tvb: bold and beautiful

S.e.x. - there I've said it. In our eastern culture, "sex" is regarded as a taboo subject. It exists [If it didn't, why would China have the largest population of any country in the world?], but we don't like to talk about it. Although modern times have made us more open to the subject, compared to western culture, we're still pretty modest about it. I mean, can you imagine Asian parents talking to their kids about sex like American parents do? Perhaps I'm too conservative, but I really cannot fathom that.

TVB has become a lot bolder in terms of sexuality, especially in 2006 and maybe more so in the years to come.

Pushing the limits
La Femme Desperado was very provocative and daring in terms of female sexuality.

The first episode talked about bras and how to find the right "fit." An episode later on dealt with tampons. Femme also vaguely talks about menstruation at several points. Never had feminine products, hygiene, and health been talked about so openly in a TVB series.

In another episode, Sheren Tang's character ("Hilda") actually barges into the men's bathroom to find Michael Tse's character ("Man"). She basically shows him that she was a force to be reckon with. To add emphasis, she even daringly rips off his towel to expose him! In the scene right after that, Michael puts on suntan lotion for her suggestively while she's in a bathing suit.

Sheren basically plots to "rape" Raymond Lam's character ("Chai Foon") in Femme in order to have a baby. The first time, she drugged him too much, so he was useless to her since the part she needed was depressed along with the rest of his body. The second time, they go so far as to even kiss, but the "rape" is stopped by "Ko Ling" (Melissa Ng)...

In an attempt to lure Raymond to test if he's really a faithful and respectable man, Melissa's character becomes very flirty and sexy. She unbuttons his shirt and runs her hands on his body and practically offers herself up while she pretends to be "drunk" in a hotel. These scenes were hilarious and ultimately no sex scene resulted, but the tone and atmosphere was very sensual for TVB's standards.

Let's talk about sex
The fourth generation of Maidens' Vow was shocking in how much the storyline revolved around sex and its usage of sexually explicit scenes and dialogue. I lost count of how many times "Sze Ga" (Charmaine Sheh) and "Ga On" (Joe Ma) kissed passionately. In one scene, "Ching Ching" (Sherming Yiu) was helping "Sze Ga" spice up her relationship. She took her to a sexy lingerie store and helped her to pick out some items sure to please "Ga On." She then suggested that "Sze Ga" turn herself into a "human dessert" by covering herself with some food items (whipped cream and chocolate syrup). The two of them were very free in discussing sexual matters.

Sherming's character is sexually free. She loves dating multiple men and has a lot of experience in the sexual department. She's not shy about admitting her promiscuous nature. Once, she even suspected that she contracted HIV.

In Men in Pain, Rebecca Chan and Florence Kwok's characters question Louisa So's character about the status of her sex life. They are shocked to discover that she and Damien Lau's characters haven't had sex in half-a-year. They suspect Damien of having an affair consequently because it's unlike men not to want sex. They also suggest that problems in bed best indicate problems in a relationship. Louisa's character tries repeatedly to get Damien's character to sleep with her, totally unaware he has one big "problem" (discussed below).

The word "condom" has been used before in past series, but Maidens' was the first time that I saw actual condoms on-screen. Whether it was "Pang" (Wong Hap Hei) rushing to buy condoms in the midst of a hot and steamy make-out session with "Ching Ching" or "Ching Ching" hiding condoms in convenient places all over her house, condoms were everywhere. In the scene after "Ching Ching" decides she wants to have a baby and be with "Pang," they are about to have sex and he stops to get "something important." She smiles and asks "Aren't I most important?" and they have sex without that "something" for the first time.

More action, less symbolism
Before, TVB opted to imply when sex happened. These days, TVB has less qualms about filming bed scenes. They will film passionate kissing scenes before doing the typical "fading away" to hint that sex happened afterwards. Not only that, sometimes TVB will go further and film some suggestive scenes on the bed (or wherever the characters decide to "do it"). I've read news that Myolie Wu and Raymond Lam filmed a bed scene for upcoming 2007 release The Master of Tai Chi. Men received complaints from viewers because of a bed scene between Damien Lau and Louisa So. In the scene in question, Louisa was sitting on top of Damien, trying to strip his clothes off so they could have sex since she was "hot" and "heavy" for him as a result of their sexual drought.

I've also noticed that TVB's way of filming kissing scenes has changed. In the past, "kissing" involved the couple pressing their lips together. These days, it's tongue and lip-on-lip action. I wonder if artists have learned how to kiss now? Or is TVB actually requiring them to kiss now? In any case, kissing scenes are a lot more passionate these days.

When it can't go up
Erectile dysfunction was a major issue that Men dealt with. Older men tend to have problems "getting up" - hence, the popularity of drugs like Viagra, Cialis, and so on. Damien's character in Men couldn't have sex with his wife, Louisa So's character, because he was too stressed. The series chronicled his trial of western drugs and eastern herbs in an attempt to fix his downer.

In the last story of Maidens', "Pang" also developed erectile dysfunction after Sherming kicked him "down there." Even at the sight of beautiful girls, he couldn't "get up." Sherming tried to help by giving him porn to watch, but that was also useless. It isn't until he accidentally lands on top of Sherming that the "feeling" returns and his buddy goes up again. He tells Sherming in a rather romantic way that only she gives him the feeling to have an erection. The two then go on to have sex.

Borrowing 'seeds' like borrowing sugar?
You heard it in Femme, Men, and even The Dance of Passion. The concept of "borrowing seeds" was rampantly used last year as a core plot device. The basic idea is that a female character sleeps with a male character solely for the purpose of using his "seeds" to get pregnant and have a baby.

"Hilda" wanted to have a baby - but not a husband - so she went on a quest to borrow the seed of the best man possible. Borrowing seeds was very important for Dance as "Dung Yeung" (Kenny Wong) - the male successor to the "Sung" clan - couldn't get his wife pregnant even after many years. The exact reason for his infertility is unknown. Regardless "Long Yuet" (Maggie Siu) cannot conceive consequently. "Dung Sing" (Moses Chan) suggests that the couple "borrow seeds" in order to have a child and reclaim power. They back out, but it is the concubine of "Dung Yeung" - "Chun Fan" (Charmaine Sheh) who goes on to "borrow" the "seeds" of "Dung Sing", but eventually loses the baby. I didn't watch Men, but I was told that it also had a subplot involving seed borrowing. Men and Femme were produced by the same producer, so it's not surprising that he reused the similar idea of "seed borrowing" as one series focused on male sexuality whereas the other discussed female sexuality.

How much further will TVB go?
I don't think TVB will ever become as sexually open as primetime shows in America. They would receive so many complaints from parents! Unlike primetime series, TVB caters to whole families. Its business and traditional revolves around family viewing. While some series may be more mature than others, for the most part, TVB can be viewed by the young and old alike. Even though younger parents are and will increasingly become more free about sex, I think that there's still a tendency - rooted from eastern morals and customs when they were socialized as children - to be more modest and reserved and keep those matters as intimate privacy. I'm this way and I think a lot of Asians are as well. It's just part of our culture and I think it's nice. It keeps us unique and I don't see anything wrong with being conservative.

I don't know about you guys, but I feel so embarrassed when I watch bed scenes in TVB series. For American TV, I can watch them without any reservation or care really, but when it comes to TVB, it's uncomfortable. Don't get me wrong, I am a sexually-embracing person, but it feels so awkward and embarrassing for me to see it in TVB series. Personally, I like it when TVB keeps the sex scenes symbolic - dimming of the lights, fading away, and so on. It's just so much more romantic than seeing two people pretend to romp around on a bed. When it comes to story-telling, I think sex is depicted much sexier when shown with class instead of being all raw.

I think it's good that eastern culture is becoming more open about sexually-related topics because it's a part of life. It's healthy to talk and know all of the facts rather than just keep the matters private and then end up with a disease that could have been prevented. I thought it was good that Maidens' indirectly (or perhaps intentionally?) promoted the usage of condoms when having sex. Condoms are crucial, especially when having casual sex or even sex in serious relationships. Even if you trust your partner, there's no telling what diseases he/she may unknowingly carry. It's always better to be safe. I also think that with TVB incorporating sex talk and sex scenes into their modern series, it makes them more realistic. Modern people embrace their sexuality like no previous era before them and there's no doubt that sex plays a big role in many people's relationships and life. In this sexually free modern time, it's refreshing to see TVB embrace current times and trends, addressing and incorporating them. There's nothing dirty or wrong about it.

What do you guys think about TVB and sex? Have they gotten bolder with their portrayals? How much further will and can TVB go? What about our culture - will the modesty and reservation that we feel about sex remain for years to come or will our culture become so westernized in the future that we stand to lose it?

brother/sister relationships - a trend?

In ancient times, it was a common practice for older men to marry much younger girls. For ancient women, their fate and happiness depended on whom they married. In those times, a woman's worth was based on her fertility because a woman's utmost duty was to give birth to lots of children, thus continuing the family name for another generation. Therefore, women were married off at very young ages (sometimes after they had their first period) because it's common knowledge that as women age, their fertility decreases and the risks increase (hard pregnancy/labor, genetic disorders/malformations in the child).

Ancient societies didn't value women and treated them as goods. Families would sell their young daughters as wives (or concubines) in order to survive.

Times have changed since the days of matchmaking and forced marriages, but the social norm is still the same. Couples are still composed of mostly older man/younger woman. Why is that? My theory is that girls mature at a much quicker pace than boys (both physically and mentally). Therefore, to make up for this "gap," women go for older men. They are better able to provide for them emotionally, physically, and financially. Men are more attractive to younger women for obvious physical reasons, but also because they are seen to be more fertile and vibrant. When men marry, they do it to create a family, to procreate. The chance of having children declines with age for women, but men's fertility lasts much longer.

However, in recent years, a new trend is rising, set off by Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore. Their relationship was heavily publicized and "controversial" because she was 15 years older than he. It's almost become something like a fad... something so non-conventional and "taboo" that it is ever-the-more tempting.

La Femme Desperado focuses on this trend - the brother/sister relationship.

Tempting... isn't it?
It's human nature to be curious, to defy (especially if told to "stay away"), and give in to temptation. In the Book of Genesis, God forbade Adam and Eve from eating the fruit from the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. However, a serpent lured Eve into eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil - and she did and shared with Adam. Thus, the "original sin" happened and man fell.

A similar concept applies to taboos - things in society that we avoid to escape conflict and controversy. However, being told something is "bad" makes people more curious as to "why." Hence, the brother/sister relationship falls into this category. Why is the "norm" in relationships an older man/younger woman? Why is it so controversial when the ages are reversed? Why is it shocking to find a younger man with an older woman, but not so much when a younger woman is with an older man?

These questions lure some people into experimenting.

[I do also believe that Ashton and Demi made the relationship seem attractive, trendy, and cool - but I won't dwell into that.]

Heavy doubt on the relationship



Ko Ling (Melissa Ng) feels very insecure about her relationship with Chai Foon (Raymond Lam). She rejected the relationship from the start because she found it ridiculous that he had a long-time crush on her. Ling had tutored Siu Chai when he was in primary school and he is the same age as her younger brother. She kept saying that he was too young and immature. "I'm older than you! I make more money than you, my position in the company is higher than yours! People will laugh if they find out! I'm so embarrassed," she screamed once she realized his love declaration.

However, Siu Chai pressed on and eventually touched Ling with his sincerity. Still, Ling felt uneasy about the relationship because of their seven-year age difference. For anyone, a sense of security and comfort is crucial for happiness. Ling just didn't feel this with Siu Chai from the start and even when they were "happily" together. A man offers a woman a sense of security physically through his physique, emotionally through his support, and being financially stable. Ling made more money than Siu Chai and she was more experienced and held a higher position in their company. In these ways, she felt like she was more of the "breadwinner."

It didn't help that Siu Chai was very reckless. He would act on a limb without thorough thought or consideration. If he felt passionate about something, he would just go out and do it. This "immature" behavior of his scared Ling and caused her to lose faith in him (and their relationship because of all the "pressure" that she felt from it not being conventional).

From the start to the end, Siu Chai never once doubted their love. He loved her since he was ten and had faith that she would love him back. He didn't mind that she was his senior and never once did he mention anything about her being "older." The only thing that he had a problem with was his own pride. Men hate feeling inferior. It's a constant strive for them to feel superior in some way. Siu Chai minded that he wasn't as experienced or making as much money as his wife. To feel "lower" than your woman is not a good feeling and men have difficulty accepting this because society teaches boys to be/feel superior. It's because of this that he worked so hard and tried desperately to prove himself capable.

Statistics show that brother/sister relationships mostly end because the woman has a problem with the age difference. The man usually doesn't mind; it is the woman who minds. Femme showcases this with Ling's constant worries and how she ultimately divorces him because she loses her faith in them being together.

So how does society put pressure on the couple?

Biased against the woman
As women age, their fertility of course declines and it becomes much riskier for them to have children. There's also a higher risk that the baby will have some sort deformity or problem. For men, though, their fertility is sustained far longer than women. In-laws (especially the "notorious" mother-in-law) are prejudice when a woman is of high age because they fear she won't bear children.

In Femme, Siu Chai's mother (Mary Hon) was outraged with Ling and her son's relationship. She wouldn't have him be with her because she was so "old." This relates to the prejudice against older women in regards to fertility. When people marry, everyone expects them to have babies (at least one) because a family isn't complete without a child. If marriage is made to establish a family, how can a child be missing?

Of course, women are also ridiculed for being promiscuous for "seducing" younger men. (But older men are also criticized as being horny when they go after younger women too so it's "fair.") Certainly, the young man wouldn't just go after such an older woman on purpose, right? So, of course it must be the woman who was so overtly sexual that lured him.

Thus, the woman is looked at with negativity.

Biased against the man
Men are attracted to women for three possible reasons - their looks, their personality, or their money. It's no secret that youth is attractive, so when a young man pursues an older woman, this raises a lot of eyebrows. Why doesn't he go for someone his age or younger? If the older woman is well-established (or rich), then people will always think that he's after her for her money (the same with young women who pursue rich, older men). This older woman is his "sugar mama." There is always doubt in the public's eye when a man turns away younger women for older ones.

If it isn't for the money, then people will think the relationship is only for "fun." Perhaps the guy has a fantasy of being with an older woman and is just living it out for the time being; it's just a "fling"... another woman that that he wants to hook up with and call score. People just can't believe that the relationship is serious.

These are the ways in which the man is thought of when he has this type of relationship.

Difficulties the brother/sister relationship has to overcome
In a brother/sister relationship, the man and woman are both viewed cynically. It's often this "pressure" that results from society being unable to accept them that breaks the couple up. It's human nature to desire acceptance. We hate to be viewed as "odd" because it's a very uneasy and troubling feeling. (We've all felt it at one point or another.) We become insecure and then doubt and question ourselves when we're in such a situation. Any relationship is hard to maintain and when "society" looks down upon it and thinks it's going to fail because it's so unconventional, it just becomes too much and the breaking point is met.

Getting over other people's thoughts is probably the most difficult obstacle that the brother/sister relationship has to triumph over.

TVB - Groundbreaking or unintentional?
Several series since and before Femme also feature a brother/sister relationship. Let's take a look at a few of them.


Raymond Lam and Charmaine Sheh as ancient lovers

Charmaine Sheh and Sammul Chan marry in Point of No Return

"TVB's ex-no.1 sister" Jessica Hsuan shares a kiss with rising actor Bosco Wong in Life Made Simple

Yoyo Mung seduces Raymond Lam in the upcoming Heart of Greed

Sonija Kwok and Sammul Chan get it on in On The First Beat

Charmaine Sheh and Raymond Lam pair as a modern couple

Now, the big question is this... is TVB incorporating brother/sister relationships because it's an intriguing and hot modern topic or are they doing this for another reason? For Femme there's no doubt that it was a main focus, but for other series, I have a theory. I don't want to sound cynical, but I don't believe TVB is having so many brother/sister relationships because they want to be up-to-date with contemporary issues. It's more because they simply have an imbalance of actors and actresses.

With each year, the beauty pageants bring a new batch of young girls into the TVB pool. However, they are so fresh and young that they are inexperienced and do not have massive and established fan bases like those of the established actresses. Therefore, TVB is becoming less inclined to give them leading roles and start them out with supporting instead (which is a good thing).

It's no secret that TVB is short of actors. These days, if it isn't Raymond, it's Ron Ng or Bosco Wong leading series. The experienced, older actors all either left (Gallen Lo, Gordon Lam, Marco Ngai, etc.) or do limited series. The younger generation of actors (although all are popular and successful) is less costly and selective. TVB can work them harder because they are young and less "demanding" than actors with a bigger profile. Hence, TVB casts them as leads in more series.

However, this is where the problem arises - the "older" generation of actresses is still leading. Therefore, TVB has no choice but to "mix" the ages and produce brother/sister couples. Sadly, I believe that is the reason why there are quite a bit of brother/sister pairings lately. (And also why Raymond is the "lucky man" of choice - he holds the highest status of the younger actors.)

Will they last?
If people continue to leave to pursue the mainland market, TVB will be left with younger generation actors and actresses to be in the majority of its productions. If this is the case, then we will once again see the relationship "norm" in series. Until then, brother/sister relationships will be a constituent of TVB.

What about in real life? Every couple is different and every relationship requires a lot of work between two people. I cannot make judgments on whether the brother/sister relationship will continue to be trendy, but I do think it will always be around. However, I doubt it will overcome the older man/younger woman norm. Our society is just too rooted and established on the older man/younger woman relationship that anything else seems unconventional.

What do you guys think? Will this trend decline or will it become more popular? Will you ever be in a brother/sister relationship? Are you in accordance with society's "norm" with older man/younger woman pairings?

the "murse"

It's uncommon for women not to carry a purse with them when they go out. One of the male characters in Virtues of Harmony II exclaimed, "This purse! I don't get it. When a man goes out, he only has his two hands. For a woman, it's like she's moving, carrying so much stuff!" during a scene in which they were discussing women and their "fetish" with purses and how much stuff they put in them. Indeed, that scene rings very true. In fact, purses are like "clothes" of their own to some women as they buy them in all different designs, shapes, and colors (very much likes shoes - which is another thing that I don't get with women; they're just shoes?). They have a different purse for different outfits, days, and occasions. But for men, we really just have our two hands when we go out. If we need to carry something with us, they go into our handy pockets.

However, that tradition is changing, thanks to the murse.

The term "murse" is used to describe a male purse. In popular American television, "Joey" from Friends was one of the first to introduce his murse, or rather, his "male bag" to the audience.

Raymond Lam is the pioneer for TVB actors and murses. Not only was he a guest model at a fashion show displaying Mulberry's newest purse (or rather "accessory") designs, he is seen parading around with his murse in just about every episode of La Femme Desperado. At first, I didn't think much of it because I thought it was just a workbag. However, when he kept appearing with it everywhere, that was when I realized it was not just for work - it was for life. There is really not much difference between his bag and the ones that Melissa Ng, Sheren Tang, and the other women in the show carry around besides the fact that it's bulkier (and thus "manly"). "Chai Foon" needs his murse because he's always on the run from Hong Kong to his home in Llama Island.

Matching purse & murse on their first day of being together

I really wonder whose idea it was to have "Siu Chai" carry a murse. Was it intentional or not? I haven't seen many personal pictures of Raymond, so I don't know if he, like his character, is a murse carrier. Regardless, I think it is a nice touch to the characterization. Femme is about women, so to have its leading man carry something that is so traditionally female is quite ironic.

From work to play, "Siu Chai" always has his murse with him

The murse is relatively popular and trendy these days because it allows guys to carry everything that they need. They won't run out of the house realizing that they have forgotten something. Like a purse, the murse can hold a man's keys, cell phone, wallet, tissues, medication (if applicable), pens, snacks, and so on. Thus, murses are becoming popular because they are useful and convenient. Many stars are adorning them now on screen and off, including rappers!

However, because a murse is still essentially a male purse, many guys are appalled by the idea. It's like the new "pink" - if you're manly enough, you'll wear it without fear. I have yet to buy a murse because I don't have much to carry around. When I'm at school, I have my bookbag and when I'm working, I really don't need much beside my pen. However, I won't rule out the possibility. Raymond makes it seem very cool in La Femme Desperado and it's nice to have everything that I need instead of stuffing my pockets (which feels uncomfortable sometimes).

What do you guys think of the murse? For the guys, would you ever carry one? For the girls, is it okay for guys to carry one... or should bag carrying be only for girls?

tvb chinese #2

It's Hard to be a Woman declares the Chinese title of Sheren Tang and Melissa Ng's La Femme Desperado. Literally, though, the title means Woman, Not Easy To Do. Basically, the title wants to say that being a woman is difficult, which is a perfect title for this series as it reflects the struggles that women face as daughters, girlfriends, and unmarried mothers in today's society.

Pronunciation: NUI; This word is used to refer to females. It can mean girl, woman, or daughter.

Pronunciation: YAN; Combined with NUI, the phrase NUI YAN literally is a female person - a woman.

Pronunciation: MM; This word is used to negate things. For example, MM JEE means don't know. However, if you say, LEI JEE MM JEE AH? (literally it's "you know or not know"), this means Do you know?. Basically, if you put MM before a verb, the phrase would become not/don't (something) and if you stick it between two of the same verb, it will form a question. However, in writing, the word is different. Formally, the word that is used when you say something like HAI MM HAI ("Yes or no"), the MM is really the word BAT, but in modern conversations, people just use MM.

Pronunciation: YEE; This is actually short for YUNG YEE, which means easy. The MM before YEE negates it, so MM YEE is not easy or more simply put, difficult or hard.

Pronunciation: JO; This word means to make or do. Asking someone, LEI JO MUT YEAH? means What are you doing?. If you want to say, I can't do it, it's NGOH JO MM DOH.

"lady in red" cd download

Note: Just right click & "Save Target As" to download the songs! Due to bandwidth stealing, I had to password protect the downloads. However, you will not have to e-mail me for the username or password. The username/password is below. Just enter the information in and you're free to access and download! Enjoy and feel free to e-mail or shout a message if you have problems. This log-in is a one-time thing, so after you log in once, you're free to download the other songs without worry/delay. This is only to stop people from streaming and/or downloading the songs on/from other sites as my bandwidth is not unlimited and is not free! Thanks.

User: Swear
Password: zy308it


Track 01. Miriam Yeung - Woman With A Past
(Subsong from TVB series La Femme Desperado)
:: download - 2.95 MBs - 3:13

Track 02. Bernice Liu - Break Up
(Subsong from TVB series The Brink of Law)
:: download - 3.02 MBs - 3:18

Track 03. Charmaine Sheh - Lover on Golden Sand
(Subsong from TVB series The Dance of Passion)
:: download - 4.21 MBs - 4:36

Track 04. Myolie Wu - Fortunately
(Themesong from TVB series War and Destiny)
:: download - 3.55 MBs - 3:53

Track 05. Stephy Tang - Let It Flow
(Themesong from TVB series Love Guaranteed)
:: download - 3.61 MBs - 3:56

Track 06. Linda Chung - Swear
(Subsong from TVB series Legend of the Demigods)
:: download - 2.99 MBs - 3:16

Track 07. Sharon Chan - Repeat Bar by Bar
(Subsong from TVB series At Home With Love)
:: download - 3.23 MBs - 3:32

Track 08. Kary Ng & Stephy Tang - Biased Love
:: download - 3.18 MBs - 3:28

Track 09. Vivien Yeo - Don't Blame Him
:: download - 3.29 MBs - 3:36

Track 10. Bernice Liu - Truth
(Themesong from TVB series Into Thin Air)
:: download - 2.74 MBs - 2:59