Reality show faces backlash for making kidnapping survivor re-enact trauma
7 Apr - The production team of the Chinese variety acting show, "Memories Beyond Horizon" has recently been criticised for asking former kidnap victim Wang Xing to simulate his own abduction for the show.
It was reported that during an acting test on the show, director Wong Jing gave Wang a prompt that read, "You are a protagonist who has been kidnapped and may be killed at any time. You now have a chance to call your family or girlfriend. Can you act out this scene?"
Wang immediately agreed and set up the situation, pretending to call his mother and receiving no answer. He then acted a phone conversation scene with his girlfriend and spoke with a trembling voice and a suppressed emotion.
At one point, he even rubbed his head and asked, "This is my new hairstyle. Do you like it?"
Those who saw the episode couldn't help but expressed ire towards the show, accusing the producers and everybody involved of exploiting trauma and exposing people's past bad experiences.
"This is not a performance. This is them forcing him to go through it again!" said one netizen.
Many also went to the show's social media account demanding the producers to respect the actor's mental state.
It was back in January that Wang Xing made headlines around the globe after he was abducted and taken across the border to Myanmar after being lured into a filming opportunity in Thailand. He was later rescued due to the swift action of his family members.
(Photo Source: China Times, Oriental Daily, SCMP)
