In 1993, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed May 3 World Press Freedom Day. On this day we pay tribute to the men and women around the world who risk life, limb and liver to bring us the news along with the latest updates on Britney’s rehab.

   Here at BK Magazine, we’re marking the occasion with a memorial service for former comrades followed by canapés and then a naked midnight swim. Obviously we’re extremely grateful for the relative safety in which we work—no need for body armor although we do receive letters from lawyers from time to time—and the freedom to express ourselves (again, relative).

   We’re also fortunate that we don’t have a body like the Thai Board of Censors (whose definition of “improper” caused director Apichatpong Weerasetthakul to pull his latest film—see page 33) taking a black marker to sections of the magazine (just go ahead and try it with 30,000 copies every week!) that offend their prudish sensibilities. What, are they so old that they’ve forgotten what it’s like to pop a boner and then try to hide it? (Or maybe they wanted to cut that scene because it brought back terrible memories.) Monks don’t play musical instruments? Doctors don’t drink? 

  Apparently they can’t in Thai films. Or at least films directed by Apichatpong Weerasetthakul. This must be because they’re so true-to-life that viewers confuse them with reality and pick up bad habits from watching them. Remember all those people running into jungles and trying to talk with tigers after his last movie? What a mess that was.

   Oh, well. At least we have Spiderman.