The continuation of the Jack Neo's saga only reflects so much about Singaporeans - that we are a pathetic lot. True, it was the tabloid and the media that gave us all the report but it is us the ordinary men in the streets that are dying and commenting on such news - that is why the tabloids being filled up all the news. And the online internet forums as well - full of people making comments and giving their 2 cents worth. Most are misplaced and self-deluding - standing on high grounds and taking pot-shots.
The latest is of course the press conference by Jack Neo and his wife. I could not understand why Jack chose to have his wife at the press conference. Perhaps it was a stage show to gain sympathy as many had suggested? In all, I think it did more harm than good. A simple press conference with him alone facing the music would suffice, but he chose to appear with his wife. And his wife frail and forlorn look and fainting on the stage added to the drama. He wanted to ask for a chance for the media to "let his family off", instead it gave the media a field day and more bullets to load up their guns to spray the tabloids.
If you read the Chinese tabloid, they listed 7 sins as a result of the press conference:
1) Using the wife as a shield
2) His own fault yet he has the guts to yell at the reporters
3) No promise to mend his ways
4) No apology to the public
5) Worse then Edison Chen - did not apologize to the 3rd parties
6) Push responsibilities away
7) Not worthy of the cultural medallion that he has received
I found the above laughable. Who are the public and media to think that they are justified to make the above points and to play judge? Arent we too pathetic to think that we are so much "greater" than him to pass such judgement?
Yes, he was wrong. He said in the press conference that he was totally to be blamed. Yes, he made another mistake to get his wife up there. His wife could not and should not handle the media if she is not up to it. This is a private matter between them. There are even many who questioned the stupidity of his wife to forgive him. Who are those people? Do they even know what they are talking about. It is a private matter between them. Yes, he is a public figure, a celebrity. He has spoken and made a statement. That should be enough. Leave them alone. He had paid the price. His family is paying the price of his indiscretions. We are not much better to deride them at their expense.
People talk about the "values" that he promotes in his movie. But surely we are not kidding ourselves. He is first and foremost an entertainer. We watch his movies primarily for its entertainment values and not his family values. He is not a priest or a monk or someone we look up to for the so-called "family values". Yes, it is incidental that he promotes such "family-values" but those are not the main message of his movies. He is out to entertain us and we paid being entertained. And even if he is hypocritical - not living to the values that he promotes in his movies, so what? He is not God nor God's messenger to us. Yes, what he did was wrong in our society but yes, we can condemn him and shun his movies - we have a right to do so. But that is about all. Anything more than that is a sad reflection of ourselves.
Every time when something happens, people has a lot to say - especially in the internet forums and in the media. It says much about ourselves. We are basically a pathetic lot.
lot of us are just angry with his paedophile tendencies 