It isn’t every day that you see a massive number of postings shoot across the blogosphere about a Singapore blogger, even when she’s a “knockout” like Dawn Yang.
Okay, she’s beautiful, but so are lots of bloggers. Why the flurry of posts ricocheting throughout the great city-state? It turns out there have been reports that Dawn’s beauty isn’t the result of nature but of plastic surgery, and this revelation (scroll down to see the photoshoped boobs) triggered a veritable craze of some of the cattiest, nastiest blogging I’ve ever seen. And I thought Singaporeans were docile and complacent.
Is this really the most exciting thing happening in all of Singapore? Having lived there for a year, I don’t find it at all hard to believe.
1
By Andrew Lim
Yes, this is the most interesting thing to happen in a while, except for Xiaxue’s toilet fiasco.
You must be thinking: Singaporeans have to be pretty BORED if this is the latest blogging issue.
And you’re right. But I think being bored is a GOOD thing. Remember the curse: “May you live in interesting times.”
November 11, 2005 @ 5:03 am | Comment
2
By Andrew Lim
Oh, and if you’re wondering why so many people are angry, it’s because in a newspaper she denied having plastic surgery. This is usually nobody else’s business, but the local media groups want to use her to promote Singapore. However, most Singaporeans don’t want a liar as their spokewoman.
November 11, 2005 @ 5:09 am | Comment
3
By Johnny Malkavian
I just like to stir shit. 8D
November 11, 2005 @ 5:25 am | Comment
4
By Gordon
I don’t know if I would go so far as to call her a “knockout”, Richard.
That photo of her on Xanga is not very flattering to her. In fact, with those teeth of hers it kind of gives the appearance that her mother had an affair with Mr. Ed.
November 11, 2005 @ 8:54 am | Comment
5
By the english guy
Yeah, I’m beautiful! 🙂
November 11, 2005 @ 12:46 pm | Comment
6
By richard
Gordon, “knockout” was in quotes – she’s frequenly referred to that way in S’pore.
November 11, 2005 @ 5:37 pm | Comment
7
By Dave Lucas
Too much fuss over Dog Yang? This looks like a plant, perhaps by the likes of KIMBERLYCUN and other Malaysian bloggers trying to knock Xiaxue down again… still p.o.’d by the “toilet post.”
November 11, 2005 @ 6:50 pm | Comment
8
By richard
What was the toilet fiasco?
November 11, 2005 @ 7:14 pm | Comment
9
By Edmund Yeo
I guess her sudden popularity had to do with her appearing on the papers first, THEN the whole plastic surgery fiasco.
As for the toilet thing, I think it had something to do with Xiaxue saying something about using those toilets for the disabled, and some peeps over at Malaysia decide to start a campaign against her or something, contacting her sponsors, starting some anti-blah blah stuff. Not sure, never really bothered following those stuff.
November 11, 2005 @ 11:34 pm | Comment
10
By Kenny Sia
Andrew,
SHE DID NOT DENY she had plastic surgery.
She didn’t like people saying she had plastic surgery. But she did not flat out deny it.
There’s a difference.
November 12, 2005 @ 2:05 am | Comment
11
By Battlepanda
A cursory glance revealed that the main thing this woman (who obvious did have a ton of plastic surgery) did was to make her face look more caucasian. Yet curiously, none of the sites that are dissing her mentions this. I wonder if the race-erasement factor of her plastic surgeries is fuelling the resentments in part. Then again, it could be that looking more western is so tightly equated with hottness in Singapore that nobody thought to mention it.
November 12, 2005 @ 2:06 am | Comment
12
By J
Mr Kenny Sia – The word “accused” was quoted from her.
Battlepanda – I don’t think many were displeased of her surgeries attempts but more of her denial. What she transformed herself to is not the main concern but her denial.
At large, society can’t tolerate anyone who lies through their teeths and get their ways.
Mr Dave Lucas – As for Xiaxue’s case..
I hope you don’t actually believe a Toilet entry is able to raise so much disapprovals from the general public, it is a catalyst.
November 12, 2005 @ 4:46 am | Comment
13
By suanie
[off topic]
The toilet fiasco was when Xiaxue posted an entry with some comments on accessible toilets. It raised the ire of a disabled Malaysian blogger, Peter Tan who proceeded to write to Xiaxue’s endorsers and then Xiaxue herself. Following that was a huge tag-a-long, some on this side, some on that side, some in the middle. Two of Xiaxue’s endorsers pulled out after reading her post and receiving 300+ emails, leading to more this and that.
The SG Sunday Times published an article about the blog drama, causing I-told-you-sos from one side and more dissastisfaction from the other side. My personal favourite blog post about this was by Mack Zulkifli here:
http://www.brandmalaysia.com/movabletype/archives/2005/10/divide_and_conq.html
I hope that I have given a justifable explanation regarding the ‘toilet fiasco’.
As for Dave Lucas who has been going around trying to implicate Kimberlycun, a Malaysian blogger who started a ‘boycott bad models of society’ on her own accord, who branded me a Xiaxue hater in a very biased post entry on his blog, who is very obvious to being oblivious about the bigger picture, well in your own words, whatever.
November 13, 2005 @ 2:50 am | Comment
14
By Dawn Yang
Perhaps, Singaporean is too free….
November 14, 2005 @ 1:32 am | Comment
15
By popagandhi
Richard, I went to school (and church) with her. I see her face plastered all over the web — she’s a nice girl, she used to be my friend once. Then she goes on national papers to say, “people accuse me of having plastic surgery”, and she pretends as if her good looks was something which just happened, and everyone who’s ever known her before should suddenly reconcile with the new look.
it’s that kind of dishonesty that people like gssq are taking issue with, not with the plastic surgery itself.
having said that, this has indeed turned into a witch hunt.. but *sigh*, singapore blogosphere IS docile and infantile, after all.
(side note: i hope you’ve been well!)
November 14, 2005 @ 3:30 am | Comment
16
By richard
Adri, where have you been for two years? You’ve been missed.
I get the picture now. She screwed up and was less than honest. But as you say, the ensuing witch hunt certainly seems out of proportion to the crime. How long will this go on? She’s now the No. 1 search item on Technorati worldwide. Incredible.
November 14, 2005 @ 3:34 am | Comment
17
By popagandhi
Yeah, it is incredible huh. I’ve always held that she’s just going to be the subject of blogosphere’s fickle focus, then fade away, and we’ll just talk about her like we will talk about “The NKF saga”, when we think about what happened in 2005. But what a way to be talked about. Then there’s also the issue of the apparent disingenuity in other issues.. where she schools, for example. Supposedly she’s at USC on scholarship, though no one’s seen her at USC, nor is clear what kind of scholarship that is. But it doesn’t in any way make her deserving of a witch hunt of this sort — I’ve had people and reporters email me, asking me to help “expose dawn”. It’s all very pointless and ridiculous.
Me? I’ve been trying my best to adapt to university life in Singapore.. blogging at popagandhi, and lurking on your site. 🙂
November 14, 2005 @ 6:58 am | Comment
18
By women
it’s just… strange
November 14, 2005 @ 11:55 am | Comment
19
By Gordon
Sorry Richard, I thought you only put her name in quotations because she wasn’t of your preference.
November 14, 2005 @ 9:34 pm | Comment
20
By Phuc Dat
Shes goes to Marymount Community College. I looked at her friendster and clicked the only 3 names I recognized- all people who went to my intl high school in Singapore. And surprise surprise, all 3 go to Marymount Community College in LA. : D
November 16, 2005 @ 5:50 am | Comment
21
By bringbackchino
Fifteen years from now:
Daughter: Mom, why don’t I look like you?
MJ Dawn: When u turn 18 you can look like whoever you want. Beyonce also can.
Daughter: How come?
MJ Dawn: Let the doctor play-dough a bit can already.
November 18, 2005 @ 4:55 am | Comment
22
By MeLa de Gypsie
Hi Richard,
This topic is getting rather old man, I’ve had enough of the whether or not yes or nos…
I agree Singaporeans have too much time on their hands. I don’t remember people googling “NKF” as much as “Dawn Yang/Yeo” when the corruption fiasco first erupted. Apparently the public have forgotten all about it, it didn’t bruise their pride enough.
They are comfortable sitting on their arses at home within their comfort zones, then getting riled when they see a pretty girl being “accused” of having plastic surgery, then jumping on the bandwagon being condemning goblins rather than concern themselves with the real issues in life. Human rights, employee rights, diplomacy rights. This is what Singapore is lacking off, instead of getting up their arses and doing anything about it, at least saying something about it, they are pretty happy slagging the government off for it.
No wonder I had an angry blogger come tell me that Singaporeans are an “apathetic (sic)” bunch.
I have to say that Singaporeans can’t take humour either.
Listen up everyone who is readin on the Dawn Yang saga and perpetuating her un/popularity with the media and blogosphere: You are the main fools!
The media (oh yes BIG BROTHER) is just taking the back seat now and enjoying the show. Letting the common people/public of Singapore carry on jabbering about the said topic while they let you do the dirty work for them.
In my opinion, the New Paper, Dawn Yang, and Tinsel Management already had the final word and last laugh. All they wanted was to make her famous, and the talk of the town. While you guys fight among yourselves, they’re already laughing their heads off on their way to the banks.
Is that coherent enough?
November 20, 2005 @ 11:41 pm | Comment
23
By dawn yang
what a funny topic
December 11, 2005 @ 11:06 pm | Comment