ever thought about not thinking

Oh Xiaxue...

(before you read further, i'd like to make a few things clear. i am not an accomplished writer, neither do i see myself as one.)

*flame suit on*

ah yes, a friend of mine, grace, directed me to a well-read (and somewhat well-debated) blog on the web belonging to xiaxue. now i've got no beef with Ms. xiaxue at all. i believe whatever she pens (keys?) down on her site is her entitlement - after all the internet is about free speech right? she doesn't post her articles while sitting atop any moral high horse, which is alot more than i can say for other bloggers out there. (especially those 15 year olds with a chip on their shoulder. at 15?! get a grip.)

but i must admit, im just curious why she would be invited to participate in this year's Singapore Writer's Fest (SGWF).

now i wouldn't want to assume that i am fit to judge another person's writing. i admit xiaxue's posts are entertaining, and affably tongue-in-cheek. they are easy to digest (have you come across blogs where the author simply writes to "show off"? horrible. A+ for language but F! for readability.) and easy on the brain (i don't get headaches figuring out xiaxue's logic.).

however, it is nothing spectacular. there are many other local bloggers that display wit and insight in their posts. some with a better degree of finesse and elegance. but none of them seem to be featured on the SGWF ads; i suspect that the real reason why she was invited to the SGWF is due to the fact that:

1) she's one of singapore's more prominent bloggers
2) she's been featured on the local rags.
3) she's... a she.

why? because, frankly, when was the last time you took notice of a Writer's Festival in Singapore? (writers, or all you lit/artsy/poetry people, dont count.) What's the purpose of the SGWF? quoted directly from their website, it is

"Aimed at inspiring great writing and nurturing a greater understanding... (blahblah)"

that means they're focusing more on the non-writers, non-lit/artsy/poets, out there. in other words, ordinary people like you and me. so how do u go about acheiving it?

1) find someone well known for his/her writing. (singapore doesn't have any REALLY famous writers. no, russell lee doesn't count)
2) better still if the said person has been featured on the local rags (to ensure maximum popularity and penetration into the lay-person market.)
3) add points if said person was involved in controversial public opinion.
4) if the said person is female, even better. coz hey, sex sells right?

and go about finding a way to tie all the above 3 points into the theme, "Writing".

so the organisers thought,

"eh this xiaxue girl quite pretty ah, even if she photoshops her pictures, but according to her models do that anyway, so nevermind lah. (Nick: thats grounds for another debate. basically how can one stand on the same basis of comparision with models? we know the truth why she photoshops them pictures. *snigger*) She writes. urm. does a blog filled with your own personal ramblings count? aiyah it'll do lah - some people think it's cool what. somemore she's quite famous also ah! so let's get her on our adverts then we can be cool and popular by association."

well their brilliant idea worked. for one, here i am writing about this. that means their message did get across right? received in the wrong context, but message received nonetheless.

take a minute now and think: who do you think would make for a better ad/poster? Xiaxue or Cyril Wong. To keep things fair, both are local writers (though the more astute of you readers will point out their gender difference. and Mr. wong, i apologize if you feel offended that your literary accomplishments are being compared to that of Ms. cheng's - I'm sure models the world over understand how you feel.) Have i made my point?

even the two other bloggers, the miyagi dude and mr brown, who are featured in the SGWF have other writing accomplishments rather than having a popular blog as their sole claim to fame.

and xiaxue, you write okay. but don't get that pretty little head all big and heavy now... it's just a marketing ploy and you're a (very willing) puppet!

Note: there's a hidden sentence embedded in the last few paragraphs.. see if you can find it. :)

Postscript: check out the list of writers involved in this year's SGWF. you too, will wonder just like i did, what a lightweight like Ms. Cheng is doing amongst such luminaries. is it for her writing prowess? or perhaps, for the reasons i've postulated above. i'll let you decide.

posted by stark @ 4:07 AM