Singapore rebukes water polo team's racy swimsuits

[NedNickerson]

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_606842.html

Singapore rebuked its national water polo team for wearing swim trunks that feature an "inappropriate" likeness of the city-state's flag.

The trunks, which were designed by members of the men's team currently competing in the Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, show the flag's white crescent moon jutting up from the groin area with five stars to the side on a red background.

"Unfortunately the team did not seek our advice on the use of the crescent moon and stars when they designed their swim trunks," the Information Ministry said in a statement Thursday. "We would have told them that their design is inappropriate as we want elements of the flag to be treated with dignity."

More:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101125/ap_on_sp_ot/wpo_singapore_swimsuit_scandal_2

"The competition rules state that the trunks must be presented at that start of competition and they must be used throughout the tournament," Jose Raymond, the Singapore delegation's head of public relations told Reuters.

"The team can't use other trunks."

Raymond also confirmed the trunks' design would be tweaked upon the team's return home, after local media quoted a Singapore swimming official saying the crescent moon was supposed to be placed "more towards the side."

More:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101125/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_games_asian_water_polo_shorts_2

 

[JayHawk]

Hmmm they are right. Maybe a little less red fabric.

 

[gsdx]

I read this on Yahoo news. I can see why the suits could upset people, but I rather like them.

At least the moon isn't pointing down.

 

[birddog7]

That's just hilarious!

 

[NedNickerson]

I couldn't tell if they were upset by the fact that the crescent moon and stars were displayed over the men's genitals, or if they thought the crescent moon was suggestive of an erect penis.

Maybe they should have tried a striped pattern with crescent moons and stars, using the red and white colors of the flag.

Mark Spitz, as some of you may recall, wore an American-flag theme pair of speedos, and he did it well:

 

[Telstra]

"official saying the crescent moon was supposed to be placed "more towards the side."



Anyway, why don't they let their public vote for or against .

 

[greyhorse]

I think they look great

 

[braex27]

Too too funny.

 

[AussieGuy91]

That's pretty funny, at first glance I saw nothing wrong with them then I started reading the article. The moon now looks like a white banana covering their...well...banana.

 

[redfox70]

Could've been worse, the moon could've been on the rear between the butt-cheeks!

Aside from the controversy, they look really nice!

 

[Sam Blum]

My god, they must be bored and looking for something to do... Maybe I should send some of my shit off to Singapore for their Information Department to write up for me. Of course, I'd have to skim it upon return for bizarre and inappropriate Freudian readings. Sometimes I would swear the world is being run by pre-pubescent fools.

 

[voyager1994]

Singapore Government - lighten up! The crescent, however, does look way too big than the good it conceals.

 

[Spiff]

I'm surprised they didn't also resort to caning as punishment for this.

 

[Telstra]

the more i look at that underwear the funnier it gets.
Especially in a strict conservative country like Singapore.

 

[birddog7]

Singapore Government - lighten up! The crescent, however, does look way too big than the good it conceals.

Maybe that was the idea. The swim team wanted some "enhancement".

 

[diamondstar]

Is that a gut I see?! Get that ugly duckling out of that group of hotties.

 

[gsdx]

I think they would have been fine had the moon been placed somewhere else.

They couldn't have without changing the flag and I'm not sure they could have done anything like Mark Spitz did with the Stars and Stripes.

 

[gsdx]

I guess placing it over their butts wouldn't have helped.

/shrug

They would have been able to show the whole crescent, though.

However, judging from the flag picture above, putting it over the butt would cause me to wonder where the moon would be sticking its lower-most point.

 

[NedNickerson]

Here's some more photos:

 

[bankside]

This is the sort of design element that might attract comments, but the comments will universally be dismissed as silly - that is of course until a government official announces it to the world, and then it turns into a news item aired around the world.

That Singaporean official should consider himself lucky that North Korea is going nuts right now because that's the only hope of downplaying this idiotic media strategy.