gayinterrupted

i mean i'm 100% against pretty much everything about this show, but still wanted to watch the first episode on the off chance that they are handling the age dynamic of the actors carefully and/ or executing the show well. I love to give credit where credit is due.

after seeing the first episode it's clear that neither are true, and this is by all things considered a lackluster adaptation devoid of any actual artistic intent other than profiting off of the children the production is exploiting. The writing is awful, the acting is unremarkable and the chemistry between the leads is uncomfortable. It's sad because had the production company actually cared about delivering a good story it could've been great.

you don't "lose" arguments involving opinions, everyone's thoughts on the show- positive or negative- are all equally valid. there are some people here who are very defensive and rude when others criticize the age of the actors, which even if you don't personally see as a problem, doesn't mean those who do are in the "wrong." people have different opinions and values and as long as were all respectful to each other it shouldn't be a problem.

people are allowed to criticize art and form their opinion on it... obviously no one should be attacking the actors personally but opinions on the show itself positive or negative are all equally valid.

a minor being put in a situation where they will be sexualized IS exploitation. Filming nc scenes with said minor and putting them behind a paywall is exploitation. It doesn't matter if the law is technically on the productions side (as if the law isn't something that is regularly abused by companies to take advantage of the working class) there are dozens of testimonies out there from child actors who talk about how damaging it was that they were sexualized in their youth. As human beings, we should want better for Mac.

"do you have any proof"

this director has a pattern of casting minors in highly sexual roles in many of his productions. To me those are pretty blatant red flags as tell tale signs of child predators as i've seen it happen time and time again in the western film industry. The effects of that can be very damaging and can and does follow many of these actors into adulthood. These actors have spoken up about being sexualized as children from natalie portman, to jodie foster, to megan fox. Leon the professional is a great example. The director of that film had a slew of sexual assault allegations against him, and was dating a 12 year old and married her at 16 (all legal btw) then he made a film that grossly sexualized 12 year old natalie portman that he himself admitted was inspired by his own relationship.

All this to say is that we should want better for child actors. They deserve to be protected on set and not be sexualized or put in a position to act out scenes they may be uncomfortable with. They could've filmed this show with an entire adult cast no problem and made a much more faithful adaptation. There's literally no need to defend this casting decision, the chemistry is flat and the show is executed terribly.

As i said before i'm not arguing the legality of all this (as it's all obviously legal) but the ethics. Just because the age of consent is 15 doesn't mean there still can't be abuse on set. That's such a weird defense as thailand is infamously well known for it's sex tourism and sex trafficking- these people abuse the laws to exploit people all the time. Sure my ethics may not line up with other peoples here, but there is so much pushback at even the lightest criticism of this show. I made it very clear in my original comment that i'm not calling people watching this show terrible or judging them, i only emphasized that there's no need to DEFEND the casting choice as it's terrible from every angle (execution, optics, chemistry, acting)

"You are feeding yourself well in your delusions"

You keep calling me delusional for stating factual things. So mac isn't a 15 year old kissing a 28 year old in this production? In case you weren't aware, there are still real people behind the characters even if the actions happening on screen are fake. Actors always put a little bit of themselves into each role and within the thai entertainment industry skinship, shipping culture, and real life chemistry with your acting partner is a huge part of that. It's one thing when the pair are adults and have a much stronger understanding of everything that can entail, but the lasting effects of zealous fans projecting their fantasies onto a minor could have very harmful effects on them mentally. It's a similar issue in regards minors in kpop (or any entertainment industry really)

"Did you ever watch the whole series?"

i watched the first episode as it's the only one that has aired. I don't speak on things i haven't seen. I agree with many people here saying it's lack luster and cringe. Could've been much better if it didn't look like august was babysitting the entire cast.

"Then I can confidently say that in this show, NO ACTORS NEED TO BE PROTECTED FROM THE HARM OF BEING EXPLOITED"

please 😭 you are a random person on the internet being shown exactly what they want you to. You have no idea what is going on behind the scenes or on that set. I don't know either, but i'm not dismissing people's very real and valid concerns regarding minors and entertainment just so i can watch a 28 year old kiss a teenager. We know many of these thai sets aren't regulated well going by what other actors have said- and i already explained why i have concerns about this director. You don't have to share them but don't act like it's all sunshine and rainbows when it's been proven time and time again that it's not.

You're obsessed with "proof." This is not a court, this is a forum to discuss a television show. I don't have to "prove" anything, i'm criticizing a show which i am perfectly free to do. Again you don't have to agree with what I say but you have not given me any reason to change my stance. I am forming my opinion based on what i have personally seen and witnessed on movie sets. I work in the industry and i promise abuse is everywhere.

"As of now, there are no allegations of abuse or mistreatment coming out from the actors. So, you must be wasting your time waiting to support your false accusations and feed your delusions."

Because no actor has ever come out about mistreatment after a show has finished it's run 🙄

Again i have never said anything is illegal and this is not a court so "false accusations" cannot be made. Your version of morals don't line up with mine so there's no point in debating that. I'm clearly not going to change your mind and you're not going to change mine. I don't think minors should be put in positions where they will be sexualized and you don't seem to care as long as the law says it's "okay." To each their own, but i am allowed to express my discomfort just as you are allowed to enjoy this dumpster fire of a show. I truly hope this was a safe experience for Mac but i doubt this production has enough integrity to ensure that based on past decisions they've made.

I’ve used many examples of what other Thai actors and dramas have said or done to form the basis of my opinion regarding the Thai entertainment landscape, you just don’t care

My “ethical codes” are always going to prioritize protecting children especially in an industry that has proven time and time again to be dangerous regarding minors. Protecting children should be universal

The show is rated 18+… the fact that somehow he’s able to star in the show while hypothetically still not being old enough to actually watch it is laughably ironic

i'm telling you they're all just exposing themselves

please learn to read i am begging. i have always been criticizing the INTENT of putting a child in a situation like this. of course the parents signed off, he wouldn't be here if they didn't. I am arguing ethics. Parents (especially stage parents) don't always have their children's best interests at heart (go read i'm glad my mom died- an excellent memoir by a child star depicting the horrors of the industry)

just because everything is legal on paper, does not mean that mac still can't be abused and exploited.

it's the straight bl fans who see these stories as nothing more than fantasies and the actors as toys. There are very real consequences for many of the ways actors are treated within the bl industry

all the defending you're doing of mac being cast in this show is so funny because he himself couldn't even watch it due to the age rating 😭 god your brains are all mush

"doesn't take away from the fact that it's acting" oh okay you dont think that real people are behind these characters and just view them as objects for your entertainment got you.

i love how all of you guys just out yourself as closet freaks by hiding behind "legality" as if the law doesn't exploit people all the time. like yas girl throw away all your morals for a tv show you're so slay

this show being done by the same director as the one who sexualized baby ohm in make it right in 2016 is so telling. He has a literal pattern of putting minors in highly inappropriate sexual roles for multiple productions but when it comes out that he likes to touch little boys everyone defending this show is gonna act like they had no idea lmfao

"were done by the same director" thats exactly what im talking about theres a pattern of this director and production house putting minors in very adult roles and its beyond worrying but if we point it out we get stones thrown at us for "ruining the fantasy" or some shit. like can we not put aside our need to watch boys kiss on screen for one second?

it's SO strange and the pushback is so weird. like why are you defending this so much? Do you want to kiss sixteen year olds? Do you think sixteen year olds should be in relationships with 30 year olds? a bunch of gross projection if you ask me.

i'm not giving misleading information i'm just explaining that things are not always black and white. There are a number of bls recently that make a point to discourage the idea of adults going after minors. Why? Because most people are aware that it violates a bunch of ethical codes. It technically being legal is irrelevant as i'm not arguing it being illegal in the first place.

"the legal adult in thailand start at the age of 18" i think you're the confused one because a quick google search shows that the age of adulthood in thailand is 20, but even if it WAS 18 it doesn't matter because Mac is 16, thus still a minor. I already emphasized how the age of consent is 15 in my first comment, i think you just may need to work on your reading comprehension

"you are clearly delusional about a man kissing a child" i mean that's exactly what's happening. Mac (16) is kissing August (28) what part of that is confusing to you

"however it is clear in the show that no actors need to be protected nor being exploited" you literally don't know that. We have enough evidence to the contrary regarding how thai bl actors can be abused and this literal production house had an actor exit due to mistreatment on their last show. I could name dozens of BLs that have aired and it wasn't until after that allegations and reports of abuse and mistreatment came out. My entire point is that Mac shouldn't be in this situation to begin with so we can PREVENT that.

"under thai law it would generally be considered legal" just because something is legal does not make it ethical. I am of the opinion that it is very damaging for children to be put in environments where they can be exploited and sexualized sorry if you disagree.

"I think you are the one who has compromised their morals and ethics just to support your delusions" Oh the mental gymnastics here. Sorry if i don't think entertainment is a good enough reason to push aside actual morals and put a child in a situation like this. God forbid we cast age appropriate actors in these productions. If you want to die on the hill of defending a child making out with a 30 year old you do you but don't act like i'm the monster 😂

"the laws say that Mac is legal to make a decision for himself" no it quite literally does not 💀 have you been reading anything i said? He is a MINOR so he had to have parental permission to be on this set. Under thai law, anyone under the age of 20 is a minor. He would need parental permission for any job or extra curricular. As a child Mac does not have full agency, especially on a set. Decisions regarding his body and his career are largely being made by the adults around him. Children are impulsive, more prone to outside influence, and often don't make the smartest decisions regarding themselves or others, hence the need for parental guidance. Do i really need to explain the concept of a child to you?

Never said 16 is prepubescence. I also never said any of this is illegal. I am however able to realize that just because something is legal, does not necessarily make it ethical. Japan's age of consent was 13 until a year ago. Do you think it's morally justifiable for a 13 year old to be with a 30 year old just because the law states it? if you do there's clearly no point in continuing this conversation.

casting a child in a role that will require a certain level of sexualization opposite someone so much older than him is highly inappropriate. I'm aware this is all "technically" legal. That however doesn't mean it's ethical. All your comments clearly show that you're unable to do any type of critical thinking so i'm gonna end this here

he's a 16 year old boy???

expressing concern for a child in a show regarding mature themes and nc content is not "bullshit" just say you don't care about kids and go

i only brought up age of consent because it seems to be the main defense of the show here (when there's no defending it) the problem with this situation is that the adults in charge obviously aren't making decisions with mac's best interest in mind. Usually that's why we have strict laws regarding minors in entertainment, but the thai entertainment industry is much less regulated and this causes things to slip by more often than not.

referring to very real criticisms regarding the show as "nonsense" is exactly my point. half the people here are dismissing very real concerns people have for an actor in the cast for what? so they can enjoy a little tv show? like is it really that hard for yall to be like "yeah this is weird"