By Kwok Kar Peng
SHE bought the air tickets, took leave from work, then woke up at 3am last Friday to catch a flight from Bogor, Indonesia, to Singapore.
Miss Dilla Dee did all that so she could buy tickets to popular Korean boy band Super Junior's concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Jan 29.
Fans were already queueing up at The Heeren shopping mall 28 hours before tickets officially went on sale at 10 am on Saturday.
However, Miss Dee, 25, an accounting administrator, fainted before she could get her hands on the prized stubs.
The Indonesian arrived here at 7am on Friday and stayed at the home of her friend, Candy Giovanni, a 17-year-old student.
The next day, the two of them went to The Heeren shopping mall at around 9am to begin their long wait.
By then, there were already 500 people in the queue.
Miss Dee and Candy joined in.
But at around 1.15pm, The New Paper heard loud and frantic calls for help from the queue.
Miss Dee had fainted.
This reporter and the medics on standby rushed to the woman, who was lying on the ground unconscious.
Candy told The New Paper: "Dilla hasn't eaten anything since our dinner at 8pm last night.
"She's supposed to take a 4pm flight back to Bogor today, but I don't think I want her to fly now."
Miss Dee eventually postponed her flight and left Singapore only yesterday.
The medics managed to wake her and put her on an oxygen tube after she regained consciousness.
She was then put on a stretcher and taken about 10m away to a less crowded spot at the shopping mall to rest.
But when her friend in the queue eventually made it to the ticket counter, Miss Dee insisted the medics wheel her over so that she could buy the tickets.
She said she wanted to get the tickets herself and also to choose which section she wanted.
Each person in the queue was limited to 4 tickets.
Miss Dee admitted that she's crazy about Super Junior, the 10-member pop group famous for its infectious dance hits Sorry, Sorry, Bonamana and It's You.
Only 5,000 tickets are on sale for the group's performance on the largest-ever stage at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The group was here in June for a showcase performance.
All 2,000 tickets were snapped up within hours.
Ticket-holders also queued 37 hours at the showcase venue so they could get the best spot at the free-standing event.
On Saturday, 3,500 tickets reserved for Sistic phone, online and counter sales were sold out in about 1 1/2 hours.
The remaining 1,500 tickets, which were reserved specially for the Sistic counters at The Heeren, were sold out by 2.30pm.
We understand that all the fans who queued up there managed to get tickets.
Saturday's sales were only for SingTel mobile subscribers on a Samsung phone, and for OCBC cardmembers.
The three companies are sponsors of the concert.
Because of that, Miss Dee specially bought a $99 Samsung mobile phone and a $10 prepaid SingTel card after she arrived in Singapore.
She added that she had to come to Singapore herself because Candy does not have a Samsung phone and isn't a SingTel subscriber.
She doesn't have any other friends in Singapore.
Still dizzy
When we caught up with Miss Dee on Saturday night at Candy's house, she said that she still felt dizzy.
She added: "I didn't see a doctor because I don't like hospitals and also because I didn't bring a lot of money to Singapore."
On her fainting spell that afternoon, she said: "I freaked out (when I woke up) because I was scared that I didn't get to buy the tickets. I came all the way from Indonesia (just for this).
"I couldn't eat anything in the morning because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get the tickets. When I finally bought them, I was so excited I couldn't breathe and had to be put on the oxygen tube again."
She spent $211 for her air ticket here.
The New Paper also spoke to four female students who almost didn't get the coveted tickets.
Two of them, who are 17, said they queued at the Sistic counter at Lot One Shoppers' Mall from 8am.
Another two 19-year-olds had queued at Junction 8 Shopping Centre, also from 8am.
But they were told at around 11.30am that the tickets had sold out.
All of them promptly headed to The Heeren, where they eventually got their tickets.
Said one girl, who declined to be named: "Only six people queueing at Junction 8 managed to buy tickets."
The quartet should count themselves lucky.
At concert promoter Running Into The Sun's (RITS) Facebook page, many disappointed fans ranted about their failure to get the tickets.
To add salt to their wounds, black market tickets were already on sale at eBay from 11am on Saturday.
There were at least four sellers by Saturday night.
Tickets priced originally at $208 were being sold for as much as $600 each.
Fans online also requested that the concert be held for an additional night.
An RITS spokesman said the company is considering the request and is checking Super Junior's schedule for availability.
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wei hong
I personally think that all of these fans are being too overzealous for those celebrities that they even give up their own health for a concert ticket. I think that this is a rather stupid thing to do, there is lots of way to support a celebrity if you want. Why bother to sacrifice your sleep and make yourself hunger just to watch a concert? Is it really worth it? What if you fall ill and become unable to support them anymore? Isn't it worst in this case?
I did not think that people will be able to starve from the hunger and queue for the tickets just to get a better point of view of the celebrities they are so fancy of. Maybe because they are not mature enough to think for themselves? How will their parents feel if they saw the sight of their own children faint in front of them? How hurting will it be for them? Consequences is bear by individuals but the pain is share among the closest one to you.
So to conclude, I think that they should be more responsible in terms of either for themselves or for the sake of their family members, as personal safety is the best gift to your closest one.
Melissa Tang
After reading this article, I strongly feel that people should not be too supportive of celebrities, singers,etc that they end up hurting their own health. I feel that no matter what we do, we should first think of our own health and safety. I feel that Miss Dee, the woman who fainted while queuing for Super Junior tickets as mentioned in the article should plan her schedule properly. Knowing that there is sales of Super Junior tickets plus there will be loads of people and waiting time will be super long, she should have brought some bread with her so that she can eat them when she is hungry and would not end up fainting.
In addition, I feel that people should not be so supportive. They can support and like those celebrities, singers, etc, but not in a crazy or outrageous manner. These will cause parents of their children to be worried. Even if they cannot get a ticket to their celebrities concert they should get over it and not cry or moan over it. I believe those overseas celebrities will come again next time. Or maybe you can visit them in their own country when they are performing there , when have the time. Most importantly, yes, we can support those celebrities but not so much so that you hurt your own health.
In conclusion, two most important things in our life is our own health and safety. If a person is healthy and safe, he or she can do whatever he wants. Whereas if a person is unhealthy, like in this case Miss Dee fainted while queuing for tickets, she ended up in the hospital. In worst cases, some people get trampled by super huge crowds that they end up losing their life or broken one of their limbs. I feel that these are all not worth it. Hence, I am not a huge fan of any celebrity, I just watch their shows and that is it. I would not go so crazy over them.
Jane Cheong:
In nowadays, the internet, iTunes, YouTube and all the possible means of music database that can be easily be accessed in the internet. Everything has been very accessible for everyone that we can even enjoy the music videos of another country with just a click away.
If you want updates about your favorite band even if they are not popular in the Singapore, nor America and Europe, you can easily go to forums, websites, blogs and various websites to know about their news. This is why now Korean KPOP is so famous in Singapore or other countries.
In my opinion, everything has their advantages and disadvantages; one of the disadvantages is the amount of celebrity hype created by the media causes many children to make irrational demands for designer clothing, accessories and other perks of the celebrity life that they are exposed to. Celebrities influence fans to be destructively thin, put harmful substances in their bodies, and many parents are concerned with the overall content these celebrities are putting on television, in movies, and over the Internet.
In this article I learn that we have to be rational and responsibilities to our parents and not too crazy to celebrities. Besides, celebrities need to change the way they act and how they are viewed. They have to realize that they need to be more concerned with themselves and with their portrayal in the media.
Suganthi:
After reading this article, i feel people are being to obsessed with their favourite celebrities and end up ruining their lives. This is to shocking to see Ms Dee whom is the fan of K-pop to faint while queuing up to get the tickets. This is not the right way to be a fan to celebrities. Even they are humans and need the rest so does Ms Dee. Straining herself just to get the tickets made things worst and now she is unable to attend the concert she was waiting for.
Health is more important than anything else. By not eating and queuing up for the Korean pop band tickets, they can only enjoy the show for a few hours not life long. Fans should note this point seriously. Giving their lives for celebrities wont do them any good.
Ms Dee should take this as a lesson learnt and should not strain herself to get the tickets. This celebrities will always come back again to stage a concert or by all means she can travel to watch their concert. A friendly advice is to keep some light snacks with her if next time in the situation. Learn to enjoy your favourite band in a safe manner.
Reading this article makes me think back, i had once sacrificed my sleep, health and hunger for the lady gaga concert tickets which were held in singapore. I queued for nearly 6 hours to get my hands on the $230 tickets, although it is a fun experience during the show, but i certainly wound not recommend anyone to do such a thing.
ReplyDeleteAs i am not a hardcore fan of lady gaga, i would certainly think that the 6hrs in which i waited was being gone to waste. As i link my expeience to this article, i feel that the person who fainted, like wei hong said, was overzealous and did not care for her own health, instead decided to sacrifice her sleep for a celebrity.
In brief, it is really unadvisable for people to do such a thing even though they are fans of a particular singer or group. I would impore no one to even try or attempt to do such a uncanny act.
Randy Ang
I do agree with what Wei Hong feels about this article. Indeed, many people would go to great length just to have a glimpse of their idols. Like in this case, the woman starves herself in order to lay her hands on the ticket. To her, catching her idol live in concert was much more important than her own health. Like Wei Hong, I feel that this sort of action was uncalled for. Indeed, although her intention was to get up close with her favourite Korean band, she should not have done this. She should at least grab a bite first before queuing up for the tickets. Her actions would lead her loved ones and friends to be worried about her.
ReplyDeleteTo add to what Wei Hong feel about this article, I feel that they should not be too obsessed in chasing their idol. Like the girl in this article, she had spent so much money just to lay her hands on a concert ticket. I feel that this was unnecessary.
To me, idols are people who we chase, who we follow. But as time goes pass, more and more people would choose another idol to follow, and this cycle would continue to repeat as the trend changes. Hence it is like a bottomless pit where there would be no end. Indeed, I feel that having an idol would make life more interesting, but followers of their idols should have a limit to their obsession.
To conclude, I urge all people who have their own idol, to not spend too much money or time to chase or to follow them. This is because it is only a temporary thing. They should focus on things which are much more important, and having an idol is only secondary.
Tham Kai En
I agree with Melissa that we should not be too supportive or what I categorized as fanatic about celebrities especially when our health is affected. Miss Dilla Dee should have brought packed food or bread as Melissa stated. From my experience, I know how long the queeing time for k-pop consert ticket would be. (At least, we need to quee 1 day in advance and sometimes you might not even be able to buy the good tickets)
ReplyDeleteHowever, there are certain points of what Melissa had stated that I disagree. As a k-pop fan and an E.L.F. (Ever Lasting Friends which is Super Junior fan club name), I don’t entirely blame this girl Miss Dilla Dee for acting like that. I understand how important it is to go to Super Junior consert or any other k-pop consert and how depressing it would be if you are unable to attend it. It’s not like we live in Seoul, South Korea where the fans there can sometimes catch a glimpse of their idols. That is why I disagree with what Melissa says that those who are not able to get the tickets should not be sad and get over it.
Not only that, Melissa should understand that this is the first time Super Junior is having a consert in Singapore. Thus, the overwhelm response is understandable. Her assumption where those overseas celebrities especially k-pop will come again next time is wrong. This is because, those k-pop consert organizations only have limited time period for their overseas consert and they tend not to visit the same country consecutively (except for Japan).
Melissa should also understand that people like me, where we have strict parents, are impossible for us to go South Korea or even Malaysia to watch their performance without any adult supervision. That is why we will be very happy and tend to be overexcited when these k-pop singers visit our country. To conclude, I wish that people don’t have the misconception that all k-pop fans are too obsessed with their idols when they have their performance in our home country. This is because it is rare for us to catch a glimpse and see them close-up.
Nur Hidayah
I agree with the group members(Wei Hong, Melissa, Jane) comments on this article. I think that they should have a limit to how they show their support for their idol. There are other means to show support for your idol. For example, they can buy their album, posters, t-shirts or other product of their idol to show their support for their idol.
ReplyDeleteHowever, queuing for the tickets and fainting is ridicules! Ms Dee, 25 years old, an adult should be old enough to be responsible for her own action. Many of the people that are queuing for the tickets are students. I think that they should focus on their studies rather than going after their idol. The money that they use to buy the tickets are their parents hard earned money! The purpose that their parents gave them the money is not to buy the tickets to see their idol, but to buy food, drink, and other necessities.
Personally, I feel that it is a waste of money to buy such an expensive tickets. I would rather use that money on something more meaningful like going oversea. In the end, you only get to see your idol from far for a few hours. I would rather donate the money to the needy people than to buy the tickets to see the idol from far for a few hours.
Wen Wei
I agree with Wei Hong's comment on this article. In this case, being an hardcore fan only brings harm to one self. If that is the case, i feel that idol may actually bring more harm than good.
ReplyDeletePeople may not realize it, but idol are in the end still human, they might just look better, sing better, or be better than us in something, but in the end they are still just human. I'm not saying that it is wrong to be in awe in someone who can do better at things than you. However too much of it may lead to consequences like what happened to Ms Dee.
So in conclusion, i think that some precautions should be taken. For example, the news on the sales of tickets could be release just half a day before so that people would not have to queue so long just to get a ticket.
Ernest
I would like to comment on Jane’s comment. An article about an overseas K-pop fan faints while queuing for concerts ticket. I agreed with what Jane have said “In nowadays, the internet, iTunes, YouTube and all the possible means of music database that can be easily be accessed in the internet. Everything has been very accessible for everyone that we can even enjoy the music videos of another country with just a click away.” Why waste your hard earned money on concerts? Personally, I don’t agree with people wasting their money on concerts as it seems so unresourceful. Not only that, K-pop fans are too engross into it till an extent that even one of the fan member faints while queuing for the concerts ticket. The fan member who named Miss Dee said that “I couldn't eat anything in the morning because I was worried that I wouldn't be able to get the tickets. When I finally bought them, I was so excited I couldn't breathe and had to be put on the oxygen tube again.” I totally disagree on her actions because health and safety comes first rather than compared to a concerts ticket. Jane also commented that “If you want updates about your favourite band even if they are not popular in the Singapore, nor America and Europe, you can easily go to forums, websites, blogs and various websites to know about their news. This is why now Korean KPOP is so famous in Singapore or other countries.” Well, a concert normally last for an hour or more and it does not last forever. So why bother to watch a concert? Singers won’t pay full attention on each and every fan members either. So if fan members want to know their latest release album and news, they can simply search in the search engines, blog and many more.
ReplyDeleteSo in conclusion, I hope that every fan members should take care of themselves in future. No matter how important is the concerts ticket meant to you, starving yourself while queuing for concerts ticket is really a torture.
Tracy 106406M
I do agree with Wei Hong's comments that is fans should not be too obsessed with their idol. Even if she really likes the celebrities, she should be doing it moderately and not put in unnecessary extra effort up to the point of skipping meals and sleep just to get the tickets. All these will only harm them as they may faint or even fall sick. Worst still, the idols that these fans are crazy about remains unaffected and even if they do, I am very sure that they will not be bothered with them as it is not their fault and is completely not their problem.
ReplyDeleteMiss Dee is very fortunate that she did not suffer anything serious as she had come all the way from Indonesia and spent much on air tickets. Even if she is not concerned about her health and safety, she should at least spare a thought for her loved ones like her family. They must be feeling upset and worried knowing she had fainted.
Furthermore there are many more ways to show supports to their favourite idols, like buying their albums, introducing to others, vote them during awards events and many more. I am sure that these are more beneficial and useful for both the fans and celebrities rather than sacrificing their own health and energy like what Ms Dee had done.
Muhd Amirul
I think that fans should not be over supportive. When I was young, I used to change my idols all the time. I couldnt stick to one for long. Isnt it great to be like that? Unlike Miss Dee, who is enthusiastic about Super Junior, the 10 member groups of boys from Korea.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that about to see your idol once in your life is enough. Being such a crazy fan of Super Junior, I suppose that she have seen them before. To me, my idol is SHINee and I've seen them once. If they were to come Singapore again and it's not during ICA or exams period, I would still like to see them perform again.
Me Dee should take care of herself before chasing her idol. She should have regular meals when she was queueing for their tickets. Alternatively, being such a supportive fan, she could also support them by buying their albums, magazines that they appear in and stuff like that.
I agree with Jane saying that now it is possible for us to find performances of our idols through forums, websites, blogs, youtube, facebook and twitter, why trouble yourself to come to Singapore and make yourself faint when you queue for tickets?
To conclude, I think that safetly comes before everything.
Christabel Juay 102274J