It IS about race.
Akademi Fantasia is untouchable. The feverish fanaticism of support by its viewers has put its contestants - and the host - on a pedestal that's almost too surreal to comprehend.
Last week I watched as they did their solo performances (not bad, nothing special - then again with Mawi as their yardstick for quality...) - and totally mess up their bonus group performance, butchering Shakira's Hips Don't Lie with horrific diction, lame choreography, no feel, and somewhere in there the pitching was trying to be found.
Didn't they realise that these kids were having enough trouble with their own solo workloads and were definitely NOT ready for multiple songs to learn up, especially for nationwide viewing?
But again, as I said, these are Akademi Fantasia kids. They could do NO wrong in the eyes of the fans.
Criticisms by the judges are necessary, putting these kids in their place - someone needs to tell them that they're just not cutting it and they gotta work hard and step up.
But boos from the audience, and the host trying to soften the blow on these poor emo kids (they cry oh ever so much -- good for pity votes and tv ratings) by downplaying these criticisms, almost condescendingly... basically telling these kids that it's okay, don't listen to that bad man, you've got the love of the people, you're perfect the way you are...
But what takes the cake is understanding the true mentality of the people who fuel the enormous-ness (for want of a better word) of the show - from the producers to the contestants to the bleeding fans who tune in without fail.
Earlier on in the episode was a little doa selamat thingy going on... interestingly enough even the non-Muslim contestants were in Malay outfits and having to sit in on it.
Was there no consideration on THEIR faith? Did it not matter? What about having them sit it out instead of having to put up a pretence of blending in so it would appeal to a predominantly Malay audience?
Imagine if in some other show, the non-Muslims wanted to do a little group prayer thing. Would the Muslims be comfortable sitting in? Would it be allowed? Would our politicians and zealots scream MURTAD and APOSTASY and shut down the station for being "insensitive" to individual religious rights?
Hmmm.
But last week something else happened. The word "Negro" was used. In a negative sentence. You know, something like "Negro bodoh"... Firstly, Negro is a derogatory word, and to use it as a slur just because some kid can't learn a song fast enough is doubly stupid. Who's the real bodoh here?
The producers for letting the statement go through TWICE, the person who said it, and the nation of people who just sat by and let it be.
Sure, you can say I'm too Americanized and my degenerate Westernized mind will see the negativity in words like "Red Indian" and "Negro". But then again, would our Parliament freak out if some American programme had some dude who couldn't learn some Malaysian song, exclaiming "Goddamn stupid Keling/Natan/Melayu/Chinky/etc" on live TV?
Of course! It would be some diplomatical issue, our politicians will be making big bold statements, we'd have an embargo on all products coming from there, all programmes, etc etc etc (you know how we're all so emo about ethnic pride)
All these words - including those used as derogatory slurs related to race - are offensive. Stupid. Ignorant. You don't have to BE from the said country, or live there, to understand that.
What's even more messed up is how we're trying to teach ethnic relations in a class in universities in an effort to counter racial polarization in our universities. You can't teach that in a class. I mean, look at Agama and Moral, for crying out loud. Most of us ace the subject cos we studied it academically. Does it mean everyone practises it, understands it, lives by it? NOpe. Blind rote memorization (like everything else in our schools) will get you through.
It goes down to the roots man. We're still hearing people describe people with race. I just hate it when someone says things like "Ha... Tadi ada sorang India..." or "Eh... Apsal Cina tu cakap ngan engkau ah?"
Parents tell their kids not to mix with classmates of a different colour because they're not kosher. Like "eh... jangan kawan ngan die... Cina tak cebok/makan babi/kotor..." or "eeh, Hindu tu busuk la, cam minyak kelapa, rumah die ada berhala. Haram masuk rumah tu tau..."
Makes NO goddamn difference what you teach kids. Cos at the end of the day society and their families are telling them otherwise. As you get older you realise that there is only ONE race that matters in this country, and your non-Bumi friends actually have to find uni placement/jobs/house/contracts based on merit, not by flashing their so-called birthright. Unquestionable or you get thrown in jail. Nevermind that it has been years of handouts and silver platters to the point that the younger generation totally sees it as their sole right to get every advantage because their country owes it to them. Nevermind that it's been years of "affirmative action" on the majority race and they're still falling behind the minority in many counts.
The politics that rule the nation is based on glorifying one race over another. I don't agree with race-based politics because I still believe that one day we can actually SAY we're ONE and actually LIVE it. Not for posters, not for campaigns, not to look good for other people.
7:05 PM
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