Miss HK figures that really matter

The squabble over TVB's Miss Hong Kong Pageant is perhaps one of the last few things to be anticipated when there are other far more important matters to consider.

The issue that Independent Police Complaints Council member Helen Yu Lai Ching-ping brought up a day ago was a moral argument that cannot be settled - unless the SAR were to become a fundamentalist society like some countries.

It is fine for Lai to question why it is necessary for contestants to wear bikinis while answering questions, but it is not acceptable to frame the issue in the context of sex, obscenity and child abuse.

As someone holding public office, Yu should be well aware that her words carry weight.

Perhaps she should take a cue from Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu, who is known for mincing his words.

In the latest example, Lee just would not be drawn to say when the "0+7" Covid policy for arrivals would begin - even though this is a far more relevant issue than Miss HK swimwear.

By the same token, had Yu not been an IPCC member, it would have been fine since government officials have been keen to say there is still freedom of speech in Hong Kong.

Let's put the moralistic debate aside. Is the Miss HK Pageant offensive or not? It is a matter of opinion.

On a more practical level, Yu's remarks during an IPCC meeting are cause of concern as she was suggesting that wearing bikinis in front of TVB general manager Eric Tsang Chi-wai was criminally obscene.

That's like asserting that women victims of sex crimes deserve to be assaulted because they wear fewer clothes than some would like them to.

This cannot be a value expected of a member of the IPCC when that organization is expected to uphold the true spirit of the rule of law and not be guided by someone's personal likes and dislikes.

Also, does the former director of education know that those sat in front of TVs quibbling over the contestants were mostly see lai - or women of a certain age and disposition?

Does she also know that there is not much entertainment left these days thanks to pandemic controls?

One thing about which Yu may have been unaware is the viewership ratings.

Whenever a TV program is made, producers are preoccupied with the TV ratings - the higher the better since a higher viewership rating usually means better advertising revenues.

TVB's general manager Tsang may be a controversial public figure and the company is struggling with dropping revenues.

Creating PR noise boosts public interest in programs - and Yu is indirectly helping Tsang in this respect.

By criticizing the show and him directly, she helped generate PR noise that any producer would welcome.

As a result of the row, the show is being featured not only in the media's entertainment and gossip pages but also in the main sections, editorials and commentaries - coverage that Tsang could not have possibly achieved without Yu's great assistance.

Of course, the ultimate test still rests on rating figures and advertising incomes.

Once these numbers are announced, we will know who is the real Miss Hong Kong winner.