Oh so embarassing.
You know it's embarassing to know that the whole world probably now thinks that Malaysians are frogs under coconut shells who go into hiding when the people on television kiss.
TV censure
Malaysia has a Muslim majority, but people of all religions are broadly conservative in their outlook.
Local television channels reflect this by censoring kissing so viewers are left to fill in the gaps when characters about to embrace suddenly appear in different parts of the room looking shocked or emotional for no apparent reason.
From BBC.CO.UK, on the kissing ban issue.
I know I'm posting extra today, I can't help it. Tomorrow's my last day here and honestly, I haven't much to do. But never mind that. That post had me ROTFLMAO. And then I remembered watching How To Lose A Guy In Ten Days on ASTRO the other day, and how I kept cursing WTF WTF everytime the stupid TV bleeped out the word 'Bullshit'.
(There's a crucial scene in the movie staring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey that involves the characters playing a game of Bullshit! Our stupid censors had to bleep out the word every time it was uttered, taking the sense out of the movie and I had to explain to my mum what was so funny all the time. She was appalled and thought that the censorship board was Bullshit.)
But anyway, back to that article on the BBC. Good writing, eh? Check out this line:
Ms Siow said she was playing the violin while Mr Ooi read her a letter.
I'm sorry but I've got no idea how you can play the violin and listen to a letter being read at the same time. Or maybe I'm a bit deaf and Ms Siow has extra-terrestial skills. Maybe the writer decided to add in the violin sentence to make the whole scenario extra dramatic?
Eh wait. You mean the girl was playing her violin and the guy was reading a letter? In the KLCC Park? Something wrong there eh… sorry someone help me out here. What happened again?
April 20th, 2006 at 5:16 pm
Normal in msia…you’d think sooner or later they’d make vcd pirates censor their vcds before distribution..
April 20th, 2006 at 5:19 pm
hmmm..they are going too far with their rights……we whould get our chance to vote for this stuff……..it is crap
April 20th, 2006 at 9:33 pm
Now say kissing banned in public….what’s next? Swearing banned or wat else?
Where’s our rights as citizens? Which donkey approve such law?
April 21st, 2006 at 12:02 am
All you need is love, sounds hollow now.
April 21st, 2006 at 5:34 am
A quick asides, wasn’t the game called “Bullspit!” rather than “Bullshit!”? Yeah the gist is there but that’s what I keep hearing at that bit.
April 21st, 2006 at 10:13 am
Read the article. Very blunt, very crude, but VERY VERY true…
April 21st, 2006 at 12:40 pm
Oh oh oh……there’s this movie I watched in the cinema. They didn’t censor any of the steamy scenes (which I thought they should’ve) but they censored the word “Fuck”. Weirdos!
April 21st, 2006 at 1:52 pm
This answers Black Eyed Pea’s “Where Is The Love?” question.
Censored by the government!
April 21st, 2006 at 4:13 pm
‘I’m sorry but I’ve got no idea how you can play the violin and listen to a letter being read at the same time.’
If you don’t rosen the bow, then the violin will make very little noise at all.
[I know, because I play Cello].
‘characters about to embrace suddenly appear in different parts of the room looking shocked or emotional for no apparent reason.’
Seems normal to me … I try to kiss or hug a girl, and seconds later they are on the other side of the room looking completely distressed!
If it makes you feel any better. Japan used to have a similar policy, as they felt that kissing on screen was ‘dirty’ and would encourage people to spread germs by kissing. They eventually got over it.