What irks you more: if someone pronounced gif as they would ‘gift’, or as ‘jif’?
It doesn’t bother me ’cos I’m very undecided about this. It’s like to-may-to and to-mah-to. I don’t think it matters because it’s not a real word. When the dictionaries add the word in, then we’ll all know for sure. The thing that makes me cringe, and it’s not related to this, is when someone says ‘stuffs’. That’s the one that makes me go… (shudders). It doesn’t even sound right! Stop!
Who dances better: Snapchat hotdog or you?
It’s pretty close. On a good night, me. For consistency, Snapchat hotdog.
Salt Bae: Best Internet hero or biggest poser?
I don’t understand [the whole phenomenon], but I mean, bless the guy. He’s clearly making the most out of it and is opening restaurants all over the world. It’s very telling of the times we live in. No other time can you make so much out of so little. Keeping Up with the Kardashians is a very compelling show, but it’s how they edit it to make it seem like there are high stakes involved. If you really write down on a piece of paper of what’s happening — Scott Disik wants to buy a crown, Kim Kardashian loses her wallet, or Starbucks is closed when they visited — it’s just stupid s***. I guess we live in an age where it’s about the heightened reality of things. So, no, Salt Bae is not a poser. He’s just trying to make an honest living and good on him for striking gold.
Which song do you wish you’d written: ‘Despacito’ or ‘Macarena’?
[Long pause] I’m actually taking this question very seriously. I’m trying to think of the merits and how I feel about both songs. ‘Macarena’ is a good novelty, but at the same time, ‘Despacito’ is overplayed so my perspective might be a bit skewed. Okay, I’ll go with ‘Macarena’. It has a much more lasting appeal. ‘Despacito’ is gonna be dead in two or three years. ‘Macarena’ will always be funny and it will probably still be used 30 years from now.
Would you rather be an idiot sandwich or a boring bowl of salad?
I feel like I don’t know where the second one comes from. Was it also a Gordon Ramsay thing?
No, we made it up.
An idiot sandwich. I like my carbs so yeah, I don’t mind being surrounded by it.
What would make you grumpier than Grumpy Cat?
An actual grumpy cat. I’m allergic to cats, even though I like them. My nose leaks like crazy and if I’m around a cat too long, it spreads from my nose to my throat and I get a sore throat and infections. It’s really bad. So if I go to friends’ houses with cats, I take an anti-histamine. ’Cos I still really like to hang with them — they’re unpredictable and cool.
If you could start a viral challenge and have people all around the world do it, what would it be?
That’s a million dollar question. It’s so hard to say. If three years ago you told me that eating detergent pods would be a viral challenge, I wouldn’t believe you. So I can say anything and it could possibly come true in two years! [Pauses] Call your mum? Oh, or use a knife on your feet to cut a carrot. There’s a possibility that it might just happen!
‘Electricity’ (Mandarin) is available on all digital platforms. Watch the music video at https://www.youtube.com/user/nathanhartono91.
Photos: Ealbert Ho. Styling: Martin Wong. Hair and make-up: Manisa Tan/paletteinc. Make-up from NARS, hair products from keune. Special thanks to Prudential Marina Bay Carnival (www.marinabaycarnival.sg).