Movie poster sparks controversy by comparing military service with childbirth pain
An Instagram post by the Singapore government has sparked outrage, after asking netizens if the process of childbirth was worse than going through military service.
Gov.sg, the Singapore government's official website, raised eyebrows after it promoted an upcoming movie on military service with the caption: "Women go through labour, but men go through this. Who has it worse?"
BMT, or Basic Military Training, is the first three month stretch of a two-year military conscription, which all male Singaporean citizens have to undergo after they turn 18.
The movie the post refers to is Beijing, Mumbai, Tampines (BMT) -- a Singaporean film which centers around the shared experiences of National Service among Singaporeans.
The post, in a screenshot obtained by Mashable, appeared as a "sponsored post", and was not a direct post made by Gov.sg.
But netizens were not amused by the comparison.
"Gov.sg is trying to be funny when clearly it has failed," said one netizen on Facebook.
"There is no law in Singapore that says women MUST become pregnant. But if you refuse to serve NS, then you must go to prison," said another.
"No brainer. Labour is [painful] before, during and...after. NS is [about] getting fit, making friends, [and] going partying," one added.
We don't have the answer to the question but one thing's for sure -- Gov.sg is probably going to think long and hard before it posts its next question on social media.
Mashable has reached out to Gov.sg for comment.
Topics Social Media
Yvette is a Viral Content Reporter at Mashable Asia. She was previously reporting for BBC's Singapore bureau and Channel NewsAsia.
