Nostalgia

(Because I don't want to write/think about football, let's write/think about something else)

Nostalgia's a funny thing. I don't know if I'm just imagining things or if my generation actually are obsessed with it. Every time we're sat in the pub, especially with my mates from home, conversation always seems to crawl into it's tardis and travel back in time. Not that I think nostalgia should be shied away from because really, who doesn't enjoy alcohol fueled discussions about which Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle was best (Leonardo obviously) or which high school teacher you fancied/despised (Mr Broderick/Ms Bestwick).

My circle of friends have all known each other for a good ten years, some even longer than that (I punched Jake in the face when I was seven) and I think we just like to cling on to the memories. Maybe it's because the past is certain and the future isn't. Talking about the previous makes us all feel a bit fuzzy and warm on the inside, (or maybe that's the beer?) but memory lies. Memory is whatever we want it to be. I think that maybe, when you leave teenage-dom, when you're seen as an actual adult, you feel the need for nostalgia. You finally feel "all grown up" and that you're now allowed to talk about the past with a glint in your eye and a knowing smile. Because the "old days" were so much better, weren't they? Actually no, in reality they probably weren't, it's that sneaky bugger nostalgia rearing his head again, he enjoys coddling you and telling you that, in the words of Slade, "the old songs were the best", so on and so forth. I can't believe I just quoted Slade, but I digress, my point is, I think us British have a sort of doomed attitude. We're always convinced everything is so awful nowadays and the past was a nice and happy place to be. Kids these days, they all have knives! Eee by 'eck I remember when a bag of salt 'n' vinegar was only 27p! Recession! Immigration! Terrorism! Yadda, yadda, yap, yap!

Just stop. Life really isn't that bad and back then, life really wasn't that good either. Yes, things change, but so do people. We adapt and just carry on living. Bad will always happen and believe it or not, so will good. Don't forget to remember that.

...bloody hell

I GOT A 2:1. OH HAPPY DAYS!

Why I'm Scared of Design Reason #1239328

Right. Wrong. They don't exist in this world of kerning and text alignment. Instead there's a non-existant list of imaginary ideals we adhere to. It's frightening. Why? Because everything is dependant on the eye and not the brain. (Obviously we don't discount Mr Brain entirely, he has his place in the creative process, I just think Mr Eye is higher up the metaphorical food chain) There is no right answer, there is no wrong answer, there is only simply what looks right and what looks wrong and well, if you don't know the difference, you're pretty much fucked. If you told me this doesn't scare you, I'd tell you that you were lying. Right and wrong make the world go around and when you're stuck in Purgatory, it's a little mind boggling. Maybe that's exactly what design is; Purgatory. It lounges in the middle as it waits for it's inhabitants to make up their creative little minds. But perhaps it's just me, I've always been one who likes things black and white, you're either right or you're wrong and that's it. I don't like middle ground and I don't like sitting on the fence so to be in a place where the answers aren't so easily defined, yes, it's a tad frightening. Someone hold me.

Dumb

In relation to my previous post, I think they should show this advert to any male aged over 18 who still uses Lynx.



(Also, Ben Reed has a perfect face/everything)

WakeUp&SmellTheMisogyny

"Because girls like you to remember things...like their names. Wake up and stay alert." - Lynx print ad 2010
(Image credit: http://www.feministing.com/archives/021341.html)

Ah, the sweet smell of misogyny, how you warm my feminist cockles on your ever so manly open fire.

Believe it or not, Feminism really isn't my thing, (yes it gave us the vote and (more) equal rights, but it also gave us the impression that those naughty things with penis' are trying to keep us sistas down and that's just silly) I believe Feminism can be as damaging as misogyny if utilised incorrectly. Case in point, this highly intellectual piece of print advertising for Lynx aka the essence of boyhood puberty (because really, what self respecting man actually wears Lynx deodorant? Anybody? No? Good).

The chaps (I assume they're chaps?) behind this ingenious print ad obviously know who their target audience are, (teenage virgins) and for that I'll give them an ounce of credit, but for that only. These guys are incredibly lazy and that just pisses me off. How long do you think it took them to come up with this concept? Ten minutes or so? I mean, how much will these spanners be getting paid to come up with a "creative" solution to sell Lynx? A shitload more than the average worker is my guess. Advertising should be witty, it should be well thought out and, well, y'know, it shouldn't be sexist. Obviously they're not trying to appeal to the female population so it's ok to annoy the living shite out of us, isn't it? Aren't these ads as offensive to males as they are to the females? Don't they just assume that the most important thing in a man's life is shagging as many different women as possible, so much so you can't even remember any of their names? Yes, because this is certainly a quality I look for in a man. Oh, you wear Lynx? You fucking stud, c'mere! I certainly know I can't help myself, I smell Lynx on a man(?) and I immediately de-robe and throw myself at him, for I am a female and therefore, by the rules of Lynx, will always fall for the sweet smell of excessive teenage masturbation. Must be The Lynx Effect, eh ladies?

Perhaps I'm over-thinking it all. Perhaps they know that sex(ism) sells and therefore just keep on abusing it. Perhaps I'm just too bloody defensive for my own good.

Now, I'm not saying that I want a fluffy world of rabbits where boys and girls sit around and plait each other's hair while sharing biscuits and chocolate, I'm not saying that at all. I actually love a bit of sexist banter, what I don't like is mindless adverts such as the above which makes it seem like sexism is actually ok when in fact it's really bloody ugly. But what can you do eh? Sexism has always existed and it always will. There will always be lazy advertisers who use it to sell things. Way of the world, it won't change but that doesn't stop me being incredibly wound up by this relatively small injustice.

I guess I just hate that some idle tools make money by employing such lazy, lazy, lazy bastard advertising tactics. As my mother would say, "get a real job." Be able to actually grow a beard and wear real aftershave, then we can talk.