CUT Movie

Do you remember I mentioned in my previous blog, Happiness is… that my favourite adverts are often the warm inviting ones or the provocative ones that force you out of a comfort zone? I saw this clip for the first time last week at a judging event – I defy anyone to not be moved by it. 

It ran at some point during last year, did any of you see it? What were you thoughts? The advert works brilliantly for the fact that every action, word, movement up until that moment is so understated. It doesn’t scream danger, but there is a sense of foreboding. Our focus is on the victim and not the perpetrator.

Sadly domestic violence remains an ongoing problem. Did you know:

1 in 4 women will be a victim of domestic violence in their lifetime – many of these on a number of occasions.

One incident of domestic violence is reported to the police every minute. 

On average, 2 women a week are killed by a current or former male partner.

Domestic violence is never okay. For more information or advice please visit www.womensaid.org.uk

Alternative Fashion Week

Spitalfields hosts Alternative Fashion Week.

A row of skinny tall girls. I don’t see what’s so alternative?

Tokyo Innovation

I’ve always known that Japan is the world’s forerunner in technological innovation, but seeing what I saw at the Dentsu Tokyo Innovation exhibition was just sick! I don’t know where to start and finish; do I tell you about the new iPhone app that allows you to catch virtual butterflies across the room (I can see myself becoming addicted)? Or maybe I tell you about the Asahi newspaper giving a new perspective on the oldest advertising media? A simple insertation was delivered with each copy of the paper; as the reader moved it across the page it gave the illusion of movement. So clever. Then there’s this other app that allows static shuriken images on the wall appear to jump off the wall and activate videos on your phone. Don’t get me started on the sushi cuisine – our goody bags included wasabi Kit Kats!  Please promise me that you’ll go see it: Dentsu, Tokyo Innovation, 10 Hill Place, London, W1

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Hell hath no fury like a volcano scorned

From time to time, mother nature has this way of reminding us mere mortals that we are just that.

Eyjafjallajoekull, the volcano whose name I doubt anybody (bar the Icelanders) can pronounce has unleashed its seismic power and furore. 1941 was probably the last time we had a plane free sky line; we’ve regressed in time but not out of choice.

Until the winds change and Eyjafjallajoekull decides to simmer down, there’s nothing anybody can do. Nothing. For those stuck in beautiful holiday climes this may be a gift horse.

It hasn’t affected me personally and to be honest I hadn’t considered the true significance of the inconvenience until I spared a thought for those awaiting international life saving organs or trying to reach a desperately ill relative at short notice etc.

I bet the end of this saga can’t come a second too soon for UK based airlines who are shelling out £1million per hour in ‘putting up’ stranded passengers. Meanwhile P&O ferries are probably glad of the surge in business, best PR for them in a long while! Even poor old Whitney (as in Houston) has had to make her way over to continue her UK tour commitments sur le bâteau.

… Aha! News just in; Scotland and Northern Ireland are set to re-open their airspace in the next 24 hours. Looks like the dust is beginning to settle (sorry. I couldn’t resist)

Picture perfect

Six degrees of separation is a beautiful thing that can lead you to meet some very talented people. One such person is David Pattinson, who takes the best portrait and scenic photos ever. And he only does it as a hobby?!

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He needs to get his exhibition together!

Is Tiger out of the Woods?

So what do you make of the new Nike Tiger Woods advert? (Although none of my business) easy to say I was less than impressed by Mr Woods off course extra marital activities. However, what’s more to the point is the SOS style, desperate dual impact approach that’s been unleashed to issue his public/personal apology and save his professional career (and by that I mean sponsorship endorsement credibility). From the looks of things, the dude still knows how to swing a stic –  I mean club.  

Yeah, those doey eyes are pretty persuasive, but I feel a bit uneasy about the whole thing? Has Nike/Tiger crossed the line? Your dead dad’s voice? Really? To save your career? Mmm I’m not so sure – I just find it a bit too eery. What do you think? I mean, the guy’s still rich enough for his grandchildren, if not great grandchildren to never have to work again, shouldn’t he just let it ($$$) go?

Ps It didn’t take long for the spoofs to start rolling in. Take a look at this clip:

Promise me you won’t tell Chris!

I’m a culture vulture at the moment, there’s just no stopping me so based on this, I’m hoping that when Mr Ofili discovers that Kia and myself walked through his new exhibition at the Tate snapping away, he’ll forgive us :-s!

Take a series of exuberant paintings that have been in the making since 1992. An overwhelming use of  energetic colour, collage and elephant dung – yes, elephant dung! Add an artist who’s created his own contemporary  iconography combining Afro celebration, hip hop and gangsta rap with comic caricatures and Biblical imagery and there you have Chris Ofili’s current artistic offering.

My favourite bit was definitely The Upper Room, which offers a sensory experience through 13 paintings displayed amidst a very specific and orchestrated setting; Ofili collaborated with architect David Adjaye on this particular aspect and the end result is a very serene and divine experience.

The exhibition runs at Tate Britain until 16 May. I loved it! You have to see it, then come back and tell me what you think…

Afrodizzia

The Upper Room

Something for the Weekend

I LOVE this. Clever. Artistic. Integrity. Now all I need is a tux to start tight roping!

Sanaa’s Pride

 

Sanaa Lathan plays Maggie in Cat On A Hot Tin Roof

Ooo, very happy to see Sanaa Lathan featured in this month’s Pride magazine, which also gets a shout out from concreteloop.com (one, if not my favourite celebrity blog!) Sanaa’s just finishing up in A Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, where’s she’s played one of the lead characters, Maggie, for the past few months.

… Many moons ago I was a writer at Pride magazine; two of the most intereting years in my career thus far. I’ll have to fish out some of the articles I wrote and share them… In my time there I met and wrote about some living legends, Stevie Wonder perhaps tops it – one of the funniest men ever. I remain gutted that I didn’t manage to clasp a chat with the reigning super power that is Beyonce. On my wish list were also Oprah Winfrey and Nelson Mandela.

Pride magazine has been in existence for 18 years now and started as Europe’s only lifestyle magazine for women of colour. I’m still in touch with the team there who do a fantastic job. Would love to see where Pride takes itself; it should be soo much bigger than it currently is; I’m talking radio station, events, social/cultural commentary etc etc.

In the past advertising in black press has been a major challenge, but surely the tides turning? Did you know that the black hair care industry is worth $9billion dollars a year (and that’s just in the US), yet the advertising spend on it pales in comparison to products that target white women.  Chris Rock recently delved into this with his docu film Good Hair.

… On the subject of ‘good’ hair, I shall be re-visiting this after I see Regina Kimbell’s Nappy Roots at this weekends IBW Film Festival… more to follow.

General Election update as told by my good friend Eleanor Jeffrey at ITV News

Eleanor Jeffrey live from Downing Street

Ellie and I were on the same Broadcast Journalism course at Leeds University. It’s amazing to see her doing her thing (our tutor Judith Stamper would be proud!) Go Ellie, more good things to come!

… While we’re on the subject of the elections, I’m still none the wiser on who to vote for. Admittedly I haven’t gone out of my way to be as fully informed of each of the main parties policies as I could be, but I’m currently finding British politics a stale bore. Where’s the excitement, adrenaline fueled promise we saw through the Obama v McCain campaign trail?

British politics just doesn't have any buzz about it

There’s definitely been some influence imparted to Gordon, David and Nick, which we now see through the scheduled live debates and the touting of the WOPS (Wives of Politicians)

Mmmm… nobody’s swaying me as yet. I’m open to influence, bribery not needed. What are your thoughts on the pending elections, which issues are of most importance to you?