The average dwelling size in Hong Kong is among the smallest in the world. Perhaps this is because we have a small territory, but we still fare much worse than the Singaporeans whose flats are about 900 sq feet, whereas ours are only 500 to 600 sq feet. Local "Queen of childrens' songs" Purple Lee lives with her parents in an 1,800-sq-feet apartment, a huge flat here by any standard.

The dichotomy between the public and private does not exist for celebrities, and there is no such thing as a work-life balance for them. Recently, Purple Lee did an interview in which she showcased her apartment, which supposedly is filled with amazing musical instruments. Not so clever for a holder of a Master's degree in social sciences, for if she cares to read the news, she would know that structures in and around the home are always scandal-prone.

The interview strangely included a photo of her maid's room, which is a bathroom. The bathroom is admittedly big, furnished with a typical stall shower and a washing machine. Then there is a loft bed installed above the toilet. That created a controversy. People logging on to Internet forums found it reprehensible that Sister Purple does not give the maid a proper bedroom. Sister Purple twitted a response, saying the bed above the toilet is used for storage only. However, Web commentators were not satisfied with the photo of the maid lying in another bed that Purple posted, since she had twitted herself lying on the same bed in May.

It's almost certain that Sister Purple is guilty of both mistreating her maid and covering up. But who knows, there is always a chance that the two switched rooms last month. Perhaps those are two different rooms that happen to have the same layout and a same set of bed and cabinets.

Domestic arrangements, by their very nature, are difficult to verify. That's why bad things happen when you give the public a glimpse: they inevitably want more. Now, please install a live feed in the room where the maid sleeps. That is the only way we can ascertain, once and for all, whether she sleeps in the toilet or not.

Public figures naturally have to toe the thin line between underexposure and overexposure, but the way that we deal with our celebrities here in Hong Kong is quite pathetic. Once they acquire wealth we idolize their success, as this is the only standard that we know. Then we peep into their world of luxurious consumption, stunned, only to find that it is a world in which we have no place. "How outrageous!" we say, disillusioned. In short, these heroes are made only to be destroyed.

Who says life is fair?

The author is former president of the Hong Kong University Students' Union and a current affairs commentator.

(HK Edition 07/25/2012 page3)