“The world can be a very odd place,” said Ian Dransfield in the blog Heckler Spray. Malaysia’s Islamic opposition party is urging the government to cancel an upcoming concert in Kuala Lumpur by pop singer Avril Lavigne because they consider her “too sexy,” and thus inappropriate for Malaysian audiences. How is “looking really bored on stage considered sexy, even in a culture where sexuality is somewhat repressed, or hidden away?”
Actually, Avril Lavigne is really sexy, said the blog the Star-Spangled Canuck, “and that’s exactly the way we like her, thank you very much!” It’s “funny” to think that this is the same girl who started out her career as a “tomboy.”
Lavigne isn’t the first performer to face resistance from the Malaysian government, said Gil Kaufman in MTV.com. “They forced Gwen Stefani to cover up her world-famous belly, drove Beyoncé and Christina Aguilera to neighboring shores to avoid a hassle, and rang up fines against the Pussycat Dolls for flouting decency rules during a 2006 concert.”
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
“If you ask me,” said Camiele White in the blog Cinema Blend, canceling Lavigne’s concert would save the youth of Malaysia “the pain and agony of listening to a whole lot of whining about absolutely nothing in particular.” And Lavigne is “barely sexual.” But “I guess it just goes to show you that even teen angst can ruffle the system” in Malaysia.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.