Online prostituting out of control?

A concerned reader wrote to the citizen journalism website STOMP yesterday in response to an earlier post about a girl prostituting herself online in order to support her family. The STOMPer said that online soliciting is increasingly common in Singapore, and that this is a disgrace to society.

There have been several notable incidents regarding Singaporean women ‘advertising’ their services on various online avenues in the recent years. Singaporean websites with sexually explicit content were also brought into the media spotlight in recent months. Cases include explicit posts on an air stewardess’ blog to a political party’s online forum being spammed with porn links.

Earlier this year, a young woman who claimed to be a schoolgirl promised to fulfil fetishes by posing in her panties and selling the photos as well as the used panties. She also posted a list of other services she offers on her blog, including a sex hotline, cyber sex services and sexual videos of her wearing costumes that buyers decide.

Another teenage girl offered sexual services on her blog, stating that she charges “$200/1 shot/45 minutes” in order to earn money to help her family out with their problems. Several racy photos, presumably to entice potential ‘customers’ were also posted on the site. (story)

Ok for women to look sexy at the office, just not too sexy

It’s true. When I see a girl in the office dressing slutty I instantly think she’s easy and dumb. 2 things which won’t get you far in any company. Dress smart, not sexy. Dress trendy but not slutty. Watch how much leg you show. Sure, it’s eye candy for the men but they won’t respect you in the boardroom or the bed room either. If all else fails come over to my place strip down and let me decide what you should wear (only hotties please).

“Women, take heed – experts say you shouldn’t look too sexy in the office. A 2007 survey reported in Allure magazine showed that when men and women saw videotapes of the same women dressed provocatively business suit, they assumed she was a competent receptionist but not a competent manager.

Sexual stereotypes based on clothing still exist, so pick pieces that skim the body but don’t hug the curves too much.” (story)

Chinese magazine exploits earthquake with sexy photos

A Chinese magazine has been shut down for printing pictures of scantily-clad women posing in rubble for a special report on the country’s devastating earthquake, officials said on Wednesday.

The New Travel Weekly, a small lifestyle magazine, ran photos of sultry models in their underwear amid the debris in an issue that hit the stands on Monday – the first of three days of national mourning.

The press and publication department of the southwestern city of Chongqing, where the magazine was based, said it decided to close the magazine down for ‘rectification.’

The department said the magazine ‘seriously violated propaganda discipline and went against social morals’ and the report constituted an ‘extremely evil social influence.’

‘If the outcome of the rectification is satisfactory, it is possible to reopen the magazine,’ an employee of the press and publication department with the family name Cai told reporters.

‘After all, only part of the staff made the decision to print that shoot.

It wouldn’t be fair to just close it for good.’ (story)

Artists pushing boundaries between art and porn

Egyptian artist Ghada Amer says her work is inspired by erotica, pornography and the empowerment of women.

Amer and Iranian-born artist Reza Farkhondeh collaborate on delicately colored but unsettling works. She takes blown-up images from porn magazines, then he paints or prints birds, flowers, and pale washes on top, obscuring the underlying forms. The final layer is embroidered by Amer.

But as artists-in-residence at Singapore’s leading print institute, Amer and Farkhondeh wonder whether their works — juxtaposing oral sex and floral patterns, or a quote from the Koran framed by images of Wonder Woman — will ever be seen here because of government restrictions.

Singapore bans pornography and has an ambivalent attitude to nudity. The government wants to encourage the arts so that Singapore can compete with cultural centers such as London and New York, but only last month stopped a commercial gallery from showing a painting of a female nude in a public space. (link)

Serial killer hunting prostitutes in Hong Kong

On the one hand you have a vigilante trying to clean up the streets. On the other hand, he’s killing them. Do the ends justify the means? Prostitutes bring drugs and disease the the streets but allowing the killings to continue (while cleaning up the streets) is morally wrong. The courts need to decide whats right and wrong. Once you start allowing individuals to make that choice, it will become chaos.

“Hong Kong police are investigating the killings of four sex workers in the past few days, suggesting a serial killer may be on the loose in the densely packed city.

Three victims, all in their 30s, were found in their ransacked apartments in two districts in the northern New Territories. A fourth was found on Hong Kong island on Monday.

The first two women had been robbed and strangled, one with a hose, while the third was certified dead with no apparent injuries early on Monday.”(story)