Picking on kids is kinda unfair. But Jimmy Kimmel doesn't care. He asked American parents to video the reactions of their children when given a special- early Christmas present. This Christmas present would have to be something the kids didn't want. It is a mean experiment but also hilarious. I challenge you not to laugh. Especially when you get to the potato kid in the second video. A lot of the kids are understandably angry. A few are just so precious. The girl with the deodorant for example - what a sweetie. Anyway watch this somewhere you can laugh out loud. I literally cried. My work colleagues were concerned.
Jimmy also did a version for Halloween where Mums told their children that they had eaten all their candy. I just love the children who are forgiving - so adorable.
Finally you can make your video go viral with a simple purchase from company Buyral. It's an advertiser's dream. Check it out.
I really thought this could have turned into an ad for an ad agency - a Christmas card or something. 'Because you have to earn your clicks' would be the message. Anyway it does a good job of making us all look silly for caring about clicks so much.
I was sceptical about how good Beyoncé's sister's music might be. After all she surely had an easy route to fame - "Oh your sister is famous, do you sing too? Yes? Here's a record deal." But to be fair I really like this cute little tune "Losing You" and Solange's inept unpolished little dance moves which are the opposite of Beyonce's raunchy style. She's pretty adorable. Her video seems to feature a fair few union jacks in a very non-Uk setting so that's strange. Maybe she has a crush on us. We are pretty hip aren't we.
Check her video out and let me know what you think.
There is an interesting article about her in The Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/nov/03/solange-knowles-true-dev-hynes
I am very enthusiastic about rituals and holidays which mark the turning of the year. I like to observe Pancake day, the build up to Christmas, bonfire night and Halloween. Since Halloween is the only one that requires fancy dress, it is an exciting prospect. I love the gothic element too. However the usual outfits are getting old. Year after year I have been a witch or a vampire. See my last outfit below.
This year I am going to do something different - I will be doing Halloween the Mexican way - Dia de los Muertos and painting my face like a Mexican sugar skull.
Dia de los Muertos is a much deeper and more meaningful festival. It is a holiday which focuses on families taking time to remember and honour their dead relatives, friends and ancestors. This festival takes place on November the 1st and 2nd. The 1st day is the day to remember children who have died - Día de los Inocentes. In this festival Mexicans might construct alters to their beloved deceased and visit their graves to tidy them and leave gifts. Edible Sugar Skulls are often one of the gifts left. These are al form of Calaca - skulls or skeletons used for decoration. Calaca's are often pictured with marigold flowers and foliage and wearing festive clothing - a joyous touch. In fact Calaca's are happy images because it is Mexican belief that no dead soul likes to be thought of sadly. it's a lovely thought that death is a joyous occasion.
So this year this is what I shall be - still spooky but also beautiful and joyous. I have found there are a lot of makeup videos to look at online. This is the best one I've found.
She takes her inspiration from artist Sylvia Ji. Here are some of her paintings that I might copy for my own face paints.
Love the track on this sweet little advert from Ikea featuring children holding a dinner party with giant toys. It's so nice that it hardly feels like an ad at all. It's more like a cute music video with Ikea as a backdrop - a sign of real confidence.
Notice how all the toys try to be useful, apart from the big doll. She's a selfish bitch.
Here are some of my mashups. I'm not very high brow it seems - and somewhat obsessed with cats and Tv shows. Not sure why but telephone boxes and Pat Butcher from UK soap's hideous wallpaper come up many times....
Bravo Bodyform! In a hilariously up to date response to a man called Richard's criticism of the lies of "happy" period adverts and his oft-heard lament that PMT made his girlfriend into a she-wolf, Bodyform have issued a announcement from their "faux-boss". Caroline Williams precedes to inform men everywhere that they had indeed lied - lied to protect men from a truth that they couldn't handle - that there is no happy period!!!!
The best line has to be "The blood coursing from our uterus like a crimson landslide". Thank god one sanitary towel provider has the balls to actually say what their business is all about. I also LOVE the blue liquid on the desk which she drinks - mocking the blue liquid often poured onto sanitary towels to suggest their absorbency in adverts. Because the truth of the whole thing is just so ghastly - yes we women also fart.
This was what the advert is a response to:
Richard Neill to Bodyform 8 October at 21:30 via Mobile ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi , as a man I must ask why you have lied to us for all these years . As a child I watched your advertisements with interest as to how at this wonderful time of the month that the female gets to enjoy so many things ,I felt a little jealous. I mean bike riding , rollercoasters, dancing, parachuting, why couldn't I get to enjoy this time of joy and 'blue water' and wings !! Dam my penis!! Then I got a girlfriend, was so happy and couldn't wait for this joyous adventurous time of the month to happen .....you lied !! There was no joy , no extreme sports , no blue water spilling over wings and no rocking soundtrack oh no no no. Instead I had to fight against every male urge I had to resist screaming wooaaahhhhh bodddyyyyyyfooorrrmmm bodyformed for youuuuuuu as my lady changed from the loving , gentle, normal skin coloured lady to the little girl from the exorcist with added venom and extra 360 degree head spin. Thanks for setting me up for a fall bodyform , you crafty bugger
I seriously hope that this advert will usher in a new time of frankness in advertising for women's sanitary products. There is nothing to be ashamed of - its natural - every woman has them. So why shouldn't we call a spade a spade. Good for you Bodyform! From now on I will be choosing your pads to catch the crimson landslide from my uterus.
Oh and here is an example of one of those skirting around the issue adverts of yore:
Thanks to my favourite cat-spotting planner James for sending me this funny advert for the new Toyota Corolla. The story is of a persian who has a bad paw and has to endure what is every normal cat's worst nightmare - a trip in a car to the vet. Cats hate this shit. My cat Maisie yowls for the entire journey - no matter if it takes an hour! But this cat is in a Toyota Corolla. He enjoys his ride in the car so much that he uses up all of his nine lives in orchestrating accidents to get more trips to the vet. What he likes about the car so much seems to be the dashboard - bit weird. But then each to their own fetish I say.
But seriously a Corolla? - dat cat gotta try a jag!
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi, Auckland, New Zealand Client: Toyota New Zealand
You know why cats are always the bad guys? Coz they're just smarter than dogs and they are deadly. My kitten Ziggy slashed my sister's hand this week and my other kitten Bailey slashed my thigh a few weeks ago. Both bled a lot. Look they enjoyed it - that's why they are high-fiving!
Think they can get around me by being super cute!....oh ok then maybe I'll give them some more biscuits.
Wanna pull more boys? Want a date - like - now? Well look no further. Here is makeup guru Shannon's guide to doing like SO attractive makeup that boys might just dump their girlfriends for you.
Ok so maybe not. But don't you know people who must seriously believe this? My Secondary school was full of them. One girl in my class used to shave her eyebrows off and pencil them in higher up her forehead.
Now here's a confession. Sometimes I find it really fun to do a few chav makeup things. And sometimes I go too far. Well I am a swansea girl! At my University reunion I faked tanned myself twice over. I thought I looked the bomb. But in all the photos of me I look orange next to everyone else. Lesson is - only chav it up when amongst similarly minded people.
Oh and this was the worst photo of the night - the candlelight and the quality of the camera wasn't helping my cause....Tangoed. As my aunty kindly told me recently "you have some awful pictures of yourself online". Nothing like family to keep your feet on the ground.
Check out Beautylish for a bunch of really great makeup and hair demos. Don't worry, my university reunion look isn't there.
Anyone remember the Fast Show sketch where each week a farmer came out of his shed and said "this week I have been mostly eating broccoli/ baked beans/ flans"?
Well here's what I've been mostly doing this week:
This week I have been mostly reading about Jimmy Saville being a kiddy fiddler.
For my American readers benefit Jimmy Saville was a TV presenter and radio DJ who presented two very popular and influential children's programs: "Top of the Pops" and "Jim' ll fix it" - a wish fulfilment program. Here is a clip of him in Jim'll Fix it:
When I worked on UK TV Gold a few years ago my partner and I had an idea for an advert featuring Jimmy Saville. "Wouldn't it be great if we got Jimmy Saville and fixed today's children's wishes on our adverts?", said we, all smiles and innocence. "Errrr...no....you can't have children in a room with Jimmy", came the reply. People in the BBC have since admitted that Jimmy's taste for sexually assaulting teenagers was an "open secret". It certainly seems that way which is a shocking failing on the part of our beloved BBC.
You can see Jimmy's exposure in this ITV documentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fka6l2X0j-Y
This week I have been mostly giving up alcohol
This was after three successive drunken nights and awful hangovers. One saw me forgetting my pin number, crying because I'd forgotten it, and getting taken all the way to Essex in a cab because I didn't notice the taxi driver had mistaken my slurring for a different address. I then slumped on the doorstep unable to fit my key in the lock and had to be rescued by a sleepy boyfriend. After these experiences I am forsaking alcohol for a month. When I announced this on Facebook my friends were dismayed. Turns out they might like drunk Aimee better than the sober me.
Yes, sober me is a bore.
This week I have been mostly enjoying having purple hair.
I'm rather unadventurous - or so my boyfriend told me last night. Dying a purple streak in my hair was an act of rebellion and fun. And now I have it I want more. MORE PURPLE! MORE MORE! And it makes me feel different - cooler, more kick-ass, stronger. When I wore my black halter neck dress on saturday the purple hair made me look like a goth. It's like being 17 again. I love it.
This week I have been mostly watching The Paradise on BBC1.
I love a good gentle costume drama. The Paradise is in the same vein as Downton Abbey. Surprisingly even my boyfriend liked it.
Today I've decided to look at some of the music videos which NME have in their 100 best videos of all time list. Here are the ones I agree with. Plus I'm gonna also add some of my own. Coz this is my blog innit. Enjoy.
Firstly here's Muse with Knights of Cydonia. It's a massive western and there is a unicorn and some laser guns and a hot chick and basically it's a teenage dream. A hilarious one.
I've loved Metallica ever since I was 17 and I watched my Boyfriend's mates' band The Fire Breathing Penguins play Enter Sandman in our local in Swansea. Here they are with Turn the Page and a sad video about a woman selling her body to raise her daughter. Its beautifully done.
This is a dark one - but we are coming up to Halloween so why not - Monster by Kanye West, Jay Z and Nicky Minaj. It's kinda wrong but I like it. It's the goth in me.
Phew after the living dead we could do with some Catholic church time right? Madonna's Like a Prayer should do the trick. Oh and look she had a black Jesus before Lady Gaga. Madonna is right - she's a little copycat! I've just noticed Madonna dances like my Mum in this video.
Here's another poor sinner - Lady Gaga poor dab is in love with Judas. How could she do that to sexy Jesus? Oooh she loves a bad boy. This video is amazing just for the costumes, let alone the religious symbols. But there are also some awesome dance moves here for you to learn and produce in a club near you.
Talking about dancing there's some wonderful slow mo- dance moves here. This is the Knife with Deep Cuts. It might be the beauty of this female impersonator's calmness but this is mesmerisingly haunting and beautiful. Never heard of these guys before I saw this video.
This one is funny. In Jane's Addiction's Been caught stealing a bunch of interesting characters go shoplifting in a supermarket then everyone, including an acrobatic granny, does a bit of dancing. That's always a winner isn't it - a dancing granny?
Here's a clever one - and one that I remember coming out. REM with Imitation of life. The video is one scene fastforwarded and rewinded over and over so that you can focus, with the help of the camera with everything that is going on at the same time. It's a bit like being God - making you omnipresent. Imagine if you could do this at real parties.
Ok - I know I've already featured Lady Gaga but her videos are just so good! And this one has Beyonce too so it's like, totally diff! So many good things in this one - nice little story line, great cigarette glasses and some great costumes for both girls.
This one is just so outrageously funny it has to feature. I mean girl look at that body! LMFAO with Sexy and I Know it.
Finally MIA with Bad Girls which is shot somewhere that looks like Afghanistan or something but it's actually Morocco. It was shot in solidarity with thewomen to drive movement, so it has a political message. GOOOO MIA!
Ok so there are obviously lots of other great music videos out there. I didn't include some like Gangham Style because I have featured them very recently on my blog. Please let me know if you have a video you think is worthy to add to the list. Over and out.
I've just stumbled upon a very funny website called Review Of My Cat. http://www.reviewofmycat.com
Some owners seem blown away by the sheer beauty of their cats. Others are less rosy-tinted.
Here are some choice excerpts:
Cat: Rascal Sociability: C Rascal is very bi-polar. One minute, she’ll be sitting peacefully behind the couch, and the next, she’ll jump on the back to attack my head, as if possessed by a demon (true story). I believe that while humans are not around to look at her, she relaxes in a chair, wearing a beret, and smoking one (of many) cigarettes. I’m convinced she’s French.
Cat: HRH Ping (of the Ping Dynasty)
Appearance: B
He has a fine, if unmemorable, gray tabby stripe
Henry Rollins
Usefulness: F
Henry does nothing. ever. He’s good at mowing the lawn while i garden and then throwing it up as soon as we come back inside.
Cat: Gordon Sociability: B You don’t pick Gordon up for a cuddle, he comes to you when there’s a gap in his schedule. Perhaps Sheila (his sister) acts as his secretary. It would explain why she lazes by the fire all day, its probably acting as her desk and she’s making appointments for Gordon when she sees us sit down.
And this is my favourite:
Cat: Eisenhower Appearance: B
His black fur sets off his striking yellow eyes, and if you didn’t know better you’d think this is a regal feline. It’s not. This cat is a moron.
So I've decided to do one about my kitten Bailey. I chose Bailey not Ziggy because he is the most useless of the pair and definitely the weirder sibling.
Today one of the organisers from Black Cab Sessions came to give a talk to my agency. If you haven't already heard of them and checked out their website then the idea is simple. Bands and musicians get in a black cab to give a stripped back extremely intimate gig that is filmed and put online. The organisers of these sessions try to pick interesting people with something new to give - whether they are very famous or unsigned and unknown. It has also meant they have turned down some pretty big names. In this process they have discovered many artists who have been seen on the platform and snapped up by record companies. This happened so often that Black Cab Sessions has now set up their own record company called BCS.
Watch this video to get a little taster:
The idea has also spawned a TV program which saw the 5 guys running Black Cab Sessions travel to New Orleans and New York to find musicians and talk to them about their areas and what makes them musically special.
Take a look at the website. It is full of gems - so far I have enjoyed sessions by I blame Coco, Richard Thompson, Death Cab for Cutie and Bonnie Price Billy. There really is something for everyone.
Oh my god I'm on a stupid music video binge! Gobbl gobble gooble!
Here's another gem. It's everybody's favourite musclebound helmet head He-Man singing LMFAO. And he's right. He is kinda sexy...didn't see that when I was 5. I was all about David Bowie as King Jared in the Labryinth. David Bowie is still sexier methinks but check out He-Man's 16pack.
Oh and another think - who came up with the name He-Man? Like, seriously! There was also She-Ra wasn't there - now that's a little better - like 'she who roars' or something. But He-Man? "He's a man!" - no shit sherlock. Well, maybe they thought they better be clear as he had longish hair. Yeh maybe that's it.
Do you like needless explosions, funny horsey dance moves and slightly fat korean men? Right!!!! I'm with you! EVERYONE does. So you will, like me, enjoy this song and pop video by PSY (Park Jae-Sang), hailing from the popular K-pop music scene in South Korea.
His "Gangham" video on YouTube is the most viewed K-pop video in history with over 100 million views on YouTube. It has also ranked no.1 on the iTunes Music Video Charts. Take that justin Bieber! PSY is famous in South Korea for his satirical style of music and sense of humor. Apparently he is credited with breaking down the stereotype among K-pop music lovers that male singers have to be good-looking and be able to dance well. Well, personally I love his easy to copy dance moves and might bust them out in a west end club next week. Ooh and check out this remix with LMFAO, Dev, Offspring and Bloodhound Gang.
This might not be in the best possible taste I admit but imagine if Steve Jobs came back as a hologram a la Tupak to present the iPhone 5!? It could happen...it would be weird...it might be like this:
Well I am certainly getting an iPhone 5. I've got my sim only contract and I'm gonna get in line and snap one up. So exciting. Don't ask why.
Ziggy and Bailey have been settling in well and have decided to start their own London Olympics. As they are the only participants so far they are set to take gold and silver in most sports. I say most because Bailey isn't great at all the categories.
GO TEAM GB KITTENS!
Shoe diving.
Both kittens love and excel at this sport. It involves jumping face first into a shoe - preferably a boot so that a kitten can get their whole head inside. Points for paws and head and velocity at which it is done. This sport is anyone's for the taking.
Ziggy practices this tricky sport
High jumping.
This sport really only has one qualifier: Ziggy, who gained a personal best when she jumped the baby gate. Bailey has yet to compete as his back legs don't leave the floor by more than a millimetre.
Running.
Ziggy is in a secure position to win gold. With the ability to chase a cat toy for over half an hour without getting bored. Bailey is trailing far behind and will need to learn to chase things that actually move - rather than picking on knots in wood.
Wrestling.
Bailey will take gold due to has bigger size and weight which he uses to his full advantage against his sister. Biting is permitted and both cats are great at the "whole jaw in mouth" move.
Boxing.
Both kittens are adept at getting a sneaky paw to each other's heads - a high scoring zone in boxing. Bailey is the bookies favourite due to his willingness to start a fight and see it through.
Pot holing
This sport is anyone's for the taking. Both kittens have climbed inside our chimneys and Ziggy managed to climb behind the toilet, giving it a good dust on the way. This will be an interesting category to watch.
Ziggy practices getting into tight spaces for the pot holing.
Climbing.
Both kittens are great at this although this method is practiced more by Bailey - mainly due to the fact he refuses to do any jumping.
Bailey in the climbing heats
Gymnastics
There is one clear leader in this field - Ziggy who's mid air acrobatics are a sight to behold - she has mastered the single twist jump, the backflip and the roll poly. Bailey is more of a floor display boy and has yet to master a graceful landing - too many faults in his performances so far.
Bailey throws shapes in the floor display.
If you would like to enter your cat into the London 2012 Kitten Olympics please send me a picture of your kitten's feats of athletic ability.
We picked up two new members of our family on Sunday - our little Siberians. The breeder named them Monica and Christopher. I think at this moment we might call them Ziggy and Bailey. Ziggy was going to be the little boy but the girl is completely mental and much more like a Ziggy.
Getting two kittens has so far worked out really well. They had each other for comfort on the journey and when they were scared coming into a new house. Now they tear around the house fighting and pouncing on each other rather than going for our feet. They both play, or they both sleep. They do most things together. So far, two is no more work than one, and far more fun.
Monica/Ziggy is smaller and thinner than her brother and has endless enthusiasm for chasing toys.
Christopher/Bailey is quicker to purr, seems more affectionate and is a real explorer - we've nicknamed him Christopher Columbus.
He loves crawling under things, through things and has even been up the chimney. My sister pulled him out looking rather sooty.
What's funny about getting these kittens is so many people have felt the need to warn me that they will wreck my house. They seem to think that I have made the decision to get cats without thinking about it. They speak to me as if I am a naive idiot who expects kittens to be little dolls who do what I tell them to do. Nope. I've had a kitten before - I know the drill. I am aware that my furniture will get scratched. I am aware that they will puke on my carpet. I am ok with that. Really. These things are replaceable and I don't get half so much joy out of them. And to those who have assured me they will shit everywhere, sorry to disappoint you but they are using the litter tray.
It's hard work being so brilliant so here's Monica having another snooze.
Grey Group, Singapore did these cute ads for 3M Lint Rollers - aren't they clever and cute? You immediately get the benefit and they make you smile.
BUT who ever gets a brief like this???? I've never been asked to advertise something so random. It's always faster broadband, mobile phones, ebay - big shit. So did 3M Lint rollers really approach Grey or did Grey have a good idea and go to them? Ah well, whatever the case I just wish they were mine.
Pigeons. One moment they are diseased flying rats. The next? Well they are taking part in the vermin Olympics and playing Jazz. I just wanna see what the squirrels will do to beat this.
Us people. We think the Olympics is all about us. But every 4 years thousands of vermin - squirrels, rats, pigeons also hold torch relays - some which stretch across the globe. Here is one such triumph - captured by Amael Isnard and Leo Bridle
There have been many iterations of Batman - through the comics, the animations, the comedic series and the films. He has owned different bat mobiles, faced different nemesis's, he has been lumbered with dodgy side kicks. This animation shows how every Batman iteration has changed the design of Batman's symbol - something which you might think has stayed constant. Great track too. Thanks to my colleague, the lovely Pauline, for this one.
London College of Fashion have produced a music video type film to show case the 2012 work of their students. I think it's very cool and it should act as a wonderful marketing piece for the course. I particularly like the brightly coloured fluffy jumper outfit. Love the music too.
On September 21st every year the United Nations have resolved that there will be an international Day of Peace. The day is the brain child of Jeremy Gilley, who is supported by Jude Law as well as other celebrity figures such as Angelina Jolie and Annie Lennox. Here is a film documenting the struggles that Gilley has faced in creating and promoting the day. Its an impressive film as well as an emotional one. It's an hour long but its well worth watching. It is particularly inspiring that one man could do so much in a world where people often think that individual voices are powerless.
So far Peace One Day has achieved a day of ceasefire with the Taliban in Afghanistan when children have been immunised, food drops, reunited child soldiers with their families and got people all over the globe to raise money for the peace effort.
So these are my Siberian kittens. They are coming home to live with me on the 29th of July.
This is my little girl. The breeder named her Monica. I originally wanted two boys - they grow bigger and they are reportedly more friendly. But actually Monica was such a charmer. She was the most happy to sit on my lap and play. Then she totally relaxed when I tickled her. So much so that she gave her first purrs (the Breeder said she hadn't purred yet) and stretched out between my knees, face planted down and fell asleep. She kept rolling about in her sleep like a baby and even had twitchy paws as if she was dreaming about chasing things. Super cute. I just had to pick her.
This is Chrstopher. He is the boy I wanted. He is actually a blue tabby so a different colour to all the others. Christopher wasn't so bothered about meeting me, but he was a lot calmer than his other brother Cormack who mewed pitifully whenever I picked him up. I hope Christopher will grow into a big cuddly boy and get on well with little Monica.
The problem is that I am getting used to referring to them as Monica and Christopher. Christopher isn't a cat name to me and ideally I wanted to name them both myself. I am currently trying to pick new names for them.
Here are some ideas so far:
MONICA
Lana (after Lana del rey)
Lyra (from Phillip Pullman's Dark materials trilogy)
My dad still hasn't got a band name. In fact I think he needs some help. If I had a band I'd name it Death Panda. In fact, I tried to write an ad about a band called Death Panda once. Maybe it was more like death advert as it didn't get bought.
Annnyyyyywayyyy...Dad's album cover still isn't pinned down. That's partly because the singer, his mate Steve, is sulking because he didn't want to call the album The Happy Shed. Nevertheless, I have been refining and making changes they suggest. Here are some of the more recent designs.
Creepy Shed has become a bit more friendly.
Crossed Guitars has gone all chalk board.
And Starburst had to go less happy clappy.
Let me know if you have a good band name for a group of retired rockers with a blues hue. I will put it to the panel.
Getty isn't the coolest. Stock imagery never is. But its pretty damn helpful to a creative like me. So I'm quite chuffed to see that they have a new clever advert by Almap BBDO. Poor Almap BBDO. They must have had to trawl Getty for weeks, perhaps months to put the images together to build this fun little film. Take a lookie.
Pinterest is the source for much of my discovery these days. I carefully choose who I follow and end up with a constant feed of beautiful pictures. One such was a Pin from the Saatchi Gallery of a gorgeous underwater image by Phoebe Rudomino. As well as creating a portfolio of personal projects she has worked documenting TV show and film underwater scenes - including, weirdly, Little Britain. She works from Pinewood Studios underwater stage and is, of course, a brilliant diver.
Here are some of her stunning images.
The Saatchi Gallery photo - taken on a Johnson and Johnson commercial.
From Plastic Soup - an exhibition exploring marine pollution.
