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Two well-known Hong Kong "post-90s" actresses recently exposed on social media that a local arts and entertainment reporter used sexually-related offensive remarks against them, triggering a response from society.
On October 13, Golden Horse Best Actress Chung Xueying first published a limited-time update, expressing her distaste for the reporter's description of her performance in the new movie as a "rarely erotic performance." Angela Yuen posted a message of support and published an article of nearly 3,000 words, saying that when she was interviewed about six months ago, she was described as a "nightclub escort."
Yuan Lilin then talked about his experience of sexual harassment in the industry. She described every "little joke" as reinforcing "a system in which women are objectified," noting that the offender "could be 'anyone' in 'any industry.'"
In the Hong Kong entertainment industry, there are not many women who are willing to speak out about gender offending. The two people's voices triggered many netizens to post about their experiences. BBC Chinese listened to the experiences of four women from different industries to understand how this kind of verbal offense occurs in the work environment; how they deal with gender offenses when they are packaged as "jokes".
[Tip: The following content involves sexual harassment and offense, please read with caution. 】
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"They know there are no consequences."
Pigeon (pseudonym), born in the 1990s, a Hong Kong film practitioner
In fact, before Angela spoke up, I and other colleagues who had been verbally harassed had wanted to speak out for a long time, but we had no channel. We have no reputation, you know? Shoot the first bird. If we speak out, we must be the big losers.
Verbal harassment is something I encounter every day. It can be about your figure or appearance, or they can deliberately add pornographic elements to the conversation. The purpose is to see you shy and overwhelmed, and to gain the pleasure of dominance from it.
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I still remember that when I first entered the industry, the professor at the college specifically reminded me and asked me to "think clearly" again and again. He said that "people outside" are not so nice. But at that time, I didn’t feel the malice of this industry, but I was full of enthusiasm for creation.
During my internship in my junior year, I received a wake-up call. At the time I was working as a program director for a local TV station. In this male-dominated industry, editors range from 20 to 50 years old. One time I was wearing shorts to work, and someone started shouting: "Look at the legs!" Then several editors rushed over to me.
They thought it was fun and teasing me. I once reported my discomfort to a younger male editor, but the reply was: "You wear shorts because you are confident in your body and want to be seen by others." I felt aggrieved - I often wore shorts in college and I never felt any lewd glances. Why does coming here become my deliberate display?
Only after I graduated and officially entered the industry did I realize that such staring and joking was the norm. The reason is because the offender knows you won't resist and knows there will be no consequences.
The occurrence of verbal sexual harassment is as natural as breathing. Most of the people who speak these words are seniors who have been in the industry for a long time.
Some people will call me "the one with a good figure"; some people will comment "very long" every time they see my legs. For example, when I say hello to a senior, he will smile and pretend to unbutton his pants and "get something" out.
You know some long-distance drivers who use bottles when they don't have time to go to the bathroom. Once, I saw a bottle of brownish-yellow liquid next to a senior crew driver, and I asked him a little disgustedly if it was urine. He smiled back at me: "The mouth of this bottle is too small, (my penis) can't fit in it."
I consider myself to be a person with a strong gender consciousness, and I am not afraid of getting into trouble. But "stunned" is often my first reaction. Sometimes, people present would help smooth things over and say they were "seeking justice" for me. So no matter how angry I am at the moment, I feel that "getting angry" is an unkind thing.
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But one time I really couldn't help it. Once when get off work was about to get off, a senior put his hand on the shoulder of a timid female colleague and squeezed her several times in full view. I immediately stopped him: "Withdraw your hands!" Everyone present was stunned. But the senior did not move away. Instead, as if to retaliate, he moved closer to the colleague.
When I stopped drinking, he suddenly walked up to me, and there was only a palm's distance between me and him. I was actually very scared at the moment, not knowing what he would do, but I had to pretend to be calm. After looking at each other for a few seconds, he angrily said, "She looks like she has plastic surgery!" and then walked away.
That senior entered the industry in the 1980s, and he brought many of his colleagues into the industry, so when the incident happened, people with whom I was close did not dare to come out to "support me."
I reported the matter to my boss. The male department head said, "That's why I won't do this for my daughter." The female executive said, "I was even more exaggerated back then! I was asked by the producer if I wanted to go home with him, and I was also asked how long it had been since I had sex with my boyfriend."
The entertainment industry is an industry short of manpower, and no one wants to make things big. I felt depressed and hopeless.
But actually, I don’t think these men can’t understand the situation of women. They have also filmed with gay directors. In that case, these men will automatically assume the role of "victims" - they are afraid of being violated and stared at. If they put themselves in their shoes, they would know that girls face these insecurities every day.
Moreover, they are not treated equally. They would never harass female senior executives like this. Instead, they would only pick out girls who are easy-going and fearful of getting into trouble. In the final analysis, they just bully the good and fear the evil. So I think it's very unfair. As a girl, I seem to have to put in a lot of effort to prove myself in the workplace so that I can be respected and no longer be treated as an object of teasing.
But isn’t that ridiculous?
I am very grateful to Angela for her willingness to speak out. Her influence can at least make people in the industry restrain themselves in a short period of time. But in the long run, at least in this industry, the most effective method is always to promote it from the top down - when people with the right to speak set the principles and implement them seriously and strictly, offense will no longer be regarded as a "joke".
"Aren't you a reporter? Why don't you speak up?"
Chen Zining (pseudonym), born in the 1980s, former Hong Kong journalist
I think one of the biggest depressions or grievances in this industry is that we often say that we need to speak up for others and fight for justice. But ironically, you'll find colleagues who are speaking out for others but making gender jokes at the same time. This contrast is extremely large.
After graduating from college, I worked for a local newspaper. Sometimes we have to interview people at demonstrations. When the weather is hot, I will wear tank tops and shorts. At this time, I will be ridiculed by the photographer as "very little cloth." I successfully conducted an exclusive interview, and the boss would joke: "You interviewed him because you are beautiful" and "Did you go out wearing a short skirt that day?"
You will feel as if you have to work harder than others to ensure that the results are not regarded as "gender dividends." I even thought, if I just don’t dress up and dress casually, everyone will see my ability? But I am not willing to accept it, because the problem is not with me.
The frequency of these treatments, as well as being related to gender, also depends on power and class. Your seniority determines your right to speak, and also affects how long you will be laughed at.
When I entered the industry with a blank slate, I was still very concerned about how to develop in the industry and the eyes of others. These uncomfortable experiences will make you feel that this is just the way the workplace is, and that these jokes are just the kind of jokes that are made in the journalistic community. Even if you feel wronged, you have to endure it because you are a new person.
Once, when I returned to the press room of the building after finishing my work at the Legislative Council, a photographer colleague said at the top of his voice, "Wow, you look like a sex worker. If you were my daughter, I would have beaten you long ago." I don't know how many people heard it at the moment. Some people looked over, but no one said anything. I felt very insulted.
On the way back to the company, I complained to a male colleague with whom I was close, saying that I really couldn’t stand him. But because no one has ever told me, they also think this is a problem, so at the same time, I will think of an excuse for the photographer: I wonder if he has some dispute with his daughter? I will be particularly internally consumed.
Besides, speaking out may not be useful. Once, I was on a business trip abroad and needed to find a "middleman" to connect me. We made an appointment for a meal, and he kept being rude to me during the dinner, but because he could help me contact the people I needed, I had no choice but to laugh with him.
He called a local reporter to attend. At the moment when the photo was taken, he suddenly hugged my shoulders and kissed me on the face. I had never been in such a situation before, and I was so frightened that I was completely speechless. The photojournalist who was traveling with him did not help, but instead took photos along with him.
After leaving, I immediately sent a private message to the editor. He only replied to me: "People in this place may be like this, so be careful."
careful? What can I be careful about? After I came back, I told my boss one more time and asked if the same situation happened next time, could I ask a male reporter to go there? The boss said, if you want, that's OK, but it's best if you go.
I felt like I wasn't understood or empathized with. But I can't understand this gap - they often teach me things and treat me well, but why do they seem to be used to harassment and just want to treat me coldly?
The outside world often thinks that journalists are strong and will not be weak. If we are bullied, they will ask: "Aren't you a reporter? Why don't you speak out?" But in fact, I am just an ordinary person, and we will also have emotions and trauma. What's more, our circle is very small. I don't know whether I should talk about it or how to talk about it. In the end, I have to digest it myself.
However, now I have learned to refute it.
Part of the reason is because I grew up, and maybe after working in this industry for a long time, I began to feel that I finally had a voice.
Of course, social trends are slowly changing. I saw on social platforms that many people would help girls who were secretly photographed or molested in real life. But sometimes I feel that when it comes to offensive jokes, the boundaries are still very blurred: many people don't know whether they should speak out or whether they should offend others for your sake.
So every time a victim comes forward to speak out, everyone thinks this person is "very brave" - I also think Angela is very brave. But I also think that "brave" actually means that many people dare not come out.
I understand that everyone has a cost when speaking out. Like in my experience, I didn't meet anyone who would stand up for me. But I thought, maybe I can be this person first.
Now that the past trend of telling gender jokes can be formed, our generation also has the opportunity to open up some space and form another social trend. I hope that one day, people of all genders can be free and confident, and not blame themselves when faced with offense, but can call it out.
"I don't know what constitutes sexual harassment."
Yan, 20 years old, a Taiwanese college student studying in Macau
I studied theater in college. In order to understand the operation of the stage as early as possible, I found a part-time job through my senior to help build the stage for the concert. It was a physical job that required climbing up and down, moving boxes, and the majority of men in the industry were about eight to two.
Entering the industry is about learning by doing. The weather was very hot and everyone was wearing shorts. I also wore a pair of sports shorts, the length of which only reached about the middle of my thighs. But I found that boys and girls wearing shorts are looked at very differently. Every time I passed the group of male workers, they would stare at my legs, which made me very uncomfortable.
I don't understand Taiwanese. My senior later relayed to me that this group of workers were talking about me: "My sister is wearing shorts today and her legs are so beautiful, just like those (girls) I saw online." Some people also described me as "takeaway tea" - in Taiwan, this is the meaning of a sex worker.
I find them annoying, but I'm not the kind of girl who "explodes immediately." Later, when I was working, I had to try my best to avoid passing in front of them.
During the break, a girl in charge of management came to me privately and asked me not to wear shorts in the future, saying that it would easily cause injury. At the same time, she reminded me in a subtle way, "Everyone is not very knowledgeable." I heard what she meant and believed her intention was to protect me. But I find it strange, why do girls always have to change?
But actually, I don’t quite understand what really counts as sexual harassment.
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When I was in middle school in Macau, I had to take the bus to school every morning. Sometimes, I would see an uncle who deliberately did not zip up his pants. He would follow the female students into the car and stand behind them.
Once, he stood behind me and pressed his body against my back. I felt his body temperature and felt uncomfortable in my heart. Maybe I was afraid of embarrassment, but I was at a loss and couldn't avoid it. When I saw him again later, I learned to stand further away.
I didn't tell anyone about this. But one time, I took the same bus with him again. There was a senior in the car. She suddenly handed me her cell phone. The memo on her cell phone read: "Be careful there is a pervert behind you."
I was shocked at the moment and thought: She must have experienced this kind of harassment. But at the same time, a sense of powerlessness came over me: We are just middle school students. Faced with this kind of thing, besides reminding each other, what else can we do? There's really nothing we can do.
This experience had a great impact on me. It seemed to set the standard for my future uncomfortable feelings: in the past, even if someone touched my body, I would not make a sound, so now when I encounter sexual harassment, it seems to be nothing.
After leaving the concert stage job, I enrolled in a fitness coaching course. The coach is eight years older than me, only 28 years old. I have a rather plump figure. When we first met, he said that if I trained with him, my figure would become "a little too good" and "I wouldn't be able to stand it."
Another time, I asked him about the effects of drinking on the body. The coach said that he rarely drinks because he knows that his sexual desire will be very high after drinking. He went on to say, but it also depends on the person, women with bad figures are not OK, but if it were me, he would definitely have sex with me.
I felt uncomfortable but dismissed it as "a joke." I'm afraid that if I take it seriously, people will think I can't take a joke. I laughed twice and quickly stopped the conversation.
"Dirty jokes" are really too common. After more experiences, my brain seems to have slowly turned on a switch, automatically filtering out uncomfortable feelings. Or maybe I'm numb.
"We can speak out."
Ms. Kwan (pseudonym), 36 years old, public relations practitioner in Hong Kong
I have been working in public relations for ten years, and it was only in the past two years that I learned to speak for myself.
I work with a wide range of customers and companies, ranging from schools, beauty, various consumer products to information technology. Because of this, there are many opportunities for us to be exposed to erotic jokes.
"Do you work in PR (public relations), do you dress so closely?" "What is PR? Nightclub?" Another example is when we arrange hotel training, the guests will ask: "Training? Is there anyone to sleep with you first?" In Cantonese, "training" and "sleep with you" have the same pronunciation.
Similar "jokes" don't just come from men, women also say similar things. For example, when dealing with large customers, female colleagues in the sales department would half-jokingly remind them: "Remember to button two less buttons tomorrow" and "Remember to keep your skirt shorter."
I understand that she wants us to be less forceful, but every time I hear these words, I roll my eyes and think: What is this? Over time, I slowly digested it. We are very busy at work and it would be too tiring to spend any more time dealing with these jokes. Later you will think, forget it.
What’s more, as public relations professionals, our duty is to build relationships with people—pointing out the faults of others is tantamount to breaking relationships, isn’t it? If you have just entered the industry and have a lower position, you will be afraid of being fired even if you do something wrong, and you will be even more afraid to speak out about these things.
I once met a journalist with whom I thought I had a good relationship. After completing an interview, he suddenly took my arm and said he wanted to "date" with me. The company never taught us how to deal with this situation. I immediately froze and didn't know how to react. I looked for an opportunity to let go of his hand first, and then deliberately mentioned my boyfriend. I wanted to hint to him: I have a boyfriend, please don’t touch me again.
Afterwards, I kept thinking, why couldn’t I just reject him right now? First, I was really scared. Secondly, I am afraid that future interview reports will be difficult to publish and the meeting will be embarrassing. After a round of review, I will turn around and blame myself - I obviously feel uncomfortable, why should I wrong myself like this?
In public relations, we are accustomed to packaging and being tactful in everything we do and say. Another time, when I was rushing to send out a press release after an event, I asked the guests to check the photos with me in front of the computer. He suddenly said: "Is the photo so casually viewed by others? It's not some private photo, right?"
I was very angry at the moment, and my face immediately darkened. This sentence was really excessive. But I still have to be polite and say to the guest: "I don't like the way you talk, please respect it." The guest pretended not to hear, and the incident passed like this.
Actually, I thought about asking him to apologize, but it's not that simple. Many times offenses happen very quickly, and if there is no immediate response, the time has passed. After coming out to work, the first thing you consider is usually not your own feelings, but whether you will offend your customers or harm your colleagues. This is very sad.
It was only in the past two years that I gained more social experience and began to learn to love myself more and to resist when I encounter unreasonable things. The social atmosphere has also changed. I see more and more women supporting each other who are being harassed. Just like how everyone calls themselves "Jane Doe" recently, I am very moved.
Also, Gen Z affects me too. People often say "post-00s are reorganizing the workplace", and I think it's true! They have clear boundaries and know how to say no. I discovered that only by speaking out bravely can I get what I want.
Now I know how to identify offensive jokes, and if I see my subordinates being embarrassed by such comments, I will point them out. Of course, speaking out may not lead to the desired results. But at least he spoke out and the other party restrained himself, which made me feel more comfortable and relieved.
Use jokes to rationalize "testing the bottom line"
According to the results of the Hong Kong Equal Opportunities Commission's "2021 Hong Kong Sexual Harassment Survey", nearly 12% of the 3,928 respondents had been sexually harassed in the workplace in the past two years. The most common form was "sexual topics or jokes."
Taiwan's Ministry of Labor released the "Workplace Employment Equality Survey" in 2026, which showed that among 4,802 female respondents, 3.3% had suffered sexual harassment in the workplace in the past year; more than half of them did not file a complaint, mainly because they "took the incident as a joke."
Yin Zhihao, senior education director of Hong Kong's "Anti 480" Anti-Sexual Violence Resource Center, told BBC Chinese that both men and women are subject to gender-based verbal harassment, and the direction of the teasing and the pressure they bear are different - women are more focused on body shape, appearance, and jokes involving sexual harassment. Men are more likely to face jokes about masculinity and gender.
Yin Zhihao pointed out that "jokes" are often a way for verbal offenders to rationalize "testing the bottom line". "Testing how far someone's bottom line can go, and if that person resists, use (joking) as an excuse to shift the responsibility back to the victim."
He emphasized that even if verbal harassment does not cause direct physical harm to the victim, the victim will suffer mental and social stress due to the inability to leave the common social circle and the fear that the offense will continue to occur.
Yin Zhihao pointed out that sexual harassment is deeply shaped by social culture. Rather than relying solely on the person involved to say no, if people around him can take the initiative to help stop it, or if the environment such as companies and schools where he is located takes the initiative to establish a response mechanism, it will help change the culture.
If you feel distressed, hopeless, and in need of support, please consider seeking help from a medical professional or support organization. If you are in the UK, you can visit BBC Action Line.
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