Culture news

Google, with its insatiable thirst for your personal data, has become the greatest threat to privacy ever known, a vast informational honey pot that attracts hackers, crackers, online thieves, and—perhaps most worrisome of all—the government intent on finding convenient ways to spy on its own citizenry.

Stop what you’re doing film geeks - cinema just gained another Stereotype. Move over ‘girl-next-door-types’, because AV Club blogger Nathan Rabin has christened those wacky tiny balls of bursting energy that male protagonists always fall for. “Manic Pixie Dream Girls” are becoming increasingly common in the cinematic world, seemingly sent from above to keep the blues at bay with their excessive bubblyness and zany antics. Natalie Portman’s character in Garden State and Kirsten Dunst’s in Elizabethtown are prime examples. But what is their purpose? “The Manic Pixie Dream Girl exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures,” says Rabin. Other past characters who fit the Manic Pixie Dream Girl archetype are Kate Hudson’s Penny Lane in Almost Famous, Rachel Bilson’s character in The Last Kiss and Meg Ryan in Joe Versus the Volcano. But what about Cassie Ainsworth of Skins?! Self destructive yet positively endearing, Cassie’s got my vote for Manic Pixie Dream Girl of the Year.

These guys are killing it. The run an uber cool record label along with their  high end clothing line and pretty much have France / Paris on lockdown...(bastards)

Stumbling through Melbourne's underground Campbell Arcade, I came across the Sticky Institute; Melbourne's home of the zine. For the unfamiliar, a zine is an independent publication made by an individual or a small group of people with little to no advertising - think of a mini-magazine, crafted by a photo-copier, made for love - not money. Sticky Institute stocks hundreds of them, and a particular zine by Adelaide's Ianto Ware caught my eye. W W T T D ? (What Would Tintin Do?) is Ware's often-witty and always insightful interpretation of how the world's favourite fictional reporter, Tintin, can be considered a role model for his high moral standing, clear decision making ability and other lofty traits.
Sticky Institude is at 10 Campbell Arcade (under Flinders Street), and can be called at 9654 8559.

The above video is an ad for the newly relaunched energy drink, Mother. In it’s first incarnation it was heavily hyped but ultimately failed to take off due to a mix of bad marketing and terrible taste. As you can see in the video, the company has taken the bold step of admitting the drink was terrible to begin with and taken the necessary steps to rectify what was once wrong. This, in my opinion, puts them in dangerous territory.

Lets take a look at another similar attempt to dodge criticism of a product. Since it’s beleaguered launch early last year, Windows Vista has been met with universal criticism for being overpriced, resource hungry and difficult to use. Last week Microsoft began the process of trying to win back the hearts and minds of consumers with the help of a rather ill conceived marketing ploy. It gathered 200 or so Windows users who had a negative perception of Vista and took them Microsofts HQ where they were given a sneak peak of the next Windows operating system, codenamed “Mojave”. Over 90% of users reacted positively, only to be told that the "new system" was in fact Vista all along. The idea being that their perception (and that of millions around the world) has been misplaced the entire time.

What kind of company has to trick it’s users into thinking that their product isn’t that bad? And in Mother’s case, why would they think consumers would be inclined to go back to a product that, by their own admission, is terrible in the first place? Is it just me or do these
companies play their customers as fools, believing that a slickly packaged marketing campaign will erase previous brand perception and we’ll be happy to jump back into bed with them? It’s time companies and advertising firms wised up to the fact that customers want transparency, consistency and honesty from a brand.

And what the hell was I doing when this one was announced?! David Sedaris; award winning funny-man, New Yorker columnist and author of such darkly hilarious books as Me Talk Pretty One Day and Barrel Fever, is coming to Sydney for one show only this month. A master of self-deprecation and member of one of the comically f***ked-up families ever to be made fun of in a national best seller, Sedaris is one of my favourite authors and I'm pretty sure at least three of my friends have received one of his books for xmas/birthdays. Recordings of his live shows have earned Sedaris Grammy nominations so you betcha the aisles of the Opera House will be fully lined come August 18 - I'll be front and center like the fan-girl I am. Tickets to the show start from $17 and can be purchased here.

The best thing about living in a cosmopol of any description is finding the little, hidden gems in the city. A little nook in which to breath, drink, relax and enjoy the finer things like space, time to talk in private with and a good drink. A place that inspires one to conspire as it were. Now, against my better judgment, I’ll let you into a secret…this home away from home is Lounge Bohemia in East End London. No, there’s no membership policy, though in all honesty finding the place is a test in itself. Through a doorway on Great Eastern Street, between a newsagent and a kebab shop, lies Lounge Bohemia that stacks design upon design. Walls plastered with communist wallpaper, with the interior decked out with ‘60s neo-Eastern European furniture, concrete alcoves and a bespoke cocktail selection, this is the bar you imagined drinking in when you first picked up Wallpaper. The fact that, with it’s modest forty six seats, seating room only policy, sassy table service and sardonic barkeep, this place more that exudes quality: it encapsulates it. See you there. If you can find it.