‘One’s condition on marijuana is always existential. One can feel the importance of each moment and how it is changing one. One feels one’s being, one becomes aware of the enormous apparatus of nothingness — the hum of a hi-fi set, the emptiness of a pointless interruption, one becomes aware of the war between each of us, how the nothingness in each of us seeks to attack the being of others, how our being in turn is attacked by the nothingness in others’
A friend of mine was recently regaling a tale about a mate of hers who attacked her with a violently drunken hug one night that annoyed the hell out of her. I listened to her appalled crusade about beer-smelling, sweaty and slurred ‘I lurrve youuu maa friend’ style hugs- and how ‘not on’ they were and agreed it was rather unthoughtful. I chimed in with my own version of Hugs Gone Horribly Wrong; like when the hugger is a random stranger and you can’t seem to escape their grasp? Or the hugger comes at you at a funny angle and almost causes accidental strangulation to the huggee?
Wow. Who would have thought such a simple, modest act of affection and communication, could be so ill received when mistimed or misjudged? We were well into it; the discussion about the other friend and her drunken hugs- which is only an issue because this friend only gets ‘huggy’ whence in a suitably sozzled state and we were enjoying playing psychologist in the second instance about why this was.
My friend however, in her defense about being seemingly unaffectionate herself in the said incident; opened a whole new can of unembraced worms when she said; “And I’m all for hugs! I love hugs, I mean; we don’t seem to get very many in this town!” And just like that, our perceptions of affection were forever changed.
It had crossed my mind, only briefly a month or so before that, that we ‘nomads’, on solo missions of life experience or soul searching- or whatever it was you told your mother so you could make The Great Escape- are living in this big city, that would sooner pinch you for a penny than kiss you for a pound, and are likely going days without any physical contact.
Unless you live with your partner (in which case, stop reading and go grab a hug or two on principle) or make a point of hugging your housemates ‘hello’ or goodnight’ daily; you’re probably only greeted with this simple but incredibly satisfying bodily interaction when you meet up with mates on the weekend. And then, is it just an obligated exchange or do you consciously mean it and feel it?
My friend and I sat in revered silence for a few moments after that. This is probably not the time to say, ‘It was hectic bru!’ But it was. So much can be conveyed through the brief connection of a hug; love, happiness, support, comfort, friendship, solidarity, and the simple understanding of being another bloody South African in London! Well, we thought that was something to hug about anyways… Spread the hug.
Well, if there’s ever a time to be in London at the wrong time, the time is probably now. There’s this nasty ‘recession’ thing going on, which sure wasn’t on the promo leaflet when I signed up to be shipped over! Inflation is going up; it’s more expensive to eat, drink and pee, advertisers use the ‘R’ word in a bid to scare us into buying more things we don’t need- at a cheaper price. People strike, bitch, wear grey and generally mope about and there’s a serious spell of Heathrow injection about to make a winter landing.
Now I’m all for a little comfort eating, but gals and pals, the season of The Big Chill in The Big Smoke, is a time to watch your Krispy Kremes. In fact, watch someone else eat them- you’d be surprised how rewarding this will feel! Look, its bad enough we Saffa’s lose our Golden Delicious glow and take on an unconvincing pasty shine but getting a bit more fluff around the edges is just not worth the shares in Mac D’s in the long run- and seriously, that Ronald is such a clown- who is he kidding by not having The Quarter Pounder Deluxe on the menu, right?
We people of the rainbow nation need to look out for each other and it starts right here- yes you; with the Walkers Crisps and the Cherry Coke in you’re mitts- that’s just not lunch-to-go! As my roommate likes to say before dishing out big mugs of red wine, “No problems, only solutions”! So I thought of a few that might be worth our weight in Shish Kebab to help us combat this dreaded virus.
The first is ‘Team Soup’ and none of you will like it, but it involves everyone adding a veg to the pot, kind of like a punch but not… No? Okay, how about a Beer Diet? Did I hear a ‘whoop whoop’? We’d get our Carb and starch intakes, wouldn’t feel the cold and would enjoy perpetual drunken slumber and wake up when it’s over? No, never? We could line up in a SW common close to the airport on winters first morning (you’ll know when), and, Tennis racquets ready, bat the first big plane that tries to land? Well, if none of these or deportation appeal; don’t say I didn’t try help! Happy Heathrow Injection, the next round of Jaffa Cakes is on me!
BPM MAGAZINE 2009
Let’s start with the great eyeliner debate. Now before you jump down my throat and protest that a mans’ ‘metro-sexuality’ must surely end well before the painting of nails and the gentle fainting of make-up, I’m only suggesting you explore the idea if only to develop opinions, of course, so there’s no- immediate- cause for concern or self defense! Seriously… masochism aside- would you or wouldn’t you? Let me break it down further; have you ever, in your own personal capacity, fantasised about applying a layer of kohl eyeliner to the rims of your eye lids? Too far huh? Well… If recent billion dollar cosmetics companies launching dedicated men’s facial and skincare ranges are anything to go by, you may start to wage that war of conflict (would it be a war?) to decide you’re personal stance on, say, The Manscara.
You snigger now- but I bet you didn’t really believe 5 years ago, that today you’d be a loyal consumer of their well rounded ‘mind-warm-up’ manipulation scheme. Yes, that’s Men’s facial scrubs, washes and moisturizers to you Sonny Boy! Fine, it’s a conspiracy theory of mine- but the fact your mind is now bashfully wandering over the bottles and tubes in your bathroom cabinet is my point exactly. And now that you’re silently arguing that ‘men have just as much right to look after their physical appearance beyond a shave and hair gel, only further proves my point- which is: My, how times are a changing!
Jared Leto is unapologetically the posterboy for eyeliner- and skinny jeans for that matter- and some ladies, myself included, can’t help but see the slanted sexual appeal to a boy that’s just too girly for his own good. There’s something so ‘I’m-already-so-hot-and-manly-and-I-know-it-so-I-can-look-like-a-girl-if-I-want-and-get-away-with-it’ about it that you can’t help but be slightly wooed by the sheer balls of it. But then, I confess, I am guilty of dating men a little more on the pretty side of ‘prettyboy’. I am seeking help for this, however, I draw the line at dating a guy who wear pants tighter than mine.
That out the way; this is not merely about the female or males perspective on wearing makeup, women generally, myself included, again, would rather not have to arm wrestle their boyfriend for the eye pencil each morning and likewise many men would rather use it to poke their eyeballs out- more than understandably so! But my theory spans beyond this.
Whilst men are being ‘softened’ up by marketing which enforces men to have preferences on a wider variety of lifestyle related topics- healthcare, fashion and even diets; women are being ‘manned’ up in a similar way by advertising that essentially bullies us into adopting a mans purchasing mentality. Women are buying faster cars, lifestyles and generally spending more than before- and they were spending more to begin with. Many women will admit to keeping up with men whilst drinking– or straight up drinking them under the table and thinking none too much about it, never mind that we’re still not genetically designed to do this. Before, it was men who received a public bad rap for rowdy, self indulgent behavior and the women who sat back and ‘tut-tutted’ over their testosterone charged irrationality. Just a few ways gender roles are changing in the 21st century.
But mostly I wanted to talk about men wearing make-up. Basically, cosmetic marketers sat about in a slow moving brain storm session one day, (having decided that women’s mascara had worked every potential marketing ploy possible- they can only be so long and so black), debating how to now extort the male market of more money- since men are severely lacking in leverage in the Consumer Kingdom. An artful and quirky guy called Fabio- or Arnold-, with rounded black specs, a slightly high-pitched voice and manicured fingertips suddenly announced with glee; “I know! Let’s convince manly-boys that it’s cool to be more… pretty?”And they rest, as they say, is now made in Italy and features prominently on the catwalks of Milan. Or something like that.
It seems in Europe, the UK and parts of Asia, men are ‘coming out’ en force to take advantage of the new fashion opportunities available to them- and for the first time, the Westernised front is lagging- they still wanna be ‘gansta yo!’ But men have long bitched about not having as many fashion choices as women and now that the closet doors have finally opened, revealing shorts, shirts and pants in more than two designs or four colour options; it really is to be seen weather (the proverbial) ‘he’ gets involved and gets creative.
Essentially, it’s less about feminism (I was merely having a dig) but more about liberation and gender equality- a coin that clearly flips both ways. Why should we ladies have all the fun and self expression? Grab a pencil and give it a whirl! Think about it… after all, you’re worth it too!
MrSpencer 2007
Pop culture is an incredibly interesting thing- here today, gone tomorrow, back again next week! People spend a small fortune each year buying into the commercialism of the latest fads, only to see them quickly become ‘so passé!’ If you’re not quick to bounce with the bend- you’ll be the geek in green when everyone else is back to ‘black is the new black’ and left feeling like a leprechaun without its rainbow!
Think of an item, concept or stigma. Be it clothing, accessories, shoes, spirituality, technology, hair styles, games, lingo (anyone said ‘radical’ lately?), toys, décor, jewelry, music, movies, social norms, and even diets- chances are it was the next best thing since sliced bread years ago already- yes, as in “been there, done that, got the retro t-shirt and gained 10 kilo’s!”. You’d be surprised at the everyday fads we- briefly- objectify before moving onto the next- even if you think you don’t and swear you wont- you do! The trends of the 21st century has seen many revivals of past popular culture, from the 70’s and 80’s in particular, aside from some real obvious advancements- technology achievements in the last 10 years have only incredibly developed further- it really is ‘The same shit; different day!’
Let’s start with those Aviator Sunglasses you’re wearing.
Aviator sunglasses were a style developed by Ray-Ban in 1937, their name came from its oblique teardrop shape, which matched those of the flying goggles Ray-Ban was selling to the Army and Navy. Pilots found the goggles gave them an unsightly tan and the oversized sunglasses were developed to hide the white eye areas, while allowing a limited amount of sunlight through and thus tanning the skin to match the rest of the face naturally. Aviator shades picked up in fashion circles again in the 1960’s, while never wavering in popularity amongst American Law Enforcement (No, really!) Enter Tom Cruise in Top Gun in 1986 and Aviators sunglasses surged back into popularity! Their latest revival in the early 2000’s, saw them come back with an updated and streamlined look that has yet to leave the shelves and have become iconic with the likes of The Couch Jumper himself and Jonny Knoxville.
Adidas Shoes. Founded in Germany in 1949 by Adolf (Adi) Dassler, the famed shoes have been in production since the 1920’s. They’ve been elevated throughout time by the likes of The Beastie Boys, Noel Gallager of Oasis -who boast a collection of 2500 pairs-, Run DMC, who’s 1986 album, Raising Hell, featured a track called ‘My Adidas”- and the Nu Metal band, Korn released a song A.D.I.D.A.S in 1998 which stands for ‘All Day I Dream About Sex’- giving the brand a sexual stigma that’s been hard to remove but embraced by the brand-earning the Korn band a sponsorship! A few free pairs of shoes are nothing compared with the bigger picture- Adidas pulled in a whopping 18 billion Euros in 2006! Go home and give your baby’s a shine!
Music makes the world go ‘round and largely determines the revival and newfound fascination of a certain decades at certain, random times! Disco and Techno are old vices at The Comeback game. A trio of students called The Belleville Three is credited with developing the Techno Sound in the early 1980’s. Influenced by Chicago house, Electro, New Wave, and Funk; yet only officially termed with the release of Neil Rushton’s compilation, Techno! The New Dance Sound Of Detroit for Virgin Records in 1988, Techno expanded from its humble roots to emerge globally in the 90’s. William orbit and the ever embracive Madonna took techno to the commercial market in 1998 when they teamed up for her album, “Ray of Light” which went four times Platinum and sold over 15 Million copies. The likes of Orbital, Underworld and Moby are some of the bad (and in Moby’s case- strange) boys of Techno today.
The Rubik’s Cube- well, we had to get silly somewhere! Erno Rubik invented his “Magic Cube” in 1974 and between 1980 and 1982, after international patents and several “I did it first” law suits, over one hundred million Rubik’s Cubes were sold. Such was the frenzy by the small toy; separate sheets of coloured stickers were sold so that frustrated or impatient Cube owners could restore their puzzle to its original appearance! Talk about being defeated by the object! Speedcubing became a new trend and 2006 saw 33 official competitions take place. As recently as 5 May 2007, Thibaut Jacquinot of France set the current world record of 9.86 seconds at the Spanish Open. Some people call it amazing- I call it a system, and one that makes me think, Bru, you need to change your system- have you see the sun shine? The Rubik’s Cube has been the object of much affection however, and has featured on shows like Saturday Night Live, My Name is Earl and several episodes of The Simpsons.
One of the most forward thinking animated series of all time; The Simpsons is the epitome of popular culture in itself. First hitting the airwaves in 1987, the dysfunctional yellow family was an ‘alterative to mainstream trash’ and jumped right in, giving the public brazen opinions about ‘hush hush’ topics; politics, religion and ‘Homer’phobia. Still a hit today, with no sacred cows, The Simpsons have parodied the likes of Oprah Winfrey, Paris Hilton and George W. Bushwhacked himself, who even rose to the bait saying “We’re going to strengthen the American family to make them more like the Walton’s and less like the Simpsons.” Aaah, Bart’s a team player Georgie- he’s into torture and mass destruction too!
Fashion is an incredibly interesting branch of popular culture, from waistcoats, leg warmers and bell bottoms- loved the late 90’s comeback and I’d so do it again! –to poofy sleeves, bomber jackets and fedora’s- please, not all at once! Fashion incredibly revolves and evolves- and the slight ‘updates’ to the look ensure you have to fork out for the newer version! – Intelligent swine’s! Moonbags- I kid you not- are making a huge comeback! Top designers such as Gucci, Prada, and Louis Vuitton have recently resurrected the American “Fanny Pack” as The Pouch bag on the runways! You laugh now… but when you’re sporting your patent leather or hound’s-tooth tweed fanny pack- I promise to only love you more!
There are a million and one more to mention- some so ridiculous, I hope they stay a mere cringe-worthy memory! But to get you reminiscing- and anticipating the revival of a few good ones: The Super Mario Brothers (They’ve tried to advance it with technology but many agree its original form is just how it should stay!), Hula Hoops, The Drive- In, Platform Shoes (Hey, Im short!), The care Bears, Pet Rocks (Apparently big in the USA for 6 months in the 70’s- Sounds cool to me, I cant keep a kitchen plant alive!), Warehouse Raves, The Childs Play and IT movies, The Twist (Yea, lets twist again!) Choose your own adventure and Where’s Wally books, World ending paranoia in 1999, French Braids, and Flash Mobs…
Another interesting ponder is, which fads from today will leave us and become a distant memory? And which will repeat time and again? Sushi, Jagerbombs, tattoo’s, i-Pods, plastic surgery, minimal music, blogging and dogs in handbags… We might not be aware of it but they’ve been imposed on our lifestyles as were all the fads before… Wait, now that I think about it, on the flipside of this Pop euphoria, has our culture effectively been popped by Pop Culture?
Portfolio Blog of Holly Jade. Freelance Writer and Music Industry PR. *Likes long dances in the dark.
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