news articles 27 march 2005

[Elle]

In today’s Brisbane Sunday Mail, Sunday 27 March 2005, Body + Soul Section, page 17, the following story covers almost a full page:



This picture is much bigger in the paper - the words,

"No Sex Please"

are in large letters across the botton left hand corner of the picture, and the words

Singer Guy “the fro” Sebastian says sex before marriage isn’t for him. are in small print at the top of the picture

The article:

You’d think chastity was a non-issue these days, but not for some men who are turning back the clock and saving themselves for marriage. Tim Duggan finds out why they’re doing so.

Guy Sebastian has a great deal to answer for. Not only did the singer make afros cool again and legitimize karaoke as entertainment, he also dragged an issue back into the limelight that many thought had died years ago – sex before marriage.

To most red blooded Australian males, chastity has almost become a non-issue. While waiting for Ms Right to show up on our doorstep it’s natural to want to have some fun with Ms Right Now,

AVOID TEMPTATION

But there are more than a few fellas who are willing to wait – and they’re proud to call themselves virgins. One global Christian organization, True Love Waits, claims that 1.5 million young people have made a pledge with them to remain virgins until they’re married.

“It’s not easy”, say Sam Button, a PhD student from Adelaide. Sam, 24, didn’t have sex until he married his wife, Emma, two years ago. His reasons? “Sex finds its true meaning only in the context of a faithful marriage. And we wanted to base our relationship on friendship, and to ensure we were getting married for love of each other.”

Statistics are difficult to come by, although in the Durex Global Sex Survey 2004 of about 350,000 people, more of a quarter of respondents said they’d had sex with only one partner in their lifetime – so far, that is.

Eric Jaeger, 20, is studying to be a pilot in Melbourne. He’s also waiting until he gets married before having sex for the first time. He’s single, and surprisingly, not fnding it too much of a challenge. “It’s become a lifestyle for me now and most people seem to be cool with it”, he says. While he’s tempted to have sex, he adds, he tries not to put himself into that type of situation anymore

TAKE A VOW

Button says he tells other guys of his decision, most are a bit shocked at first, but that quickly evolves into a keen interest. :Everyone’s a bit curious,: he says, “They say, “How did you do that?”

But it can be done and it’s worked for us. Was it worth the wait? “Definitely,” he says. “I know my wife loves me for a pure love, not because of anything I can do for her, but because I’m me.”

Whether a bloke chooses to wait or take a few test drives before buying the car, the choice is his and his alone.

There’s no right or wrong choice, says Anne Hollands, CEO of Relationships Australia NSW, because people are not all the same. “The main thing is that people live in line with their own values and do whatever they think is right for them.” She adds there are more important aspects to a relationship. “If you have similar values, behave with respect towards each other and manage conflict well, you’re more likelyh to sustain a relationship over time.”<br>
To wait or not is a personal choice, she says, which is why it takes a public figure like GUY SEBASTIAN to bring it into the public eye. And there’s the one grain of truth underneath the issue – everyone makes the choice for themselves. What works well for one Guy can be completely different for another.

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Thanks to Brisbane's Sunday Mail for this article.
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[MaybeNext]

Sneeking a peek while away on holidays should be banned but cold turkey is a bit too difficult form me.

How did I miss this in today's paper. Must go back and have another look.

[Inside Australian Idol]

Runner-up is up and running
March 28, 2005
The Sun-Herald


Anthony Callea ... doing what he has always wanted.
Photo: Stefan Moore

Anthony Callea is laying down a new kind of life, Craig Mathieson writes.

Attention Sydney real-estate agents: Anthony Callea needs your help. "Apparently I own a penthouse apartment in Sydney," the Australian Idol graduate says. "I'm still trying to find it."

The 22-year-old Melbourne singer is already adjusted to the distortion that trails in a celebrity's wake. His first experience with the paparazzi came while he was still competing in Australian Idol and living in the contestants' share house. One afternoon he left the residence to walk to the nearby physiotherapist, chatting on his mobile phone to friends. The next day his journey rated a full page in a newspaper.

"It was saying I was a loner and that I wasn't getting on with anyone and because I was pictured on the phone it meant I was complaining to family and friends," he says with a rueful laugh. "You think, 'Why are you following me to lunch?' It's part of me now. If they want to take a photo of me having a coffee at a cafe, go for it. At the start it was invasive, but I just laugh it off. If you let it get to you, that's when you start going stupid."

Callea already has the laser-accurate focus (or is that driving ambition?) that's curiously common among the top echelon of pop performers. He's polite, listens attentively and is focused on his work, whether it's giving 20 interviews in a day or greeting several thousand excited well-wishers at an in-store appearance.

"If I'm going to do something, I'm going to do it properly," he says. "Growing up, whatever I did I did 100 per cent. I hate doing things half-heartedly. If I think that's going to be the case I won't do it all."

For the recording of his self-titled debut album, that meant breaking down the songs and tackling the most trying parts each morning, when his voice was at its freshest. Unlike Casey Donovan, who beat Callea in the Australian Idol final, he didn't have to finish his record in just six days - he had six weeks. The extra time allowed for more songs to be considered, with the album's 12 tracks being culled from 40 nominations.

From the start Callea was mindful of what was at stake. "This is what I've always wanted to do, but when you actually get to the point, you don't want to stuff it up. You have to have the right song selection.

"What I would have thought was right a year or 18 months ago is completely different now that I've worked with certain people."

Those people include the image-shapers at Sony BMG, now the most powerful music company in Australia.

"It's not the most ideal situation," Callea says of a schedule that was punctuated by the Australian Idol summer tour, the forgettable group single Good Times and promotion for The Prayer. "But this is not something I was going to let slip through my fingers. It had to be done so you just do it.

"People would say, 'You're a bit stubborn' and I would say, 'I want what I want and then I'll be happy with it.' I'd rather be stubborn and put in the hard work than not be happy with it later."

The resulting album smoothly covers the necessary bases, mixing orchestrated ballads with pop confectionery and easy listening rock grooves. After a slowing of the public's interest in Idol stars - Guy Sebastian's second album did not emulate the phenomenal sales of his first and Donovan's recent debut, For You, made an initial splash but then unexpectedly exited the top 150 album chart after just three months - Callea hopes he's laying a foundation for a long-term career. Sales for The Prayer were record-breaking and his follow-up single Rain/Bridge Over Troubled Water went straight to No. 1.

The pop star machinations are firmly in motion, but Callea insists he is in charge of his musical path.

"You have to be in control and know what you want and create goals and plans and make sure that it lasts long term," he says. "After the album I'm planning on doing shows in Melbourne and Sydney and then a national tour in July and then, hopefully, by the end of the year I can release something in Europe and Asia and see how we go there."

He's still smiling, but the looming pressure is apparent.

"I've had to grow up in the past six months, be more independent and learn to do things for myself," he concedes. "When I make a decision now it dictates where my career is going."


When will the real Callea emerge?

Not everyone can be Mr Personality. But in the early stages of a promising career, it's a shame to see yet another prefabricated pop star joining the ranks. Anthony Callea is a gentleman. He has a sensational voice and a knack for belting ballads, but riveting he ain't. And I'm inclined to think it's not necessarily his fault.

When I had a one-on-one chat with Callea recently, he specialised in guarded responses.

He shed no light on the fact that Casey Donovan, crowned the second Australian Idol, has practically been sidelined, simply saying: "I'm doing what I have to do and she's doing what she has to do."

Even before the release of his album, Callea was defensive about the media's treatment of his success. "It's a shame that some of the media can be so negative," he said.

"As soon as someone achieves something people just want to cut them down straightaway. I'm just going to do the best I can."

But let's be realistic. Callea is the runner-up from round two of a reality TV talent quest and his entourage is treating his media interaction as though he's Madonna.

If there's any hope for longevity in his career, unleash the shackles and let's uncover the Callea spark.

- Clara Iaccarino

Anthony Callea's album Anthony Callea is released through Sony BMG.


www.smh.com.au/news/Music/Runnerup-is-up-and-running/2005/03/27/1111862250677.html