IT’S definitely not too late to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and happy holidays. With just a few days left to the new year, comes new hope for the local entertainment industry.

Perhaps our local celebrities and personalities of music and the big and small screens, will learn to be more watchful... or at least not get caught lying. Well, actually scratch that. If that happens, which it never will, gossip columns wouldn't exist.

AWARD shows are generally celebratory for industry practitioners over the achievements of the past year.

Meanwhile, post-parties are those rare social occasions where everyone gets to mingle freely.

IF you haven't noticed, which is highly improbable – Hear, Say… is now slotted on a new day — Tuesdays from this week onwards.

This is one of the changes in the jazzed-up new look of The Malay Mail.

FOR far too long, we have had too many complaints about how tunes have constantly been rejected by some ignoramus who just happened to be in the position of power to decide which songs go on-air.

From the composers and lyricists to the artistes themselves, there have been endless gripes about how their songs have been rejected for some ridiculous reason or other.

THE past week, it has been interesting to note that Australians are not giving Britney Spears (left) the reception that she expected.

After complaints of lip-synching, tickets for the pop star’s concerts now bear a disclaimer that part of her performance is pre-recorded.

Perhaps we need to ensure we have to have a rule like that too. After all, concert-goers are consumers, and they deserve the assurance that they’re getting their money’s worth.

IN our local film industry, sadly enough, professionals in some disciplines are hardly treated so - at least when it comes to payment. Having an opportunity to chat with some friends in the business, it is amazing how little a supposed professional makes.

And yet, productions don’t bat an eyelid when the media or the fans lash out at such shoddy work. Haven’t they heard that you get what you pay for, or that when you pay peanuts, you get monkeys?

The biggest news of the week is the Beyonce concert being called off. Postponed is the word that is stressed upon. Not cancelled. Big difference there.

Here’s just hoping that it will really be a postponement unlike that of the Rihanna variety, if you still recall what happened earlier this year.

FOR celebrities, it is readily acknowledged that their lives are viewed as “public domain”, whether they like it or not. Especially for those who thrive on publicity, despite not having anything substantial to show in terms of their creative output.

For this one actress, she has been overheard by many to swear off drinking after religious enlightenment she claims to have received.

THIS week, the focus is on simple netiquette.
Of late, too many revenue-generating websites with little credibility, have been offering content which is made up of poached materi­al taken without permission of the owners from personal accounts of local personali­ties and celebrities on social networking websites.
For a quick buck, forget any question of privacy.

YOU may now start your diet again after binging on all your favourite dishes. For those of you who are still partying away on an extended holiday into the coming weekend, just remember that your waistline may not be so forgiving.

While it has been quiet over the past week, it has not been short of news in the local entertainment scene.

Before moving on to this week’s news, condolences to  Diddy Hirdy on the passing of his father last week.