Ke$ha – Behind the Glitter
An Insight by Lauren Jane
Whether you like Ke$ha or think her song, Tik Tok, is commercialized garbage, there is no denying that she has now got herself a smash hit single.
Tik Tok hooks in the listener from the very beginning. Her playful and bizarre rapping style is so uniquely different from other pop-artists, and through this, she’s found a way to keep her fans wanting more. Sure she’s the definition of a commercialized pop star, but perhaps there’s a little more to her?
So what’s the real story behind this crazy, glitter-covered pop-sensation? With a wild collaboration of aesthetic elements, she effortlessly connects with the modern image of a pop star. Clearly she wants to make a statement and be remembered. She even felt the need to jazz up her name with a dollar sign. Read the rest of this entry »
An Insight by Andrew Howie
We are on the verge of a huge groundswell. We are under 100 days to the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. With that comes some amazing, and very expensive advertising. Every celebrity with an endorsement gets rolled out to be the backbone of brand campaigns. This leads to a huge amount of noise but some pretty cool work.
I have been working on a campaign for a large retailer who came to me asking for a ‘big idea’. Part of that is recognizing that you cannot outspend the big brands, so need to out think them.
As part of the strategy development we came across a really nice little insight. It is not the path we have gone down so I can share it with you safe in the knowledge I won’t get in trouble.
When supporting your team, all men are equal.( Meaning mankind) Read the rest of this entry »
The Founding of the Republic
A review by Michael MacRitchie
This is not your typical war movie. Instead of dwelling on bloodshed on the battlefield, The Founding of a Republic focuses on the psychological war between China’s Nationalists and Communists, and the complex negotiations of their power struggle. The inclusion of archival black-and-white footage, from pivotal battles such as as those at Huaihai and Pingjin to mao Zedong’s address to the nation after the was, effectively turns the film into a history lesson.
The movie chronicles a turbulent period during the chinese civil war, between the end of the Sino-Japanese war in 1945 and the official founding of the People’s Republic of China on 1 October, 1949. In a little more than 2 hours, the audience witness the most tumultuous times in China’s events in China’s recent past, including negotiations between Communists and Nationalist, the outbreak of Civil war and the subsequent retreat of the nationalists to Taiwan.
The big question on many people’s minds is: Was this movie going to be a massive propaganda piece about the evil Nationalists (KMT) and a whitewashed version of the Communist Party of China (CPC, aka CCP)? Read the rest of this entry »
Classic Beauties….
An insight by Andrew Howie
As a young boy growing up, my wall was covered in posters of women. It seems to be a rite of passage for all males as they negotiate through the mine field that is puberty.
Whilst some of these photos were merely old pages from Sports Illustrated calendars or pseudo-famous women from sports mags, there were a few truly iconic sirens. Women who were classically beautiful.
And they were beautiful in the days before air-brushing and other such trickery. I am talking about Sophia Loren, Farrah Fawcett, Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer and Elle Macpherson, just to name a few. I am sure that every man has a list of their own. Their top 5.
These women birthed the term ‘supermodel’. So hot were they, the term model just didn’t do them justice. Read the rest of this entry »
Lady Gaga and Beyonce Telephone video (a little racy!)
CNN reports that MTV banned Lady Gaga and Beyonce Telephone video; MTV says they didn’t. Monday, CNN reported that MTV pulled a Beyonce and Lady Gaga video because of its sexual and violent content. The music video, Telephone was released Thursday and has had over 13 million views on YouTube. The controversy over the Telephone video has created a ‘net buzz.
According to a CNN report released Monday night many Beyonce fans are questioning why she would be involved in such a video. Beyonce’s videos have been a little tamer. Even in the Telephone video, Beyonce is still more subdued then her lady counterpart is.
Lady Gagaon the other hand goes out all in the Telephone video and makes out with another woman, makes sexual advances and the video itself is quite violent.
MTV has attempted to contact CNN all day Monday about their report (which can be seen below until it is removed), but they have not received a response. MTV states that they have not banned the Beyonce and Lady Gaga video video.
Have we set the bar too high?
An opinion piece by Andrew Howie
Sports stars are in the entertainment industry. They compete against musicians, artists, opera singers and even clowns…. They compete for the disposable income of the masses. Why do we think they can be anything more than this? I find this idea of them being role models profoundly crazy. I believe that somewhere along the way we have become lost.
Why do we expect them to be gods both on and off the field? Why do we expect that these human beings should act impeccably all the time? Back in the amateur era, true legends were carved. They would train tirelessly whilst still holding down a professional occupation. They were first of all a lawyer, doctor or banker. And secondly they were a sports person. Do we ask too much from them these days? Should we not be satisfied with their sporting prowess? We expect that they will be immune to the attention and the advances that come from stardom.
Tiger Woods is a very high-profile example. As are Frank Lampard and his mate Ashley Cole. We have Brendan Fevola , Greg Bird and even Willy Mason in Australia. Every code has their bad boys. And every time they do something bad we seem shocked and once again disappointed. I believe that it is our unrealistic expectations that are the root of this problem. We build these little boys up to be gods and place them on a pedestal. All the way up there on the tight rope without a net, with a strong breeze blowing. Read the rest of this entry »
Chinese Music Scene?
This is an outsiders look into the Chinese Music industry told from the perspective of indie rock band ‘handsome furs’.
China Music Radar reports that In September 2009, China based promoter Split Works organized an 8 city Asian tour through China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam and Singapore. The tour was picked up by CNN, who gave Dan and Lex a pair of Flip Cameras to record their exploits. The article can be found here www.Chinamusicradar.com
It’s an interesting move on the part of the white collar, straight-laced news network, one that is well discussed in the comments section of the video series. CNN have also lined up with the Vice TV offshoot, VBS.tv, in a move to expand their audience. You can read more about the tie up HERE.
It’s a great set of excerpts, and a good insight into life on the road in Asia’s emerging circuit. Unfortunately, we cannot embed the video. To watch, you will have to go HERE. Read the rest of this entry »
The Old Foe
An insight by Andrew Howie
There is no secret in the fact I love sport. And by sport I mean all sport. If there are 2 people going head to head at anything, I’m in. If you asked me to choose between the Winter and Summer Olympics, my answer would be – ‘no dice’. I love them both equally.
I have been in a really good place the last few weeks with the Winter Olympics in full swing. Traditionally it opens with the Men’s Downhill. A fantastic event based on speed and the absence of fear. And to close the games, the Men’s Ice Hockey gold medal.
The organizers could not have hoped for a better game. USA v Canada. The host nation up against their biggest rivalry. Now if there is one thing that Canadians love, it is Ice Hockey. The only thing they love more is beating the USA at Ice Hockey.
The match was a nail biter. It was sent in to extra time with a goal in the dying minutes. 2 all. During the first period of overtime a hero was born. Already touted as the next big thing of the sport, Sidney Crosby slide the puck past the skate of the US keeper to snatch victory 3-2.
The crowd went wild. The nation went wild. And the capital erupted into a night of partying. Read the rest of this entry »
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