I’ve just been watching a Thai series; you can watch it yourself if you find the right channel between 8:00 pm and 10:30 pm on a Monday and Tuesday evening. The story goes something like this. The hero, believing the heroine to be a ‘bad woman’ of some sort raped her. The heroine, who is not, after all, a ‘bad woman’ is in the process of concocting an elaborate revenge plan, which involves marrying her rapist’s father. My wife assures me that the end of series the rapist and his victim will be happily in love, etc, etc.
I am, of course, dumbstruck. ‘He RAPED her,’ I protest, ‘he should have his BALLS cut off with a rusty knife.’ Apparently it’s a cultural difference: rape isn’t that bad in Thailand, and the hero, especially if he’s the kind of pasty skinned pretty boy Thai-Chinese that these series seem to prefer, will get away with it.
This sort of thing gets me thinking. Rape, rightly I believe, is an abomination in the west. In the UK rapists in prison are sectioned, as they would be first in line, with kiddy-fiddlers and the like, for a sharpened toothbrush between the ribs if the chance ever arose. Not so here. The number of women I have talked to – usually pillow talk to be sure – who have been raped beggars belief. Merely on the strength of my anecdotal evidence it is weird: my first girlfriend in Thailand had been raped, until not so long ago rape was common in out in the sticks as a way of securing marriage, a girl I knew down south narrowly avoided gang rape when a bunch of villagers followed the boys into the forest and grabbed them before they could do anything – they bought their way out of attempted rape with 10K baht a piece, a girl in my wife’s village was gang raped – the rapists walked; she was shunned by all and sundry throughout what should have been her adolescence.
My response to all of this is: ‘If they were in Italy or Latin America these bastards would be found a few weeks later with a bullet between their eyes and their balls stuffed down their gullets.’ And that would be a correct and proper response.
But then comes the dangerous idea: What if rape is not the psychological Hiroshima that western thought says it is ? What if a woman who has been raped can ‘get over it’ ?
The Thai women who I talked to about it seemed rather matter-of-fact about the whole thing. It was unpleasant, but by no means the end of the world. In the west women seem to be encouraged to view rape as something that will fuck them forever and ever – psychically, psychologically, spiritually. In a larger sense, beyond rape, there seems to be a paradigm shift in the west that wants us to see ourselves as victims: of society, of social class, of bad upbringing techniques of our parents.
This is the message:
‘Remember, you are weak, alone, and at the mercy of random and cruel forces that you do not understand; any belief that you can act as a free agent and have control of your own life is a silly illusion. You are and always will be a victim.’
I guess I’m trying to look at Thai and Western attitudes towards rape, but on another level I’m trying to look at ideas about victimhood. What is a victim ? Who is guilty ? Who is innocent ? What will screw us ? What won’t ? How free are we from the cages of our circumstances ? If anyone remembers the Peter Falconio (Oz backpacker murder) case, look at how Joanna Lees was treated by the media because she didn’t play the weepy role of the typical ‘victim’.
p.s. I realise that ‘rape’ encompasses everything from pre-meditated gang rape to a drunken fumble gone wrong, but lets keep things ambiguous, huh ?
Nuts In A Blender
Just cultural differences Bubba. Come on mate, stop trying to impose your values on...blah blah.
Fucking awful mate, I agree. You also see women getting slapped about quite a bit.
I've just about run out of hatred for Korea and am now beginning to get pissed off with the more spastic aspects of this country and the bullshit excuses that accompany them.
^Korea rocks!
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Wherever I go.....the people there always complain....
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You're right. No thinking society could condone that.Originally Posted by Bubba
Eye for an eye, huh?..and their balls stuffed down their gullets.’ And that would be a correct and proper response.
Yes, same experience here.The Thai women who I talked to about it seemed rather matter-of-fact about the whole thing.
Yes, the film 'V for Vendetta' looks at this, as well as novels such as 1984. Here in Thailand, and I'm guessing it's a Developing World trait, the people are more independent and self-sufficient. Psychologically far better off, it seems.This is the message:
‘Remember, you are weak, alone, and at the mercy of random and cruel forces that you do not understand; any belief that you can act as a free agent and have control of your own life is a silly illusion. You are and always will be a victim.’
-----
Where to next, NB?
Last edited by WilliamBlake; 4th December 2007 at 07:45. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
There are few problems in life that cannot be solved with toast.
One of them, however, is opening a can of corned beef with that stupid key. This cannot easily be done at the best of times, and toast is of surprisingly little use in resolving the issue.
Worthy of a thread of it's own maybe?
Game? This wasn't meant to be a game!!!...NEVER!!
I'm not sure if they are psychologically 'better off', but they certainly don't suffer from the legion of well meaning folks all eager to convince people in the west that they are suffering from a barrage of suprious psychological illnesses, or in need of counselling of some sort.
I'll give you that one Tel.Worthy of a thread of it's own maybe?
All a matter of expectations.
Perhaps Thai women expect to be raped (multiple times even).
Whereas in the western industrialized countries women do not expect it. And if it does occur, they expect the full force of the rule of law applied.
Similarly, women in the sex trades everywhere expect a bad john now and then. When it occurs, they pick themselves up and carry on. Psychological damage yes, but no response (reporting to police) the great majority of the time.
Response is based on expectations. Only when something is not what we expect do we react.
I think it's got to do with the difference between Christianity and Bhuddism. Christian girls are taught that their virginity is sacred and should be protected at all costs. So much guilt involved.
Thai girls are sooo much more orgasmic than western women IME and I think that's why.
The Jap's have somthing similar with that Rapeman comic book [and, yes, it was Steve Albini's band of the same name that brought this to my attention].
Here's a link to an image that a mod deleted earlier [sorry lady posters, I was still half asleep].
http://www.st.rim.or.jp/~r17953/impre/Comic/rrrr/5_IMP/7_8.jpg
Last edited by 999; 4th December 2007 at 09:53.
I've had around 20 girlfriends, one of whom was asian (1st generation Canadian). She was the only one that told me she had a fantasy of being raped.
hmmmmm......
I thought that said you had raped about 20 girlfriends, at first glance.
Out of my mind. Back in five minutes.
Thai society puts a much bigger emphasis on virginity than western ever does. The thai girls you are talking about are hookers.
Too long in Exile, too long not singing my song.
Too long like a rolling stone, Too long in exile
Too long in Exile, baby you just arent my friend.
Too long in Exile my friend, Baby you can never go home again.
Which wilting violet of a mod iceboxed this ? There's actually some sensible discussion going on.
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