Reaction to Angel Chong's Miss Hong Kong bid should spark reflection
Despite having been part of our lives for a long time, beauty pageants have come in for heavy criticism in recent years for objectifying women and reducing them to being judged only on their outward appearance. Despite reforms aimed at improving social perception and
what constitutes 'beauty' , they remain controversial.
So, when Angel Chong Nga-ting, a 24-year-old local district councillor, decided to put herself out there and
enter the contest for the title of Miss Hong Kong, some in the community lost their mind.
Chong has every right to make such choices. She is an adult and can do so without needing to seek approval. Or don't we actually believe it when we tell the girls and women in our lives that they can be whatever they want and to
chase their dreams
Chong's decision to withdraw from the pageant is probably the result of pressure from her political party, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB). Veteran political commentator Sonny Lo Shiu-hing said, 'Having a district council member suddenly run for
the Miss Hong Kong Pageant does not look good for the party's image and its preparation for the election. From the perspective of the largest political party [in Hong Kong], it expects party members to stick to party discipline.'
The problem with this is that, last time I checked, competing to be
Miss Hong Kong was still perfectly legal, even for district councillors. The judgment is being passed because Chong's entry 'looks bad' for the DAB's image, party discipline and – according to Chong, who said she pulled out to protect the district council's image – the council itself.
There is no question about how Chong's actions have been perceived. However, if people are rejecting her decision because of the superficiality of beauty pageants and how her participation might reflect on those she associates with, aren't her critics just as superficial?
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong in ‘critical stage of opening new chapter', Beijing liaison chief says
Beijing's new liaison office chief has said Hong Kong is in a 'critical stage of opening a new chapter' and should further embrace reforms to broaden its economy in a speech delivered on the eve of the city's 28th handover anniversary. Zhou Ji also said on Monday evening Hong Kong should 'achieve breakthroughs and tackle core issues' to improve development while maintaining a robust 'bottom line' of safety to pave the way for further growth. 'Hong Kong is in a critical stage of opening a new chapter and realising new heights,' he said at a gala celebration ahead of the anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the nation on Tuesday. 'With opportunities ahead of us, time waits for no one. We must act proactively and seize the momentum for progress, building a better Hong Kong with united hearts.' The city would need to embrace reforms and unleash new productive forces for economic transformation, Zhou added. 'We need to move with the times, focus on residents' needs, proactively identify, react and seek changes to alter our ideas for development and innovatively reform to fully unleash the immense potential in society for new productivity, pushing for economic transformation,' he said.
South China Morning Post
6 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Indian tech hub's ‘fake news' bill sparks free speech fears
Draft legislation by India's tech hub state of Karnataka that would impose jail terms of up to seven years for spreading 'fake news' and other misinformation has stirred concerns among free speech activists that it could lead to censorship. With nearly 1 billion internet users, the stakes are high in a sprawling country of many ethnic and religious communities where fake news risks stirring deadly strife and AI deepfake videos have alarmed officials during elections. India's federal government already regulates social media content, with legislation empowering it to order takedowns of disputed content. But some states, such as Karnataka, have begun taking their own measures. Karnataka's bill, the strictest of its kind yet, stipulates that those posting 'fake news' and 'antifeminist' content, or 'promoting superstition', would face imprisonment along with potential fines. The 11-page Karnataka Mis-Information And Fake News (Prohibition) Bill does not define such offences in practice, but said special courts and a regulatory committee would be set up to implement it. Free speech advocates have cited what they say would be the risk of selective enforcement arising from Karnataka's measure, and flagged concerns that people posting memes or making honest mistakes online could be prosecuted. 'Misinformation is fairly subjective and every person who uses the internet is susceptible to falling within the dragnet of this law,' said Apar Gupta, founder of the Internet Freedom Foundation, a New Delhi-based digital advocacy group which first made the Karnataka draft legislation public.
South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Why China sees US trade deals with partners as a threat – and how it could react
Beijing has renewed its warning to other countries not to strike deals with the United States on terms that come at China's expense – ahead of Washington's looming deadline to conclude tariff negotiations with most of its trade partners. Chinese officials are concerned that nations from Europe to Southeast Asia may enter into trade agreements with the US that divert supply chains, reduce bilateral trade with China or compel governments to exit Beijing-led projects, analysts said on Monday. 'The first important one is not to shift the supply chain,' said Liang Yan, professor of economics at Willamette University. 'There's a possibility that other countries would disengage from China.' Issued over the weekend , Beijing's latest warning echoed a similar statement in April. It came after US President Donald Trump hinted at lower tariffs or extended waivers for countries that negotiate in 'good faith' – raising concerns in China, especially as many third countries maintain close ties with Washington, analysts said. On April 2, the Trump administration imposed sweeping global tariffs – dubbing it 'Liberation Day' – only to suspend most of the duties for 90 days to allow for talks.
