In the erotic novel Hom Dok Praduan (1968), Rong Wongsawan hints that a teenager fondled his flesh in front of her. “On the door is a cover photo of a socialite in Bangkok. Clad in her swimsuit, she allows waves to break on her thighs. But someone with restless hands drew overgrown grass so that he can rub it gently until it is torn. (In Mathayom 4, he often fantasised about her. The first syllable of her name begins with the mor letter. He feels thankful whenever she comes into his mind [...]).”
On the cover of the front page, an outgoing woman poses with a seductive charm. Inside, however, she is condemned for beguiling a man or getting ravished and bringing disgrace to her social standing. Such an explicit story is accompanied by a lurid headline like “adulterous” or “deflowered” along with photos that come close to pornography. If Americans have weekend newspaper supplements, Thais have chiwit lae sangkhom (life and society) magazines.
“It is a nexus of two phenomena — the emergence of a new genre of print media and socialites — in the mid-century,” said Arthit Jiamrattanyoo, lecturer in Southeast Asian History at Chulalongkorn University’s Faculty of Arts. After two years of study, his research will be published this year. “I argue that life and society magazines played a key role in the formation of an early wave of celebrity culture by constructing and commodifying a new social category of socialite women.”
Witt Suddhasthira, a newspaper journalist and author, introduced the term sao sangkhom (Thai for female socialite or debutante) to local readers. He furthered his education in journalism in the Philippines in 1939 when it underwent a period of transition from a colony of the US to an independent country (1935-1946). World War II, however, cut short his study and forced him to return home in 1942. In Trawen Manila (1943), he recounts his experience of sojourn in the Philippines, including an encounter with socialites.
“The term sao sangkhom appeared first in his work, but sometime later got a negative connotation,” said Arthit. “A magazine column in 1950 said the term had been stigmatised. MR Kukrit Pramoj satirised socialites, saying that parents should not have given birth to them. What tarnished their image? It is the beginning of my research. Clues may lie in what I call chiwit lae sangkhom magazines.”
Witt’s work led Arthit to gather evidence and discover these periodicals. For example, Chat Thai Athit, Puangpayom, Theptida, and Thai Pim Piset were never labelled under any genre. At the National Library, staff presumably removed their obscene covers which contained back pages publishing response letters, editorials, and advertisements. Yet, he obtained a copy of the complete materials from the University of Michigan and used bookstores.
“Despite their brevity, life and society magazines emerged in the context of sensational media but distinguished themselves from other genres in the market. They are similar in their self-definition and therefore can be grouped together. Chat Thai Athit, for example, is “the country’s first life magazine”. Its rival, Puangpayom, is “the weekly newspaper that guides life and society”. Thai Pim Piset, meanwhile, is “an exposé of society and crime”, he said.
Life and society magazines covered society at large, high society, and social gatherings. They featured photos of women in casual attire, evening dresses, swimsuits or in the nude. Most of them, however, came from porn magazines and did not relate to stories at all. Contemporary writers like Silpachai Chanchalerm and Uthai Anantasomboon commented that this new genre presented “true and sensational stories”.
“American predecessors influenced the development of life and society magazines,” said Arthit. “The American Weekly published stories about the three Cs (crime, concupiscence, and corruption). Chat Thai Athit announced that it would closely follow The American Weekly on its 10-year anniversary. Similarly, pulp magazines like True Story and True Confessions ran erotic stories for low-class readers.”
After World War II, the US played a dominant role in Asia. It established an anti-communist base in Thailand and promoted development to cement the country’s membership as part of the free world during the Cold War. In the literary sphere, some were critical of military dictatorship and modernisation. Others “made it new” in their writing. Witt, for example, is known for pioneering vernacular modernist literature.
These magazines featured various types of writing. Interviews allowed women to express their views and impart or challenge values. Society columns followed development in the circle, enabling readers and writers to expand their reference group and create parasocial interaction with women. Above all, behind-society literature was an exposé of corrupt practice, including premature sex, debauchery, and seduction, of which socialite women are victims or perpetrators.
“It is difficult to draw the line between fact and fiction,” he said. “Behind-society literature adopts a moralistic voice, but at the same time shows prurient interest. Consequently, it vacillates between surveillance and voyeurism or exposure of corruption and fulfilment of carnal desire.”
The notion of inside and outside, he explained, underlined behind-society literature and therefore raised suspicion of whether socialite women are deceptive. Puangpayom, for example, published a short story that shows the contrast between appearance and reality, “This is the ugly truth of these two socialite women. On the outside, they look beautiful and noble. But on the inside, they endure abject misery. Is there anyone else with the same background?.”
In addition, behind-society literature used fictitious names and monikers like dao prakaipruek (morning star) and ultra paramanu (atomic power) and therefore allowed readers to discuss taboo subjects. It opened up an alternative public sphere, but at the same time monitored and passed moral judgement “It is possible that publishers adopted a hyper-moralistic voice for selling magazines or dealing with constraints like censorship,” he said.
Unlike books, these ephemera allowed readers to use them without regret. Witt’s illustrations show that their covers were nailed to the wall. In the same way, Thai Pim Piset once published a nude photo of a French model with a description full of sexual innuendo on its cover, “You can moan with pleasure, but don’t overplay with yourself.”
“You can view, touch, read, rub, cut, and nail them. Reading can give carnal pleasure because media coordination blended image with text and flesh with paper,” he said.
Life and society magazines constructed a new social category of socialite women and allowed female readers to have vicarious experiences of their ups and downs. Many writers, like Prasert Pijansopon and Tida Bunnag, tried their hand at these publications before they succeeded in other genres. When socialite women took shape, they went on to become stock characters for other novels and short stories.
“My research has shed light on forgotten works and not on literary canons like Sri Burapha’s Khang Lang Phap (Behind The Painting) in Prachachat and Seni Saowaphong’s Pisat (The Devil) in Siam Samai. I think life and society magazines have literary value. At the end of the day, they might end up being glass cleaner or food mats, but can fulfil people’s desire for literature every day,” he said.
