Pro-establishment lawmaker Junius Ho slammed a local gay romance drama Sunday, comparing the popular show to “sugar-coated marijuana” and even accusing it of espousing values that breach Beijing’s national security law.
“If you eat too much candy, you’ll get diabetes. But this isn’t candy – it’s sugar-coated marijuana,” Ho said, bashing ViuTV network’s “Ossan’s Love” (meaning ‘Uncle’s Love’ in Japanese), a Hong Kong remake of a Japanese drama. “If you eat too much of it, you’ll get addicted.”
Ho made the comments at a book launch coinciding with the city’s book fair, promoting an anthology that he contributed to about how Hong Kong has changed over the past two years.
Starring Edan Lui and Anson Lo, members of local boy band Mirror, “Ossan’s Love” follows the story of a love triangle between the two male idols’ characters and their boss at a real estate firm.
The 15-episode adaptation concluded Friday with an on-screen kiss between Lui and Lo.
“Ossan’s Love” has become a local hit since debuting in Hong Kong late last month, its popularity driven by Mirror’s large fanbase. Its first episode was the most watched program on ViuTV, local media reported.
Citing China’s traditional “one-man-one-woman” family values, Ho also claimed that the show violates the national security law by advocating “bad thoughts.”
“We still have to promote the ‘Three-Child Policy,” Ho said, referring to China’s updated family planning regulation. “[‘Ossan’s Love’] promotes childless families, which runs in a completely opposite direction.”
The pro-Beijing politician has a history of making homophobic remarks. During a Legislative Council meeting last month, he condemned the Gay Games, which will be held in Hong Kong in 2022 for bringing in “dirty money.”
Reporting by Sean Tyler Chan
AdChoiceTV News 