Never mind nipples, the law is an ass

COMMENTARY

Never mind nipples, the law is an ass

Published: 29 Sep 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

The debate on free speech is heating up around the world, from the tumult of the anti-Islam video to the US boycott of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's UN speech and the tyranny of extremism laid bare in Salman Rushdie's newly published memoir.

And here's how Thailand contributes to that burning issue, wrapped as usual in the fog of absurdity and phoney moralism: nipples are bad, particularly female ones, and those under 18 should be banned from seeing them.

It's more useless hysteria. The case involves a Thai film called Jan Dara, an adaptation of a famous erotic novel in which a 1930s aristocratic household bristles with carnal excess. The movie, which features a liberal amount of topless females (and transsexuals), has been rated 18-plus, a generous decision from the censors known for their superhuman sensitivity to naked flesh and political allusions. Two weeks after the film's Sept 6 release, Phetchaburi senator Sumol Suttawiriyawat cried foul that the film had too much sex in it and that the Culture Ministry, another super-sensitive organ, was doing nothing to protect young audiences, supposedly from those venomous nipples.

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jck
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Discussion 11 : 29 Sep 2012 at 13.2411
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Wonder what qualifications are needed to join the Culture Ministry? Perhaps half blind is a necessity as they cannot see the damage being done to Thai morals by the constant soaps that show gratuitous violence, shameful treatment of women, and young women who seem to revel in screaming. All quite pathetic really but apparently no problem for the culture ministry.
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khunbj
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Discussion 10 : 29 Sep 2012 at 12.0110
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As long as it is not allowed to discuss all aspects of life and society in a country, then there is no free speech.
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massein
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Discussion 9 : 29 Sep 2012 at 11.239
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Correct me if i'm wrong, but was it not common for females to go topless in bigoe years. many temple relief show this.
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uberbraun
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Discussion 8 : 29 Sep 2012 at 10.558
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D5: Apparantly there is a 2012 remake. A quick check at IMDB shows the original Jan Dara listed as being released on 28 September 2001.

So for 11 years for the culture ministry and the very sensitive senator just ignored the original release (not enough flesh on display?), and also ignored the 1966 publication of the book, which by all accounts, is far more erotic than either film.

Can you say double standards? Or perhaps the senator is just grandstanding.
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OldThaiHand
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Discussion 7 : 29 Sep 2012 at 09.487
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It's interesting to note that films that raise this sort of outcry of danger to Thai youth are ones that only display Thai female nipples etc.

Nobody raises an eyebrow if it's a Farang female nipple being shown. Case in point is the recent film, 'Magic Mike' which had several clear-as-day shots of American breasts, nipples and all, not to mention a few naked butts as well; and an audience full of school kids the day I saw it.

Where was the Ministry of Culture then? Or, is it that there's something especially "titillating" about Thai nipples that threathens the very fabric of Thai society?
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pete
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Discussion 6 : 29 Sep 2012 at 09.246
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I haven't seen the movie, but just wonder if a whitening cream for nipples is on sale to add to those available for 'other special areas'.
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onlyme
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Discussion 5 : 29 Sep 2012 at 09.205
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Didn't I see this movie on the cinemas here about 10 years ago? Is this a re-release? There was no big trouble about it back then and I believe one of the stars that "bared it all" went on to open a restaurant downtown.
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rebel4ever
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Discussion 4 : 29 Sep 2012 at 09.014
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To make a judgement, the Senator must have seen the movie. I think he got extremely aroused and could not handle...it.
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drsmith
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Discussion 3 : 29 Sep 2012 at 08.163
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Cultural Minister crying again while 50,000 young Thai girls prostitute themselves every night in Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy. Isn't that ironic? I wonder if he realizes how foolish he comes across when he makes these comments when the majority of tourists only come to Thailand for cheap sex. Cheap sex is ok if it makes money for the government, but just dont look at the nipples on TV. How idiotic can a person be?
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felixqui
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Discussion 2 : 29 Sep 2012 at 06.252
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As usual, the Ministry of Culture leads the charge to suppress any sign of life in Thai culture, this time by using the law to further enforce the traditional ignorance so beloved of despotic traditional Thai culture. We would not, after all, want Thai adults to know things or to ... shudder, shock, horror ... start thinking about things, would we now? That leads to such evils as well-informed, balanced opinion, from which it is but a short step to wanton truth telling in the public interest.
Stop it now, or you won't be blind!
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