Language Use

Theary Seng, in another
Banana Republic, not too far
from this one:
the Monkey Forest of
Ubud, Bali, 15 Oct. 2010

Sunday, October 17, 2010
Opinion by Theary C. Seng

I have been a reader of KI Media from the very beginning but only religiously within the last couple of years and would like to send a belated public congratulations on its 5th anniversary and its 10 Million visitor milestone. I am pleased to be mentioned as an “inspiration” for its inception, especially when I have such a high regard for KI Media for its value and contribution to democracy in Cambodia.

Recently, I have been delighted with the postings of Khmer Democrat. Where have you been the last 5 years?! Personally, I may not adopt some of the manner of speech but my appreciation extends beyond my own sensibility to the values these postings have for democracy and freedom of expression in Cambodia.

First, I like the edgy, irreverent, sly subversive, intelligent tone. KI Media commentaries, specifically those of Khmer Democrat and Sacrava, are different from the often vulgar comments in the free for all section where, due to a lack of imaginative shaping, these personal, racial, sexist attacks usually remained at the level of invective.

Second and related, KI Media runs counter to the political correctness of this CPP fear-infested culture still functioning with a Stalinist orthodoxy. The voice (of KI Media generally, Heng Soy, Khmer Democrat and Sacrava specifically) rings with irony and disapproval rather than the cultural deference and feigned public reverence. Their voices pierce through the public façade of hypocrisy and entrenched fears and provide private release for the high-strung population under the stress of poverty, corruption, domestic violence and other ills. They are not afraid to give offense on behalf of the oppressed, the ill-used, the victims of a kangaroo court/political machinery run amok etc.

Third, these voices provoke us to think more expansively about politics as they relate to cultures, traditions, class, upbringing, education-level, background and experiences, religion etc. Theirs is a voice of educated communication, with pungency, wit and flair. In a society and under a leadership trained on thought-control, KI Media is refreshing in breaking the taboos – mildly or with pointed sharpness, depending on the topics to be addressed.

We live in a society where we have lost all sense of proportions: when a boy steals a piece of bread, he is sent to jail; when a man kills 2 million of his fellow Cambodians, he is invited to Paris for a peace agreement. We are overwhelmed by the magnitude and constant myriad abuses and violent crimes. So, we focus disproportionately on the pettiness, as the pettiness is within our realm of reaction and it makes it seem that we are doing something about a pet moral issue offending us.

For example, the word “ass” is not a nice word but it’s not on the same level of the f- word. Moreover, it’s a clever play on word; in English a donkey is also called an ass. This manner of speaking may not be within my sensibility, but this is qualitatively different than the meaningless vulgarity on display in the free for all comment section as well as the earthy vulgarity heard and seen on the streets of Phnom Penh. More generally speaking, KI Media explicitly dissuades vulgarity and itself does not engage in it. The once-in-awhile off-the-beat usage of “Ass”, “Shit”, “Idiots” is comic relief, public release and I appreciated it for its “punchy-ness” to address a serious problem. An “aw shucks” is not appropriate when a “SHIT!!!!!” is called for. (It may surprise you that this is coming from a person who can’t swear, in any language, for the life of hers.)

For me, KI Media (mainly Heng Soy, Khmer Democrat and Sacrava) give expression to the collective frustrations and they provide comic relief and public release – an attempt at a proportionate response via wit and humor to the violence and abuse in society.

In this regard, KI Media follows in the footsteps of The Onion, "Le Canard Enchainé" and Nokor Thom of Soth Polin of another era. More power to you, KI Media, for your contribution to democracy and free expression in this often time humor-less society devoid of wit and intelligence.

Wishing you another 10 (thousand) years of political offense and taboo-breaking on behalf of the oppressed and voiceless of Cambodia, the majority.

Theary C. Seng

. . . . .

P.s. Below are some random and not-so-random comments of searches I made on language and humor.

Other cognitive psychology and cognitive linguistics works indicate that word-choice has significant “framing effects” on the perceptions, memories, and attitudes of speakers and listeners

Obscenity is a matter of subject; vulgarity is a matter of tone. Although obscenity might be a vehicle for brilliantly perceptive expression, when it is not used as a device in educated communication, it will descend to vulgarity.

Sarcasm should not be like a saw, but a sword; it should cut, and not mangle —Lord Francis Jeffrey

caustic remark, irony, sarcasm, satire - witty language used to convey insults or scorn; "he used sarcasm to upset his opponent"; "irony is wasted on the stupid"; "Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own"--Jonathan Swift

Buffoonish - a tendency toward coarse joking.

Facetiae - coarsely witty stories or books. — facetious

Ribaldry - coarse, vulgar, or obscene language or joking. — ribald

Blendword: Have you ever tried combining two words to make a completely innovative and funny word? Blendword comedy is nothing but the creation of funny words by blending two or three words.

Burlesque: This is a form of satire, since Burlesque comedy involves ridiculing any basic style of speech or even writing. Burlesque is theatrical entertainment of broad and parodic humor, which usually involves comic skits. It is said to have originated from the Italian Commedia dell'arte.

Caricature: Caricature involves exaggerated portrayal of a person’s mental, physical, or personality traits in wisecrack form. Caricatures can be insulting, complimentary, political or can be drawn solely for entertainment too.

Parody: Parody is defined as a work created to mock, comment on, or poke fun at an original work, its subject, or author, by means of humorous or satiric imitation. Parody is nothing but a composition that imitates or misrepresents somebody's style, in a humorous way.

Satire: Satire is defined as a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own. Satire is a branch of comedy, which makes use of witty language to convey insults or scorn. In satire, human or individual vices, follies, abuses, or shortcomings are held up to reprimand by means of ridicule, burlesque, derision, irony, or other methods. Although satire is usually meant to be funny, the purpose of satire is not primarily humor, but an attack on something or some subject the author strongly disapproves of.

Letter from KI-Media Reader

Sunday, June 20, 2010

I observe with dismay the lack of analytical skills as well as shrewd, tasteful hard-punching political parody in our society. KI Media is the only forum providing this about Cambodia, for Cambodians and Cambodia followers.

No one is raising an eyebrow or question the crude, crass conversations and gory, sexually-charged images on the streets or in the local dailies that is part of daily consumption; we are numbed and dense to the blatant, blood-soaked violence exacted on the poor and the vulnerable in this society.

However, we get all bent out of shape when KI Media would post witty humor, thoughtful analysis questioning authority, thought-provoking headlines.

KI-Media has garnered a following and is the most popular Cambodia blog because of its forum for questioning and punchy, witty political parodies in its courage to provide us with sensitive news and information on Cambodia.

Avid reader of KI-Media

You really lost it KI[-Media]! You really lost it!

The following is a comment left by a reader by the name of Phannara regarding the CTK article on King Sihamoni:

This is very ignorant article ever! I found it very disrespect! Where is your ethic KI? Now you have really show that you are just another side taking, political manipulating blog. "KI-Media loves to hear from you, and we're giving you a bullhorn. We just ask that you keep things civil. Please leave out personal attacks, do not use profanity, ethnic or racial slurs, or take shots at anyone's sexual orientation or religion. We thank you for your cooperation!" But all i seen is one side attacked and exploitation. As i remembered you wrote an article to acknowledged the readers not to personally attacked Ms. Sotheary, which i supported that, however, it is clearly showed on your website that from day to day you just keep on ravaging your political opponent like a mad dog. And now this time the King? What did he ever do his role in politic? By far to me and some other people he is a very good king, he never involved in politic! All he did is helping his people. You really lost it KI! You really lost it!

-----
A footnote from Heng Soy:

Dear Lok Phannara,

Thank you for letting your voice be heard, although I am somewhat baffled by your irritation against the article, which by the way, was very well written by the Czech news agency CTK.

Nonetheless, I can sense your irritation about my curiosity on protocol: with all due respect to the king, when someone earns an honorary doctorate, is it OK to call that person Dr.? In the case of the king, what is the royal protocol to address the king: is it Dr. King or King Dr.? Could you please help illuminate my curious mind on this issue?

As for the title "dancing king", if you were to read the article, it was attributed to the king by the eminent AMU Professor Bozena Brodska, most likely by affection than by disrespect. While I understand that, in the Cambodian psyche, any ordinary Cambodian citizens who are involved in singing, dancing, etc... are usually looked down upon by society in general, therefore, when a king is professionally involved in such activity, referring to him by his profession is considered a disrespect? Then, shall we all write to our respectful king to repudiate his past?

In my humble opinion, professional and amateur-alike dancing and singing are honorable professions as anything else, in the case of Khmer dancers and singers, they even help perpetuate our tradition and culture. Therefore, I think that we should look past beyond our rigid mindset and be more open-minded rather than sticking to an untouchable protocol reserved exclusively for certain class of people like kings, queens, leaders separated from the remainder of the populace. After all, aren't we all human beings with flesh and blood?

Just my humble personal opinion only!

Yours truly,

Heng Soy

Where there's development, there's Hun Xen ... where there are forced evictions, corruption, travesty of justice, there's Hun Xen behind them also

Comment from Anonymous KI-Media Reader:

What can you expect from a[n] agenda-based people like KI. They omit things that don't support their view and only pick things to show to you that helps support their agenda. KI isn't concerned about the Cambodian people. Their main goal is to criticize the Hun Sen's government in any form they can.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYIukW3TlLU&feature=channel_page

You won't find any of this sort of information like the link above on site like this. Like, I said, their goal is to attack the Hun Sen's government. Therefore, they omit any good things from Cambodia as they see it doesn't serve their purpose and goal to make Cambodia look bad under Hun Sen's rule.

That is not a patriotic cause. It is a selfish politically motivated agenda. That is not putting your country first. That is putting their own asses before anything else.

Anonymous Reader
-----
KI-Media Notes:

In case our respected reader above did not notice yet, it appears that the video posted above only boasts about Hun Xen's achievement and nobody else. Does this mean that Cambodia consists only of Hun Xen alone? Is there anybody else besides Hun Xen in Cambodia? Where does Mr. Hun Xen find all the funds to achieve all these developments by himself alone?

Criticizing Hun Xen is not a patriotic cause? We leave it to Ambassador Julio Jeldres to provide his eloquent answer on this issue.

Finally, as for KI-Media not being concerned about Cambodian people, may we ask what our respected reader's nationality is? Should our respected reader turns out to be of Khmer origin, we are wondering why he is commenting in a blog that is not concerned about Cambodian people?

Finally, we are puzzled as to why our respected reader decide to remain anonymous? With his/her strong support to Mr. Hun Xen, wouldn't he/she likes to make his meritorious name known to Cambodia's kleptocratic ruling leaders?

As usual, we are always glad to be of service ...

Yours truly,

KI-Media team

Internet exempt from libel law: govt

Thursday, 15 January 2009
Written by Brendan Brady and Sam Rith
The Phnom Penh Post

Information Ministry denies legislation extending libel to audovisual media will limit internet

The Ministry of Information has denied that new libel legislation it is drafting for audiovisual media will bear on the internet, despite previous claims by its minister, Khieu Kanharith, that the recent explosion of websites was an impetus for the measure.

In a statement released Tuesday, the ministry said the law would target "audiovisual content in radio, television and print only", adding that public criticism of it levelled by local journalists earlier in the day was "absolutely untruthful".

But Sam Rithy Doung Hak, a monitor for the Cambodian Association for the Protection of Journalists, the group that condemned the proposed legislation as unwarranted censorship, said the ministry was simply "backtracking ... probably because of pressure from international groups based here".

Despite the ministry's claims, he said popular websites and cartoons critical of the government would be susceptible to censorship if the law were introduced. He singled out the online materials of news aggregator Khmer Intelligence and Australian-based Khmer cartoonist Sacrava as potential targets.

Khieu Kanharith was not available for comment Wednesday.

Don't regulate criticism

Local leaders of Cambodia's online community remain deeply cynical of any government efforts to regulate media content given its shaky track record. Cambodia is currently ranked 128th - or "partially free" - on the US-based Freedom House organisation's 2008 press freedom list

Keo Kounila, a local blogger and journalist, said vibrant opposition voices were essential to the fabric of a democracy, and saw the proposed bill as counterproductive to growth of the country's nascent political environment.

"The government should try to understand criticism [directed at it], not regulate it. This is similar to what China is trying to do," she said, referring to the vigorous online censorship conducted by the communist state.

Norbert Klein, a Phnom Penh-based German who is credited with having introduced, internet to Cambodia in 1994, called the proposed legislation "very problematic".

"If there is legislation, it should be technically enforceable and legal. Neither is the case."
The demands of the law were unrealistic and unprecedented, he added.

"When the law says every ISP will need a license from the Information Ministry and Communication Ministry, no other country in the world has that," said Klein, who is also a policy adviser for ICANN, an international non-profit group that deliberates on a wide range of internet protocol issues. He said media censorship was susceptible to "escalation" in times of political turmoil and questioned the government's ability to regulate content using standards accepted by the population.

Sporadic update of the site

Dear KI-Media Readers,

Because of the commitments of some of our team members, the updating of KI-Media will be sporadic between now and 10 July 2008. Please be indulgent during this period of time, we will try to post as much news as we can.

Thank you for your understanding!

KI-Media team

PS: Thank you Khmerization for your help!

Rebuttals to Insulting Remarks/Cartoons or Comments [KI-Media potential shutdown?]

Dear Ki-Media Team,

I was interested in your remarks in response to the note from the Australia-Cambodia Association published on Friday 7 October 2007. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised to read the note from ACA as I have not been associated with its activities for many years.

However, the point that I would like to bring to your considerate attention is that in your response to ACA you feel that any reader of KI-Media is entitled to write in response to information posted, this is perfectly right and you are commended for it. I also accept and respect the right of other readers of KI-Media not to like me or to disagree with what I have written, but what I think is totally unacceptable is that in response to well researchers articles which were not published in the KI-Media in the first place, I get insulted and offensive cartoons are made by Mr. Bun Heang (whom I have never met and have never spoken to) and given wide publicity by your site.

In the articles I have published, after many years of research in Australia, Cambodia, China, France, Thailand,the UK, and interviews of US, French, Australians and other officials/diplomats, I have not used offensive language and I have not insulted anyone. For instance, in my UPI Commentary reproduced by you recently, I disagreed with Dr. Lao but I did not insult him nor did I use offensive language to respond to his arguments.

The problems that arises is how do you reply to insulting and obscene comments made always anonymously by the majority of your readers who use offensive, obscene and foul language and, of course, are protected by their anonymity. I have always used my name when writing about the history of Cambodia or Cambodian contemporary history, I have never chosen anonymity in order to make obscene comments or use fool language to respond to comments by your readers.

For many months already in KI-Media there have been constant insulting remarks and cartoons against Vietnamese, just because they happen to be Vietnamese. There have also been insulting remarks and obscene cartoons against HM the King Father, King Sihamoni and other members of the Royal Family of Cambodia. Again, I repeat, I do not ask your anonymous readers to love or respect the members of the Royal Family of Cambodia but by publishing their anonymous insulting and hateful remarks I hope that you at KI-Media realize that you are in breach of Google's Blogger Content Policy, which clearly states that:

HATEFUL CONTENT: Users may not publish material that promotes hate toward groups based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, veteran status, and sexual orientation/gender identity.

VIOLENT CONTENT: Users may not publish direct threats of violence against any person or group of people.

Your readers must be made aware that by using insulting,hateful or obcene language in comments or drawings they are breaking the rules and regulations of the blog and that both KI-Media and the readers may be subjected to legal action. It would be a terrible lost to those seriously interested in information about Cambodia if your blog where to be shut down by Google Inc. because of the actions of some of your readers.

Also, with respect, by allowing this kind of insulting and obscene commentary and cartoons in your blog you are not, I am afraid. contributing to enhancing democracy and freedom of expression in today's Cambodia. You often attack in KI-Media the actions of the Cambodian government curtailing democracy development and freedom of expression, and you are right about it, but I fear you are also contributing to curtailing those freedoms by allowing the publications of anonymous offensive and insulting comments against any writer/commentator with whom your readers do not agree.

Yours faithfully,

(JULIO A. JELDRES)

--
From Ambassador Julio A. Jeldres
Official Biographer to H.M. the King Father, Samdech Preah Upayuvareach Norodom Sihanouk of Cambodia
(Fax and e-mail address withheld by KI-Media)