WIN WIN WIN!

home-repossessions

Entertainment television; the proverbial teabag that has been reused to such extremes, that it only makes a tasteless non stimulating visual brew. Yuk! The cultural fulcrum has corroded and the wheels of artistic evolution have come spinning off into a crowd of Nuns and blind children.

Money trouble? Wolf at the door? Can’t sell your kids to Madonna? Then I prescribe a sob story/game show! The whole painful rigmarole of an everyday nobody being rewarded with a large sum of money is a cheap carrot to follow, but still it seems to be the impossible dream itself  is what so many shows hook us with.

I’m now hooked, I’m programmed to want. And I want to win and nothing else because besides winning, there is nothing else! There are no second prizes anymore, it’s all or nothing. Spin the barrel, pull the trigger and either paint your watching loved ones on the front row of the audience with your brains or win a cruise for two. It makes you wonder just what we did with our sad infinitesimal lives before the orgasmic  uncertainty of online gambling and such.

All troubles and woes can soon be swept away if you just pick the right box or avoid the molestations of Chris Tarrant by saying stop at the correct time (of which I‘d bet his blonde hostess will vouch).

As a viewer, I sit on my arse and gorge myself  the subsidised, steroid fed reality pap and wait patiently for my turn in the dream factory. Only daring to speak during the commercial break just to ask my imaginary friend “What would you spend the £2.05 prize fund on?”.

Alas, this may be a lengthy wait, but there is always a chance that a Secret Millionaire perchance may knock at my door or a skinny Chinese bloke with bad teeth and his friend who looks like she eats lipstick might tell me how good I could look naked, without makeup and dressed only in barbed wire. Now that’s a service!

Crazed with the expectation that I must win big or lose it all, my eyes bloodshot through to much exposure to GaGa-Gok-Suckers; and clutching my Heat magazine in one hand and remote in the other, I discuss with myself about how Ray Quinn is the greatest ice dancer of all time and how terrible it was when the Celeb Air plane was high jacked by a crazed Fern Britton armed with only a low fat snack and flown into the This Morning studios. It’s a cover-up man!

They say, “Bend over and take it little people as you have no realistic long term reason to carry on with the infinitesimal existence that you were cursed with!”

And we all say, “YES CHEF!”.

Elephant Man 2009!

boyle

“I am not an animal! I am a club singer!” mumbles Susan of Boyle. Immediately the crowd stop throwing rotten vegetables and recoils in shock. The judges; eyes now narrow, they expertly scrutinized this mutation that parades the stage of primetime before them.

Then; she sang, and the world changed.

If you are one of the countless thousands that has been enthused into obsessive amounts of You-tubing because you saw an ugly woman sing well, then you should put your head in the oven now, before something really shocks you! Was it really all that surprising given the track record of such shows?

It’s 50/50, there is no middle ground for the mediocre, and no longer is there a spotlight for the Mr Average. Society now dishes out judgement from either end of a short scale, either a standing ovation and a montage of tears, or a chorus of boos, followed by a montage of tears. So which do you want? Which do you deserve? 

On a cynically positive note, it is like something from a HD natural history programme to see reality televisions circle of irrelevance complete it’s trivial self; as Jades light fades, the flash bulbs set their callus sights on Susan Boyle with Max Clifford in tow, no doubt. A star is born! Some dare cry resurrection as the spirit of a nobody done well lives on.

I just cry murder, but the television volume is to too loud and nobody hears me. Alas, alack, I die alone in front the box, never to complete my life’s work by purchasing dear Susan’s album of predictable covers and duets; available this Christmas, from a supermarket or competitively price website.  

Sleep well sweet prince.

Zombie/Yuppie Braineaters!

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For many a year now, the Apprentice UK has been the most consistently entertaining and credible of reality shows on our screens. Giving birth to light debate and not costing phone vote addicts a penny. Well done. And raising the profile of a man with many good causes to his name. Double well done.

But. Monkey see, monkey do. And like many members of my generation who were banned from imitating Ninja Turtles in the playground, there are some very impressionable folk out there who empowered by the desperate squabbling of  Sir Alan’s potential employees, have begun to imitate the board room bullshit in the real world of work. And just like the time I was reprimanded for donning my school tie round my head (ala Michelangelo) and kicking Joanne Manners in the face (it was18years ago people), somebody is going to get hurt/sacked.

Area meetings all over the nation are now littered with £15K a years fuck wits waving their business acumen around like a penis and holding their BLACKBERRY at a gymnastic angle so that they are seen to be doing something BIZ’NESS, YEAH!

This rise of the NU YUPPIE is a threat to he way of life for everyone who doesn’t wear a pinstriped suits, spike the new intern’s drink or keep hair straightness in the stationary cupboard. Was it my dangerously naïve assumption that we killed off the yuppies in the mid 90’s? Or like a cancer (sorry Jade’s Mum) are they prone to resurgence? Only time will tell.

Yuppies. The only good one is a dead one.

Pic&Mix

bassoBASSOBASSO

photos: Basso&Brooke s/s ‘09

Oh how fashion at the moment is similar to a packet of colourful sweets, shoe laces and spaceships. The odd combination and choice of prints available can easily give pic&mix a run for its chocolate coin money. It’s good news, if your still lusting after the Basso & Brooke spring/ summer ‘09 collection. Their acid big, bright floral and abstract prints are still very much engraved in this fashion wardrobe memory bank of mine! So are the eye watering price tag’s too. Ouch Basso & Brooke, can you please do a collaberation with H&M or some other purse friendly retail outlet?Never mind, you need not mourn over top designer prints, because I’ve a cunning and fail proof plan: rummage through those snazzy high street sale rails. Throw in a little styling and imagination, the result’s: budget Basso&Brooke.MOTELROCKS

Clashing  leopard print and floral skirt from, motelrocks, £69.

RETRO DRESS

You better grab this retro style, lipstick print frock quick before that Katy Perry spots it, from, Asda, £6. Go-get!

topshop

Dorothyperkins are sticking with the eighties vibe, and who’s to complain? Check out this electric assymetric, diamond print tunic £25.

HAREMPANTS Don’t let the fact these are called ‘harem pants’ put you off (though it does sound funny!) from, american apparel, £42.

LIPSY DRESS

Vibrant paint stroke effect, bubble dress from, Lipsy, £34

lipsy-frock

Abstract it up, in this eye popping off the shoulder, stencil style print dress .From, same as above, £55

Be bold people, be Basso&Brooke bold…I double dare you!

Amy Again, Sarah broadens, Mobo leaves & poor Russell

Amy Winehouse

It seems the latest star to reach out to camp Amy is none other than ‘Mr. Bringing Sexy Back’ Justin Timberlake. I have to admit that this might just be a different sound for her but Justin has had a good run of success in the past with his collaborations. Interesting enough, as the clock is ticking on Amy’s return to the musical spotlight; the troubled star is drowning her sorrows in tropical rum punch and apparently writing a book of poetry about her difficult life. Read News Story

Sarah Harding

Watch out Cheryl, seems like another ‘Girl’ is about to step into the spotlight! Fellow band member Sarah Harding will make her TV-acting debut this year in the film ‘Freefall’, a movie that reflects the effect that the recession has on ordinary people. I’m happy for Sarah’s step towards diversity, when those records stop selling its nice to have something else to fall onto! Read News Story

mobo-awards

For the first time in its 13-year history, the MOBO’s will not be held in London! I’m shocked, happy, saddened and feeling deprived all at the same time! This year the event has will be staged in Glasgow at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre on September 30. In all honesty, I am very happy to see that something that started as a self-financed project could become so grown that it has to leave home! Now I just have to book my seat on EasyJet! Read News Story

forgetting-sarah-marshall-poster-0

It seems the Russell Brand charm isn’t quite as powerful as he might want to believe. Former American co-star Kirsten Bell (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) as revealed recently that she just wasn’t drawn in by the British bad-boy! Funny enough, according to the star, he kept reminding people every 10 minutes of how famous he is in Britain…come on Russell, is it really that bad! Read News Story

Honestly, I didn’t mean it like that!

Today I would like to tackle the controversial subject of the social faux-pas.  We’ve all been there, someone says something to you, and you’re not entirely sure how to react to it.  It’s an awkward situation, and the words that dribble from your mouth do not come via the brain, and are the worst possible words that could have appeared in that order, at that time.

 

Before I go into some of my own mistakes, I would like to give an example of a faux-pas made by a guy whom I was at art college with.  It was a nice day and a group of us were eating lunch in a near by park.  There was a German girl on our course and she was having a bit of a rant about how great Germany is.  “We have the nicest people in our country, the food is great, and I needn’t even mention the beer, oh, and our football team are way better than yours, all our sports players infact…etc” She eventually ran out of steam and nobody had anything to say on the subject, no one apart from one guy, “Yeah, but you did kill all those Jews”. (Long silence)

This is an extreme example of course, I don’t know what posessed him to say this, but nobody found it very funny needless to say.

 

Here is a small selection of my own wrong moments-

 

1.                    Watching a friend-of-a-friends band called Black Candy play several years ago, and hating every moment of the carnage they were inflicting on my ears.  The front man came to me after the gig and said “So, what do think of Black Candy” To which I said “Well, erm, I thought you were more like brown smarties.”  This was a terrible thing to say to someone you have only just met, and the rest of our encounters were marred by an air of tension.

 

2.                    In a lift at university with a few other people from my course.  I was wearing a particularly nasty brown shirt from the 70’s with an enormous collar.  Someone said “Why are you wearing that hideous shirt?”  I got a bit defensive, couldn’t think of a clever comeback, and replied “Because I can’t afford heroin.”  How was I supposed to know he was an ex-junkie?  We later became friends, then he stole some money from me, and my housemates camera and we never saw the bastard again. Read the rest of this entry »

California Waiting

Want to escape and abandon the mundane? Just dug out and dusted off your  pass sport? Whats this? Your heading off for a adventures road trip across America…well you go and find the sunblock, and let me seek out some road trip worthy fashion pieces. Urban outfitters have a selection of ideal road tripping gear: from cool sun shades to funky feather accessories  they’ve got it sussed. So come on now route 66 and sunshine awaits!

DENIM SKINNY JEANSAah yes denim, it shall never fade into oblivion and nor will you, with these fierce distressed, faded and bleached skinny jeans, £50.00denim mini skirtThis hot mini denim skirt has a secret past: as a pair of Levis 501’s. This isn’t just any old denim mini skirt, its a recycled denim mini skirt… So go on do your bit for the environment whilst cruising down the high way, £28. Read the rest of this entry »

Susan’s a Star, Katie says NO and a few others

BRITAIN SINGING SENSATION Susan Boyle

Susan Boyle has seemingly been plucked from obscurity and catapulted into world-wide fame! This ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ hopeful has not only won the admiration of her countrymen, but has also etched her name in the minds of celebrities! Apparently she has the likes of American power couple Demi Moore and husband Ashton Kutcher, both of whom have informed their Twitter followers that they are in camp Susan! I really hope she does well! She has certainly redeemed the old adage ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’! Read News Story Read the rest of this entry »

Time Out

jesses-coffee2fight-the-power1I’m currently enjoying the benefits of unemployment, yet there still don’t seem to be enough hours in the day. If I could have a super power, I would choose never to sleep again, nor to go to the toilet. They’re such time wasting activities. If I didn’t spend five to eight hours in a coma rifled with strange thoughts every night, and several hours a week sat reading magazines and excreting digested matter, I could be doing so much other stuff. Stuff and things are the two words that my A level English tutor told us never to use as there is always a more intelligent alternative, but that is exactly what I mean. I have numerous stuff and things to do.

If I could, right now, I would be listening to albums that I have never heard of, with a good book on a music stand, whilst playing the ukulele and watching an obscure foreign film, and running on a tread mill. Because that’s the only way to ever get anything done.

I have models of Velociraptors, and tortoises to build, I got them for Christmas two years ago, and I haven’t had time to even open the boxes. I need to mend things around the house that haven’t broken yet, and I need to cook meals for people who aren’t coming round, and I want to go to the library just because I have a card, and I want to teach the world to sing in perfect anarchy. The amount of old clothes in my wardrobe could fill a whole charity shop, but I don’t have time to go through them. I have several new CD’s that need to be filed into my alphabetised racks, I have thirty four books piled up high on my bedside table, I have unopened mail from January, I have weeping sores that are inconsolable, I have so much laundry to do that my room is starting to resemble the porch of Walthamstow Oxfam after several bin bags of clothes have been left out overnight and ravaged by the local tramp population.

This has actually been quite a good day. I woke up early, went for a run, had a shower, had some muesli and coffee, stocked up on muesli and coffee etc, read for a while in a café, bought an “antique” carriage clock from QVC, shaved my eyebrows off, drunk a bottle of Gaviscon, spewed, gave myself a tattoo, counted my lentils (approx 2877 green and 10911 red), and teased a quadruped until it bit me, then I went to see my GP about the Gaviscon and the dog bite. An absolute success as far as I’m concerned. But I still want to tidy my room, and mow the lawn, and organise my pay slips and bank statements, although it’s far too late for that now that there’s a good episode of Columbo on, maybe tomorrow.

HJ

I hope there’s strawberry

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