Singapore conservative? Bullshit.

You know Singapore isn’t a conservative society. Conservative societies are driven by religion, Singapore, is driven by money. If you can’t comprehend that, let me put this horrid, hard fact to you this way: We are a capitalistic society.

Sometimes I get the strange feeling that the media decided to go to press with a biased view to my story (the very first article anyway, I have not read the ones that have since gone out since I left for NZ, and definitely do not endorse the article by TNP, although I did give them an interview, mostly because I don’t have much of an alternative anyway. They would still have gone to press I suppose, whether or not I did. Better to have a say and no say at all). Anyway, I have this feeling that they do so to make me shut up, or to get my parents to make me close the blog down. Or whatever. This would have been the 3rd time I’ve been egged on to get it shut down. But you can forget it, I will never do that.

Anyone been a fan of COLORS magazine? The one by Italian fashion house Colors of Benetton? It was the really cool one that dealt with world culture and how people all around the world responded and behaved towards certain things, ranging from drugs, to sex to heaven and hell; so the list goes on. It has been banned from Singapore. Now you know why you cannot find it at Basheer.

From the Straits Times, June 9
‘A magazine published by Italian fashion house United Colors of Benetton has been taken off the shelves here because of its explicit illustrations and photos of nudity, orgies and other sexual acts. […] ‘

Oh Yeah. Sure we’re really afraid of insulting people with having such content publicly available and purchasable, but sure we aren’t bothered with Casinos and their strip shows coming into town. You know why? Who cares who you’re going to insult if you’re making that much money. Only, I think Colors has more educational value then a Las Vegas strip show coming right into the middle of town.

It’s how the media spins it baby. They say they can control it, they say Casinos will make the country more vibrant and entertaining. Whatever having a Casino in the country would entail would be worth it. With Colors and with my photograph, it is nothing more the encouraging immorality within our society.

Of course Casino shows are only available to people after a certain age and Colors magazine and my photograph could have been view by a 10 year old, but the thing is, is it SO wrong for a kid to se a naked picture of me? To read an article about sex? Children are sexual creatures anyway. And they will all learn about it soon enough. But is it wrong to open an entire industry that condones blatant sex for sale? I have nothing against strippers or prostitutes, or that there’s even anything wrong with it, as long as the person that goes into it does it of her own free will and understands the responsibilities behind it and puts no one else at risk. But I have something against a society that does not see the imbalance and the irrational in its attempt to ‘protect’ the society from sexual vice.

xoxox