Newsletter No. 523

• 新聞與傳播學院 School of Journalism and Communication • 專研流行文化、性別、青年身分認同、環球傳播、文化政策與創意工業 Specializes in popular culture, gender, youth identities, global media and communication, cultural policy, and creative industries • 可能是中大唯一化妝穿裙子的男教授 Probably the only male professor at CUHK wearing makeup and donning a skirt 08 # 5 2 3 | 1 9 . 0 9 . 2 0 1 8 口 談 實 錄 / V iva V oce 馮應謙 教授 Prof. Anthony Fung 修飾儀容有何社會意義？ 在香港這樣的國際化城市，固然講究實力，外在的呈現也 十分重要。修飾儀容，是專業形象的一部分，也是社交 禮儀，有助建立良好印象，打開溝通的管道。 你怎樣開始化妝？ 我以前在電視台工作或現在上電視節目時，出鏡都 有專人化妝。二十多年下來，我覺得與其假手於人， 不如自己做主建立形象。 為甚麼自己設計服裝？ 現買的衣服總是不稱身也不稱心，未能切合我想表達的形象 和訊息，我便嘗試畫出心中的式樣，自選布料訂製衣服。如果 創意是傳播學必備的元素，設計衣服便是我的創意實踐。 如何以服裝明志？ 首要考慮是場合和環境。行政會議要穿得正式一點，文化會議 可以較為誇張和破格。我曾訂造一件半透明的西裝外套，可以 出席比較正式的場合，在規範之下也突破了框框。講授性別課 題，我會穿裙子，意味突破社會既定的男女典型。 試過因裝扮讓人家誤會你的性取向嗎？ 常有，熟朋友也問過多次。不少陌生人前來攀談，盯着我的打 扮可又不好意思直接提出疑問。別人以為我是同性戀，我不會 不高興，反認為這是溝通的切入點。社會應該是包容多元的。 你自幼的家庭教育可有給男女孩定型？ 我家沒怎樣強調甚麼是男孩子當做不當做的。小時候我常進 廚房，我會買菜煮飯洗衣服。爸爸給我很大的自由，規條不外 是早睡，不要外宿。在這樣的氛圍裏長大，我反而很早便會思 索對錯等問題，為自己的選擇負責。說到教導孩子，價值觀 的塑造遠比性別定型來得重要吧？ 學校教育呢？ 我在華仁唸中學，耶穌會的神父非常開明，只要不做壞人， 甚麼都可以做。你想缺課嗎？他不會斷然拒絕，而會看理由 是否充分，鼓勵你獨立思考。所以進了大學我懂得自我管理， 不會因突如其來的自由而失控，走向放任的極端。 家人怎樣看你的裝扮？ 我家三口—我、太太和女兒—都有己見有個性，互相尊重， 不隨便干預，不妄下判斷，只會提出有建設的意見。婚後，我 一箱箱個人護理物品搬到新居，比太太的還要多。她也是唸新 聞與傳播的，自不會大驚小怪。女兒會帶我到Sephora看化妝 品。她沒有為心目中的爸爸劃定框框，我為此也挺自豪的。 What is the social significance of making up and dressing up? In an international city like Hong Kong, your outward appearance is as important as your abilities. Making up and dressing up is an integral part of one’s professional image, as well as a social etiquette which greatly contributes to image building and effective communication. How did you first start to wear makeup? I started to appear for TV shows from time to time since some 20 years ago. A professional makeup artist would help me put on makeup. I later decided that it would be better to take charge of my own image building than relying on someone else. Why did you design your own clothes? Ready-to-wear clothes generally do not fit well and are undesirable because they fail to convey the image and message I try to get across. For that reason, I sketch my own patterns, choose the fabrics, and have my clothes custom-made. If creativity is an essential element of communication studies, then fashion design is the vehicle for the expression of my creativity. How do you communicate your ideas through fashion? The first things to consider are the occasion and the context. Formal attire is required for administrative meetings, while a dose of exaggeration and inconformity is acceptable at cultural meetings. I once ordered a custom-made translucent suit suitable for formal occasions, and that was an acceptable departure from the norm. When I am teaching gender studies, I would wear skirt as a repudiation of gender stereotypes. Have you ever been questioned about your sexual orientation on account of your appearance? Yes, I am frequently asked by people I know well. Many strangers approach me, riveting their gaze on my clothing but are too timid to ask. Many people think that I am gay, but I am not annoyed by that. There should be more diversity and tolerance in our society. I would make use of people’s curiosity about my sexual orientation to initiate communication. Did your parents have any gender-stereotypical expectations of you? My parents never told me what a boy should or should not do. When I was small, I often helped out in the kitchen, and did grocery shopping and laundry. My dad gave me a great deal of freedom, and the only rules were going to bed early and no sleeping over at someone else’s home. Growing up in this environment, I learnt to contemplate what’s right and wrong at an early age, and take responsibility for my own actions. When it comes to parenting, isn’t the imparting of values more important than gender stereotyping? Then how about your schooling? I went to Wah Yan College for my secondary education. The Jesuit fathers were very open-minded. As long as you didn’t wander off the right path, you could pretty much do what you like. If you wanted to be absent from class, he wouldn’t reject your request outright. He would decide whether your reasons were justified or not, and encourage you to think independently. Therefore I was quite good at managing myself upon entry into university. I did not lose my self-control and descend into indulgence even when I enjoyed a lot more freedom all of a sudden. How do your family see the way you dress up? My wife, daughter, and I are all independent thinkers, and we respect one another. We don’t interfere and judge, but will only give constructive advice. After marriage, I moved into our new home with boxes of personal care items, which outnumbered my wife’s. She didn’t raise an eyebrow at all. Well, she’s also a journalism graduate. My daughter would take me to Sephora to check out its beauty products. She doesn’t have any stereotypes of what a dad should be, and I am quite proud of that. S. Lo