tnppostwoman.com archives

Raven Says: So Madonna’s new single, titled 4 Minutes To Save The World, will debut in a new Sunsilk commercial that’s meant to inspire girls to play around with their current styles and, obviously, their hair colour.

You’ve got to love this woman. She’s just pulled out the next Big Trend and guess what? It’s totally Asian. Her styling and makeup looks as if she should be sheathed in a kimono and aside from her fair colouring, you could almost see her as a harajuku girl or Asian Vogue model.

It’s a smart move to open her markets, encourage globalization and further her status as the worlds most trendsetting superstar; a living legend and one heck of an amazing woman. 

Tell Us: What do you think is Madonna’s “global” appeal? Are you looking forward to her next album Hard Candy?

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

Firstly, the Queen of Pop indestructible reputation has long been sustained and will be in the long run. She has been very relevant in the world entertainment industry since her 80’s Like A Virgin success taken through her acclaimed 90’s Grammy Ray Of Light era and polishing her career with a dynamic dance punch with her Confession mania.

Madonna worldwide appeal can never be reduced at any time as a matter of fact she is Pop’s living legend with catchy mass appeal hits after hits. It is not fair for now to dismiss her credibly in many ways when music chart history is relevant to her conntribution. Her latest single 4 Minutes proving she is still Top 10 hits maker or possible a follow up to her string of Number 1’s hit. Simply i can’t wait for her new album Hard Candy to hit the store cos the Queen is still reigning.

M Asri D

I have been a fan of Madonna since my teenage years over the last 20 over years ..since the beginning… the Holiday, Lucky Star and Like a Virgin days…

Her Appeal… her creativity, her intelligence, her discipline, forever reinventing and staying current….her on stage persona never fails to attract and sets audience on fire for every performance… has seen her during the Re-Invention Tour in NY and Confession Tour in London and Tokyo… I must say NO ONE does it better than Madonna  herself… the performance is sleek, professional and injects so much excitement and frenzy amongst the crowds even before she goes on stage … every minute/moment of her move still lingers in my memory.. one of the Greatest Entertainer.. surpassing anyone … 

New album… definitely looking forward .. always very very excited whenever she released something new…and this time round Hip Hop!!! well pretty sure the Clubs will be spinning these tunes for a long time to come….

the confessions CD is still in my car stereo after more than 2 years and her Immaculate Collection is still my precious and favourite listen All Time!!! 

The Immaculate Madonna, You are My No 1 Idol forever!!!

Edmun Teo

Madonna is the only one. She is a Diva and I love to watch her performances around the world and hope that she can make it to Singapore. I will be the first fan who will buy her tickets for her concert here.

Madonna is different in her own way and style. I always looking forward to her new album and I really support her hip hop concept. I can say here that Madonna is somebody who is brave, a fighter and believe in what she think is right in her own way. That make madonna so special and my only wish is to see her live performance here in Singapore.

Iman A Wahab

Sheela Says: Clubbing / pubbing is a spectator sport for me.

Sipping on my Dirty Martini or beer and watching the various characters that gravitate to a pub or club and try to mingle - beats paying $10.50 for a movie. They are usual characters that make any night out enjoyable or at the every least, interesting.

The standard buaya - there has to be at least a couple of these thick-skinned chaps in any bar and they come in all shades, shapes and sizes. Armed with an arsenal of pick-up lines, which are so lame, they should be shot to end their misery. A clubber - who bore a striking resemblance to a troll and smelt like one - tried to pick up a friend of mine on the dance floor. As the drum and bass beats blasted through their eardrums he yelled: “You’re hot.” She retorted with: “You’re ugly. Get lost.” She told me it was not worth wasting a witty response on the moron.

Nestling right next to this lot are what I call the Drinks Vampires- attractive women who manage have free drinks all night. Usually paid for by the buayas. After they are done sucking up half the bar and the bloke’s credit limit, they leave the bloke with a smile and without handing over their telephone numbers. 

Then there are the barely legals. The ones who just turned 18 that day and want to show it off. Thanks to the supplementary credit card card that Mummy and Daddy gave them, they hit the clubs, drink like tomorrow will never come and happily show us what they had for dinner into the gutter outside. Just a typical night on the town.

Tell Us: Who are some of the characters you have seen at the clubs and bars? What do you think about them? 

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: Smell is a very intimate thing. You can tell a lot about a person by their choice of fragrance.

I am blessed/cursed with an extremely acute sense of smell; not as acute as that crazy guy from the movie Perfume but sharp enough to make me more than a little scent-obsessed. Over time, I have developed the not-so-humble opinion that the majority of celebrity perfumes are crap, sickly sweet and personality-void copycats. Most of them either smell exactly like another perfume (Britney Spears vs. Body Shop’s Ananya, anyone?) or have exactly the same boring fruity and floral base and head notes.

So, I’m very eager to find out what Avril Lavigne’s new fragrance will smell like, because I really like her work and hope that she’ll produce something rough, sensual and romantic. The pop tartlet recently applied for a patent and trademark application for “Fragrances and perfumery; after shave; pre-shave; bath oil; bath soap; shower gel; body shampoo; deodorant for personal use; tissues impregnated with cosmetic lotions; bath crystals; bath milks; dusting powder; body lotion; body splash; body cream; hand lotion; and talc.”

So I’m really hoping that it smells fantastic and not like smelly angry puck rock star sneakers, because as far as Ms Lavigne is concerned, I’d rather not be disappointed.

Tell Us: What do you think of celebrity-created fragrances? Would you buy them?

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: Pakistan has one. Now India too.

Transgender cable television talk show hosts Begum Nawazish Ali and Rose Venkatesan - aka Ali Saleem and Ramesh Venkatesan - have become media personalities in their countries. Rose is making waves on Star TV’s Tamil-language cable station, Vijay TV and has been touted as India’s transgender Oprah Winfrey. And Begum is the host of a provocative current affairs show on Pakistan’s Aaj TV channel.

But is Singapore ready for a transgender media personality? My answer for the moment will have to be a no. Sure, we are a multi-racial, multi-lingual, cosmopolitan society. But I’m not sure the local television-watching population is ready for a personality like Rose.

Take, for example Kumar, who made a name for himself with his drag shows. While you can catch his act on the local stage or at a comedy club, you won’t find it on local television cable or free-to-air. Sexual minorities are always depicted - unfairly in my opinion - stereotypically in mainstream television and film as deviants, clowns or lip-synching performers.

But as society evolves, the boundaries of tolerance and acceptance are always changing. Who knows maybe sometime in the distant future, a Singapore Rose will be able to come out of closet and on to our television screens. Until then, don’t hold your breath.

Tell Us: What do you think of having a local transgender media personality? Is Singapore too conservative to have a transsexual media 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.

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LETTERS VIA E-MAIL

Media personalities display themselves in the eyes of the public in one of two ways. They are performing artistes and their performance on stage may be a pure persona or facade. Our very own television station Channel Eight’s renowned drama character ‘Liang PoPo’ aka Grand Mother Liang is well depicted by famous comedian Jack Neo. Everyone knows that it’s just an act and his performance had garnered a massive fan base while that series was in full spin. On the flip side of the spectrum , some stars are just being themselves.Transgender cable television talk show hosts Begum Nawazish Ali and Rose Venkatesan are not acting, they are actually making themselves comfortable in a
demeanor they deem appropriate. They should be duly applauded because they are not afraid to stand up against stigma and public narrow mindedness.They willing show the world who they perceive themselves to be. If they feel more comfortable in a sari than a suit, by all means.

Innovation and resolution on their parts can only help towards their eventual integration into the hearts and minds of the man in the streets.It’s akin to public relation in a personal scope.

Singapore is proving herself to be one of the world powers in terms of financial poweress,sensible governmentation,sound
infrastructure,advanced airport and is quickly advancing to be a world class sports host. With the likes of Esplanade Theater and a fast maturing media industry, the last thing we need is to be culturally backward. Singaporeans may be truly a salad blend of migrants from India, China and Malaysia, that does not mean that we need to stick to traditional school of thoughts. If Singaporean schools are always advocating self expression and being true to ourselves, people who drift away from the norm should not be castigated as outcasts or weirdos. With the society’s cosmopolitan outlook ,even the young should be able to differ between right and wrong. Self expression as Transgenderism is neither right nor wrong. It’s a personal decision, a grey area so to speak. If students are trained to write argumentative essays to illustrate grey areas, they should also be able to embrace different definitions of sexualities and orientations. Singaporeans must be exposed to different facets of the entertainment diamond to be truly well rounded. Bring it on , Kumar!

Peng Tie Lun

Jeanmarie Says: Baby Loves Disco sure has given Groove Armada’s hit dance anthem new meaning.
 
Since its raw inception in 2004, this travelling dance party franchise from the US allows hipster Gen-X parents the chance to go dayclubbing with their offspring aged between 6 months and 7 years old. Monthly BLD events have become a sell-out craze in numerous cities in the US, UK and Europe.

But if it ever reaches our shores in the near future, would conservative Singaporean parents dig this alternative family-friendly activity though? Imagine dancing a weekend afternoon away with your wee ones to 70s and 80s music at popular clubs like St James Power Station or MoS, which of course have to be  childproofed and cleaned.

If I had my own mini-Me, we’d be the first in line along the velvet rope - and probably drenched in glitter and togged in our cheesiest outfits. But I can imagine over-protective parents thinking it’s downright detrimental to their precious children and that it sends out the wrong message. Chill, people. It’s a one-off thing where everyone can let their hair down and inner John Travolta out, not to mention it’s a unique family bonding experience where you can mingle with likeminded individuals, both young and old.

Tell Us: Do you think it’s advisable to expose small children to a traditionally adult activity and environment like clubbing? Would you take your kids to an event like Baby Loves Disco - or stay away?

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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I am 44 and I’m a homemaker.

My opinion, a definite NO. I do not have to agree or copy everything/ideas/values from the west if they do not have any added value to my living philosophy or society. If there is some thing of good moral values and standard, perhaps we can evaluate the idea further to see if they are really suited for our culture or benefits before adopting them. In this instance of taking your baby to a disco party would imply exposing wrong ideas, unhealthy lifestyle, corrupted values, indecent habits and mindset to our children at such tender age. Such complicated environment is totally harmful, damaging and unacceptable to expose them to. By allowing our young babies or children to disco or clubs could signal wrong messages to their minds. You could be sending messages to your children that behavior such as drinking, smoking, indecent body language seen in such setting is acceptable and approved. Babies and young children see things and learn behavior fast…as good as first impression counts. So why risk them to unnecessary indecent exposure early?

I would like to quote this to emphasize my point : “sow an act reap a character, sow a character reap a behavior, sow a behavior reap a destiny.” For me, this is definitely a NO NO conditions/environment to begin my baby with. The end result could be devastating and irreversible.

Chan Kwee Cheok

I personally feels that it’s alright to bring children aged 6 months to 7 years to club parties.
This is because children within these ages will not tend to remember what they have done when time passes.
Another reason is that i would want my children to know what its like and how it feels to be in club parties. Like the ambience and things happening inside. I would want my children to experience it before they decide to step into a club at a later age.
However, this is what is happening in the US. I believe with the strict rules the Singapore government has implemented, i don’t think such a thing will happen.
Even if club parties are opened to children aged 6 months to 7 years, i also don’t think that Singaporeans would be as open-minded as Americans.

Eileen Ng

 
TNP Postman Asks: Which footballer turns you on the most? Is it Spanish flyboy, Fernando Torres or the cheeky Portuguese, Cristiano Ronaldo.

Our TNP Postman wants to hear from you. Answer his Question of the Week: Who do you think is better looking, and why? Compare their facial features, hairstyles and physiques. And what is the one thing about them that turns you on?

You can post your choice on www.tnppostman.com or email npsports@sph.com.sg with your names, ages and occupations.

Jeanmarie Says: He’s 27 and she’s 51. And together, Dr Hayden Kho and his partner Dr Vicki Belo have been dubbed the Filipino version of Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore. You’ll soon see the 1.88m-tall Hayden in the second season of local TV comedy series The Yang Sisters, which premieres in May.

In the past, May-December relationships where the woman is older than the man, have raised eyebrows. Remember when the dashing Ralph Fiennes dumped his wife, Alex Kingston, to hook up with Francesca Annis? She was 18 years his senior. It’s a bit unfair when you think about it, considering that couplings where the man is much older than the woman, hardly create a ripple anymore. I mean, just look at Jack Nicholson or James Woods and their bevy of beauties. Even George Clooney is dating someone half his age now.

But thanks to couples like Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, things are slowly turning around. He’s 30, she’s 46. And of course, Lost actor Naveen Andrews, 39, is always seen proudly escorting his live-in partner, Barbara Hershey, 60.

Maybe one day, we wouldn’t even be counting the differences. After all, age really is just a number. As Hayden himself says: “Anyway, when you’re in love, it’s just the two of you – no one else is included in the relationship.”

Tell Us: What do you think of May-December romances? Are you in one or have you been through one before?

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 look at pictures of Britney Spears and I don’t see a faded pop star whose best days are behind her, nor do I see a mother or daughter poster child for crappy-family advertisements or potential A Life Gone Wrong TV mini-dramas.

Instead, I see a girl whose eyes are dead. That’s it. I see a girl whose freedom has been raped and violated to the point that her soul has curled up and died inside her. I see someone whose cries for help have been documented and then outright ignored by most of the world. I see a slow suicide that we all watch, bug-eyed and mesmerised, too dulled by the violence and blood on TV to feel the humanity creeping from us as we read the rest of the article on her latest dramas, our simple action encouraging her extrication from sanity and society.

Her choice of fame was made when she was too young to fully realize the implications. At some point she’ll disappear from our lives; we don’t know how - she might go mad, become a recluse or simply die, and we’ll move on to the next victim, turn the page and read the rest of the article, a little bit sadder, a little bit less human than we were before her.

Yes, I feel pity for her, but more so I feel pity for all the less-than-average morons of society who bother spending their hate and negativity on her life instead of paying attention to the fact that as humans go, they are far more despicable than the tortured Ms. Spears.

Tell Us: Are we partly to blame for craving every morsel of gossip on Britney Spears? Or is the neverending drama her own doing?

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.

Chang May Choon Says: Would you quit school to be a pop star?

Two Singaporean twin sisters did just that. At 15, they both dropped out of Secondary 3 to pursue showbiz dreams. Barely a year later, Miko and Yumi Bai have become stars in cyberspace with their blogs attracting tens of thousands of hits. The two 16-year-olds are now based in Taipei, preparing to release their debut album in Taiwan.

Conservatives would frown, arguing that quitting school so early is madness, that studying is more important at such a young age. But, when asked, the girls, who call themselves By2, said education can wait because some opportunities only knock once.

After all, it was their late father’s last wish to see them succeed in showbiz, and they feel they are now doing and learning things that their own peers can only dream of, like jetsetting the region for vocal and dance lessons and experiencing different cultures.

Tell Us: Would you drop your books to pursue showbiz dreams? Or do you think education is more important?

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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Getting back to the topic,I would say I am very proud of By2 and i’m definitely supporting them.(Other Asian singers too of course).

Although I’m not a fan of Chinese songs(I love Japanese Songs),I’ll still give them my support and I wish them all the best in their career.Make Singapore proud.

Julius Cher

I feel that you should grab a chance when you see it. After all, everyone is young only once and this is really a golden opportunity for the gals to make a name for themselves overseas. Albeit they do not succeed, they could always fall back on their studies and pursue their dreams again. If they give this a miss, they will definitely end up with regrets. I wish them all the best and certainly hope they would tread carefully as the entertainment business is known to be full of ups and downs.

Tay Chin Meng

A pair of Singaporean twin sisters actually dropped out of secondary school last year to chase their dream of becoming pop stars.

I do agree on them that this opportunity will only comes once, therefore, i too agree on them going on to pursue their dream provided they:

- they are ready for all the unforeseen circumstances; they might not be able to become famous, having to come back to singapore to start all over again

- If they succeed, be prepare to face the real world, because in the entertainment business (whatever you call that), is feel with darkness, hope you know what i am talking about - being rich and famous may sound really cool but you never know how much this people suffer behind the scene…

- lastly, they are just 16 and still very pure… don’t want to see them end up like those people in Hong Kong…

Jack Liaw

I think that the twins have made a right decision in pursuing their dreams instead of staying to complete their studies. If i were in their shoes, i would have done the same. Singapore is a place where education is always placed as a first priority, however, some of us might have dreams which we would want to pursue or fulfil, and this chance to fulfilling it might only come once in a lifetime.

The twins are now still considered young, and the chance to make it big in the industry doesn’t always come by that easily in Singapore compared to Taiwan. With so much youth and energy in them, it is only right to make full use of it and fulfil their father’s last wish instead of waiting till they are much older. Even if they are to meet with a setback, they still have a lot of time in their hands to correct it out or to continue with their studies.

I have seen their blog and the videos they posted up after reading the TNP and i have to say that such talent of theirs shouldn’t be wasted. All the best to them!
Candy Chye

Jeanmarie Says: Is America ready for a gay American Idol?

Apparently not. This message was transmitted loud and clear by American viewers when flamboyantly fey Danny Noriega was voted out in last week’s results show of the popular reality TV series. Danny had been very open about his sexual orientation, leading some websites to suggest he was a victim of homophobia. But was he?

Or was it his his purple-streaked hair, androgynous looks, sassy and sometimes bratty diva attitude? Younger viewers may have liked his individuality and but perhaps he irritated and alienated the older crowd?

The bottom line is Danny Noriega was an individual. He was nothing like the cookie cutter boy-next-door mould of the typical American Idol. And in a country which celebrates individuality, even his uniqueness may have been hard to swallow.

Tell Us: What do you think of Danny Noriega’s elimination? Should sexual orientation be a factor in voting for a talent 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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I have zero interest in American ‘talent’ contest like Idol, but can’t help searching for the video on youtube after reading about the controversy. Save a few cities, America is generally a conservative country. Hence, racial discrimination, bigotry and voters giving power to the Bush administration.

Whether Danny Noriega is gay or not, I’m sure his actions while performing was a nod to the Marc Almond who originally performed Tainted Love. Being used to many androgynous performers, what I saw in the video of his performance seemed normal. Sexual orientation should never be a factor in a talent competition. Afterall, it’s supposed to be about talent, isn’t it.

Many gay entertainers go on to have very successful careers. From Elton John to George Michael to Ellen Degeneres. Some may think that sexual ambiguity might make one seem so enigmatic and attract so much attention that some entertainers, like, David Bowie, Brett Anderson, Jarvis Cocker, played it up early in their careers only to revert back to the boring straight gentleman once they’ve achieved success.

Keith Tan

I feel that Danny Noriega shouldn’t have been eliminated from American Idol. I feel, he is such a delight to have in this show.

I think he was voted off as Danny only caught young people’s hearts. Older people might not have liked his attitude or his flamboyantly gay persona. As for me, i admire him.

I do not think that sexual orientation should matter in this talent show. Why? The contestants’ sexual orientation is their own personal thing. People should not matter all these. This is a talent show, its called ‘American Idol’. They are looking for a person with powerful and good vocals.

Danny might be quite gay-ish but doesn’t that make the show more entertaining? Without him in this show anymore, i think it would not be so entertaining anymore.

Voters should vote by the contestants’ vocals, not their sexual orientation or anything else relating to that. Don’t you think so?

Erny Samsir Kartolo

I think Danny Noriega is one in a million! I don’t think they should eliminate him, he truly deserves to be in a top 3 at least! He’s unique in his own way and He does represent certain type of people in this expressive society. His flamboyant presence shows that he genuinely didn’t choosed to be that way. I think it’s sad that people would always have to judge someone according to their own standard of norms, why can’t we appreciate each individuals for who they are, not as who we would like they are to be. Like the Martin Luther King’s Dream that their children will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character. So spur on Danny!

Jean Simon