Mediacorp, production firm respond to claims of 'harmful gay stereotypes' in TV drama Silent Walls

SINGAPORE — A Mediacorp drama series has been accused of perpetuating "harmful gay stereotypes", but the national broadcaster and the production house involved have both defended the show.

In a statement on Wednesday (April 5), Mediacorp said that the story line in the programme Silent Walls under criticism is set in the 1980s and "aims to depict the struggles some families may face and seeks to encourage more understanding and acceptance".

"We would like to assure that we did not set out to depict the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) community in a negative light or perpetuate any stereotypes," Mediacorp said.

"Mediacorp appreciates the feedback regarding the drama Silent Walls and will continue to exercise vigilance and mindfulness in our content."

The statement comes after the TV drama was criticised by some members of the LGBTQ community after going to air on Channel 8 on March 15. The show is also on the streaming platform MeWatch.

Most of the criticism came from the LGBTQ media publication Dear Straight People which said in a post on its website on Monday that the 20-episode series was pushing "outdated harmful LGBT stereotypes". 

The post generated a number of related comments on social media.

The post describes one relationship between a gay couple, Nigel and Kai De, featured in the show and claims that the large age gap between the two characters is “problematic in itself, as it reinforces the harmful stereotype that gay men are predators and groomers”.

It added that because Nigel has acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (Aids), the show implies that he cheated on Kai De. Nigel succumbs to the disease, which leads a broken-hearted Kai De to commit suicide.

The post said this story line “strengthens the notion that gay men are all diseased and promiscuous, it also suggests that gay couples will always meet a tragic fate”.

Emphasising the importance of accurate portrayals of the LGBTQ community, the post said their representation in mainstream media is “practically non-existent”, and when they are portrayed, they are shown to have Aids.

It added that Singapore television dramas are popular with “middle-aged conservatives”, many of whom are parents of LGBTQ children.

“The elderly population typically already have distorted views about the gay community. By showcasing these outdated stereotypes on national TV, it only strengthens their antiquated convictions,” said the post.

“This makes it even more difficult for parents to reconcile with their queer children.”

AUTHENTIC TO THE TIMES

In a separate statement on Wednesday, Ochre Pictures, the production company behind the drama, said that Silent Walls was conceptualised to be a dark mystery thriller surrounding a house. The series is spread across four eras in Singapore and involves a tragedy in each era.

Each of the four main stories, it said, deals with issues pertinent and relevant to the times, be it women’s rights, mental illness, superstitious beliefs, and a lack of freedom.

“The intent was to relate to the social and cultural norms of the eras,” said Ochre, adding that the LGBTQ community faced strong discrimination in the 1980s.

As for the relationship between Kai De and Nigel, the firm said that their relationship was presented with "much empathy and dignity".

Said Ochre: “Sadly, it was a doomed relationship because of social and family pressures.”

Ochre also denied allegations of portraying grooming in the series.

“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,” said Ochre.

It highlighted that Nigel is 36 in the story, while Kai De is 24 and that they are both consenting adults.

“In the show, Nigel is a single adult male and was never married, and hence he was neither cheating nor adulterous,” said Ochre.

“We cannot deny that these social issues, (such as) discrimination existed in the 1980s, which is the very reason why our intent in this story line was to show that a lack of empathy and understanding can have tragic consequences,” said the production company.

“Our stories and characters are authentic to the times, and have validity. It is our hope that through this story, viewers would be encouraged to put aside individual biases.”