Miss Singapore - I HAVE to say something

When this first started making its rounds I absolutely refused to watch it. I knew it was going to be awful. I knew I would cringe and I knew I would feel terrible after seeing it.

So for many days I kept away from email attachments, facebook posts and twitter links to this Ris Low interview or anything related to it.

However, recently I succumbed. My student came in to class and said I simply HAD to watch it if I hadn't already. Cos she wanted to know what I thought of the whole thing . So I watched it. And after I did, she put forward this question - is it their fault that people who can't speak well don't speak well?

Erm, well, I really don't know it's something you can FAULT someone for, any more than you can fault someone for not doing math well or understanding history well. I mean, some do, and some don't and that's the way the cookie crumbles (oh wait.. I have more apple crumble in the fridge... yum...) .

That aside, this is what I have to say. I am sorry that she doesn't speak English well. I assume she might be more eloquent in another language. And I wish she'd chosen to do her interview in whatever language it is that she is presumably more proficient in. Because, while it looks like she's all brave and daring and willing to do an interview in a language she (obviously) can't handle, it is also extremely annoying for those of us who DO have a handle on the language to have to listen to her awful diction and strange ornamentation of consonant sounds and might I say, what flourish she adds to her sylla-li-ba-bles.

I've seen some posts online defending Ris Low citing 1) her bravery 2) the difficulty in pageant-ing and 3) being proud of ALL Singaporeans not just well-spoken ones as reasons for NOT attacking her.

Granted. Not everyone listens to the BBC or watches non-TCS fare. And I admit that pageant-ing is hard work. Also, I give her credit for being brave (although there's a fine line between bravery and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ... I'm not going to say it but you know what I mean).

But I also have to say this - it IS a competition. Just because it is gruelling and not every Mary, Jane or Sue  will qualify, does not mean we have to automatically discount our beauty queen's language skills (or lack thereof). Heck, in that case, we may as well just ignore the interview portion altogether. If the stuff that comes out of her mouth doesn't inspire, doesn't resonate with the residents of our nation, doesn't make us all want to cheer and smile and see her get to the Miss World stage in JNB, then she ain't got what it takes, sistah.

To those of you who say that we're being mean - well tuff sheeet. Cos that's what competition is all about.

Moving on - even if I were to accept that her diction/language skills should be discounted, then I'll say this - how juvenile is someone who thinks that just 'cos she likes animal prints that means she loves South Africa. Er, does she KNOW what she's saying? And her fashion style? All about her. Her. and more Her. Never mind what people think. Wait - I thought the point of having a unique style was so that one could convey their personality to the people looking at them.  Is fashion not about communicating in clothes - and does communicating not involve reception by someone? Anyone? oh er. yes. Herself apparently.

I don't get this girl. I think that her attitude is the problem here. Not so much the speech, cluelessness or crazy I-don't-know-what-I'm-saying rolling of eyeballs all over the place from time to time. It's her attitude- I'm so hot. I'm the bomb. I deserve to win. It's all about me. And I know it.

Who does she think she is? Me?