New Paper journalist Joanne Soh got rapped for remark that “All men are pigs”
December 6th, 2009 | 
Author: New Paper journalist Joanne Soh was rapped for her sexist remarks made in a recent article on 4 December entitled – “My mum is right: All men are pigs.” as part of series discussing why men still cheat even when they have a beautiful wife like Tiger Wood’s.
Joanne began her article with a typical stereotype of men:
“My mother once offered sage advice: We must always be aware of our husbands’ activities, regardess of how devoted and loving they are. Her rationale? Men are born with roving eyes, een the good and the well-brought up ones.”
She subsequently launched a tirade against men by laying the blame for cheating on spouses solely on them.
Her article brought a torrent of criticisms from readers the very next day, expectedly from men which were published in today’s New Paper.
Jimmy Ho felt that marriage breakdowns are sometimes contributed by women:
“If men are pigs….then who are the asses that married us? The comment is at best a sexist piece. It is extremely judgmental and myopic to say the least…..Marriage breaks apart for various reaasons, the roving eye of a man is obviously one of them, but does that exclude the problems that may have been caused by the woman?”
Yeh Siang Hui wrote that infidelity is not gender-specific:
“What was most offensive, of course, was her declaration – “Men are pigs”. This is unfair, unreasonable, unprofessional, and uncalled-for. The writer has conveniently forgotten that if men cheat, so do women. Just as there are wives with cheating husbands, there are husbands with cheating wives too. Just as there are men with roving eyes, so too, women with roving eyes.”
His views were shared by Lawrence Soh:
“I have friends who were dumped when their wives found more lucrative relationships. Women generally worship wealth, status, good life and power, and if they cannot attain these on their own steam, they search for these through relationships, legitimate or otherwise. We see this everywhere. Unfortunately, the Women’s Charter does not give men this advantage. Divorce is a very expensive affair for men.”
Others simply brush aside Joanne’s arguments and throw brickbats at her “professionalism” as a journalist.
Ambrose Sim wrote:
“Your article is highly offensive and unreasonable. It seriously lacks objectivity and is unprofessional from a journalistic point of view.”
Javert Ong added:
“Not all men are pigs, and it is extremely rude and unpleasant to call men names. Can we call women bitches, sluts, crows if they commit adultery?”
Not surprisingly, the women-folk are supportive of Joanne and jumped to her defence.
Karina Wong even praised Joanne’s article:
“Just wanted to compliment you on a well written article. Simply love it! Even if these men deny their affairs, it is a fact that they are born with roving eyes and when it comes to women, they are never rational.”
Christina Teo thanked Joanne for revealing the truth that men are indeed “pigs”:
“Men are pigs. Thanks to your columnist Joanne Soh for writing it.”
Judging from the wide disparity between the opinions of both sexes, it does appear that the adage – “Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus” holds some truth after all.
But how does this explain the rising divorce rates in Singapore due to adultery, which is the commonest cited cause? Why are our children more likely to stray than our parents?
According to a New Paper report published on the same day, one lawyer said that three out of every 10 adultery cases she sees nowadays involve the wife. A decade ago, it was only one out of 10.
A private investigator said he has seen the number of adultery cases involving cheating wives rise from 30 per cent of all cases 10 years ago to 50 per cent.
How does Joanne Soh feel sleeping besides a “pig”? And what are her husband’s thoughts on her unwarranted outburst against men? Perhaps it is nothing more than a gimmick to attract readers to the New Paper which has been suffering from declining readership.
Sensitive topics like race, religion and politics are considered taboo in Singapore. Bashing men, however, is one sure way of driving up one’s readership without attracting unwanted attention from the authorities.
Comments source: The New Paper, 6 December 2009
Are men “pigs” with roving eyes? Share your thoughts with our readers by posting a comment here.
Posted in Editorial
dun expect this article to make it to TR
Ha ha ha, actually what her mother said is quite true lah. I used to feel men are either MCP-male chauvinist pig or tee ko – cheeky man or literally male pig. Basically lust is the weakness that all men can’t resist. Look at Jackie Chan, after committing adultery, he pulled all men in by saying that he committed a sin that all men committed. If I not mistaken, there were no other men who openly stand up against him to defend themselves.
I changed my perception now when I realized that when a man have the self awareness of their natural trait and are not ashamed to admit this inborn weakness, they can be wonderful man.
As whether men are pigs with roving eyes, I would make sure that my man will only rove his eyes on me. And to be fair to him, I would only rove my eyes on him as well… and some Korean stars lah.
Election coming needs an erection distraction – the more controversial and divisive – the better it is to divide votes. You noticed of late a lot of “women issue” in MSN.
STUPID DOGS HAVE RUN OUT OF IDEAS INCLUDING “COOLING OFF” DAY AND THIS ONE “COOLING OFF” TOPIC.
At least some desperadoes is hoping for 50.1% win in all contested ward WITH A LOT OF help from CCs and RCs in their camp.
DON’T PLAY INTO THIS SEXIST SILLY GAME HOAX OF SEXIST POLITICS.
No wonder there are so many lesbians out of the closet nowadays…bitches like to be with bitches…
And I often why butch dress and behave like men?
Bitches pretending and wanting to be pigs???
Aiyoh. New paper articles since when got standard one? I tot it’s only for ppl who want to read soccer results and sensationalised news on molest, incest and rape.
I remember my sec sch english teacher telling me: “Don’t read New Paper. It’s full of rubbish and bad for your essay writing.”
The “got” in the title is grammatically awkward…
pigs tak halal brudder
Hey guys, what’s your problem? If you can take the f*rt from sexist feminists that you need to have notorape (because presumably men are beasts), why can’t you take it when the same f*rt comes from the same sexist feminists who claim that we are pigs?
Stop bickering, stop being petty, stop complaining and start behaving like REAL MEN. Move on. There are more important things to attend to.
Or have you become as petty as those sows? Then of course I will say you deserve the term “pigs”.
All men? Nah … I know of at least one man who is not a “pig” – me. I have been married for 23 years and have not touched another woman other than my wife.
There are lots of men in Spore who take their marriage vows seriously. Ms Soh and her mum are just mixing with the wrong crowd.
Anyway, I think the article was probably deliberatelty written to stir up controversy.
The article do hold some truth to it. Even as a man, I have always been warning my female friends not to trust us that includes me. Sex is always the number one thing on our mind.
THANK GOODNESS I GAVE UP on Singaporean women long ago!
Go to other developed countries (I repeat! DEVELOPED countries such as US, Japan, Korea and Aus) and you can never hear such comments about men.
But in the stressful red-dot where women are NOT taught about feminism, the by-product is…well….exactly like those we have now.
Just because all the men she knows, from her grandpa, pa on down are pigs with roving eyes, it makes the whole world’s men the same breed? Eh, “journalist”, what talking you?
She claims that men are BORN with roving eyes, so why blame us. Go blame our maker!!! Eh, “journalist”, where’s your logic???
I hev one q for u… If men r pigs… then y bother get married? Y nt all women become lesbians instead? Joanne Soh, i think either u mix wif e wrong crowd, or u r not popular wif men. Dats y u make such a comment. Dont 4get, ur dad n bros r also men, dat means u labelled em as pigs too. Think b4 u act. Mind ur words.
“Men who cheated are pig, women who cheated are slut.”
Sound fair and better if verse this way.
Can someone please post a picture of this Joanne Soh?
Lets see if she’s Miss Universe or a babelicious babe who is ‘qualified’ to call men PIGS.
Wow, she insulted not only the ordinary men in Spore, but also the PM, SM and MM!!They are all men and now they are pigs!Shld they sue?
“#citizen on Mon, 7th Dec 2009 8:16 am
Wow, she insulted not only the ordinary men in Spore, but also the PM, SM and MM!!They are all men and now they are pigs!Shld they sue?”
You can sue for defamation if only allegation is not true. So let’s see if the allegation has any weight
Joanne Soh probably got dumped by her piggy ex-boyfriends many times and feels bitter deep down inside. I feel sad for her.
Can we just cease all this irrational arguments and focus on the real issues of problems affecting Singaporeans under the barbaric ruling of the miw.
Come on, just a fair statement to all men/gentlemen/boys/etc and women/ladies/girls/etc, the man has the opportunity to cheat is because the woman besides than his marital wife given him the choice! The woman has the opportunity to cheat is because the man besides than her marital husband given her the choice!
So, the woman blames the man, the man blames the woman! In actual fact, the woman should blame the woman, the man should blame the man, oh, my “god” so confused, this type of marital problem has been happening for the past centuries since the beginning of mankind, so, why waste our valuable time on debating an issue that can never be resolved except the parties who are involved in the “relationship—licentious tryst”!
As long as your concise is not guilty, why bother about gossips and rumors? Rumors halt at wise-man!
Take NO notice of what was written.
NONSENSE!
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/980608/sixth-alleged-woods-mistress-revealed
When Tiger hit all the wrong holes in the right place, just about every women near claims she bedded him or mentally bedded him.
IT IS ALL FANTASY NONSENSE befiting media hype.
“I lived in the real world” as someone said.
Juicy news: Jasmine nathan’s father wins case on “LHL’s charity” impersonation
“李显龙慈善活动”引发诽谤官司
答辩人“正义获得伸张”
两本价值76元的纪念册，外加“李显龙慈善活动”课题，引发一场罕见的诽谤官司。
主角是新加坡康乐俱乐部（Singapore Recreation Club，简称SRC）总经理兼秘书，以及保龄球世杯冠军杨佳敏的父亲。
起诉人阿都拉锡（50岁）指杨佳敏的父亲RV纳丹（R V Nathan，59岁）写给总理公署的信诽谤了他。
法官认为信确实有诽谤性，但认为RV纳丹是出于社会责任和公众利益写那封信，判他辩护成功，阿都拉锡败诉，令阿都拉锡承担RV纳丹的讼费。
阿都拉锡不准备上诉。他受询时说，这个案件已过，他不想再置评。“既然这是SRC的事务，我们想在内部解决这样的事。”
RV纳丹是退休突击队员，现为莱佛士城市俱乐部的保安经理。他说，他很高兴事情告一段落，正义获得伸张。
他和两名子女杨佳敏（21岁，南大商学院一年级生）和杨贾森（26岁，职业球员）都是SRC会员，如今每月平均一次使用该俱乐部的设施，比如餐厅和台球。
杨佳敏和哥哥贾森都是保龄球国手。去年11月，她在墨西哥的第44届世界杯保龄球赛上赢得女子组锦标，成为新加坡保龄球史上首位世界杯冠军。
去年2月，SRC出版了《SRC庆祝1883到2007年》的纪念册，记载它125年的历史和活动，由纳丹总统主持推介仪式。
这起案件于今年初在初庭展开两天审讯，初庭法官陈梅娣日前才发表判词。
根据判词，SRC每年都发奖项表扬在运动领域有杰出表现，为国家和俱乐部争光的会员。
前年东运会赢得奖项的杨佳敏和杨贾森，也是得奖人，分获300元和3000元奖金。
不过，两人因海外赛项，无法出席去年3月的颁奖礼。
4月2日，他们的父亲到俱乐部代领支票时，收到两封写给孩子的恭贺信；信也要求孩子在领取支票前，各买每本38元的纪念册。
RV纳丹指俱乐部没有权力强制会员买纪念册，因此告诉执行员莎莉娜，他不买，并叫对方把支票交给他。
不料，莎莉娜说，管委会严格要求所有得奖人须买纪念册，才能领取支票，叫他也得买。
RV纳丹身上没带现款，就拨电话给儿子贾森，要儿子带钱到俱乐部给他。
他后来用电话向起诉人查证，起诉人说，捐献是给“李显龙慈善活动”的。
他说：“如果是这样，我可以只买一本吗？”
起诉人说：“不行，这是管委会和会长的指示，你得买两本。”
RV纳丹于是要求一份说明捐款是给“李显龙慈善活动”的文件，起诉人答应。
可是，他稍后从体育部门经理拿到该文件时，发现里头没有“李显龙慈善活动”的字样，就问莎莉娜。
后者说，该慈善活动是附属在义顺南公民咨询委员会和福利金之下。
RV纳丹随后收到信，告之捐款将给三个团体：亨德申乐龄之家、义顺南公民咨询委员会，以及福利金和东陵—经禧公民咨询委员会发展基金。
同月19日，RV纳丹就写信向总理查询（见窗口）。根据RV纳丹，总理公署回复说，没有“李显龙慈善活动”这回事。
去年6月，起诉人发律师信给RV纳丹，要求道歉和赔偿，RV纳丹拒绝，还说准备在法官面前抗辩，要“正义获得伸张”，起诉人就展开诉讼行动。
法官：没理由不相信RV纳丹
法官说，RV纳丹确实被逼买下纪念册，而起诉人采取强迫手段，以便捐款给不存在的慈善机构，这样的行为是不当的。
法官陈梅娣在日前发表的判词中指出，RV纳丹的信具有一定诽谤性，会让一般读者觉得起诉人有不当和不专业的行为。
不过，RV纳丹成功以“理由正当”（justification）和“有限特权”（qualified privilege）辩护，因此不必赔偿起诉人。
法官指RV纳丹的证词明确，她接受RV纳丹的说法，认为他为了领取支票，确实被逼买下纪念册。
她指出，显然地，RV纳丹很不愿意买纪念册。
套他的话，他是被三人（起诉人、执行员和体育部门经理）逼上墙角，他当时不要惹是非，因为“他们如此无理。”
法官说，RV纳丹的证词一致，她没理由不相信他。反观起诉人，他被盘问时不够坦率，证词是事后才想出的，一些证词也不一致。
她说：“RV纳丹被迫买书。他被起诉人通知说，售书所得将捐给‘李显龙慈善活动’……起诉人用强迫手段（叫人）买书，以便捐给不存在的慈善机构，这样的行为是不当的。”
另外，辩方律师指RV纳丹是出于社会责任，以及要确保筹款是合法的公众利益，才写信给总理，这点法官接受其说法。
她指出，RV纳丹在4月2日到SRC时，根本不知道捐款是给三个团体的；是起诉人告诉他捐款是给李显龙慈善活动的，因此他寄给总理的那封信，就不能视为含恶意性，因为两人之前都不存任何的敌意。
另一方面，根据起诉人，所有SRC会员被通知，他们可用38元买纪念册，款项将给三个团体。
虽然是非强制性，但SRC要求代表这俱乐部参加东运会且获得现金奖项的运动员，购买这本纪念册。
他指出，RV纳丹的两个孩子获得3300元。尽管在4月2日收到信，信上清楚说明买纪念册是SRC的要求，RV纳丹却在自愿付出76元后，于19日写信给总理。
他声称，RV纳丹在4月2日已获得书面通知买书的原因，而他在隔天也在电话里向RV纳丹解释SRC没强迫会员购买；如果购买的话，钱将捐给三个团体。
换句话说，得奖人只是被要求买书，而不是被迫。起诉人否认曾说过，捐款是给“李显龙慈善活动”的话。
他认为，RV纳丹写给总理的信诋毁了他。RV纳丹把副本寄给刑事侦查局和商业事业局，显示他心存恶意，而把副本寄给国家福利理事会，是等于说起诉人管理俱乐部方面已违规。
他认为，信件指身为总经理和秘书的他很不专业、效率差、有欺骗行为。
信也影射他不诚实，因纪念册的捐献是给一个不存在的慈善组织，因此招募款项是有刑事罪的。
引发诽谤的信件
RV纳丹于去年4月19日寄信到总理公署，向李显龙总理查询有关“李显龙慈善活动”（Lee Hsien Loong’s Charity）的事，还把副本寄给刑事侦查局、商业事务局、社团注册局、国家福利理事会、SRC的主席和所有执委。
他在信中说，SRC发奖金给2007年东南亚运动会的得奖者，他的两个孩子都是得奖人。
当他代孩子去领奖时，被迫买下为“李显龙慈善活动”筹款的两本画册。他付了76元，却没拿到收据。
孩子被逼捐款，他感到困惑，“我的问题是‘到底有没有这样的一个李显龙慈善活动’？”他促请总理给他更多详情，因他全然不知有这回事。
“捐款是不能强迫的，希望总理公署能向SRC的总经理阿都拉锡澄清。
“如果没有这样的慈善活动，我会正式提出投诉，并要求彻底调查这件事，以便阻止SRC破坏总理的尊严和声誉。
Take it easy guys.
Joanne might be thinking of “P”s when she wrote.
She meant all “P”appies are over-fatten “P”IGS in a zoo with “roving eyes” over sleazy details thinking how to bent election rules like GRC and “cooling off” days to snake an “erection” win in a brothel call “white house where all inside see one colour as “white” when in fact it is black as hell of shame”
“Good” art work, Joanne “Ah Soh”.
Were you well paid for this great piece of distracting literature?
Women should wake the f**k up and stop going for those “bad boys” with big cars and fat pay check while ignoring the really good honest but “boring” guys who will be faithful to you till the end of time. And then bitch about how men are pigs.
I suggest that the writer’s picture be published to let us men judge whether she is worth feasting our eyes over!
Sinkapore on Mon, 7th Dec 2009 1:17 am – Good Afternoon…
You are BAD !!!
But I agree, let’s see if we can get a pic of this lady….
surely fat, ugly and cannot get good boyfriend one….hahaha….seow leow.
Silly article by a silly journalist. The New Paper is not worth my money. And time.
i don’t think this article is worth being mentioned by TR.
So is she going to marry a PIG, What type of pig she looking at?
In my oppinion, woman like u people always call DOG. Every want to bark….. bark for no reason.
U doin tell me u never see sexy men, Rich men, famous man. U too want right.. so can i call all woman are DOG.
“Men who cheated are pig, women who cheated are slut.”
I hope Joanne Soh should open her eyes wide and see the rising trend of women who cheated and come out with a new article “All women are sluts.”
While i may disagree with Joanne, I feel too many are making too big a deal about this. Joanne wrote a piece about a topic she felt strongly about. Do you not think she knew that it would be controversial? Do you not think she thought it through before deciding to go ahead with it? I’m very sure she did, which is why i applaud her bravery.
Our society is conservative at best, and for anyone to write a piece like this would be considered an abomination. But it is part of freedom of press isn’t it? The freedom to publish anything, even articles that could stir things up. I applaud her because she has stood up and made herself heard.
We claim to want freedom of speech and press. We claim to be fighting for it. But it seems like we won’t be able to handle it. After all, if we can’t even handle a simple article like this, how are we going to endure what journalists will have to say if we somehow achieve that freedom?
I urge all of you to see things in a different light. I’m not saying we should kiss her feet and call her Queen. But have the decency to leave her alone. She has done this industry, and potentially this society a huge service. If you’re too uptight, then perhaps you are not ready for freedom of press.
Gurmit sings “USe your brain!”
“I applaud her because she has stood up and made herself heard”
= You can stand up for the right or wrong reason. She was the latter.
“The freedom to publish anything, even articles that could stir things up.” = Try writing about race and religion.
“We claim to want freedom of speech and press”
= Don’t put everyone in one basket. With freedom comes responsibility.
“I’m not saying we should kiss her feet and call her Queen”
= Huh?? ROFL
#
theinkhorn on Tue, 8th Dec 2009 7:59 am
I agree that Joanne Sow has the right to publish anything she chooses because she has freedom of speech.
What about us, the unbathed masses, don’t we have the right too? In the name of FREEDOM OF SPEECH we are blasting her out of shape!!!
Picture this scene…a mother giving her daughter good advice. Advice that the mother got from her own mother and advice that her daughter will give to her female offsprings-all men are pigs. The vicious cycle repeats over and over again. It becomes a self fulfilling prophesy. The bitterness and hate engendered in an earlier generation becomes a stain on future generations. Hopefully, because of this aversion to pigs, the daughters stay unmarried and the matter ends there. However, daughters being what they are will find some pigs willing to wed and bed them. With this attitude in the marriage, the relationship is doomed to failure and history repeats itself. Worse still, if men are pigs then perhaps it is better to only develop relationships with other sows. In fact, studies have shown that lesbianism has its roots in an abhorrence to men.
PIcture this other scene…. the same mother telling her sons. You are going to end up being a pig to your wife. It is unavoidable and in the order of things. Guess what happens, he ends up being a pig to his poor wife.
So mothers, be careful of what advice you give to your children. Telling your daughter that all men (including her father and brothers) are pigs may give you the satisfaction of getting back on your husband. However in the process, you effectively kill the chances her developing any normal relationships with men.
As parents, we always want our children, both sons and daughters, to have a better life that the one that we had. By poisoning their minds, we are condemning them to our own lonely, unloved and untrusting life.
Joanne can say what she wants and we should respect that. We, on our part should have our own considered opinion. Sadly, in our fast and stressful environment, we have lost our ability to think, weigh and consider the various implications of our words and actions. So quick fixes like “all men are pigs”, or “women drivers are stupid”, or “the poor and less educated should not have the vote in a democracy” have no place in a vibrant and enlightened society.