On Singapore Idle, I mean, Idol.

Let me begin by saying that everyone is entitled to their own views, so don’t cringe at mine, however honest I can be. Heh.

To begin with, let’s talk about the Singapore Idol show itself. It is no doubt a talent quest, until the opinions are turned over to the public. That’s when the talent contest ceases, and the popularity contest begins. That was how it was with SG Idol 1 and this current one. Singaporeans are not blind, but they certainly are deaf.

I’ve never really followed the show, considering how it all started when I was still in Denmark. So when I came back in the beginning of July, I didn’t see the need to follow the show. In fact, the goggle box (read = TV) was not so much of an urge (after not having any TVs to watch on campus in Denmark). Of course things changed when I started tuning in to MTV and the US Open.

Anyhow, from Sunday’s and Monday’s performance/finals, I’ve reconfirmed how live audiences in a venue like the Indoor Stadium is definitely more electrifying than watching the television from home. As an usher in the Indoor Stadium, no one else can deny that claim. Plus, the fun part is watching the pre-show performance that the audience at home doesn’t get to see, as well as the cock-ups that occur behind/beside the camera’s live broadcast.

Take for example; did you guys at home notice how the fireworks in the background didn’t go off when Gurmit announced Hady as the winner? It only did much later somewhere in the middle of the song? More obviously, when Gurmit was promoting the Hype Up 2006 concert, he read out the wrong website that was displayed on your home TVs? There’s one more thing I’m still not sure about, but harbor great suspicion of: that Joaquim’s rendition of The Click Five’s “Just a Girl” (as part of the Top 10 Finalists’ performance) was played from a tape, i.e., he lip-sync-ed? He just looked and sounded too artificial.

By and large, I enjoyed the company of Electrico, Tanya Chua, Energy, and Rahimah Rahim the most. Of course commercial-break-hosts Vernon A. and Justin Ang (more affectionately known as the “Muttons” on 98.7FM) put in a good effort in keeping the audience’s spirits up all the time.

Okay, so that’s the show. On to the idles, I mean, “idols”.

I’m at a lost for words, in fact, I probably never had anything to say in the beginning. The result was expected; though stronger support seemed to lean towards Jon L. Goes to show how tele-polling actually counts significantly. That makes 2 male Malay singers in two years. If there’s a third season, I would probably have been prepared for another shocker.

What would the show and “idols” be without their ardent fans and supporters? So let’s talk a bit about the patrons I encountered. Of course, you’d expect quirky ones up here, those nice ones who reply back with “thank you”s are too few to mention.

On Sunday’s performance show, this kid in green came up to me and asked about the goodie bags (that were placed on the terrace seats only) and where he could get them. I explained that if his seat was in the balcony, he wouldn’t have them. So he kept asking how he can get one of those bags. I hinted to him the same way I hinted to others who asked me the same question, that “I didn’t see you take anything, and I don’t know anything”.

Obviously he didn’t get the hint that I didn’t care what he did so long no one complained, and even if people did complain, we can’t do anything because it was simply other people’s selfish nature in taking more goodie bags than they were entitled to. Later when the show ended and I was guiding patrons out the exits, these 3 crazy Hady fans ran up to me, tapped me on my shoulders as if they knew me very well, and said in a loud voice, “Vote Hady!” Several minutes later, this girl came up asking where the toilets/exits were, and right after I told her, she walked one step away, turned back and told me to “Vote Jonathan!”

I shy-ly smiled back, and hesitated a “Sure”, accompanied by a nod. Like I was going to waste 60 cents on a popularity contest.

On Monday, before the show started, kids were already asking me if they could go into the mosh pit area. When I told them they had to go one big round up the north entrance, sign an indemnity form and re-enter through the Premiere entrance, this punk replied, asking me if it’s because we don’t want to be liable for anything that happened to them.

Another 3 IJ schoolgirls asked me about the mosh pit admittance, and checked if they would be allowed in given their school uniform attire.

Most of the patrons are the smart “types”. When approached, they avoid looking at me eye-to-eye and say while walking away, “We know where we are”. When they do get there and find someone sitting on their seats, they signal to us to attend to them. Makes me wonder if I’m an usher or servant.

I also stopped this other Malay guy using a digital camera: when I went up to him, he was holding up at the camera and I waved to him to stop, to which he replied: “no I taking video”. Hel-looooo?! Are you blind and deaf at the same time?.

The worst of all must be “the family of goodie bags”, whom I witnessed going around to collect unwanted/leftover paper bags and whatever that was left of it. I was told at the end of the show by one friend how one particular mother was gathering all the available goodie bags from her adjacent seats before other patrons even arrived. When that patron finally did arrive and asked how come her seat had no goodie bag, that mother claimed she “didn’t know” and she got her spares from other seats! My friend/colleague went up to her and testified how the mother’s son just got up from that seat so she cannot deny his presence there, and finally tried encouraging that mother to return the goodie bag to the seat that belonged to someone else.

After the show and during the tear-down, I witnessed the mother’s son walking ALL OVER THE STADIUM collecting flags from various paper bags and the floor, while the father was busy collecting the paper bags! Like father, like son. Who knows what they want to collect so many for.

To end on a good note, it was nice to see 4 “old” friends in the stadium, for whom I helped get arena seats after Electrico’s gig. So Ashanti, now you see why it’s important to have an usher friend? Heh.

I later had my first Indoor ushers’ supper, at the Beef Kway Teow stall in Geylang. Nice. Though Pat and Pam should really stop getting used to calling me “Ah Beng” when my nature totally defies such a title. Daph, remind them please. Heh.