Standing Tall For What You Believe in

Have you ever sat with a group of people who are talking about an issue you feel strongly about and one where it feels like they are a little ignorant of it (for one reason or another) and you want to chime in…but you don’t? If it were your friends that would be a different story, right? A group of strangers however…i’m not so sure. I personally feel I’d have to suss them out first (I’m not good with conflict, and lord knows how someone would react) Now imagine you’re on TV, and the person you want to interrupt is a guest from another department/segment of the show. Well, this exactly what GMB weatherman Alex Beresford did, and for that, he deserves some love.

Despite growing up in a rough part of West Yorkshire (where racial tension was, and still is, high) I can’t compare my childhood to his. That’s not what this is about. What I can relate to, however, is parenthood.

As a parent of a 6-year-old and a 9-month-old, it is my job to make sure they are respectable members of society, and that they stand tall for what they believe in. For someone like myself who suffers from anxiety and is super socially awkward…it’s much easier said than done. I don’t feel comfortable doing it myself, so how can I instal it in them? It’s a tricky one, but it’s one of the many ‘joys’ of parenthood.

When Alex Beresford stood up and spoke out for what he believed in, which was something he grew up in and around, I personally didn’t see the argument of prison and knife crime, I saw a father lead by example and show his child/children (you’ll have to excuse my ignorance as to how many he is a father too) that you shouldn’t sit back while other people make decisions on things they know nothing about. If you see injustice, stand tall & let it be known.

So thank you, Alex, from one father to another, for giving me a little more confidence in being able to do the right thing for my children.

The Pied Piper of Everett

I don’t like to use the Lord’s name in vain, but this one is deserving…God damn you, Brian Mariotti. No matter how hard I try to step away from Funko (pops in particular) he just keeps on tempting me in like the (wonderfully) geeky Pied Piper he is.

I’ve never met the man (almost certainly never will) but from what I’ve read, heard and seen of him he sounds like one of the most down to earth, chilled out, cool guys in the world. But God damn him (sorry Lord) for FINALLY getting The Office pops sorted. Of all the franchises & licences to REALLY get me in…its The Office.

Despite being a Brit, and a huge Ricky Gervais fan, The Office (US) is hands down the greatest TV show ever made. I can watch that show from start to finish and back again. Never gets boring, never gets old. One thing that does frustrate me though is the lack of merch. To be fair, why would there be (especially in the UK) But still, one could dream…

Ever since I was aware of Funko Pops (The Walking Dead: Bicycle Girl Zombie from 2012 being the very first one) I knew I wanted The Office characters in that form. Not only is there a Stella ‘regular’ main cast, but they each also have a plethora of alternate ‘versions of themselves too (Belsnickel and Recyclops anyone?) the possibilities are endless, and now, thanks to Brian Mariotti, my wishes are fulfilled…and my wallet is now empty (even before I started)

God damn your Brian Mariotti, God damn you indeed.

Jablinski ‘Games’

I love Jables. I was there for the birth of Tenacious D, and have followed his film career since I Still Know What You Did Last Summer. But his latest venture really winds me up. Here’s why.

First off, let’s start with the obvious. The issue that winds people up the most is the fact that he claims to be a gaming channel. Again, I know it’s an obvious and easy criticism, but it’s true. He isn’t a gaming creator. Yeah, he’s mentioned Ninja and Pewds. He did the fake Fortnite footage and the Pinball machine ‘tour’ video, but that’s it. It’s not gaming as we know it, or expect it to be. Call it what it is, a weekly vlog channel. It’s cool, we’re ok with your content (I am at least) just don’t claim to be a gaming channel. WWE’s Xavier Woods (Up Up Down Down) is a gaming channel, yours, is not.

Secondly is the unfair push he gets from Youtube. His content is watchable, I’m not denying this, but there are so many tiny channels out there who are super creative and original (shout out to my personal favourite DOPLEX ) who don’t get anywhere near the attention they deserve because YouTube (& other media sources) would rather push a well-known celeb. Again, his content is watchable, I just feel like other channels are more deserving of a subscriber.

As with most things in life, it is what it is. I can’t change it…but I CAN try & help. So if you’re reading this, give some love to the smaller, more creative channels too, and not just the ‘A’ list celebs. Share the love and let other people know YOUR favourite artists. Don’t just stop with YouTube either. Writers, animators, singers, let’s give some love to the underdogs and make the world a more original & creative place.

Or don’t. It’s your call. But I know I would.

In fact, I just did, so…

The Sims 4 StrangerVille Trailer: A nod to Momo?

The latest Sims game pack is soon to be available and the trailer for it has dropped. It seems that some form of alien life is inhabiting the bodies of the population. Specifically the army?

Now, call me a cynic, but it kind of feels like it’s borrowing from Stranger Things, which is fine…just a little out of time (I know season 3 will be dropping sometime in the future, but it’s not quite in the air at the moment) what IS rather disturbing is its (unintentional?) ‘homage’ to Momo. If you’re not familiar with Momo…well, you’re in for a treat.

According to Wikipedia, The ‘Momo Challenge’ is an alleged form of cyberbullying that spreads through social media and mobile phones. After phone users are enticed to contact a user named ‘Momo’ they receive graphic threats from the user and are instructed to perform a series of dangerous tasks. Despite claims that the phenomenon was reaching worldwide proportions in July of 2018, the number of actual complaints is relatively small, and no police force has confirmed that anyone was actually harmed.

It’s currently prevalent as recent as today, with schools up and down the country are warning parents about the ‘dangers’ of the game.

So what has all this got to do with the newest Sims game? Well, below is a picture of one of the ‘infected’ Sims characters, and below that, a picture of Momo…

Now, this is just my own personal opinion…but they’re pretty blooming similar…right? Even if you don’t agree, doI have a problem with it? Not at all. Is it intentional, who knows? Regardless, it could swing either way for the release of the game; other people may also see the similarity and try cause the game to be ‘banned’ (or whatever it is outraged parents do these days) or the potential publicity may help sales.

Or…all of this could be absolute pointless nonsense and the game is what it is. What ever happens, I look forward to seeing. I might even give it a play too…