The One about Video Games

The moment I saw this article, I knew I have to blog about it. I'm already cracking up inside as I type.

Firstly, this is seriously humiliating. It seems that there will be two ratings: Mature 18 (M18) or Age Advisory (16 years old and above). So for some Singaporean male, they may be holding a rifle while serving their National Service (at 16 plus or 17), but will not be old enough to play with a gadget containing violence or coarse language. How irony.

Wait a minute, so does this mean there will not be one word of vulgarity from the Sergeants or Platoon Commanders? Or from 28 April (the effective day of the classification) onwards, NS boy under 18 years of age will rush around with "toilet roll" rifle (now, only a LAW - Light Anti-tank Weapon - gunner will understand this. Er, never mind.), barking "bang, bang! bang, bang!" (yah, I swear I used to do that when I ran out of blanks in my army daze. Sure bring back memories.)

So the first thing to do for a boy who has just turned 18 years old is to buy himself a video game, especially one with expletives on his portable PS, and to go around in the train while the gadget with rainbow flashing light goes "fuck lah!","fuck lah!" Or even better, some opportunistic businessmen might just import some games that sputter Hokkien vulgarities...(you saw this coming, don't you?). Yes, I can see them now, offering each other high fives, bumping their bums together and rubbing their hands in greed.

I really don't know what to think now, for I may be getting a little too uptight. Over the weekend, my nephews were playing Xbox in my bedroom. Their game, based on Dragon Ball comic characters, seemed innocent enough. But for some reason unknown to me, the Wukong, every time before he throws a specific punch, would shout "Ah...Meng*!". Before long, my nephews were imitating Wukong's "Ah...Meng!" while laughing away. Half in jest, I inquired them, doubting that they knew what they were chorusing about. Of course, they replied without missing a beat: it means "gangsters". All that coming from kids barely twelve years old. Really, I was left speechless, as they finished the game, and filed out, still singing "Ah...Meng!", "Ah...Meng!".

*A Hokkien slang for "gangster"

Much, much later: The kindest comment that I can offer to this post is "It's utterly lame". But I had enjoyed writing it. Seriously.