It�s a Monday again, SOON.



For the past few months or so, every Monday meant the same thing to me: Two freaking Dreamd8 contestant gets eliminated.



Alrighty, here are my predictions for who will win.



Since TODAY seems uninterested to do an article on dreamd8, I shall conduct an interview with myself, ala newspaper style.



*****

Marketing, it�s all marketing





The last eight contestants of Mydreamd8 fight tooth and nail for US$5,000.



FOR the last eight contestants of internet �moblog� contest Mydreamd8, it must be a tantalizing moment.

Come Monday morning, we would see one lucky male contestant and one lucky female contestant walk away US$5,000 richer. The remaining 6 contestants are not too far back though, at least they won a cruise abroad Superstar Virgo, a proud sponsor of the first of its kind blogging reality show.

The contest has Singtel spend huge amounts urging the public to vote for the contestants via 1900 calls or sms, but with rather futile efforts.

For the most popular contestant, there are but 301 unique voters � a far way off from what Singtel has compared the reality contest to � American Idol.

For CoffeeBiatchBoi, another one of the last 8 remaining contestants, a mere 6 unique voters are all that he has got.

One cannot mistaken that the amount of voters would necessarily represent a winning contestant though, for the amount of times each voter can vote is unlimited.

For example, another contestant, PixiePosh, has as little as 60 voters as compared to fellow contestant Xiaxue � who had 200, the week Xiaxue was ousted.

�I believe there is some foul play,� said Xiaxue, a look of disdain on her face. �I think that some of the contestants are voting themselves shamelessly, and voting others OUT as well.�

Xiaxue�s unminced words earned the wrath of PixiePosh, who wrote a memorable blog entry insulting Xiaxue, which has been taken off the site since.

Such was how exciting the contest was if you manage to wade through the grammatically-torturing words (some of) the contestants wrote (and plagiarised), but yet, it seems that the attention it got was merely lukewarm.

Perhaps the reason could be accounted to the fact that internet matters just cannot be advertised via traditional mediums. What are the chances, after seeing an ad on TV mobile, you would go home to check out the website?

While the contest may not have won immense public popularity nor attention (nor returns, for that matter), it has certainly fulfilled Singtel�s marketing ploy to appear to cater to the youth market and attract more adolescent users.

Another purpose of the contest was to bridge the ties between Singtel and its fat-walleted subsidiary, Optus.



Here we have with us one of the finalists, Xiaxue, to tell us who she predicts will be the winner.



Journalist Wendy:

Hi Xiaxue! You look pretty shitty in real life.



Xiaxue:

Yeah, ha ha� I�m good at photoshop.



JW:

Cut the crap, who do you predict will win?



Xiaxue:

I say, Guy23 and Leese.



JW:

Why so? Leese has 25 voters while Janice has 301!



Xiaxue:

May I quote Asia Times. If one bothers to read the newspapers, it is stated that Singtel has made a loss this year. However, it has still managed to gain an overall profit, because its subsidiary Optus is doing very well. So well, that in fact, it managed to cover up the loss.



Such is how much Singtel would treasure its relationships with Optus. Mydreamd8 is but one method to bring the relationship one step further.



The Aussie side of the contest seems pretty unhappy that their sms fees are higher, and it is less advertised in Australia.



If Singtel were to let their both winners come from Singapore, I predict that Optus would be really unhappy.



JW:

No�! You are not saying� the results are rigged?



Xiaxue:

Hey, what makes you say that? Leese could have each of her25 voters spend $1,000 each.



However, there is a problem here. The cruise abroad Superstar Virgo comes as a much better prize to the Aussies than the Singaporeans. You see, they come with a free air ticket to get to SG.



I suspect that the aussies, seeing that the fees are higher and such, could have given up the idea of winning (ie by voting for themselves), and be content that they can come to Singapore free!



If Leese�s result is such a far way off from Janice�s, then Singtel would have to let Janice win, or face the wrath of 301 people.



In any case, Singtel has their asses covered. The judges� decisions are final, babe.



JW:



How about PixiePosh? She seems to be boring and unpopular yet managed to go to this stage. If, as you said, she is voting for herself, then surely she will go all the way at this final stage? If the results are not rigged, I mean.



Xiaxue:



Well, being the 3rd prize winner of Miss Vasantham, Posh is $3,000 richer. The amount she spent voting for herself is thus negligible.



If she is smart, which she isn�t, she should consider these facts:



1) Singtel would not want a person who is so crude and disliked by so many (and liked by so little) to be their ambassador. Think Janice. Now think Posh. Who looks like a better girl to represent Singtel? Someone with an ugly tattoo on her ankle, or someone sweet and totally lovable with a sunshiny smile? Posh�s entry on me has received bad feedback from the audience. Her uncivilised manner is definitely NOT what Singtel is looking for.





2) Posh plagiarised her various works on an official Singtel site. This is a big mistake. Not disqualifying her is kindness on Singtel�s part. Letting her win is ridiculous.



3) Posh is far less popular than Janice.



4) Posh cannot write for NUTS. If she represents what good blogging should be, everyone in the blogging community would laugh their asses off.



Now, considering all the above facts, a smart Posh would stop voting for herself (WAKE UP! Singtel would NOT let u win!) and save the money to get rid of that hideous thing on her ankle.



JW:

Wow, you seem to hate her.



Xiaxue:

She is a cheater, there is no reason for me not to.



JW:

For the guys side?



Xiaxue:

I support Junadi and I hope he wins, for he is the only guy who can string a bunch of words together well enough for quality reading. Actually Spunky�s not bad too. However, I suspect that Junadi is too honest to vote for himself. Definitely not getting him anywhere.



JW:

Thank you Xiaxue for your time!



Xiaxue:

You are welcome. I loved you article on Alicia Calaway, by the way.



JW:

Oh. Look out for my Eye For a Guy one out tomorrow.

Well well well. Who will it be? Find out, tomorrow at 8am. Don't need to hold your breath. =D