The Apprentice - ode to the hopeless

I’ve been inspired by The Apprentice.
It isn’t often I’ve been able to put my hand on my heart and say that, particularly during this new series.
But this week they were designing a new range of greeting cards and I’ve been moved to capture the whole sorry affair in a suitable style.
Indeed, this could be expanded to [...]

Advertising our problems

Which of the countless adverts we’re bombarded with every day always gets you seething inside?
The Advertising Standards Authority has released its top 10 of the most complained about adverts in 2007 and the Department of Health was guilty of annoying us the most.
The Government’s “Get unhooked” anti-smoking advert generated 774 complaints for being offensive, frightening [...]

24-hour news - never wrong for long

Another enjoyable dissection from Charlie Brooker this week - and I’m delighted he’s reserved his ire this time for the idiocy of 24-hour news channels.
Highlighting several examples of the folly of rolling news programmes as they try desperately to fill every available second, even if they are clueless about the story they are allegedly covering, Brooker’s [...]

Vanity Fair and Hannah Montana

The star of Disney’s tween hit Hannah Montana has issued a public apology over photographs that appear alongside an interview she granted to Vanity Fair.
Miley Cyrus, the 15 year-old daughter of C&W singer Billy Ray Cyrus, is pictured in various poses as part of the magazine spread.
The photographs by Annie Leibovitz that have caused most consternation show [...]

midBritain still doesn’t seem a nice place to live

Middle England has been rebranded as midBritain by the newspaper that does most to serve this particular readership.
The Daily Mail has come up with the new name to combat what it refers to as the “offensive” and “outdated” stereotypes associated with those who enthusiastically lap up what appears in the newspaper every day.
The results of the [...]

Social superiority is all in the mind

I think I’ve found the research that BBC Breakfast managed to turn into a complete non-story last week.
As I suspected whilst not-so-quietly seething my way through the Beeb’s item, the research into social superiority does throw up some interesting points.
The BBC’s info-tainment approach focused on the snobbery element (it gave them a chance to put in [...]

How very dare Who!

I am trying really hard. Honestly, I am.
But it is getting harder each week to slip into the sea of escapism that Dr Who had previously provided with accomplished ease.
I’ve already stated I think the problem with the new series is Donna, the Time Lord’s latest assistant.
It isn’t just Catherine Tate’s portrayal of Donna I’m [...]

Reincarnation TV

Step aside reality TV, the big new trend for our broadcasters is reincarnation TV.
Sky has already brought back Gladiators and there’s talk of it doing a Blake’s 7 revival, now ITV has confirmed plans to remake The Prisoner.
Throw in the likes of All Star Mr & Mrs - did anyone see Mr & Mrs William Roache and their freakishly [...]

Snobbery, an Apprentice failure and BBC News rebranding

Well, it looks like it is working.
He may have got unceremoniously and deservedly booted off The Apprentice in week one, but Nicholas De-Lacy Brown is managing to grab his 15 seconds of fame while he can.
The double-barrelled fledgling barrister and tortured, frustrated artist turned up on BBC Breakfast this morning to talk about snobbery.

He was [...]

Blogging for The Guardian

I have done my bit for The Guardian’s week of work-life balance articles and blogs.
Have a look at what juggling self-employment and caring means for me, for Rachel and for us, on the Guardian’s site.
Feel free to leave a comment over there if you want.