Thursday, July 7, 2005

Cool Names of Cult Groups

I've been thinking. Today is an idylic day of contemplative reflection. Or mindless ramblings, I can never tell. :)

Anyway, today I read in the Star about that magnanimous and charismatic Ayah Pin, the father of our very own cult group, the Sky Kingdom. Some days back, I also read in the very same daily that the name Sky Kingdom is a literal translation of the group's actual name, which is in fact, Kerajaan Langit. Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't Kerajaan Langit more appropriately translated as Sky Government? I'm thinking our reporters just like to add a little sensationalism in their labelling. Can you imagine if they translated it as it is? Allow me to illustrate:
Police Constable: Tuan, this Ayah Pin fellow is the leader of a new cult group!
Police Chief: What cult is this?
Police Constable: It's the Order of the Sky Kingdom.
Police Chief: God have mercy on us. We have to crush this megalomaniac.
Now imagine if our favourite daily said it as it is:
Police Constable: Tuan, this Ayah Pin fellow is the leader of a new cult group!
Police Chief: What cult is this?
Police Constable: Erm... Sky Government.
Police Chief: Hahahahahahaha!!! What a dumbass! Sky Government. Hehehahahah!!! Come, come, let's go for teh tarik.
It's all in the name, people. Remember Heaven's Gate? That was a cult in the US that got all it's followers to commit suicide. If they had called it Sky Door instead, no one would have bought into their silly bullshit. Heh! How about the What about Ku Klux Klan? Imagined if they called themselves White Sheets Guys instead:
Woman: Toby, dem White Sheets Guys is comin'!
Man: Hahahahahahahaah! Get me some popcorn, bitch!
There ya go. Just call it as it is fellas. Kerajaan Langit. Sky Government. Not very frightening now, is it? Maybe that why they haven't arrested the guy yet. In the meantime, he's getting all this publicity. And you know what they say - there's no such thing as bad publicity.

UPDATE: Sashi pointed out that keRAJAan is in fact Kingdom. So much for me being smug! *sigh* I don't think I like Sashi anymore.

15 comments:

  1. LOL... Good one!
    Now let me think got what other group name or movie title that can do direct translation...

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  2. Actually, keRAJAan should technically be Kingdom, right?

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  3. It would be funny (and ironic) if there's no real Bahasa equivalent for 'government' (AFAIK). Closest I can think of is 'pentadbiran' but that would be like 'administration'.

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  4. Heh, knock yourself out, Jason!
    Dammit Sashi! You're right. Now I know why I flunked my damn SPM Bahasa paper. And look what you went and did. Now this whole entry is completely meaningless. *sigh* Okay people, move along. Nothing to see here!
    Aw man, Solbi-Wan Kenobi! Now this is turning into some Bahas tuition for me. *sigh*

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  5. James,
    This is how the Lord's Prayer is sung BM in our church?
    Bapa kami yang di syurga (Our Father in Heaven)
    Diharumikan lah nama mu (Holy be Your Name)
    Datanglah Kerajaan mu (Your Kingdom come)
    eekk, I can't remember the rest of the Lord's Prayer (kick me pls)
    So = Kingdom is Kerajaan
    Then, what do they call it in the BM papers? Anyone know? Surely it is not Kerajaan? 'Cos the real kerajaan will certainly get even more nervous?

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  6. BWAHAHAHA. but neath all that humor you raise some interesting points. The media is really part of the equation sometimes by sensationalising issues. If the equation happens to be a problematic cult, the media shares the fault as well. Good One! How productive we are when bored eh?

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  7. Ahakz ... your observations rule!
    Actually the initial thought when I read Kerajaan also struck me as odd, because I thought it meant Government as well. Maybe because the use of Kerajaan has been used once too often to mean government instead of kingdom in everyday thought.
    Since our King is somewhat a puppet imo, and the parliament runs everything, people tend to forget that Kerajaan means Kingdom, but instead oft associate it with government. So in your defense (and perhaps my oversight) it was probably just a mental slip rather than a jibe at your BM proficiency lolz~
    You and I should start a cult.
    "Makan-Time-Kingdom-of-Eternal-Good-Food"
    Ahakz...

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  8. Actually I still don't get it. I saw his pics plastered all over. I thought it was money politics again till I read your blog. ahaha. how ignorant of me.

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  9. oooh..forgot about the getting high bit...

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  10. cult schmults... just another excuse to live in a commune, save money, have tons of sex and sing songs... hey! that sounds like uni students living out on their own!

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  11. I believe they call them Kerajaan Langit in the BM papers, Lilian.
    Oh Tormentt, you don't wanna see what I can spew out when I'm really, really bored!
    I'd join your cult in a flash, Gwen. :lol:
    Hahahha, I think the papers are giving him more publicity than necessary, Gina!
    I may laugh, Babe, but inside I'm crying. Hehh!
    I can't believe you came back to gloat, Sashi! :lol: I never saw it as keRAJAan. It usually looks like KERAjaan. Oh well.
    Isn't Uni a cult, MOO+1? :lol:

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  12. hey james... one question.. have u EVER seen rats for sale in the markets? i.e. for cooking? I just saw a couple with whiskers, but skinned and gave me a huge shock...!
    So, i'm wondering, maestro iron chef, what does one cook with rats?

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  13. You can't be serious, Mush!! Ugh!!!!! But hypothetically speaking, I'd probably make a rat rendang as a start. If rat taste anything like a flying fox or a porcupine, then rendang is the way to go.

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