Public Anger Is Growing At How Thailand’s TV Shows Glorify Rape

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Public Anger Is Growing At How Thailand’s TV Shows Glorify Rape

Helen Roxburgh

 

BANGKOK: -- In Thai soap operas, rape is often shown as a vehicle for revenge or a path to true love. Now activists are calling on producers to stop romanticizing the crime and feeding into the country’s culture of gender inequality.

 

To avenge his father’s death, Pathvee hunts down the only daughter of his father’s enemy, harasses her and rapes her. Then she falls in love with him and they live happily ever after. It might sound unlikely, but this is the plot of the popular Thai soap opera “Unending Fire of Passion,” which is far from unusual among Thai soaps in turning sexual violence into romance.

 

In “Sunset at Chao Praya,” the hero, Kobori, forces his new wife to have sex with him. In “Missing Heaven,” the lead character Kavee rapes the heroine Narin for family revenge, and in “The Power of Shadows” a handsome male character drunkenly rapes the female lead. In almost all cases, the women end up ultimately falling in love with their attackers.

 

A study by the Thai Health Promotion Foundation found that 80 percent of Thai soap operas, or lakhon, depicted rape or sexual violence in 2014. Characters who commit sexual violence are also rarely – if ever – held to account.

 

Full story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/thailand-rape-soap-operas_us_582c733fe4b01d8a014b800e

 

-- THE HUFFINGTON POST 2016-11-17

[theguyfromanotherforum]

You rape what you saw

[Shot]

They also need to do away with smacking women around all the time.

[NongKhaiKid]

I thought during the period of mourning Thai TV was operating under strict guidelines about what could be shown.

Surely the soaps with their ridiculous story lines and shows with the drum roll, cymbal crashing, bells and whistles ' entertainment ' aren't in full swing again, are they ?

[Johpa]

The Thai TV industry is dominated by Sino-Thais who rape this country, not just the women, in every way imaginable, and then asked to be embraced by all the people. This is their metaphor for not only maintaining male domination, but for social and financial domination.

 

[daveAustin]

Thai TV soaps glorify rape but unfortunately that's how it is for the most part. Absolute total and utter tripe. Don't let your kids watch.

[Wilsonandson]

Wow, now soap opera's are being censored in what they can and cannot do. Thank goodness Hollywood is part of the US and not Thailand.

[fruitman]

Stop with all those soapseries and show them something decent so they learn something usefull.

 

I have never ever seen a documentary on Thai tv, always the lowclass programs only. It's time they grow up. Show them how other countries develop and improved and how nice it can be in Thailand if they all learned some manners and ways to improve it.

[worgeordie]

I dont watch these Thai soaps,as I have a brain,but do they do 

these funny noises,bells and whistles when the rape scene,

is portrayed. 

regards worgeordie

[NongKhaiKid]

Years back someone, it may have been a then senator, suggested LoS could make a lot of money by marketing soaps properly and selling them to other Asian nations.

It was said that it would also give others an insight into Thailand and the Thai way of life !

Would anyone in their right mind want foreigners watching this rubbish and thinking That Is Thailand in any positive way ?

[jonclark]

Clearly the message we should all take away from TV soaps is very simple.

 

If you rape her, she will love you for it. right??

 

 

[Briggsy]

8 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

I dont watch these Thai soaps,as I have a brain,but do they do 

these funny noises,bells and whistles when the rape scene,

is portrayed. 

regards worgeordie

You are correct.

 

The earlier poster has conflated, in his confusion, two genres of Thai TV, the lakhon nam nao, no cymbals, whistles, etc., and the game show and the talok shows, both of which feature the cymbals, slide whistles, etc.

[rkidlad]

5 minutes ago, NongKhaiKid said:

Years back someone, it may have been a then senator, suggested LoS could make a lot of money by marketing soaps properly and selling them to other Asian nations.

It was said that it would also give others an insight into Thailand and the Thai way of life !

Would anyone in their right mind want foreigners watching this rubbish and thinking That Is Thailand in any positive way ?

I remember how the Thai government complained that Thai series were being bootlegged in countries like China, Laos and Vietnam. oh, the irony. 

[overherebc]

3 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

I remember how the Thai government complained that Thai series were being bootlegged in countries like China, Laos and Vietnam. oh, the irony. 

 

Ask the question "What is Irony?"

Usual answers will be it's like silvery or coppery.

[jaltsc]

"In Thai soap operas, rape is often shown as a vehicle for revenge or a path to true love."

 

This is a case of reinforcing what already exists in the culture. If the audience for soap operas is similar to that all over the world, then females make up most of the viewership. These plots appear to be telling survivors of rape that it is normal and if she is virtuous, then this will lead to true love. 

 

If there are 30,000 reported rapes per year, then by using statistics from other countries, the number might be closer to 300,000 "traditional" rapes. "Traditional" rape is rape outside of a marriage. If rapes inside of a marriage are included, then that figure is most likely significantly higher. 

 

All this should be no surprise for a male dominated society and male dominated business world. Males have the power and they want to keep this power. What is shown on TV reflects this. I don't speak the language that well, but when I see a male and female discussing something on TV, he is doing all the talking, and she just nods her head and says "Ka. Ka"  like to good little obedient woman these soap operas are attempting to normalize.  

 

 

Edited November 17, 2016 by jaltsc

[Honthy]

These soap operas are hopeless similar to the others. They can destroy without showing any sexual scene. Those who watch them do not learn much, as these episodes are light-year distance from the real life. Rapes existing everywhere, unfortunately.  They do not need Thai TV programs

[mikebell]

Even Pattaya police are getting in on the act.

[scorecard]

1 hour ago, NongKhaiKid said:

Years back someone, it may have been a then senator, suggested LoS could make a lot of money by marketing soaps properly and selling them to other Asian nations.

It was said that it would also give others an insight into Thailand and the Thai way of life !

Would anyone in their right mind want foreigners watching this rubbish and thinking That Is Thailand in any positive way ?

 

 

I recall this, and just prior there was outcry / protest and demand these shows he banned because of the violence, rape, 'ownership of girls' and the actors often having handguns, threatening girls with handguns etc. The main producer of these shows quickly responded that it was impossible to stop producing these shows and unfair because that would mean some actresses and actors would lose their jobs. 

Edited November 17, 2016 by scorecard

[monkey4u]

2 hours ago, jonclark said:

Clearly the message we should all take away from TV soaps is very simple.

 

If you rape her, she will love you for it. right??

 

 

Either that or you wake up in the morning minus the family jewels  

[OldPedro]

Thai TV is the lowest of the low.....unbelievable stories, amateurish special effects....and the locals seem to believe everything they see! Until they stop showing these rapes and the violent behavior...and the multitude of ghosts on TV, Thai culture will stay rooted in the 17th century.

[upena]

It wasn't rape. They had dinner together.

[claffey]

2 hours ago, fruitman said:

Stop with all those soapseries and show them something decent so they learn something usefull.

 

I have never ever seen a documentary on Thai tv, always the lowclass programs only. It's time they grow up. Show them how other countries develop and improved and how nice it can be in Thailand if they all learned some manners and ways to improve it.

Ahh Thai PBS regularly shows nature documentaries...

[Eligius]

16 minutes ago, OldPedro said:

Thai TV is the lowest of the low.....unbelievable stories, amateurish special effects....and the locals seem to believe everything they see! Until they stop showing these rapes and the violent behavior...and the multitude of ghosts on TV, Thai culture will stay rooted in the 17th century.

Yes - and appalling acting too. Have you noticed the mandatory 10-second fixed stare and zoom-in to the character's face at vital points in the 'plot'? The acting is like something a class of 12-year-olds might put on. The 'intellectual content' is at the same level, too.  Abysmal!

Edited November 17, 2016 by Eligius

[Grubster]

I have always thought that Hollywood movies that have to show a 10 minute sex scene as opposed to just showing them head for the bedroom is just testimony that the producer is not capable of a good storyline. Like we don't know what happens in the bedroom. Its very hard to find a movie to watch with your young kids. We all seem to put too much value on external beauty, and not nearly enough on internal beauty. I think the fact that rape has not been romanticized in western countries hasn't slowed rape down much, makes me wonder which is worse showing the sex [ west] or implying the rape [ Thai ] without showing the nude scene.

[Beats56]

I hate the Thai soaps. just a waste of bandwidth. At least show reruns of the 3 stooges , Beverley hillbillies or the musters. at least I will get a laugh out of it.?

[vivasamui]

from linked article:

Critics say the portrayal of rape in popular culture is a sign of ongoing gender inequality in Thai society. “The roots of the problem cover all institutions,” says
Matcha Phorn-in, director of Thai-based rights organization Sangsan Anakot Yawachon. “We need to change the mindset of society and give out new messages, and we need to send these messages into families, the education sector and the media. We need a justice system that will make sure there is justice for women as well as men.

“When it comes to violence in these soap operas, it’s not just about rape. It’s about the broader issue of who controls the system.”

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, Honthy said:

These soap operas are hopeless similar to the others. They can destroy without showing any sexual scene. Those who watch them do not learn much, as these episodes are light-year distance from the real life. Rapes existing everywhere, unfortunately.  They do not need Thai TV programs

 

I'm not so sure about being light-years from real life. There appear to be plenty of imitators. The only thing I'm confused about is which reflects life in Thailand, the soaps or society? Do the soaps depict life, or do the people copy what they see on tv?

[NongKhaiKid]

53 minutes ago, Eligius said:

Yes - and appalling acting too. Have you noticed the mandatory 10-second fixed stare and zoom-in to the character's face at vital points in the 'plot'? The acting is like something a class of 12-year-olds might put on. The 'intellectual content' is at the same level, too.  Abysmal!

The zoom in etc is also accompanied by the ' what the character's thinking ' voice.

[jollyhangmon]

Shouldn't that headline rather go like  > Public Anger Is Growing At How Generally Stupid Thailands TV Is < 

 

Yeah, i know that's wishful thinking at best ...

[Essaybloke]

3 hours ago, worgeordie said:

I dont watch these Thai soaps,as I have a brain,but do they do 

these funny noises,bells and whistles when the rape scene,

is portrayed. 

regards worgeordie

You don't watch the shows but you know all that stuff? You're missing the point- they trivialize rape, a very serious crime!