘breakup contract,'” a fan wrote on X in connection to this matter to express their opinion on the matter. “Now you can stop talking about anything.” “Now y’all can stop the hell up about that…”

It was a different fan who was the one who broke the news at this time period.

The statement reads, “BREAKING: Travis Kelce has reached a long-term extension with Taylor Swift.”

Following an extensive amount of deliberation and debate, the two parties have reached consensus on a deal that will be in place for the subsequent three years.

Providing that Travis continues to be advantageous for Taylor Swift’s company, the rules of the agreement indicate that Taylor Swift has the authority to renew the deal in the event that Travis continues to be useful. In the event that Travis is the one who is accountable for doing the dishes, there is a possibility that he may be awarded a bonus of some kind.

Swift and Kelce’s followers were able to let out a sigh of relief when it was discovered that a “contract” that had been reported to have been leaked and disclosed the exact date of Swift and Kelce’s separation was found to be nothing more than a fabrication.

This information was obtained from the source. It had been anticipated that the “contract” would have been made available.

In addition, it is worth noting that when the publication that stated that the couple had made the decision to end their relationship a month ago began to circulate on the internet, representatives for Travis were obligated to reject the charges.

SOURCE: GN

Entertainment

‘Joker 2’ Tops the International Box Office with $81.1 Million.

Published

2 months ago

October 6, 2024

Salman

(VOR News) – It is projected that “Joker: Folie à Deux” made its debut this weekend with an estimated total of $81.1 million.

This would make it the most successful film at the box office around the world and the most profitable film overall from a financial standpoint. The picture, which is a sequel to the 2019 blockbuster smash “Joker,” only made $40 million in the United States of America, which is a pitiful amount of money.

The film is a sequel to the 2019 mega hit. In the year 2019, the trailer for the movie was made available. The cinematic adaptation of the peculiar comic book has generated an astonishing sum of $121.1 million in revenue all over the world. This is a result of the film’s success.

Considering that the production of “Joker: Folie à Deux” took place at an incredible cost of two hundred million dollars, Warner Bros., the corporation that provided the finance for the picture, is currently confronted with a dilemma as a result of this fact.

The second “Joker” cost $65 million, compared to $75 million for the original.

This is a substantial difference in terms of the budget. The movie has been given a terrible “D” CinemaScore since the majority of the reviews that have been published about the film have been unfavorable, and audiences appear to agree with the reviewers. As a result of this, the movie has been given a terrible “D” CinemaScore.

Lady Gaga, who is responsible for putting her own distinctive twist on Harley Quinn, a favorite character from the comics, is responsible for a significant portion of the additional expense.

Phillips, Joaquin Phoenix, who reprises his role as the unstable comedian Arthur Fleck, and Lady Gaga are all responsible for a significant portion of the increased budget. There is a large portion of the additional costs that are linked with the production of the picture that may be attributed to these payments.

There were a total of 25,788 theaters and 76 markets outside of the United States that showed the movie. In order to act as screening locations, these locations were selected.

The fact that “Joker: Folie à Deux” made $8 million in the United Kingdom, $6.9 million in Germany, $5.6 million in Italy, $5.5 million in Mexico, and $5 million in France is a fascinating piece of information to take into consideration. Furthermore, the film made $5 million in France.

Only a few examples of what has been accomplished are presented here, but they are representative of the many different results that have been obtained. One week after the film will be released in Japan on the same day, it will make its debut in China on October 16th. This will be one week after the film is released in Japan.

Japan will also release the Joker movie to the public on that same day.

After grossing $335 million in the United States, the first “Joker” film grossed $743 million in other nations across the world. This is despite the fact that the film was only released in the United States.

In addition to generating a large amount of revenue, the movie was a smash hit that was incredibly well received by audiences. The film “Deadpool & Wolverine” broke the record for the highest-grossing R-rated film when it grossed $1.32 billion worldwide.

This achievement was accomplished by the film. The film was successful in accomplishing this specific goal. During a particular period of time, the film was the one that achieved the distinction of being the highest-grossing R-rated film movie.

Before “Joker 2” caused a breach between audiences and critics, Phillips announced that he had ended his career as a director of films based on comic books. At the end of the day, “Joker 2” was not successful. By the time this took place, the film had not yet been responsible for causing the rift.

“It was fun to play in this sort of sandbox for two movies, but I think we’ve said what we wanted to say in this world,” he said in an interview with Variety in the month of August. “It was a lot of fun.” “It was a lot of fun.” “It was a lot of fun.”

SOURCE: VN

Entertainment

Reviews of Silent Hill 2 Provide a Higher-Than-Expected Metacritical Score.

Published

2 months ago

October 4, 2024

Salman

(VOR News) – The Bloober Team and Konami-produced remake of the horror game Silent Hill 2 is scheduled to launch the following week, but reviews have already started to surface, giving players a sneak peek at the updated version of the game before it is made available to the public.

It would be an understatement to say that Bloober Team was under a great deal of pressure to get the game right, especially considering that the survival-horror genre’s enthusiasts regard Silent Hill almost as highly as Resident Evil.

Considering the Metacritic score that the game has received thus far, Silent Hill 2 players shouldn’t have any worries when the game launches on November 8

. This is due to the score, which shows that the game has only ever earned favorable reviews up to this point. Fans of the Bloober Team and Silent Hill will be happy to hear this news.

Silent Hill 2 currently has an 87 Metacritic rating.

In 50 reviews, the PlayStation 5 version received a score of 87, meaning that it also received an 87 on that platform. This is based on the fact that the score was given to the PlayStation 5 version. The Silent Hill 2 personal computer version received an overall rating of 88 out of 5, placing it somewhat higher than the PlayStation 5 version.

There isn’t an Xbox version of Silent Hill 2 that can be regarded as existing because it wasn’t part of the Xbox Series X|S. There isn’t any information available at this time on whether or not it will ever be made accessible on that specific platform.

A considerable portion of Silent Hill fans had not in the slightest expected that Silent Hill 2 would achieve five flawless scores of one hundred before these reviews were published. It is extremely unlikely that they expected anything at all. Actually, the great majority of reviews are favorable.

They also call it a welcome return to form for the Silent Hill brand, complimenting the Bloober Team for their appreciation for the first Silent Hill 2. Furthermore, they believe it to be the ideal starting point for beginners who have never really experienced Silent Hill before.

Due of this, Silent Hill 2 has few Metacritic reviews, both positive and negative.

No bad reviews have been posted. Some people think that the remake may have retained some of the most annoying and constrictive elements of the original Silent Hill 2 by staying too close to the original. These individuals believe that there might have been some issues brought on by the remake.

Thankfully for those of us who are now playing Silent Hill 2, those reviews are the exception rather than the rule, with the vast majority of positive reviews making up the small amount of negative reviews.

It is true that some people became skeptical about the remake because the Bloober Team was in charge of it. Furthermore, in the perspective of both its own series and the genre at large, Silent Hill 2 has been held in the highest regard ever since it was first made accessible to the general public.

Games like Layers of Fear, The Medium, and the Blair Witch game were all made by the Bloober Team; nevertheless, no matter which game was reviewed, none of these titles received particularly high review scores. With the release of Silent Hill 2, it’s possible that the public’s perception of the Bloober Team may undergo a significant shift.

Additionally, we are now writing our own review of Silent Hill 2.

Although it has taken longer than expected because we acquired our review copy after the game was already in progress.

However, even though more reviews are being received, it is highly doubtful that these would significantly lower Silent Hill 2’s Metacritic score. despite the fact that more reviews are coming in. Players of Silent Hill 2 should have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming week as a result of this.

SOURCE: CB