Denise SongComing back on the Apr 20 the second season of The MTV Show will have new features. A music and entertainment show that brings you the top news in celebs, music, movies and pop culture, it now comes with the added bonuses of social media. The show will now incorporate more of its audience into its programme, with audiences choosing the videos that the VJs will play.
In the second season of the show, the new VJs taking over Rich and Holly are getting ready to mingle with the audience. Through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, they’ll tell it all and you get it all.
On paper, Hanli Hoefer is a 20-year-old model, but on stage, she’s the chatty new VJ of The MTV Show. Standing next to her is VJ Alan Wong, self-proclaimed movie buff and the equally charming half to the show’s dynamic duo. The new faces of The MTV Show, Hanli and Alan are ready to make it theirs.
Having graced the covers of Shape and Her World Magazine, Hanli’s been a model since she was nineteen. Her partner Alan, hailing from California, has acted in shows such as Ugly Betty and hosted events such as the 2010 America’s Celestial Beauties.
The pair are a cheeky bunch and though they spend their free time researching for the show, they confess to goofing around in the office. “We’re the biggest distraction in the office,” said Hanli, “and I feel so bad, but it’s true.”
While the 2 VJs come from mixed cultural backgrounds, their roots haven’t affected their lives much in terms of music. What they enjoy eating, on the other hand, seems to have been greatly impacted. Having grown up in America, Alan loves his biscuits and gravy as well as his PoPo’s (grandmother) homemade Chow Mien, while Hanli’s partial to her mother’s authentic peranakan cooking.
New to Asia, Alan’s fallen in love with the cuisine here, including Nasi Padang (steamed white rice with various other dishes) and Char Kway Teow (stir-fired flat rice noodles), but if there’s one thing he’d never forgive Hanli for, it’s is if she makes him eat durian. “I was thinking of just not telling him and giving him a durian puff,” Hanli chuckles from the side, just as Alan threatens to end their friendship if she tries.
With their taste in music ranging from Alan’s favourite singer, Bruno Mars, to the Hanli’s favourite, The Beatles, they have quite the range that stretches to include those even from the Indie genre. Citing independent artist Macklemore as a favourite artiste of his, Alan explains his love for this 29-year-old rapper and his song, “Same Love“. “Same Love is extraordinarily meaningful. It talks about gay rights and rights for people to marry someone of the same gender, when he’s not gay at all,” said Alan,” Whether you like it or not, you’ve got to respect that.”
A quirky guy, Alan says he has been likened to Canadian actor Ryan Renolds by his friends for his personality and weird facial expressions. “I totally see that! I can’t believe I didn’t put it together,” exclaims Hanli. While Alan had a slightly more exciting comparison to big name celebs, Hanli adds she’d be honoured to be compared to first generation VJs Denise and Utt, whom she grew up watching on screen.
Although they agree on many things, including how awesome TV series Game of Thrones is, the one thing they can’t seem to agree on is pop sensation and American Idol judge, Nicki Minaj. Hanli says, “I’ll give the girl a chance. I respect her as an artiste. I mean she’s breaking records like no other and that’s incredible.”
Before taking on their new jobs, Hanli modelled and walked on runways, while Alan taught relief classes back home. Fitting so well into their roles, it’s hard to think of what they’d be if they weren’t VJing for MTV. While Hanli, who has an IB diploma in Art and Psychology, said that she’d be continuing with her education, Alan said that he’d be acting, but not before cheekily saying that he’d take up teaching again, but this time, as Hanli’s teacher.
With the start of the new season of the show starting, the year is only just starting out for the two new VJs, but Alan’s confident that it’s going to be good. “It’s the year of the Black Water Snake,” said Alan, ”It’s supposed to be good if you’re born in the Year of the Ox.”