Spotlight: Preetipls

Preetipls talks the good, the bad and the ugly of fame.

2016 will forever go down as the year we want to forget ever happened (hello, Donald Trump), but if one good thing came out of it, it was the birth of a new social media star in Singapore. In fact, 2016 had no shortage of breakout Internet stars – the Americans had Harambe, the Japanese had Piko-Taro, and we Singaporeans had the one, the only Preetipls, the anti-influencer influencer (or as she puts it, “influenza”).

Back in June 2016, Toggle released an ill-judged segment featuring social media personality Saffron Sharpe, who went down Orchard Road and critiqued Singaporeans’ fashion sense, or lack thereof. Needless to say, the video quickly went viral (though not in the way Toggle had hoped) and was lambasted online for its offensive nature.

While the video in question was promptly deleted, the Internet was not as quick to forgive. Enter new kid on the block Preetipls, who with the help of the defiant Instagram-famous duo Youtiao666, released a parody video. The rest, as they say, is history.

Since launching the video, which has racked up more than a respectable 189,000 views on Facebook, she has continued posting timely local-centric content, all featuring her signature unapologetic and satirical style.

Perhaps it was this unfiltered, candid personality resonating with an influencer-fatigued audience that explains her popularity; the introduction of a self-aware figure like Preetipls was a much-needed breath of fresh air in the social media entertainment scene.

With ZYRUP’s first Spotlight feature of the year, we sat down with Preetipls and asked her all about the good, the bad and the ugly of (self-proclaimed) fame.

ZYRUP: How is fame treating you so far?
Preetipls: Well, I’ve learnt to stay true to myself and to always keep my ego in check! Jk, it’s still a painfully awkward feeling when people recognise me in public and I forget how to human.

You’re the first person to be featured on ZYRUP Spotlight. That’s something to be proud of, no?
Yup, ’cos you can’t spell ‘ZYRUP’ without ‘YUP’!

You poke fun at social media personalities but in doing so you became one yourself. How does that work?!
BUT the question is…… are they really ‘personalities’ offline tho…?

Tell us a little more about the person behind the persona [Preetipls].
Is there a person behind the persona?
This is Preetipls’ twin. She has been locked in the basement her whole life. This picture was taken the first time she went outside. Her name is Preeti Nair.

 

Now that you’re famous, has the Illuminati approached you to join the elite occult group?
I prefer not to address this. *starts speaking in tongues*

I feel like I already know the answer to this, but are you not scared of making enemies in this notoriously petty industry?
I’m just paying homage. But as the great Champagnepapi once said, “I got enemies, got a lot of enemies. Got a lot of people tryna drain me of this energy. They tryna take the……” Ahh, you get the point.

Who is someone you will never dare to call out?
Jack Neo ‘cos he is God’s gift to the silver screen.

The producers of The Amazing Race Asia offer you a chance to run the race, but only on the condition that you run it with Saffron Sharpe. Accept or decline?
Don’t talk to me about race!

How was it like when the Toggle parody video went viral? Did you expect it to go viral?
Yes, ‘cos the original vid was getting so much flak online.

If a fashion influencer were to rate your look for this ZYRUP Spotlight feature, how many points out of 10 would she give you?
Basically, you mean if I were to rate myself? A solid 12/10.

Describe Preetipls’ style in three words.

I only need one – trashy.

If you were the Fashion Police, whom would you arrest on Orchard Road, and for what crime?
Saffr… lol jk, definitely that ‘uncle’ who spins the massive balls around his body. I feel like we’ve got a lot in common, so we can hang!

If you were to be stuck on an island and have to choose one song to listen to for the rest of your life, which one would you pick? ‘China Wine’ by Sun Ho or ‘Lingo Lingo’ by Tosh and Bunz?
What’s the point of being alive if I can’t have both?

Your Deepavali video featured a male counterpart. How is Preetipls doing in the dating game?
Dating is not a game, I take it very seriously. My first ever date in 2012 was with my Deepavali man at a Burger King [outlet] ♡ We are your #relationshipgoals.

Can we expect more content soon on your social media platforms?
By the time you read this, I might have either gotten my driving license revoked or fired from my day job, but here you go, for your entertainment:

 

Give us a hint of what’s to come.
Other than myself, I guess you should just constantly be on the lookout for new stuff, like how I am always on the lookout for men.

Any last words for your fans?
A huge thank you to all my 72.3 million followers. Without you guys, I wouldn’t be here today!

Photographer: Joel Lim
Creative Direction: Kapilan Naidu & Sharmayne Ng
Copyright ZYRUP Magazine 2017.