NFC ad 'Filial Piety: Father and Son'- just cannot make it.
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'Filial Piety: Father and Son' leaves much too much open to interpretation to be anywhere near effective.
Without adequate explanation, the at first resentful daughter-in-law subsequent acceptance of the MIL's pretentious behavior also makes her seem rather oppressed.
If the MIL was indeed suffering from dementia, then the ad should have made plain clear that this was so (and the DIL should have then been consistently sympathetic).
This is a bad advert, more confusing then edifying, its prima-facie purpose seemingly one of the imposition filial piety by authority (the father's) and ransom (MIL).
Pls search youtube for 'Going Home' (Singapore Polytechnic- Produced by Kirill Tee) that reports: "Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia and is NOT part of normal aging." - thus revealing the serious omission / flaw in the content National Family Council ad.
As mentioned, given to 'dementia' being the exception rather then the norm; 'Filial Piety: Father and Son' remains an extreme portrayal of a granny who holds hostage her sons reputation whilst running down the feelings of his wife and son, as deserving of filial piety, given the blatant absence clarity that granny is actually demented, does disservice to the condition of dementia- with its unclear portrayal and blind acceptance of the condition. The daughter in law's inconsistent, possibly schizophrenic behavior, adds no less to the family's dysfunction.
Perhaps the producers were too ambitious in their attempt to portray the typical Singaporean family. Perhaps their ambitious nature is reflective of Singapore society- trying too hard to achieve and going overboard at times.
Whichever the case, I believe that it would be good if the SG advertisement producers could take a leaf from the 'simple minded' producers of a Malaysian, just 2 minute-'Petronas' advertisement on filial piety that all can easily understand and appreciate- it is 'Rich son poor son' which ends with the saying "Love of the family is life's greatest blessing"/ GongXiFaCai, one that all can accept and enjoy no question.
Please do, for I hope that the 'National Family Council' can do better, rather then just legislate filial piety.
And yes, might isn't always right.
Ref:
- "Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia and is NOT part of normal aging."~ Video 'Going Home' [video] (Singapore Polytechnic)- Award: First Prize; Produced by Kirill Tee, Directed by Vinn Bay
- [ST5July2010]: Educate people about filial piety, don't demand it [link]
- [ST23Jun2010]: Does ad convey right values? [link]
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[link]
richwee | August 22, 2009
3 of the old parents were proud of their children's careers. However, these children did not have time for their parents. "They were very busy" each said. The last woman did not talk much of her son. Her son was not a high flyer like the others. But her son has time for his mother. The other 3 women were in awe. They would prefer that their children spend time with them. -
old news, old topic...
and try not to copy and paste as most of your posts are from somewhere else...
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Still its my original post.
Filial piety, never goes out of date and should be continually discussed, .No reason not to be welcomed at 'speakers corner'.
N the NFC video remains still proudly displayed on youTube- in 4 languages no less.
The Straits Times continues to carry letters of reply on the video and related
Govt propaganda would prevail I guess, but sorry to dissent in regard of the ad.
I do however concur with most of the feedback to the ST forum page both about the ad and in regard to the filial piety in general.
Anyhow, I think that this being the only post on 'speakers corner' on this topic should remain but allow anyone to post comments related to the topic of filial piety/ re-posts of other forum letters should it favor discussion or mutual edification since this indeed isn't a topic to be casually swept under the carpet; my grouses notwithstanding.
U are welcome to participate in this regard.
Rgds,
B.C.
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ST: Jul 10, 2010
When it's a crushing debt of love
MY FATHER had a mild stroke about eight years ago. His condition worsened and he became bedridden three years ago. He must be fed via a tube and is in critical condition now.
My mother, who is in her 60s, and I are his primary caregivers. I have had to find odd and freelance jobs to support my mum and pay the bills. We even had to sell our HDB flat two years ago to meet my father's medical needs.
In one job interview, I was asked if I had any ailing parent who required a lot of attention. Immediately, I knew my care for my father could jeopardise the company's operation. I said 'yes' and did not get the job.
When I wanted a deferment from reservist duty last year, I explained to my commanding officer about my father's condition. He replied that while he understood my situation, he could not allow a deferment. I was later released after I made known how critical my father's condition was.
I am 35 years old and single. When I look at my peers who have their own family, a roof over their heads and a nice set of wheels, I cannot help asking myself at times: What price filial piety?
Filial piety comes at a substantial cost - financially and emotionally - for those caring for ailing parents.
To me, filial piety is a virtue, but society views it as a liability.
It will take more than mere campaigns and advertisements for filial piety to be viewed differently.
Society and public and private organisations must provide the necessary support that will enable us to care for our parents without fear of discrimination during job interviews, work performance appraisals and corporate downsizing.
I will continue to care for my father because it is a debt of love that I want to repay. He took three jobs to raise his family and I will do the same to support him. When we grow old and ill, it does not matter how wealthy we are. It is about how much love we will receive from our children.
Pang Ching Soo
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Originally posted by bic_cherry:
ST: Jul 10, 2010
When it's a crushing debt of love
Jul 13, 2010
All have role in promoting filial piety
I ADMIRE Mr Pang Ching Soo ("When it's a crushing debt of love"; last Saturday) for his unconditional practice of filial piety.
I encourage him to continue to do so, regardless of how he is treated by society.
Gradually, he will find peace for himself and gain wisdom. Money is not everything.
I appreciate the recent government efforts to promote filial piety. But this should not be confined to the Government. All of us have a duty in this regard.
Besides filial piety, other virtues, such as unconditional love and respect for all beings and the environment, respect for the elderly, generosity, patience and diligence, should also be promoted.
Chue Wai Tat
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Jul 13, 2010
'Debt of love' can never be repaid
I WAS moved by Mr Pang Ching Soo's letter last Saturday ("When it's a crushing debt of love").
His determination to repay his "debt of love" to his critically ill father, even at the expense of his career and personal needs, is both touching and admirable.
His letter also brought back memories of my departed mother, who succumbed to stomach cancer precipitated by a series of heart attacks two years ago.
My mother was widowed at a relatively young age, with eight children to bring up. She had never worked in her life and the only jobs she knew were to be a wife and mother.
The hardship of bringing up eight children, even with help from relatives, gradually took its toll on her health. She was always sickly, especially towards the last 10 years of her life.
As her children, besides taking care of her comfort and daily needs, we ensured that her medical needs were attended to, that we visited her regularly, that her frequent foul moods - caused by pain and copious amounts of medication - were sweetened with her favourite foods, and that her fears and worries were allayed.
Like Mr Pang, we repaid our mother through our acts of love and filial piety. And when the end finally came for her, we realised that the pain and anguish of losing her could not be compensated by all the acts of love and filial piety that we had showered upon her.
I have since learnt that no matter how much love we thought we had given to our parents when they were alive, it is not enough when they are gone.
Wee Hwee Tzy (Mdm)
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whether the elements of the ad is right or wrong, the only thing it is trying to promote is fillial piety and seriously, if the government have to step in and tell us to be good to our parents, we ought to be ashamed of ourselves. And looking at the increasing number of old folks being abandoned to their own devices, its no wonder that there is a need to remind people that our parents spent all their lives on us, its time we spent our time to take care of what remains in their lives.
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What comes around goes around, Show your children what is Filial piety with action, not by words. Some people can throw money at their parents without visitng them while some doesn't like their children to see their grandparents, fear that the grandparents will teach them "wrong things"-Dialects!
Parent must cultivate such values from young. Respect the elders. Old folks maybe out-dated but they are not stupid.
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This advertisement nt good.
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how come average sporeans are having great health problems as compared to aussies?
i saw one time a 90 year old aussie skinny woman fit as a fiddle taking the public bus.meanwhile in spore u get 60 year old n 70 year old sound like they are going to kick the bucket.
something isnt right in spore accounting foor unhealthy lives of sporeans ..they sound like they are 100 uears old...is it the food?the air??the water???in spore?
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i have noticed one thing in spore old folks :
before immigrating to overseas from spore....they had problems every monthdespite taking plenty of medications which dont seem to help.
after immigrating to overseas.....their problems vanished n they rarely had as much medical problems as in spore.
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Originally posted by Terminator Hitman:
i have noticed one thing in spore old folks :
before immigrating to overseas from spore....they had problems every monthdespite taking plenty of medications which dont seem to help.
after immigrating to overseas.....their problems vanished n they rarely had as much medical problems as in spore.
Admittedly a deviation from thread topic but since U mentioned:
Haze 'is bad for your heart' Victoria Vaughan Straits Times 14 Jun 10;
HAZE is bad for your heart, with evidence linking it to heart attacks and cardiovascular death having 'strengthened substantially', warned the American Heart Association (AHA) in a scientific statement on its website.
The culprit is particulate matter less than 2.5 micrograms in diameter, known as PM2.5, the main component of haze. The warning comes at a time when the haze season, caused by widespread burning of forests in Indonesia, is about to begin again in the region from next month. Satellite pictures in April showed 3,166 hot spots in the region, much higher than the 2,427 detected in April last year, prompting fears that the haze will return even stronger in the traditional burning season from July to September.
In Singapore, air quality is calculated using the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI), which does not measure PM2.5 levels. Instead, it measures the amount of PM10, a larger particulate matter in haze. Doctors say the very small PM2.5 particles may get into a human's blood circulation and cause direct harm to the person. Singapore's National Environment Agency (NEA) said it monitors PM2.5 levels through its 11 air-monitoring stations islandwide, although this measurement is not made publicly available each day.
Pls see [link] for full text.-------------------
Point being that our brusque 'progress' is not without 'costs'- environmental/ otherwise, we and our kids ill ultimately be the one to suffer... perhaps people of today should think about the young of the future. Only then would they indeed be deserving of 'filial piety' in its purest form.
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Originally posted by gasband:
whether the elements of the ad is right or wrong, the only thing it is trying to promote is fillial piety and seriously, if the government have to step in and tell us to be good to our parents, we ought to be ashamed of ourselves. And looking at the increasing number of old folks being abandoned to their own devices, its no wonder that there is a need to remind people that our parents spent all their lives on us, its time we spent our time to take care of what remains in their lives.
Actually, I think the main purpose of the ad is to ensure the kids don't dump their parents to the government when they get old.
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Is such an ads really necessary?
To be honest with you,
When I see those ads, I cringe a little bit.
Because I know the motivation of the government.
Save money.
This reminds me of those companies like Shell etc, making ads about "renewable energy", basically a PR stunt.
When I saw those ads, I remember about certain remarks about sending old people to live in other islands, to save money.
Also similarly, some hospitals now save money by "encouraging" old people not to go to the hospital, but now the old-folks home would be equipped with some medical devices, and some nurse would check them there instead.
But the project was given such a holy spin in the newspaper, as if they care so much about the welfare of those old people.
These spins and campaigns are stupid and insincere.
I also feel such a very personal thing (familial relationship) is very private and personal, and not an area that government should interfere, or encourage in ways like by making ads and campaigns about it. This is too much. It is an invasion of privacy.
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Filial Piety is an inner self practice, and we, as Asian, are in a way, due to our brought up and philosphies, are more close to our families and parents, unlike the west, who leave their parents and see them only once awhile or not at all. Basically, it is a culture and orientation that one see the behavor of the early people, one will do the same in time to come and so on. But sadly, due to our influential society, many young peoples are feeling the stress to be filial piety, in term of money, they can hardly survive by themselves, and parents knowing the difficulties of cost of living here, are trying not to bother their younger decendents. Such change bind itself to the society, because the society had changed to a costly and influence one whereby one have to work all day long and spend correctly inorder to survive...and bear in mind, society is created by the govt, so by advertising people to be filial piety, i think the govt should ask themselves, are they creating a society that refrain people from being filial piety?
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feeling i get from this ad is:
it's all right to bully your children's spouse just because you have toiled for them. and they are supposed to suck it up.
blind piety imo.
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Just ask LKY, where is his daughter? before coming to tell us about being filial piety
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Originally posted by angel7030:
Just ask LKY, where is his daughter? before coming to tell us about being filial piety
Isnt the daughter living with him?
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in britain, he sick also never come back
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eh???wheres the mother in picture????is this ad some kinda sexual discrimination?and what bout grandfather n granny etc etc?????the 2 people in ads bothe come outa test tube isit>??
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Originally posted by Terminator Hitman:
eh???wheres the mother in picture????is this ad some kinda sexual discrimination?and what bout grandfather n granny etc etc?????the 2 people in ads bothe come outa test tube isit>??
Termie is born from a test-tube. -
i thot from the Queen termite...
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PM Lee is a good example of Filial Piety, listens to Father and Father does everything to assist Son. That's what relationship is all about.
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Is it the problem of the ad, or people just want to see what they want to see?
the ad only shows that the grandma complained about the food, difficult for her to chew, many see this as bullying the daughter in law. It is not difficult to understand that old folks with weaker teeth or dentures always have problem with hard food.
the ad shows the grandma wanted to leave to live with her sister in redhill, do you see this again as a complaint, or another act of an old bully? the grandma had lived with her husband for many years and had to move in with the son after the old man died, it is not difficult to understand that the grandma has a lot more adjustment to do living in a new environment.
where else does the ad show how the daugher in law kena bullied?
It is obvious that the grandson view his grandma like an old woman from nowhere disturbing the privacy of his family. The relationship between the two is nowhere near what i see as a normal bond between grandma and grandson. who's to blame? the father and mother need to take a lesson from here, build up a relationship from the beginning or you will have a lot of adjustment to do, for all. Don't blame anybody if your old folks remain a stranger to your family.
What the ad didn't say is that after the grandpa died, he left behind a house, may be just an HDB flat, which is worth hundreds of thousands today, for the family. hehehehe...
See what you want to see, but you son will treat you exactly the way you treat your mother and father.
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Obviously, you should not watch the ad. So silly of you to watch such propaganda ad.
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Originally posted by ahtansh:
PM Lee is a good example of Filial Piety, listens to Father and Father does everything to assist Son. That’s what relationship is all about.
if my father give me to be PM, i also guai guai listen to him, what you expect?