Radio DJ, emcee and all-round entertainer Joshua Simon took to Facebook today to bring up a sensitive matter that we’ve maybe kept quiet about for too long — the lack of equal representation on local media.
He challenged folks to count how many Malay or Indian men and women are included on posters, print advertisements, film and tv commercials — which we all know there’s not much of.
He also brings up the issue of the mainstream ‘Singaporean Look’ — which to him is overly represented by a “skinny Chinese girl with long hair” and a “slim fit Chinese boy with Gatsby blown hair”. This issue of course was brought to the forefront where it was much discussed and debated when some folks weren’t happy that Nadia Rahmat represented the Singaporean idea of beauty.
Even Simon himself faces subtle racism, where he often gets surprised reactions by fans when they find out that he’s Indian. So much so that he claims to be able to “afford a down payment for an HDB flat” if he had every dollar someone did that to him.
“Racial Harmony isn’t just about us getting along. It’s equal opportunities. Equal chances to shine. I wanna see diversity,” he implored.
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