A lot of hanky panky has been going on behind Singapore's relatively quiet comics scene. Even though I seldom frequent comics stores, I like to think that my sharp eyes would have noticed X-rated comics on the shelves those few times I am there. Or maybe these sacred tomes are specially kept behind the counter, reserved for ah peks and other longtime customers who have promising chee-ko-pek potential. In Taiwan on the other hand, these comics and other Undesirable Magazines can be found in common magazine stalls by the roadside. Not that I checked them out. Really. Ahem.

I wonder though, who actually checks the comics for "healthy content". Must be a really fab job, flipping through endless supplies of comics to check for Undesirable Content. What counts as Undesirable Content anyway? Certain Japanese manga have perfectly legal drawings (meaning no fornication) but openly portray socially unacceptable behaviour like homosexual love (metaphysical kind ok?) and maybe gay parties (without the AIDS-causing orgies) as well. Wonder if those make the cut. What about double entendres? Or maybe those Undesirable Comics are never subtle and can make even the most jaded censorship officer swoon. Maybe I should go on an investigative trip to the neighbourhood comics shop...

In another vein, I think MDA should also start censoring the front covers of certain genres of romance novels. The images on some of them will probably make even the most brazen of ah peks blush. The women always seem to be in a state of dishabille, and are either spineless or boneless (possibly both) so that they have to drape themselves over the Arnold Schwarzenegger lookalikes. When you can't beat them, ban them I say! Afterall, they promote Loose Morals amongst women, and even more importantly, totally destroy the self-confidence of men. How many of us actually look like we can lift a horse and eat it too?

What to do with these shameless covers? Longmire to the rescue!