Yah Lah But

A photo taken in 2016, of RI students wearing “blackface”, sent the Internet into uproar this week. It had a good ending, but how responsible should people be for their actions in the past? Elsewhere, the Govt announced plans to issue wearable trackers to all 5.7m people in Singapore. Could it work or is the Govt. delusional? Our #YLB Subreddit -  https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/   This has lin...

The racial tensions in the US have made COVID19 feel like years ago. What happened to George Floyd was horrible, but how do we wrap our heads around the protests in the US all the way from Singapore? Elsewhere, the SAF announces the SS Card, but is it the best way to train “our leaders of tomorrow”? Our #YLB Subreddit -  https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/   This has links to all the things we ref...

A video of Amy Cooper’s “racist” interaction with Christian Cooper was uploaded online, and within 48hrs she lost her job and her dog. What she did was indefensible, but did she deserve her punishment? Over in SG, Jade Rasif calls out GoodyFeed, a local website, for apparently twisting a genuine issue she raised into an accusation towards her as the cause. Did she have a point? Our #YLB Subreddit...

NY Times published an op-ed by an American journalist based here, who shared her thoughts on SG amidst COVID19. But people were pissed off. Why? Elsewhere, the Govt announced that 1.2m funpacks will be given out for NDP this year, and 70,000+ ppl signed a petition to opt out. Are they overreacting? Our #YLB Subreddit -  https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/   This has links to all the things we refe...

On 19 May, we finally got some idea of how the CB is going to end. But it’s gonna be a LONG process, and a lot of people are unhappy. Why? Bad policy or bad comms or bad keyboard warriors? Elsewhere, Netflix’s documentary on Michael Jordan has gotten rave reviews. But was it just one BIG FAT LIE? Our #YLB Subreddit -  https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/   This has links to all the things we refer...

This past week, CNA misquoted 4 influencers they interviewed and Lianhe Zaobao fabricated a story about an NTU student who contracted Covid19. Both caused unnecessary confusion and Internet hate. Is it all just because of the need for CLICKBAIT? Elsewhere, Parliament has been turning down more and more queries about live-streaming their sessions. But could that be a good idea? Our #YLB Subreddit -...

Every day seems different, but the news somehow feels the same. Another potential “sovereign” citizen, similar numbers of cases in worker dorms, and ridiculous politics in Malaysia. What’s new? So we decide to look into our souls and share some epiphanies we’ve had since the Circuit Breaker began. Our #YLB Subreddit -  https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/   This has links to all the things we refer...

The “sovereign” lady set the internet on fire the past week, but what exactly is the whole sovereign movement about (it’s actually fascinating AF)? We also talk about the reopening of professional sports, and whether athletes have the right to complain or whether they should just “suck it up”. Our #YLB Subreddit -  https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/   This has links to all the articles we refer t...

Celebrity Ateeqah Mazlan incurred the wrath of the Malay community and soon the Internet after she “caused” home-based businesses to be banned from operating. But did she really do anything wrong? In the spirit of online vigilantism, is the SG Covidiots FB group actually helpful or does it just lead to bullying? Our #YLB Subreddit -  https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/   This has links to all the...

The Straits Times published 2 articles that were accused of racial stereotyping - one about home-based learning and another about domestic workers. But were the accusers just “too sensitive”? And was the govt-initiated singing of “HOME” useful or was it just something to make the participants feel shiok? Our #YLB Subreddit -  https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/   This has links to all the articles...

We try to wrap our heads around the Circuit Breaker extension. Elsewhere, a collab between Gov.sg and local comic outfit Band of Doodlers (BoD) to create SG superheroes got worldwide backlash. But was it fair? EDIT: News broke AFTER we recorded this that some of the superhero characters may have been plagiarised by the founder of BoD. So we couldn’t cover it, but for the latest on this developing...

Restaurant owners are lobbying the big food delivery apps to lower commission fees, with some netizens pushing for a boycott. But is that fair? Earlier this week, the govt also made wearing masks mandatory, except during “strenuous exercise” like brisk walking. Good idea or a loophole people will exploit? Our #YLB Subreddit -  https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/   This has links to all the article...

More COVID19 cases are popping up in migrant workers dorms. But some Singaporeans think the workers are to blame for not keeping their living quarters clean. Fair? Elsewhere, 2 doctors tarnished the name of frontline workers everywhere by taking "sexual advantage" of their patients.  Our #YLB Subreddit -  https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/   This has links to all the articles we refer to in our p...

We really wanted to talk about the news, but what can we say that hasn’t already been said (by us). So we figured that we’d share some of the things that have kept us sane through the circuit breaker or made us want to punch ourselves in the face. Or both.  Our #YLB Subreddit -  https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/   This has links to all the articles we refer to in our podcast! Our "One Shiok Thin...

The weekend before our country went into “circuit breaker” mode to contain Covid19, many Singaporeans decided that it was their last chance to SHOP. The queues were insane, and the internet was pissed. But why would people do that? And are they wrong if they did? Our #YLB Subreddit -  https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/   This has links to all the articles we refer to in our podcast! Our "One Shio...

The French think pastry shops are "essential services", while the USA thinks gun shops are. Is there a right answer? In other news, domestic abuse cases increase worldwide as more people stay at home. Fortunately, a M’sian Ministry advised women (via ridiculous infographics) to “speak like Doraemon” to avoid tension with their husbands. WTF. Our #YLB Subreddit -  https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut...

Clubs and clubbers held 'farewell' parties ahead of stricter Covid-19 measures and got slammed by the public (and a Minister and at least 1 doctor). So should people socialize at all if Singapore isn’t in lockdown? And can business be blamed for wanting to squeeze out some revenue? Amidst the current pandemic, the world also needs to brace itself for a condom shortage ‘cos of manufacturing plants...

The New York Times wrote about civil rights plummeting worldwide as govts mine info to curb Covid-19. But does privacy even matter now? And Malaysia’s world-infamous Bomoh (a traditional shaman / mystic healer) is back with his shenanigans. But could there be something positive about it? Our #YLB Subreddit -  https://www.reddit.com/r/YahLahBut/   Our "One Shiok Things" for this week! lo-fi LHL bea...

Melissa Chen, a SG-born activist in the US famous for helping Amos Yee get asylum, faced backlash this week for using a picture of a local wet market in an article about Chinese wet markets. Why? In another picture that pissed off a bunch of people, a parody Facebook page called “NUS Atheist Society” posted a pic of a Quran next to a Bible with the caption “For use during toilet paper shortages"....

Malaysia going into lockdown is the latest development in a week that saw Covid-19 become the most global event in recent times (besides the World Cup or the Olympics). So...toilet paper? Self-quarantine? Social distancing? And what the hell is herd immunity? We talk through all these along with our own thoughts and worries, so hopefully it’ll be as cathartic for you as it was for us. ‘Cos sometim...

Jonathan Mok, an SG student in London, went viral around the world after he posted images of his punched-up eye after being jumped by a group of strangers in a coronavirus-related racist attack. And his is just one of many hate-attacks around the world. WTF is up with attacks like this? 'Cos they suck big time. On the flip side, everyone has seen at least one Covid-19 meme. With serious incidents...

Step aside Coronavirus, Malaysia has bigger shit to deal with - their government. What a week it’s been for our neighbours and we TRY to understand and explain what happened. But we can only not talk about the virus for so long, so we share our totally non-expert thoughts on how it’s impacted our lives and what the future looks like for Covid-19, the asshole. Our "One Shiok Things" for this week!...

A 25-min audio clip of Minister Chan Chun Sing spewing Singlish and scolding the “idiotic” hoarders of Singapore leaked online. Some people loved it, some didn’t. But did he go too far? Or is he “the Ah Beng” we deserve? Elsewhere, XiaXue ripped into the media for glorifying obesity. Does she have a point or is the Queen of Controversy at it again? Joining us is the ever-eloquent Munah Bagharib, w...

"She loves parrots" was one of the reasons given by friends of the Chinese bride. Weird reason aside, is this yet another case of "cultural appropriation" or are netizens being "too sensitive" again? We dive into this with the husky-voiced Noah Yap, one of the stars of our recent TV show. Our "One Shiok Things" for this week! Terence: Eminem's performance during the recent Oscars  https://globalne...

Come April 2020, ALL motorised PMDs will be banned from footpaths (even hoverboards *gasp*) and users might even need to take theory tests! But are people as triggered or have we all moved on from anything PMD-related? On the other side of the world, Shakira and J Lo rocked the Superbowl Halftime show but people questioned the need for all the gyrating, crotch-grabbing, pole dancing and grinding (...