Red Sweatpants

27 Dec 2011 - Shirtless men clad in red sweatpants have been lining up for days in Singapore’s prime shopping district, part of an advertising gimmick revealing not just muscle but also a gradual unpeeling of the city state’s puritanical ways. The feverish reception given the “shirtless greeters” by the Singapore public, both in real life and online, where it has gone viral in social media, signals how the notoriously conservative city-state has been loosening up in recent years, experts said.

A woman poses for photographs with a shirtless model outside a department store in Singapore’s Orchard Road shopping district on December 14, 2011. — Reuters pic
On a recent evening, women stood with the men for pictures, touching them on the chest or receiving a friendly embrace. One even jumped up on a greeter’s back.The men, from the United States, Europe and Asia, are on a mission to drum up excitement for fashion retailer Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F)’s flagship store in Singapore, which opened today, using a campaign also employed overseas. “There’s no way such advertisements that push the envelope slightly would have appeared about 30 years ago,” said M. Thiyagarajan, a senior lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic’s business school who specialises in advertising and public relations. “I think as a society we have moved to a different level. We are far more accepting of such things.” He cited the spread of the Internet, education and overseas travel as factors that have helped open minds in Singapore, which officially is still such a strict society that a ban on sales of chewing gum was renewed last year. Local theatres have recently staged plays exploring traditionally controversial themes such as homosexuality and religion. Gay sex can still lead to a jail term of up to two years, although such laws are rarely enforced.
In October, a performance by French dancer Sylvie Guillem also contained “some scenes of upper body female nudity”. However, conservatives in the city-state are still making their voices heard.
A letter to the editor in a local paper last month complained about naming an orchid after singer Elton John, asking if homosexuality was to be “openly encouraged and endorsed by the government?” In September, the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore told A&F to remove a giant billboard showing a naked male torso after some members of the public complained that it was too racy. “It is probably the response of a vocal minority, a storm in a teacup, who would use any occasion, however small, to raise the alarm,” said  Tan Ern Ser, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore’s sociology department.
The shirtless greeters appear, for now, to be reaping more positive than negative attention.“I think it’s a pretty effective way to publicise the brand leading up to its launch, and I like how it’s an outdoor campaign which has taken its own life online,” said Cathryn Neo, a recruitment consultant. “And I do find them hot.”

Holiday On Ice

26 Dec 2011 - It is still 30 n degrees in Kuala Lumpur, and the BBC said that Amsterdam reported 12 degrees yesterday, but it's Boxing Day and my mind is on skating. Temporary ice rinks have appeared in many European cities, and the British Society of Sports Therapists is reminding people that ice skating can be a dangerous sport. It warned of a risk of serious injury and advised people take precautions. It recommends jogging to warm up and avoiding the mulled wine. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said falling over and bumping into people was part of the fun, but there were safety precautions. The chairman of the society, Prof Graham Smith, told the BBC: "It was not about going 'bah, humbug'. Have fun, but be careful."
He said: "While it is a fun sport it can be very dangerous and should be treated with a large degree of respect, especially as for some, it is something that is done only once or twice a year." By contrast regular skaters learn "how to fall properly". If you fall, he recommends tucking your arms in and rolling - rather than putting you hand out to stop the fall, which could damage the hand or be hit by another skater's blades. He said the hazards were greater for older people.