Hokkien?

from the following blog:

http://blog. omy.sg/hyr


Hey guys, yeah, so today we were told that our song, the 1st single for the 12 LOTUS OST, is rejected for having too much Hokkien content, and going in for a re record this Sunday. Jim and me are quite stupedified by the decision. Daammmnn, otherwise U guys would have been able to hear it by this weekend…

Being a Singaporean Chinese, I discovered my language thru Mandarin only later in life due to my career, and now can babble off 3 hours of interviews mostly in Chinese when I'm required to, and hence was appointed a Speak Mandarin Campaign Ambassador in hope of inspiring others. After I embraced the language, I realised that, Hey! what's wrong with Mandarin? Nothing!!?!? It's where I came from, I think it's more shameful if you can't speak the language rather than vice versa…

Last year's 881 was a hit among people of all ages, they identified with it because we presented something that was actually deep inside their hearts, just that we are all too busy with our own lives to notice it till then. Frankly, I'm one of those guys, and hence I was happy that I'm part of it.

Because of that, I now feel that Hokkien as a dialect, represents a culture in our lives in Singapore. But yeah, even people of my generation, weren't part of embracing it as it was largely unexposed in our lives of pop culture. And I'm already not young, so what about the younger guys? Yes, 881, was a hit, even to the 6 year old kids, and they came to know about Hokkien, but did they ditch their English, Mandarin and decided to try just speak Hokkien to their friends and family?

I didn't see that happening, which is why I'm quite curious on the restrictions of using a dialect in a movie or soundtrack to promote or be seen in a film that touches on the essence of that dialect, that culture, that is Hokkien. It's like eating KFC without the skin(aaahhh, I know some of you do that, hahhahah). Or can U imagine that China Girls song, and them singing HAVE A NICE DAY, instead of SAWADEE KA? Would sound ridiculous don't u think? Don't get me wrong, I understand the media has to ensure the coherence of language in their airwaves to establish their identity. But hmmm, this is after all, a Hokkien movie and so what's wrong to be exposed to that language thru the different media? Audiences who watch the movie in the end, would be exposed to it anyway…And we don't have Hokkien movies EVERYDAY…

I speak English like an Ah Beng over here, just because it's what I am, but that doesn't mean I can't write or speak in proper English if need be. Similarly I wouldn't ditch Mandarin if I learned Hokkien. And Similarly I wouldn't stop eating other forms of food altogether if I start on a cookie before a meal…and of course, I can make up for the KFC skin by balancing it up with other forms of food intake.