Now everyone knows about the incredible Redgrave family of accomplished actors; Sir Michael and his wife Rachel and children Corin, Vanessa and Lynne and grandchildren Natasha and Joely and their various partners and other kids. And now a significant new acting talent has emerged from the ranks….
After a busyish sort of day I’ve had a couple of hours just to myself this afternoon, and I’ve done nothing other than sit here and just think about, well, unimportant things – blissful. Regular readers will recognise this tendency of mine to muse on life’s big issues and today I’ve been giving thought to the Co-op and more specifically to their strap-line ‘Good with food’.
It’s one of those snappy little brand phrases which is almost perfect. It sums up the essence of the supermarket and looks great written down because of the repetition of the ‘ood’ expression. It’s tempting to say ‘nice assonance’ but the English language is nothing if not contrary and wouldn’t you know it, the words good and food are pronounced slightly differently. Perfidious Albion eh. It’s the most powerful language on earth but it must drive new learners to absolute distraction. But that’s why I find it so utterly intriguing. To be truly perfect, food would need to be pronounced as fud but of course it isn’t. So the canny Co-op have employed the fine Scottish actor John Hannah, who has a distinctive S. Lanarkshire accent, to do the voice-over in their adverts. So that when you hear the line it sounds like ‘Guid with Fuid’.
Hats off; they nearly pull it off. But I still see one thing and yet I want to hear ‘good with fud’ which just makes me smile. Don’t you love it when things that are almost brilliant but slightly imperfect? As John Hannah might say ‘wuds are guid’. Typical Scots; English mashers!
pp
Well it’s the time of year when the perfume companies roll out their Xmas ads. This year’s collection is the usual mix of the good, the bad and seriously anal. Good? Well I might have exaggerated a tad there. I quite like the filmic quality of the Chanel No 5 ad starring Audrey Tatou nearly meeting some young hunk on a sleeper train then missing each other on passing ferries before finally hooking up in a travel terminus. That could be the campest thing I’ve ever written. Anyway there’s a hint of a plotline there. Of course it could just be that I seriously like Audrey Tatou. Continue reading
What links Gordon the Moron (no not the one who lost 8 Ministers, got annihilated in the local and European elections and messed up his own Cabinet re-shuffle all inside 3 days), cups of tea, washing lines and simple Yorkshire folk? Intrigued? Well the answer’s Graham Fellows, the guy behind one of the best one-hit wonders Jilted John and who went on some 30 years later to create the comic character John Shuttleworth, the aspiring singer-songwriter from Sheffield, South Yorkshire.
Pasta Paulie 