Lyndon Hood - logos, Wellington
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
This is both the depressing part, and the core, of satire:
"... we found that individual-level political ideology significantly predicted perceptions of Colbert's political ideology. Additionally, there was no significant difference between the groups in thinking Colbert was funny, but conservatives were more likely to report that Colbert only pretends to be joking and genuinely meant what he said while liberals were more likely to report that Colbert used satire and was not serious when offering political statements."
[via Huffington Post]
It's basically structural in irony - or even in jokes - that everything is not laid out for you. I've suspected that some things I've done can coherently be interpreted as something quite other than what I meant. That's even without getting all postmodern.
And, just to complete the set, I'm told that one public servant, on being forwarded and article headed Key Cancels "Wasteful" Employment Summit, had to have the meaning of the word "satire" explained to him.
It was suggested that should have made my day. Arguably it's proof of complete failure to communicate.
Of course we must carry on regardless. But, on the bright side, there may be a point where people's reaction to one's satire starts to count as raw material.
"... we found that individual-level political ideology significantly predicted perceptions of Colbert's political ideology. Additionally, there was no significant difference between the groups in thinking Colbert was funny, but conservatives were more likely to report that Colbert only pretends to be joking and genuinely meant what he said while liberals were more likely to report that Colbert used satire and was not serious when offering political statements."
[via Huffington Post]
It's basically structural in irony - or even in jokes - that everything is not laid out for you. I've suspected that some things I've done can coherently be interpreted as something quite other than what I meant. That's even without getting all postmodern.
And, just to complete the set, I'm told that one public servant, on being forwarded and article headed Key Cancels "Wasteful" Employment Summit, had to have the meaning of the word "satire" explained to him.
It was suggested that should have made my day. Arguably it's proof of complete failure to communicate.
Of course we must carry on regardless. But, on the bright side, there may be a point where people's reaction to one's satire starts to count as raw material.
Labels: satire, satirists, Steven Colbert, united states
Lyndon Hood - Will be top bloke after death, Wellington
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Only just saw this from the Chaser in '07
You might want to see Spare Room [link fixed] for context first, including more evidence of Aussie politicians' alarming tendency to weigh in on matters of taste. And the answer to Ana's question is, of course: bad taste AND good satire. Which are both good things.
If I wanted to take a lesson: when going down some paths, it's less offensive if you attack your friends as well as your enemies.
You might want to see Spare Room [link fixed] for context first, including more evidence of Aussie politicians' alarming tendency to weigh in on matters of taste. And the answer to Ana's question is, of course: bad taste AND good satire. Which are both good things.
If I wanted to take a lesson: when going down some paths, it's less offensive if you attack your friends as well as your enemies.
Labels: comedy, death, free speech, music, satire, taste, the chaser
Lyndon Hood - more stubbly than mustace'd
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Laughing At The Devil: An Account Of Burma’s Moustache BrothersMilan Kundera, the great Czech writer who saw his own work and personal health subject to the whims of maniacal and depraved regime, once wrote that ‘No great movement designed to change the world can bear to be laughed at or belittled. ‘Mockery’ he insisted ‘is a rust that corrodes all it touches.’
A world away, three brothers have proved Kundera’s veracity by staring directly into the eyes of one of the world’s most brutal regimes – and laughing at what they saw.
More >>
Labels: burma, comedy, free speech, Moustache Brothers, rists, satire, satirists
Scoop Review: Bananarama - I Heard A Rumour
Saturday, April 18, 2009
For the Fijian media: If you're suffering from a sudden lack of material, perhaps you might fill the space with retro music reviews…
Friends! Fijians! Countrymen! Lend Bananarama your ears!
If you thought Rough Justice was a coup, Bananarama's latest will really get your attention.
Coming hard on the heels of A Cruel Summer, I Heard A Rumour is a song about someone who, unable to learn about something officially, hears about it anyway, but from a less reliable source.
So if you're a fan of people telling other people about stuff that's happened, it could be the beats for you!
Just between us, I'm not sure about this one. I admit, Bananarama's releases sound good – but I look in vain for signs of sincerity.
The people worldwide who've been following Bananarama's recent tracks may not recieve this one well. For example, don't expect any support for the sweet, sugary production. And Bananarama doesn't seem to have the constitution for anything else.
I'm aware Bananarama have built up a lot of goodwill with their previous efforts and I'm told their recent work still has some popularity. Yet if I'm any judge – obviously, I'm not – they've lost all the appeal they previously had.
Even for fans, you'd think Bananarama's latest would be one too many. The rest of the world will stay away in droves.
So let's not declare a Bananarama republic just yet.
Since their sudden rise to prominence, Bananarama have claimed to be planning great things. In the end they will be judged by their record, if and when they produce one. All I'm saying is, I've seen nothing from them to inspire confidence. All they've done so far is remaster everything, and make entirely the wrong noises.
To be frank, Bananarama have failed to deliver on their initial promise.
I could be wrong. The great thing is, the people will decide, when they vote with their wallets (and I notice it's already on sale for half price overseas). That's how we test if something is good or not, at least in the music business.
Let's be clear: I can't say anything bad about Bananarama's latest effort.
At the same time — I wouldn't buy it.
Fiji Daily Post:
Paint Dry
Man Goes Out
Clean Teeth
Breakfast As Usual
Man Gets On Bus
Labels: bananarama, Fiji, free speech, media, reviews, satire
