By Sonam Sawlani
EchoSonam@gmail.com
A video poking fun at our local channel's Vasantham Star promotional video has been making the rounds at various online forums and blogs, arousing both disappointment and questions in the minds of citizens.
A group of teenagers posted the above video on Youtube, inviting a whole lot of negative and unfavourable comments:
"If they can't or don't understand a culture, they better shutup than behaving like these uneducated monkeys who still have the guts to post it on Youtube.There are so many things from other cultures which will look funny to you but that does not mean your culture is superior and does not look funny to others."
"F**king Chinese are all racist piece of shi*s. How many Indians do you see making fun of F**KING CAMPUS SUPERSTARS and ALL THE OTHER F**KING CHINESE shows? Chinese pigs should start to realise that YELLOW SKIN dosen't mean BETTER PEOPLE. Who the f**k said Singapore is a country with racial harmony?"
"If we INDIANS mock you CHINESE like that, you guys will get agitated and start to f**k us up also. We are pretty much doing the same thing. If you guys really meant it as a joke then I strongly suggest to put up a nicer video. Not the typical stigma where you have to dance behind trees. Where in the actual video did OUR Vasantham stars dance behind trees? As a matter of fact if you watched the full video, you will get a clearer picture."
So, even if some argue that this promotional video was done so terribly that it deserved the mocking, others question - what gave the idea to these teenagers who created the video that Indian stars sing and run around or hide behind coconut trees?
Perhaps this idea was communicated to them by their elders. Moreover, in a recent episode of Singapore Idol, Ken Lim, one of the judges, made this comment when he dismissed a wannabe Singapore Idol, Malaque Mahdaly: "That was amateurish, it lacks quality, but you will make a good Vasantham Star."
Meanwhile, student Pushpa R. feels such portrayals of negative stereotypes are uncalled for. She was similarly upset saying the Indian community already has to tolerate a great deal of marginalisation in life: "A Chinese kid on the bus once said pretty loudly to his mother that I was a smelly indian."
On the other hand, 42 year-old civil servant who wants to be known only as Savi said: "On the bus or train, Chinese passengers tend to avoid sitting next to me even if there's an empty seat."
With a population of approximately 4 million - 77 per cent Chinese, 14 per cent Malays, 7.6 per cent Indians and the remaining 1.4 per cent comprising others, it is obvious that a general pattern of racially motivated discrimination is present in everyday encounters and contacts between Chinese and Indians.
So, after 44 years of emphasis and education on multiracialism and multilingualism, have we truly evolved into a tolerant nation? Everyday racism in Singapore is widespread and continues to exist, especially within the dominant and minority groups.
Unfortunately, such experiences are never voiced out or openly discussed. As a result, they continue to simmer beneath the warm and fuzzy image of a harmonious and multiracial Singapore.
On the contrary, 58 year-old Senior Construction Manager, Gulabrai M. has this to say after watching the above clip: "I believe that these are just small little things that should not be given much attention. This may not necessarily mean discrimination towards the Indian race, but perhaps just something for youngsters to laugh about, and forget."
He added that such acts are not representative of the cross-cultural situation in Singapore. "There are numerous other things that people of all races here in Singapore enjoy together, be it at school, work or play. Looking at the bigger picture would be much more helpful."
Media
EchoSonam@gmail.com
A video poking fun at our local channel's Vasantham Star promotional video has been making the rounds at various online forums and blogs, arousing both disappointment and questions in the minds of citizens.
A group of teenagers posted the above video on Youtube, inviting a whole lot of negative and unfavourable comments:
"If they can't or don't understand a culture, they better shutup than behaving like these uneducated monkeys who still have the guts to post it on Youtube.There are so many things from other cultures which will look funny to you but that does not mean your culture is superior and does not look funny to others."
"F**king Chinese are all racist piece of shi*s. How many Indians do you see making fun of F**KING CAMPUS SUPERSTARS and ALL THE OTHER F**KING CHINESE shows? Chinese pigs should start to realise that YELLOW SKIN dosen't mean BETTER PEOPLE. Who the f**k said Singapore is a country with racial harmony?"
"If we INDIANS mock you CHINESE like that, you guys will get agitated and start to f**k us up also. We are pretty much doing the same thing. If you guys really meant it as a joke then I strongly suggest to put up a nicer video. Not the typical stigma where you have to dance behind trees. Where in the actual video did OUR Vasantham stars dance behind trees? As a matter of fact if you watched the full video, you will get a clearer picture."
So, even if some argue that this promotional video was done so terribly that it deserved the mocking, others question - what gave the idea to these teenagers who created the video that Indian stars sing and run around or hide behind coconut trees?
Perhaps this idea was communicated to them by their elders. Moreover, in a recent episode of Singapore Idol, Ken Lim, one of the judges, made this comment when he dismissed a wannabe Singapore Idol, Malaque Mahdaly: "That was amateurish, it lacks quality, but you will make a good Vasantham Star."
Meanwhile, student Pushpa R. feels such portrayals of negative stereotypes are uncalled for. She was similarly upset saying the Indian community already has to tolerate a great deal of marginalisation in life: "A Chinese kid on the bus once said pretty loudly to his mother that I was a smelly indian."
On the other hand, 42 year-old civil servant who wants to be known only as Savi said: "On the bus or train, Chinese passengers tend to avoid sitting next to me even if there's an empty seat."
With a population of approximately 4 million - 77 per cent Chinese, 14 per cent Malays, 7.6 per cent Indians and the remaining 1.4 per cent comprising others, it is obvious that a general pattern of racially motivated discrimination is present in everyday encounters and contacts between Chinese and Indians.
So, after 44 years of emphasis and education on multiracialism and multilingualism, have we truly evolved into a tolerant nation? Everyday racism in Singapore is widespread and continues to exist, especially within the dominant and minority groups.
Unfortunately, such experiences are never voiced out or openly discussed. As a result, they continue to simmer beneath the warm and fuzzy image of a harmonious and multiracial Singapore.
On the contrary, 58 year-old Senior Construction Manager, Gulabrai M. has this to say after watching the above clip: "I believe that these are just small little things that should not be given much attention. This may not necessarily mean discrimination towards the Indian race, but perhaps just something for youngsters to laugh about, and forget."
He added that such acts are not representative of the cross-cultural situation in Singapore. "There are numerous other things that people of all races here in Singapore enjoy together, be it at school, work or play. Looking at the bigger picture would be much more helpful."
Media
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