School of Comedy by GEB

School of Comedy is the new E4 sketch show where the kids have their say. But instead of being the usual cringe-worthy kids trying to act older than they are and just ending up looking stiff, awkward and stupid, School of Comedy manages to be genuinely funny. The thing that makes this sketch show so funny is probably because the actors in the series wrote it themselves in an after school club called [wait for it. shocker coming up] the School of Comedy. Because the kids did it themselves as a mickey-take of the adult world it doesn't come across as a load of adult writers sat about a boardroom wondering 'what’s not been done yet?': simply because it isn't.

However, SofC has a Marmite effect on the audience. Some love it and think it's innovative and fresh. Whilst others [& I'm quoting from the official website here] find the show "Awful. Everybody I know thinks so... because the people I know aren't poorly educated, knuckle-dragging mouth-breathers. They also all have a sense of humour."

Well. You can't please everyone.

However its inventive sketches could also be its downfall. Sure the first time you see a kid playing a swearing, non-pc teacher is funny in a 'oh how controversial; that must be funny.' way, but after a fair few times seeing the same-but-slightly-different sketch it becomes boring, predictable and formulaic. After four or five episodes you can see why the previous person found it so awful. It does become expected and tedious.

So, would I recommend you to watch it? Well, yeah two or three episodes are worth a look, however any more than that and the sketches start to lose their edge.

A nice little Thursday find...

Stumbled across this video today, I don't think you can ever put a price on a brand that brightens your day without wanting much in return. Good stuff.

'I Just Set My Kitchen On Fire'...Introducing 'That Girl', one of our new Ruby Writers

Greetings and salutations, my name is Zara but you can call me That Girl. I'm writing from Leeds in the physical sense, Hong Kong in the emotional sense and Australia in the original sense. In case that's too cryptic, I live in Leeds, come from Australia, but Hong Kong is where I call home. In all these senses, it makes me feel an affinity with the nomadic lifestyle of perpetual itchy-feet, and at the end of the four year mark of my stint here in good old Leeds it will be time for me to uproot again.

I am here to do an MA, after having done a BA at the University of Leeds. Studying English showed me that I really like words, and so I moved into Writing for Performance and Publication. It is going well, but not as well as I had hoped. I knew when I started that creativity is not a tap you can just turn on, but it turns out that mine is more of a big sack full of things you have to rummage around for in the dark. More often than not, I can't find what I am looking for. Also, the phrase "I Just Set My Kitchen On Fire" is the truth, but is now starting to look like a great title for a play. Hence, I could be described as scatty, mad and slightly dangerous.

I am 20 years old, with numerous aspirations, but I will know I've made it when my introspective thoughts, beliefs and values have found their way, through writing, out into the wide world. At the very point that these are mirrored back at me, accepted or refuted, I will know that I have contributed something, and will also be proud to call something my own. My more concrete aspiration is to write a novel, and this can be seen as in pursuance of the prior aspiration, but is different in that being published does not mean I will feel to be "made".

The Friday that is Black

Today being the darkly hyped 'Black Friday' over in the states - a day synonymous with pure manic buy-buy-buying and warped retail spaces being morphed into a strange disequilibrium of huge discounts entangled with crushed, limp, lifeless bodies whilst dodgy looking pied piper-esque shop assistants lure stray wide eyed shoppers into these blackened caves with huge carrot shaped offers that will eventually both completely deplete our bank balance, just in time for a sodden Christmas [who needs the Grinch ay?], and possible squeeze the very eyes from our sockets in the crushed rush. Fun.

Anyway, as I was saying, today being Black Friday for our cross Atlantic cousins, we Brits often have the opportunity to feel aggrieved [or at least to have a good moan over a cup of tea] that there is UK equivalent of panicked manic buying, which, I hasten to add, probably leaves as much destruction and chaos as a mild terror attack [or a decent sized storm - these gale force winds are a darn nuisance if you ask me]. Well Apple, being the clever, shiny people that they are, are trying to change all that and, in time-old American fashion, are attempting to enforce their customs and rituals upon our fair and foggy land [they call it globalisation, we simply call it invasion]. The US technology giants have extended this 'celebration' of all things retail to all UK Apple stores, on and offline, for today and today only. With the opportunity to knock anything up to 10 per cent off most [notably, though not surprisingly, the iPhone is exempt here] Apple products, and in light of the huge Christmas shop one will definitely be forced to be engaged in, it is both economically sound and a rather incisively modern move for the brand, though it is of no surprise that Apple have taken the conceived lead here.

Black Friday isn't, I feel, an attractive, or even particularly viable, option for an England that places far less of a strain upon retail [retail is, after all, seen as a safe and sound career option in the states, whilst the idea of doing all one's shopping in a rushed day of clamatic chaos isn't the most inherently British of idealisms], though this, I believe, is changing. Orange today, with the help of digital media pioneers AKQA, have unveiled a host of deals in time for the Christmas splurge, whilst other companies are cottoning on and following suit. The intense globalisation and spread of capitalistic values continue unhindered it would seem, but is this a good idea on British soil, or is it, as I fear, an organised [bloody expensive] day of chaos? What is certain is that Oxford Street is generally a moshing medley of manic on many, if not most, days. The idea of a Black Friday added into the mix makes me want to sweat blood and, besides, I think I'd rather eat my wrist than test the retail waters. Though then again, there's half price on trainers in Niketown I hear, and APC are throwing a helluva sale... Hmm, perhaps I'll think again.

Image bought at a cut price from here.

Honest, huh?

The White Stuff, in Spitalfields, East London, does anything but right stuff, it does rubbish stuff, wrong stuff, weird stuff, badly merchandised/shirts too short/skirts too long/denim too 70s/tops too 90s stuff.  

Nice to see that they recognize this in their point of sale then, huh?... Ha ha ha. 

The King of Shibuya; Introducing Norman Tsuji

[Some of the Tokyo network; Norman in the centre in the camo]

Tokyo. Modern metropolis. Fast, furious, chaotic carnage. Dazzling lights, samurai sights. Temples, shrines, and two smoking shogun.

Sometime ago, in the shadows of Shibuya, away from the glitz and glare of the bustling main street, Ruby and I had the great fortune of entering our now favourite hidden watering hole, the rhythm cafe, and became acquainted with Mr Norman Tsuji, King of Shibuya. Our London accent was overheard, and with a quick and sharp nod to the DJ by Norman, “London Calling” by The Clash was spinning on the decks, and a bond was born. “I will show you the real Tokyo” uttered Norman with a dash of confidence, and we went forth under his wing to enthrawl ourselves into Tokyo life. Norman's wealth of contacts throughout the art,music,skate and fashion scene in Tokyo were second to none, and our Tokyo affair developed into an oriental relationship.

The entrepreneurial emperor. The monarchial maverick. The King of Shibuya.
Now an established cog of the Ruby Pseudo machine, we thought it was about time we had a chat with Mr Norman Tsuji.


So, Norman, you clearly have your fingers in numerous sushi. Tell us a bit about what you do.
I have my own brand, Suspereal, and I also have a design company. I often assist other companies, advising them on the direction they should be taking, a consultant I suppose? I like to be involved in as much as possible.

How have you managed to gain a fan-base and foothold in order to cut through the clutter of the competition in Tokyo?
My market is very wide, including all ages, and not only in Tokyo. The internet has made my market even bigger.
I try to plug into the underground scene. I feel that face to face contact, meeting people, bringing people together, it really adds a personal touch, and this helps market my brand.


You’re a well connected man in Tokyo in many different scenes, how do you keep up-to-date with the Tokyo scene?
I’m always seeing whats happening in tokyo, not just things I see on the internet I like to go somewhere and just see what happens, this is important to me, to meet people and expand my horizons everyday.
Tokyo is a crazy city, its not like other cities. The streets are always brimming with different vibes. Its there where you learn the most. The street community teaches you about the culture and the scene.

How important is it for you- and your business- to be socials and seen around town?
For business, its always important to be seen in new designs and have a feel for new fashion...I’ll be the first one wearing my inventions, my creations.
I like to take images from other things in the city and incorporate it into my fashion, like a structural design in ‘new’ tokyo...
I also think that to be honest and for people to trust you is important...the most important things is that people know your personality.


What Inspires you?
Music inspires me, its just a general feeling I get, an atmosphere. Rock and punk basically inspires me. For clothing designs, I like the uk culture as a source of inspiration.

Odaiba is a good place to see, there is a new tokyo structure there, high above all the other trash on this fake island. I feel something special when I look over tokyo.

Is it easy or difficult to be an independent label in Tokyo?

Its not easy! Its important you keep going, continuing with your work, and doing the same thing for a long time!!
How do you attract people’s attention when you’re a small, independent label? What things have you done to stand out?
You must also be aware of what is happening around you. Good designs and good people are always waiting to be noticed.
You must just get out there and do it. There are so many different ways to attract attention. You always have to keep studying, keep learning. No matter what you always keep working hard, saving money, doing as much jobs as possible, never becoming complacent...

[We look forward to introducing you to the rest of our network in Tokyo over the next couple of months... Not gonna be the last you've heard from Norman either... Bloody cheers]

Photo by Joji Shimamoto

I’m thinking about becoming a Mac, and Windows 7 was kind of my idea…

By The Instant Classic:

At the end of last year, Windows ran this advertising campaign featuring a whole host of people (including Eva Longoria and Pharrell Williams) claiming that they are a PC (most of them sound like they are saying 'pissy'...). This was in response to this Apple Mac campaign (which in the UK featured comedy duo Mitchell and Webb), which portrayed PCs as old, inept pieces of machinery that wear cheap suits and have no sense of fun. You might remember Ruby had a rant about it here too... 

And so the Windows’ ‘I’m a PC’ concept was born. Now the Windows 7 (has Windows run out of names for its products?) marketing has an extra bit in its tagline. ‘I’m a PC… and Windows 7 was my idea’. Here are two UK ads that are currently running:







It’s bad enough the original ads were universally panned (some said they tried too hard, others simply stated that they were rubbish), but the new set of adverts are no better. Microsoft spent time listening to customer’s complaints about Windows Vista, but they should have also spent time coming up with a creative ad campaign, championing their shiny new product and clawing some of their customers back from Apple’s claws.

Instead, we have these limp adverts. Apple must be pleased.

P.S: The taskbar thing was MY idea, so don’t even try it Crystal.