Media is a strong medium and isnt the Arts media always spouting the mantra that it spread messages, socially and otherwise?

So it seems being in Uni these days only make one more blindsided than ever.

Kelvin, you are a real pinh***

Why don't the two of you please go get a f**king life instead of spamming on this discussion board for issues of your own ego. It is clear none of the readers (or authors) even give a s h i t about what the two of you are arguing about. Solo bear you're a f**king homophob and I don't know why Kelvin even entertain all your dumb replies. If you have go so many questions about the f**king movie go ask Glen Goei yourself at Golden Village on Tuesday (He will be there to answer questions from those who are watching his movie, go to the GV site and check it out yourself). It is obvious that this discussion is no longer about the movie but about both of your egos. So why don't the both of you just go f**k yourselves.

GET A LIFE D**K YOU MUST PROBABLY BE A FAT UGLY LOSER IN REAL LIFE.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_(gay_culture)

"Bear is LGBT slang for those in the bear communities, a subculture in the gay/bisexual male communities and an emerging subset of LGBT communities with events, codes and culture-specific identity. It also describes a physical type.

Bears tend to have hairy bodies and facial hair; some are heavy-set; some project an image of working-class masculinity in their grooming and appearance, though none of these are requirements or unique indicators. Some bears place importance on presenting a hyper-masculine image and may shun interaction with, and even disdain, men who exhibit effeminacy.[1] The bear concept can function as an identity, an affiliation, and an ideal to live up to, and there is ongoing debate in bear communities about what constitutes a bear, however a consensus exists that inclusion is an important part of the Bear Community [2] [3] . There is also, anecdotally, more acceptance of tattoos and body piercing in the bear community."

"Bears On The Run is a tour of four solo Bear musician artists featuring Elijah Black, Matthew Temple, Shannon Grady and Kendall, and hosted by comedian Bobaloo. The tour has travelled to twenty major US cities."

You nick has anything to do with the solo Bear musicians? Highly unlikely right, but the irony is just so uncanny.

BTW, treat this as a light-hearted question. No one is denying that there are more than one interpretations, but interpretations are based on references.

BTW please do not take offense to the Bear part of this comment. But I can't help highlighting the irony of it. Your nick also refers to the entity that you find yourself at odds with.

P.S. I am not alleging you are gay. Your nick could have another source of reference for interpretation for all I know.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bear_(gay_culture)

"Bear is LGBT slang for those in the bear communities, a subculture in the gay/bisexual male communities and an emerging subset of LGBT communities with events, codes and culture-specific identity. It also describes a physical type.

Bears tend to have hairy bodies and facial hair; some are heavy-set; some project an image of working-class masculinity in their grooming and appearance, though none of these are requirements or unique indicators. Some bears place importance on presenting a hyper-masculine image and may shun interaction with, and even disdain, men who exhibit effeminacy.[1] The bear concept can function as an identity, an affiliation, and an ideal to live up to, and there is ongoing debate in bear communities about what constitutes a bear, however a consensus exists that inclusion is an important part of the Bear Community [2] [3] . There is also, anecdotally, more acceptance of tattoos and body piercing in the bear community."

"Bears On The Run is a tour of four solo Bear musician artists featuring Elijah Black, Matthew Temple, Shannon Grady and Kendall, and hosted by comedian Bobaloo. The tour has travelled to twenty major US cities."

You nick has anything to do with the solo Bear musicians? Highly unlikely right, but the irony is just so uncanny.

BTW, treat this as a light-hearted question. No one is denying that there are more than one interpretations, but interpretations are based on references.

BTW please do not take offense to the Bear part of this comment. But I can't help highlighting the irony of it. Your nick also refers to the entity that you find yourself at odds with.

P.S. I am not alleging you are gay. Your nick could have another source of reference for interpretation for all I know.

Don't wax lyrical about thinking laterally or out of the box. Just put the money where your mouth is and substantiate the themes. If you are unable to substantiate your arguements, then they remain as they are – strawmen. Do an analysis to substantiate your arguement, then we will talk.

"So tell me what you know about this Wee Bak Chuan character? If you are a parent and you want your kids to be a doctor when your kid wants to be an engineer, and your kid becomes an engineer, is that called shirking responsibility in reference to your kid? >> Me: That's the part I made in my article I linked to my blog, that many Singaporeans can hardly empathize with this kind of family! You ASSUME that every dad has the financial capability to send children to university! Many families have financial problems to even afford tuition for primary and secondary, what more tuition fees for Unis! That's my main point that Blue Mountain is way, way of target, depicting Singapore scene. The more fitting allusion would be Jack Neo's productions." ->Stop being disingenious. You were talking about shirking responsibility. I am doing you a favor to tell you that you are way off, which really justified my point that you are just guessing in the dark.

No, really, you are not in any position to make an intellectual disagreement. Start by backing up your arguements first, with instances from the movie. If you can substantiate your points fine, then let's agree to disagree. But you haven't made the baby steps yet.

Funny how you ask me to open up when you cannot even describe the source of your interpretation from the movie. I am sorry, I just find it absurd that one can interprete the movie without REFERENCES, which have really failed to provide.

Me:
That is not our disagreement.

>>
You are in essence flogging that dead horse don't know how many times. No one has ever claimed that feminism are not at odds with patriachism.
>>

Me:
You are the one flogging dead horse. That is still not our disagreement.

>>
But, you have been presented arguements and evidences from the movie that show that feminism isn't the theme.
>>

Me:
That is our disagreement. Showing that it is about political oppression does nothing to demolish that it has feminist message in the movie as well.

>>
Who says I finally admitted to the gay theme? To say a movie has gay theme is to allege that gayism is a major part of the movie's plot. No it isn't, and I will tell you that it is allegorical.
>>

Me:
For all the talk that our undergrads are taught to think laterally, you appear to be boxed in that the movie can only be interpreted in one way and one way only. You insist it cannot be interpreted that it has gay or feminist theme.

>>
So tell me what you know about this Wee Bak Chuan character? If you are a parent and you want your kids to be a doctor when your kid wants to be an engineer, and your kid becomes an engineer, is that called shirking responsibility in reference to your kid?
>>

Me:
That's the part I made in my article I linked to my blog, that many Singaporeans can hardly empathize with this kind of family! You ASSUME that every dad has the financial capability to send children to university! Many families have financial problems to even afford tuition for primary and secondary, what more tuition fees for Unis!

That's my main point that Blue Mountain is way, way of target, depicting Singapore scene. The more fitting allusion would be Jack Neo's productions.

>>
OK, start off from the base of a character analysis first. To even allege gay and feminist themes without a thorough knowledge of the characters is like hitting in the dark.
>>

Me:
Again, you think that a commentary of the movie has to be on individual characters. What about the holistic movie theme itself? Why can't we discuss that and must be boxed in with individual characters only?

Here is another article I posted in my blog, illustrating that any particular movie can have more than just one theme.

http://wherebearsroamfree.blogspot.com/2009/10/in...

Open up. Movies can be interpreted in more ways than one.

I think you are being disingenious again.

I am saying that the movie portray a discourse or a competition between the one who epitomizes Asian values and patriachism and democratic ideals. I am not blind to the fact that feminism HAS clashed with patriachism because for the past few posts, I have been telling you that the democratists are also at odds with patriachism and it was what that was highlighted in the movie. You are in essence flogging that dead horse don't know how many times. No one has ever claimed that feminism are not at odds with patriachism. But, you have been presented arguements and evidences from the movie that show that feminism isn't the theme. You can't accept it, then tough. We can't help you.

Who says I finally admitted to the gay theme? To say a movie has gay theme is to allege that gayism is a major part of the movie's plot. No it isn't, and I will tell you that it is allegorical. You may want to check up on the lines behind the theme. Something about the eldest son and the contemporary life in Singapore. Just because I tell you earlier to find your own truth doesn't mean I am conceding the point.

"They turned to drugs and drinking (daughter). They preferred to loaf and shirk responsibility when given work to do (1st son). I find it ironic that although Uni undergrads talk so much about critical, lateral and out of box thinking, they are stuck with just one thought and that one thought only."

So tell me what you know about this Wee Bak Chuan character? If you are a parent and you want your kids to be a doctor when your kid wants to be an engineer, and your kid becomes an engineer, is that called shirking responsibility in reference to your kid? And if your daughter wants to marry someone from another race, will you oppose it?

Think as a father before you even come and argue your point about "shirking responsibility". Anyway, your extrapolations has become a parabola.

Funny how you wax lyrical about critical thinking abilities of undergrads when critical thinking is applied to evaluating your comments. Yes, don't find it surprising that you get other critical thinkers who highlight that your arguements are not tenable because 1) They are extrapolation of themes that are far away from the movie 2) They are not based on thorough character analysis.

Tell you what. Do a character analysis of Wee Bak Chuan and what he represents even in the allegorical sense, and then come back with what you have found out so far. Do the same for the three children.

You said you know a bit about literature right? OK, start off from the base of a character analysis first. To even allege gay and feminist themes without a thorough knowledge of the characters is like hitting in the dark.

Me:
You have shown that it is about democratic ideals, but that is what we agree. Thank you very much.

However you have NOT demolished my point it is a fact feminism has clashed with the patriarchal family. So how have you shown the movie has no feminist message?

That is the crux of the disagreement between us, isn't it?

And yes, about the gay theme part, you finally had to admit it. Why were you so blind? Just like you are now blind to the fact that feminism HAS CLASHED with the patriarchal family.

PS – If you want to carry on with your argument it is about clash with the "Asian values" (again, what the hell is Asian? Bangladeshis are Asians, but the Wee family surely don't look one bit Bangladeshi!) found in patriarchal family and that causes rebel, I can extrapolate that Blue Mansion is about hippie lifestyle in the 1960s and 1970s.

In the Woodstock Era of the 1960s and 1970s, Dad was the head of the family. But the youth rebelled such control, so they do the exact things Dad and Mom didn't want them to. They had free sex and mistresses (2nd son). They turned to drugs and drinking (daughter). They preferred to loaf and shirk responsibility when given work to do (1st son).

I find it ironic that although Uni undergrads talk so much about critical, lateral and out of box thinking, they are stuck with just one thought and that one thought only. In this case, it is about the political aspect of Singapore's scene.

Why not allude it to feminism vs patriarchal family? Why not allude to hippie lifestyle of the 60s and 70s? Isn't this all about critical thinking?