Friday, March 18, 2005

Just when I thought this was another boring workday...

...I get this email in my office mailbox:

From: Corporate Communications
Sent: Friday, March 18, 2005 1:43 PM
Subject: NTU Staff for MediaCorp Game Show

Hi colleagues,

Mediacorp is interested in having 5 NTU staff participate in their upcoming matchmaking programme: 缘 来 就 是 你. Comprising 13 episodes, the programme will be broadcast over Channel U starting 5 Apr (Tues), at 9:15pm.

About the programme:
  • Hosted by Kym Ng and Quan Yi Feng.
  • Programme will first feature 5 participants in their work environment.
  • The hosts will 'interview' the 5 participants and play games with them. The hosts will then make the final decision on who will proceed to the second part of the programme where they search for their 'soul-mate'.
  • On the following weekend, the hosts and one selected contestant will move to another location (shopping mall or Orchard Road) to search for four potential “soul mates” in order to perfect the match.
  • Finally, the contestant will pick the lucky one whom he/ she thinks is their Ms/ Mr Right. The perfect couple will get the top prizes.
    Note: There are no other obligations beyond the gameshow. The ‘matchmaking’ is basically an opportunity for participants to know more friends.

Requirements as stated by Mediacorp:

  • Single, in their 20s or 30s.
  • Lively, look good on camera, and not shy about being on TV (and being filmed playing simple interactive games).
  • Able to speak simple Mandarin.

I see two motives behind this programme:
1) NTU wants to be seen as hip and widdit. SMU got happy jumping people on their billboards, NUS got cool-Levis-wannabe ad, so we one-up them and produce a TV show. That'll show them.
2) Government is worried about single people not getting married and producing babies. So, brainwave: we use uni staff (egghead kind) and hep them find their soulmate. Sure people will get married and make babies after this.

I don't know about the 'lively' and 'look good on camera' part. From what I've seen of the staff around campus, this does not augur well. Oh, I can't wait for this to be aired.

8 comments:

Unknown said...

And what about the "speak simple mandarin" requirement? Speak cheem ones cannot participate huh.

FF said...

One of my gfs is working in NTU and she's really pretty. She applied to be on the show, fingers crossed she gets in.

Anonymous said...

oh gosh....thats sooo cool. Nothing that cool over happens in my workplace.....
So will you be participating??

JellyGirl said...

FF: I'm sure she'll be picked :)

Onlyyu: Heh, no I don't think so. For one, my Chinese is atrocious and secondly, I'm very mindful of the fact that TV makes you look 20% fatter!

Unknown said...

JG: go for it leh!

JellyGirl said...

Woof: You just want me to go so you can larf at me. :P

Unknown said...

nah.. laughing with you! all the mandarin you need is to say "wo yao na ge" after pointing to a guy... :o)

stoned.nerd said...

with people like me around, ntu would find it tough to be hip...

*hic*