tnppostwoman.com archives

Raven Says: So, there’s a brand of condom out with soccer star David Beckham’s face all over it. No, not all over the actual condom (that would be far too creepy) but on the packet known as ‘Beckham contraceptive’, which claims that you’ll score in bed like the L.A. Galaxy star does on the pitch. It’s not official and it’s not endorsed but it is still the top-selling brand of condoms in China. I think this is really weird.

Wouldn’t putting China’s superstar basketballer Yao Ming, who got married last year to longtime girlfriend Ye Li in what was touted in the mainland as ‘the biggest event of 2007’, be more relevant to the market? He scores a lot- and so does she, as a well known basketball player herself. Maybe it’s the Beckham’s sexy product campaigns that inspired the condom company (like the balls-in-your-face Armani underwear ad out now) or maybe it really is because he scores a lot of goals on the field.

If you ask me, it’s more likely to be related to the fact that the Beckhams (including pop star wife Victoria, who posed nude for a T-shirt campaign to highlight the dangers of skin cancer) are a well-oiled marketing machine, with oodles of business savvy and the ability to make gazillions of dollars from pretty much anything they put their faces on. He kicks a ball around and she prances in stilettos across international magazine covers. I don’t think that people want to score as much as he does, rather I think that they want his life. And if buying bits of rubber can get you one step closer to it, then by golly I’m willing to spend a couple of bucks myself.

Tell us: Would you buy products just because the Beckhams put their names and faces to them? Are you envious of their charmed lives - or do you think they are overexposed?

 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. ============================================

LETTERS VIA E-MAIL

David Beckham is simply a massive sex icon that is revered worldwide because of his pin point crosses, immense marketing power as well as his high profile marriage to a Spice Girl. Sex sells, and it is no surprise to see his face in different kind of branding, whether authorized or not.

Beckham is hugely desirable and if that helps that brand of condom to sell , I am sure the manufacturers will be grinning from ear to ear as their bank accounts will be ’scoring’ non stop. I will certainly not buy a product just because it is endorsed by a celebrity.

Research has shown that lots of celebrities do not actually use the products they are endorsing, they allow their name and faces to be plastered all over various marketing campaigns on pure monetary grounds. Even if they do use that particular product, there is no particular charm to it.

Simply put, I am no Beckham and no amount of Beckham related merchandise will make me any more like Beckham. Half the time when we purchase items, we want to impress and please people around us and get their acknowledgment.

I am not envious of their ‘charmed’ life because they don’t seem to have a life. David’s life is evolved around an sub-par football league and running circles around his endorsements while Victoria’s life is centered around her gigs, runways and less than pitch perfect singing. They have to maintain their ‘mask’ at all times because of their Mount Everest like status and are seldom allowed to relax and show their true selves

Peng Tie Lun

Jeans, apparel, fragrances and now the face promoting contraceptives? Since way back when Victoria was Posh Spice and Beckham was a rising hot young footballer, they have been on the fashion forefront; on the covers of countless mags for their style (and lack of it at times).

The Beckhams are overexposed. Frankly, although I do feel that Beckham is dashing, Victoria is sexy in an anorexic way and their sons adorable beyond words, I am not compelled to pick up a product just because the Beckhams’ family portrait is plastered on it.

Daniel Sng

Avis Says: Shocking lyrics involving sex, vulgarities and violence have often gotten into the vocabulary of modern-day singers. But perhaps nothing beats the jaw-dropping new song from Taiwanese indie singer Waa Wei Ru-hsuan.

Waa is probably the first artiste around to sing about a bloody topic - menstruation - and it’s not even subtly penned.

She boldly grumbles about how menstruation “makes girls feel like dying from the pain” even though it “doesn’t quite feel like shi**ing”. She also complains about spending money on “damn sanitary napkins” and disses “irritating guys”.

Too graphic and crude?

The song’s audacious lyrics has led to a crimson tide of outcry from netizens who slammed the song as tasteless. Most felt it was socially inappropriate to publicly talk about such private matters and turning the topic into a song will only “pollute people’s ears”. But there are those who felt the lyrics were acceptable as it relates closely to real life.

Tell us: Do you think menstruation is a taboo topic? Is it appropriate to sing about it in a song? Would you listen to such songs? What topics do you think should be avoided by singers in their songs?

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

To say that menstruation is a tasteless matter best avoided in media is equivalent to saying that the pain, discomfort and agony suffered by the fairer sex is something contemptuous, best hidden and never discussed. That is an extremely narrow-minded point of view because it’s an innate body function and is as normal and required as the likes of sweating.

A woman who experiences menstruation is perfectly healthy and capable of getting pregnant, ultimately delivering a child after ten months of hardship. When they are suffering from such monthly blues, they should be given peer and family support to tide them over. Inherently they will get emotional and human emotion is very much an element that can humanize singers who can appear to be aloof behind their shades and million-dollar houses. If an actress chooses to use this bloody rite as the subject of her song, it’s her prerogative. The likes of ”As i physically bleed a crimson stream, emotionally, I’m a bloody mess” may seem crude but it goes well with the ‘red’ theme. Nothing wrong with that. I can see the correlation.

We all have mums and female associates, even if we don’t experience it physically, such songs can give us further insights to that aspects of their lives and foster communications and stronger relationships. That is a great thing which can trigger when seen in a positive light. I would be more than happy to listen to songs with such themes to learn more about them. As the saying goes, knowledge is power.

As for what kind of topics are true taboos, it has to depend on the genre of the song and the context which the singer finds himself in. A singer has his followings and has to be socially responsible about the kind of feelings he can ignite and inspire. In the local context, any songs about racial disharmony would naturally be a potential time bomb. Now, that’s the kind of red tide we need to avoid. Not some healthy loss of blood from every lady out there.

Peng Tie Lun

Raven Says: Okay, so I love Marc Jacobs, despite the fact that I can’t fit into any of his lovely clothes. This does not in any way stop me from salivating over them on a regular basis, which isn’t as perturbing as it sounds - unless you’re the friend wearing the clothes.

I also adore Posh Spice (aka Victoria Beckham) for the sole reason that she’s as famous as she is for doing absolutely nothing. Nil. Nada. Zip. She can’t sing, dance, act, wasn’t born into fame, fortune or infamy and is really just a pig-faced chopstick with ping-pongs badly attached. So, why is she one of the only celebrities that I truly adore, to the point of actually spending my money on her style book, That Extra Half An Inch - Hair, Heels And Everything In Between?

Well, I suppose it is the fact that she’s so incredibly and ridiculously famous from sheer ambition alone. I mean; she’s right up there with some of the most commonly mentioned names in celebrity-land, holding her own (and flaunting it!) with absolutely no talent or justifications whatsoever.

The woman has to be something amazing. She’s on magazine covers, publishers top-sellers lists, paparazzi’s daily to-stalk list, and now in Marc Jacobs bizarre campaigns - one where she’s stepping out of a box, one popping out of a bag with a silly hat on, and one where you see nothing but her legs and a great pair of shoes sticking out of a paper bag.

I love Posh and I love Marc Jacobs, but does she really fit Marc Jacobs image? It seems a bit of a mismatch to me. After all, this is a woman who just topped Mr Blackwell’s list of Worst Dressed Women last year!

Tell Us: What do you think of Posh Spice’s dressing? Is she sartorially-challenged or a cutting-edge fashionista? Do you think she’s suitable to front the Marc Jacobs’ campaign?

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.

Raven Says: Okay so Lindsay Lohan is a drug addled, ego-obsessed, alcoholic, shopaholic party maniac and generally messed up addict, but I love the gal.
 
Given, I can’t say exactly what it is about her warped persona that I actually do like but I find myself strangely drawn to her reported ego-rantings (“I’m the greatest actress in the world! No one’s even close to me right now!”) and breathy musical raspings.

Maybe it’s the fact that she was an ugly kid and has turned into a true hottie (I have a thing for redheads) or her adorable squeaky squealing in Herbie Fully Loaded - whatever it is I know it’s wrong to like someone who’s such a blatant and public mess but I can’t seem to help it!

She parties without apology, rants about her talents, insults other stars with abandon and is generally an arrogant twit. Perhaps it’s because she seems to live life with such abandon that I find her intriguing; perhaps it’s because I wonder how much brighter her star can possibly burn. Perhaps I just wonder what on earth she’s going to do next? So, this is the confession of a confused heart… I love Lindsay. Forgive me.

Tell Us: Do you agree with Raven’s take on Lindsay Lohan? Is she an arrogant party maniac or a talented star?

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.

Raven Says: I can’t believe how many people love watching American Idol.

Yes, it’s great to see people realize their dreams, but it seems very rigged, biased and based more on ratings than actual talent. Yes, it brings the entertainment of a live show right to our doorstep, but it means we never actually have to leave the house, make the effort to buy tickets or spend quality time with others. Yes, the judges are entertaining at times, but only in small doses and with no depth whatsoever.

So we sit through the moronically repetitive and drawn out elimination process, which only seems like a platform for vicariously reveling in others’ failure from the safety of our own homes; then we spend hours of our precious lives staring zombie-like at a box over 25 episodes, having guessed from the start who’s going to win and only really staying tuned to find out if we were right; then we find out that we were right, try to persuade ourselves that we really were entertained/relaxed by this televised cerebral laxative and proceed to anticipate and watch the equally-as-brain-dulling next season.

Do we really have nothing better to do or are we really that dim to think that we derive anything beneficial whatsoever from this crap?

Tell Us: Do you agree with Raven’s view of American Idol? Do you watch the show and do you like it? Why or why not?

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

While I find your harsh opinion on the long-running American Idol show thoughtful, I think you’ve missed the appeal of the format.

Perhaps because you are a multi-talented (and hard-working) entertainer who fought your way toward success, you don’t value the insight into the cycle - finding out if someone recognizes your talent, getting a start, improving, competing, and winning or exiting.

I watch Idol, perhaps because, very long ago (a clue to my age), I was directly involved with music and theatre, and have seen many young people with talent attempt to find an audience. Most failed, a few succeeded, but all struggled - and there’s the drama worth watching. Simon Cowell is a successful music producer who envisioned the potential of the Idol format to attract an audience to emerging young talents, and bypassing the notoriously predatory music industry. Raven, if anyone understands how the music industry really works, it’s you! Think about it.

Now to the downside of the format. It’s a reality show, not reality, so the images and the contestants are mercilessly manipulated. Everyone is biased, of course. For example, a pretty girl always gets a second chance. But if Idol were rigged, would Taylor Hicks have won? Probably not. And while I feel the format remains viable, Simon Cowell and his sidekicks are visibly weary of their roles, and perhaps should have been replaced a few seasons ago. While I’m not sure I’ll watch it after Simon leaves, I’m on for this season.

Arthur Gilbert

I have been an American Idol die-hard fan since Season 2 and will go to great lengths to ensure that time is set aside for me to watch the episodes aired over Channel 5 all these years.

I have observed that since Season 5, the standard of contestants have dramatically worsened. And it was published in the tabloids that apart from Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Fantasia Bareno, the other winners were not able to raise to stardom via music album sales.

I have watched the 1st and 2nd episodes of Season 7 and am of the humble opinion that it is no more American Idol but American Idiots, making a mockery of music which has served mankind all these years.

Many contestants cannot even sing and yet are given the yellow ticket to Hollywood where they will only succeed on making themselves seen as comical masterpiece infront of millions of fans worldwide.

Another worrying sign especially in this Season 7 is that the panel of resident judges are often dissenting each other when time to make a wise musical decision for the betterment of aspiring contestants and fans across the globe.

I sincerely hope like many thousand fans worldwide that from Episode 3, American Idol will unearth the Blake Lewis’s and Fantasia”s of past years.

Paul Anthony Fernandez

American idol started out as the best thing since sliced bread. A
reality TV program which showcases the best up and coming singers and the worst attention whores. It proved to be a magical formula and sparked a whole bunch of other reality TV programs of all types. The show was refreshingly entertaining in the beginning as we gushed at hotties who sang as well as they looked and laughed with pure scorn at folks who were delusional enough to think that they could sing. We can only gush and laugh at the same things for so many times until it becomes as dry as toasted bread. As it is ,the elimination process does little to stir the senses and enough is enough! I think both the judges and the mass audiences need something less mundane and
routine.New ideas can’t lift their heads while the idol franchise
still rears it’s ugly head. Next!

Peng Tie Lun

Besides my wife, I think I love you!

So many people are tied to the “looks good, must be talented” philosophy at mediocrity these days, it is a breath of fresh air to hear your views.

The reason so much is devoted to this fallacy is because cheap, publicity seeking capitalists want to hype their properties, but they haven’t the vaguest clue about how to find true talent, but it’s a sure bet that what looks good will sell. They are so consumed by their own superficiality, that they are completely unable to focus upon real talent. I suppose it is the way of the world, since most people are just as superficial as these purveyors of what is basically soft porn.

Unfortunately, I have found that the real world offers up just as much whipped cream, of it’s own accord.

The best we can do is to really support those artists that do not subject themselves to this lowest of common denominators, but rise instead to a much higher standard. Nothing says they can’t also be physically attractive, just that it isn’t a pre-requisite.

Bill Anderson

Quite a no. of American Innovative Shows should go the way of the dodo as it encourages : Idol Worshipping, Open Criticism Of Contestants

Others to be included should include “Deal or no deal” and others, which involves very little brainpower, some hype and other undesirable characteristics.

Heng

I am totally amazed that this show has been aired for 7 seasons already.

We need something new . This american idol tv show is well past the expiry date. and yet they are looking for season 8 contestants.we need something like naked news tv presenters.(Toronto)

i don’t watch this program anymore. it’s boring and waste of time.

i think R, P and S are also sick of this .(Randy, Paula and Simon)

DJ Candy Knaus

We’re rolling out the welcome mat for our new Guest Postwoman, Raven Hanson.

If the name sounds familiar, it’s because you’ve probably heard her on the airwaves as a deejay for 987. Now based in Hong Kong, the multi-talented lass has also acted in short films, written for various magazines and done modelling.

Of her new gig as Guest Postwoman, Raven says she wants to hear from netizens out there who love a good challenge and aren’t afraid to make a great argument for or against any topic they feel strongly about.

So watch this space for Raven’s inaugural post!

Sheela Says: Almost everybody does it.

Having a fake alias online is par for course when you’re traversing through cyber-space. Whether it is in a chatroom or on any of the social networking sites that have sprouted on the World Wide Web, you can be whatever and whoever you want to be.

Serial identity highjackers never had it so good. One day they can pose as Jennifer Aniston, or the next day, a cabinet minister. Or even be a dead murderous tyrant like Ugandan president Idi Amin (there is an “Idi Amin” profile on Facebook).

While it may all seem all like harmless fun to create a fake profile on any of the social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and Orkut or on web communities like Second Life, there is always the dark side.

Paedophiles thrive on fake online identities to trap their young prey, and cyber-gangs use fake identities to break into online accounts to steal valuable information.

The Internet is a like a cowboy town. There are barely any rules and you make it up as you go along. All you can do is protect yourself as much as you can.

Tell Us: What do you think of fake online profiles? Is it harmless fun or outright identity theft? Do you have a fake online profile?

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

Interestng topic Sheela =)

Fake online profiles fall under the general category of online abuse.
With the breakthrough of technology internet has gained fame with all that it has to offer. I’m not reporting breaking news if i were to say that all that the internet has been given in return all forms of online abuse over the recent times.
Video rapes, taped gang- fights and fake online profile are all attempts by their makers to get their 10 minutes of fame.

There is a whole range of fake online profiles- from those who pose themselves as a famous celebrity to those who put random glamorized names in their profile with a hidden agenda. Whatever it is there is a limit to this freedom. Yes, using the internet to pose fake online profiles is a form of freedom. And there is a limit to everything even freedom, a place where the line is drawn where you simple cannot go beyond. Take the freedom of speech for example. Recently there has been a spur of FOS and the liberty attached to it. However much some of us may want it, one simply cannot go up to a random person or even a VIP and cuss anything and everything in the world at him just because he believes in the freedom of speech and so has the right so say whatever he wishes to. You can’t run around nude or kick everyone who passes you because you’re in a fre! e country. There is a limit to everything. If that isn’t clear then i don’t know what is.

Fake online profiles may start as harmless fun but that’s where it should end. Personally i feel its alright to have a screen name “Anges Monica” or “Jonny_love_Depp”, after all its only a screen name. The catch is that he definitely has to be himself and reveal that in the rest of his profile. I’m sure it’s more worth the while when you make cyber friends with people who are genuinely interested in who you really are as opposed to who they think you are. Knowing the limit to faking your profile should be just natural. Why pose fake online profiles anyway? Be yourself, because everyone else is already taken.

Rahimah

Fake online profiles are as common and as symbolic as wild flowers in a garden. They are not intended to be there, yet they are very common and does no real harm unless they are abused. No one is naive enough to believe that David Beckham or Jacky Chan are available to chat away with Tom ,Dick or Harry online. As the saying goes, imitation is the best form of flattery, most folks use fake profiles as part of their agenda of idol worshiping, giving their idols an online presence rather than having any desires to deceive. It is harmless fun for most and a vile weapon for the wretched.My very own e-mail address is the name of a very famous gaming console, and no, no harm intended, It’s more like another advertisement floating around cyberspace for that gaming company!

Peng Tie Lun

May Choon Says: Taiwan’s Ella Chen did it. So did Japan’s Maki Horikita. Now, Korea’s Yoon Eun Hye has also jumped on the same cross-dressing wagon.

In the romantic serial Coffee Prince, which is now showing on local TV, Eun Hye chopped off her hair and flattened her chest to play a tomboyish girl who cross-dresses to work in an all-male cafe. But she ends up falling in love with her very hunky boss (Gong Yoo), and soon begins a romance filled with laughs and homosexual innuendoes.

To play the role convincingly, Eun Hye told reporters that she studied male behaviour and observed how they move, speak and behave. The result? A lovable and pretty “boy” whose cute smile and animated expressions drew a rating of more than 30 in Korea. Many girls even cut their hair and copied Eun Hye’s character’s tomboyish dressing.

Tell Us: Do you think Yoon Eun Hye is convincing as a guy? Or is she still too pretty to pull it off? Compared to Ella Chen and Maki Horikita, who is best at playing a guy?

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

Yoon Eun Hye does look like impish youngest brother and she also resembles a guy with pretty girl looks.

In ancient Chinese history ladies dress-up as guys like Meng Lu Chun who became briefly as premier in Yuan Dynasty or Han Dynasty’s Hua Mu Lan who eventually became a General by dressing up as a man so that her elderly dad need not fight in the war with Huns.

Both ladies look pretty guys that even their male colleagues and the guys they like think they are men too.

Chinese literature Butterfly Lovers or known as Liang San Puo and Zhu Ying Tai.Zhu Ying Tai dress up as guy to go for her studies and room-mate Liang San Puo also thinks she is pretty guy.

Pretty ladies do have the looks of men when they dress-up as male gender and Yoon Eun Hye is one of them that do have the looks of Pretty Impish Guy.

Chester Low

I think she is just being HERSELF, Ayu. She is not pushing herself too hard or being professiona. If you happened to watch a video in youtube, you can see why despites while she was having problesm with her ear, she still went on with her job. About more that 5 years ago, a television compnay approached her company and manager saying that thet want to interview her and a staff asked her why she wanted to be a singer/entertainer, her reply was simplesyet sad but it was an unforgettable answer as she was being truthful to not only herself but the staff; ” It is where i feel that i can be belong to”. A strong and bold statement.

All the lyrics that she had written are all by her own experiences or friends and family around who had share with her about it. She always bare her all in her lyrics. She just wanted to make an album that she could proudly said that ” this is who i am”. Her lyrics had also touched many people reardless of age and also cause people to listen to it because they feel that they can realate to the lyrics. Even in each of her every MV, she is always showing her true self without a mask. Listen to her voice too, you can hear how much her voice matured from her first album to her recent album. It become more powerful and daring. Showing the world that no matter what obstacles standing in her way, she can break through them and make sure that she will be successful in doing so yet without losing her inner and true self along the way.

I personally think she is one role model that any girl can look up to, judging from her family background and how journey to become one of Asia’s leading iconic artist in her own rights. It is not easy beiong totally deaf on the left ear and still being able to go this far. As an artist and singer, hearing is every important. Her courage and bravery is one thing that we should not over look regardless whether you are a fan or a passer-by.

I hope this comment will help in your article and hope that i am not too late in doing so. Good luck and hope this will be a successful article.

Amaya Moriko

May Choon Says: J-pop queen Ayumi Hamasaki just announced she has lost the hearing in her left ear, but vowed to continue singing until her right ear’s gone too.
Oh gosh, that’s absolute dedication for sure.

It reportedly started with an ear infection in 2000, which later developed into ringing in the ears. Last year, doctors told her her hearing is completely gone and it is not treatable.

Yet Ayumi, who is known for her flamboyant concerts and fashion statements, refuses to give up the stage where she belongs. But, one cannot help but wonder, how will the affliction affect her music career? Some fans already noted that her performance at the recent Red And White Singing Festival was not as fantastic as her usual. Industry sources also feel she would have to make adjustments to help her perform better.

Maybe it is time to take a break to recover fully before making a comeback?

Tell Us: Do you think Ayumi is being professional, or out of her mind to push herself so hard? Should she take a break to recuperate?

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

Hi Ms Chang,

I am still an avid reader of Moshi Moshi..

Anyway, I read about Ayumi Hamasaki recent disaster and I am really feeling very sad for her. She’s no 1 Diva in Japan and to lose her hearing is a really terrible thing for her.

I agree that at some extend and even listening to her on the recent Music Station Superlive, she was a bit off key but she managed to pull through. She is one strong woman. I really envy her.

However, I think this is the time for her to take a break and try to get used to the fact that she had lost her hearing. She needs to get used to listening with her right ear only and then come back with a big bang. A lots of people are saying about Koda Kumi rising up and getting the no 1 spot but I think Ayumi Hamasaki do not need to worry about that because her fans will always be there for her.

Unlike here in Singapore (I apologise if this might offend anyone), we are not really called an avid fan or a die hard fan. Being a fan in Japan is really incredible. They will do anything to go to their idol’s concerts and would wait for them even if it takes a long time.

As for myself, being an avid fan of Japanese Entertainment, I shall wait for Ayumi Hamasaki’s return and I prayed for her health and safety.

Ganbatte ne, Ayumi-chan!

Noor Azlin Hassan

I think Ayumi is being professional and realistic by staying on. The
life of a professional singer doesn’t last forever, much like a fire
doesn’t burn eternally.She has to sing while she is at the peak of her
profession. Fans are fickle minded people and she cannot afford to
leave the limelight for a prolonged period of time. Moreover,her
condition isn’t treatable. So what’s the point of having a break for
no apparent reason? Her remaining ear will be vital to both her
performing and normal life and i am sure that she will take utmost
care to maintain it. Ayumi will not become a bad singer overnight and
her fan should shower her with support and lower their expectations to
keep her going. If the legendary Beethoven who is deaf can play the
piano,Ayumi can sing competently with one functional ear.It’s a matter
of making adjustments. May ayumi find her wooden drum stick soon! (
Beethoven managed to ‘hear’ his piano by putting a wooden drum stick
between his head and the piano.)

Peng Tie Lun

Ayumi has vowed to continue singing and her condition is believed to be the same as the one that afflicted famously deaf German composer Ludwig van Beethoven but is she being professional about continuing her career or shouls she take a break?

‘Try’ not to regret in life

As they say ‘we only live once in life’ and ‘if we don’t try we will never know’ so ‘let mother nature takes it’s pace’ for if she trys and succeed she will become a hero or legend and brings inspiration to the disabled but if she trys but failed then she would have no regrets in life and would like to try something else as she is still young which I felt is better than taking a break as her hearing has shown no improvement for the past 7 years.

Victor Yap

Jeanmarie says: Hollywood’s annual awards season is upon us, but Oscar pundits be warned - it’s going to be the year of cliffhangers.

Last year, you would’ve been crazy not to place your money on sure shots like Helen Mirren (The Queen), Forest Whitaker (The Last King Of Scotland) and Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls), who predictably ended up taking home the lion’s share of prizes, from the Golden Globes to the SAGs and eventually the Academy Awards. And remember how Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote), Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby), Jamie Foxx (Ray) and Charlize Theron (Monster) led the acting race in their cohort from start to finish?

Yet, looking at the nomination lists of 2008, no critic can confidently finger any clear winner.

Top contenders in key categories at the moment are No Country for Old Men, Sweeney Todd, Juno, There Will Be Blood, Charlie Wilson’s War, Michael Clayton, American Gangster, Atonement and Into The Wild, but none are locks. So what we can definitely expect is the unexpected.

But will we even be watching in the first place?

Note that this year’s titles - most of which are opening here this month and next - are not your standard big-buzz, audience-pleasing hit movies like previous Best Picture Oscar winners The Departed, The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King, Chicago and Gladiator. So it’s likely that trophies will go to performers and movies that most of us may not want to see and don’t really care about.

Tell us: What are your bets on this year’s Oscars? Do the nominees excite you, or you simply can’t be bothered about the annual awards show?

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’s that time of the year to get excited again. The start of movie marathons in front of the dvd player.

What other choice do I have most of the distributors deem us to unsophisticated or immature to appreciate serious films until they win an award.

Maybe because the official nominees haven’t been announced yet, but I’m not feeling any buzz this year.

I’m feeling as unexcited as I was 2 years ago, when I stuggled through films like Syriana,Good Night, and Good Luck, North Country and Junebug.

Last year’s nominees though, were very exciting and unpredictable.

I usually watch all the films that are nominated in the major categories before posting my predictions on my blog or forums.

I am usually spot on in my predictions except for last year when I had only one hit, Forest Whitaker in Last King Of Scotland.

Although I am not feeling the buzz right now, i’m sure I will get around to watching all the nominated films and I do hope that I’m proven wrong in my predictions.

Otherwise, the Academy Awards will end up being the farce the Grammies have become.

Keith Tan

Last year’s Oscars featured a bunch of crowd pleasers such as
Babel,Blood Diamond,The Departed,Dreamgirls,Pirates,Pan’s Labyrinth
and The last king of Scotland.They duly obliged, sweeping the majority
of the Statuettes effortlessly. Such predictability made watching
Oscars 07 a bore, unless you’re a big fan of the respective actors or
films. Then your interest is likely to be clouded by passion anyway
and it will be hard to be objective.

This year promises to be a lot more exciting if we perceive
unpredictability as a positive element. Rather than to reminisce on
how Forest Whitaker got handed his Oscars readily last year, why don’t
we sit back and speculate on whether Michael Clayton’s George
Clooney’s measured performance as a Lawyer will see him over take
American Gangster’s Denzel Washington, a drug lord who is also a
walking paradox.The possibilities and conspiracy theories are
potentially endless if we take into account the number of awards that
will be given out to god knows whom.

Sure, on the surface this year’s nominations won’t be as glamorous
as last year’s. However it gives us a chance to dream,hope and predict
what is going to happen. Such a golden opportunity to work my brain
seems fun. I’ll take it.

Peng Tie Lun

Going through the top contender films you mentioned, it’s true that none of them have been released locally, so I won’t be making any final predictions yet. Even the major film award competitions that have taken place so far have not thrown up any truly overwhelming favourites or created any major buzz.

Since it’s such an open field this year, I hope the Academy voters will be daring enough to recognise some lesser known films in the major categories instead of rewarding the Hollywood heavyweights. So, here’s my off-the-cuff wish list for Oscars to some less than usual suspects!

Best Picture:”Sweeney Todd”

Best Actor:Ryan Gosling, “Lars and the Real Girl”

Best Actress:Ellen Page, “Juno”

Best Director:David Cronenberg, “Eastern Promises”

Best Foreign Language Film:”The Kite Runner”

Then again, who knows if there will even be a ceremony this year? With the current Hollywood writers strike, many A-list presenters have said that they will boycott this Sunday’s 65th Golden Globe Awards, and possibly next month’s 80th Academy Awards as well on Feb 24th.

Well, judging by some of the colourless, overlong and dreadfully boring Oscar ceremonies in recent memory, skipping this year’s edition might not be such a bad thing after all!

Silvester Phua