W+K London

April 5, 2013

Welcome to the Internet: 5th April

Culture

I don't really know how to break this to you, my mind's been running round in circles all morning over it. There will be no Internet report today, or in fact ever again. I am denouncing the Internet report and in fact the Internet altogether. I agree with Prince, it's a fad and you'll all thank me later when you stopped wasting your time on computers doing menial things like talking to your friends or curing cancer.

HA HA HA HA HAHAHA LOLOLOLOLOl!!1!!1! April fools'!1 I got you guys so bad there. Ah the look on your faces, priceless.

Yes, Monday was indeed April Fools' Day when brands desperately tried to convince people that they have a sense of humour. Google gave it a good go, I really liked the YouTube winner piece, however I have to say that I think they overdid it a little. Google Nose, Google Treasure Maps etc. All well executed and amusing but I kind of think that they went a little overboard with it. Fair play though.

In more somber news, British actor Richard Griffiths passed away this week. And in somewhat shocking news, basketball player Kevin Ware broke his leg clean through in a major game. If you fancy bringing up your breakfast (hell, it's Friday) give it a Google.

Grab the whole report here: INTERNET

April 5, 2013

what’s the deal with My Little Pony?

Culture

By now you’ll all be aware of the pop-culture phenomenon
that is My Little Pony’s 2010 reboot ‘My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic’.
It’s massively successful; fans are already racing to conventions and there’s a
dedicated community building up steam online.

Did we mention that a good chunk of the fanbase is made up 18-25 year old guys? That's right. Young heterosexual men watch this program in droves. They have a catchphrase: "I'm Going to Love
and Tolerate the Crap Out of You!" and they call themselves ‘bronies’.I kid you not.

What’s going on here? Perhaps it’s something simple. After careful research, we can report
that the episodes are deftly written, even a bit funny, with fresh art and
snappy music. It's message is heartwarming and simple (be friendly and helpful). That’s right – the program is quite good.

There is probably a lot of cultury-wultury things occuring too – the rise in a desire for authenticity, the gradual acceptance/development of more complicated and nuanced ways of being men, the habit of online fan communities to bind tightly together in the face of perceived ridicule.

Could My Little Pony herald the death of cynicism? Can colourful horse-lets win the war against irony? Maybe not. But it's a nice (optimistic) thought.

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(Thoughts courtesy of Planning Placement newbie James.)