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Govt Wants Youtube Sex Spoof Removed


Flashermac

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The government plans to ask Youtube to remove a video clip mocking the sex industry in Thailand.

 

The clip is a parody of a commercial for the Rosetta Stone foreign language learning programme. The spoof was produced by popular American late-night television show Saturday Night Live.

 

In the video, foreigners are interested in learning the Thai language so they know how to say things like, "How much?", "Is that for the whole night?" or "Ping ping ball" in Thai.

 

Culture Minister Sonthaya Khunploem said on Monday that the Culture Watch Centre is working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in an effort to have the video removed from the world's most popular video sharing website. :censored:

 

The government will also inform the United States embassy that the commercial spoof is tarnishing Thailand's image and will ask the embassy to explain the situation to the producer of Saturday Night Live, Mr Sonthaya said.

 

The parody has drawn many negative responses from both Thai and foreign netizens on Youtube.

 

Most Thai internet users were not impressed with the video, saying the joke is too harsh and not at all funny. :mooning:

 

An internet user posted in Thai, "The Americans behave like this and this is why they're bombing their country."

 

"Even though it might be true, the producers should not offend Thailand this way," another Thai commented.

 

As for foreign netizens, some commented that people should not take the spoof too seriously but most were disappointed with it.

 

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/334186/govt-wants-youtube-sex-spoof-removed

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This will, of course, lead to another video spoofing the Thai government's (or anyone else's) efforts to ban the spoof. That, in turn, will make the SNL spoof more popular.

 

My hunch: the authorities (at least now) are smart enough to realize this won't work, are making this demand to play to a domestic audience. They need to be seen to be doing something, even if what they are doing is futile and likely to backfire.

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Wisdom of the staircase: Wasn't the father of the Minister of Culture - the guy leading this "charge" - against SNL and the YouTube video recently imprisoned to serve out a 25 year murder charge? Didn't the Bangkok Post call him the "Godfather of the East" recently? Or am I thinking of a different Minister of Culture?

 

We can be sure this isn't a case of misdirection where a Thai official is trying distract domestic attention from a tremendously embarrassing local incident by banging on about an alleged slight by Farangs. As we all know quite well, that sort of thing never happens in Thailand.

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Gad, you're right. The Minister of Culture is a son of Kamnan Poh, recently arrested after being on the run for 7 years. The other son is the mayor of Pattaya. The MoC announced that he would not seek any favours for his convict father. Then he turned right around and asked to get dear old dad moved to Chonburi, their home province. And guess what, the govmt just did it. The convicted murderer is now in a hospital in his home town.

 

You don't suppose the mayor of Pattaya influenced his brother to go after youtube, do you? Nah. Couldn't happen. :)

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Aha! "The site's management has agreed to block any future clips that are deemed offensive to Thai culture or that violate Thai law, said Sitthichai Pookaiyaudom, the minister of information and communications technology."

 

Looks like we can expect all of the anti-Thaksin youtube videos to vanish, if they haven't already.

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