Straits Times writer Tay Yek Keak wrote in the papers yesterday saying that he can't tell you who's the winner of The Contender Asia because of a ridiculous gag order imposed on those from the media who attended the final match at the Indoor Stadium last Saturday. But I can.
Everybody, the winner is Thailand's Yodsanklai Fairtex! Quick, go tell your father, mother, sister, brother, grandpa, grandma, friends and relatives ok.
The Contender Asia is a reality-based television series that follows 16 aspiring Muay Thai middleweight fighters from 12 countries as they compete in a series of outdoor challenges and sanctioned matches. It is a production of local media company, Imagine OmniMedia in association with Mark Burnett Productions.
The media were invited together with around 6000 people to the Indoor Stadium on Saturday night to witness the final fight between Yodsanklai and Aussie John Wayne Parr. The producers insisted that the media sign a non disclosure form not to reveal the winner. This gag order will last until April 24. The finale will only be shown on AXN on April 23. Now tell me if that's not the most ridiculous thing you've heard.
I think the producers should be shot. They invited journalists to witness their great spectacle but these poor folks can only report on the outcome of the match some 12 days after watching it. WTF! The producers might as well get the entire 6000 people at the stadium to sign the non disclosure agreement too because I'm sure they will be telling their friends, etc about the match and the winner.
Journalists from traditional media like Mr Tay above can complain all they want but if they really think that the gag order makes everybody look stupid then they should not have attended the finale if the producers insisted on the non disclosure agreement. Why sign the ridiculous agreement just so that you get free tickets to watch two men fighting each other? Traditional media people have no balls. They should just boycott the finale. I doubt bloggers will sign such a thing if they were invited as part of the media. I'm sure we bloggers will just give the producers a good fark off!
For the record, I was invited to watch The Contender Asia Finale but I decided not to go. Not because I had to agree to the stupid gag order but because I was never a big fan of the show in the first place and more importantly, I cringe everytime I see and hear the host Jaymee Ong. Sorry but I think she sound as if she's breathing in helium all the time.
For clips of the final match between Yodsanklai and John, click here, here and here and for a report, read this. Take that stupid Contender Asia producers!
19 comments:
Hey thanks, for referring my blog, its an honor.
Like you, I have the same opinion on the Producers having a gag order on the media. In this age of the internet, news and information is difficult to withhold.
Ya it's stupid and the journalists who signed it are more stupid.
There were hundreds of spectators with cameras that night. And the organisers did not even say that it is illegal to record the match on their cameras.
>I cringe everytime I see and hear the host Jayme Ong. Sorry but I think she sound as if she's breathing in helium all the time.
Ouch! ;o)
Contender what? Haa! I did not even follow this shit.
Haven't the producers heard of LIVE TV before?
IZ: I told my papa, mama, brudder and sister liao. grandpa n granma not yet.
*imitates jayme ong's helium voice and irritates the hell out of dear iz
lol
I'm one of the journalists invited for the finale. I think having a media gag is ok only if it is for a few days but for more a week is a joke. I have no choice but to attend because boss arrowed me. I think I would quit and become a professional blogger.
well anyone of the 6000 spectators at the even could have been a blogger armed with cameras and eager to report about the event. no use having a media gag order when the rest can still reveal the outcome of the match easily via blogs, websites and word of mouth, duh.
Mmmm. Someone is on a bitchy mood today. Producers kena blast, journalists, traditional media and even the host.
There is a reason why I still give more respect to journalists than bloggers. They actually have to follow rules & regulations.
They have to sign gag orders, post truths, have to research to make sure the truths that they are publishing are accurate, and be censored.
Whatever the case is, I've known the results for all the Contender Asia matches a few months ago because I watched all of the matches live.
How would you like it if people posted Harry Potter spoilers 3 months before you can even buy the book?
Priss: Sorry, I have to disagree.
Bloggers do sign gag orders too. I personally never sign any. But I did get request not to reveal certain information before a given date. And when such a request was given, I will follow.
Bloggers also post truth. Blogger also do their research. In fact, the great thing about bloggers is that they don't have any restrictions on their writing. Some journalist might have some restrictions because of some national interest or something.
Feel that your views on bloggers is very wrong. I hope my comment would change your impression about bloggers. We are not a bunch of media hooligans. We also have our own code of conduct.
well said DK. There are some exclusive events that media have been invited to, and responsible bloggers will find themselves included into these exclusive events, afterall, bloggers can and should be part of the overall media industry.
being from the media / pr industry embargos are common place, sure there's a business competition side to it, but journalists and bloggers do recognise that they represent their stake holders and also understand on a deeper level, the impact of their reporting, and when it gets reported.
i agree, 12 days for a media embargo is pretty much ridiculous, moreover, it was a public event. it was foolhardy to impose such standards on the journalists when every other member of the audience could tell someone. it was a ridiculous expectation on a professional journalist
at the end of the day, don't tell a journalist or blogger how to do their jobs. you so smart, you go and write lah.
dk: *hormat to you
all bloggers: *hormat to yous
cheers!!
Thanks for giving us the result - I'm in Thailand so incredibly happy that Yodsaenklai won!
And I agree with you - unbelievably stupid that the producers of The Contender Asia held the final fight almost TWO weeks before it's going to be aired on TV in Asia.
Way to go! Thanks :-)
Oh and I agree with you on Jaymee. She's as dumb as a rock (knows absolutely NOTHING about Muay Thai) and sounds like an idiot every time she opens her mouth. Hope they pick somebody better for the second season!
"Traditional media people have no balls. They should just boycott the finale. I doubt bloggers will sign such a thing if they were invited as part of the media. I'm sure we bloggers will just give the producers a good fark off!"
It's not that journalists have no balls. It's called professionalism, my dear friend.They did what they have to do.
I must admit, the gag order must have been given because the producers have failed to take into account good bloggers like youself. In the olden days, before blogs before popular and viral marketing all the rage, it made sense to have the embargo as word-of-mouth doesn't quite spread so quickly.
It's different nowadays. Down with media embargos!
I followed the show, and persoanally enjoy not knowing the outcome of the show before i watch it.
It changes the whole story telling of the show if you know the winner ahead of time. I try and stay away from anything that might give spoilers. I would be pretty angry if the front page of the paper showed the end before the show even aired. It would be like if the media released how Lost ends.
If the people telling the story, and the audience watching are involved in this type of storytelling, the media should respect that.
That being said whats creating this awkward situation is that the show airs way later then the fight.
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