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Sex And The City-state1
On a small downtown stage, two men kiss passionately. Visitors to a nearby museum look at provocative nudes on the wall, while readers scour local magazines for the best place to buy sex toys. Think you're in New York? Guess again. This is Singapore, the famously uptight city-state better known for banning films like Eyes Wide Shut and Lolita, 2 not to mention magazines like Playboy3.
There's not exactly a free -love revolution going on, but Singapore has in recent years loosened its restrictions on sex in the arts. And more freedom is on the horizon: this month the government's Censorship Review Committee ( CRC) is expected to issue a report further easing the guidelines governing what Singaporeans read, watch and listen to. That means it may not be long before Singaporeans can enjoy Cosmopolitan magazine, and maybe even racy TV shows like HBO's Sex and the City.
The new rules are part of Singapore 's efforts to bolster its art scene . In 2002, it opened a world-class performing-arts center, the Esplanade -Theatres on the Bay, which has quickly become a visual icon and is tackling ambitious programs like the 19-hour opera The Peony Pavilion4 .
Singapore still has a long way to go to become a true bastion of artistic freedom. Sexually explicit scenes were recently cut from Chicago to give it a PG rating5. Certain topics remain very sensitive .
In the end, the CRC is expected to recommend relatively small changes: loosening controls on pay-per-view TV6 and clarifying the rating system for films and plays so viewers know exactly what to expect. Such incremental change seems to be in step with public tastes. Indeed, a recent survey by the CRC found that most people favored remaining true to existing Asian values. So don't expect to see Penthouse on newsstands any time soon.
練習題：
Ⅰ. True or False:
1. Singapore has been famous for its conservative attitude towards its sex.
2. There is exactly a free -love revolution in the city.
3. The new report means that Singaporeans can enjoy Cosmopolitan magazine at once .
Ⅱ. Questions:
1. Why the CRC issues new rules to ease the guidelines governing what Singaporeans read and watch?
2. Is there artistic freedom in Singapore? What is the present situation?
3. What is the CRC expected to do?
