Aunties got talent and Thailand is tickled
Somehow a vast swath of the population has to tear its eyes away from the wall-to-wall World Cup coverage and related chatter tomorrow to watch "Thailand's Got Talent". It's essential to see how one duo of contestants fares in particular. The two "aunties
Chompoo and Tubtim Na Takautung, 53 and 48 respectively, came onstage looking exactly like those pleasant middle-aged ladies who everyone has living next door. Their attire and demeanour looked so run-of-the-mill that viewers were immediately sceptical they’d have any form of talent worth considering. And when they revealed their ages there was an audible groan.
Then the “old biddies” stepped on the gas and swung into action.
They belted out such a gorgeous rendition of the hit teen tune “Mai Rak, Mai Tong” by young duo New-Jew that jaws were dropping everywhere. The screams were deafening, especially when they nailed New-Jew’s hand waves and other motions.
The judges, clearly knocked out, wondered if the women hadn’t felt embarrassed rehearsing their act at home in front of their kids – or their grandkids. That was not a problem, the ladies explained, since neither of them has ever married!
Judge Benjamas “Kalamare” Patcharasi asked what on earth possessed them to pick such a youthful pop song to perform. Well, they said, they’d heard it, liked it and wanted to give it a try.
Judge Nitipong Hornak, a songwriter, declared that Chompoo and Tubtim were living proof that age never needs to be a factor in whatever you want to do, and praised them for letting their inner “sexiness” come out for the performance.
Over to YouTube next, where the video of their act drew 300,000 views on the first day, piling on the critical acclaim. Since then another 600,000 people have watched it. So there’s a sizeable audience already in place for tomorrow’s segment of “Thailand’s Got Talent”, where the pair will try and get through to the semi-final round.
Regardless of how they fare, though, Chompoo and Tubtim have brought a breath of fresh air to the show, which in recent seasons has been dogged by controversy, much of it self-generated in a cynical bid to boost ratings. Singer Ben Chalathit, the show’s third judge, has said he didn’t have anything to say to them last week – basically, he was speechless – but he can’t wait to see what they’ve got in store this time. Stay tuned for Act 2 of the Super Aunties!
