Yep, Mr Positive is back, hahaha!
However if you think I’m bad, you should go and listen to Marcus/Kaiser’s fantastic interview with the legendary George Parker … because not only is he insightful, opinionated and bloody funny, he makes me look positively errrrrm, positive!
In all seriousness, every new year should begin with a moment of ‘pleasure’, so if you’re up for it, I recommend you go either here or click on this link and listen to a fantastic conversation.
[Pete: I am sure George isn’t holding you personally responsible when he slags off CP+B!!! On the brightside, he does say how much he loved the Mini campaign … but I would say that wouldn’t I, ha!]
OK … lets get the festive period bollocks over with. I hope you all had a great time and enjoyed things that you never even dreamt about … even though in all probability, the highlight was that you simply didn’t have to sell your soul at work for a couple of days.
I actually have high hopes for this year – both personally, professionally – but I’m not going to jinx it by talking about it here, however what I can say is that I wish everyone who reads this blog a bloody fantastic year and may all your wildest hopes and dreams come true is dramatic fashion.
Right, that’s the ‘nicey’ bit over and done with, now lets get on with the ranting …
So as you all know, I live in Singapore – and as I’ve said many, many times – I think it gets a much harder wrap than it deserves.
Sure it’s run by a smiling dictatorship … but it’s clean, safe and has a good standard of living [and not just for expat bastards like me!]
Infact given where Singapore has come from – and where it is today – I’d say it is one of the best examples of creative thinking/vision anywhere on the planet… however as I’m sure I’ve written a post about this before, I won’t go on about it again! At least not yet.
Anyway, whilst I was on my hols, I popped into the local HMV to stock up on some ‘pass-the-time’ DVD’s and as I passed a load of men engrossed in the Transformers movie that was playing in the store …
… I saw something that literally made me go red with anger …
Can you see it?
It’s the little label that is under the ‘price sticker’ on the top right hand side of the photo.
Yep, it’s that thing that proudly states …
PAGES HAVE BEEN REMOVED BY HMV
WHAT.
THE.
FUCK.
?????
It’s bad enough that the Singapore Government still regard mass media censorship as a god-given right [a ‘right’ which they continue to use on a daily basis, despite a much more relaxed attitude] … however when a bloody record store decides what I can and cannot read, then I get really, really pissed off.
I mean apart from fact they’ve already put a fucking great big yellow sticker saying UNSUITABLE FOR THE YOUNG on the cover … the magazine is sealed up and costs way more than most other titles, I mean what more do they want?
I’m telling you, it can only be a matter of time before HMV insists magazines can only be bought by people who are either [a] blind or [b] castrated.
Jesus … It’s only ARENA … there’s more offensive imagery and information on the news each night!
And that’s the other bit that annoys me.
Whilst HMV seem to think some [boring] male magazine can affect the fabric of society … I note they seem perfectly fine flogging music that in many cases, is blatant in its sexuality or – as in the case of certain Death Metal bands – cruelty.
OK … OK … so the worst of these offenders tend to have an obligatory ‘Warning Sticker’ on the front cover … however they don’t actually ‘censor’ any of the songs on these CD, so whatever way you look at it, HMV are being incredibly inconsistent in their approach.
Censorship is a very, very contentious [and dangerous ] subject – and whilst I appreciate in certain areas/circumstances/environments it has its place – I believe freedom of speech is far more beneficial to society than the systematic hiding/destruction of potentially inflammatory points of view … however what really pissed me off was that HMV wouldn’t dare do such a thing in the UK so the fact they thought it was reasonable to be dictatorial in Singapore was incredibly offensive!
Hell, even if they were simply following Singapore Government orders, you have to ask why they’d place a sticker that not only highlights their involvement, but implies they’re PROUD of what they’ve done.
For a brand that’s supposedly all about liberation and togetherness [or at least it was when cynic developed their ‘The Happy Place’ brand idea] their actions do seem rather contrary, but as I’ve said before – most brand values/vision/strategies are only worth something till a company sees a way to make some short-term financial gains and then all rules go right out the window!
HMV … this is an official yellow card, any more behaviour like that and you’re off!