Some Hongkongers insist on blaming the woman in viral fist fight over ‘going Dutch’

By Oiwan Lam

A news story went viral in Hong Kong on April 24 about a man and woman who were were arrested by police officers relating to a fist fight in a restaurant over a dinner bill of HK$2,200, approximately US$300.

Online reports suggested that the fight was triggered by the woman’s refusal to “go Dutch” and share the bill. Many commenters were quick to accuse the woman of taking advantage of her gender and pressuring the man to pay the bill.

However, a few hours later, the restaurant owner clarified that the fight was triggered by the woman’s insistence on going Dutch. The man reportedly refused, tore up the money and got physical.

Though the truth turned out to be completely opposite of what had been imagined, some netizens still continued to present the scenario that blamed the woman for the fight.

Below are some typical reactions from the popular Golden Forum site after the news first circulated online:

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Judging from her appearance, the woman is most likely the god-damned typical Hong Kong girl who thinks that guy should always pay the bill.
Most likely, the guy was prepared to pay but the Hong Kong girl ordered so much that a HK$300-per-person-budget meal turned into HK$1,100 per person. But the guy only had HK$700 in his pocket, how could he pay?
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條女睇個樣應該都係死港女,覺得男人比埋應份.
分分鐘係個男既諗住比但條港女食7咁食本來300一個變左一千一個,條佬帶得700蚊出街點比?
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Another netizen put his assumption that the woman was at fault in “mathematical” terms:

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[mks_tab_item title=”English”]
99% = woman wants someone else to pay the bill and the man wants to go Dutch.
0.9% = woman wants to go Dutch and the man insisted on paying the bill
0.1% = woman wants to go Dutch and the man wanted someone else to pay.
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[mks_tab_item title=”Chinese”]
99% = 女既要人請,男人要AA
0.9% = 女既要AA,男人堅持要請
0.1% = 女既要AA,男既要人請
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Some even suggested that the woman was a “part-time girlfriend” (call girl) who seduced the man to get dinner out of him, and then refused to give him sexual favours in exchange.

Even after the restaurant owner clarified the story to reporters, many still insisted the woman was the source of trouble:

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[mks_tab_item title=”English”]
If the guy says he wants to pay the bill,
the woman should not suggest going Dutch
Because the suggestion is disrespectful of the man. The woman should suggest returning the favor, like paying for dessert or a movie ticket.
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[mks_tab_item title=”Chinese”]
當男方示意俾曬
女方不能提出 AA 制
因為十分不尊重男方，女方只能提出回請對方食甜品、睇戲之類
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[mks_tab_item title=”English”]
If the guy says he wants to pay the bill, and the chick refuses the arrangement, it implies that she doesn’t want to further the relationship. That’s obvious.
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[mks_tab_item title=”Chinese”]
男人自動提出比錢,條女唔肯,即係唔受溝,好明顯
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Artist Ar Chu illustrated all three possible scenarios in a comic to make the point that regardless of the woman’s decision in settling the bill, she would always be the one to be blamed because of the stereotypical image of Hong Kong women, or “Gong Nui,” as being narcissistic, arrogant, proud and shallow. The term has been widely used on online forums since 2005 to criticise and label negative behaviour from women.

• Scenario one: Woman: Let me pay the bill. Man: Are you looking down on me?!
• Scenario two: Woman: OK, I will let you pay the bill. Man: Why should I treat you to dinner?
• Scenario three: Woman: Let’s go Dutch. Man: You think I can’t afford the dinner?!

This article originally appeared on Global Voices. Read the original article here.

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