Cruel or Creative?
Singapore youths' spoof of tissue aunty's $1 song upset
netizens
WHY MAKE FUN OF HER HARD LIFE
SHE is 48, wheelchair-bound, and sings a cheerful jingle to make
a living.
Madam Neo Geok Tho's signature '$1tissue song' usually inspires
sympathy and admiration.
But not among some Singapore youths.
At least five groups of them have made video clips making fun of
her and the song, and put them on the Internet.
The videos all feature youths making their own parodies of Madam
Neo's song, a familiar tune to many Singaporeans who have seen her
at various MRT stations in recent years.
In one video, three youths with bright T-shirts over their faces
dance around and play the guitar while singing the familiar words:
'One dollar, one dollar... Uncle, aunty help me buy tissue
paper.'
In the spoof, a teen acting as Madam Neo says to a potential
'customer' in a tragic tone: 'Oh! $1... Give me!' before letting
out a scream.
In another clip, a group of boys in school uniform are similarly
seen dancing around and laughing while singing the song.
The clips have attracted furious responses from other
netizens.
'You guys are heartless, please be ashamed of yourselves,' went
one comment by netizen GQDS on YouTube, the video-sharing website
where the clips have been posted.
Another, by the name of tanyimei, wrote: 'Fancy you people
making a joke out of people who are merely being there to make a
living.'
CRUEL MOCKERY
Friends of Madam Neo, like housewife Tan Kok Eng, 44, thought
the videos were cruel.
'They are mocking her,' she said. 'What if she were their own
family member?'
But Madam Neo brushed off these imitators.
She told Lianhe Wanbao: 'I believe the teens made the videos in
a moment of fun.
'I'm happy they can have some fun out of this. If there's a
chance, I hope to be able to hear their versions.'
She declined further interviews about the matter.
Madam Neo even came up with modified lyrics of the song for
Chinese New Year.
The positive response is typical of MadamNeo, who was hit by
polio when she was just an infant.
She has been selling tissue paper at stations like Tampines,
Bishan, Woodlands, Tiong Bahru, Jurong and Raffles Place for more
than five years.
She lives with her husband, MrLim Swee Yong, 52, in a rented
one-room flat in Tampines.
Mr Lim is also wheelchair-bound. He was born with a spinal
abnormality and has never been able to walk.
The couple receive $290 a month from government agencies each
month, but it's not enough to cover their living expenses. So both
go out to work to support themselves.
Mr Lim earns $400 a month selling newspapers in the morning and
evening in their neighbourhood, while MadamNeo earns about $10 a
day from selling tissue paper.
But despite their difficulties, the couple, who have been
married for 20years and have no children, remain happy.
Mr Lim told The New Paper in Mandarin: 'I didn't dare think I'd
get married. It was a miraculous thing. I'm lucky to marry such a
beautiful wife.'
He showed us pictures of their wedding day showing them, on
their wheelchairs and in their finery, performing the tea ceremony,
followed by a photo session at the Singapore Zoo.
A typical day in Madam Neo's life starts with her friend Madam
Tan, who helps them to buy groceries every morning.
She then pushes Madam Neo on her wheelchair to a nearby
coffeeshop to have breakfast. Madam Neo cooks for herself and her
husband.
Another friend, a retiree, wheels Madam Neo to Tampines MRT
station in the afternoon so that she can get to work.
LONG DAYS
She sings till about 8pm every day, and gets home at 9pm if she
is at a nearby station, 10pm if she is further away from home.
Said Madam Tan: 'She takes note of which MRT station she goes to
each day, so people won't think, 'You again, I just saw you
yesterday.'
Madam Neo told Lianhe Wanbao that it was actually her older
sister who gave her the idea for the $1 tissue song.
She said: 'When I started selling tissue paper, I found it
difficult.
'My older sister used to sell bedding at a department store, and
she told me that after she came up with a song, business was good.
So she encouraged me to come up with a song too.'
And that's how the $1 tissue song came about.
She said: 'It's easier to attract attention with singing. Also,
I won't be so bored by myself.'
Her job isn't easy though.
Said Madam Tan: 'Sometimes, she sings until her throat is
hoarse. But to earn a living, what to do?
'Also, if it rains, she cannot go out to work because she cannot
carry an umbrella and go around. It's dangerous for her.'
Madam Neo also told Lianhe Wanbao that sometimes, some teens
would squat beside her and imitate her singing the $1 tissue
song.
Some use their handphones to record her.
The maker of one of the spoof videos on YouTube, called punkd1,
wrote this on his blog in response to criticism of the video: 'The
crew would like to stress its stand that this video was made for
entertainment purposes and it harbours no form of ill intent...
'With due respect, this idea was greatly inspired by the
innovative singing efforts of the elderly lady who displays an
incredible amount of enthusiasm.
'In summary, the gist of this motion was all about the song and
never about mocking anyone.
'Having said all that, we do hope that with this publicity...
Aunty one-dollar will see new progress in her tissue paper
sales.'
As for the other spoof videos, Madam Neo prefers to let the
matter rest.
She said: 'I don't pursue it because I don't want to make a
scene in public. As long as they don't go too far, I let them
be.'
Her hopes for Chinese New Year are simple: Better sales. It
looks like nothing can dampen her spirit.
'(Her) song was a gift from God,' said her husband, Mr Lim.
'That's why my wife is so cheerful.'
http://tnp.sg/news/story/0,4136,155955-1202767140,00.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
thumb up for Madam Neo! 
