Rules are for the Little People

Even in China: Kidman quarantine exemption sparks anger in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's decision to grant Hollywood star Nicole Kidman a quarantine exemption as she films an Amazon-funded series about the lives of wealthy expats has sparked public anger.

The Chinese financial hub maintains some of the strictest quarantine measures in the world, an approach that has kept virus cases low but left most residents cut off from overseas loved ones for the last 18 months.

Arrivals from high-risk countries have to stay in hotel quarantine for 21 days, while lower-risk countries have seven days hotel quarantine followed by a further seven days of self-monitoring.

 

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But Kidman, 54, has been allowed to circumvent those rules.

Hong Kong's Commerce and Economic Development Bureau confirmed the Australian actress and other film crew had been granted an exemption "to carry out designated professional work".

Those exempted must take three coronavirus tests over two weeks following their arrival.

The city's tabloids have closely followed Kidman's appearances in Hong Kong since touching down last Thursday in a private jet from Australia, including shopping two days after her arrival and later filming in the city's Sai Wan district.

Kidman has been announced as an executive producer on "Expats", a show based on a 2016 book by Janice YK Lee about the gilded lives of three American women in the city.

Social media has since filled with comments by expats and local Hong Kongers over Kidman's quarantine exemption -- and the decision to film a series about the city's wealthy foreign elite at a time when China is purging dissent in the financial hub.

"Right then, that's it. My Mum is changing her name to 'Nicole Kidman' and I've just sent my Gulfstream G650 to pick her up," @webbhk, an account popular with expats, wrote on Twitter.

Let's be honest, if you were setting quarantine rules, wouldn't you break them for Nicole Kidman? 

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Rebecca de Mornay ready at The Other McCain.

It's a Small World After All

Chinese-American actress Crystal Liu has pulled Disney into the heated political fray surrounding Hong Kong's pro-democracy and anti-police brutality protests.

Disney's live-action Mulan remake has a become a surprise flashpoint in Hong Kong's ongoing pro-democracy, anti-police brutality protests, after the film's star, Chinese-American actress Crystal Liu, took to social media to voice her support for the Hong Kong police force.

Liu's statement sparked instant outcry in Hong Kong, where the local police have been accused by international human rights groups of excessive use of force in confrontations with protesters and the public.

Posting to her 65 million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo, Liu shared an image originally released by the state-backed People's Daily, reading: "I support Hong Kong's police, you can beat me up now," followed by, "What a shame for Hong Kong." Liu added the hashtag "IAlsoSupportTheHongKongPolice" and a heart emoji. The post received over 72,000 likes and over 65,000 shares in less than 24 hours.

Scratch a Hollywood actress, find a commy. I'm shocked.

Outside of China, however, the hashtag #BoycottMulan has begun to trend on Twitter and Instagram. One of the most viral tweets, with 3,500 retweets and almost 4,000 likes, came from Twitter user @sdnorton who wrote: "Disney’s Mulan actress, Liu Yifei, supports police brutality and oppression in Hong Kong. Liu is a naturalized American citizen. it must be nice. meanwhile she pisses on people fighting for democracy. retweet please. HK doesn’t get enough support. #BoycottMulan @Disney."

Comments on Liu's Instagram have similarly condemned her "support for police brutality" as well as the “[suppression] of democracy and freedom,” which “violates the character of Mulan,” and likewise called for a boycott of the film. There have also been comments attacking Liu for her views on the official Mulan Instagram and Facebook accounts.

The situation in Hong Kong is untenable, and has been since Britain washed it's hands off it in 1977. Did they ever really expect Communist China to honor its commitments to "one country two systems" over the long run?

Because she's cute, I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and assume that she thinks that the actions of the protesters in Hong Kong now are more likely to bring on official domination by the reds than would happen without them. It's at least a valid argument.

The Wombat has Rule 5 Sunday: Katie Williams ready at The Other McCain.