All entries for Tuesday 18 July 2006

Nintendo shed kiddy image…by teaching them about rimming

So I was at Guildford music festival the weekend, and like last year Nintendo had a presense there. This year it consisted of a big tent with about 50 DSs and DS Lites with different games available to play. As Guilfest is a family festival, this attracted a whole bunch of kids who could sit and play games while Mommy and Daddy went to watch Gary Newman. At least, that would appear to have been the point.

But in a stroke of sheer marketing ineptitude there was also a stage in that tent. And that stage periodically played host to a variety of stand up comics. Now lets put aside for a moment the fact that most of the acts booked were atrocious, many coming across as open spots with a good five minutes who turned up and got asked to do half an hour. Also we'll put aside the horror the comics faced in playing to a room where everyone was playing on DSs.

Despite a small warning pinned up outside that some of the material might not be suitable for minors, and staff not letting young kids in without parents (so the parents had to walk in with the kids, then walk back out without them), the tables at the front were almost exclusively occupied by young children. And it seemed like the promotors had gone out of thier way to book the most offensive performers possible (though briefly implied they did have a clue by also booking Rhys Derby). So we're faced with this bizzare spectacle of a two–piece comedy music act singing songs about rape, rimming, menstruation, lesbians and bum–sex, while a bunch of kids try to ignore them and get on with playing Nintendogs.

I could only conclude Nintendo were so desperate to shed it's 'For Kids' image that by staging such an event, next time little Joey wants a new console the parents will thing "Oh no, not a nintendo, they do all those rude jokes".

There's also another Comedy Stage at Guilfest (where I spent most of the weekend, except for the half hour I wondered out of it's shade to watch Simon Friend and nearly got sun–stroke), which is another story entirely. It's there every year and also tends to attract a fair few younger kids sat at the front, as such most of the comics tend to at least submit to avoiding the word 'cunt'. But most don't worry about the kids too much, as it is the Comedy Stage, the only thing on there is comedy, the only reason for people to go there is comedy, and there are no DSs there to attract the kids. If there are kids there, it's not really the fault of the comics or the organisers.

The irony being, of course, that the performers on this Comedy Stage were far more family–friendly than those on the Nintendo one, not to mention ten time better.

After looking into it, it seems Nintendo are doing this Comedy/DS Tent thing at a lot of festivals (I was actually asked to fill in a questionairre while there about them, including "Were you previously aware of Nintendo's links with stand–up comedy?" "Well, no. But then I've only been involved in with stand–up for three years…") and the acts they book and the style they go for is aimed at the Download/Reading/Leeds/V audience of teenagers and young 20–somethings.

This was utterly mis–judged for Guilfest as it really is a family festival with a lot of kids about, who are going to be attracted by the shiney games. It would be almost forgiveable for them not to know this, but they had a prescense thier last year which was clearly designed for kids, with DSs and Cubes demo–ing the new Zelda in an area designed like a castle. They clearly knew the score.

Truely, truely, bizzare.

edit: aldo_14 just mentioned this on a forum I frequent

"Maybe they reckon that little Billy will run home to their parents talking about rimjobs and various shenanighans; parents will (following a sound beating) ask for the source of said filth, and be told 'I heard it playing games'.

At which point, it'll be 'right you little bastard, I'm taking that Playstation out your room'."

Dean Love : 18 Jul 2006 14:38 |  Tags: Comedy Festival |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

He's fine that his mates have tatoos, but he reckons they'll rue them.

So there's this guy called Tim Minchin and he won the Best Newcomer Perrier at Edinburgh last year. Didn't get to see him, but got hold of his album the other day and it's rather good.

But that's not what's really interesting about him.

First let me explain Minchin's style of comedy. It's musical. But it's not playing funny songs on guitar, nope, it's something far more: playing funny songs on piano.

Now I'm a big Ben Folds fan. And Ben Folds, when performing live, tends to do a few 'joke' songs in his set – like the cover of Bitches Ain't Shit and Rock This Bitch – even stuff that's been released like Song for the Dumped and Make Me Mommy could be regarded as comedy songs.

Minchin is like a Ben Folds that only plays funny stuff. Since the album is only available via mail order from Australia I'll share one track here to give you an idea of what he's like:

Tim Minchin - Rock and Roll Nerd

Dean Love : 18 Jul 2006 14:31 |  Tags: Comedy Music |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Song Lines Update

UPDATE – 10 left to go.
Sort of surprised no–one has got number 2, 4, 17 or 18.
6, 9, 15 and 22 are wilfully obscure comedy songs.
7 and 20 are by utterly obscure musicians that no–one was ever going to get anyways.

Here's the ones people got, will leave the rest up a couple more days before putting up the answers:

1) Sunbeam shone, mousy girl on the end pew, you’d stay home, oh if only they let you.
Belle and Sebastian - La Pastie de la Bourgeoisie (Roisin)

2) Sign me up a volunteer, the votes are in for lifeguard of the year.

3) Hey all you democrats, hey all you bleeding hearts, this sure ain't where it ends, this is just where it starts.
Mitch Benn - This Ain't Your Country Anymore (Steph)

4) I got my fingers dirty at the school of rock.

5) Under some dirty words on a dirty wall, eating take–out by myself.
Ben Folds - Late (Anna)

6) Rising above the city block and out the noon day sun, it dwarfs the mighty redwoods and it towers over everyone.

7) He had a Macchiato instead of a Latte, kick start the day before he did karate.

8) Shyness is nice and shyness can stop you from doing all the things in life you'd like to.
The Smiths - Ask (Lisa)

9) My lady gives birth today, I run to her room right away.

10) Why do you come here, and why do you hang around?
Morrissey - Suedehead (Roisin)

11) You're as tight as a hunter's trap, hidden well, what are you concealing?
James – Say Something (Mort)

12) So I'm standing in the desert getting bloody fried, I hope these cameras get my good side.
Mitch Benn - Waving At The Poor (Steph)

13) My favourite shows on TV have 12 minutes of advertising
I Can't Get Behind That! – William Shatner (Pooka)

14) Do you remember that old TV show…
The Divine Comedy - Arthur C. Clarke's Mysterious World (Anna)

15) Now Jonathan King ran a peadophile ring, I don't want to scare you, he was the only one that thought that Boyzone was an actual London area.

16) So you wanted, to take a break.
Ben Folds Five – Song For The Dumped (Mort)

17) Into a dream, I took a turn, and promised to return.

18) I was born the year punk broke, days before the king was dead.

19) You and I, go together, like the molar and the drill
The Divine Comedy – Sticks and Stones (Mort)

20) Wake up, wake up baby, and go home.

21) I've had relations, with girls from many nations.
Billy Bragg - Sexuality (Lisa)

22) I've crossed distant lands and desert sands.

23) I've heard there was a secret chord that David played and it pleased the Lord (guess the version!)
Hallelujia - Yes, it was the Rufus Version. Not really a Rufus fan, never been able to get into his stuff, but I have about 10 versions of that song on my iPod as I think it's ace. (Pooka and Anna)

24) I've been digging this grave, but now that it's made I see black is one hell of a colour.
James – Black Hole (Mort)

25) I was searching for something I could not describe.
Clem Snide - Jews for Jesus Blues (Steph)

Dean Love : 18 Jul 2006 14:23 |  Comments (4) |  Close comments |  Report a problem