Next, imagine this. You, on an airplane, flying to LA on an all-expenses paid trip to interview some A-list Hollywood actor/actress. When your plane has landed, you head straight for the press conference, gather enough information for your write-up, go back to your hotel to draft your article, maybe go sight-seeing a bit, if time permits....
Which kind of lifestyle would you like to lead?
Fame and fortune can lead people to do crazy things, have crazy ideas, have wider boundaries...
For example, if a typical Singaporean Ah-Boy does well for his exam, what would his parents reward him with? If he comes from a well-to-do family, maybe praises and expensive gifts will be lavished upon him. If he comes from a lower-income family, maybe his mother will whip up a mean dish for him. However, if you were the son of a wealthy Hollywood actress, what is Mummy gonna say to you?
"If you score well for this test, I will reward you by letting you sleep with a prostitute."
Oh, wow. I wonder how many Ah-Boys in Singapore will jump to that offer to sleep with a whore? Still, I must applaud the mother for coming up with such a creative way to gratify her son...I'm sure many guys in Singapore will appreciate if their mothers had just a quarter of her sense of humour.
Seriously, as much as the moral integrity in me disagrees with the mother's method of gratifying her child, it is people like these that make the world a more colourful place. If people like you and me are the common, monotonous blue sky that sketches miles and miles across our horizon, then celebrity is that elusive rainbow that comes out every once in a while to brighten our day. With their controversial quotes and actions, glamorous (sometimes disastrous) dressing (not to mention wardrobe malfunctions) and the constant over-grinding gossip mill to feed every human's insatiable appetite for gossip (as long as it is not about them). I know, uber cheesy analogy. Whatever.
The fact remains that people almost always are interested in the life of the rich and famous. That is because they lead a life different from most of us, and they are an avenue for us to fantasize and dream about living the high life. Getting the coolest boyfriends, flying the private jet, lapping up high luxuries like branded goods and getting the five-star treatment etc. And the presence of celebritydom proves that such a life is possible, albeit highly unattainable. But, still, that doesn't change the fact that people dream big, does it? No, it doesn't. The long queues formed at the Toto store near my workplace is proof enough.
It's true that many celebrities hate the media, especially the hound-dogs (狗仔队)。Because these people invade into their privacy. We've often seen extensive media coverage of celebs beating up the paparazzi and making statements like, "All that clicking (courteousy of cameramen) is making me go crazy!" But, yet, what many people do not understand is that many celebs use the paparazzi as a tool, or should I say weapon, to get their way. Hello, which celeb in their right frame of mind, would go to The Ivy just to have a peaceful dinner with her fiance?? Everyone knows that paparazzi is stationed at the The Ivy 24/7, and it makes sense that sometimes these celebs have a certain purpose in mind that they hope to be able to throw into the limelight...for example, a new boyfriend, a new engagement ring, the size of their ring; for various purposes eg. more publicity for their upcoming movie, or they have a new album in stores, and so on...
Some celebs who call themselves "realists" admits that the paparazzi is beneficial to them, especially when they are promoting a new film or album. Hey, you can't have your pie and eat it, right? God is fair. You lose some, you gain some. They lose their privacy, in return for the big bucks, living the big life and get to appear on the big screen. Hey, that's a fair exchange, if you ask me. The old saying, "Bad news is better than no news" and another one that says something like, "If you want to create news, the paparazzi works wonders."
Ok, I know I know, there's no such quote.
Some people, and I'm referring to struggling actors and actresses, only stand to lose when they pursue an acting profession in the entertainment industry. They lose as in they lose their privacy, they can't go outdoors without people staring and pointing because they are a familiar face, but yet they are not famous enough to get the endorsements rolling in. They are not getting the pie and they are not eating it. It's a lose-lose situation. In other words, they are not getting back their money.
Not getting back their money. Ok, that brings me to another point, I really feel it's hard being an artiste in Singapore. Firstly, there are too many local snobs around that dare I say, look down, on local celebrities just because they are not as big as their Hollywood counterparts. Just the other day, I was telling a colleague of mine that I was going to see Fiona Xie. Her reply? "For what? Why would you waste your time? It's not like Fiona Xie is Jolin Tsai!"
The saying (yes, another one) "If Singaporeans don't support their own fellow countrymen, how can we expect foreigners to support them?" So wrong. I say, for Singaporean artistes, stay in Singapore and no one will give a shit. Go overseas, make it big, come back, and your local fellowmen will start looking up to you. I will come up with a new quote of myself, "If Singaporeans don't go overseas to make it big, how can they expect our fellow countrymen to support them?" Makes more sense, doesn't it? I know at least one Singaporean artiste that will agree with my statement. None other than Tanya Chua.
In the latest issue of 8 DAYS' interview with Tanya, the usually outspoken lass goes all out to slam Singaporeans with a sweeping statement of, "I feel like I show that kind of support [for my country] and I don't get it back [from my countrymen]. I want my money back - do you know what I mean? If need be, I will go somewhere else (I think she means Taiwan) and make it and I will never say that I'm a Singaporean again."
Well, it's enough that Singaporeans are not showing her enough support, it seems that the local media has a gripe against her as well as she later confesses in the interview, "I come back and read things like 'Tanya might have won, but it was so-and-so who stole the limelight' or 'Dark Horse Tanya wins Golden Melody Award'... ... I just won some honour for our country and that's all you guys can say about me?"
I say, Tanya is right to blame the local media. They are always measuring our local celebrities' success with that of their ability to appear on the big Hollywood screen. I simply don't understand, why must we always use our Western counterparts as a measure against our own success? Can't we be proud of our our local artistes in our own little ways? But, oh no, our artistes are just small fry with little or no recognition, so they don't deserve our support as much as say, Keira Knightley or David Beckham.
Yes, we are a small country, our artistes haven't had much success beyond our local shores, but that doesn't mean if given the chance, they can't make it. I'm sure Vincent Ng can kick ass as well as Jackie Chan. The chap himself has admitted in an interview that he is up to all the tough stunts that Mr Chan has flexed in his movies.
So, what's the problem then? The problem lies solely in resources, people! It's not the problem of talent (we have, but so what?), NO MONEY!!! No money to make big Hollywood films, no money for the extravaganza display of effects seen in The Matrix, not enough money but to make a low budget Jack Neo movie.
Anyway, on a different note, celebitydom is never far from the world of superficiality. They are actors and actresses, so what do you expect them to do? Act!, of course, you say in the most duh-tone you can manage. So, who can guarantee that they do not bring their acting skills beyond filming grounds? That they do not take advantage of their god-given gift to manipulate others? We are all puppets, celebs are the masters that pull the strings. They flirt with our minds, make us perceive them to be a certain way and then go all out to prove us wrong.
In the good old days, a celebrity was defined as someone who is good-looking/pleasant-looking and can act/sing/dance etc. For a singer, stong vocals were highly appreciated and sought after.
In today's context, celebrity presents a whole different meaning altogether. Today's celebrity need not do any or all of the above (i.e. act/sing/dance), they need only entertain. They don't even have to be good-looking. They can look like Rolly Polly, be shorter than the average man on the street, have Bugs Bunny tooth, look like a dork and dress like one. No problem, just get him on reality show American Idol, let the judges lash out at his horrendous rendition of Ricky Martin's "She Bangs", and all he has to do is reply calmly, "I have had no professional training." And, wham bam!, the endorsements come rolling in, his albums hit plantinum status, he has a career in acting and gets a chance to act beside Taiwanese veteran artiste Nancy Sit. So much for entertainment value. Of the wrong kind.
In the good old days, if an artiste's sex tape get posted on the internet, and his or her scandalous antics get exposed, that's it. She can say bye-bye to her career forever. In today's 21st century, however, her sex tape will go so far as to launch her career and has turned hotel heiress Paris Hilton into one of the most sought-after A-listers in Hollywood.
Isn't it ironic? And what does she do after the big bucks come rolling in, when she already has enough to last a lifetime, not to mention an extravagant lifestyle? She goes out there, and shoplifts her own sex video. Funny, isn't it? Not funny-haha, but funny-weird. You can never tell what goes on in these people minds.
And, then, there are those stingy celebs who refuse to tip the doorman or give the waiter/waitress what he/she deserves for putting up with their diva antics. Even worse, they use their celebrity status as an excuse to waif the bill. Hello? You are rich enough to stain your lifestyle with booze and drugs, and yet you are unwilling to foot the bill for a bottle of mineral water?
Like I said before, you never know what goes on in the mind of these people. "Do(n't) you know who I am?" has got to be the most cheesy line ever used by celebrities to cheat their way out of a bill, and ranks way before that pick-up line "Have I met you somewhere before?" guys use to pick up girls at bars, in the Cheesy Billboard Charts. Ok, I made that up.
To jusify the above, I think it has got to do with a saying, (yes, another one) "The richest people are often the most stingiest" which is true, you know. Because these people are so paranoid and hard-up about their money. I should know, because I'm stingy too. (haha) Well, the more you possess, the more you stand to lose. And the more you know you stand to lose, the more paranoid you are of losing it. Has something to do with the workings of a human pysche. Why else did Nicole Kidman sign a pre-nuptial agreement with her fiance? The girl's got brains, ya know?
For me, I feel that celebrity is more of a facet. An ever-changing facet that changes to fit the well, changes. Just like a chamelon changes to fit the landscape.
Many people, especially undiscerning, impressionable youngsters like myself, are deceived by the image the company has created for the artiste. Otherwise, why are there so many closet gays in the entertainment arena? Sometimes, the company wants the artiste to act a certain way, or be a certain way, or look a certain way to fit the image that the company feels can reap the maximum profits off that created image.
It's delusional, and when fans find out the truth, they are mostly disillusioned. Then, they will go on to complain and sue the company that created the so-called certain image to "cheat" them of their time, money and feelings because the artiste is not the way he or she appears to be. As in, the personal he or she is very different from the public one. Hello? Wake up your idea!! These irritating people, the monkeys must have mistaken their brains for bananas and eaten them up.
It's like the man who ate McDonald's and then went on to sue McDonald's for making him fat and unhealthy. In other words, who doesn't know that eating McDonald's makes one fat and unhealthy? What?! Is the consumerism of McChicken supposed to increase your nutritional level or improve your IQ power?!!
If there is anything that helps to increase IQ power, please for the good of human nature and for the sake of our gene pool, give some to these people. And, while you are at that, give them a chill pill as well. They are in desperate need of some. Although, I would advise that you warn them of an overdose in advance. You don't want to take chances. Especially with people like these.
On another note, besides the difficult decision of having to choose between editorial integrity and commercial gain, journalists are faced with the difficult task of striking a balance between work and friendship.
You see, you cannot deny the fact that many journalists become friends with celebrities along the course of their duty. This is sometimes the reason behind exclusive scoops, how some jounalists can get scoops no one can get their hands on. When friendship exists between a journalist and a celeb, it takes the interview to a whole new level. The celeb is more open emotionally, because there is more trust between them.
So what happens when a celeb friend reveals something that may be potentially damaging to his or her career to you, the journalist? Are you going to be his or her correction tape and keep it to yourself, or do you see as serving the public's interests as your priority, hereby possibly taking your career to a higher level?
You see, there is a direct conflict of interests, and I know many journalists lose their integrity along the way.
Anyway, on a last note, you see the guy in the photo (left). Well, I have no idea who he is, but heck lah, he looks like he's famous.
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