Yaminions and the Singapore Elections
I am into patterns this week. All you secondary school pupils logging in secretly looking for Literature study tips, please feel free to drop any questions you may have. Meanwhile I feel I can drag all of you into my pet interest for the week.
So the talk in the papers is about voting patterns. For the recently concluded Singapore Elections 2006, that is. I shall venture (in any case not having gone on in anything even resembling a political tone) into talk about voting patterns. You are free to take me as seriously as you like. I told my dear sister - you need readily text-able siblings in this age of insight-rich smses - that the voting patterns is not old versus young, or anything so bipolar. More like linear. I was on the MRT train returning home from a thosai trip when it hit me. It is the North-East Line! Hougang, Potong Pasir, and even the new estate that bred protesting white elephants overnight! Why even Aljunied GRC covers an area near Serangoon MRT! I think there is even one solid solid, sufficiently snooty Bak Chor Mee man nearby. Sadly, nobody is taking me seriously. Go figure. Link me to important readers, ok?
But back to more serious voting patterns, American Idol. I for one believe it very low class to say "I told you so!". American Idol with the last few standing is about the migration of voters. I am reading on Elliott Yamin forums that the very select group of Yaminions realised early they were outnumbered but aided by an Elliott who keeps returning with another great performance, they began converting the fans of the other finalists who dropped out. So I made myself very unpopular in my family when I asserted loudly to my Chris-crazy maid and very distinterested daughters that the votes that went to Paris will now go to Elliott. Black votes probably appreciate a soul voice, and if they have not neither liked the saccharine sweetness that is McPhee or the CHris Daughtry Rocker Van Diesel look-a-like, they are not likely to do so now. But it is not very cool to crap on when you find you are right.
So why Elliott Yamin? When a competition depends entirely on voting, the fact that he comes across as genuine and sincere - you know always sensitive to how the announced loser might feel, always ready to accept possible defeat but then competing for real each time - more and more people notice and stick. People admire compassion, generosity, kindness, thoughtfulness and serious hard work. The good lookers and the technically briliant will only catch your attention for a period then you either tire of them or you see through their selfishness and you decide you have to deny them your time and money and most importantly, your vote.
People vote for the ones who inspire others with their passion for what they do and for their generosity and sense of fairness. People feel obliged to vote for people who represent simple honest goodness. Now that's a voting pattern for you.
So the talk in the papers is about voting patterns. For the recently concluded Singapore Elections 2006, that is. I shall venture (in any case not having gone on in anything even resembling a political tone) into talk about voting patterns. You are free to take me as seriously as you like. I told my dear sister - you need readily text-able siblings in this age of insight-rich smses - that the voting patterns is not old versus young, or anything so bipolar. More like linear. I was on the MRT train returning home from a thosai trip when it hit me. It is the North-East Line! Hougang, Potong Pasir, and even the new estate that bred protesting white elephants overnight! Why even Aljunied GRC covers an area near Serangoon MRT! I think there is even one solid solid, sufficiently snooty Bak Chor Mee man nearby. Sadly, nobody is taking me seriously. Go figure. Link me to important readers, ok?
But back to more serious voting patterns, American Idol. I for one believe it very low class to say "I told you so!". American Idol with the last few standing is about the migration of voters. I am reading on Elliott Yamin forums that the very select group of Yaminions realised early they were outnumbered but aided by an Elliott who keeps returning with another great performance, they began converting the fans of the other finalists who dropped out. So I made myself very unpopular in my family when I asserted loudly to my Chris-crazy maid and very distinterested daughters that the votes that went to Paris will now go to Elliott. Black votes probably appreciate a soul voice, and if they have not neither liked the saccharine sweetness that is McPhee or the CHris Daughtry Rocker Van Diesel look-a-like, they are not likely to do so now. But it is not very cool to crap on when you find you are right.
So why Elliott Yamin? When a competition depends entirely on voting, the fact that he comes across as genuine and sincere - you know always sensitive to how the announced loser might feel, always ready to accept possible defeat but then competing for real each time - more and more people notice and stick. People admire compassion, generosity, kindness, thoughtfulness and serious hard work. The good lookers and the technically briliant will only catch your attention for a period then you either tire of them or you see through their selfishness and you decide you have to deny them your time and money and most importantly, your vote.
People vote for the ones who inspire others with their passion for what they do and for their generosity and sense of fairness. People feel obliged to vote for people who represent simple honest goodness. Now that's a voting pattern for you.
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