tnppostwoman.com archives

Charlene Says: Whenever homegrown talent JJ Lin pushes his artistic boundaries, he’s bound to receive flak. From mutilating a girl in his MTV to kissing A-do on the mouth, JJ has sold as many copies of his album as he has been called controversial. The latest incident is his riot-of-colours plaid look on the cover of his new album Sixology.

The 27-year-old singer, who has been honoured with awards such as Hong Kong, Taiwan Best Composer 2005, seems to be received with mixed feelings in Singapore. People can’t decide whether to celebrate his regional success or chide him for thinking a pictorial book with a picture of him on the toilet bowl (with his pants down no less) is humourous.

But I say: Singapore, give him a chance. JJ should be applauded for stepping out of the box and daring to be different. Besides, the guy is feeling hurt. He recently posted on his blog that he is especially hurt by negative feedback from his “home country”.
 
Perhaps we’re just not used to seeing him be so daring, thanks to his boyish, clean cut image. But boys do grow up. And I think it’s time the public does too.      

Tell Us: Do you think JJ Lin is daring in his artistic choices? Or do you think he is trying too hard to be different and failing? What do you think of the plaid look on his new album cover?

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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Found nothing wrong with JJ Lin’s new look. It is refreshing.

If all album cover is with 3pc suit, and the usual type, then the album cover will be like uniform in school. Are we so square?

Mary Ho

JJ’s a clown? I totally don’t agree with the comment that some singaporeans gave. To me personally, as a malay guy and a big fan of JJ, he actually dresses well la. I adore his clothings la. This shows that he is daring to do differently,rather than appear in sleeveless top which other artiste love to do, which i find it boring and lame. In overall,he’s taste of fashion is superb. And no matter what he wears he will look good. So to those who say his a clown. Look yourself at the mirror.

Khairy AK

Charlene Says: Table tennis player Li Jiawei has been rumoured to be considering a career in entertainment.

After losing the spotlight to Feng Tianwei during the recent Beijing Olympics, I can’t say that I’m surprised. Credit has to be given where it’s due and Jiawei has fought to bring glory to the Singapore sports scene for the last 15 years.

But is she thinking about a career switch now because she knows her time’s up? Or does she really see herself gracing the big screen?

I’m not a table tennis fan and truth be told, know very little about the persona that is Li Jiawei. But having seen her famous mug on TV and in media publications over the years, I’ll admit that there is an air of vulnerability about her.

Perhaps it’s the worried glances that she shoots her teammates when they’re losing or her bouts of unabashed crying when they win, the image that she portrays is essentially that of the girl next door.

So can a table tennis player who wears her heart on her sleeve successfully make the transition to acting when sport is the only thing she’s ever known?

Snippets from the grapevine indicate that some are of the view that she shouldn’t as she lacks star quality and the elusive X-factor. Others seem to think that she would do well by leveraging on her current “celebrity” status.

Personally, I think Jiawei should consider a career in the entertainment industry if and only if she decides that she has nothing more to contribute to the world of table tennis. To give acting a shot while she remains a sportswoman, she risks becoming a jack of all trades and a master of none.

No one would want to be remembered as that if indeed they are remembered at all.

Tell Us: Do you think Jiawei has the goods to make it in showbiz? Or should she stop being distracted by her other personal aspirations and focus on winning medals?

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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The competitive sporting life of a top tiered athlete is very limited and it is of no surprise that she is exploring greener pastures with news of her intentions to pursue a degree, get married and maybe even become an actress.It may be all well and good if she can juggle all the eggs but it is easier said than done. She still has years of top levelled competition ahead of her as she is still going to anchor the Singaporean female table tennis team for the upcoming 2012 London Olympics.It will be a real waste if her mind is set adrift and she loses sight of the bigger picture. As the adage goes, no pain no gain. If she has intentions to achieve even more, i believe it is important for her to maintain her focus and make suitable sacrifices and priorities. When her time in competitive table tennis is up, there will be many decades for her to pursue her various endeavors. She may have the potential to make it as an actress but a few years more wouldn’t rob her of such instincts.As it is , her niche remains table tennis and it will be dreadful if she’s remembered as a budding Olympics Champion who ended up acting in some third rate films because she chose the wrong course of action. That will be a disaster not only for her, but also for the countries which made her what she is. As the situations involving Gao Ning,Ms Lee Bee Wah,Antony Lee and perhaps most tellingly,Coach Liu Guodong reach a closure, Singapore’s best hopes for a gold medal come 2012 can give the nation a massive boost by declaring her focus ahead.I am sure Singaporeans will give her their full support when she hangs up her tennis paddles and starts acting in a few years time That won’t do anybody any harm in this lean economic times will it?

Peng Tie Lun

Jeanmarie Says: The new James Bond movie Quantum Of Solace is out this week, making it Daniel Craig’s second stab at the franchise.

But even though it’s setting UK box office records, it’s also been getting mixed reviews for being inferior to Casino Royale.

Maybe that’s the reason why Quantum opened first in Europe and will only reach the US next week - the producers were probably concerned that a highly-negative reaction in the US would scare off the rest of the world.

Those looking for non-stop action will not be disappointed. The rest of us expecting the trademark sly quips, cool gadgets or even a decent sex scene will be wondering if we stepped into the wrong cinema hall.

And remember the brouhaha surrounding the casting of Craig as the super-cool spy? He redeemed himself admirably in Casino Royale, but without a buzzed-about scene like the one with him emerging from the ocean in his trunks (which he has retired for good) in Quantum, he gives a performance worthy of a Madame Tussauds waxwork.

It’s hard to believe that producers can bring themselve to rave about how he’s “the greatest Bond”. Hello, what’s Sean Connery then?

Craig has confirmed he’ll be back for a third go-around because we all know Bond movies never die, but I’m already over him.

Tell us: Is Quantum Of Solace on your must-see list this year? Or do you disagree with the producers, who call Craig “the greatest Bond”?

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. 

Germaine Says: Going back to nature and better still, organic ingredients are beauty’s new rules of thumb.

Demi Moore admitted early this year to using leeches as part of her beauty regime to “detoxify blood” and retain her youthfulness. The Indecent Proposal star also famously transformed her fledgling career and bagged a cute and younger husband after shelling out a reported £260,000 (S$651,000) on plastic surgery.
 
The latest buzz on the mill is Victoria Beckham religiously uses nightingale poo to combat acne. Now that takes the icing on the cake.

Other suspicious ingredients that reportedly promote an improved appearance include snake’s venom which works like Botox, snail secretion for cell regeneration and bull’s semen for shampoo commercial-worthy mane. Sounds far-fetched? Apparently not.

Whether it is to prolong their careers or simply for vanity’s sake, celebrities are not alien to resorting to alarming antics for beauty. Isn’t it true that humankind gravitate to hope, even if it were just a semblance of it? So as long as a product or treatment offers significant results that one longs for, surely there is no harm just trying it. After all, these questionable ingredients have been processed and (manufacturers’ guarantee) thoroughly sterilised before being pumped into products. How deep will you delve for an wrinkle-free and unblemished complexion?

Tell Us: Does the relentless quest to eternal youth and perfect complexion warrant such ‘extreme’ acts? Should we frown at unconventional ingredients to enhance aesthetics?

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

I feel that nature’s gifts are not intended to change what nature has given us.Of course i am referring to our looks.Apparently humans are not bounded by this ideology ,judging from the vast number of stars who have probed into various facets of nature in the hopes of obtaining wonder cures for their ailments or imperfections. Ultimately, the stars are not necessarily nature lovers and most of them do not care what happens to nature. It’s a mercenary world out there, money talks,If there are stars after specific rare elements of nature for their selfish endeavors, there will be bounty hunters out in the wilds to fulfill their needs.

Do ponder for a moment what kind of effects human beings are placing on mother nature. Forests are razed and fields are impoverished all in the name of the greater good.Whose greater good? Humanity’s or the world’s ? We are slowly but surely destroying the world we’re living in. The stars merely form a tiny subset of humanity and their notoriety merely serves to illustrates the selfishness of mankind.I certainly feel there is no need for stars to go to great lengths to provide more longevity for their mortal shells.The celebrity world may be a harshly realistic one, but why are celebrities fueling skin deepness to such great extents?

We should certainly frown at such dubious ways of maintaining beauty.Even if we ignore the celebrities, at least spare a thought for the wildlife and animals out there. The next snail you spot may land up on a plate as a piece of tasty escargot after it’s secretion has been removed in the name of cell regeneration purposes in beauty products. How’s that to prove our love of nature?

Peng Tie Lun

May Choon Says: We’ve seen the critically-acclaimed Nip/Tuck and then reality TV series like The Swan and Extreme Makeover. In Korea, drama Before & After became a hit among TV viewers. Plastic surgery seems to be the fantastic way to go on the goggle box.

And now, local TV station Channel U has jumped onto the nipping and tucking bandwagon with its own series based on the business of plastic surgery, called Perfect Cut.

Why has it taken so long for Asia to finally jump onto this nip-tuck trend? Some say it’s because aesthetic surgery is the “in” thing now, it’s becoming more affordable and it’s become less of a stigma compared to before. Even our own local plastic surgeons like Woffles Wu and Martin Huang have become known for skills and patenting plastic surgery techniques.

But is plastic surgery still too sensitive a topic to be dramatised? In our more conservative Asian society, celebrities or starlets who opt for such procedures still refrain from talking publicly about it. Compare that to the West, where celebrities like Kelly Rowland and Pamela Anderson have openly declared they have gone under the knife.

Tell Us: What do you think of TV shows that centre around plastic surgery? Is it still a hush-hush topic?

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 the article on Singaporean’s attitude towards plastic surgery.I like to say that many people have gone under the knife.I am not here to say if such is wrong or right.Personally, i would not even think of such.I like to ask if those who have gone for such treatment is, why can’t they accept themselves for who they are and how they look?I have read that the most people who have gone for such are the Koreans.The only time i believe such to be done is when someone has met with an accident who survived but has been disfigured because of such or when someone has been borned disfigured as well.

I believed technologies are improving day by day and is it possible that one day, such surgery is so advanced to a stage that we can look who ever we want to.If such is possible, then there will be many “Clones” walking around on planet Earth.

I personally believed we should not encourage plastic surgery because we should accept who we are because everyone is unique.I like to be enlightened by the relevant authorities on their view of such surgery and what measures have they implemented to safeguard those who have decided to go for such surgeries?

Ace Kindred Cheong

Technically, aesthetic surgery is a specialty concerned with the correction of form and function. It is undeniable that this phenomenon is becoming increasingly common and no longer falls into the category of taboo. In 2006 for instance, nearly eleven million went under the knife in an effort to improve their physical appearance, with breast enlargement being the most popular procedure. This is a five percent increase from the year 2005 and this growing popularity does not seem like it is going to alleviate anytime soon.

Formerly seen as an issue that provoke frowns of disapproval, aesthetic surgery is now as common as catching a flu and now have clinics sprung up all across the globe. Some people are even willing to travel across boundaries just to attain the best possible aesthetic treatment. “Hotspots” for plastic surgery have also surfaced with Japan, Thailand and China being most popular for licensed and illegally-performed procedures. As part of a billion dollar industry, it is important for us to acknowledge the growing significance of aesthetic surgery.

The fact that celebrities now are being extremely open about correcting their looks with the help of a scalpel is also noteworthy. Action film star Jackie Chan sought double-eyelid surgery in 1976 in an attempt to achieve a more “westernized” look. Ayumi Hamasaki has also been rumoured of having thirty to forty surgeries done. As role models and influential individuals of the society, there is little wonder why aesthetic surgery is indeed becoming the “in” thing.

Amelda Nira Hamdan

TV shows that centre on plastic surgery are as good as their portrayal of the benefits, dangers and ethical issues of plastic surgery. It is important that such an important tool of mass media be used accurately and responsibly.

Plastic surgery just like any other branch of medicine is able to bring wellness to the patient and of course has its unique risks and moral controversies. There are of course valid reasons why people pay so much attention to plastic surgery. American serials like Nip/Tuck and their paparazzi’s focus on celebrities’ cosmetic procedures have tainted the views of audiences around the world.

Someone who is unsatisfied with his or her appearance, a congenitally deformed child or an accident victim may want an improvement by the surgeon’s knife. It is not simply an issue of vanity; there is also the self esteem and other psychological aspects which play a factor. Ultimately it is an exercise of freedom of choice after weighing up the potential pros and cons. There are also unfortunately quack doctors cashing in on this vulnerability.

It is therefore important for TV shows to mirror reality and let us know whilst it may be a quick and even only way to bigger eyes or straighter nose, there are dangers and not everyone needs it. Some people just need a bigger personality.

Unsurprisingly, plastic surgery is no longer a hush hush topic because of all the attention it is receiving. So many stars have confessed to this surgical quick fix and many have gained the fame they so desired. Of course blotched jobs like Michael Jackson’s melting nose left a bad impression and also became gossip fodder.

Yet not many people would admit they have visited Woffles Wu or Kim Byung Gun (renowned South Korean plastic surgeon). Why is that so? It is precisely the same reason as why they opted for the cosmetic surgery. They have a brittle confidence and self perceived inferiority. So they opted to change themselves physically to overcome the deficit. However by discussing their own changes they would be forced to remember their past weaknesses and they certainly do not wish to relive those humiliation.

Hng Pek Khee

Jeanmarie Says: As if we didn’t see enough of David Beckham earlier this year. The hunky soccer star and his bulge are back, stripped down to his skivvies and posing in the second and latest Emporio Armani underwear ad campaign. You can see it at: http://www.emporioarmani.com/underwear/

He recently unveiled two new drool-worthy images of himself - one of him doing sit-ups on the beach and another of him handling exercise equiment - as the body and face of the brand. And goodness, he looks even hotter this time round.

Those arms, those abs, those pecs, those… “goldenballs”.
So what if he reportedly had a little bit of extra padding in his jocks? It’s still enough for your eyes to pop out of the sockets. Again.

But wait. Isn’t Beckham past his prime, professionally speaking, ever since moving to LA Galaxy? And, the man’s no spring chicken any more. He’s 33, he’s married and he has three kids. It just doesn’t feel right to lust after an aging dad and family man. Won’t younger It studs Cristiano Ronaldo or Kaka be a better fit for modelling sexy briefs?

Still, all I can say is: Victoria Beckham is one lucky woman.

Tell Us: Do you think Beckham still looks hot after all these years? Or have you had enough of him stripping and showing off his package?

 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

As Beckham evolved from a Fergie’s boy during his United Greenhorn days to what he is , a foreign mercenary hellbent on filling his pockets with American dollars, so has his fan base. They have matured from wide eyed squealing teenage girls to mature office ladies.The girls have seen him mature and they have a sense of belonging towards this man who has never really changed all these years. If we look back
at his past few games for club and country,he still has the capacity to do a good job.He is still capable of filling stadium terraces with his silky moves. He is still holding on to hopes of being reinstated as the England Captain! Sexuality wise, since he got married to Victoria, he has only became more confident in flaunting what he have and has lost all the shyness he had as a fledgling footballer.His curves never looked better and he exudes all the charms of a sensual
man who knows what he’s got. His target audience may have changed but it’s still the same girls, alas more wrinkly ,who are still lusting after him.

This latest advertising campaign still draws eyeballs to him
endlessly and is sure to be a blast for his fans and foes alike. His fans will hail his charms while his foes will scorn him for yet another blatant currency gathering exercise.Does his fans care? No, they still love him to bits. That’s all the news advertisers need as they will fill their coffers while fans buy his products ravenously.

A new generation of fans follow a new generation of stars like Kaka and Ronaldo.Kaka and Ronaldo are redoubtably lust worthy but Mr goldenballs has lost none of it. He remains hot and the public will yearn for more of such advertisements. As the adage goes, one got to milk the cow while it lasts. Let’s look forward to more of the same and let Beckham continue to put men a decade younger to shame!

Peng Tie Lun