Tell me what you think…

Today I sat at home all morning. While lying on the couch for four hours of complete brainless bliss, I watched the Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda for about a half an hour. I don’t particularly enjoy this show, in fact it annoys me quite a bit. However, I couldn’t find the remote that would change the channel at the time, so I watched.

In this particular episode, they interviewed Russell Brand, a british comedian (acted in Forgetting Sarah Marshall as well as multiple British films). What I found interesting about the interview was his mentioning of an encounter with Thai prostitutes, something we are reading about in class. When he mentions it, he does so with an air of irresponsibility. “Prostitution is legal in that country, and my dad thought it would be good for a laugh.” After this he discusses briefly his addiction to sex and drugs which consumed much of his late teens and twenties.

There are two things I focused on within this interview. Firstly, the relation to Kevin Bales book. Prostitution is legal and quite acceptable in Thailand, however, it comes at the cost of young girls being taken (and/or sold) from families and forced into a lifestyle they really know little to nothing about. While we are amazed at one famous mans’ journey out of sex addiction, it is interesting that what is ignored are the many young girls and women who don’t have an addiction but are forcedinto this lifestyle. Secondly, I noted the relation to a tourist attitude about the world. “It’s legal in that country” which makes it okay for me to partake in a custom which injures and kills (AIDS is a byproduct of prostitution especially when it is performed unprotected multiple times a night). It’s also ok not to explore why something which uses young girls because it is a part of this culture.

 

Tourism has become such a part of our accepted culture that as tourists, we are encouraged to avoid looking beyond what is immediately obvious to us. I will not say I have not been guilty of excusing behavior and policies because it is “just a part of that culture.” If something is questionable, insofar as culturally significant policies are concerned, I propose that we doquestion it. If it is a legitimately beautiful piece of culture (the Mexican quincenara for example) it should be celebrated, and enjoyed as such. However, if it is something which is accepted at the cost of a person’s choice and overall well being, it should be questioned and not just ignored by those who have the privilege and position to do so.

I would appreciate your feedback on this post:

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