"Me! Pick Me!"

Mc Dermott wrote in this blog posting that the Singapore blogosphere was infantile (as defined in wikipedia). In contrast, Mc Dermott cited Wannabe Lawyer and Singapore Commentator as mature blogs - presumably as blogging styles that he prefers over "infantile concerns or pulling silly faces".

I'd like to write this article to address two points that come to my mind after reading Mc Dermott's posting. These are points that Mc Dermott may or may not have implied - his posting isn't long enough and I'd be presumptious to presume too much. However, in stating his preference for a certain style when dealing with weighty issues, one might imply that he does not prefer toungue-in-cheek humour. Fair enough. I just ask that my readers consider these two points.

"The Name of the Rose" Argument

****WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD****

In Umberto Eco's novel "The Name of the Rose" (which I didn't read, I just watched the movie), Sean Connery was on the trail of a murderer with a terrible secret. The secret was a treatise authored by Aristotle on the value of humour.

In the climax of the movie, the murderer reveals his motivation for the murder. He wished for the treatise to remain concealed, as it undermines the foundation for religious obedience - authority.

My take is that a toungue-in-cheek approach to weighty Singaporean concerns is a lot more effective than a serious, weighty approach. It's all about approach. Using a serious, weighty approach virtually requires one takes on authority head on. In Singapore, that's a losing proposition. One will be sued, ignored and discredited, not necessarily in that order. Where's the effectiveness in that? Martyrdom? Even that doesn't work in Singapore.

Using humour, however, forces the authority to make a difficult choice - to either look foolish taking on the jester, to ignore the jester's message and grit their teeth at the grain of truth in the jests, or to laugh and be subverted.

Note: I'm not advancing an argument that effectiveness is a conscious consideration in choice of style. What we are seeing in the Singaporean Blogosphere may very well be Darwinian - the most effective bloggers occupying what is, in Singapore's blogosphere, the stablest ecological niche.

The "People vs Larry Flynt" Argument

****WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD****

Another famous movie quote, from the movie, "The People vs Larry Flynt".

"If you're going to treat me like a baby, I'm going to start acting like one." - Larry Flynt

This quote sums up a lot that's wrong with Singapore government policy. Some of the policies are -so- boneheaded and idiotic that the only response is to laugh or poke fun at the sheer absurdity of it all. The sheer all-pervasiveness of this bone-headedness drowns out concern for weighty issues - or Singapore bloggers just poke fun at it because it's so -easy-. Logical conclusion: refer to "The Name of the Rose" argument.

Conclusion

I believe that the Singapore blogosphere is a natural outgrowth of the socio-economic conditions in Singapore. I understand Mc Dermott's preference for a certain style, and even respect it. I know where my preferences lie.

Rock on, Singapore Bloggers!

Postscript: BigF**k's really well-written article here. Proof that first in time does not always prevail.

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