Relative Freedoms

While y'all in the USA are considering trading the freedom to download porn or play violent video games vs the freedom to own assault weapons with built-in penis-pumps I'm still over here in Thailand pondering the reality folks over here are conditioned to put up with.

And the other day while driving back from Pattaya, we crested a mountain pass and encountered a road-block checkpoint. The boys in the front seats (very nice boys by the way) looked young and corruptible enough to the police officer (dressed in a very military-looking uniform) that they were required to proceed to a little processing station where they were compelled to pee in cups to determine if they'd been taking controlled substances in the Thai equivalent of "Sin City." Just part of the routine around here.

After living for extended periods in places like Korea and Japan where cigarette smoking is almost universal (at least it was 30 years ago -- dude, I'm getting old), one thing that surprised me about Thailand is how few people I see smoking cigarettes. Apparently they've been largely outlawed. Can't smoke in hotels or restaurants (unless it's open-air), but cigarettes are only about 2 or 3 bucks a pack (high-end US brands like Marlboro and Winston) at the 7-11.  Oh but listen to this: They're censored on TV.

You'll be watching a movie and note that the guy in the scene has a cigarette in his hand, but as soon as he brings it to his mouth, a blur is digitally imposed over the whole face -- but only as long as he inhales or exhales. As long as he's only waving his hand around with the lit cigarette and talking shit, it's just fine.

Similarly, with guns and weapons, you can be watching a shoot-em-up movie or TV series where good guys and bad guys exchange gun play. If the scene involves pointing a gun at the camera, that's fine, but if the guy in the picture is shown pointing the gun at another person, the blur appears. If the gun is just shown pointing or shooting without someone on camera explicitly standing in front of the bullets, that's just fine.

Similarly with any act of violence: flash the knife, wave it around threateningly and that's just fine. Hold it to someone's throat or stab and the blur appears. A hangman's rope is fully visible until it is around someone's neck, then the blur appears obscuring the whole face. 

I was just at the supermarket, a Saturday afternoon and I couldn't buy beer because it was 3 PM. One can only buy alcoholic beverages between 1200-1400 and then 1700-2200 or thereabouts -- I guess they want you sober for supper -- unless you're in a restaurant or a bar where you can slam them down all afternoon and evening until closing.

Yes, censorship is ridiculous. Never forget that.