<a href="http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b24682_avrils_sexy_show_gets_scrapped.html" target="_blank">No, really: </a>

<em>The Canadian faux-punkette has become the latest Western pop star to face trouble in the Asian country as she was uninvited from performing a planned Kuala Lumpur gig. The Muslim-majority country's Arts, Culture and Heritage Ministry canceled the show today amid growing protests and claims the singer was, quite simply, "<a href="http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/detail.jsp?contentId=24282" target="_blank">too sexy</a>."</em>

Seriously? Miss "Complicated" is suddenly on the same sex plateau with Nicole Scherzinger and Gwen Stefani? Dayumn, girlfriend must be growing up.

Of course, the stated reason is that the concert would tarnish Malaysia's upcoming independence celebration by <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSKLR29765020080820" target="_blank">exposing the youth to prurience</a>. It's a reminder that what we in the West consider harmless bubblegum confectionery is akin to the Scarlet Letter in countries controlled by strict interpretations of Islam.

Of course, it could also be <a href="http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/JH21Ae03.html" target="_blank">a sign of a larger crackdown</a> on dissenting views of all stripes in the country, from Catholics to feminists to bloggers:

<em>"Taken together there is a growing climate of fear and intolerance," said Yap                                                                      Swee Seng, executive director of Suaram, a leading human rights organization.                                                                      "Tolerance for dissent and freedom of media is narrowing. What little media                                                                      freedom existed is now under severe threat," he said.                                                                     Lawyers and civil rights activists say that this string of events points to an                                                                      official assault on media freedom, freedom of expression, and religious                                                                      freedoms. They fear the recent oppression signals the beginning of the end of a                                                                      more liberal atmosphere ushered in after the 2004 general election, which saw                                                                      Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi win a huge mandate on a pro-reform ticket. </em>

<em></em>Given that the incumbent government is resorting to <a href="http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&amp;item_no=236653&amp;version=1&amp;template_id=45&amp;parent_id=25" target="_blank">passing a mass DNA-testing law </a>in order to intimidate opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on charges of sodomy, I'd say the honeymoon is long since over. Or to quote Avril herself:

<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><em>You're so full of shit
I can't stand the way you act
I just can't comprehend
I don't think that you can handle it
I'm way over, over it</em></span></span>

<span style="font-family: sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><em></em><small><span style="font-family: sans-serif;">Indeed. </span></small>
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