Mediacorp and production company defend LGBTQ+ character portrayal in show Silent Walls

Mediacorp has been called out by founder of Dear Straight People Sean Foo for "pushing out harmful gay stereotypes" in one of its latest drama's Silent Walls. Starring actors Alfred Sun and Adam Chen, the show, which premiered on Channel 8, follows four different families who move into a haunted mansion. However, one of its storylines set in the 1980s, features a gay couple played by Sun and Chen.

In the storyline, Kai De, a young student, and Nigel, a dance instructor, are in a relationship. However, the character of Nigel has AIDS and the show seemingly implies that he cheated on Kai De. Nigel eventually passes away from the disease and Kai De commits suicide in despair.

Don't miss: 14,000 Mediacorp meconnect accounts compromised in data breach

According to Foo, although the show never explicitly states that Nigel contracted AIDS, it would be reasonable for any viewer to draw that conclusion given the way the story played out. He added that by featuring a gay character with AIDS, Silent Walls perpetuates the "tired old stereotype that gay men will eventually get AIDS". He continued by saying that the "large" age gap, and teacher-student dynamic between the gay couple, is also concerning as it paints gay relationships in an "inappropriate" and "slightly predatory" light.

"Considering the fact that this is the first instance of gay media representation on Singapore TV that we've had since the repeal of S377A, it's disappointing that mainstream media is still promoting outdated stereotypes," said Foo. Foo also said that the news is particularly concerning because this is not the first time the national broadcaster has been called out for its portrayals of the LGBTQ+ community.

In 2020, Mediacorp apologised for its portrayal of a character in an episode of its Channel 8 TV show My Guardian Angels. The episode portrayed the character as a predatory pedophile who also has STD. The character's storyline was allegedly expanded on in seven episodes. Mediacorp was then called out by Singapore-based LGBTQ friendly brand Heckin' Unicorn, which said in an Instagram post that the portrayal of the character is "extremely harmful to the LGBTQ+ community" as it perpetuates the stereotype that gay men are predatory paedophiles with STD. Mediacorp however said it had no intention to disrespect or discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community in the drama.

"It's particularly disappointing that they've gone ahead with portraying the LGBTQ+ community in a negative light in Silent Walls, despite knowing the adverse effects it has on the community considering their recent experience with My Guardian Angels," said Foo, adding:

When the only form of LGBTQ+ representation being fed to the public are negative depictions, it only strengthens their distorted views about the community.

Foo also explained that many conservatives watching might be parents of LGBTQ+ children, thereby making it harder for queer children to be accepted by their families.

In response to the post, Mediacorp said to MARKETING-INTERACTIVE that it appreciated the feedback regarding the drama and that it will continue to "exercise vigilance and mindfulness in [its] content".

We would like to assure that we did not set out to depict the LGBTQ+ community in a negative light or perpetuate any stereotypes.

The spokesperson further clarified that the sub-plot involving the characters Kai De and Nigel, depicted a mutual relationship between two adults and the storyline, was set in the 80s and aims to depict the struggles some families may face and seeks to encourage more understanding and acceptance.

The show was produced by Ochre Pictures, which also created shows such as Third Rail, Lion Mums, Justice Boo and S.P.Y., added that Silent Walls was conceptualised as a dark mystery thriller surrounding a house across four eras of Singapore resulting in tragedy in each era. Each of the four main stories deals with issues pertinent and relevant to the times, be it women’s rights, mental illness, superstitious beliefs, and the lack of freedom, it said. As such, the intent was to relate to the social and cultural norms of the eras.

The production house continued by saying that in the 1980s, there was strong discrimination against LGBTQ+ communities. "The relationship in the story was presented with much empathy and dignity. Sadly, it was a doomed relationship because of social and family pressures," the production house explained.

Defending the statement further, Ochre Pictures added:

We are quite clear that our story line did not include any elements of grooming at all. There is instead, genuine friendship, care, concern and love between a dance teacher and his adult student.

Ochre Pictures also stated that the character of Nigel is in fact 36 in the story, and the younger character is in fact 24 years of age - making them both consenting adults. Countering Foo's allegations, the picture house also added that Nigel is a single adult male and was never married, and he was neither cheating nor adulterous. It added, "We cannot deny that these social issues, such as discrimination, existed in the 1980s, which is the very reason why our intent in this storyline was to show that a lack of empathy and understanding can have tragic consequences."

Ochre Pictures added that it hoped that through Silent Walls, viewers will be "encouraged to put aside individual biases".

The news comes just months after the Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI) reaffirmed that the government's recent repeal of Section 377A of the Penal Code will not affect its policies on media content, and LGBT media content will continue to warrant higher age ratings. "The repeal of Section 377A does not mean that we are changing the tone of society," MCI said.

According to MCI, its content regulatory approach has to be sensitive to societal norms and values, and it will continue to take reference from prevailing societal norms.

Media content is regulated by both MCI and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) in order to protect younger audiences from age-inappropriate content, as well as allow mature audiences to make informed choices over a diverse range of content. Additionally, media content with higher reach and impact is subject to more stringent requirements.

MCI oversees IMDA, which sets content guidelines and classification policies for various platforms comprising films and videos, video games, arts entertainment, TV and radio, publications and audio materials, as well as the Internet.

Surveys conducted by IMDA consistently show that the majority of the public is supportive of its media classification efforts across various mediums. According to MCI, IMDA also regularly consults its advisory panels comprising members of the public on classification issues and develops the content guidelines in consultation with these panels as well as the industry to ensure its guidelines reflect Singapore's societal norms and values.

Related articles:
Mediacorp embraces NFT solution for advertisers
Mediacorp refreshes logo with focus on 'M' prefix
Mediacorp partners YouTube and Baby Shark creator to beef up content slate