Reality did not go down well, censored editor tells the BBC

David Caruana

Jan 16th 2010, 09:49

@ MBorg:
"If these vulgar degrading words are used everyday on Maltese streets every effort must be made to educate those who use them "

Thank you... that was the whole point of the story! The fact that we are discussing it and its content is also part of it. Art is sometimes meant to give pleasure to the reader/ viewer/ listener but other times its meant to shock and make us think, and in that I believe that this story perfectly succeeded. Obviously art is open to interpretation, at least that's what I've been taught in my years of studying literature. Some interpret the surface, while others go deeper.

MBorg

Jan 15th 2010, 23:27

@ Ralph Cassar
I am serious, I find nothing to laugh about in the story. The writer by his very free use of crude degarding words makes us believe that ,that is the way most men think and act. Directly or indirectly he is promoting that lifestyle to anybody who does not feel any repulsion or is not offended by his writing. Some might even find it macho to act in this manner. Far from turning me on it disgusted me . I just cannot understand how anybody can call this creative writing and try to promote this so called story..

Ralph Cassar

Jan 15th 2010, 22:46

MBorg:

Are you serious? You STILL don't get it??? Or are you just playing the fool now ...? So everytime you see a movie about a serial rapist, thief or killer you naively assume that the movie is promoting the actions of the criminal? Or was it the lack of a conventional ending to Alex's story that puzzled you? Would you have felt better if the main character ended up in jail or died at the end?

How exactly did you reach the conclusion that writer is promoting the lifestyle of the narrator? Do you understand the difference between narrator and writer? Did you think that the story was trying to turn the reader on? Did it turn YOU on?

MBorg

Jan 15th 2010, 20:42

@ Ralph Cassar So according to you I missed the point, however you seem to have understood it ! I cannot understand how someone who degrades women is honouring her at the same time with all the crude and vulgar words used. You are right on one point , I do not represent all the Maltese but only that part of the population which has true values. Believe it or not there are many of us.

Ralph Cassar

Jan 15th 2010, 20:03

MBorg, for someone who "loves" literature it amazes me how you completely missed the point of the story. The story exposes and ridicules the kind of men that degrade women - it is far from being degrading the women. You just don't *get it*. Oh, and I too don't give a hoot what your opinion is but that is beside the point ... the point is that you can't speak in the name of "Malta" because you do NOT represent all the Maltese.

MBorg

Jan 15th 2010, 19:55

@ David Caruana I must say that the words used in the story do not form part of my usual conversation. I hope that the same holds good for you. If these vulgar degrading words are used everyday on Maltese streets every effort must be made to educate those who use them instead of glorifying them as a form of art, a form of freedom of expression. I hope that you agree with me on this , or do you think we have to be vulgar to seem modern ?

David Caruana

Jan 15th 2010, 19:26

@ MBorg: One simple question which only needs a "yes" or a "no" : Are you aware that the content of the story is a very usual conversation and those same words are uttered thousands of times, everyday on the Maltese streets?

MBorg

Jan 15th 2010, 18:42

@ Ralph Cassar There is nothing stupid in the act of condemning blasphemy or obscenity. I do not give a hoot if you do not share my opinion, you must know that many others do. @ David Caruana Whatever gave you the impression that I do not like literature ? Quite the opposite , I love it. However the first pages of this so called " work of art " made me sick ! Nobody has the right to use their so called " freedom of expression " to degrade women , utter blasphemy and use crude language in the name of creative writing. No body has the right to offend the sentiments and human rights of other individuals. Being Europeans has nothing to do with it, I would still think the same if I lived on Mars !

T.Saliba

Jan 15th 2010, 15:31

I am pleased to notice that also a student organisation Pulse expressed its support.

Ralph Cassar

Jan 15th 2010, 14:49

MBorg. Speak for yourself. I'm Maltese and don't share your opinion. I also know many other Maltese people that do NOT share your opinion. So please, stop making Malta look stupid and don't speak in "our" name.

C Gatt

Jan 15th 2010, 14:22

Is it possible that most of the comments are regarding Paul Smith's comment?!?! Yes we have a penis looking monument so what? it doesnt mean that the Maltese are open minded.
It remains a fact that Maltese are NOT open minded, this article just proves it! There're nothing else to say.. I cant believe that this guy is actually risking going to prison for writing something which he believes is true and most probably is true looking at the reaction of 'some members of the public'

David Caruana

Jan 15th 2010, 14:10

@ MBorg : What is the "limit" for freedom of expression? Are you so important that you can decide what the limit is? If you go to the University Library you can find a good number of books containing such literature. If such literature offends you, do us a favour and do not read it! We don't want any authorities to tell us what we can read. I agree with a classification system that would simply classify such literature as "AO", but you can't just ban it. Dear MBorg, if you haven't realised, we are Europeans and it's about time we should act as such. Anyways, yours is a lost cause, we do have the backing of the EU in regards to rights as freedom of speech. The more you fight it, the more it will come right back at your faces!

c Gatt

Jan 15th 2010, 14:10

@Mborg
Congratulations, i see that you have become royalty. At least i assume you have. otherwise why else use the royal 'we'. Unless.. but of course.. you are not only writing on behalf of Malta, you ARE Malta.
I shall stop writing forthwith.

Joe Morana

Jan 15th 2010, 13:47

Malta is an island of contrast and contradiction, Mr. Smith! Your penis-shaped snow icon will surely melt when temperatures rise (no pun intended). The penis-shaped multi-coloured monument located on the approach to Malta's International Airport (Luqa limits) was no doubt built to withstand Malta's notoriously high temperatures.

Christian Abdilla

Jan 15th 2010, 13:28

@Mr Smith

Our phallic monuments in Malta are made to last and not melt away with the first draught of warm air ! Google search 'Luqa monument' and you will get the general idea :) LOL !!

Nathalie Gilford

Jan 15th 2010, 13:27

Take life with a pinch of salt........ This 21year old will probably find himself in prison for an article which he had published and on the other hand we had a murderer whom we wanted to forgive so that he could die surrounded by his family..... how ironic!!!!!!!!

Creg J

Jan 15th 2010, 13:19

@Paul Smith - 2 foreign pastors returned to Malta recently and while passing by the Luqa round-about from the airport, they saw the monument inside the round-about and exclaimed :''Oh my God! What's that?''

This one doesn't melt.

Stanley Vassallo

Jan 15th 2010, 13:09

@P.Smith: Already done years ago as a monument in middle of a round-about on major road at Luqa: by local council; nobody cares or notices it any more.

Ramon Casha

Jan 15th 2010, 12:40

@Paul Smith: Ironically enough, they are commissioned as works of art and placed on roundabouts.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_lyDmXtYCetk/SM9GTzNRPGI/AAAAAAAACTs/h9-1O5og7eM/s1600-h/september+057.jpg

Andy Towler

Jan 15th 2010, 12:34

@Paul Smith: Have you seen the sculpture on the roundabout between Qormi and Luqa?

Dominic Chircop

Jan 15th 2010, 12:34

Dear Mr. Smith,

The one you saw in Shropshire was made of snow. Now I do not know what the holier-than-thou Maltese would do in such a case. But actually, we have a monument which everybody seems to enjoy seeing, as no protests were forthcoming.

anthony borg

Jan 15th 2010, 12:10

@Paul Smith we have one in the middle of a roundabout and it has been there for over 4 years. It was erected by the blessing of the authorities.

Steve Rogers

Jan 15th 2010, 12:10

@Paul Smith

Paul I guess you never shopped at Mambra or Lidle down in Luqa and saw that blue monument at the roundabout.

Guess you haven't been to Iran uhmm I mean Malta recently!

MBorg

Jan 15th 2010, 12:07

@ Paul Smith

There is no need for you to make fun of our values. You might not believe this but we already have such a " monument " and ours, unlike yours in the UK is not make of snow but of stone , the rain will not melt it . It is " erected " on a main arterial road in a roundabout which was never closed. and no criminal investigations or prison sentences were ever handed out.

Does this fact make us modern enough for your liking ? We Maltese are not close minded but there is a limit to what we class as " freedom of expresion ". No one is free to blaspheme or use crude language and cite " freedon of expresion ". That is why we fail to see any " artistic value or literary merit " to the said story.

Chris Fenech

Jan 15th 2010, 12:05

@ Paul Smith - actually here in Malta we have a piece of art that looks like a giant penis. It is situated in a roundabout at Luqa. At first there was some commotion over it and even popular TV program Xarabank dedicated an episode about the issue. This statue still remains erected in the roundabout to this day, perhaps because it is colorful and not painted beige.

Charles Sammut

Jan 15th 2010, 11:07

@ Paul Smith

I cannot leave your comment unanswered. Not only do we have a giant 3 metre penis erected in a public place, but it is made of durable ceramic and in the middle of a busy roundabout. It was also used by a candidate for the MEP election, to fly a helium baloon with his name on it.

http://i182.photobucket.com/albums/x5/ultralemony/Mambra.jpg?t=1263549587

Paul Smith

Jan 15th 2010, 10:50

This morning whilst doing the school run - i notices here in Shropshire UK - that someone had made a giant penis out of snow on a main arterial road next to a roundabout - LOL
It raised a few smiles from passing drivers - no doubt it will just melt away now, as the rain has come and the warm gulf stream air is flowing across Britain again thawing the big freeze.
I wonder what the maltese authorities would have done if the same had been erected in Malta (excuse the pun)? National out cry - the road closed? Criminal investigation into whom erected it?
Possible prison sentence once caught?