In Agony! Volume 8 - (Autumn 2011 issue)

-->VOL.8 - AUTUMN 2011

Check out the original version published in issue 5 of Edify magazine.

It’s the Fresher’s issue! What does that mean? Well a nice bump in readership and a small step closer to world domination for one thing, muahahaha!  *Ahem* as well as lots of other important things. I look forward to reading letters detailing your painful Summer experiences… and consoling you of course!

Those of you new to ‘In Agony!’ may be sad to hear that we’re in volume 8 so you’ve been missing out… Fear not - I‘m happy to announce that you can now view all back issues from The Valley and Edify magazines on my brand new blog (TEZofAllTrades), as well as have your own say about the advice, or dare I say it, post your thank you comments. 

Ad Appreciation - "Why Try Harder?" (Pot Noodle)

My old advertising teachers would tell me off if they knew how little research I do these days, and by research I mean watching TV and checking for any interesting ads during the break. However, I saw the movie Tower Heist last week (it's predictable but still a good watch) and caught a bunch of ads before the trailers. 

One of these ads was for Pot Noodle, maybe it's been around for a while now but I hadn't seen it before and it's such a great one! That being said I had to post my appreciation for the best ad I'd seen in a while and one that had given me a good laugh. It has the perfect amount of production value, humour, risk and take the piss attitude to make it one you'll remember. It's the type of advert I would like to work on in the future. Fingers crossed there will be more to this campaign! I can foresee it being used with their usual Xmas version of the product e.g. busy Xmas dinner? Why Try Harder?... Anyway I don't want to spoil it if you haven't seen it yet. If not check it out below.

I Don't Get It... Vol.1 - Bruv'erly Luv'

Well this isn't what I thought my first "Life etc..." post would be about but the situation left me contemplating that mysterious species we call humanity, so I just had to write about it.

So on my way home this evening I arrive at the bus stop and notice the horrendous traffic opposite. A man in the car directly across the road seems to recognise me and yells, a name, not mine, which I came to realise later. Stupidly I responded, trying to place how I knew the guy or either of his friends in the front seats. 

I ask how we know each other, still a bit dubious, then he says that I helped him out the other day. I assumed he had visited where I work (in the HE sector) for some advice etc and naturally I had expertly solved his problem and sent him on his way. Then he shouts "you're so beautiful"...

My first thought after a burst of uncontrollable laughter is, well durr tell me something I don't know, then I remember that I'm surrounded by people at the bus stop and the situation becomes a little embarrassing. Made even worse when his friends concur and the first guy begins confessing his undying love for me! Or rather for Harry, which he mistook my name for from my ID card (note to self, take off after work). 

When I think my embarrassment has reached its peak, the hilarity continues as they blast the final chorus of Roxette's classic song - "It Must Have Been Love" out the car speakers!!! After hearing the pre-prepared song I finally cotton on to the fact that I don't know these people (slow I know but it had been a long day) and at this point the comments have become lude, to say the least! So yes it's just some randoms having a laugh and it's actually pretty funny, although I would have enjoyed it a lot more as a spectator. Instead I can almost feel the people either side of me pointing and laughing.

The traffic finally seems to be moving further down the road so I smile, give them the middle finger and tell them to jog on. They then get out of the car all angry as if it was me trying to start something! Suddenly I'm not seeing the funny side anymore and I've had about enough; I stick on my patented angry face and slowly (and visibly) reach into my back pack as they make their way towards me. 

One of them takes notice of this and says to the others "Yo what's he reachin' for bruv'?" They stop in their tracks and I call over, "I'll give you a hint, IT'S NOT A TOASTER!" Now my bus mates really helped here as they all started shuffling away from me as well lol oh dear... Anyway the idiots got back in their car and drove off with a symphony of car horns sounding behind them since they had been holding everyone up. It now dawns on me that the bus stop people are still hesitant so I pull my hand from my bag revealing the Nestle Milkybar (yum) I had purchased earlier that day and flashed them a smile.

So what the hell was all that about!?

What makes people do things like that? If it's just a bit of fun why did they get all serious at the end? Were they just out for a fight? Is pretending to be gay (I'm pretty sure they were) really the easiest way to do that? Why me!? For these and many other reasons I have to say, I Don't Get It...  Have the answers? Or just as confused by the whole thing? Have a ridiculous experience of your own to share? Please let me know your thoughts below!