Poor Kelly Poon in tears as she gets insulted by harsh Taiwan judges

Are overseas judges too harsh, wonders STOMPer Stefanie. In this Taiwanese variety show, Kelly Poon performed some magic tricks. However, instead of commenting on her magic skills, the judges insulted her and called her dress sense 'pasar malam' style.

In an email to STOMP today (Jul 16), the STOMPer who sent us this video clip, found on a video-sharing site, says:

“I start to ponder over the below questions after watching this video.

“In the Taiwan variety show, she was reprimanded by the judges.

“Instead of commenting on her magic skills/stunts, the judge pinpointed on her dress-sense as ‘pasar malam’ style.

“Are local judges too lenient or are overseas judges too harsh?”




Pic above: Kelly performing her magic tricks.

Pic above: Kelly waiting for the judges to comment.

Pic above: A Taiwanese judge commenting on Kelly's dress sense and calling it 'pasar malam' style.

DOUBLE TROUBLE

THEY may be just 17 and may have been around for only a year.

LIVING THEIR DREAMS: Identical twins Miko and Yumi Bai say they're passionate about singing and dancing. TNP DESIGN: PRADIP KUMAR SIKDAR TNP PICTURES: KUA CHEE SIONG

But local Mandarin dance-pop group BY2, who were back in town to promote their second Mandarin album titled Twins, has seen it all when it comes to crazy fans.

Other than the usual fans who trail them to their hostel in Taipei, the girls - identical twins Miko and Yumi Bai - also had to deal with leering older male fans who pester them.

Like this middle-aged man who insists on sending them snail mail with shirtless pictures of himself, in different poses.

Said Miko, the older sister: 'He would also also put in the envelope a few cute items meant for little girls, such as hair clips, necklaces and other accessories.'

More disturbingly, he would also write them notes that are sexually graphic, 'definitely not appropriate reading material for people our age', added Yumi.

Controversy is something that the twins are used to, since they emerged onto the Mandopop scene early last year.

Critics even claim that they actively court it.

First, rumours erupted that they had been signed by Hong Kong's Emperor Group to replace its star duo Twins (made up of Charlene Choi and scandal-ridden Gillian Chung), which turned out to be false.

Then, their childhood pictures were leaked online and they were mistaken as Heavenly King Andy Lau's daughters.

Blasted

Finally, they were blasted by some of their detractors for choosing a music career over studies.

It's not hard to see why critics accuse them of playing up to the fans.

With the girls' painstakingly trimmed eyebrows, perfectly styled hair and matching outfits, it's obvious the girls rely on their attractiveness to help sell their music.

During this interview which took place at the office of their record label, Ocean Butterflies, we observed how Yumi had habit of twirling her hair with her index finger, while Miko had a mysterious distant gaze.

And they have the PR skills to match too.

'We appreciate the support from every one of our fans, so we don't despise them even if they might be a little weird,' said Yumi.

But PR or not, the twins draw the line, of course, if there is danger.

They recounted a scary incident in May, when they were performing at an autograph session in Taipei.

Then, a man in the audience suddenly started pelting small stones excitedly on stage.

'We were too engrossed in our singing then, so we couldn't see clearly what was happening,' said Yumi.

There was some commotion and shouting from the fans, she added.

Upon checking with their backstage crew after the show, the girls then realised that the man had attempted to fling a can of lighter fluid towards the stage area.

Lighter fluid is highly flammable.

'Initially, we thought the can must have been a fake, but it turned out to be real,' said Yumi.

'Also, the police took the man away. Till now, we don't know why he did that.'

Following the unexpected incident, BY2's managers have upped security measures at their live showcases.

Despite the potential dangers of being pop stars, the girls have no regrets.

Quit school

Both quit school when they were 15, skipping the O levels altogether.

It's a decision they stand by, without a tinge of regret, said Miko.

'Singing and dancing have always been our passion and before our dad died (of cancer two years ago), we promised him we will follow through with our dreams,' she said.

'Now, we are living our dreams and we are absolutely sure that this is what we want to do as a long-term career.'

Yumi nodded, saying that many peers their age are unsure of what they really want in life and lack ambition.

Though they have stopped studies, Miko said that they haven't ruled out going back to school again.

Based in Taiwan, the girls are currently home-schooled and continue to take lessons to improve their Mandarin.

'Also, the best lessons come from society,' said Miko.

'Experiencing life out there in the real world is a lesson in itself.'

MARRIED BUT KEEPING SEPARATE BEDS

No, there's no marital strife as Christopher Lee shares how he and Fann keep the sparks flying

YOU'D think that less than two months into their marriage, Christopher Lee and Fann Wong would behave like most newly-wed couples.

LIANHE WANBAO FILE PICTURES, ST FILE PICTURE

You know, spend hours in the bedroom, then wake up making googoo eyes at each other and other numbing activities like that.

But surprise, surprise, Chris and Fann - married for a mere 11/2 months don't even live together.

Yes, at the end of the day, they go home to their separate apartments, purportedly in the same condominium.

Welcome to marriage, Singapore-style.

Chris and Fann, both 38, may have registered their marriage on 16 May, but they have not held their customary Chinese wedding rites.

That doesn't mean Chris is not spending time with his 'baby', his affectionate nickname for Fann.

He confessed to me that he and his wife have been getting all hot and sweaty during their clandestine afternoon rendezvous.

He even revealed that glamour queen Fann looks just as gorgeous dripping with perspiration.

Never mind it's related to their latest addiction of playing badminton in deserted community centres.

We are expecting flushed faces when the couple spend nights at each other's apartments after their wedding rites in September.

--TNP PICTURE: CHOO CHWEE HUA

For now, goody Fann lives with mum and pop, and Chris' grandma, mum and younger brother occasionally travel from Malacca to stay with him.

Yeah, bummer.

So how do the couple 'cosy up' when her parents are out in the living room?

Chris snorted: 'Her parents are not so boh liao (bored in Hokkien) to eavesdrop through the bedroom door! They are probably more loving than us, ha ha ha!'

Fairy-tale marriage

So while they have no intention on buying a love nest in Singapore because 'property prices are too high', the couple are thinking of buying a home in Beijing since they fly there for work so often.

You can practically hear the birds singing as he talked about this fairy-tale marriage.

They will manja (act coy in Malay) each other though Fann's better at it.

She asks him every day if he wants to play badminton with her.

But it's not all a bed of roses.

Chris revealed that the couple have their fair share of quarrels.

He said: 'We used to fight because we are both so stubborn. Now, we just don't speak to each other for the whole day.'

During these cold wars, they contemplate, but kiss and make up the next day.

But he insists they are 'very happy' most of the time.

Though the naughty couple love leading Fann's parents into thinking that they are fighting again.

Chris said: 'Fann's mum gets quite anxious when she sees us giving each other the cold shoulder and would try to calm the situation.

'So sometimes, just out of fun, we pretend to fight and see how her parents react. It's quite funny to leave her home lovey dovey and then return in few minutes shooting barbs at each other!'

Humph. That's what you get for having children who are actors.

Chris even confided: 'It took me more than a week to call Fann's parents 'mum' and 'dad'.

'Fann joked that I should be fined every time I call them 'auntie' and 'uncle'.'

But he was quick to add that both families are chummy with one another.

The couple even hope to have everyone living together in the future.

But perhaps they should try living under the same roof themselves first?

In the meantime, though, Chris won't have much time to spend with his 'baby' in the upcoming weeks.

His wedding ring, a teeny band of platinum on his left ring finger, reminds him of his responsibilities to bring home the bacon.

And da man is now working on his new movie, Kidnapper, directed by Rule #1's Kelvin Tong.

(With one wedding dinner in Singapore for at least 1,000 guests and another dinner in Malacca - on top of the Teochew custom of giving the bride four gold jewellery items - God knows he needs the money!)

Playing undoubtedly the most handsome cabby in Singapore in the movie, he will have more than 100 weepy scenes after his screen son gets abducted by a rogue played by Malaysian actor-DJ Jack Lim.

Hugs

And for all that effort, precocious child actor Gerald Tan (aka the young Tay Ping Hui in Channel 8's The Ultimatum) thinks Chris is only 'okay-looking'.

But no worries, there's a warm bosom to come home to after much blubbering on set.

Chris confided happily that the wife, in Singapore for a break until next month, teases and gives him a big hug every time he comes home with puffy eyes.

And when Fann has had an exhausting day of filming crying scenes, Chris would sayang (cuddle in Malay) her and take her out for a good meal to 'replenish her energy'.

But Fann didn't used to be so welcoming though.

Chris said: 'She used to push me away because the prickly hairs on my beard and moustache hurt her.

'Now that the hairs are longer, it isn't painful for her anymore. She thinks it looks good on me too!'

He is even now considering keeping that facial fluff for their big day on 29 Sep.

All would depend on his wedding suit, he said, which he hasn't seen yet.

Just as long as he doesn't mind looking like a old scruffy uncle next to the ever-youthful Fann.

---

LOVE STORY

1996 - Christopher Lee and Fann Wong act together for the first time in the Channel 8 drama Brave New World.

1999 - Fann breaks up with her businessman boyfriend but not before slapping him outside Zouk after spotting him with another woman.

Aug 2001 - Chris and Fann are spotted holding hands while on vacation in Bali.

May 2003 - Chris claims he parks his car at Fann's house at Upper Thomson only because it was a convenient place. His car has been spotted many times there.

Jan 2004 - An unnamed source tells Shin Min Daily News that Fann and Chris has bought units in the same condominium block. Chris admits he has been staying there for half a year.

Dec 2004 - Fann releases a book of her drawings, including a sketch of a man skipping outside her house. Chris is widely known to skip to keep in shape.

Feb 2005 - A source close to Fann reveals she will move into a studio apartment with Chris. The latter neither confirms nor deny the rumour, while Fann could not be reached for comment.

Apr 2005 - Fann denies Chris is her boyfriend. However, Chris admits to TNP's Sylvia Toh Paik Choo that they are together.

May 2005 - They finally go public about their three-year relationship and said they hope to be married before they turn 40.

Dec 2005 - Zoe Tay goes on stage during Star Awards and badgers Chris to propose to Fann.

May 2009 - They register their marriage in a suite at The Shangri-La Hotel.

MEGAN'S BODY

EVERYONE wants a piece of Megan Fox.

Fresh from driving male hormones crazy in her cleavage-revealing outfits in Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen, pictures of Fox in a wet and bloodied white gown from the horror-comedy, Jennifer's Body, have surfaced.

Fox plays the titular character in the Diablo Cody-penned scarefest about a demon-possessed cheerleader who feeds on her male classmates.

Sounds a little Carrie-esque, but we don't think the movie's target audience would mind. After all, they will get to see Fox prancing around in teeny-weeny cheerleader costumes.

BOND SEEKS THRILLS

BEING terrorised by monsters, killers or supernatural beings used to be the road to fame for struggling actors. For instance, George Clooney starred in Return Of The Killer Tomatoes, Johnny Depp was in A Nightmare On Elm Street, Jennifer Aniston appeared in Leprechaun and Charlize Theron was in Children Of The Corn III.

Now, the roles are reversed and scary movies are attracting the A-listers and award-winning directors.

Leonardo DiCaprio had made the horror, Shutter Island, with Martin Scorsese. And it looks like Daniel Craig is looking to walk down the scary road too.

Craig, probably seeking to avoid being typecast as James Bond, is in negotiations to star in a psychological thriller called Dream House.

The plot may not seem original - a family being haunted by other beings in their new home in an idyllic town - but with the talented Jim Sheridan (In The Name Of The Father, My Left Foot) attached as director, this thriller should be pretty gripping.

AMY'S A FIGHTER

THIS hot redhead is making her way up the Hollywood food chain.

Amy Adams is attracting more high-profile gigs and the Christian Bale-starring film, The Fighter, is one of them.

The Fighter is a biopic that chronicles the early lives of boxer 'Irish' Mickey Ward (Mark Wahlberg) and his trainer brother Dicky (Bale) as they rise from battles with drug addiction to world championship status.

If negotiations work out well, Adams will play a tough, gritty bartender and former college high-jumper who ends up dating Mickey.

This project will also mark the 34-year-old actress' return to drama after a series of light-hearted films.

The Fighter has had its hiccups. It started as indie director Darren Aronofsky's pet project with Matt Damon as Dicky, who later backed out due to scheduling issues. Brad Pitt was offered the role before Bale took over.

Aronofsky has since withdrawn from the film. David O Russell of Three Kings fame will be helming this biopic.

ONE-MAN SHOW

THE man who was once known as Van Wilder has finally got his long overdue leading-man status.

This year alone, Ryan Reynolds had been in two box-office hits, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and The Proposal.

The 33-year-old actor has also secured an X-Men spin-off based on his Deadpool character.

Now he's been offered a job he can't refuse, one that will truly showcase his acting prowess.

Reynolds has put his name to a low-budget indie film called Buried which will see him dominating the screen, literally.

He is set to play a civilian who is kidnapped in Iraq, only to find himself buried in a coffin with nothing but a mobile phone, a candle and a knife for company.

While we're sure he won't do a Uma Thurman in Kill Bill where he'll break out of the coffin using some killer moves, we're intrigued to see how he'll get out of the predicament.

DENZEL DERAILED

HOW the mighty have fallen.

Denzel Washington and Tony Scott's recent collaboration, Taking Of Pelham 1-2-3, crashed at the box office, and failed to recoup its massive production cost of US$100 million ($145 million).

Now, their next project has been put on hold.

Ironically called Unstoppable, the film about a runaway train has hit a red light due to budget issues.

Fox, the movie studio behind this film, has raised concerns about Scott's typical high production cost and Washington's US$20 million-a-picture salary.

It's all bad timing as movie studios are looking at ways to cut cost and rein in stars' salaries.

Looks like the recession is finally hitting the movie stars.