Their Pain that Paints the World.

Mainetalities updated.

Michael Jackson. There's no two of this man. Simple street tale lyrics such as 'Bad' and 'Billie Jean' can only come alive because they are illustrated by his voice, his moves, his expression.

When he danced, we moved too, maybe just our toes, or our brains, or our fingers.

Oprah Winfrey. She's not a complete angel - that's my judgment. There may be other people who're just like her, she can't be the only person who's born to be able to spread love this way. But the setback is, that person did not take the bold move to make themselves known in Hollywood. Will Oprah make it if she lived in Australia?

Sudirman. Remember how he sang "Merisik Khabar" during one of the Muzik Muzik finals? He wore that black long jacket and lit up the lighter towards the end of the song while his body genuinely shivered. I was too young to know how to appreciate art, but he tried so passionately to deliver that I understood the whole lyric and knew the lyric was his (although it was written by Habsah Hassan. Good job at translating his feelings in written!).

It is so unfortunate that he is more famous now than when he was alive. Thanks to whom? Thanks to so many meaningless song lyrics today, thanks to so many songs written just by writing four bars and repeat them over and over again.

I remember one of Steve Jobs's sayings, "This world belongs to the funky".

Of course, you can't say the world belongs to even the kindest US President or the Pope or the likes of Deedat. No one would shed a tear and get epileptic getting a glimpse of any one of them.

The world, according to Jobs, belongs to people like Madonna, Britney Spears, Michael Jackson, Beckham, most Western rock and 80's pop bands and their likes. They moved at least something in each and everyone of us.

Everybody's dream nowadays is to be just like Oprah. Talk and you'll become famous, a millionaire and still definitely go to heaven.

*******

Here, we have the wannabes. It's just taking too long for the local celebs to understand what it takes to sustain. I've been investing fairly towards the local entertainment scenes. And my spirit is really running out for it.

Astro Channel 4.

Bersama Anita needed you to haul audiences by private busses to the studio in order to fill it up. I still remember her question towards a Tsunami voluntary rescue team, "Aaaahh, macamana rasa tu. Adakah anda rasa sedih, tak tau nak buat macamana?" Anita was the one pruning her face and the guy was all calm and collected said, "Ya, saya rasa begitu." She's always too worried the interviewee may not be good at bringing out audiences' sentiments that she literally had to coach them. She might as well do a review rather than interviews.

Reallllyyy, her plump lips, past life in Vegas, blonde hair and filthy rich white husband is not enough to give her a caring persona for the society.

Replace her with Ogy Ahmad Daud, allow the session to run on both English and Malay. There you'll have it. She talks a lot, no doubt. But at least when others talk she'll allow them to finish it and pull out more if there's something that may seem to get stuck in the lungs.

Tanya Sama Linda Onn and HO (Halim Othman)..... what on earth is their x factor again? Their funky hairdo and inclination to Tongkat Ali products? And yet they win the best radio DJ and TV talk show hosts every year. Which of their talk shows had made a headline in at least the local magazines if not in the press? How have they made their celeb presence change the colour of our society? Do we really know who they are for them to deserve their own talk show?

"Heal the World" made us remember to love the nature. "Black or White" made us remember racism issues. "You are Not Alone", simple words yet so calling and we're capable to remember without byharding the lyrics.

What Michael Jackson and Sudirman has in common is pain. MJ's oppressed for a real childhood and Sudirman's depressed for being left by his very beloved wife. Oprah, as a child was a rape victim. The pain that they suffered which could only be expressed with a lot of freedom through art. Yet the world could decipher their abstract produce and see what's behind their funky facade.

There are people who grew up in a poor families but it still doesn't change their happy go lucky character right? Is that why I can't appreciate the voice of our local Jacqueline Victor? Yes, she came from a poor family. She sings with great consciousness about her chords. So many occassions people don't even bother to look towards her direction. There is no emotional elements yang dapat menghidupkan lagu.

You might find me weird, I find Josh Groban to be same. No matter how sad the lyrics are, they just don't come to live. He's more conscious about his mouth movement and internal chords.

I should just be happy reading books.

"It is the wounded oyster that mends its shell with pearl".

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson.