Of V-Day

I am not into Valentine’s Day not because I subscribe to the argument that it is part of the missionary movement to entrap silly-drunk-with love Muslims. I am just not keen on the way love is represented by the celebration. It could be a catalyst for some pleasantly surprising romantic gestures, but then again, it waters down the significance of such gesture to a mere one day affair. And then, there are the hungry capitalists and PR companies that hound over your money-Bunch of roses are inadequate, here, buy your other half a piece of land on the moon! The weight that is given to the celebration by our religious institutions makes matters worse. The mass nabbing of naughty lovers, the overzealous sermons, the Panties Theory or the Christian Conspiracy are all recycled bigotry and selective fundamentalism. We pick and choose our battle against “evil” based on class and social hierarchy. I don’t think we should worry that much, we have the media (read: Harian Metro) as well as our patriarchal appreciation of sexual prowess in our society to tantalize the population. Valentine’s Day, for that matter, robbed us from the enigmatic experience and aestheticism of sex. It is now quantifiable and formulaic. I for one, love to be unpredictable and mysterious!