`Foul-mouthed Dragon' raises a stink

Parents, teachers and Taipei City councilors want a song performed by a popular animated character known as "Foul-mouthed Dragon" or Kan Kiao Lung (訐譙龍), to be removed from the Internet and yanked from music store shelves.

Citing complaints from offended family members and teachers, Taipei City councilors yesterday urged the creators of the expletive-spouting, singing character to kill the song Teacher, please don't hit my face (老師請不要打我的臉) because they say it makes fun of children who are born without an anus.

"Although we respect freedom of speech and creativity of lyrics, it's a violation of human rights and its unethical to ridicule those children born without an anus, and their parents," New Party City Councilor, Chin Li-fang (秦儷舫) said yesterday.

The animated figure has become increasingly popular among Taiwanese teenagers and recently the Ministry of National Defense even used Foul-mouthed Dragon in a recruitment commercial.

The lyrics in the controversial song tell the story of a teacher who enjoys punishing her students.

The teacher, who is also a mother, in a twisted turn of retribution, gives birth to a child without an anus.

Taiwanese believe those who do evil during their lifetime are bound to be recompensed with offspring born without an anus.

Imperforate anus is the absence of a normal anal opening. It occurs in about one in 5,000 births and its cause is unknown.

Both the company that created Foul-mouthed Dragon -- CH1 Internet Company (在線上網際公司) -- and the distributor of the album -- Forward Music (豐華唱片) -- issued a joint apology yesterday.

The original intention of the songwriter was not to "ridicule or hurt the feelings of families whose children are born with imperforate anus," the statement said.

"Our motive is very simple. We just want to show our concern for social problems -- like excessive punishment by teachers -- through our music," it said. "We hoped that the public would appreciate the song as a work of art."

However, a 23-year-old divorced mother of two whose elder son suffers from the physical defect was not impressed.

"I was very upset when I heard the song. It really hurt my feelings," the woman told the Taipei Times yesterday afternoon. "I'm very curious to know how the company owners would feel if their children had the same problem."

The woman said that both she and her now five-year-old son have suffered considerably.

"My former mother-in-law and ex-husband verbally and physically abused me. My son had to undergo surgery 15 times and even now does not have normal bowel functions," she said.

Lu Ying-shan (呂盈珊), a physical education teacher at Chung An Elementary School (長安國小), said she is worried about the negative impact the song may have on the minds of young students.

"It really sets a very bad example for children to mimic," she said.