Thursday, September 17, 2009
Bad image for Singapore?
Video interview source
Featured above is a short clip of an interview with Miss Singapore World 2009 winner- Ris Low. She tells us more about herself in the clip and also gives us some advice on fashion.
Initially, I had quite a good impression of Ris Low as she looked bubbly and interesting in the photos of her. However, this impression took a downturn when she started speaking. I found myself in disbelief at her poor command of English. Her pronunciation of words was somewhat horrendous and she struggled with expressing her thoughts. Is this lady really representing Singapore in Miss World? And what would others think of Singapore upon meeting her?
You see, what I have just done was to formulate a perception of Ris Low, based solely on the short clip of her. Establishing a perception on things is inevitable. Our perception is based on our interaction with our surroundings and experiences and in this case, it is based on watching and hearing the video.
Perception includes the process of selecting, organising and interpreting information presented before us. In this case, the majority of us would choose to focus only on the negative aspects of Ris Low, namely her poor command of English. Why? This could be based on societal standards of a representative of Miss Singapore World. In most cases, people would akin a Miss Singapore World to an elegant, beautiful lady who carries herself off with poise and class. Thus, perhaps Ris Low has been much criticized by the public because she has not met up to these standards.
After watching this video, many people, locals and foreigners alike, would probably develop a bad image of Singaporean women. People often remember more of the bad than the good of things and likewise, this unflattering image of poorly-spoken Singaporean women would probably stick with people over a period of time. Consciously or unconsciously, this cognitive schemata comes into play when people view Singaporean women now.
This brings us to think about the credibility of the management of Miss Singapore World. Do they not have a certain set of criteria such as being able to speak well? Being a representative of Singapore, it is very important that the most suitable candidate is picked as image is at stake. A bad image can easily ruin business opportunities, social relations and etcetera, in the short or long run. I am very much appalled that this is the best we can go. I am confident that there are many more suitable candidates for Miss Singapore World out there!
To be fair, we are all capable of perceptual errors. Perhaps we judge too much based on the way she speaks and carries herself. Perhaps we have overlooked the fact that this could all be due to her nervousness? How about the failure to appreciate her confidence? Or maybe she has other good aspects of her that the video failed to bring out that makes her the most suitable candidate for Miss Singapore World.
All in all, I still think this video being circulated around the Internet will bring Singapore’s image some shortcomings and also, the ripple effect of a bad image. I just hope people do not generalize Singaporean women and let us all hope the next Miss Singapore World would do a better job at carrying herself off!
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Hi Valley,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that Ris Low would be very much at a disadvantage as she is evidently unable to live up to the standards of a beauty pageant of a scale as big as that of Miss World. By joining an international beauty pageant, I however, would like to think that such attributes are prerequisites - both beauty and brain.
Personally, I feel that she is a disgrace to Singapore with her lack of depth answers and poor command for English. In fact, I am appalled she made it through the qualifying round, much less win the title of Miss Singapore World. However I should attribute this to the fact that instead of scouting for potential contestants, beauty pageants are unfortunately voluntary and mostly subjected to the registration of the willing contestants. And these handful of people are not the best representation of Singapore women.
And also, I wouldn't really allude her poor presentation of herself during the video to nervousness. In this video, she was speaking to one interviewer and a cameraman. At the pageant, she has to be spontaneous in front of a crowd of audiences and numerous cameras. There is no excuses for her to underperform. If she is even unable to handle this well, then she should not even be in the pageant at all.
Yes, pray for the next Miss Singapore World to be as good!!!! The Miss Singapore Universe was pretty ok though!
I was so disgusted by the less-than-polished words coming out of the young girl's mouth that I didnt even bother to watch the whole video posted.
ReplyDeleteHow did Ris get chosen? Is this young girl going to be Singapore's ambassador? I think the hundreds of other more-qualified girls must be resting at home; or put off by the absurd standards to even bother applying for auditions.
Miss Singapore should be selected based on the criteria of physical beauty and poise.
As a young girl, Ris has beuaty on her side. However, does Ris have sufficient poise to make the cut? Poise is about how one walks in high heels, speaks about issues to media and handles tough questions on stage. It seems like Ris, who studies 'steel' (OMG), is not adequately prepared for such a competition. She should remain back in school to study 'steel', and not go to South Africa just because she loves Leopard prints.
Ris has to understand that it's not only about 'me' (her) here. It's also about us - what kind of flag is she going to fly for Singapore?
If Ris finally does get to go to South Africa, she should speak less to the media and on stage - that'll probably give us a higher chance of positive judgement.
Hi Val!
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement that foreigners who watch this video might have a bad impression of Singapore and its women. If so, it would really be one bad apple spoiling the basket. Since perceptions are formed quite quickly, it might really be the case! Since not everyone would know about Singapore or come here themselves, their perceptions can be formed from what they find on the Internet, read in the newspapers and hear from friends and family. If the girl in this video were to be the first Singaporean person that a foreigner hears, it would immediately form an initial perception that Singaporeans cannot speak proper English.
You mention that we might commit perceptual errors and overlook her personality and a possibly kind heart. However, I think that for a beauty pagaent it would not be difficult to know what kind of personality she has, let alone a kind heart. Also, in competitions like these their screen time is very little so she has to make an impression in a split second. She might get through the first round based on looks but what will happen when she has to answer serious questions in the Q&A segment? The judges' perceptions of her will completely change and might even make it worse because of a high expectation placed based on her looks alone.
Also, it is quite embarrassing that the interviewer's english is a stark contrast to hers making it even more obvious that she cannot speak well.
Personally, I feel that such beauty pageants tend to undermine one's value for self-worth. Many young girls like Ris Low enter such a competition for the fame and prestige associated with it. Ultimately, the fact that she became Miss Singapore World raises more issues than meets the eye. Instead of questioning her competence, should we instead question this choice made by the judges and the general public? Is there something lacking in the judging criteria?
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly, Ris Low didn't exactly ace the interview above and for her to have made those remarks (which would eventually be made public), she must have genuinely thought her responses were socially acceptable.
Since Beauty pageants are generally multi-tiered, with local competitions feeding into the larger competitions, our local representative should be well-respected,at the very least. Hence, I feel that the larger part of the responsibility lies with the organisers to maintain the image they're searching for.
Sometimes, we can't have the best of both worlds and the flak that is usually drawn through pageants, such as the above mentioned, comes in an onslaught of negativity. An unproportionate body, boring face, lack of poise and poor communication skills are examples of how we berate and complain. Judgement by people really determines one's image and outcome- a perpetuating cycle indeed.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I definitely do not condone Ms Low's projected image and skills; I despise the negative perception of Singaporeans that she has created, albiet unintentionally. The selection of delegates to represent an organisation or country has to be stringent and calculated; after all, it has always been the survival of the fittest and hence the strongest and best.
Therefore, does this mistake of choosing a poorly-equipped representative reveal how soceity has been moulded to accept supericiality? Be it focusing just face-value, body-beauty or brains-inclined, we often fail to recognise the other facets of people. I suspect the face-value and body-beauty were more valued than the essential, overlooked skill of communiciation.
The point of well-roundedness and judgement is different in the context of daily living. We are all equipped with skills and strenths, but also inadequacies and weaknesses. As long as we do our best (in our daily living), we have run the race well.
In this case however, Ms Singapore Universe must be well-rounded to portray a postive image in all aspects. Sorry if it's too demanding a order, but that's the high expectations society has. Since Ms Low fails to meet the expectations,public criticism (be it constructive or not) is inevitable.
For individuals entrusted with the role of representing others (like Ms Low), they ultimately lose that concession- the price to pay for recognition and performance.
hey val I agree that Ris Low is going to embarrass the likes of all Singaporean women,
ReplyDeleteespecially when she's joining a competition that values both the beauty and brains of such women.
Being in Miss World sort of makes her an ambassador of Singapore and I can't imagine the image that other countries are perceiving whilst watching her.
You can roughly imagine how is she going to answer the questions thrown at her when she's on stage in South Africa, and I shudder to think what the judges would be thinking as she answers them.
Hi Val!
ReplyDeleteyes this much popular youtube video has been making its rounds around the world wide web. Gaining a cult following of impersonators and disgusted "fans" alike.
its very true that we, as humans are bound to make errors. However, human error can be avoided on certain scenarios & contexts, such an example would be representing a nation for a beauty pageant where poise, eloquence & beauty are the winning factors.
How are we, as Singaporeans to feel proud about such a girl representing Singapore?
and oddly enough, this has left a lasting impression on me for the lack of efficient verbal communication by Ris Low. :P
Isaac
I think Ris is not a good representation of Singapore, especially its women.
ReplyDeleteI think these sort of pageants focus on the wrong thing. While I do admit that Ris is a beautiful girl, I'll have to say that it is a poor portrayal of Singapore and its women.
We have to understand that Ris is an ambassador for our country. By allowing her to win in a pageant and sending her overseas as Singapore's representative, just what are we communicating to people overseas? That Singapore doesn't care about educating its citizens? That all Singaporean women think that life is "all about me"? It's very bad for Singapore's image as a country. Imagine what the other contestants would think when they speak to her.
Beauty pageants like Ms Universe are a showcase of a country's most beautiful person, and it should be both inwardly and outwardly. A good representative would be an intelligent, smart, charming and kind person who is also aesthetically pleasing. It seems that Singaporean judges are clearly lost on that.
hey!
ReplyDeleteI laughed the whole time while watching this video!!
She's indeed entertaining, but is not a good role model for Miss Singapore World.
She's supposed to represent what Singapore is like and be our spokesperson. However, she doesn't fulfill the whole role.
I personally feel, if foreigners watch this video, they might have a bad impression of Singaporeans as a whole.
Hi Val!
ReplyDeleteI've watched the clip a couple of times already but it still cracks me up as I'm watching it now.
Language is indeed crucial in our society, especially when amplified by a medium such as the media as it affects communication with others. Ris Low was obviously made laughing stock when she could not hold a proper conversation with the interviewer. What was most appalling is that she was one of the candidates in running to represent Singapore as our glamour queen. Figures of Singapore should be able to articulate clearly, for other people to understand them. With the different cultures and accents present around the world, should Ris Low have won Miss Singapore(thank goodness she did not), it would be even more difficult to interpret what she is saying. Then, I agree with you that she would be a poor representative of our country.
Language is important to gain respect of others and get views across hence using Ris Low as an example of a medium of communication that allows us to function more efficiently was a great idea of yours! Interesting post valley, keep it up!
Reply to Jasmine:
ReplyDeleteYes Jasmine, I do agree with you that she would be at a disadvantage when competing on an international level. Like you said, both beauty and brain are important aspects. Thus, I feel that she is a bad represtative of Singaporen women as she clearly does not demonstrate these in the video.
Also, I agree with you that not all eligible candidates would take part in such contests. After all, it is based on willing participants. So, perhaps such contests are not good representatives of Singaporean women as a whole as there is only a small pool of women to choose from.
Definitely, I also feel that she has no excuse to not be able to speak properly as an ambassador of Singapore. Given such an important role, she should be living up to it!
Reply to Wilfred:
ReplyDeleteHahahaha your comments seriously crack me up! You seem like you really dislike Ris Low!
Anyway, its understandable for Singaporeans to feel such emotions upon watching this video. After all, she is representing Singapore and which Singaporean does not want people to have a good impression of Singapore?
Definitely, I agree with you that she lacks poise as a Miss Singapore World contestant. Like how many of us feel, a good ambassador would help people get a positive image of Singapore, which would benefit us in many ways. I sure hope our image would still be intact!
Reply to sundaytv:
ReplyDeleteHi Amanda! Yes I agree that perceptions formed on people are very important, let alone a perception on a country as a whole. This perception might very well have negative or positive effects on a country in ways we might not even imagine! I sure hope Singapore does some damage control!
In an event like a beauty paegent, it is true that there is not much way that we can get to know one's personality and character thoroughly. Plus, since they are competing based on how they look and how they carry themselves off when it comes to the Q&A section, it is important that the candidate scores well in these aspects in order to formulate a better impression. If someone has both the beauty and the brains, it definitely is attractive. Hopefully people get to see that of Singaporean women soon!
I am sure there are many Singapore women out there who speak good English. Even if one cannot, it is still possible with practice! Let us hope all of us brush up our language, not just for these purposes but for our own fulfillment!
Reply to Danielle Lim:
ReplyDeleteReply to Danielle Lim:
Hi Danielle! Those are some insightful remarks you have there! I agree with you that such beauty paegents do undermine one's value of self worth. For one, a person's true worth cannot and should not be measured by a set of qualitative criteria. Also, many girls get the wrong message through such paegents that one's self-worth is largely linked to one's physical beauty.
It is normal for young girls to want to acheive supposedly fame and prestige through such beauty paegents, but it is also important to educate them on the true meaning of such beauty paegents too. These beauty paegents are not just about looking pretty for the camera but more about being a good role model for people out there to look up to.
I am frankly rather taken aback by the judging criteria. Is this really the standard the judges are looking for? I am sure we can do better!
I second you on your last point. I feel that the organisers of such beauty paegents are gatekeepers of Singapore's image. Thus, the responsibilty lies more in the organisers grooming and training the contestants well to uphold Singapore's image.
Reply to Hilda Foo:
ReplyDeleteHello Hilda! Judgement by people is indeed a perpetuating cycle! Therefore, it is important that we put across what we want people to see us as.
Whether in the real world or in such beauty contestants, it is really the survival of the fittest like you mentioned. In this case, it is the candidate who is able to endure through all those rigorous trainings and activities and ultimately, the one who is able to capture the eyes of the judges. Perhaps the judges look out for different qualities as compared to us common people, but I sure do not see how Ris Low is the strongest competitor we have in Miss Singapore World 2009.
You have a point in your question posted. After thinking about it, I do feel that this just shows how superficial society has become over the years. If they can overlook even basic communication skills, what are they really looking for then? Probably someone whom the camera loves. Afterall, it is the looks that one sees first when we on the television. In the long term, however, looks alone will not get any show or anyone far for that matter. We need basic language proficiency skills to get our personality and ideas across!
Like you said, we all have our flaws. However, in different circumstances, sometimes these flaws are simply not acceptable. In this case, being a beauty paegent winner and an ambassador for Singapore, we cannot afford to send someone who lacks basic language proficiency skills. She either brushes up on it fast or risk losing her title. I sure hope we do not witness such ab embarrassing interview with a Miss Singapore World again!
Reply to J-Max:
ReplyDeleteHey J-Max, I can see you are just another one who feels embarrassed by our Miss Singapore World 2009 winner.
Like you mentioned, beauty paegents are not based just on looks alone. Brains do matter too, evident by the Q&A round where the judges look out for witty answers and the way they go about answering it. If Ris Low were to even get to the Q&A round, I sure hope she would have brushed up her language skills by then!
Like most Singaporeans, we all fear how others will perceive us after watching this video! Let us hope we get to clear up our Singaporean image for the better in other ways!
Reply to touchmybeaver:
ReplyDeleteHello there Issac! Yes I agree with you, for a candidate represntating the whole of Singapore, Singaporean women especially, there is little room for mistakes! They are in fact, expected to be beautiful, eloquent and classy in the first place. If Ris Low is not even eloquent to start with, how is she to compete with the other contestants on a higher level?
It is great that you managed to point out the lack of efficient verbal communication! If we watch the video more closely, we can also see her inefficient non-verbal communication as well, such as her inconsistent eye contact and her stiff posture.
Reply to ghostwiththemost:
ReplyDeleteWhile it may seem to the majority of us that beauty pageants focus on the wrong things, mainly physical beauty in women, maybe we have failed to see the other aspects they promote on our part too. For example, there would be short videos during such beauty pageants to showcase their background and positive activities the beauty contestants engage in such as charity work. Most of the time, we are probably too caught up with the visuals and thus, fail to listen carefully to what they have to say about themselves.
Also, the Q&A round also serves to show that wits do matter do. Beauty without brains is not beautiful at all!
Having said that, the winner of a beauty pageant should be beautiful both inside and outside like you mentioned. One who is able to score well in all the different aspects that a beauty pageant requires would truly be a deserving winner!
Reply to dailypostcards:
ReplyDeleteYes I agree that she in entertaining, but not in a good way of course! Most of us are laughing at her instead of laughing with her!
Perhaps with better language skills, she could have had more positive public criticism.
Reply to Amadea:
ReplyDeleteHi Amadea! The fact that she still cracks you up despite watching it several times already just goes to show how bad her language skills are and how most of us still cannot believe she is Miss Singapore World 2009 winner.
Communication is indeed the most fundamental aspect of practically everything around us, if not all! In order to communicate well, language is one component we have to master. Without a good command of the language and poor oral skills, we are not going to be able to getour idea s and message across!
Thus, Ris Low definitely should not represent us in the Miss World compeition in my opinion, as she does not possess all of the above. How is she going to tell others around the world about Singapore in a clear and concise way if she were to present it in the same way as she did in the interview above? It definitely would not gain us respect from others!
Hi Val,
ReplyDeleteWell, firstly, I want to say that I was shocked that Miss World Singapore speaks like that. In fact, I was very sure it was prank until I actually saw the video myself.
Without being stereotypical here, the image of someone representing Singapore in a beauty pageant should be an all rounder. Someone with good looks, good height and of course, a good command of English. Unless Ris Low is speaking in Chinese of course.
Although I am shocked that the judges overlooked Ris's language skills and still presented her the crown, I am on the other hand also quite impressed that she won. Obviously she has problems with English, but maybe, just maybe, she has other attributes that allowed her to beat the rest. I mean, maybe she has a hidden talent somewhere, like wearing zebra prints and khaki greens.
All jokes aside, I think that we should look at Ris as an accomplishment because despite her undeniable disadvantages, she is still going to be representing Singapore in the Miss World competition.
Reply to ablinddeer:
ReplyDeleteHi abblinddeer! You are definitely not the first to feel shocked by this video!
Yes I agree with you that being a beauty paegent queen has its own set of criteria one has to uphold. I feel that we are not being demanding here but rather, we are just trying to bring out the best for Singapore.
Well, perhaps she does have other aspects of her that are good enough to overlook her bad command of English. If she were to brush up on her English, I am sure she would have made a much better representative of Singapore!
You probably attributed it to her nervousness and lacked confidence- but shouldn't these be one of the criteria as well, that she should have - to be able to stand in front of millions of other cool and composed and collected, and still be able to bring out the best in her in that given minutes for her onstage whereby the judges make their decisions based on that.
ReplyDeleteIn that 3-4 minutes of your clip, I think one's cognitive mind-frame can already perceive what a person she is like and that is probably more than 80% true.
From her articulation and her bland choice of words, adding on to the fact that she uses alot of fillers such as um and ahs which should be omitted under such circumstances as it becomes too informal!
From one's verbal and non-verbal communication you can derive
if she is a cultured and refined person.
Ris definitely does not make the cut.
How will she make us Singaporeans proud!
I disagree with some of the comments made about Ris Low. Firstly, everyone in singapore speaks Singlish. Well perhaps she used it at the wrong time, but she truly portrayed herself as a true blue Singaporean by speaking Singlish during the interview. Singlish is one of our local culture and I think we should be proud of that for creating such a unique language that only we can understand. Secondly, we should give her credit for making all the way up to the top; being crowned Miss Singapore Universe.(Whatever methods she used, we should at least give her one clap as a form of appreciation)Lastly, imagine if she represented Singapore, wouldn't she be able to share part of our local culture to the world? Well, come to think of it. Miss Japan, Miss India, Miss Jamaica speaks bad english on top of their weird accent. So why must we condemn a person till such an extent that she has to claim that she has Bipolar disorder. That means she will probably come up to you and say BOOMz if you smile at her.
ReplyDeleteReply to kandidkester:
ReplyDeleteHey kandidkester! Some interesting insights you have there! However, I beg to differ about some of your insights.
While I see where you are coming from about Singlish being a Singapore culture, I feel that it might be a subculture of Singapore but not a culture entirely because actually, not everyone in Singapore speaks Singlish. There are actually many people out there who speak good, perfect English. Perhaps the media has blown the issue of Singaporeans speaking Singlish up to the point that we become swayed by them? Besides, I am sure Singaporeans in general would not want Singlish to be part of our culture because it is a negative trait and it reflects badly on us.
Yes, I agree with you that she has to be given credit to be able to make it so far despite her poor English oral skils. Like I mentioned briefly in my entry, she must have some other good aspects of her that she is able to be crowned Miss World Singapore.
Also, I agree with you that she is able to share about our local culture to the world but I also think that most Singaporean ladies her age would be able to do so too. Perhaps it is just a matter of sending the best representative of Singapore, that is someone who can carry herself well by societal standards.
Well, perhaps the amount of people comdemning her for her poor oral skills just goes to show how Singaporeans actually do appreciate good English, although some may feel that we are comfortable with Singlish.
All in all, a stimulating comment! Thank you!
Reply to Cheryl:
ReplyDeleteHey Cheryl! I agree with you that those qualities should be pre-requisites for such a formal event but you know how sometimes human beings can screw up under stressful situations ya?
Perhaps once we hear her speak, we judge her as a person quickly just based on that first impression of her. While this is natural and might hold some truth, we should also try not to be too quick to judge as this short video about her probably does not show her as a person overall.
However, like you mentioned, I also feel that there is no excuse for a person representing such a high-profile and important to behave in this way. It sure affects the image of Singapore in a bad way!):