KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 — Hong Kong broadcaster TVB has removed the seventh episode of its TV series Barrack O’Karma 1968 following an uproar over the darkening of the skin of an actress in order to portray a Filipina domestic worker.
Ming Pao was made to understand that the removal was to facilitate amendments to the contents and it will be re-uploaded once its completed.
The controversy erupted after actress Franchesca Wong was cast by the station to play a Filipina domestic worker in the series with a visibly darker skin.
A colleague had earlier shared a clip on Instagram that showed Wong applying make-up to her legs, AFP reported.
The clip, however, had since been removed.
According to the news agency, “brownface” or “blackface” are terms referring to the practice of darkening an actor’s skin to portray a person of a different race.
The practice has become taboo in North America and much of Europe where there has been a concerted push for more diverse casting and representation in the entertainment industry.
But brownface controversies continue to crop up in Asia, including in television shows and advertisements.
