Now, I didn't get a chance to take any childhood literacy classes in library school, and I'm certainly not opposed to using technology to teach, and of course reading can be fun... But I think the Journal of Amphibious Species is being unfairly maligned in this commercial. Don't you? That little kid isn't going to be so flippant when his science project on pants wearing sea sponges gets an F.
My favorite from this year is Irn Bru's The Snowman, which is a spoof of "Walking in the Air" from Raymond Brigg'sThe Snowman:
I think the ads were weaker in general this year than last, but there were a few good ones, and a handful that were parodies of ads from last year.
My Favorites:
Greenpeace Gas Guzzlers Viral
Tango Clear Bravo (see Sony Bravia)
118 118 Choir viral (see Honda Choir)
Airwaves Alien Welcome
Ask.com Wanderer
Autotrader/MTV 12 Days of Christmas
Sky One Come Home to the Simpsons
Oven Chips Sunflower Park (parody of Oliver's "Food Glorious Food")
Nimble Builder
Xfm Roadies
Pot Noodle Noodle Mine, Italy/Wales, Song, Fuel Crisis
Talk Talk Balloon, Bird, Dandelion
And the Thinkbox Award for the Best Television Commercial of the Year: Bravia Paint
It's Cookie Monster's fault that I like to smoke pipes and then eat them:
Sweeping the Clouds Away
"What they did to us was hard-core. Man, was that scene rough. The masonry on the dingy brownstone at 123 Sesame Street, where the closeted Ernie and Bert shared a dismal basement apartment, was deteriorating. Cookie Monster was on a fast track to diabetes. Oscar’s depression was untreated."
I didn't watch the Superbowl. I don't know who won. I'm not even sure who played. But I just finished watching the Superbowl commercials over at ifilm and I can tell you that I'm very dissapointed. Last year's ads were much better.
I guess this one was pretty good:
And of course I liked the suicidal GM Robot.
Honorable mentions to: Garmin Ultraman, Career Builder Office Jungle, Sprint Connectile Disfunction, Bud Light Hitchhiker, and Nationwide K-Fed.
This is a bit late, but these were my favorites from the 2006 British Television Advertising Awards.
Cravendale "The Hinted"
Smirnoff Red "Love"
Stella Artois "Le Sacrifice"
Lynx "Halloween"
Peugeot 1007 "Easy Life"
Virgin Trains "Return of the Train"
Johnnie Walker "Paintings"
United Nations Mine Action "Kick Off"
COI Anti-Smoking "Fingerlegs"
Lynx "Ravenstoke"
Volkswagen Golf Gti "Singin' in the Rain"
Honda Civic "Choir"
Stella Artois "Ice Skating Priests"
Guinness "noitulovE"
Sony Bravia "Balls"
Hopefully the Internet really will kill the video star.
Who has had more plastic surgery, Axl Rose or Kenny Rogers?
I think I might have to go back to hating The Killers.
But not as much as I might have to hate Panic at the Disco.
One of these things just doesn't belong...
30 Seconds to Mars
AFI
Panic at the Disco
Pink
Lou Reed
Why, why, why didn't I listen to my remote control? Damn you MTV!
I am afraid for the world. Thank God and MTV my ASSSSSSSSSSS!
Heros of the show included:
Those treadmills
That douchebag who thanked people for 15 minutes after winning "ringtone of the year"
Missy Elliot's Power Wheels breaking down on stage
the pelvis
Raconteurs
and lastly... my remote control for turning it off early.
Bomb Squad Guy, you were a plot device. They didn't give you enough body armor. They didn't give you the right equipment. They made you do things that were completely illogical. They blew you up. And to add insult to injury, they never again acknowledged your existence.
Sure you were gruff, but you were there to disarm a bomb. You kept your cool when all anyone else could think about was their relationship problems. You saved Seattle Grace. You took the bomb from Meredith and she watched you explode.
I'm not saying you didn't see this coming. You were never meant to be a recurring character. I mean, how many episodes are going to require a bomb squad guy? Meredith couldn't fall in love with you because she is never going to get over Derek--that's practically the premise of the show. And after two episodes, someone had to blow up, right? That's just good TV. But for Meredith, someone with such a fondness for voice-overs and epiphanies, to get showered in your "pink mist" and have nothing better to reflect on than her inability to remember the last time she and Derek kissed was just cold.
But I love you Bomb Squad Guy. You were the only character with a brain. Happy Valentine's Day.
Big thanks to my professor for letting our class break at 7:50pm last Wednesday to watch the last 10 minutes of "America's Next Top Model." This cycle was pretty dull, but it was still fun to see who won.
I did my reference desk observation a few weeks ago, and I got my "reference is cool" button in the mail the other day. Actually, reference does seem pretty cool.
That's 3 down 9 to go.
Next semester I'm taking "Internet Fundamentals and Design."
Ok, so I haven't actually been watching "Rockstar: INXS" but I caught the end of tonight's finale and one thing seems obvious:
When the world premier of your new / first song as INXS front man takes back seat to Brooke Burke's PA on how to apply for next season's "Rockstar" you know you are doomed. I mean, it will be over soon enough--at least let him finish his world premier.
So, did they ever actually acknowledge that Michael Hutchence existed? And I guess the big question is, who is going to kill themselves so we can have a next season?
Using my uncanny ability to predict the future, I see... Rockstar: Alice In Chains.
Rockstar: INXS
I'm not sure what upset me more about last night's episode: Listening to the Creed song or listening to the Violent Femmes song. I've never been one to romanticize the past, but this could be the final nail in the coffin for any nostalgia I had left for my youth. "Blister in the Sun" is now dead to me. I've graciously shared it and "Add it up" with frat boys and sorority girls for years but now ... consider yourself warned. If I ever hear "Country Death Song" sung on reality TV by anyone other than Gordon Gano I'm going to throw you down a well.
And I can't believe I'm going to agree with Navarro, but why would anyone sing a Violent Femmes song in a vocal competition? Even I can sing Blister in the Sun.
Anyway, I didn't reallize there was a local on "Rockstar." Jordis is from St. Paul, and now that I think about it, I think there is a Fighting Tongs video on the Sound Unseen DVD I got a couple years ago. I don't think I cared much for them. She's a pretty good singer though. Not that that means I'm going to tune in again tonight. I swear I'm done with this tripe.
I'm not a big fan of reality TV, but I do like stupid ("America's Next Top Model" and "Project Runway" = wonderful stupid reality TV.) A few weeks ago, I saw an ad for "Rockstar: INXS" and decided it looked too stupid to be funny. But on a recent stalk of electricsix.com I read that DV was looking for someone to watch the show for him while he was in London. I'm not usually one who likes being told what to do, but anything for DV, right? So, I dutifully tuned in.
What a waste of a half hour! I love getting a laugh at another's expense as much as the next person, but this was just embarrassing. I don't think I can even begin to explain the things that were wrong about it. Basically it's American Idol, but with an air of superiority. Which is quite ironic. Michael Hutchence must be rolling in his grave. I mean, did anyone even know who the other members of INXS were? When the only recognizable member of a band dies, does not the band die with him? A professor I work with calls this sort of nonsense "trademark bastardization." I am sort of curious to see how this plays out. Will people who rock accept a reality TV star front person? Will people who pop accept a band of middle aged former rockers? Do people even remember who INXS is?
I think the worst of it was when Brooke Burke said that no one could have seen the double elimination coming. What!? Of course we could see it coming! What else could have been done? This sort of contrived artificial tension is classic reality TV formula. I would have been shocked if they HADN'T eliminated both of them.
On second thought the worst may have been when the drummer and the bassist from INXS "spontaneously" decided to get up and play with the band.
But then again, the worst of it may have been when Dave Navarro pretended to tear up after the elimination.
Or the worst of it could be that depite being totally repulsed by this show, the odds are pretty good that I'll watch it again. Way to go DV. Way to go.
Actually, the worst (or was it the best?) part may have been that later that evening as I pondered aloud, "How could DV have been so wrong? First fish tacos and now this..." my friend replied with sly, "Shannon, I think there are probably A LOT of things Dick Valentine likes that you don't."
Well, probably, but I get the last laugh. (Dick Valentine isn't real. He's a rock star persona created by a guy named Tyler Spencer who I know nothing about. The specifics of DV's personality have been imagined by me to perfectly suit the elaborate fantasy world I have created as a result of either being under-stimulated by my real life or not eating enough vegetables.)
Ha ha ha.
As I was channel surfing last night, I happened across a segment on MSNBC's "Countdown" called "Michael Jackson Puppet Theater." Basically, it's reenactment of courtroom scenes using real audio recordings and paper head cut-outs glued to wood sticks--sort of like my version of puppet theatre with Jack and Meg and Dracula. I can't deny that I thought it was kind of funny, but I would have felt better about it if it had been on MTV or SNL and not the "news."
By now I think it's safe to say without ruining the surprise for anyone, that I am quite pleased that Jay won "Project Runway."
"Pompeii: The Last Day"
Or as Vesuvius Burns...
So the other day I tuned in to the Discovery Channel eager to learn about the last day of Pompeii. What I got was a dramatic reenaction worthy of Days of our Lives. For example, when Vesuvius erupted a business man named Stephanus was at a cheap hotel with his favorite slave girl leaving his wife, Fortunata, to manage the shop. After the slaves abandoned her she grabbed what valuables she could and attempted to flee on foot only to end up taking shelter with a gladiator (who according to graffiti found in Pompeii was a "heartthrob") in his barracks. In the last few moments, she found "comfort" with the gladiator as well. Stephanus died in the streets clutching a bag of money. Now, I don't know much about archeology, but I think they took a few artistic liberties with this special.
The second half of the special focused on modern day Italy and hammered home how everyone near Vesuvius is screwed because it's thought the volcano will erupt again soon.
Very melodramatic. Is it any coincidence that Stephanus sounds an awful lot like Stephano?
Last night I watched The Day After Tomorrow to round out my week of not-so-realistic disaster movies. It was entertaining but stupid.
Thank you to Scott, who heroically taped ANTM for me so that I didn't have to drop out of school. I have to say, it really hit the spot. Although, I'm not sure about these new girls--they don't seem very interesting.
I sure as hell won't know because I'm going to stupid class tonight and have to miss the premier. Damn personal betterment.