Dear reader,
It’s one of those weeks when there’s arresting or tragic news every few hours. Trump, Goodall, synagogue. We discuss the first two in “Singapore This Week”, alongside some lesser-known people, such as Nathan Law and Pannir Selvam.
On the ground, we’re seeing that familiar annual geographic bifurcation, between privileged petrolheads and partiers on the one side, and everybody else on the other. Yup, it’s Formula 1 weekend, and as supercars thunder across Marina Bay, do find time to read our essay on the teenage Gen Z bros who’re making millions online and already driving Ferraris.
- What should we make of Donald Trump, the “president of peace”, and his plan for Gaza?
- Why did Singapore deny entry to Nathan Law?
- Greater support for low-income mums is reason to cheer
- How should we remember Jane Goodall?
- Joseph Christiaens, and the first flight ever in Singapore, in 1911
- Death row literature by Pannir Selvam
- “Women in Film & Photography” at Objectifs
Essay: “The new Gen Z male hustle” by Toh Ee Ming
This is one of those essays where every few paragraphs I thought to myself: seriously? Are these characters for real? It features incredible reportage by Ee Ming, in her fourth essay for Jom, on a fascinating micro-community of young Singaporean men, part of “this hustle-and-hype creator economy which can also feel like a bro-culture-dominated boys’ club”.
Her interviewees have all, in their own way, eschewed the traditional rat race for online entrepreneurial schemes (not scams) that have enabled them to grow rich. Many then seemingly share/sell their secret sauce to others through training courses. Their stories alone are worth your time. I found myself occasionally looking up their Instagram and TikTok profiles, and then doomscrolling through videos of polished young men who overuse the word “bruh”.
But there’s much more. Ee Ming also interviews Singaporean sociologists and psychologists, contextualising the rise of this hustle culture against contemporary global trends, including shifting gender dynamics and roles as women’s participation in schools and workplaces has risen, and the influence of Western influencers and commentators, such as Andrew Tate, Ashton Hall and Hamza Ahmed, on young Singaporean men.
I’ll leave you with her opening:
“On a Saturday afternoon, on the 38th floor of CapitaGreen in the heart of Singapore’s Central Business District, dozens of entrepreneurs, founders, influencers, and content creators mingle in an Art Deco-inspired cocktail bar and lounge modelled after New York’s vintage jazz clubs—all plum velvet and gilded accents. The bar is part of Centre of the Universe (COTU), one of the city’s hottest new multi-concept food and nightlife establishments. Called The Whisper Room, it’s anything but quiet.
The crowd is unmistakably Gen Z. A sea of young men sporting wolf cuts, broccoli perms, and wide-legged pants, alongside a handful of self-assured young women. They’ve come for Gabe Chia’s first in-person networking event, ‘Coffee with Gabe’. Gabe, 25, a dropout from the Singapore Management University (SMU), is an internationally known content creator and founder of The Viral Haus—a content agency helping businesses go viral. Gabe scored The Whisper Room for free through one of his contacts. He invited 17 people. Around 200 showed up.
They introduce each other through Instagram handles, not name cards. ‘What content do you create? What business do you have?’ is the usual opener. I meet a poly student who does branding and styling for User Generated Content (UGC) creators; a founder of a 3D-printed, plant-based lamp startup; and a DJ creating an app to link creators and automate Instagram channels.”
Read about the new Gen Z male hustle now.
Jom baca,
Sudhir Vadaketh, editor-in-chief
Jom
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