Take A Chill Pill

"Singapore: where Adam Lambert is not ok but China Wine is fine."

The above status was posted on Facebook by a good friend of mine yesterday and I have to say, she has stated her point clearly.

This recent uproar by many on not allowing Adam Lambert to perform at Singapore's New Year's Eve Countdown party has had me feeling disgusted. I am mostly ashamed. Ashamed to call myself a Singaporean only because majority are such hypocrites and narrow minded fools. Imagine being known as a First World Nation yet we have so many narrow minded people still living here....

"Within two days, more than 7,400 people signed an online petition to remove gay American singer Adam Lambert from the line-up at the New Year countdown concert organized by MediaCorp."

Even the reporter from Straits Times blatantly called Adam Lambert a gay American singer as quoted above. What does being gay have anything to do with his singing capabilities or talent? I am almost certain this whole petition nonsense was started by some Christian fanatic. If so, then I have to ask, "Why was is not a sin when Sun Ho made that China Wine video?"

It's just nice to know that another petition was started and it's to keep Adam Lambert as one of the line-ups for the countdown. Sadly, the votes are less than a thousand which means, narrow mind idiots rule this goddamn so called First World Nation I call home.

Nevertheless, even if the petition gained enough votes for Adam Lambert to remain as one of the line-ups, I am pretty sure he would not want to step on to Singapore soil after this bullshit!

Sadly, this is really destroying Singapore's image as a cultural and united country. First world? Kiss my ass. People here have third world minds. Actually, to be honest, people from the third world countries are more accepting. The problem with the people here is they think too highly of themselves. "Atas" as what we could call them. They think they are perfect and live in their perfect little world. I say, wake the hell up!!!

Singaporeans are calling Adam Lambert an inappropriate choice because it will turn a family friendly event into something offensive and potentially divisive..... Are you serious????? These are the same blokes who would watch home grown drag queen Kumar on TV .... or Jack Neo cross dressing as Liang Po Po ... or Dennis Chew as Aunty Lucy!!

Singaporeans should just stop all the bullshit....their pretentious ways and stop being so contradicting!

Another bloke commented "Adam Lambert is hardly the kind of performer to send off our historic Jubilee Year or to usher in the New Year"..... What the hell is he talking about? What so historic about the same stupid countdown with the same people hosting and performing each and every year.....if not Gurmit Singh, it would be Patricia Mok or Nat Ho.....

I have nothing against Gurmit or Kumar. In fact I personally know them but I am trying to prove a point here with these stupid comments and remarks by ignorant Singaporeans.

Someone else commented "we should have our own wholesome home grown talent instead"  .... again I say... Kumar? Aunty Lucy? Any home grown talent? Not many these days....

I am all for local talents if they have it (talent that is) ... those who know me well enough know I am all for local talents. But some of these so-called talents chosen for these variety shows are just pathetic.

I would like to make one last comment. A Mr Goh had commented, "I stand for family. We should encourage pro family events for our celebrations"..... What the hell does he expect? Barney the purple dinosaur? The Smurfs?

If being gay is such a big deal then I have to question, why was Adam Lambert allowed to perform at the Star Theatre when he was in Singapore the last time? Isn't the Star Theatre a Christian Church? Why isn't anyone making a fuss about Elton John performing there? He is gay too. Thus why I say folks around here are full of shit and so damn contradicting!!

They say Adam Lambert is provocative with his tight leather pants and heavy eye liner.... last I checked, BigBang from South Korea performed at last year's New Year's eve countdown and they wear tight leather pants and some members have heavy eye liner as well.... How come they are not considered provocative??

Don't even get me started on Aaron Kwok who is performing in Singapore soon. Why is he allowed to even step on our soil if we are so concerned about provocative performances? Have you seen what he wears on stage?

Lets hit closer to home....what about Kumar?? Again I say, don't get me wrong.... I like the guy and I also know him personally... yet I feel he is provocative. He is casually labeled as a drag queen and have his posters splashed around MRT stations where we have families with kids looking at these ads all the time. Why is that ok?

Wake up Singapore. Before you decide to run your mouth about what is good and what isn't..... look around you first. Ask yourselves why two things of the same subject can be good and bad?

I don't even like Adam Lambert and I still find the attitude of Singaporeans absolutely disgusting towards his upcoming performance especially when we allow and accept nonsense like Singapore drag queen and cross dressers on National TV!

What is it about NKOTB that has kept my interest in them all these years?

The reason why I am doing this blog post is because of a conversation I had with my son last weekend… It was a cute little conversation which actually got me pondering … …

It all started last Saturday. I wasn’t feeling well (sucks to be sick over the weekend, by the way). Took the kids out for brunch with the hubs then went home. My kids tucked me in to bed, and decided to remain in the room to make sure I rested while my hubs played on his computer beside me, also making sure I would rest.

Since my desk and computer faces my bed, I could watch what my kids were doing on my computer. Most kids would start playing games and such but not mine. They entertained me while I was in bed by playing New Kids on the Block videos on YouTube. After a couple of songs, my daughter left the room to do her own things. My son stayed back. He continued sitting at my desk, worked on his homework and continued to choose different NKOTB videos for me … …

My son commented, “I don’t like NKOTB. I am only doing this for you mummy, because I love you and I know you love NKOTB.” -  My husband would be proud of him. But it’s a macho thing, no boy or man would ever admit they are a closet NKOTB fan.

That was not it …… my son continued by asking me this one question which got me pondering ……

He asked, “What is it with you and NKOTB, mummy?”

My reply was simple. I said, “I have enjoyed NKOTB since I was about your age. Maybe a little older. It is just like how you enjoy Transformers…”

He nodded to show me he understood. He saw the similarities.

That was it for him. His question had been answered. But it didn’t end there for me.  I asked myself, “What is it about NKOTB that has kept my interest in them all these years? 25 years to be exact!”

Like any girl who came of age in the early 90s, I was totally in love with NKOTB. I knew all their songs, full names, birthdates, etc etc! I was utterly convinced I was going to marry Donnie Wahlberg until I started having a crush on Jordan Knight too.

But it was those dreams that kept me going and kept my little mind then active. I wouldn’t say I had a rough childhood… … there are other kids worse off than I was. I was a happy child (mostly). I was most happy when I spent days at my granny’s house because I was surrounded by my grandparents, aunty and uncles who spoilt me rotten. I was most happy when I was around my mum who shared the love for NKOTB with me.

Whenever my mum could afford, she would buy NKOTB memorabilia for me. My aunt and uncles would do the same. I had everything from pens, to water bottles, sweaters, pillow cases, posters, books, dolls!

Even with all that, a part of me still felt lost and lonely. I still feel that way, even when I was surrounded by people I know who loved me to pieces. I guess I was just made different by the mighty one above. Or maybe since I was around 10, I already knew what was in store for me in my later years? Who knows really? I still can’t figure it out…. But I just deal with it now.

… I won’t get into all that … but NKOTB (and Elvis) music kept me happy and in my own little world. A world with lots of smiles and happiness. I enjoyed that. That possibly also kept me out of trouble … until I hit the nasty teenage years. But we shall not get in to that too.

Till today, I feel really happy listening to their songs and watching their concerts. It’s easier these days with what’s out there over the internet. Of course I am more mature now, I know I can never marry Donnie or Jordan as I am married too. But I have naughtier and dirtier thoughts when I watch them…. but lets not get in to that too… haha

I will never forget how happy they kept me. …How excited I was to get a new memorabilia…. How over the moon I was to attend their concert in Singapore in 1992 even though I had seats so far away from the stage.

I swore I would get to Boston no matter what it took me and I would hunt the boys down. Of course it never happened back in the day ... and then they disbanded (1994). When that happened, I was heart broken but I got over it quickly as I was also 15 years old and started dating. Yet, I always kept their songs on my playlist and listening to it still put a smile on my face.

Little did I know I would meet my husband online and move to Massachusetts, to a little town just an hour away from Boston. Yet when it happened, hunting the boys down did not cross my mind once as I was busy being an adult, busy working with my new husband to survive and make ends meet and create a new life for us. I was finally out of the control of my father. I was happy even though my husband and I struggled the first two years. But hard work paid off. We finally were comfortable, bought our first home together and had kids.

In 2007, I met this lady by the name of Carol on MySpace. Somehow she knew I was a NKOTB fan (possibly by my NKOTB stuff I posted on there), and she asked if I would like to go for the Jordan Knight solo concert? WHAT? When? Where?? Of course I want to go!! Carol lives 45 minutes away from me and she did’t drive. Jordan Knight will be about 1.5 hours away from where we lived but I am game!! We made t-shirts and posters and headed to Topsfield fair. We went for the 2pm and 7pm concert and met him after both shows. Not to mention front row for both shows and the fact he noticed us and acknowledged us during both shows. He was a darling. I couldn’t believe after all these years, I finally got to meet a New Kid!!

The next year, my family and I left USA and moved back to Singapore. A move I would have postponed if only I knew NKOTB would be getting back together for a reunion that would last 8 years now.

I was heart broken (yet again) when the reunion happened and when they performed at venues that was close to where I lived when I was in America. I was envious of the millions of women who got to meet them.

Finally, in 2012, they would perform in Asia. Jakarta and Manila. My wonderful husband got me Ultimate tickets to both shows and I got to meet the boys both times! 

I even got a NKOTB related tattoo…lyrics from my favourite song, “I’ll Be loving You Forever”. I got to show it to them and had both Donnie and Jordan touch it and Jordan singing the song to me!

With the amount of ‘moolah’ ($$) I spent for traveling and the VIP tickets, I even got a write up (full page) in the newspaper!

Anyway, I think I have gotten carried away with this post so I say it again, ‘what makes NKOTB so special to me?’. ‘Why after all these years, I am still crazy over them?’

I guess I have to say the main reason is because the New Kids were legit. Or, at least, they weren’t manufactured in the way of so many other boy bands that followed.

It’s really difficult to explain why I love these guys and why I have loved them all these years. But something ought to be said about a band who reunited 15 years later and still have their fans there! Just how many boy bands are still going strong decades later?

Despite having been doing this for more than 30 years, NKOTB continues to prove to us that underneath those shirts, their abs are hangin’ tough.

The average of the ladies at an NKOTB concert is usually a little higher than at a One Direction concert, but the screams and sing-a-long choruses of the women in the crowd… you wouldn’t have known the difference.

New Kids on The Block continues to blow our minds….

Even us Blockheads put the Directioners devotes to shame!!

So technically this blog post has gone a different direction and instead I was simply just fan girling about my favourite band; NKOTB. But it’s enough to tell you how much I love them and how they never fail to make me happy.

But seriously, I could have gotten pregnant many time just after watching Donnie and Jordan!

I much rather watch them then Magic Mike any day….ok, I lied…. I want to watch both!