Anon Guy
2003-09-28 10:07:31 UTC
The Straits Times (Singapore)
9/28/03
THE EMAIL INTERVIEW: GLENN ONG
Who says I'm a jerk?
By Wong Kim Hoh
GLENN Ong, 33, is Singapore's equivalent of a shock jock. A
radio personality with MediaCorp since 1994, he has cultivated as
many fans as he has critics with his sexist, bawdy and often times,
politically incorrect, humour.
He made headlines last year when he broadcast the breakdown of
his marriage to fellow DJ Kate Reyes on radio and when he got
suspended, together with partner Rod Monteiro, for two weeks for
being too risque on their show Five Guys and A Girl on Perfect
10.
Ong, who once worked as a karaoke lounge
jockey, now helms the popular The Morning
Express on Class 95 FM with Monteiro and Mark
'The Flying Dutchman' van Cuylenberg.
Q. Ok, what is your Chinese name? Do you
know what it means?
A. Wang Shu Jia, I understand it means very
scholarly.
Q. Your partner Rod Monteiro mentioned in a magazine
interview that you are from the banking industry. He was
joking, right?
A. No, he wasn't. I was indeed on the way to becoming a futures
trader, paying my dues on the trading floor of the Singapore
International Monetary Exchange before I received the desperate
call from the then Singapore Broadcasting Corporation. The
situation was grave and I had to save Perfect 10 98.7FM.
Q. Apparently, after a post-mortem of your new show with
Rod and The Flying Dutchman on Class 95 earlier this year,
you left in a foul mood, and banged into someone's
Mercedes? What did they say to make you so moody? Was
response to the show negative?
A. It wasn't so much the negative response from the audience. It
was more a case of too many cooks trying to cook up the ultimate
dish. It was like, 'let's add caviar, red wine, escargots, fillet
mignon and foie gras to the chicken rice'. I thought to myself:
'**** that! **** you all. This is crazy, it's impossible.' We hadn't
even got the chemistry right between the three of us. But looking
back, everyone just wanted it to work. I took it a little too
personally. Ratings jumped three points, went down two points,
plateaued and now all's good, it's up 10 points. Singapore's fallen
in love with the new Morning Express.
Q. A lot of listeners think the Flying Dutchman cramps your
style, and Rod's of course. Seriously, do you think the FD's
trying very hard to be hip? If you had a choice, would you
want him out?
A. No! The man is a very important person on The Morning
Express. He's a hard worker, contributes a great deal and has a
wealth of experience to get Rod and myself out of trouble. He
doesn't cramp our style, we can still say whatever we want. It's
just that, with an extra man on the show, we try to refrain from
babbling on the way we used to. I must say, at times, the boy can
be a troublemaker. The boy is more controversial than Rod and I
conjoined, err, I mean, combined.
talked about your failed marriage to Kate Reyes on national
radio and you always make lewd sexist jokes. Are you a jerk?
A. A lot of women - and men - have also hailed me as a radio god
because I talked about my failed marriage to Kate Reyes on
national radio and make lewd sexist jokes about women. And
don't forget the faggadydoodahdeis and the call for Superman to
save the twin towers from collapsing. So am I a jerk? Nope... I'm
a radio god.
Q. Faggadydoodahdeis?
A. Rod and I were the first ones to introduce concepts like
International Nipple Day and Faggadydoodahdeis on radio. People
think we were homophobic but we weren't. We gave gays a lot of
exposure. We may sound nonsensical on radio but by talking
about taboo subjects, we made people think. We try to open
things up, even cans of worms.
Q. Don't deny it. You are going out with Jamie Yeo, right?
A. Yes. And she's so damn fine. Love ya, babe!
Q. Word has it despite your chauvinistic persona, Jamie calls
the shots in the relationship.
A. She knows when and how to call the shots. She knows I have
a fiery temper and she knows what I like and what I dislike. At the
end of the day, I am man, she's woman and as far as I'm
concerned, we're great for each other.
Q. You've just bought yourself a new Subaru WRX?
Obviously, the CPF cut is not hurting you too badly.
A. I've been saving up for six months to buy my dream car. Guess
it's easier for someone like me because I'm not married and I don't
have kids to support. CPF cut? What CPF cut? Just kidding.
Q. If your ideal woman were a car, what would she be?
A. A red Honda FIT with white sports rims and 15-inch tyres for
now.
Q. Seriously, what kind of man goes bald, blonde and trims
his armpit hair?
A. Glenn Ong will try anything except shave his armpits. I think
you got me mixed up with Mr Epilady Rod Monteiro.
Q. Apparently, you think that singlets are the height of
sartorial finesse...
A. No. I just think it's practical. It's bloody hot in Singapore,
man.
If your boss allowed you to come to work in a tank top, wouldn't
you? It's all about comfort and staying cool makes me more
productive. And yes, I think the air-conditioner is the greatest
invention of the century. I mean if they allowed me to come to
work naked, I would. It's too damn hot.
Q. Have you ever been stalked? Has anyone spat at you in
public?
A. Never. It's not easy to get past the security guards where I live.
People part like the Red Sea the moment they see me coming. No
one wants to mess with me; there's really no reason to. If they
insult me in public, I'll insult them back 10 times over. Not worth
it lah, brudders and sistas. Smile and I'll smile back, say hello and
I'll say hello.
Q. Do you have any role models?
A. I have mentors. I'm a bit schizoid, I have a bit of Philip Chew,
Bernard Lim and Mark Richmond in me. They showed me the
ropes. Mark taught me all the bad things lah. I get my feminine
side from Florence Lian. Eh, I'm not the sexist people think I am,
ok?
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/talk/story/0,4386,211995,00.html
9/28/03
THE EMAIL INTERVIEW: GLENN ONG
Who says I'm a jerk?
By Wong Kim Hoh
GLENN Ong, 33, is Singapore's equivalent of a shock jock. A
radio personality with MediaCorp since 1994, he has cultivated as
many fans as he has critics with his sexist, bawdy and often times,
politically incorrect, humour.
He made headlines last year when he broadcast the breakdown of
his marriage to fellow DJ Kate Reyes on radio and when he got
suspended, together with partner Rod Monteiro, for two weeks for
being too risque on their show Five Guys and A Girl on Perfect
10.
Ong, who once worked as a karaoke lounge
jockey, now helms the popular The Morning
Express on Class 95 FM with Monteiro and Mark
'The Flying Dutchman' van Cuylenberg.
Q. Ok, what is your Chinese name? Do you
know what it means?
A. Wang Shu Jia, I understand it means very
scholarly.
Q. Your partner Rod Monteiro mentioned in a magazine
interview that you are from the banking industry. He was
joking, right?
A. No, he wasn't. I was indeed on the way to becoming a futures
trader, paying my dues on the trading floor of the Singapore
International Monetary Exchange before I received the desperate
call from the then Singapore Broadcasting Corporation. The
situation was grave and I had to save Perfect 10 98.7FM.
Q. Apparently, after a post-mortem of your new show with
Rod and The Flying Dutchman on Class 95 earlier this year,
you left in a foul mood, and banged into someone's
Mercedes? What did they say to make you so moody? Was
response to the show negative?
A. It wasn't so much the negative response from the audience. It
was more a case of too many cooks trying to cook up the ultimate
dish. It was like, 'let's add caviar, red wine, escargots, fillet
mignon and foie gras to the chicken rice'. I thought to myself:
'**** that! **** you all. This is crazy, it's impossible.' We hadn't
even got the chemistry right between the three of us. But looking
back, everyone just wanted it to work. I took it a little too
personally. Ratings jumped three points, went down two points,
plateaued and now all's good, it's up 10 points. Singapore's fallen
in love with the new Morning Express.
Q. A lot of listeners think the Flying Dutchman cramps your
style, and Rod's of course. Seriously, do you think the FD's
trying very hard to be hip? If you had a choice, would you
want him out?
A. No! The man is a very important person on The Morning
Express. He's a hard worker, contributes a great deal and has a
wealth of experience to get Rod and myself out of trouble. He
doesn't cramp our style, we can still say whatever we want. It's
just that, with an extra man on the show, we try to refrain from
babbling on the way we used to. I must say, at times, the boy can
be a troublemaker. The boy is more controversial than Rod and I
conjoined, err, I mean, combined.
Q. So do you fancy yourself as the Howard Stern of
Singapore radio?
A. No, no, no. I hate the guy. Caught his show while I was in
New York and I personally think he's a waste of time. He's lucky
I'm a Singaporean DJ because if I were American, I swear I'd kick
his ass.
Q. A lot of women - and men - say you are a jerk because youSingapore radio?
A. No, no, no. I hate the guy. Caught his show while I was in
New York and I personally think he's a waste of time. He's lucky
I'm a Singaporean DJ because if I were American, I swear I'd kick
his ass.
talked about your failed marriage to Kate Reyes on national
radio and you always make lewd sexist jokes. Are you a jerk?
A. A lot of women - and men - have also hailed me as a radio god
because I talked about my failed marriage to Kate Reyes on
national radio and make lewd sexist jokes about women. And
don't forget the faggadydoodahdeis and the call for Superman to
save the twin towers from collapsing. So am I a jerk? Nope... I'm
a radio god.
Q. Faggadydoodahdeis?
A. Rod and I were the first ones to introduce concepts like
International Nipple Day and Faggadydoodahdeis on radio. People
think we were homophobic but we weren't. We gave gays a lot of
exposure. We may sound nonsensical on radio but by talking
about taboo subjects, we made people think. We try to open
things up, even cans of worms.
Q. Don't deny it. You are going out with Jamie Yeo, right?
A. Yes. And she's so damn fine. Love ya, babe!
Q. Word has it despite your chauvinistic persona, Jamie calls
the shots in the relationship.
A. She knows when and how to call the shots. She knows I have
a fiery temper and she knows what I like and what I dislike. At the
end of the day, I am man, she's woman and as far as I'm
concerned, we're great for each other.
Q. You've just bought yourself a new Subaru WRX?
Obviously, the CPF cut is not hurting you too badly.
A. I've been saving up for six months to buy my dream car. Guess
it's easier for someone like me because I'm not married and I don't
have kids to support. CPF cut? What CPF cut? Just kidding.
Q. If your ideal woman were a car, what would she be?
A. A red Honda FIT with white sports rims and 15-inch tyres for
now.
Q. Seriously, what kind of man goes bald, blonde and trims
his armpit hair?
A. Glenn Ong will try anything except shave his armpits. I think
you got me mixed up with Mr Epilady Rod Monteiro.
Q. Apparently, you think that singlets are the height of
sartorial finesse...
A. No. I just think it's practical. It's bloody hot in Singapore,
man.
If your boss allowed you to come to work in a tank top, wouldn't
you? It's all about comfort and staying cool makes me more
productive. And yes, I think the air-conditioner is the greatest
invention of the century. I mean if they allowed me to come to
work naked, I would. It's too damn hot.
Q. Have you ever been stalked? Has anyone spat at you in
public?
A. Never. It's not easy to get past the security guards where I live.
People part like the Red Sea the moment they see me coming. No
one wants to mess with me; there's really no reason to. If they
insult me in public, I'll insult them back 10 times over. Not worth
it lah, brudders and sistas. Smile and I'll smile back, say hello and
I'll say hello.
Q. Do you have any role models?
A. I have mentors. I'm a bit schizoid, I have a bit of Philip Chew,
Bernard Lim and Mark Richmond in me. They showed me the
ropes. Mark taught me all the bad things lah. I get my feminine
side from Florence Lian. Eh, I'm not the sexist people think I am,
ok?
http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/talk/story/0,4386,211995,00.html