This past weekend I took a rather cynical friend of mine to the Market on Main, luring him along with the promise of plenty of hipsters to serve as the objects of his withering scorn. In the end, while there were plenty of bourgeois bohemians or bobos around, I was somewhat disappointed by the absence […]
Media
Posted inBusiness, Lifestyle, Media, News/Politics
Another day in the shattered dream that is SA
Driving back from an appointment at the state-run Helen Joseph Hospital — how she would cringe at the “place of weeping” that bears her name and which most people call the Hell & Joseph — I see the massive traffic jam snaking back a kilometre down Hendrik Potgieter Road in Roodepoort. The words of a […]
Posted inLifestyle, Media
Has the internet sidetracked us from greatness?
Yesterday we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin’s flight into space. Yesterday we celebrated the bravery of one man and the heroic effort of many to launch him into space. Our first step on the path to becoming intergalactic beings. But that was yesterday, and today is today. And in the cold harsh light […]
Posted inMedia
Tiger Brands: Infantile bully
Earlier this month my company took a stand at a baby show at Emperor’s Palace. We decorated our stand with posters and products to promote Holle, a Swiss range of organic baby foods and formulas, which we have been distributing for several years. One of the posters we put on the stand said: “Holle — […]
Posted inGender violence, Media, News/Politics, Tech
#itisrapeif
I feel the need to repost this statement here. I hope that all of the survivors of rape who read it feel supported. 8 April 2011 Rape Crisis Statement on the #itsnotrapeif Twitter phenomenon We heard via the online grapevine about a revolting Twitter hashtag topic — #itsnotrapeif — and due to some masochistic compulsion […]
Posted inLifestyle, Media
I tweet, therefore I am…happier
A significant event in my life took place last week and I didn’t even notice it at the time. No, not speaking at the Tomorrow’s Leaders conference — I certainly noticed that, and can report that sitting on a stage with Jimmy Manyi, Vusi Pikoli and Saki Macozoma was an experience that bordered on the […]
Posted inLifestyle, Media
Lurking and loving it
I’m pretty sure Dan Brown lost that symbol of his on Twitter. I know this because, unlike active twitterers, I lurk in the shadows and read what they tweet. And sometimes they tweet things like, “RT @spytap: @wildurst @antichrista Yay! #shoutout #it’sbeenawhile #justsaying”. This now passes for a sentence on Twitter — a series of […]
Posted inBusiness, Lifestyle, Media
An open letter to Kulula (Or is it Khulula?)
I didn’t know who to address this to so I decided to write an open letter. As you might have noticed, this has become a very popular method of addressing officials in high places. (Did you see that pun? “High places”. Hahaha! Funny huh! OK, maybe it’s just me.) I thought that I should probably […]
Posted inMedia
The Sowetan: Black faces, white thoughts
The story of the Sowetan newspaper, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, represents an important milestone in the struggle for self-determination, freedom of thought and expression. In fact, it punctuates the sad history of the constraints on so-called black media and its journalists to articulate the hopes and aspirations of the African majority. There […]
Posted inMedia
How do we change a culture?
There’s been a significant culture shift in Joburg over the past year or so. Perhaps you’ve noticed it too. For the first time in my experience, Joburgers are taking drunk driving seriously. Suddenly, behaviour is changing and people who used to drive blotto without thinking twice are now signing up for taxi services. Why? This […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
When is it OK to be offensive?
So I’m finally getting around to weighing in on the Kuli Roberts thing. I’ll go ahead and say right upfront: I don’t have the answers, don’t even have an answer. Just a lot of questions, mainly. Also, plenty of others have already offered opinions, so my adding my two cents’ worth won’t add much to […]
Posted inBusiness, Media, News/Politics
Boredom and the budget
A new pointer for Pravin: Keep it simple, keep it short. While I was preparing for a recent radio interview with Ashraf Garda on the Sunday SAfm media slot about jargon in the budget speech and journalists’ responsibility to simplify that, it occurred to me to look at budget speeches elsewhere. I looked at only […]