Shrey Bhargava vs ABTM4 : Time to face the truth? We are all racist.

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Shrey Bhargava
Shrey Bhargava

Local freelance actor Shrey Bhargava went for the audition on Saturday (May 27) and after one take of the audition script, Shrey was asked by the casting director to be ‘a full blown Indian man’. He took offence by the request and he wrote a Facebook post to voice his displeasure.

https://www.facebook.com/shreybhargava7/posts/10155441011724445

The whole racism debate surrounding Shrey Bhargava’s FB post has escalated rather quickly.

While some people took the chance to talk about “Chinese privilege”, some people took it with a pinch of salt and gave a bigger picture view.

Among all the criticisms and support, here is a Facebook post that I, DAM Teo totally (okay, maybe 70%) agree with…

https://www.facebook.com/amesh.kumar/posts/10155003733429143?pnref=story

In case you can’t see the post, here’s the text for your convenience:

“Okay la. *clears throat* this post is for all you punde and cheebai and babi sialan. I am also one of them la. We all are la.

I am mildly racist. You are mildly racist la. Sometimes you manjens (SBS: in case you don’t understand, “manjens” = Chinese) look at me like disgusting because of my beard I also get offended cuz I sensitive ah. So I say you bloody manjens under my breath: But then I go back home I see the mirror I also scared la, I thought Taliban or what…

Then sometimes I drive uber I give my Malay customer correct change but then he count wrong so he angry then I also angry la. Then after he leave i utter under my breath Malay cannot do math la. But then I check again in the uber app actually he got discount la. So he actually correct la.

Ah, then I see some macha (SBS: “macha” = Indians) at the coffee shop have tattoo sit down drink beer. Immediately I think they will go home beat their wives la. But I also wrong because I go closer actually one of the macha is my Cousin la. He very nice to his Wife la.

Ahh, then I see Ang moh fella he always want to Curi our singapore girls all la. I also not happy la. I say eh cannot like that la. But then I see their sisters on Facebook I straight away become nicer to them la. Cuz they all chio bu. White girl all quite exotic la, I like la.

But I tell you ah my friends… why this Shrey problem has become a problem my friends is because you guys are not standing up for him la. Ya maybe he a little bit soft la, North Indian all soft la because we cook the dhal also must soft soft that’s why. But brothers and sisters, what makes this country great is not Lee Kuan Yew (God bless, rest in peace) la. Or PAP la. Or our law la. Or anything other than the people la. It is us la guys. We are what’s great about our tiny city state. The people.

So guys, Malay, Chinese, Indian, Eurasian, Rojak, Nasi Lemak, Mee Pok, Briyani and others… whatever la. Let’s show a bit more compassion la. Try to understand la abit more. It is not your fault that there are minorities. But there are la. And we also face some descrimination once in awhile la. True story la. But it is okay la because deep down we know it is not menacing or intentional. If not we have Little India riot part 2. But of course not la… because we know.

But brothers and sisters, try to understand that when you take away our right to call foul on certain subjects pertaining to our race and culture, all it does is fuels our frustration. I understand you have your own values and principles on what’s right and wrong or what is racist or not. But we can all agree that when someone is hurt, we can emphatize la. That’s all I am saying. Don’t need any witch hunt for the actor or the casting director but maybe instead we have a a civil conversation about what we can do to make people aware about race sensitivity la. Okay la. That’s all la… besides capital punishment is still a bigger social problem here la guys. People are dying.”

Racial harmony
image source: http://www.prischew.com/wp-content/uploads/mjpc_4Races_25Jul2014.jpg
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