There is this video entitled "KL: It's Alive" that has gone somewhat viral on Facebook and You Tube. Watch it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FF-Q1lCToiI. It depicts KL as a vibrant city with quirky boutiques, quaint little cafes, people in Vespas, cycling at wee hours in the morning and other activities that hipsters usually indulge in. I must have been living in another planet all this while because for all the years that I have been staying in KL, I have never come across a Vespa much less a group of people in their Vespas.
I am very surprised that a lot of people have given their seal of approval on the video with some even suggesting that this should be the tourism advertisement for the nation. Is this really how we want to present KL, the capital of Malaysia, the pride and joy of our country to the entire world? A hedonistic society exhibiting self importance and pretension, a frivolous city devoid of culture and heritage. Are we so obsessed with the Western culture that we only seek to imitate? Even the people featured in the video (i.e. coffee joint owner, fashion designer, indie singer) spoke with a pseudo American accent which should not come across as a surprise. I mean, the entire video reeks of unoriginality. It is an ostentatious display of the lifestyles of the rich and famous. It is out of touch with reality and could not possibly resonate with the average Malaysian. Perhaps the video was not intended to reflect the "real" KL with it's filthy streets, horrendous traffic, scorching heat and torrential downpour. It is "their" (hipsters, rich and famous, Western wannabes) version of KL in all it's grandiose, glamour and glory. After all, the video was produced by Mercedes Benz; a symbol of wealth and affluence in an increasingly money driven Malaysia.
If you want a more accurate potrayal of KL, I suggest this video entitled "The Chair Project". Watch it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8ZwBr0e67w. It may not have garnered as many hits as "KL: It's Alive" but to me, this video has heart and soul, attributes which were sorely lacking in "KL: It's Alive". The Chair Project features the efforts of 2 Malaysians who built chairs at the Kelana Jaya waiting line and concluded with them successfully petitioning to the local council for public seating. The people shown on the video are ordinary city folks from diverse races; Malays, Indians, Chinese and some foreigners (Thai, African). They speak in languages that I comprehend - English without a trace of American accent, Cantonese and Bahasa Melayu. The efforts of the 2 Malaysians felt genuine to me and they striked me as a couple of young boys who are creative and innovative with a sense of civic consciousness. Nothing in that video felt fake to me, if anything I thought it was heart warming, beautifully shot and it managed to convey their message in a simple manner. And most importantly, the video felt trully Malaysian to me. Which is much more than I can say for "KL: It's Alive" which for all it's bright colours and psychedelic music, felt shallow, superficial, flat and so obviously lacking in depth.
1 comment:
"It is an ostentatious display of the lifestyles of the rich and famous." Indeed. It's an inaccurate representation of KL, an attempt to aggrandize the city by showing only the glitzy and glamourous side. And heck, it IS grossly superficial, as you have aptly put it. I mean, imagine throwing a sarong clad nenek into the picture. Bet the producers would say, no no no. Not hip. I have no beef with the Americanized accent though just because I speak with one. I didn't realize it until a Penangite mocked my rhotic pronunciation. Ouch. I guess Sabahan accent particularly those who don't speak their mother tongue (which has a distinct sound to it - imagine Stacey) lean towards American English. That GUBA guy in the video, he sounded like a poser until I realize he was a Sabahan, who probably listened and imitated Americans a little too much.
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