I detest contests that are organised without taking into consideration the risks that contestants are subjecting themselves to. Worse, very often, these contestants are not screened for their health condition before participation.
Contests that promote gluttony in the name of speed not only make a fool of the contestants, but also promote food wastage. The unnecessary amount of food consumed by the contestants should be used to feed the starving children in third world countries. Eldest Sister Lee Lee told me that she once watched a program where a very fat man was able to consume many hamburgers. It looked like he was going to be the champion, but suddenly his stomach burst, and out came the burgers together with his intestines. What a horrendous ending, all in the name of competition.
Recently we read of a mother of three who participated in a drinking competition. She drank more than 7.5 litres of water, and worse, in order to win, the contestants must try not to go to the washroom. So much input! How can there be no out put? Brainless organisers with ridiculous rules and regulations.! The prize was a Nintendo Wii which she had hoped to win for her children. In the end the organisers were asked to pay millions of dollars in compensation for the death of Jennifer Strange, the mother who joined the senseless contest because she had hoped to win the Nintendo Wii for her children.!
The latest contest in Singapore, The Impreza Challenge, should also be banned. Contestants must put their palm on the car and must not move. The winner would be the one who clocks the longest time with his palm on the car. Last year's winner was someone who clocked in about 81 hours! Though many of the contestants are young people, we never quite know who may have hidden illnesses. Otherwise, how do we explain young people collapsing and dying while out jogging? Over exhaustion can kill if one is not in good health, eg. the Japanese lady who died of exhaustion because of 80 hours of overtime.
I hope all organisers will explore carefully, and come up with more creative ways for people to win prizes without endangering their lives. Must we wait for someone to join the heavenly choir before we finally realise the flippancy and futility of such contests?
The other contest which I dislike very much is the one where contestants are dared to sleep with snakes and scorpions, eat live worms and the raw intestines of fishes,
etc. Yucks!
My eldest sister Lee Lee has aptly said, "Even if the prize were $1,000,000/-, I would never participate. I would prefer to live simply, contentedly and with dignity.
Gan Chau
Monday, November 02, 2009
Ban These Contests!
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3 comments:
Other than competitions, there are many 'causes' that are created not for those causes.
One very popular 'cause' is being environmentally friendly. That in itself is a noble and commendable cause.
Many organisations, websites etc have been set up by 'concerned individuals' over recent years. One need not be a genius to realise that the motivation behind these are profit, whether in the form of advertisements on their websites or otherwise.
When you observe how many of these 'so called green entrepreneurs', they drive the largest cars and largest houses -- never mind they may be vegetarians or are building a 'green' house.
I think I am, even though i have no website nor participate in these green events, more environmentally friendly! I use no aircon, I buy enough for myself (instead of buying a huge trolley of groceries only to have some of them go bad), shower from the pail instead of letting the shower run...
the world is indeed strange. there 's so much created out of consumerism.... that we need to create other causes to cut down wastes which in the first place is unnecessary.
Humans... strange indeed!
Anonymous, showering from the pail does not save water....Try to shower using the showerhead while you stand in a pail and you would understand why. letting the shower run while soaping will waste water but other than that it actually saves more water than showering from the pail...
Well Choo, it's all in the greed of man. Some people have no limits when it comes to freebies. Be it sacrificing their own health or sacrificing one's pride. Those 'reality' shows does really turns me off despite of it's popularity.
Nowadays businessmen really have no regards to human rights when it comes to profiteering. We are in a very dark age indeed. These senseless contest are one of the ways the hard hearted corporate beasts exploit the weaknesses of human.
The situation is made worse by the effective media which imparts the twisted values of life. Examples are dramas like 'Desperate Housewives" which make adultery seems like a norm. People with no strong values in life can fall prey easily to the emotions portrayed in the media be it the TV or the internet.
In my personal belief, in such dark ages where people satisfy their empty soul with material gains which is temporal, my only relief is to fill myself up with the Word of my Lord which is eternal.
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