3 teenagers smash country`s entire values

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The bare-faced cheek of our hypocrisy

By Tulsathit Taptim

 

To the Songkran girls who have whipped up a storm of controversy by doing what Patpong showgirls are paid for, I want to say, "Thank you."

 

Sorry, but I don't know what's politically correct anymore. The first time I heard about it, I thought "Whoa, what naughty ladies". Then the social uproar began and I backtracked, a little. "Well, maybe it was a bad thing to do," the saint in me whispered, not so convincingly, though.

 

The videos looked outrageous, I have to say. But if you close down bustling main streets all over the country to allow Songkran celebrations until late into the night, with youngsters packing every inch of space, you have that coming. And no, if the hidden objective is to gradually "nationalise" Koh Phangan, I'm not here to oppose the idea; that would be sort of fun. I'm just questioning the wisdom of holding the brave (or foolish - your choice) girls accountable for everything.

 

Back to the "thank you" part: everyone knows we are a nation of hypocrites, but the girls have exposed our ability to take it to greater heights. The uproar has confounded many of my foreign acquaintances on Twitter, who know Patpong, Pattaya, Hat Yai and a few other places very well and are gaping at what's happening to the Silom teenagers. What message are we sending? That it's okay for foreigners to come and have a look (if they pay fees, of course), but it's not okay if Thai kids do it for free for cheering Thai spectators?

 

However, the outcry is easier to understand than the proliferation of photos and video clips of the "showgirls" on the mainstream and social media sites. People can have a knee-jerk reaction and temporarily forget the numerous Thai women who pole-dance for a living. As for those who disseminated what they decry as "obscene" pictures or video footage, what they were thinking is beyond me.

 

I mean, if it's really unacceptable, or dangerous, or potentially infectious, you don't spread it, right? You don't pass along a lab tube containing killer germs and say, "Look, this thing can destroy the human race."

 

Blurring the pictures or the video clips didn't help anything. It can't blur the fact that the "obscenity" now has a bigger audience, whether in a clear form or not.

 

I watched it. Or, to ease my sense of guilt a little, the clips found me. How did I feel, honestly? Anything but great anxiety that our decent "Thainess" or culture is on the edge of a disaster. People go wild, and more so for youngsters, whether we like it or not.

 

I'm not defending the Silom girls. Defending the behaviour of a younger generation is like defending the specs of the first iPhone version. And who am I to talk ethically and righteously about toplessness? There were times when bare breasts were part of our culture, as some people have pointed out.

 

No, I don't have a daughter. But yes, I would have been very upset and definitely would have sat her down for a serious reprimand if she had done it. But all the while I would have prayed she would not ask if I'd ever been to a go-go bar. If push came to shove, I could have said it's different to do it for a living, in front of a limited audience. As a father I could have ended the debate right there, no matter how lame that argument sounded.

 

As I'm writing this, the Silom girls are reportedly planning to turn themselves in. This may turn the tide. After all, they didn't kill, or steal, or evade taxes, or embezzle, or hit and run. The police, the media and all the cultural watchdogs can be proud of their help in arresting this "social decline", but, again, all I can say to the girls is, "Thank you for not going into hiding, and I hope the authorities go easy on you."

 

That's all I'm asking for - some decency on our part in dealing with what is admittedly a difficult situation. We put naked bodies on canvas and call it art. Real bare breasts on a stage with some good light and sound and choreography and, presto, it's high-end entertainment to go with a good wine. Even I am confused by this and what's happening to the Silom kids. The girls have reportedly said they are sorry, and that's the best they can do. The ball, therefore, is in our court now.

 

 

-- The Nation 2011-04-20

 

 

[Coss]

What I find obscene, and I know that many others have already said this, is that so much of society (in the world) finds the sight of breasts obscene.

 

 

[USVirgin]

What I find obscene, and I know that many others have already said this, is that so much of society (in the world) finds the sight of breasts obscene.

 

 

Cyclical societal backlash is the best explanation I can give you. You must be old, like me. Where and when I grew up, boobs were accepted.