The Young & The Naked - Slammed

One of our Nude Portraits by
Yeh Poh Chung

Wow.. what a debate there is, eh? On the 2nd of January 2011, New Sunday Times published a story on nude photography and yours truly was featured in it here. Of course, a week later, it was time for slamming the press for being irresponsible, etc, etc.

As with every issues, sensitive or otherwise, in this whole wide world, everyone has their own opinion and they are entitled to it. Of course, that does not mean you are judge and jury. You just have an opinion, period. And as such - so do I.

I read some of the "hate-mails" with much jest. Some of their remarks were honestly, quite funny. Yea, sure, they had their own opinion but as I said - so do I. It is so easy to pass judgement and passionately voice how morally supreme they are (and by they - I meant those who had written their letters to the editor).

There was one who said, and I quote, "Their children will learn of their values and expose their bodies, too. Don't blame them should they pose for Playboy." OMG. Are you insinuating that my parents did a very bad job raising me? That was uncalled for and way below the belt. You don't even know me, nor my parents! Hang on, hang on. Does it also mean that by choosing to do wedding nudes, my husband and I will eventually decide to do a career make-over and go into modeling for porn magazine instead? Gee, I wonder how much our buttocks would actually fetch!

And then, she continued with : "And how can husbands allow the bodies of their wives to be seen in the nude by other men, even if it's the photographer? If this is the case, the wife must allow her husband to view other women's bodies, too. They shouldn't get jealous if their husbands lust after another woman's body." First of all, you don't know me, you don't know my husband, and you certainly don't seem to be acquainted with the photographer either. Just as a piece of information - Yeh Poh Chung's assistant in the same room with us was his wife. And here's another piece of information - my husband is welcomed to drool over another woman's body. How we lead our lives and what sort of understanding we have as a couple in a relationship has nothing to do with anyone else. But that's my opinion. You're welcomed to condemn me. But again - you don't know me. Just as I don't know you - from the way you said it - it sounded as though you had never ever seen another naked body, not even on screen. But see - that is me, passing judgement.

Another guy wrote to say this : "If such exhibitionism is allowed to flourish, then what's to stop married couples from making blue films and disseminating them to the public?" This got me laughing. Like, honestly laughing. I can so picture hubby now burning copies of DVDs for sale in the black market just so we can earn additional income to sustain our Woodstock lifestyle. Is this guy for real or what? This is the same as saying that a girl got raped because she was wearing a mini-skirt! Oh, I will not stand for that, I tell you. I was NEVER brought up to stand for these types of nonsense - by my parents and my family alike. I am of the opinion that you respect each other's bodies, whether they are naked or fully-clothed. Period. You can have your fantasies, but it stays there. That is called respect. Can we be a bit real for a moment? People fantasize, don't they? Unless they're not normal.

This guy went as far as to bring religion into the picture. OMG. I think we have enough religion and race-play in the political arena as it is. And then he said (or could've been a "she", how should I know?) - "Don't adulterate morality in the name of art." With all due respect, Sir - nudity as an art form is far from what is immoral in today's society.

Immoral are the rich who steal from the poor. Immoral are those who preach to others to do moral things, but abuse underaged children behind closed-doors. Immoral are those who push drugs on the street. Immoral are those who condone to child-trafficking. Immoral are those who fight to legalize child-marriage. Immoral are those who are corrupted through and through in broad daylight. Immoral are those who take another human life. Immoral are those who scream for high morality when in fact, they do little, if at all anything, to help society in better ways. But then again, hey, I don't know these people and what compelled them to do the immoral stuff they do. I am not judge or jury. Only the powers up there will do so.

Last I checked - no animal was harmed in the course of our nude photo session. No human blood was shed in the course of our nude photo session. No drugs or alcohol was consumed in the course of our nude photo session. No child was harmed in the course of our nude photo session. So best you put your "moral preachings" into better avenues.

I stand by the fact that my husband and I have no regrets taking this plunge and doing what WE BOTH felt was meaningful for OUR relationship (nothing to do with anyone else). I stand by the fact that there will always be those who would like it and there will be those who would hate it. But if you do not know me, your judgemental statements  are a truer laughing stock than my nude collection.

And lastly, I stand by my photographer, Yeh Poh Chung. I trust him 100%. Because I know him. You don't.