Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Otaku, Geek, Dork, Ah Beng

Are you a geek? In Japan, if you profess to be a geek, it can help you save some money. Read the article here. All you have say is, "I'm an Otaku" when you go to a movie theatre south of Tokyo and they'll give you a discount off the tickets. According to the theatre, 70% of movie-goers made this claim. Since when has being an otaku or geek or dork been so cool, eh?

In Malaysia, there aren't any otakus, only Ah Bengs.

I can just imagine GSC or TGV pulling off a stunt like this.

"Say you're an Ah Beng and we'll give you a 50% discount!!" screams the promo poster at the cinema.

At the ticketing counter :

Scenario 1

A man wearing thick horn-rimmed glasses, a rainbow coloured t-shirt and baggy shorts with natural air-conditioning.

Ah Beng : "One teeket please. I'm Ah Beng."

Fine.

Scenario 2

A young man clad in jeans and a leather jacket accompanied by a girl in a baby-tee and capri pants.

Young man : Two tickets, please. We're Ah Bengs.

Cashier : She also Ah Beng ah? Hello, girl Ah Beng is called Ah Lian. Anyway, you two look so hip, how can you be Ah Beng and Ah Lian?

Young man : Look, man. Your poster here says, 'Say you're Ah Beng and you get 50% discount.' I've said 'I'm Ah Beng.' Which part of that sentence don't you understand? Just gimme my 50% discount and we'll quit being Ah Bengs. Okay, brudder?

That'll be the biggest gathering ever of Ah Bengs in one place. Perhaps the Malaysia Book of Records will organise an Ah Beng Fest?

8 comments:

Kak Teh said...

u know in the spirit of Malaysia Boleh - dare we claim to have the most ah bengs? and then, who is the Ah Bengest of them all? Shall we also have Ah Beng Idol? Dare we nominate someone we know?

Lydia Teh said...

my eybor i cting up, wi repon ter.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a fair deal to the movie-goers... I don't mind saying, "I'm an Ah Beng" for 50% off... Let me know if there's such an offer. ;)

OOD said...

they must first give proper description. So the ticket counter people can smell an ah beng from miles away. ah bengs must be authenticated!

ah lian,
tell lah how to be proper ah bengs and ah lians.. i am cool too.

Lydia Teh said...

Kak Teh, In case you're wondering what gibberish I wrote earlier, this is it : "My keyboard is acting up, will respond later." Some alphabets refuse to appear no matter how hard I press the keys. Later I tried to change it with the keyboard from the downstairs computer, but the plug wouldn't fit, aarrrgh.. I was getting hot already cos I wanted to get something off the chest and this keyboard is enemy no. 1 right now. So I banged the errant keyboard (in full view of no. 1 who said, "you're going to spoil it," but bad example or not, I don't care), then plug it on again and ta-da, it worked!

Ah Beng Idol, that's a good idea. Nowadays anything/anyone also can be idol. But you better don't nominate a friend, dielah, the friendship, unless he thinks it's cool being Ah Beng.

Anonymous, I also Ah Lian if got 50% discount, 30% also I don't mind. Anyone here working for GSC/TGV?

Ood, That'll be too much work for the ticketing folks, afterwards hold up the queue. No need lah. Confession would do.

How to be Ah Beng / Ah Lian : Wear clothes that clash like floral top with checked pants, chunky jewellery (fake of course), Japanese slippers or clunky platform shoes perhaps and have an out-of-date hairstyle.

Anonymous said...

I'll say I am ah-beng or ah-lian too if there's a 50% discount at stake!! In fact, I'll say ANYTHING if you give me something for free! :-)

Now THAT'S ah-beng or what?

OOD said...

lydia,
i defintely fit in then! Woohoo.. ticket discounts! i she beng!

Lydia Teh said...

Marsha, Good to see you here. Saying anything for 50% discount is not Ah Beng, it's called Prudence :)

Ood, One ticket at 50% discount coming up (if I'm at the ticketing counterlah).