tnppostwoman.com archives

Sheela Says:  Now Bollywood wants to make English films. With big stars no less.

While their actors like Aishwarya Rai are trying to crack - mostly unsuccessfully - into Hollywood, the industry wants to try another tack on the international market. Now, the future trend seems to be making English films as an alternative to their masala musicals that these English audiences don’t get.

Amitabh Bachchan’s latest film, The Last Lear, has been causing all sorts of excitement just because one of Bollywood’s biggest stars has done an art house film. It is not the first time India has made an English film. There have been a slew of Indian-made English films for the last 10 to 15 years - both good and truly horrifying - that have hit the silver screen.

But these films do not have the commercial heft of their Bollywood counterparts. There are no songs, no dances and no soap opera style plotlines that stretch three hours and deal (gasp!) with real-life themes.

While such English films may appeal to an international audience and the Indian diaspora, I believe they will not replace the standard Bollywood fare. Bollywood is about pure escapism, fantasy and leave your brains at the door entertainment. Fans would not want reality to get in the way of their fun.

Tell Us: Do you think English Bollywood films can be mainstream? Will they replace the song and dance movies that Bollywood is famous for?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

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LETTERS VIA EMAIL

Being the true-blue Bollywood fan that I am, I always look forward to all the typical masala
films that are churned out at the box-office every week. But there are some off-beat made in english films that have caught my attention in the past.

‘BLACK’ starring the legendary icon Amitabh Bachchan and pretty actress Rani Mukherjee
was one such film. With some brilliant performances and a touching story, director Sanjay
Leela Bhansali had a winner. The film was widely appreciated by the Indian audience and was declared a hit with the masses. It swept all the major honours at award functions that year and was also considered to be India’s official entry to the Oscars.

However, not all films in this genre are accepted. ‘THE NAMESAKE’, for one, failed to pull in the crowds that yearn for the normal dose of love stories and song and dance sequences. Even with a stellar cast of Tabu and Irrfan Khan, who are considered to be heavyweights in the acting field this film did not surpass its expectations. Such films will definitely try to make a mark but they will never replace the original stereotype of Bollywood movies, where its all make-belief, and there’s always a happy ending.
Amelia D’Souza

Sheela Says: Celebrities are such a yawn when they display their political stripes.

Call me cynical, but every four years, the stars will come out and wax lyrical about a presidential candidate.

And they barely make an impact as far as I am concerned.

Take the recent Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado for instance.

Most of Hollywood’s A, B, C and D-listers came out to fete the new Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

If they are not waving flags and wearing badges for their idol, they are taking digs at his rival John McCain.

Like Madonna did during the launch of her Sticky & Sweet tour in Cardiff recently, with a video interlude juxtaposing Adolf Hitler, Robert Mugabe and Republican presidential nominee John McCain to the track of Get Stupid.

Towards the end of the song, she had images of John Lennon, Al Gore and Mahatma Gandhi with footage of Obama.

Thank you, we get it Mads - like a sledgehammer to the head, we got your message.

Do American celebrities honestly think that if they back a political candidate, their fans and viewers are going to be swayed during the elections?

As it has been shown time and again, for all their influence in American society, celebrities have had little success influencing the ballot boxes.

They can sell soap to their fans, but selling a candidate, well, that’s another story entirely.
For the rest of the world, do we really give a hoot who these fellas actually support or vote for in the upcoming US Presidential election?

All their political posing is mere watercooler chatter for us.

Maybe some of these celebrities do actually believe they can do some good.

But I am more inclined to believe that like most celebrities, it is all about how much publicity they can get out of this.

Tell Us: Do you really care whom the celebrities support in the upcoming US presidential elections? Or do you think such famous backing actually hurts and hinders the campaign of the candidate involved?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

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LETTERS VIA EMAIL

I feel the Stars, well publicised antics is actually hurting Mr Obama’s Crediblity. Actually i also don’t care who the celebrities support during the upcoming Presidential Elections as i feel Mr John Mccain is the right person to be the President of United States.

MrJohn Mccain is more qualified than MrBarrack Obama. His experience in handling miltary issues will be a huge plus point over Obama. In 1997, Time Magazine listed John Mccain as one of the Top 25 “Most Influential People in America.” This is before anyone heard of Mr Obama back then.

As an adult Mr Obama, admitted that during high school he used marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol, which he described at the Saddleback Church Civil Forum on the Presidency as his greatest moral failure. Whereas Mr John Mccain,took on the tobacco industry in 1998, proposing legislation that would increase cigarette taxes in order to fund anti-smoking campaigns, discourage teenage smokers, increase money for health research studies, and help states pay for smoking-related health care costs.

Even our ministers go through strict guidelines to ensure they are well qualified for their posts so that we singaporeans are assured that our country is in good hands. Our Prime Minister has valuable Miltary Experience which i feel makes a good leader. Americans should vote for the more qualified canidate instead for the more popular one who is endorsed by celebrites.

What Obama lacks in leadership qualites and political experience to John Mccain cannot be made equal by the support of the celebrites. John Mccain is the right candidate to lead the United States.
 Sivaram

Sheela Says: Let’s face it, when it comes to having a killer body, most athletes score big in that department. That, of course, excludes sports that require you to look like a towering mountain of flesh.

I’ve found that our local athletes score high on the attractive scale. But in terms of the attention scale, they are sorely losing out to their Western counterparts. While many Singaporean know about swimmers like Michael Phelps or Amanda Beard, I was hard pressed to find someone who knew most of our attractive athletes.

Other than Li Jiawei and Ronald Susilo that is. But we all know why. Their romance, break-up and legal woes played out like Taiwanese soap opera right on our front pages.

Maybe our athletes need to do what their international counterparts do most of the time - show off those killer abdominal muscles and sexy lycra-ed bodies in a calendar or in a popular magazine. What a way to create a buzz for the sport and for themselves.

Tell Us: Do you think our Singapore athletes are just as hot as their Western counterparts? What do they need to do to get more attention?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

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In response to “Team Singapore: Sizzling!”I like to say that local sports celebs are as hot as their international counterparts.I believed local sports celebs can promote themselves and their sporting fields is to appear in schools to promote such sports in the national level.Such will motivate the local students and by doing so, these motivated students may follow the footsteps of the local sports celebs and be our future Singapore Olympians.Not only that, the relevant bodies can also hold events whereby they can meet up with the general public so that Singapoeans can have chance to mingle and rub shoulder with our local sports celebs.

I like to say that we Singaporeans seems to be more interested in foreign sports celebs because i believed local celebs are always here and available compared to international sports celebs who may be here once every four years or worse, only once in a life time.A very good example is recently when the US Olympic Swim Team was in town for their training,I read that many supporters waited for these celebs at the training facilities to catch a glimpse as well as to get their autographs and to have pictures taken with them.I am also pleased and honoured to have met, wished and have photos taken with both Dara Torres and Michael Phelps when they were in Singapore.Same goes for the Brazilian Olympic Football Team who were in Singapore for a friendly game with the Singapore Team before their games in the Beijing Olympics.

In 2004, i stayed overnight at Changi Airport to welcome the Singapore Olympians to thank them for doing their best for Singapore in the Athens Olympics.I was disappointed and angry and even cried that Li Jia Wei did not win any medal at the 2004 Olympics.She was so close to winning a medal and not only that, she was in the lead in the final game.After feeling disappointed and angry at her, i cried because i felt remorseful and guilty for being so harsh on her.I failed to put myself in her shoe and about her feeling

I will be at Changi Airport to welcome all the Singapore Olympians for doing their best for Singapore at the 29th Beijing Olympics.To me, all of them are gold medalist winners for Singapore.If they are able to win any medals at the Olympics,such will definitely be a bonus for Singapore.

Ace Kindred Cheong

Attractiveness is a very complex trait and relies on many factors apart from just physical attributes.
It is true that our athletes have well-toned and shapely bodies, but with so many hotbods around,
well defined muscles are no longer enticing enough for the masses to fall heads over heeds in love with them.
Most people will agree that our sportsmen come nowhere close to their western counterparts on the hotness scale.
I fall within that category and I must admit that our athletes need to step up a few notch in order to transform
themsevles into a Pan-Asia or even a global sports star.

First of all, world class talents are what most sporting superstars possess. Phelps is the talk of the Olympics because of his natural
extraordinary apitude in the waters. Breaking records would be a good way to expand your fanbase especially in
your home nation. You have Nadal who brought Federer’s reign to an end. No doubt that their behemoth talents
which was on display during their titanic battles earned them legions of fans world wide. Tao Li, in setting a new
Asian record would have gained a measured degree of fame and most important, respect from Singaporeans.
If she can keep up with her progress, you can see our nation keeping regular tabs on her.

The stars are not chosen based on the size of their abdominalis rectus, biceps or gluteus maximus.
Media exposure will follow natural talents. Exclusive interviews in popular magazines, exotic shots on mediterranean
shores for calenders and Oprah’s invitation to her show are all by-products of success.
In turn, they enhance the popularity of the sportsmen and magnify their achievements.
We can encourage local magazines and our TV stations to feature more of our gladiators.
Yet all the media attention might just prove to be too dangerous a distraction. Just look at
Anna Kournikova and Michelle Wie, though the jury is still out on the latter.

The inherent attractiveness of the sports a sportman choose is also important. Sportsmen of more popular sports
like football, basketball, or racing tend to garner more attention. If we can produce another Fandi Ahmad and he
gets snap up by a European club, he would famous in Asia for being our representative. Yaoming is also another
icon revered not only by the Chinese but many others residing on this continent. Lets pay more attention to
our football stars, in hope that because of the attention, more people would take up the sport. In that process
we might just get lucky and unearth a real gem and he would truly have every Singaporean’s attention.

We might also be more fervant in following our sportsmen if they have been born and raised in Singapore. We have
been turning to foreign talents in our quest for sporting glory. In the process we might have alienated our own aspiring
talents. I must say our foreign imports have been doing their best to bring honor to this country. Perhaps with
our sports school, we could have another Ang Peng Siong or Tan Howe Liang and the nation will fall in behind them.

Ng Chin Kiang

I must agree with Sheela in her assessment of the physical attractiveness of our athletes. Have you seen our swimmers and the water polo guys glistering barebodied with sweat and water under the sun ? That sight would be enough to melt the hearts of many local girls. Our cherubic Taoli and the sweet looking Li Jia Wei would not look out of place in a mini beauty contest like Miss Chinatown or Miss Sentosa. I can go on about how many of our athletes have both the talents and physical attributes to be media darlings and regional idols.

Yet when it comes to local and international recognition and fame, it is people like Michael Phelps, Amanda Bread, Kobe Bryant and the likes who are hogging the limelight. Perhaps the fact that they are Americans and the world’s obsession with the hollywood culture sees them gracing TV shows, magazines and calenders. It helps that the American paparazzis are hot on their heels. I cannot imagine our friendly singapore reporters hot on the tailcoats of Remy Ong or Susilo, staking outside their HDB apartments, snapping in earnest as they take out their trash to throw. Then climbing down the rubbish chute and rummaging through all the dump for some used durex or parking fine ticket.

Headline grabber Amanda Bread is not shy of the media. She dared to bare all for her anti-fur protests and even appeared as an anchor for a sports news program.She even appeared on playboy. Say lets get FHM singapore or Maxim to do a lingerie shot of our female Table Tennis team. Definitely all our angsty mothers and grandmothers will be up in arms about how scandalous and degrading it is.

Football and basketball stars get all the attention because of the television power they command. I usually switch to channel 8 when a local match is showed, I rather watch CEO Fann Wong Vs Madwoman Fann wong than Jalan Besar Vs Sengkang. We are keen to watch and keep tabs on the olympics because of all the pubilicity and media coverage.

So what do our athletes need to do for more attention? While making sure that the media spotlight is not distracting them from training, they can appear on more variety shows, engage a publicity manager to handle these after office hours commitments. Hire a top class grooming assistant and make sure they appear ravishing at all times.

Lastly they need to be more charismatic. With the same amount of delication and commitment shown in their sport, they can transfer that discipline and fervor to political and global issues. Just like Eunice Olsen who went from beauty queen to NMP, maybe shooter Lee Wung Yew can gun down some MPs in the parliament as another NMP. Being passionate about the country and the world would definitely see local athletes’ profiles raised. Perhaps our local football team’s uniform might just carry Unicef’s insignia as a show of support for poverty and AIDS issues in Africa. Then maybe Lionel Lewis might be the Beckham of Asia. (Apologies to Beckham fans, I know the LA galaxy star will never have a bad hair day.)

Tan Wei Teng

The attention given to Michael Phelps and Amanda Beard is overwhelming.

Besides owning killer bods, their good performances earned them rights to be in the media spotlight.

True, we do have some attractive athletes, but are they on par with their western counterparts? I definitely don’t think so.

The truth hurts, but comparing consistency, levels of commitment, they beat us hands down.

A true sportsman or sportswoman must possess a ‘never say die attitude’, and I was flabbergasted when exclamation of being ‘tired’ came out of the mouth of our swimmer, Tao Li.

Let’s inch a little away and talk about soccer. Singaporean just simply adore foreign footballers.

They would rather watch EPL matches to S-League matches.

Remember the recent Brazil/Singapore match?

No doubt Indra Sadhan is a great player, but did the fans flock there to watch him in action?

On the contrary, my good man.

They were there for just one man, and that person was none other than the Brazilian player, Ronaldinho.

What I’m trying to emphasize is that in order to gain more attention, its not how you look, but how well you play the game.

No amount of publicity or media coverage will help if you can’t deliver.

In conclusion, I would like to congratulate Feng Tianwei for achieving what others had failed to do.

Persist and success will be yours!

Anna Law

Foreigns stars like phelps and ronaldinho are commanding worldwide attention at the olympics because of their success in the sporting arena. Naturally our nation will be just as fascinated with their progress at the olympics as the rest of the world. They are phenomenal in their own sports and that makes them hot. Besides demostrating unquestionable talents, these famous blokes are modest about their achievements and has this unsatiable thirst for more conquests. All these qualities will put them in favorable light and draw fans to them. So while you would rather take Li Jiawei out on a date than Usafa Powell, its the latter who ranks higher on the sizzling scale for most people.

Granted our athletes are breaking national and asian records but so many records are being broken at the olympics that I have lost count. Or bother even counting.

To the singaporeans who are used to wnning international accolades for our academic abilities, our world class airport, our graft free government and so on, losing will never make you hot. Even if ronald susilo has more abs than ronaldinho, no one will bat an eyelid unless he beats a certain Lin Dan en route to a medal.

So while our local newspapers may give our record-breaking representatives the headline, online reports from other countries are unlikely to grant more than a cursory sentence to them. It all comes down to medals eventually. Reporters only interviews the winners and unless our sportsmen really win something, breaking asian records will only be rewarded with a footnote.

It seems that our table tennis girls are finally set to deliver at least a set of glorious silver medals home. Then there is the promise of much more than 2nd place. They could do us prouder by beating the hosts and world number 1 Zhang Yining in their own courtyard. Their acheivement to date has already generated an extraordinary amount of buzz online in the local community and everywhere else in singapore. There is not one forum that does not have well wishes for our paddlers and that proves that athletic achievements is the best way to grab attention. Phelps who? Beat china and you have hordes of bloggers praising and drawing inspiration from them. You might even have the very active chinese bloggers cursing them for spoiling their party, or admiring our girls for realising a small nation’s dream.

Ong Guan Hong

Anyone who watched yesterday’s table tennis finals which featured our best pingpong girls against China’s elite must have felt the adrenaline pumping as the players traded shots for shots and displayed great technique and mental fortitude. WHo say that our players are not as hot as their western counterparts? I was up and down in my couch and sweat coursed down my forehead as I cheered and cursed every single antic of the players. When Feng won her first set, the temperature rose through the sky in my living room. Ice man Phelps and Cool Girl Amanda Bread just have to take a backseat to our country’s finest gladiators on show. Every PM Lee’s speech was rescheduled in the face of our sizzling final.

In that morning, Phelps broke the record number of Olympics gold medal, the night before, Jamaican runners took their events by storm in both ladies and guys categories. However the talk of the town was still Feng, Li and Wang. Every newspaper carried well wishes for them and while we knew that our chances were slim against the Chinese, we still hoped for a miracle.

That is exactly what players must do to grab national and world wide attention. Excel in their sports, get to a final and eventually we might break our duck and bring home a coveted gold medallion. To achieve the silver at Olympics is phenomenal. Even sporting greats like Ronaldo, Pete Sampras and Tiger Woods cannot boast of a silver medal. We have two rising talents in Feng and swimmer TaoLi. Both are still young and given today’s achievement, there remains plenty of untapped potential. I hope the nation will throw our weight behind them for the next four years, follow their exploits closely and lend them all the support they need. Four years later, our gold medal just come from one of the.

Earlier our national football team had won the Asian cup and every pub along clarke quay was showing that match. When Ubekzistan visited Singapore, fans flocked to the national stadium to cheer our team on. National identity is something that runs in our blood. When we see a fellow singaporean fighting for honors in the name of Singapore, we will rise to the occasion and cheer them on with all our hearts. I am sure many people still remember the dream 2010 where then PM Goh threw down the challenge of qualifying for the World Cup in 2010. Although we did not do it this time, we will try again and again.

With the youth Olympics in 2010 to be hosted in Singapore, I am sure more attention will be focused on our local athletes. By then our table tennis triplet will be senior figures in the set up and the whole nation will look to them to impart their world beaters skills to our prodigies. The future looks bright and I am sure with all the investment and support for our budding sportspersons, they will only become hotter and hotter. May they be golden hot soon!

Ong Kok Wah

Sheela Says: What does your favourite drink say about you? In 2005, a UK-based chartered psychologist spent a week in a pub and to actually try to answer this question.

Apparently, if you are a red wine drinker you are a mature person and if you drink a white Zindafel - an inexpensive quaffable fruity white wine - you think you’re sophisticated but actually you have no clue. Women who drink cosmopolitans are Sex and The City fanatics and Carrie Bradshaw wannabes and men who drink cosmopolitans are well, gay.

Apparently it makes it easier for someone at the bar to figure out your personality based on your drink before they hit on you. I happen to be a gin and tonic, Bloody Mary and dirty martini drinker with an occasional yen for a glass of champagne and a Mexican beer with a twist of lime - not necessarily on the same night. What does that say about me?

I think what  your drink should say about you is that you just want to have a good time, relaxing at your favourite bar with your poison of choice. We play enough mind games at the office… do we really need them at the bar? If you really want to get to know person, just buy them drink and start a conversation.

Tell Us: Does your favourite tipple say anything about you ? Or is it all just cocktail pop psychobabble?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

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LETTERS VIA E-MAIL

Our favourite booze speaks volumes about us. First it might reveal where we come from, you have Singaporeans overseas asking for the Singapore Sling in the bars and pubs, you see an expatriate drinking the Irish Car Bomb or a Guinness Stout you know he is Irish or if he is sipping the Bordeaux Clairet or Chenas you are looking at Mr France. There is more to it of course. The more adventurous of us prefer the shots and flaming martinis, the mature ones the XOs and VSOPs if they are rich or just Tiger beer if they are not. Then you have those who just want a good time on a nightout without too much excitement and they might just choose a Blue Haiwaiian or a Long Island. Also ever wonder why bartenders put so much efforts into naming their drinks? Precisely because drinks convey a message, so actually your favourite drink is your way of sending out a signal to other observers. Drinks like Sex on the beach and Kiss on the Lips could mean you are a hopeless romantic. Doctors and nurses might just like Painkillers and Grateful Dead. It is also no surprise the Americans are increasingly falling for Bushwacker and Obama’s favourite drink is El Presidente.

Tan Wei Teng

Do you think your favourite tipple says something about your personality?

To a large extent, it is true. Your favourite tipple usually says a lot about your lifestyle and personality. For instance people who prefer wine usually depicts luxury and status. Fruity mixed drinks tend to attract people who are more fun and frivolous. In other words, even though drinks may not be as accurate as real scientific tests, it is still useful in giving us a rough idea about a person’s personality.

Amelda Nira Hamdan

Sheela Says: Guess it’s not enough being a Singapore Idol, an Asian Idol and winners of popular awards at a regional awards show. When Taufik Batisah and Hady Mirza were not nominated for the 2008 MTV Asia Music Awards’ (MAA) Favourite Artiste Singapore Artist Category, fans were miffed.

MTV Asia’s press release said that the nominees for these categories are “movers and shakers who shape the local music industry as well as the most popular international artists in Asia” who are chosen by “music industry players.” I have no issues with the four current Favourite Artiste (Singapore) nominees: Electrico, Stefanie Sun, JJ Lin and Tanya Chua. They have done the local music industry proud on a regional and international stage.

But I would consider Hady winning Asian Idol and Taufik - who has several popular awards under his belt and who recently cracked into the protective Malaysian music market - as movers and shakers of the local music industry too. Mind you Taufik has won this award in 2006 and Hady has never even been nominated before.

Besides, the number of nominees in the Singapore category went down from five to four this year compared to 2006. Could that be a reason why that the two singers missed a berth on that boat - simply no more room on the list for either one of them? What are the criteria to make it as a nominee - popularity, album sales or both? And who are these “industry players” that get to make the call on who deserves to get nominated and who don’t?

Tell Us:  What do you think of the MAA Favourite (Singapore) nominees? Do you think Taufik Batisah and Hady Mirza deserve to be nominated?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

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LETTERS VIA EMAIL

We are very disappointed to hear that our idol Taufik Batisah is not included on the list. Need we say more why he should be included? One thing for sure he deserves it!

Another request, we love to see him perform at the MTV awards. We dont mind travel to Malaysia for the event and meet his ‘fiknatics’ fans in Malaysia to show our undying support.

Sophie DC

I am quite disappointed by this year’s MTV nomination. As an Indonesian student living in Singapore who is interested in the music industry particularly the Asian region, I follow the career of various musicians like Taufik Batisah, Hady Mirza, Mike Mohede (Indonesian Idol 2005), Ihsan Tarore (Indonesian Idol 2006) and many more.

As widely known, the Malaysian and Indonesian music industries are tough and protective industries to break through for Singapore musicians. The fact that Taufik Batisah managed to break into the Malaysian music industry and Hady Mirza managing to break into the Indonesian music industry goes to show how both musicians represent a new generation of Singapore musicians. I started noticing the Singapore music industry as an industry to be reckoned with thanks to Hady Mirza’s incredible win at the Asian Idol last December. The fact that both Taufik Batisah and Hady Mirza are not nominated at the MTV Asia Awards is a big mistake.

A question I have in my mind right now is what are the criteria of being nominated? If it is only based on album sales, then it is true that both musicians have not released any album this year. How about the release of Taufik Batisah’s third album Teman Istimewa (Special Friend) released late last year? Although both musicians have not released an album this year, shouldn’t their accolades and awards be counted? Releasing an album in the right time slot doesn’t mean that a musician is a “mover and shaker who shapes the local music industry as well as the most popular international artists in Asia.”

One point to remember, even though the Singapore Idols (Taufik Batisah and Hady Mirza) are not the only musicians that have brought new energy to the Singapore music industry these past few years, the Idols should be recognised for their hard work in trying to bring back the golden years in Singapore’s music industry.

Widya Tarina Said

Sheela Says: When my girlfriends and I decide to have drinks on Wednesday night, it’s almost become a no-brainer. Head to almost any club and you’re likely to be courted by Ladies Night - plied with free drink coupons and free cover charge.

But throughout my years of feeling privileged as the fairer sex, it feels that Ladies Night has turned into a bit of a bore. Every other club is trying to outdo each other - from spa vouchers to full manicures and pedicures. One club even decided to be choosy by only letting in women of a certain age, and elicited a whole barrage of complaints.

My guy friends say I shouldn’t complain - that at least I’m getting benefits just for being a woman. Which got me thinking - how about a Men’s Night? In the US, there are sports bars where men gather for Monday night football and free beers. It draws the men and the women get a good eyeful too.

But could it work here? It didn’t before. Maxspeed Sports Bar opened in 1993 and closed soon after, unable to support a bunch of testosterone-filled clubbers. Or maybe the women just weren’t biting. But what about now? After all, women are drinking almost as much as men, and are upwardly mobile enough to pay for their own drinks. Who needs to feel like a dehydrated damsel at the bar when you’ve got a Gucci bag filled with credit cards?

Tell Us: Would a Men’s Night work in clubs here? Would you patronise it?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

Sheela Says: The latest Hollywood lightweight rom-com, Made Of Honor, has Patrick Dempsey (Dr McDreamy of TV show Grey’s Anatomy) playing a maid of honour to his best female friend whom he just happens to be in love with. Julia Roberts did the same thing 11 years ago in My Best Friend’s Wedding.

While I would hardly take inspiration from a Hollywood rehash about swopped gender roles, there is something to be said about that.
If I had married the white wedding way, I would get my best male friends to be maids of honour along with my gal pals.
I would just call them mates of honour - mate being the Aussie slang for friend.

Gender stereotypes are just so last century.
My guy friends have seen me through the best and worst of times.
Not to have them be a part of one of the most important events in my life doesn’t make sense just because they don’t fit some societal stereotype that a maid of honour should be female.

I am obviously not the only one who feels that way.
As part of the film’s promotional blitz, local advertising manager Ashley Thng got her best mate Alvin Aw to be her maid of honour at her wedding in a cinema, which was held right before Made Of Honor’s gala premiere. And her husband was totally cool with it.
So when it comes down to it, friendship trumps gender stereotypes any day.

Tell Us: Would you consider having a male maid of honour on your big day and would your husband-to-be mind? How would you feel if your groom had a female “best man”?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

Sheela Says: I am a big fan of stand-up comedy.
Nothing says good night out for me than drinks with your best mates and a rip-roaring time at your local comedy club.
Which makes me wonder why aren’t there enough comedy clubs here.

It is not that we don’t have the talent.
Every time there is a comedy production involving Hossan Leong, Sebastian Tan, Irene Ang or the Dim Sum Dollies, the shows are usually sold out.
And let’s not forget Kumar’s weekly gigs at his regular spot at the 3 Monkeys Café- you have to make reservations to watch his shows otherwise forget about it.
Even the foreign shows like the Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow have sold out here.

Whether the humour is local or foreign, Singaporeans will pay good money to have their funny bone tickled.

I believe there is room in the local nightlife scene to have a few comedy clubs. It offers variety to people looking for a good night out. Not everyone wants to hang out at a nightclub just drinking and dancing. They want to have a bit of a laugh as well.

Tell Us: What do you think of the standard of comedy clubs here? Would you like to see more of them? Does Singapore have room for more local comedians too?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg . Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

Sheela Says: Despite my stand that the Internet is a cowboy town whose dark elements need to be reined in, it has become a boon for the wallflower.

Special interest groups on social networking sites like Facebook, Orkut or MeetUp have given shy ones a chance to get off the wallpaper to mix and mingle with other human beings. If you have a hobby, there is sure to be a group online who is organising an offline event where people can meet, talk and share.

Like the a group of local internet foodies who meet up regularly at a nice restaurant or at local hawker centre to talk about food and to just get to know each other in a stress-free, non-threatening environment.

And if you’re new in town, such groups are godsend for making new friends and possibly meet new romantic partners in a new city. Hardly surprising, Cupid has struck a number of people in these groups. One foodie told me that a fellow member, a 17-year-old student, was painfully shy when he first started coming for the foodie meet ups. Over time, he loosened up, became confident and his conversational skills got better. His future on the dating circuit just became brighter.

Tell Us: What do you think of these online groups that organise events offline? Are you a member of such a group? Would you join a group like this?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg . Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

Sheela Says: What a political mess some celebrities have found themselves in this week.

Those picked to run in the Olympic Torch relay as part of the global run up to the Beijing Olympic Games probably weren’t expecting to face the barrage of criticism thrown at them by pro-Tibet and human rights supporters. Or for that matter attacked while carrying the torch on route in their respective cities.

The protesters are demonstrating against the Chinese government’s crackdown on the pro-independence movement in Tibet last month and on the country’s human rights record. Protestors tried to jump on British celebrities like television presenter Konnie Haq, Arsenal footballer Theo Walcott and violinist Vanessa Mae as they ran through London last week with the torch.

The latest to face the heat is Bollywood star Aamir Khan who has been bombarded with a storm of criticism after he decided to continue to participate in the run when the torch arrives in New Delhi next week.

While protestors have every right to demonstrate their unhappiness with the Chinese government, jumping on the relay runners in a bid to extinguish the torch is a little much. Call me an idealist but it has been proven time and again that sports and politics make awful bedfellows. The Olympic Games is about celebrating the human spirit and it shouldn’t be hijacked in the name of politics.

Tell Us: Should celebrities run in the Olympic Torch relay despite the protests? What do you think about mixing sports and politics?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg . Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

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LETTERS VIA E-MAIL

It is nice of you to ask about this ongoing human behavior regarding the relay and the participants. Celebs, athletes or anyone who cares for the welfare and good of others must voice out their concerns for the Tibetans. The olympics should not be the stage to do it. The Human Rights groups are right too cause they care and I believe most Singaporeans do not know the hardships these Tibetans are going through. Stars, they maybe
and their lifestyles are different from what the Tibetans are going through. It is easy for for them to lend their names and have raving reports to boost their popularity. They have their freedom and believe in what they are doing. Most importantly they must reflect and ask themselves if people all around the world, including leaders of certain countries are voicing out for the Tibetans than what has caused the olympic torch relay to be so messy. Let us all think again and put ourselves in the Tibetans shoes.

Robertson Fernandez

Celebs wanting to make their political statements , should not use the Olympics as it is not the platform to do so. Instead they should not make money from China and condemn their own government for recognising China’s sovereignty over Tibet.

Peter Liu Soon Ching