Catmasutra- The Art of Petting R(A)

Restricted (Artistic) or R(A) category was introduced by the government on 15 September 1991 to tighten laws on film censorship. Movies under this category are not considered suitable for those under 21 years of age as they depict sex and violence in an explicit or exploitative manner. Such movies are shown only at specially licensed cinemas in the city. - Singapore Infopedia

The main reason given is that the Singaporean populace is deeply conservative (I wonder how they measure conservatism). What we're good at, it seems, is to prohibit things, ban things, restrict things as if being exposed at a later stage will make the same corruptible younger populace less corrupt (especially now with the prevalence of the world wide web of uncontrollable corruption and flow of information and knowledge via mobile devices). What we're bad at is taking a chance, really teach the right from wrong and all the shades of gray that go in between, to introduce antibodies and let the body fight rather than walk around in a bubble suit... It's a paternalistic system, obsessed at controlling rather than nurturing... wahahah I didn't mean to start on such a heavy note.... as this is supposed to be about my latest catmasutra painting, the Art of Petting R(A). It's a small piece measuring 12" x 16". This is the first time I used a fluorescent colour - and pink at that - as the background, and the result is rated positively luxurioulsy bubblegummy yummy. wahahaha At least, I got the R(A) part out of the way! And, if by any chance, you own that pair of shoes, you should email me now and buy that painting straight away. Catch this painting at the Culture by the Bay Arts Fair, this weekend from 11am to 6pm at the Asian Civilizations Grounds. Okay, back to some serious blogging...

The art of petting is the affectionate act of stroking, brushing or caressing... huh, what? oh, sorry .. it's R(A)..no lah, where got R(A)? oh dear... NC-16? "The NC-16 is aimed at protecting young people because although scenes of nudity, sex and violence in 'PG' movies are censored, some are still considered unsuitable for the young without parental guidance". Hmmm... Okay, so parental guidance at home is not enough, they literally have to hold your hand while watching the same movie to see if you squirm or get excited by some scenes, after which they have to sit you down and counsel you about perceived corruption of your corruptible mind. Boy, do we we need the help of the system... and more bubble wrap...

Disclaimer: If you are above 16 or don't think you need your parents to be around at this time, please read on...

The art of petting is the affectionate act of stroking, brushing or caressing an animal's fur, scratching its ears, rubbing its belly etc., for mutual enjoyment. Grooming behavior in some animals is similar to petting, but generally the verb "pet" refers to a human petting a cat or - rated NC-16 and in more extreme cases, rated R(A) - petting another human being.

There's also a lot of technique involved (try filling in the blanks) -
Different ________ respond well to different types of petting, even within the same ____ .

One may enjoy a light scratch, just between the ______, while another may demand to be kneaded like a loaf of bread.

A ______ might like to be brushed, a ______ may prefer a _________ rubbed in circles, whilst ______can enjoy having the tops of their heads gently scratched, against the grain of their ______!

Some______, including many ______, seem to hate being petted in the reverse direction from the way their ______ goes, so much so that to "rub someone the wrong way" is an idiomatic way of saying that an action annoys someone - as defined by the experts at wikipedia...

And knee-high "lolita"socks seem to be back in fashion... Oh that's NC-16...

;)