AIDS group protests against TV Channel 3's TV series

[webfact]

AIDS group protests against TV Channel 3's TV series



BANGKOK: -- Thai National AIDS Foundation and the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS lodged a complaint with TV Channel 3 against an episode of the TV series “Good Friend, Jealous Friend” featuring a dying AIDS patient with his body covered in blood and festering wounds.

The group charged that the final episode which was shown on October 6 in TV Channel 3 caused a serious public misunderstanding about the disease in a way that it might create fear and hatred toward the people affected with HIV/AIDS.

The protest letter was addressed to Mr Somrak Narongvichai, an executive of TV Channel 3, demanding that Channel 3 and the producer of the TV series, Ban Lakhorn Company, be held accountable for the misunderstanding caused by the particular episode or allow the group to clarify the matter through Channel 3.

Mr Apiwat Kwangkaew, head of the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, told Thai PBS HIV/AIDS was a sensitive issue and the showing of the episode had direct impact on people with the disease.

In the letter of complaint, the group explained that the episode in question featuring a dying AIDS patient with his body covered in blood and festering wounds was a distortion of facts.

There are two stages of AIDS infection. The first is that people infected by the disease have no sympthoms and the other who have sympthoms caused by opportunistic diseases.

Those infected with HIV do not necessarily have to fall sick from the disease as there are now medication to treat the disease, according to the letter.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/aids-group-protests-against-tv-channel-3s-tv-series


-- Thai PBS 2015-10-08

[reiltin]

No thai soap carries true social reflection or genuine representation of thai society -save the ubiquitous ladyboy, Entertainment designed to compound ignorance rather than inform....its bliss after all.

[arthurboy]

Uniformed, sensationalized, puerile dross designed to attract - mostly - unthinking viewers.

Oh, and sell advertising time slots...

[jonclark]

My wife and kids watched this and I saw the end scene - It looked like the person dying from HIV/AIDS had literally just been dragged from a flaming car wreck and was suffering from 3rd degree burns over 90% of her entire body.

Oddly though all the other patients lining the ward seemed to have no of these markings, despite the fact she was in an AIDS hospice. Guess the producers couldn't afford the make-up for the other patients?

[clockman]

What do you expect, Its third world soap

[ronthai]

Unfortunately Thais believe what they see on TV

[MaxLee]

Unfortunately Thais believe what they see on TV

y

And unfortunately the producers only care about the money and TV ratings first.

If it lures a lot of viewers and makes a lot of money, no sensitivities matter.

[louse1953]

No thai soap carries true social reflection or genuine representation of thai society -save the ubiquitous ladyboy, Entertainment designed to compound ignorance rather than inform....its bliss after all.

Katoys are stereo typed as usual.What Thai people perceive and what is true are a million miles apart.Western soaps tackle social issues with a lot more reality these days and try to educate where as Thai soaps are stuck in last century.They could start with domestic violence.Some men will always think they can hit their property,but lets see consequences in the same episode,wife leaving,wife going with friends to see police,police arresting husband for assault.I know how TV works,dumbing down,cheap as possible,dont change the formula if it works.One can live in hope i suppose.

[arthurboy]

Of course, the producers knew there would be a reaction.

It's an intentional, calculated and cynical marketing ploy and will get airtime, a pathetic response from the 'actors' etc. and people talking about the show.

Job done.

[phoenixdoglover]

Considering what some of my wife's friends post on Facebook, this was not so bad.

I would have thought that a culture of hierarchical respect would avoid this stuff, but evidently wallowing around in the abject misery of others, and posting detailed pictures of deformities, disease and death, is OK. Although my wife says, "I don't like it."

[LannaGuy]

since when did Thais, generally, care about the truth?

[TechnikaIII]

Unfortunately Thais believe what they see on TV

Yep, .. and that's on top of the potpourri of superstitions.

It's pathetic.

In the meantime, the gruesome scene in question might more accurately depict the destiny of those currently caught up in their skin whitening obsessions. The companies producing the crap are raking in the money, and thousands of twitty girls are taking to selling the stuff via Facebook, whilst the gullible are handing over the money and smearing their beautiful skin with toxic shit. ... The Michael Jackson Syndrome, en masse.

[realenglish1]

FACT

Thai Makeup artists are Terrible Never looks like the real thing unlike in Hollywood or Bollywood .

Just not a lot of talent here in Thailand

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

My wife and kids watched this and I saw the end scene - It looked like the person dying from HIV/AIDS had literally just been dragged from a flaming car wreck and was suffering from 3rd degree burns over 90% of her entire body.

Oddly though all the other patients lining the ward seemed to have no of these markings, despite the fact she was in an AIDS hospice. Guess the producers couldn't afford the make-up for the other patients?

That's what I thought too... I happened to see that scene the other night while my wife was watching the show.

I didn't know what was going on. And I asked her, and she didn't really explain how the guy was sick.

But, in just looking at what they presented, I too thought the guy had been in some kind of major fire and severely burned.

If I recall right, while the other folks are visiting him there, he ends up dying on camera.

[Yann55]

The level of ignorance in Thai society on the subject of AIDS is just as scary as the level of seroprevalence (number of people infected).

The fact that another idiotic Thai soap would present an AIDS patient as if he were infected with a combination of the plague, cholera and smallpox, is no surprise at all, what actually suprises me here is the fact that AIDS groups bothered to protest.Thumbs up to these guys for bringing a small but significant change into the usual mai pen rai approach, which is certainly cool in many instances but dangerous and harmful in many others. In a case like this, such a change of attitude is both urgent and essential.

Thai authorities, media, and politicians at the moment are constantly reminding everyone how sacred,unique, and beautiful Thai culture is. I don't deny that it can be all of that. However the word 'tradition' is no mantra in itself, tradition is like a river : it carries the water of life, beautiful boats, magnificent fish etc, but it also carries a lot of dead and rotting bodies, diseases and bacteria. Not everything is good in tradition, even though the word is extremely popular because it pleases people in every political camp, albeit for different, sometimes opposite reasons.

Taking heavy things lightly, downplaying scary and horrible facts, smiling in the face of adversity, all of that is deeply ingrained in Thai culture, often a sign of wisdom and patience, and sometimes a sign of hypocrisy, ignorance, selfishness and lack of compassion. I know for a fact that a lot of Thais are clearly aware of that paradox, and that's good news.

Edited October 8, 2015 by Yann55

[Yann55]

Unfortunately Thais believe what they see on TV

Right. And Westerners dont ?

In that case, why do political parties in the West (and especially in the US) spend mountains of dollars producing TV ads to support their candidates in every election ?

If I may, I strongly recommend a book by Al Gore called 'The Assault on Reason' published in 2007 where he talks about his presidential campaign in 2000, during which he discovered just how deep and scary the impact of TV was on public opinion, the result being that democracy is now litterally hijacked by professional 'communicators' on all sides.

Yes, apparently, most Thais believe what they see on TV. And apparently, other Thais are aware of that, which is why those Thai AIDS groups are protesting. Every society around the world nowadays is up to its ears in the problem of manipulation, distortion/misuse of information, so why not adress that problem globally instead of just slipping in a sad, unjustified and useless little piece of Thai bashing ?

Edited October 8, 2015 by Yann55

[steven23]

Unfortunately, this is reality, stereotyping and prejudice ! That all ladyboys work in cabaret, that all gays are HIV positive, that Farangs have a lot of money,

That redshirts are bad, all this prejudice and stereotypes are just reflection of bad education and lack of critical thinking

[DrTuner]

Yeah, lakorns are where Thais draw their perception of reality from. If there ever was a need for censorship, getting that rubbish off the air would be it.

[kmj]

Of course, the producers knew there would be a reaction.

It's an intentional, calculated and cynical marketing ploy and will get airtime, a pathetic response from the 'actors' etc. and people talking about the show.

Job done.

I think you give them too much credit... they're not that clever.

[rjcampbe]

I agree with a lot of the comments made in this thread already about the perpetuation of stereotypes and the rubbish that these soaps promote...

What I find interesting in the story, though, is that this AIDS organization actually complained about the exact opposite issue than they should have.

By portraying the sick person in this way they reinforced the INCORRECT assumption that there is some visual indication that a person is infected by HIV/AIDS. Eg. that if a person LOOKS healthy you don't have to practice safe sex.

But, as has been stated already, expecting some kind of accurate and socially responsible content from a Thai soap is more than can be expected.

[spermwhale]

Unfortunately Thais believe what they see on TV

Not only do they believe what they see, but they also copy the antics and histrionics of the characters.

[taony]

Why is that guy with the big head smiling like he's posing for a regular photo and not an advertisement?

[taony]

Unfortunately Thais believe what they see on TV

Not only do they believe what they see, but they also copy the antics and histrionics of the characters.

I think there has only been one acting coach in the history of Thailand. Every single actor has the exact same histrionics at all times. And its really bad!!

[Traveling Sailor]

I agree with a lot of the comments made in this thread already about the perpetuation of stereotypes and the rubbish that these soaps promote...

What I find interesting in the story, though, is that this AIDS organization actually complained about the exact opposite issue than they should have.

By portraying the sick person in this way they reinforced the INCORRECT assumption that there is some visual indication that a person is infected by HIV/AIDS. Eg. that if a person LOOKS healthy you don't have to practice safe sex.

But, as has been stated already, expecting some kind of accurate and socially responsible content from a Thai soap is more than can be expected.

How true. This depiction of an Aits victum reminds me of the long held myths surrounding people who used to be called lepers. For years they were considered unclean, etc. Now we know different. Myths abound in all countries that have un-educated people. Thailand is far from unique.

[cyberfarang]

I would never protest against a Thai soap opera, because I would not want to lose credibility by admitting to people that I actually watch them.

[gchurch259]

Question number one, Do some AIDS patients actually die in this condition or not ? If so then the truth needs to be out there for all to see and be aware of.

I have no first hand experience other than the wife has a friend with AID and has medication that appears to control, although I guess she could still be a carrier. She got the disease from her drug using husband, who died from the disease.

Like Jack Nicholson said in the movie "You can't handle the truth", if it was a true depiction of the final and fatal stage of the disease, then let it be !!

This disease is and was a problem to be controlled !!

[georgemandm]

Unfortunately Thais believe what they see on TV

Very true

[Doc46]

It is suppose to scare the shit out of people ,,,,that maybe make people think and try to do the right thing of not getting Aids....The stupid Aids group should be Happy that the TV soapy is trying to help scaring people and making them aware of the deadly disease.

[jonclark]

It is suppose to scare the shit out of people ,,,,that maybe make people think and try to do the right thing of not getting Aids....The stupid Aids group should be Happy that the TV soapy is trying to help scaring people and making them aware of the deadly disease.

If fear is the preferred language of instruction - Then heaven help the human race.

Edited October 8, 2015 by jonclark

[JGV]

Prejudice is rife in Thailand

lakhon/Thai drama is garbage and to those who watch it they can best be described as sheep - guilty of having few braincells and vulnerable to brainwashing, deceit and believing anything or anyone who is deemed famous

JGV

To the AIDS group - don't waste your valuable resources on trying to reform these parasites and focus on helping those struggling to pay for drugs that are over priced courtesy of foreign pharmaceutical companies who practice extortion