There has not been many movies recently, one of the ones that caught my eye was the Michael Jackson (MJ) 'This Is It' movie. This movie mainly shows footage of the tragic singer's final concert rehearsals before he left us.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Lifestyle/Story/STIStory_446401.html
Although I am not a MJ fan, but this movie certainly aroused the interest of me. Being able to see the footage before he left us is something you will not get to see in the future. Hence this movie is one that we should watch.
However there is widespread publicity all over the world and in different forms of media. For example, newspapers, FaceBook etc. From these sources this movie has become a widespread phenomenon without much fanfare. it is due to the media repeatedly driving across the fact that this movie is something special.
However the main focus here is MJ himself. We know that he passed away a few months ago. The reaction from the media and and his fans were huge. Fans mourned after him, creating memorial services for him. However what i feel disgusting was the negative publicity surrounding his death. Besides trying to find out the real cause, another aspect also brewed up a storm. His assets. He did not make a proper will and it caused much upheaval in the Jackson's family. What I thought was, should not this be a private affair? Why is it reported daily, repeatedly and some time distorted facts are being reported. However this is something that we cannot control and is often controlled by the gatekeepers of the media, for example the media owners etc.
From this we can see the agenda setting function of the media and the powerful effects theory. It has a deep impact on MJ's fans itself as they are led to believe some facts which are not true. This distances them away from the family itself and creates misunderstandings which will be hard to resolve.
Hence I think it is only right for us to respect the deceased's family and putting things into the past. We should only remember for what he is and not what he is not. His contributions to pop music are vital and its where he has brought pop music to where it is today. So we should using him as a topic of gossip and instead remember him for who he is.
R.I.P. MJ
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The Ris of Ms Low..
Its not just me, everyone is talking about her. The man or rather woman of the moment, Ris Low. Our beloved, disgraced and dethroned Miss Singapore World.
In recent years, Ms Singapore World has not been telecast on national TV due to poor television ratings and poor response. The events would be held privately. Hence the contestants or winners would not be under the glare of the public eye.
However this year, the winner of the contestant, Ris Low, was interviewed and the video was uploaded on YouTube and instantly, the response was overwhelming. Many netizens started bombing her and began to question the authorities about the integrity of the competition. Soon she was the talk of the town. She was under immense pressure. Reporters soon dug out her past when she committed credit card fraud. The abuse just would not stop and there were calls for her to give up her crown. Finally, it was too much for her to bear and she relinquished her crown. Even after this, they still poked fun at her, for example, PCK did an impersonation of her.
From this we can see the power of mass communication. Even though the event was not publicised, she still managed to receive so much attention of the media. From this we can what function the media serves as. By providing knowledge of her 'misdeeds', the media serves as a powerful form of surveillance. If these were not made known to us, we would have let her represent Singapore in the contests and a chance for her to disgrace us. The YouTube clips that were posted were a form of entertainment in a distasteful. However it may be funny, but the torrential abuse directed at her is definitely over the limit.
No matter what she has done wrong, it is all in the past. Moreover, she is only 19. How many of us are beauty queens at 19? Hence I think while beauty queens should be under constant scrutiny, poking fun at them and digging out their past is somethung we should not do.
In recent years, Ms Singapore World has not been telecast on national TV due to poor television ratings and poor response. The events would be held privately. Hence the contestants or winners would not be under the glare of the public eye.
However this year, the winner of the contestant, Ris Low, was interviewed and the video was uploaded on YouTube and instantly, the response was overwhelming. Many netizens started bombing her and began to question the authorities about the integrity of the competition. Soon she was the talk of the town. She was under immense pressure. Reporters soon dug out her past when she committed credit card fraud. The abuse just would not stop and there were calls for her to give up her crown. Finally, it was too much for her to bear and she relinquished her crown. Even after this, they still poked fun at her, for example, PCK did an impersonation of her.
From this we can see the power of mass communication. Even though the event was not publicised, she still managed to receive so much attention of the media. From this we can what function the media serves as. By providing knowledge of her 'misdeeds', the media serves as a powerful form of surveillance. If these were not made known to us, we would have let her represent Singapore in the contests and a chance for her to disgrace us. The YouTube clips that were posted were a form of entertainment in a distasteful. However it may be funny, but the torrential abuse directed at her is definitely over the limit.
No matter what she has done wrong, it is all in the past. Moreover, she is only 19. How many of us are beauty queens at 19? Hence I think while beauty queens should be under constant scrutiny, poking fun at them and digging out their past is somethung we should not do.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Is it for REAL??
Recently i happened to chance upon one article that caught my eye.
http://www.tnp.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,213645,00.html
This article is about a topless car wash in Singapore. It is actually part of a publicity stunt of a new motoring classifieds website, an one-off private car wash with topless women for a group of lucky winners.
After i read this article, I realised this was the right way to go. Firstly the liberalisation of the society. In the past, these events would have been clamped down by the authorities. Now these activities can be done privately, as long it does not harm the public eye. As we move towards a more liberal society, these acts should not be condoned, though it should be encouraged. It is part of who we are. People are doing this for a living. Besides this is done privately.
What I mus applaud, is the bravery of the car washers involved. It is not easy for them to be doing the car washing with eyes looking at them. However as one girl said, all this is done tastefully so there is no harm for them. As the organiser said, all of this is done in an artistic way.
'The photographs and videos in future will be motoring-centred. There won't be a shot of a girl without featuring a car.' said the organiser.
From this we can see, this is not a sleazy event but a publicity stunt for the motoring website. However, legal issues have been raised, but i think it is unnecessary. It is a 'PRIVATE' event, so only invited guests are allowed. According to the articles, necessary articles have been taken to safeguard the interests of the models.
Definitely, there will be netizens against these acts, like saying it is harmful for underaged kids and so on. It is really how one sees these events. Do consider the feelings of the models involved, for the modelling world is so small, it is likely that they would be labelled as topless car washers. This is what I do not want to see, since this is not a sleazy event, hence we should not label them as such. In the end they would lose their jobs due to the perception of people against them.
Ok, time for a car wash! Oops, i do not have a car!
http://www.tnp.sg/printfriendly/0,4139,213645,00.html
This article is about a topless car wash in Singapore. It is actually part of a publicity stunt of a new motoring classifieds website, an one-off private car wash with topless women for a group of lucky winners.
After i read this article, I realised this was the right way to go. Firstly the liberalisation of the society. In the past, these events would have been clamped down by the authorities. Now these activities can be done privately, as long it does not harm the public eye. As we move towards a more liberal society, these acts should not be condoned, though it should be encouraged. It is part of who we are. People are doing this for a living. Besides this is done privately.
What I mus applaud, is the bravery of the car washers involved. It is not easy for them to be doing the car washing with eyes looking at them. However as one girl said, all this is done tastefully so there is no harm for them. As the organiser said, all of this is done in an artistic way.
'The photographs and videos in future will be motoring-centred. There won't be a shot of a girl without featuring a car.' said the organiser.
From this we can see, this is not a sleazy event but a publicity stunt for the motoring website. However, legal issues have been raised, but i think it is unnecessary. It is a 'PRIVATE' event, so only invited guests are allowed. According to the articles, necessary articles have been taken to safeguard the interests of the models.
Definitely, there will be netizens against these acts, like saying it is harmful for underaged kids and so on. It is really how one sees these events. Do consider the feelings of the models involved, for the modelling world is so small, it is likely that they would be labelled as topless car washers. This is what I do not want to see, since this is not a sleazy event, hence we should not label them as such. In the end they would lose their jobs due to the perception of people against them.
Ok, time for a car wash! Oops, i do not have a car!
Friday, October 2, 2009
We like to talk cock sing song?
I have been following the entertainment sections in recent months. There have been many news that I find interesting. I would quote one that has been shocking to many.
It is an open secret that Andy Lau has a longtime girlfriend of 20 over years. Although he denies it vehemently, it is evident that this girl has been together with him over the last 20 yrs. In recent months, Andy Lau was spotted at the Ms Zhu's dad funeral. A picture speaks a thousand words. Soon the media started speculating that Andy and this woman were married and even had kids. Due to his idol status, Andy still denied that he had been married. Soon after it was revealed that he was indeed married! Then all the speculation started, saying he had 2 schoolkids and many other rumours. It caused a huge uproar in the entertainment circle and ignited the fans' protests against their idols for lying to them.
True it might have been Andy's fault for not admitting, but do you realise the media is starting untrue rumours and casuing an upheaval in his life? Fans are againstt him, the paparazzi are on him and he has to bear the burden of the families. Thats not forgetting his work as well. Why are there so many rumours about him? In the past, only the rumours about him and Ms Zhu are together. Now all the rumours just come about without any concrete evidence.
This is not all. It was also discovered that another superstar Leon Lai is also married. And the same thing goes about again.
I would quote another incident. A few months, Taiwanese celebrity Show Luo was involved in a scandal on FaceBook. It is claimed he made indecent exposure to the girls he got to know on FaceBook. Then many untrue rumours such as he asked for the telephone numbers for the girls he fancied. These were untrue.
I re-affirm: THESE WERE NOT TRUE!
Why has there been such incidents? Its all because of the reporters who try mislead our perception in things by making up untrue rumours about them. This will serve to raise the interest in the news, in turn raising the magazines' sales. They know people will be interested in such news, hence all sorts of rumours are cooked up to maintain the interest of the public. Furthermore, the magazines are published with the pictures as the main attraction. This will even catch attention to those who are unaware of the incidents and make them pick up to read. Such non verbal communication only serve to mislead our perception and also to boost sales and nothing else.
For myself, I condone such actions and it has led to the destruction of the celebrities' reputation. Whether is it in the past or present, these has led to the downfall of many stars or stars-to-be. It is very wrong because these artistes have strived in the industry for years and one scandal led to their downfall and it is very disheartening to see this. Finally I would like to add, though such scandals make an interesting read, but if it damages the celebrities' reputation, it is a very bad way to do so.
Ok, time to for some magazine read :D
It is an open secret that Andy Lau has a longtime girlfriend of 20 over years. Although he denies it vehemently, it is evident that this girl has been together with him over the last 20 yrs. In recent months, Andy Lau was spotted at the Ms Zhu's dad funeral. A picture speaks a thousand words. Soon the media started speculating that Andy and this woman were married and even had kids. Due to his idol status, Andy still denied that he had been married. Soon after it was revealed that he was indeed married! Then all the speculation started, saying he had 2 schoolkids and many other rumours. It caused a huge uproar in the entertainment circle and ignited the fans' protests against their idols for lying to them.
True it might have been Andy's fault for not admitting, but do you realise the media is starting untrue rumours and casuing an upheaval in his life? Fans are againstt him, the paparazzi are on him and he has to bear the burden of the families. Thats not forgetting his work as well. Why are there so many rumours about him? In the past, only the rumours about him and Ms Zhu are together. Now all the rumours just come about without any concrete evidence.
This is not all. It was also discovered that another superstar Leon Lai is also married. And the same thing goes about again.
I would quote another incident. A few months, Taiwanese celebrity Show Luo was involved in a scandal on FaceBook. It is claimed he made indecent exposure to the girls he got to know on FaceBook. Then many untrue rumours such as he asked for the telephone numbers for the girls he fancied. These were untrue.
I re-affirm: THESE WERE NOT TRUE!
Why has there been such incidents? Its all because of the reporters who try mislead our perception in things by making up untrue rumours about them. This will serve to raise the interest in the news, in turn raising the magazines' sales. They know people will be interested in such news, hence all sorts of rumours are cooked up to maintain the interest of the public. Furthermore, the magazines are published with the pictures as the main attraction. This will even catch attention to those who are unaware of the incidents and make them pick up to read. Such non verbal communication only serve to mislead our perception and also to boost sales and nothing else.
For myself, I condone such actions and it has led to the destruction of the celebrities' reputation. Whether is it in the past or present, these has led to the downfall of many stars or stars-to-be. It is very wrong because these artistes have strived in the industry for years and one scandal led to their downfall and it is very disheartening to see this. Finally I would like to add, though such scandals make an interesting read, but if it damages the celebrities' reputation, it is a very bad way to do so.
Ok, time to for some magazine read :D
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Shot!? Bulls' eye!
Recently in the newspapers there are many incidents happening. One of them caught my eye. It is regarding a NUS psychology graduate who allegedly outraged the modesty of a woman by leaving a drop of semen on her thigh.
http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,214786-1253915940,00.html?
After reading this news, I am pretty disappointed at both parties regarding the incident. Firstly, for Chong, I do not think that it is appropriate for his action. In his mitigation, he said he had the body disorder of ejaculating uncontrollably. However this is not an excuse for him to brush his private parts against the lady itself. What he did was morally wrong.
However it is also the woman’s fault partly. She should not have slapped Chong on the bus itself without letting him explain everything. Despite the obvious truth, she should allow Chong to explain everything and not demand him to follow her orders, like searching his haversack and everything. She also made the thing public by reporting to the police. While this may be the right thing to do, but it is claimed by her that Chong actually apologized to her regarding the incident.
It may seem I might be speaking up for Chong, but I maintain that this hoo-ha could have been avoided and not made public had the lady allowed Chong to explain himself. I do not think this thing should have made the papers. There was a chance of it settling at the scene itself. Either the lady wants to be in the papers or she thought it was the right thing to do.
From this incident we can clearly see that both sides failed to express themselves clearly on what to do and this led to a major farce. Hence I think this incident should have been settled on the spot to prevent the embarrassment of both parties, considering one of them is a NUS graduate himself.
Ok, time to go! My bus is here!
http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,214786-1253915940,00.html?
After reading this news, I am pretty disappointed at both parties regarding the incident. Firstly, for Chong, I do not think that it is appropriate for his action. In his mitigation, he said he had the body disorder of ejaculating uncontrollably. However this is not an excuse for him to brush his private parts against the lady itself. What he did was morally wrong.
However it is also the woman’s fault partly. She should not have slapped Chong on the bus itself without letting him explain everything. Despite the obvious truth, she should allow Chong to explain everything and not demand him to follow her orders, like searching his haversack and everything. She also made the thing public by reporting to the police. While this may be the right thing to do, but it is claimed by her that Chong actually apologized to her regarding the incident.
It may seem I might be speaking up for Chong, but I maintain that this hoo-ha could have been avoided and not made public had the lady allowed Chong to explain himself. I do not think this thing should have made the papers. There was a chance of it settling at the scene itself. Either the lady wants to be in the papers or she thought it was the right thing to do.
From this incident we can clearly see that both sides failed to express themselves clearly on what to do and this led to a major farce. Hence I think this incident should have been settled on the spot to prevent the embarrassment of both parties, considering one of them is a NUS graduate himself.
Ok, time to go! My bus is here!
Friday, September 18, 2009
Who does it belong to??
Recently there has been a huge quarrel between us and our neighbours regarding the rights of the food and where it originated. For example, Malaysia claim chicken rice, laksa and bak kut teh actually originated from there and they should have the rights to the foods. However, this has caused displeasure amongst Singapore hawkers who earn their livings from selling these famous foods.
This uproar is caused by the fact that the Malaysian tourism minister trying to patent the rights to these famous Singaporean dishes. After hearing all the claims like where it came from or who it belongs to, I am disappointed by all the farce it has created. First and foremost, it is obviously the fault of the Malaysian tourism minister who is trying to stir up trouble over here. There is no reason why she should do this. Doing this is a lack of perception on her part. She should maintain the friendly relationships amongst the SEA countries. There is no point stirring up all the storm over here. She should actually focus what is best for Malaysia's tourism industry and not try and steal the rights from the others. Besides what does Malaysia have to gain from this. Not only it poorly reflects the tourism department, it also serves to distance Malaysia from the other countries. In these times of crisis, the more we should unite and not fight over small matters such as food.
I sincerely suggest that Malaysia wake up their idea and focus on themselves and not steal the rights from others. This only goes to show Malaysia's pettiness and nothing else.
Oh well, this is not the first time. Pedra Branca, the Causeway and water have always been the factors why Malaysia cannot get along with us. I hope this storm calms down soon and everyone gets to enjoy their food.
Okay, time for some chicken rice!
This uproar is caused by the fact that the Malaysian tourism minister trying to patent the rights to these famous Singaporean dishes. After hearing all the claims like where it came from or who it belongs to, I am disappointed by all the farce it has created. First and foremost, it is obviously the fault of the Malaysian tourism minister who is trying to stir up trouble over here. There is no reason why she should do this. Doing this is a lack of perception on her part. She should maintain the friendly relationships amongst the SEA countries. There is no point stirring up all the storm over here. She should actually focus what is best for Malaysia's tourism industry and not try and steal the rights from the others. Besides what does Malaysia have to gain from this. Not only it poorly reflects the tourism department, it also serves to distance Malaysia from the other countries. In these times of crisis, the more we should unite and not fight over small matters such as food.
I sincerely suggest that Malaysia wake up their idea and focus on themselves and not steal the rights from others. This only goes to show Malaysia's pettiness and nothing else.
Oh well, this is not the first time. Pedra Branca, the Causeway and water have always been the factors why Malaysia cannot get along with us. I hope this storm calms down soon and everyone gets to enjoy their food.
Okay, time for some chicken rice!
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Whats wrong with that??
Recently there has been a huge uproar regarding the acts at the getais that is shown during the Hungry Ghost Festival. There were pole dancing, strip tease, cross dressing and it was raised by some in the community that it was unpleasant and a poor example to the young ones. These incidents got so serious that it involved the police. The police actually arrested some of the performers.
Now, these getai shows have always been part and parcel of the Hungry Ghost Festival. Usually, it would have been the song and dance, littered with casual chats of the hosts with the performers. The age groups of the performers have been rather wide, from as young as the primary school kids to the aunties of the 40s. They would be the entertainment for everybody watching.
However in recent years, the people that have been watching these shows have gradually gone down. As there is better entertainment at home, people are less willing to step out of their houses to watch such performance. Yes, they may be interesting, but it is hard to imagine anyone to actually fight for a place to watch these shows. Hence the organizers have come up with various ways to attract the crowd back again. With the usual song and dance, pole dancing, strip teases and cross dressing have become the ‘in’ thing now.
I am pretty surprised at the uproar regarding these incidents. These acts have always existed in Singapore, be it pole dancing in pubs or cross dressing. From my point of view, I think these organizers are trying hard to do their best to attract the crowd back. The usual song and dances are so common so such performances are required to get the crowd excited.
It has been said that the performances are suggestive in nature, but it is really how we perceive it. One’s perception is not necessary the same of others. Some may see it as a poor example to the younger generation, but others treat it as a form of entertainment. Of course these acts have to be moderated accordingly, but taking out these acts and just belting out the songs just takes away all the fun. These acts don’t happen all the time, just for a month. If people are fine with just songs and dance, fine by me. If you ask me, I would want these performers to be credited as they are sacrificing themselves for the joy and entertainment of others. However if the government wants to clamp down on them, what can we do?
And we talk about having a liberal society all the time. Oh well.
Now, these getai shows have always been part and parcel of the Hungry Ghost Festival. Usually, it would have been the song and dance, littered with casual chats of the hosts with the performers. The age groups of the performers have been rather wide, from as young as the primary school kids to the aunties of the 40s. They would be the entertainment for everybody watching.
However in recent years, the people that have been watching these shows have gradually gone down. As there is better entertainment at home, people are less willing to step out of their houses to watch such performance. Yes, they may be interesting, but it is hard to imagine anyone to actually fight for a place to watch these shows. Hence the organizers have come up with various ways to attract the crowd back again. With the usual song and dance, pole dancing, strip teases and cross dressing have become the ‘in’ thing now.
I am pretty surprised at the uproar regarding these incidents. These acts have always existed in Singapore, be it pole dancing in pubs or cross dressing. From my point of view, I think these organizers are trying hard to do their best to attract the crowd back. The usual song and dances are so common so such performances are required to get the crowd excited.
It has been said that the performances are suggestive in nature, but it is really how we perceive it. One’s perception is not necessary the same of others. Some may see it as a poor example to the younger generation, but others treat it as a form of entertainment. Of course these acts have to be moderated accordingly, but taking out these acts and just belting out the songs just takes away all the fun. These acts don’t happen all the time, just for a month. If people are fine with just songs and dance, fine by me. If you ask me, I would want these performers to be credited as they are sacrificing themselves for the joy and entertainment of others. However if the government wants to clamp down on them, what can we do?
And we talk about having a liberal society all the time. Oh well.
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