the elevator pitch

A lot of North American celebrities can often be seen gracing the small screen over seas. People like Tiger Woods have been doing it for years, but because we reside on this side of the pond, it becomes difficult to see and then translate some of the ads. Remember Lost in Translation? Bill Murray played a washed up actor looking to get paid in Japan and a few of the best scenes of the film are of him attempting to work with Japanese directors in a commercial shoot for some alcohol.

Well, fiction often imitates the truth and Quentin Tarantino (famous director of the Kill Bill Saga, Pulp Fiction and most recently Inglorious Basterds) has just starred in a Japanese commercial. Have a look at the video below to check it out:

Strange huh?

Well, like the movie, a lot of this is “lost in translation.” The ad is for a company called Softbank, a Japanese cell phone provider. Softbank is basically a re-brand of Vodaphone in Japan and they’ve kicked off the Winter by releasing this strange commercial starring one of the world’s most famous directors. Here’s the breakdown according to a rough translation:

The white dogs are actually the parents in this situation. The girl sitting down is actually a Japanese popstar in real life and the dogs are essentially telling Tarantino and the girl what they are going to do for the day. QT does a random samurai impression and the phone rings. On the other end is a woman playing QT’s wife who screams at him to come home. End.

Yeah… don’t worry if you don’t see the point of this. It was made for a Japanese audience living in a completely different culture. But in any case, it’s always nice to see Tarantino imitate a samurai.

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H1N1 – Swine Flu; the most talked about sickness in North America is definitely taking on a life of its own. With the global scare occurring a few months ago, the sickness has reached North America and it is generating a rather interesting result. Yes, people are getting sick (which is terrible) and yes it is treatable (thank goodness), but when a lot of people know these facts, being the lazy North Americans we are, the only thing we can think of is how to use this to our advantage.

According to a survey completed by Careerbuilder.com, almost a quarter of all working class North Americans call in sick when in fact they are not. For what ever reason, people on this side of the ocean are more accustom to come up with excuses rather than solutions. With the “outbreak” of H1N1, the lazy working class only have more excuses at their disposal.

Calling in sick isn’t a new fad, but calling in with H1N1 is becoming the pop culture choice of sickness. It also doesn’t help that many hospitals and doctors throughout the US have told people actually suffering from the symptoms to stay away from emergency rooms and doctor’s offices in fear of spreading the sickness.

To the person looking to take a long weekend, H1N1 is the perfect excuse. Not only do you not want to catch it, but if you have, you shouldn’t spread it. So, the “logical” thing to do would be to take the day off. But that doesn’t seem to be the major problem. The issue is that people are calling in H1N1 and simply taking the day off….

Although it is not scientifically proven to the slightest bit, don’t be surprised if Karma hits those people hard. Swine flu isn’t a joking matter and should be treated as a serious sickness, not an excuse to recover from a crazy weeknight of drinking and debauchery.

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This Is It… Simply put, one of the final original tracks ever recorded by the King of Pop was finally released to radio and the Internet on October 12th. The track, titled This Is It (sharing the name of the behind the scenes documentary of Michael Jackson’s final concert preparations), actually features the background vocals of his brothers and aired for the first time online at 0400GMT on MJ’s official website and played on radio stations across the globe.

The single will be released for public consumption as the only original track on Jackson’s latest album set to hit stores and iTunes later this year. But there is a bit of a mystery behind the track as not a whole lot of information is known. Before his death, MJ had been working with singing sensation Akon and Will.I.Am from the Black Eyed Peas, but their involvement on This Is It is not evident.

This leads a lot of people to believe that Jackson will have a final (farewell) album released some time in the future that will feature an entire set of new tracks to accompany This Is It. The slow release of the final MJ tracks is a move that Sony Music feels is not only financially beneficial for the Jackson estate, but also helps his music carry on for a longer period of time. In any case, the legend of Michael Jackson’s prowess in the music industry remains and his music will live on for generations.

Sources: BBC, michaeljackson.com

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In some people’s minds the Emmys usually take a backseat to awards shows like the Oscars, the Tonys and the Grammys (and to a younger generation the MTV music and movies awards), but after last night’s showing hosted by the feverishly talented Neil Patrick Harris, the Emmys should now be put back into the conversation with the big boys. Usually reserved for the entertainers who star on prime time television and news shows, the Emmys seem to have a niche audience – either you like a certain show or network or you don’t. Then you usually have the case where you have to sit through multiple years of the same winners. Well, this year’s presentation added more to the show and by that I mean the melodies and comedic timing of the former Doogie Howser star.

Harris wasn’t only the host, but he, director Joss Whedon and the entire cast of the hugely successful Doctor Horrible’s Sing Along Blog won the Emmy for Outstanding Special Class – Short-format Live-Action Entertainment Programs. Other notable winners include: Alec Baldwin for 30 Rock, Toni Colletti for the United States of Tara, Bryan Cranston for Breaking Bad and Glenn Close for Damages. The night was filled with outstanding entertainment from the host, some guest speakers, honorary awards and of course the anticipation of the prestigious Best Drama Award which eventually went to the AMC hit Mad Men.

If you didn’t manage to see any of the show, you can always go to the official Emmys Website to scan through all of the winner. Also, here’s a clip of Dr. Horrible invading television:

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Michael Vick? Really? What could the Philadelphia Eagles have been thinking?

Probably that time and winning can take a bite out of any bad rep. Look no further than the adoration piled on Kobe Bryant when he led the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA championship in June. No television commentator and very few sportswriters brought up the reason why he isn’t on a box of Wheaties. Bryant’s rape case in Colorado earlier this decade ruined his chances of ever again being a corporate pitchman. He is in the doghouse permanently as far as advertisers are concerned and Vick is in the same predicament, but life throws us all bones and success can be found outside of endorsements.

No. 7 Who Sends Dogs to Heaven won’t sell products, but when unleashed he can win football games. Doing so will silence critics’ barks and bury any public relations problems that hound him and the Eagles at the moment. Vick led Atlanta Falcons’ teams with less talent than the Eagles to the playoffs and while he won’t supplant Donovan McNabb as the Philadelphia starter, he gives the team a unique weapon and as good a backup quarterback as any team has had since Steve Young held a clipboard for Joe Montana.

Vick is going to play this season — possibly in wildcat formations that the Eagles surely are working on. If McNabb, who has injury history, goes down then Vick will be in the spotlight again, but for his football ability. Athletes, unlike other humans, can overcome public humiliation faster than anyone because ultimately all the public cares about is what they do on the playing field. That’s the reason they matter to us to begin with. Vick, a former No. 1 draft pick, has never been an underdog. He won’t be one now for long either. Soon, he’ll be an ascending star again and the Eagles will be commended for making one of the shrewdest moves in NFL history.

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