Story Outline:
TV dramas in Hong Kong always create ideology
to the audience. In the past, they always follow the Confucian and feudal ways
of thinking emphasizing ‘men are stronger than women’ and some standard couple
relationship. They created many icons and narratives from which cultural
identities can be constructed. Heroes in many TV dramas took the leading role
in workplace, they were always with male chauvinism, and heroines were always with
soft character. Nowadays, media amplified that those
feudal thoughts are outdated, and new ideology was spread through the TV dramas.
Although
Triumph in the Skies II was not
the first TV drama to reflect that, it was the best reflector in these years.
Before, TV dramas stereotyped the characteristics of men and women, and they always contained rational men and emotional women. Some jobs were also set to be male-dominant (e.g. professionals like pilot and engineer) or female-dominant (e.g. airhostess). But in Triumph in the Skies II, Fergus was a male airline steward, Holiday and Win were female pilot and Summer was a female engineer. Although their bosses were the opposite sex, it showed the rising status of women and sexual equality in reality nowadays.
Before, TV dramas stereotyped the characteristics of men and women, and they always contained rational men and emotional women. Some jobs were also set to be male-dominant (e.g. professionals like pilot and engineer) or female-dominant (e.g. airhostess). But in Triumph in the Skies II, Fergus was a male airline steward, Holiday and Win were female pilot and Summer was a female engineer. Although their bosses were the opposite sex, it showed the rising status of women and sexual equality in reality nowadays.
Fergus (right) - A male airline steward
Summer - A female engineer
Holiday (middle) - A female pilot
In the text, the heroine (Holiday) was shaped
to be outwardly soft and inwardly hard; the hero (Samuel) was outwardly hard
and inwardly soft. It broke the regular rule of character setting which always emphasized
men were stronger than women. Samuel was a solemn man, he took everything
serious. After his wife (Zoe) died, he blamed himself and escaped the reality
since he could not accompany Zoe till her death. Holiday was a girl who always acted
impetuously. Her boyfriend (Daniel) disappeared after an aviation accident. Although
she was upset and did not believe Daniel was dead, she tried to acquaint
herself with Daniel’s thought. At the end, Holiday found that Daniel really
loved her and planned to propose to her before he died, she let it go and
started her new life, and she even helped Samuel to release his pressure and
told him not to stick with the sadness of Zoe’s death. It reversed the
traditional male and female character setting.
As for the couple relationship, the text constructed some identities. Although Hong Kong people are more open-minded nowadays, the older generation still considers Hong Kong as a patriarchal society. Base on the feudal thoughts, they think that in an ideal relationship, male should profess first; female should be younger and should not be divorced or pregnant before. People who break these rules are stigmatised by the older generation. But in the text, it broke the stereotyped representation: Josie professed to Issac; Heather, who had divorced, was older than Roy; Coco was a surrogate mother but Jim Jim still accepted and asked her to be his girlfriend.
As for the couple relationship, the text constructed some identities. Although Hong Kong people are more open-minded nowadays, the older generation still considers Hong Kong as a patriarchal society. Base on the feudal thoughts, they think that in an ideal relationship, male should profess first; female should be younger and should not be divorced or pregnant before. People who break these rules are stigmatised by the older generation. But in the text, it broke the stereotyped representation: Josie professed to Issac; Heather, who had divorced, was older than Roy; Coco was a surrogate mother but Jim Jim still accepted and asked her to be his girlfriend.
Heather and Roy
Coco and Jim Jim
In this
text, Jayden and Roy were classified as ‘ideal men’, and Heather was classified
as ‘leftover lady’. It drew the boundary and became the rule to identify people, and also affected how the audiences see themselves and others. TV dramas and our
cultural identities are interrelated indeed.
(512 words)
Lam Po Yi Bowie
10553759/21236316
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