Gawker: good ideas

Commie Reds Write Shoddy Heds. Body Bags and Hotties' Beds!

Hamilton Nolan — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:16:23 EDT

It was inevitable that someone smarter than us would go ahead and open up a journalism school that teaches kids how to write for tabloids. But the Russians? We're ashamed of ourselves.

Julia Ioffe alerts us to this report out of Russia, where the owner of a tabloid chain is opening a Yellow Journalism School. It's just like regular journalism school except it might get you a job one day, zing! This delightfully Google-translated paragraph really says it all:

Secret skills tabloid journalist with the trainees will be divided itself Gabrelyanov. . It is planned to organize special courses on sports and secular journalism. By teaching will involve also other members of "News Media". In addition, Gabrelyanov hopes entertain the idea of teaching and her boyfriend.

Do you really want to get involved with these Russians and be forced to "entertain" someone's boyfriend, if you know what we mean? Why not be an intern for us instead? It doesn't cost you anything, and you will come out as ignorant as you went in, but meaner. Perfectly prepared for a job at the New York Post.

Balloon Graffiti Can End Vandalism Forever

Hamilton Nolan — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:34:53 EDT

There's a street artist in NYC by the name of D. Billy, and I sincerely hope he is being subsidized by the NYPD, because he has come up with a way to rid our streets of "unsightly" graffiti. By doing it with balloons! Just imagine how much time the sanitation department could save—just send out one guy with a needle, and he could take down an entire city's worth of balloon tags in a day. Truly a win-win solution. Plus, it's a good way to communicate Batman-like sound effects. Two more pictures of D. Billy's environmental revolution:

[via And I Am Not Lying]

Vice President Bobby Digital!

Pareene — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:08:14 EDT

Rocker/blogger Carrie Brownstein on the Vice Presidential selection process: "And once we determine the results, that McCain is, um, Liz Phair and therefore his running mate should be.....RZA, then all we have to do is decide what politician out there is most like RZA. After that we let John McCain's people know." Go vote in the poll! [NPR]

Ad Decapitator Stalks London

Hamilton Nolan — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 12:45:43 EDT

Call it what you will—street art, culture jamming, or protest. I'll call it some guy who's been going around London and graphically hacking the heads off of models in all types of ads. With fantastic attention to detail. Pictured: Carrie Bradshaw, improved. You know all the cool kid brands are just dying of impatience waiting for him to hack up one of their ads. Lovely. Two more pics of the mystery chopper's graphic, allegorical work, after the jump.

[Flickr via Environmental Graffiti]

NY Sun Editorial Board Connects Two Unrelated News Items And Prays For The Best

Hamilton Nolan — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:23:41 EDT

The New York Sun, the little neocon paper we glance at so you don't have to, has a provocative question: what if Absolut, instead of making ads about Mexico taking over America, made an ad about TIBET? It's as if Matt Sanchez has surreptitiously landed a job on the Sun's editorial board, a scenario which is quite possible. The paper's reasoning, as it were, goes something like this: Tibet is tiny. But the IDEA of Tibet, under the "ice of Communism," is "a vast land extending deep into what is claimed by the Chinese communist party." Also, Tibet has been in the news lately with the Olympic torch protests, and so has Absolut. Makes perfect sense!

When Absolut runs an ad showing Mexico extending into America, people tend to laugh at it precisely because it's illogical. This is because America is a place people are seeking not to escape but to get in to. But the idea of what one might as well call Absolut Tibet, even though the ad hasn't been made, is another matter altogether. Should the idea of the real Tibet, the one that lives in the mind's eye of the Tibetans, ever take hold, it would be a radically destabalizing idea for the Chinese communist regime.

This, you see, is why "so many are raising a glass in the Tibetans' honor." And that glass could be full of Absolut! Get on top of this geopolitical business opportunity before it has passed you by, Pernod Ricard corporation!

Ads During Phone Sex: Only A Joke For Now

Hamilton Nolan — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:26:04 EDT

Here is what we are almost positive is a ridiculous jokey parody of an ad agency that's been floating around the web, although you never know in these crazy times of foam-filled Miami streets and hypnotizing games for children. The brilliant idea—which will surely become reality in only a matter of time—is political product placement in phone sex scripts [Sunday/Knight Productions]. In the purported audition video below, they subtly sell Hillary Clinton's candidacy with profanity, racial insensitivity, and the slogan, "Experience C(o)unts!" Seeing is agreeing:

But We Can Dream

Pareene — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 17:50:31 EST

Iran is going to shut off the Internet for the duration of the upcoming election. Unfortunately this only applies to the Iranian election, and only if you live in Iran. [IHT]

Brazilians Put Coke On Their Tongues

Hamilton Nolan — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:40:27 EST

In Brazil, they do things a little differently. There, it makes perfect sense that Coke Zero is promoting itself by paying for free tongue piercings for anyone willing to be photographed with a Coke Zero-branded tongue stud [Adrants]. It's strategic, you see—Brazilian strategic. Any presumption on your part that this is not the work of a sly marketing genius would be xenophobic. Below, some pictures of Brazilian Coke fans who chose to partake of the free piercings, and a bonus Portuguese Coke Zero ad featuring talking, walking tongues. Do not view while on acid.