Has it really been two months since pop star Andy Hui brought Hong Kong to a standstill — and was forced into relative seclusion — after being caught on camera cheating on his (even more famous) wife?
Indeed, it seems like it was just yesterday that Hui gave his now-infamous press conference, dripping with remorse (and snot) as he tearfully apologized for making out with a younger actress in the backseat of a car, labeled himself “a scumbag” in the process. In the ensuing Lip-lock-alypse, it was unclear whether Hongkongers would ever forgive him.
But sometime in the last 24 hours, something seems to have happened, and that something was Carrie Lam.
Hong Kong’s leader took to the podium yesterday to offer her “sincere apology” to the people of Hong Kong for her handling of a controversial extradition bill, saying in a brief, pro forma statement to reporters that she “should do a better job.”
There was initial speculation as to whether Lam would shed tears of contrition, as she did in an interview with broadcaster TVB last week in which she emotionally denied accusations that she “sold Hong Kong out” — speaking just as police were dispersing anti-extradition protesters with tear gas, pepper spray, and rubber bullets.
The speculation was so intense, that in the minutes before she was scheduled to speak, images circulated of an altogether different press scrum as photographers searched her podium for a stash of tissues.
Here comes the most popular tissue box in the world…#Hongkong leader #carrielam is due to speak at 4 where she is expected to issue a formal apology over the #extraditionbill row / photo: KY Cheng @SCMPNews pic.twitter.com/b9XbI3APp1
— Jeffie Lam (@jeffielam) June 18, 2019
But despite the fact that, yes, the podium did contain tissues, Lam ended up showing little-to-no emotion whatsoever (something that has become, often to her detriment, a sort of hallmark of her tenure), and somehow even managed to avoid saying the word “sorry” in her prepared remarks.
The apology was so bland that it was actually met with boos from protesters who were watching a livestream of her press conference outside the Legislative Council. Social media users, meanwhile, were incredulous, with an account for prominent investor-turned-activist David Webb summing up the “apology” thusly: “I offer my most sincere apology that you don’t understand the Extradition Bill which I am not withdrawing. You’re welcome.”
But the overwhelmingly hostile reaction to the utter hollowness of Lam’s apology was good for one person: Andy Hui.
https://www.instagram.com/p/By2f1ysFaLI/
“After watching Carrie Lam’s press conference, I have decided to forgive Andy Hui,” said one person.
“I declare the winner of today is Andy Hui,” said another.
Others even joked that Lam should have taken a few lessons from Hui’s press conference, saying “Lam should have hired whoever does publicity for Hui.”
One said Hui should be forgiven because “he didn’t even have tissues prepared at his own press conference to wipe his tears.” (For future reference, Carrie, snot sells.)
https://www.facebook.com/DiscussHK/photos/a.363208505073/10162010193105074/?type=3&theater
A quick recap for those of you who may have just arrived in Hong Kong and have no idea what we’re talking about (in which case, hi!), Hui and actress Jacqueline Wong were caught getting frisky in the back seat of a car, cheating on their respective significant others, Cantopop queen Sammi Cheng and actor Kenneth Ma.
As news of this scandal broke out, Hongkongers lost their collective shit, there were memes galore, and both Hui and Wong had to issue public apologies, with Hui canceling public engagements, and Wong flying to the US to study directing after her employer, TVB, effectively began to erase her from the public eye.
Both Ma and Cheng forgave their partners in the fallout, but Hongkongers just weren’t ready to let the whole thing go — well, at least until Carrie Lam came along.
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