Fake Chanel, Dior, Gucci, LV and Fendi are not the only fashion crimes you can spot on the shoulders of sassy chicks at five-star parties or in the alleys of sweating complex Mangga Dua. The bigger style sin of all time is none other than the notorious fake personal identity and status.
And this is not about faking one's behavior, but more about f**king others with "lip service". Even though stories can sound so silly sometimes, some people still "buy" into them and often end up trapped in a GaGa situation.
The first time I met one of my former boyfriends in Singapore (this is more than 10 years ago when I was still a student in those dazed-and-hazed party nights) I remember he told me he was half-Italian - although I believed he was Indian and even to my drunken eyes he obviously looked like a tikka-masala dude! So I "tickled" him by speaking a few words in Italian that I had under my belt. He looked awkward and apparently didn't know what to reply, before he finally said, "I don't speak Italian, my mother never taught me."
Yeah right! My Chinese face might have been boiling red from the booze, but I'm not a complete idiot! I gave him my bully-smize (smile with eyes) and he walked away in embarrassment. Yet, he approached me again in a different manner next time without putting on any faux polished exterior and I thought I should appreciate his effort to attract me with his change of attitude; I ended up dating him for two weeks.
My playboy Italian stallion Fabio experienced a different dramatic ending when he came face to face with another kind of lie. He was so excited about dating this super hot chick Michelle, but she somehow managed to change his normal attitude of jumping into bed after the first date and drew him out for a few weeks of sweet anticipation. Fabio was so into her - until he finally discovered that Michelle was actually Michael!
Unavoidably a huge fight broke loose, but when the storm had passed, to our and his surprise, Fabio proved willing to give this "unusual" situation a go, as he felt he had totally fallen for Michelle's personality. After two months, Fabio was feeling ashamed and wanting to get back to his old self, leaving Michelle in a state of deep misery.
An even worse story came from a friend of a friend, a wealthy Australian entrepreneur guy who got romantically involved with this local woman. He told everyone that she was the sincerest, smartest and most attractive woman he had ever met here.
Until the night they were in the act and she made a rather more shocking statement than the announcement of her Xenia Onatopp skills: "Honey, I'm pregnant with your baby and I'm still married to another guy."
Imitations, fakes and lies often get us into trouble later, whether it be handbags or scumbags. Is it part of surviving in a cosmopolitan world that we serve and get eaten raw by the images we think are cool and represent our egos? Why does it seem sinful to be unconventional in this age of mediocrity? Are we simply so frightened of being rejected and not appreciated by this large society, caused by the negative baggage we carry, that we prefer to lie?
When it comes to the intangible things, such as status and identity, everything seems to have its own label - which just can't be changed.
Someone might overhear someone declare that India isn't the "easiest" nation to deal with, so he prefers to polish his heritage by mixing in another race. Having a label for a cuddle can be a status booster to some people. And declaring oneself single or a woman up for a love game sounds way "safer" than being married or a lady-in-the-process.
Ironically, there's always a balance to this game. There are yin and yang, there are performer and audience, and there are liars and victims. Everyone has the chance to take up each position at some time.
Britney Spears had her life crisis splattered all over media, and she's still rocking. Chastity Bono, daughter of Sonny and Cher, has been revealed as a transgender and living more happily as a man. Hugh Grant's embarrassment for being caught picking up a Sunset Boulevard prostitute hasn't changed the fact that he's still one of the world's most charming leading men. Martha Stewart made a greater return after her stint in jail. And let's not forget the "oops" from Bill Clinton and Miss Lewinsky!
Naturally, society loves to judge people when their behavior is controversial or unconventional. Even I get in trouble sometimes for speaking my overly sensitive point of view right here. But honestly, so what? As long as the world is still spinning, people will keep talking. Everyone is different but, as strange as it sounds, we often refuse to accept that difference. Are we just too adolescent or simply addicted to sweet illusion?
Let everyone talk about the real you because they have the right to speak, but so do you! Baby, fake is cheap, hypocrisy is crap, but daring to stand up for your own difference is definitely tr*s chic!
- Diaz
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