Flame Awards
Introducing the Boomz Award
Ris Low , who inspired this new Flame Awards category, tells us what nominees should be like
By Tan Kee Yun
December 27, 2009
COME on, don’t bluff.
RAD-HOT: Ris says potential nominees must be able to steal the limelight like her. –TNP PICTURE: GAVIN FOO
You saw this coming, didn’t you?
How could The New Paper hold its Flame Awards this year without a single mention of the enigma that is Ris Low?
After all, she’s the gal who single-handedly created a popular national catch phrase.
And if that wasn’t boomz enough, she leapt from obscurity to household name in months, inspiring a whole new line of New Urban Male T-shirts with assorted slogans such as ‘bigini’ and ‘leopard preens’.
She also maintained a powerful presence on the Internet, showing us via her blog and online programmes that beauty queens – oops, sorry, we mean former beauty queens – can swear in Hokkien with as much vigour as us mere mortals do.
We are admittedly a little miffed that CNN beat us to recognising Ris’ iconic status.
Last week, the cable network named her one of Asia’s top 25 most influential people.
Still, we’re pretty sure that coming up with a spanking new award, one entirely inspired by her, is just as groundbreaking.
‘Oh my, this is so flattering!’ exclaimed the 19-year-old, when we caught up with her to unveil the Boomz Award.
Ris, looking tanned and decked out in her favourite red (or if you prefer, ‘rad’), gamely posed with the trophy.
When asked what qualities and attributes next year’s nominees of the Boomz Award should have, she said without much hesitation: ‘They should be loud and extravagant.’
It wasn’t hard to see that in a way, she was describing… herself.
‘The potential nominees must steal the limelight, they can’t be wallflowers hiding quietly in a corner,’ she added.
She smiled radiantly and said she had a ‘metaphor’ to describe the Boomz candidates.
‘They should be like moths, who will give it their all during their short, shining moment, even if they know their blaze will die out after a while.’
Moths are known for their brief lifespan.
Personally, Ris also admires virtues like ‘courage and strength’, which explains her unconventional choices, should she have the chance to pick the nominees this year.
‘Allan Wu!’ she said, referring to the hunky host-actor and husband of Wong Li-Lin.
‘He participated in Fear Factor and did so many courageous things, like eating worms.’
She also named fellow blogger xiaxue’s US boyfriend of three years Mike Sayre, who impressed Ris with his ‘courageous proposal’.
He proposed to xiaxue – real name Wendy Cheng – last week in front of a packed movie theatre.
‘I feel that many local artistes are born with a silver spoon, they’re too pampered,’ continued Ris.
She said that she prefers ‘tough celebrities’ who ‘went through struggles and became something from nothing’.
‘Everyone didn’t expect me to be where I am today, but here I am,’ she said with a smile.
Meeting up with Ris in person gives one an idea of how human she really is, away from the drama (her conviction for credit card fraud) and controversies (she spent $12,000 buying ads and tables for this year’s Miss Singapore World pageant) that have enveloped her earlier.
Although she has a manager now (she is signed with marketing firm BQM Singapore), she rushed from school alone to do her interview and photoshoot with The New Paper.
Currently in her last year at the Management Development Institute of Singapore, where she is pursuing a diploma in health science, hospitality and nursing, she said that she has found a part-time job as a clinic assistant.
Played nurse in audition
Still very fond of the entertainment industry, she also attended a casting call for local director Eric Khoo’s new horror film.
‘I played a nurse during the audition,’ she said.
‘It was fun, as the role was quite close to what I’m studying.
‘But I don’t think I’m a good actress as I have trouble remembering lines. My memory has been bad since young, that’s why I don’t do well academically,’ she said candidly.
The results of the casting call are not out yet.
Ris shared with us her long-term plan of going into ‘events management’.
‘I hope to host my own shows and groom talent for beauty pageants, I like doing behind-the-scenes work,’ she said.
She certainly has the support of her 24-year-old boyfriend, an event organiser.
‘He’s a very mature man, calm and logical,’ she gushed unabashedly.
‘Actually, I’m just waiting for him to pop the question. He told me he’ll do so in about two years time.’
Now that would be really boomz indeed.
The NewPaper