Two dozen political candidates, four hookers, one house, loads of booze, and ready access to weapons. Each candidate would be given R10 000 to protect, all cupboard keys would be removed, and the hookers’ gender balance would be adjusted periodically to match the needs of the remaining housemates. Within a month or two we’d surely […]
Media
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Media gives Michelle Obama a dressing down
Will the world ever be ready for a female American president? Especially, God forbid, one with bad fashion sense? Look, I love Obama as much as the next South African. It was a thrilling election night: we were collectively moved and touched when Barak Obama took to the stage to acknowledge victory. It was exciting, […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Commentators, bring it on!
No one should be surprised that Thought Leader is the top blog site of most local aggregators. Few other sites provide such vivid, candid and diverse comments in response to postings. Bearing in mind that most of us regular contributors are here by invitation — an exceptional requirement — the commentators are not. Where other […]
Posted inMedia, Tech
Blogging South Africa
A group of American bloggers will be arriving at the end of the month to create what the International Marketing Council hopes will be some very entertaining and informative web content – words, pictures, audio and video — about South Africa. The idea is have a dozen smart, creative and credible people record their impressions […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Does ‘Congress of the People’ make branding sense?
When selecting a name for your new brand, you should ask yourself a couple of questions. Is it differentiated? Is it memorable? Is it meaningful? Does it fit your brand image? Does it roll easily off the tongue? If it were to be shortened or altered in some way, such as in the form of […]
Posted inLifestyle, Media, News/Politics
Televising the revolution: how ‘illiterate’ Jacob Zuma outshone educated Professor Barney Pityana
The live coverage of some of the great political events happening in the country will, inevitably, shape the future and influence choices people make. After all, television is a powerful medium that has the potential to influence people’s behaviour and attitude. Thus it was fascinating to watch the revolution being televised and observe the behaviour […]
Posted inLifestyle, Media
Big Brother Africa 3: time to ditch Hazel
One of the best cures for the xenophobia haunting South Africa has to be Big Brother Africa. Twelve housemates, from as many African countries, locked in a house from August to November and forced to get along as best they can while trying to be the last man or woman standing. Viewers are able to […]
Posted inBusiness, Media, Tech
Developing online ventures in SA
Ideas are free. Developing them into viable businesses, not so much. Developing them into viable online businesses…well…take a number. Especially if you live in South Africa. Entrepreneurs with exciting new ideas for online ventures usually have two problems: 1. They are unable to get funded for the first stage of developing their product 2. Their […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
Why did the Brits stop laughing?
If Australia is riveted by the saga of the poo in the gelato, the British are being distracted en masse by a scandal involving a comedian, a talk show host, a member of a Gothic burlesque group called Satanic Sluts Extreme, and Manuel from Fawlty Towers. It sounds like a set-up for a joke, and […]
Posted inMedia, News/Politics
BBC’s Brand and Ross: ‘sfunny how low you can go
Two of the BBC’s superstars Jonathan Ross and Russel Brand have been suspended and their show taken off the air pursuant to a series of prank calls to Fawlty Towers star Andrew Sachs. This involved a number of messages left on Sachs answering machine, which suggested one of the presenters having had sex with Sachs’s […]
Posted inBusiness, Media, Tech
Kill the home computer! Viva!
A reasonable, basic, start-up desktop PC with all the necessary accessories and running Microsoft Windows’ notoriously atrocious Vista will set you back at least R8 000. Add in broadband connectivity and the mandatory ball-and-chain contracts, and the whole rigmarole will put a ten-to-twelve-grand hole in your family savings. That’s right now. Tomorrow it will be […]
Posted inBusiness, Lifestyle, Media
Black buying power, white business and the politics of Nelson Mandela Square
In 1988 South Africa saw the launch of one of its fashion boutiques — a man’s shop called Aca Joe. I started buying from it and was one of its countless African male customers. I don’t exactly know why. Maybe I was hungry for something indigenous, street wise, which was also classy and stylish. Not […]