A mother of two posted on Facebook saying that KTV is not immoral and that it is a rite of passage for young men.
She said that it is n ot a dirty old man’s hobby, and that many are young men like army boys, university students etc.
She asked how else can single people get intimacy?
Here is her full post:
“I am an NUS alumna and a mother of two. Before more people start attacking the KTV culture and deeming it to be a “dirty old men’s hobby that can be easily eradicated”, I think there are some points for the public to understand:
The KTV is not a dirty old men’s hobby. Patrons come in all shapes and sizes. Many patrons are young – army boys “walking this rite of passage”, university students, young MNC executives, etc.
Patrons are not people who cannot get girls, some just feel that the commercial intimacy path is more honest and hassle-free (more on this in the next point). Patrons are not bad, sleazy people. Patrons can be your JC crush, your kind mentor, the family member you love regardless. Understanding this is important because it is an issue that must be approached with empathy. Seeing it as an unrelatable far-away dirty old men’s thing does not help.
KTV (alongside all other businesses in the commercial intimacy scene) is not immoral, because how else should single people get intimacy? Getting a girlfriend at all costs? Is it really ethical to start relationships for intimacy and putting all long-term considerations in the backseat? Will this lead to more heartbreaks and disillusionment? What about Tinder hook-ups? Are hook-ups moral then? Is the exchange really fair for both parties?
In a commercial transaction, every unfairness is balanced out with money. Given that intimacy is a basic need in the Maslow’s hierarchy, where should guys who cannot get hook-ups go?
If KTV (and all other forms of commercial intimacy) is close/relatable and not immoral, then what should we do? We should accept it. Think of it like having a gay child: the only way is to acknowledge his orientation and accept him. If you do not, he will simply keep inside his closet, and you will lose touch with him and miss opportunities to ensure his safety. There will only be less transparency, more secrets and lying and betrayal.
When society fully accepts commercial intimacy, regulations and protocols to protect all parties can be implemented, and all outbreaks (of COVID-19, of STIs, of violence) can be prevented.
Society will always be safer with authority-managed hostesses than with hostesses hiding underground. As a mother, I will not call for the closure of hostess KTVs and instead call for hostess KTVs to be government-managed: with robust health checks and identity tracking (albeit keeping all data confidential).
Blaming and self-denial will not stop COVID-19, only openness and acceptance can.”
Images source: police.gov.sg and Whatsapp