Singapore Idol



I hope I haven't lost my sense of humour, but I didn't think Singapore Idol was any funny. Not even a bit of it.. or at least the bits that everyone seemed to be talking about .. like the Bananaman, and the Whisperer.. and the William Hung Lemon Tree impersonator.. (now, now, don't throw things at me..hear me out..)

Frankly speaking, I didn't quite get what's so intriguing about watching really bad dancing, singing or costumes on primetime television. Neither did I turn on the telly to hear Simon Cowell impersonators with Singaporean accents. Maybe it's just because I don't like to laugh at people who are putting their heart and soul into doing something, and believing so much in it..

Call me square (or even weird.. or gulp.. boring..) but I watched Singapore Idol because I wanted to hear how well some people could sing.. and I watched it because I wanted to see the positive side of why people tried so hard, and felt and believed so much in what they did, even if they couldn't actually carry it off.. which fortunately, this last episode I watched minutes ago managed to show a balanced amount of. Believe me, I was truly touched by why some people are taking part and what taking part means for them, particularly the ones who were crossing a personal or social hurdle..

Yes.. And actually, the bits I really disliked were the hypocritical and nasty comments that the four judges felt compelled to make, clearly to evoke an emotional response from the contestants. As Dick Lee says

"We would hantam (whack) them like mad and they are just so thankful"

"I'm not saying we purposely try to provoke them. We know what makes good television, and we try to get it out of them."

and also how the judges start showing these really guilty and empathetic looks when the hapless rejects start crying there and then...

I don’t know how much longer I'll go on watching Singapore Idol.. Maybe I'll start watching it again a bit later on, when they have wittered down the contestants to the slightly better ones.. who don't embarrass themselves on national television or get laughed at by the people who sit around me at work everyday..

maybe I'm just a cynic. An old boring cynic with weak knees. Sigh.. pardon the old grump.. just sprained my knee a couple of days ago and have to lay off running for a little while.. grr..