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X-box advert banned

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limbic

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Jun 6, 2002, 1:35:05 PM6/6/02
to
The crusade against humour levity and fun continues. The prigs, moral
matrons, sandal wearers and sensitivity councils record another victory:

"LONDON (Reuters) - Advertising watchdogs say they have banned an advert for

Microsoft's Xbox games console, which urged people to get more fun out of
life but had been widely misinterpreted. The Independent Television
Commission (ITC) said on Thursday the advert had prompted 136 complaints in
Britain with its portrayal of a baby boy being born before fast-forwarding
through adult life and slamming into the grave. The advert was particularly
offensive to those suffering a severe illness and mothers who had just lost
a child, it said."

The advert was brilliant. That it offended 136 people out of a national
viewing audience of millions is no reason to ban it.

"The advert was supposed to symbolise that life is short and life is
precious" said a Microsoft spokeswoman.

It succeeded. The ad was excellent and this tyranny of "sensitivity" and
political correctness is a bane that will be execrated for centuries.

http://www.ukpoliticsmisc.org.uk/weblog/archive/2002_06_02_old.php#85148052

Regards

Limbic


Zer0

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Jun 6, 2002, 3:12:23 PM6/6/02
to

"limbic" <limb...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>The crusade against humour levity and fun continues. The prigs, moral
>matrons, sandal wearers and sensitivity councils record another victory:

>"LONDON (Reuters) - Advertising watchdogs say they have banned an advert
for
>Microsoft's Xbox games console, which urged people to get more fun out of
>life but had been widely misinterpreted. The Independent Television
>Commission (ITC) said on Thursday the advert had prompted 136 complaints in
>Britain with its portrayal of a baby boy being born before fast-forwarding
>through adult life and slamming into the grave. The advert was particularly
>offensive to those suffering a severe illness and mothers who had just lost
>a child, it said."

>The advert was brilliant. That it offended 136 people out of a national
>viewing audience of millions is no reason to ban it.

First, it did not offend 136 people. It offended 136 people who bothered to
complain, which is considered by the ITC to be a sufficiently substantial
number to investigate thoroughly.

>"The advert was supposed to symbolise that life is short and life is
>precious" said a Microsoft spokeswoman.

Second, that is a load of tosh. The advert was supposed to increase the
sales of the X-Box by making it appear that life in the fast lane is cool.
Having had to reduce the price of the product by £100 in the UK and still
fail to meet its sales targets shows how desparate Microsoft is in this
regard.

>It succeeded.

Third, the advertisement - and the ad agency responsible - failed, as is
evidenced by the ITC's decision to ban it.

>The ad was excellent

Please define 'excellent'. Funny? Provocative? Increased sales?

>and this tyranny of "sensitivity" and
>political correctness is a bane that will be execrated for centuries.

That I agree with, but Microsoft is to be feared far more for its monopoly
and ability to retrieve what I would call 'private' data from our drives
than for its political correctness.

Zer0

Gazzz

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Jun 6, 2002, 3:31:36 PM6/6/02
to
limbic wrote:
:: The crusade against humour levity and fun continues. The prigs, moral


Yeah, the advert was far better then the actual x-box, which had great
potential, but so far has shown to be a pile of poo, now excuse me while I
go and play Resident Evil on my Gamecube..........

Gaz

Certic

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Jun 6, 2002, 5:02:13 PM6/6/02
to

limbic <limb...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ado6hc$ul1i$1...@ID-58787.news.dfncis.de...
-------
Political correctness my arse. Nowadays anti-PC is the new PC; you can't
voice an opinion without at some point accusing the other side of "political
correctness" - the modern term for heresy/Communism.
What has been demonstrated is the vulnerability of the Meeja to the
heartstring pulling of the New Witchhunt run by whoever is the first to
bleat "We must protect our children" preferably while including the magic
formula "Diana, Princess of Wales" and claiming compensation for emotional
trauma. All debate is being stifled by a saccharine fog of Walt Disneyesque
turbo-sentimentality.
Grr.

--
You are Not entering Chapeltown.
We walk on two legs, the one abstract
the other surreal.
"No-one ever suddenly became depraved"
- Juvenal, Satires
--


Limbic

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Jun 6, 2002, 5:30:01 PM6/6/02
to

"Zer0" <ze...@bigwig.net> wrote in message
news:1023391029.17986....@news.demon.co.uk...

>
> "limbic" <limb...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> >The crusade against humour levity and fun continues. The prigs, moral
> >matrons, sandal wearers and sensitivity councils record another victory:
>
> >"LONDON (Reuters) - Advertising watchdogs say they have banned an advert
> for
> >Microsoft's Xbox games console, which urged people to get more fun out of
> >life but had been widely misinterpreted. The Independent Television
> >Commission (ITC) said on Thursday the advert had prompted 136 complaints
in
> >Britain with its portrayal of a baby boy being born before
fast-forwarding
> >through adult life and slamming into the grave. The advert was
particularly
> >offensive to those suffering a severe illness and mothers who had just
lost
> >a child, it said."
>
> >The advert was brilliant. That it offended 136 people out of a national
> >viewing audience of millions is no reason to ban it.
>
> First, it did not offend 136 people. It offended 136 people who bothered
to
> complain, which is considered by the ITC to be a sufficiently substantial
> number to investigate thoroughly.

Fair enough.


> >"The advert was supposed to symbolise that life is short and life is
> >precious" said a Microsoft spokeswoman.
>
> Second, that is a load of tosh. The advert was supposed to increase the
> sales of the X-Box by making it appear that life in the fast lane is cool.

I disagree old boy. The ad could symbolise life being short and life
precious (which was one of my interpretations) as well as suggesting that
life in the fast lane is cool (which I diagree was a "message", but that is
just my opinion).


> Having had to reduce the price of the product by £100 in the UK and still
> fail to meet its sales targets shows how desparate Microsoft is in this
> regard.

It is desperate because X-box is not selling. The ad for X-box is another
matter. It was funny, orginal, and thought provoking. On TV every night
there are dozens of offensive and potentially upsetting scenes, adverts and
programs. How is it decided to ban them or not? Is it that a certain
number of people are offened (as extrapolated from compaints) and the ad is
then banned?

Perhaps Sega/Sony used fake persuasion (see othe thread) and invented a few
dozen complainants to destroy the Microsoft advert?


>
> >It succeeded.
>
> Third, the advertisement - and the ad agency responsible - failed, as is
> evidenced by the ITC's decision to ban it.

What do you mean by failed? The ad was, in my opinion, excellent. I suspect
it could even win awards. Its popularity cannot be measured by its
offensiveness (as measured by a few complainers).

>
> >The ad was excellent
>
> Please define 'excellent'. Funny? Provocative? Increased sales?

It's effect on sales we do not know as the ad was only launched last month.
Provocative..in a way yes. Funny? certainly.


>
> >and this tyranny of "sensitivity" and
> >political correctness is a bane that will be execrated for centuries.
>
> That I agree with, but Microsoft is to be feared far more for its monopoly
> and ability to retrieve what I would call 'private' data from our drives
> than for its political correctness.

I agree it is a great enemy. I take it you are running SUSE 8 on that laptop
of yours now? : )

Regards

Limbic

Limbic

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Jun 6, 2002, 5:42:49 PM6/6/02
to

"Gazzz" <REMOVEME...@lycos.co.uk> wrote in message
news:adodan$10hh6$1...@ID-49507.news.dfncis.de...


> Yeah, the advert was far better then the actual x-box, which had great
> potential, but so far has shown to be a pile of poo,

Indeed. :)


> now excuse me while I
> go and play Resident Evil on my Gamecube..........


Please play with use here Gaz...

Regards

Limbic


Joe

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Jun 6, 2002, 6:39:10 PM6/6/02
to

My video card cost more than an X-box, and a recent Athlon XP upgrade
wasn't cheap either, including new motherboard, memory, hard drive,
modem, etc. etc. Geez, all this just to play GTA3 and Soldier of
Fortune 2.....maybe I should've bought a Gamecube instead ;)

Joe

Gazzz

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Jun 6, 2002, 6:49:38 PM6/6/02
to
Joe wrote:
:: On Thu, 6 Jun 2002 20:31:36 +0100, "Gazzz"
:: <REMOVEME...@lycos.co.uk> wrote:
::
:: My video card cost more than an X-box, and a recent Athlon XP upgrade

:: wasn't cheap either, including new motherboard, memory, hard drive,
:: modem, etc. etc. Geez, all this just to play GTA3 and Soldier of
:: Fortune 2.....maybe I should've bought a Gamecube instead ;)

If you want to play games, buy a console!!! Much more fun. I'm quite
impressed with the gamecube, the games so far, are much more fun, except
Luigie Mansion, which is crap.

Super Monkey Ball rules...

Gaz

:
:: Joe


daves

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Jun 6, 2002, 7:02:28 PM6/6/02
to
On Thu, 6 Jun 2002 22:02:13 +0100, "Certic" <P...@winwaed.demon.co.uk> wrote:

>
>limbic <limb...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>news:ado6hc$ul1i$1...@ID-58787.news.dfncis.de...
>> The crusade against humour levity and fun continues. The prigs, moral
>> matrons, sandal wearers and sensitivity councils record another victory:
>>
>> "LONDON (Reuters) - Advertising watchdogs say they have banned an advert
>for
>>
>> Microsoft's Xbox games console, which urged people to get more fun out of
>> life but had been widely misinterpreted. The Independent Television
>> Commission (ITC) said on Thursday the advert had prompted 136 complaints
>in
>> Britain with its portrayal of a baby boy being born before fast-forwarding
>> through adult life and slamming into the grave. The advert was
>particularly
>> offensive to those suffering a severe illness and mothers who had just
>lost
>> a child, it said."
>>
>> The advert was brilliant. That it offended 136 people out of a national
>> viewing audience of millions is no reason to ban it.
>>
>> "The advert was supposed to symbolise that life is short and life is
>> precious" said a Microsoft spokeswoman.
>>
>> It succeeded. The ad was excellent and this tyranny of "sensitivity" and
>> political correctness is a bane that will be execrated for centuries.
>-------


I thought the advert rather pathetic and negative. Pathetic because it was
rather a simple minded cloney type thing of the revolting Benneton(sp) ads and
negative because - well associating kicking the bucket with buying the product
isn't very clever imo.

Maria

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Jun 7, 2002, 12:11:43 AM6/7/02
to

Pity. I was most impressed with the ad.
The only thing I found disturbing about it was that it did sort of bring
it home just how short life is...so it must have worked!

Joseph Hutcheon

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Jun 7, 2002, 5:20:06 AM6/7/02
to
On Thu, 6 Jun 2002 21:30:01 +0000 (UTC), "Limbic"
<limb...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> On TV every night
>there are dozens of offensive and potentially upsetting scenes, adverts and
>programs.

For example the adverts for Tescos with Prunella Scales and Jane
Horrocks.

>Perhaps Sega/Sony used fake persuasion (see othe thread) and invented a few
>dozen complainants to destroy the Microsoft advert?

Or perhaps Microsoft itself wanted to increase sales via perceived
'notoriety' in having an advert banned?

>I agree it is a great enemy. I take it you are running SUSE 8 on that laptop
>of yours now? : )

Computer games are a pile of shite. Give me Scalextric or give me
death.

Joseph Hutcheon

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Jun 7, 2002, 6:48:04 AM6/7/02
to
On Thu, 6 Jun 2002 22:02:13 +0100, "Certic" <P...@winwaed.demon.co.uk>
wrote:

>Political correctness my arse. Nowadays anti-PC is the new PC; you can't


>voice an opinion without at some point accusing the other side of "political
>correctness" - the modern term for heresy/Communism.
>What has been demonstrated is the vulnerability of the Meeja to the
>heartstring pulling of the New Witchhunt run by whoever is the first to
>bleat "We must protect our children" preferably while including the magic
>formula "Diana, Princess of Wales" and claiming compensation for emotional
>trauma. All debate is being stifled by a saccharine fog of Walt Disneyesque
>turbo-sentimentality.
>Grr.

*Loud and prolonged applause*

Zer0

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Jun 7, 2002, 10:14:11 AM6/7/02
to

"Maria" <pl...@plonk.com> wrote:

>The only thing I found disturbing about it was that it did sort of bring
>it home just how short life is...so it must have worked!

I'm glad I didn't have to pay the agency bill.

Zer0

Alan R Williams

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Jun 7, 2002, 10:52:17 AM6/7/02
to
pl...@plonk.com (Maria) writes:

[snip]

> Pity. I was most impressed with the ad.
> The only thing I found disturbing about it was that it did sort of bring
> it home just how short life is...so it must have worked!

Yes but how/why do the advertisers expect us to jump from "life is
short" to "I must spend more time playing computer games"?

I agree it was an impressive ad though; I just don't see what it had
to do with the product :-)

Alan

--
Alan Williams, Room IT301, Department of Computer Science,
University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, U.K.
Tel: +44 161 275 6270 Fax: +44 161 275 6280

Steve Glynn

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Jun 7, 2002, 5:58:10 AM6/7/02
to

"limbic" <limb...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ado6hc$ul1i$1...@ID-58787.news.dfncis.de...

Not having seen the advert, I can't comment in detail.

However, some years ago Sky TV ran an ad, clearly humorous in intent,
featuring the late Joseph Stalin apparently advising the Russian workers and
peasants to subscribe to Sky. It didn't bother me, but it did have my
wife in tears, since a lot of her family died at the hands of the NKVD.

Her reaction was probably quite irrational, but there are only two people in
the world who can get away with upsetting her (she's married to one, and the
other one gave birth to her). I also understand, coming from a city that
has large Polish and Ukrainian communities, the sort of offence this ad must
have caused to a lot of other people, even though some idiot in an
advertising agency probably didn't.

I had no hesitation in complaining to the ISA, along with a couple of
hundred other people, and I'm very glad the damn thing was pulled.

If someone wants to make a documentary about Stalin's gulag, then that's OK.
It's up to me and my wife if we watch it.

What, however, I object to is having to leap up and turn the TV off when
some daft advert comes on in between adverts for chocolate bars and life
insurance.

Taste and sensitivity are quite important things, to my mind.

Steve


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.365 / Virus Database: 202 - Release Date: 01/06/02


Zer0

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Jun 7, 2002, 12:26:08 PM6/7/02
to

"Steve Glynn" <steve...@ntlworld.com> wrote:

>What, however, I object to is having to leap up and turn the TV off when
>some daft advert comes on in between adverts for chocolate bars and life
>insurance.

You should watch the BBC. The Corporation doesn't have adverts. At the
risk of upsetting Paris again, it's why you pay a licence fee. ;)

Talking of adverts, isn't the World Cup *so* much better on the BBC where
you get some replays and match analysis at half-time instead of commercials
for the Ford Focus? And you also get BBCi on SkyDigital, which makes ITV
look like a third world broadcaster in comparison.

Zer0

Paul Hyett

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Jun 7, 2002, 4:34:04 AM6/7/02
to
On Thu, 6 Jun 2002, an infinite number of monkeys, masquerading as
limbic <limb...@hotmail.com> typed this -

>
>"LONDON (Reuters) - Advertising watchdogs say they have banned an advert for
>
>Microsoft's Xbox games console, which urged people to get more fun out of
>life but had been widely misinterpreted. The Independent Television
>Commission (ITC) said on Thursday the advert had prompted 136 complaints in
>Britain with its portrayal of a baby boy being born before fast-forwarding
>through adult life and slamming into the grave. The advert was particularly
>offensive to those suffering a severe illness and mothers who had just lost
>a child, it said."
>
>The advert was brilliant. That it offended 136 people out of a national
>viewing audience of millions is no reason to ban it.

I found it disturbing, but I'm not a fan of censorship. I just channel-
hop during adverts anyway.
--
Paul Hyett, Cheltenham, England

mag...@home1942.fsworld.co.uk

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Jun 7, 2002, 5:22:22 PM6/7/02
to
On Thu, 6 Jun 2002 18:35:05 +0100, "limbic" <limb...@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>The crusade against humour levity and fun continues. The prigs, moral

Censorship has no place in a free society. Censorship on the scale
that exists in britain is restricting everybodys right to freedom of
expression. The people of this land have their social development
inhibited at every stroke of the censors pen. How long will it be
before the corruption of the powermongers is deemed too upsetting,too
shocking for us to know and thus prevented from reaching our eyes and
ears.The myriad of censorious government bodies are often headed by
political trusty`s or politicians wives or husbands.
I hope someone with more organisational skill than I possess will open
a website dedicated to publishing censored material.
ukmp

alanG

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Jun 8, 2002, 4:25:35 AM6/8/02
to
On Fri, 7 Jun 2002 17:26:08 +0100, "Zer0" <ze...@bigwig.net> wrote:

>
>"Steve Glynn" <steve...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>
>>What, however, I object to is having to leap up and turn the TV off when
>>some daft advert comes on in between adverts for chocolate bars and life
>>insurance.
>
>You should watch the BBC. The Corporation doesn't have adverts. At the
>risk of upsetting Paris again, it's why you pay a licence fee. ;)

No, we pay the licence fee so you bums and parasites in the media can
get your industry subsidised to the tune of 2.3 billion pounds a year.


>
>Talking of adverts, isn't the World Cup *so* much better on the BBC where

It's better on channel 5. A couple of minutes of boredom in the news
and it's all gone.

>you get some replays and match analysis at half-time instead of commercials
>for the Ford Focus? And you also get BBCi on SkyDigital, which makes ITV
>look like a third world broadcaster in comparison.
>


--
Alan G

The rule of law 'excludes the idea of any exemption
of officials or others from the duty of obedience to
the law which governs other citizens or from the
jurisdiction of the ordinary tribunals'
(Dicey)

Dan Scorpio

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Jun 8, 2002, 11:55:17 AM6/8/02
to

"alanG" <hgh...@Flashmail.com> wrote in message
news:n002gugeksbsoubqo...@4ax.com...

> On Fri, 7 Jun 2002 17:26:08 +0100, "Zer0" <ze...@bigwig.net> wrote:
>
> >
> >"Steve Glynn" <steve...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
> >
> >>What, however, I object to is having to leap up and turn the TV
off when
> >>some daft advert comes on in between adverts for chocolate bars
and life
> >>insurance.
> >
> >You should watch the BBC. The Corporation doesn't have adverts.
At the
> >risk of upsetting Paris again, it's why you pay a licence fee. ;)
>
> No, we pay the licence fee so you bums and parasites in the media
can
> get your industry subsidised to the tune of 2.3 billion pounds a
year.
> >

Doesn't have adverts? Seems to me it's continually broadcasting PC
crap and establishment propaganda - and at our expense (in more ways
than one) as said.

BBC = British Brainwashing Corporation

uk...@otherdayjob.gravytrain.co.uk

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Jun 8, 2002, 12:36:20 PM6/8/02
to

Not forgetting the widespread advertising of the royalist shindig.
They would have had to pay millions to itv for that coverage.

Steve Glynn

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Jun 8, 2002, 7:14:37 AM6/8/02
to

"Zer0" <ze...@bigwig.net> wrote in message
news:1023467613.13931....@news.demon.co.uk...
<snip>

> Talking of adverts, isn't the World Cup *so* much better on the BBC where
> you get some replays and match analysis at half-time instead of
commercials
> for the Ford Focus? And you also get BBCi on SkyDigital, which makes ITV
> look like a third world broadcaster in comparison.
>
> Zer0
>

I'd heard there is apparently some sort of football contest going on.
Seems all very odd. Tracey took a brief look at it and, or so I'm told,
"their balls is the wrong shape". Cricket or rugger for me, though I'll
put up with my wife's taste for anything involving horses, so long as she
doesn't bet too much and doesn't try to emulate Catherine the Great.

Why they're giving so much publicity to a game played and watched only by
oiks is beyond me.

Political correctness gone mad, to my mind.

Steve


---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).

Version: 6.0.365 / Virus Database: 202 - Release Date: 02/06/02


THE ONE

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Jun 8, 2002, 4:29:23 PM6/8/02
to

limbic wrote:

Yeah but at least we politics fans dont believe in political correctmess - I
think this newsgroup is a tribute to all the people who are prepared to say that
they have had enough of being inflicted upon by stupid moaning women and now is
the time to take back what we once had.

Marc Living

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Jun 8, 2002, 8:21:25 PM6/8/02
to
On Fri, 7 Jun 2002 10:58:10 +0100, "Steve Glynn"
<steve...@ntlworld.com> wrote:

>However, some years ago Sky TV ran an ad, clearly humorous in intent,
>featuring the late Joseph Stalin apparently advising the Russian workers and
>peasants to subscribe to Sky. It didn't bother me, but it did have my
>wife in tears, since a lot of her family died at the hands of the NKVD.

>Her reaction was probably quite irrational, but there are only two people in
>the world who can get away with upsetting her (she's married to one, and the
>other one gave birth to her). I also understand, coming from a city that
>has large Polish and Ukrainian communities, the sort of offence this ad must
>have caused to a lot of other people, even though some idiot in an
>advertising agency probably didn't.

>I had no hesitation in complaining to the ISA, along with a couple of
>hundred other people, and I'm very glad the damn thing was pulled.

I'm not. Your wife's reaction was wholly irrational - and you had no
business taking offence on her behalf. Telling her to pull herself
together would have been more like it.

Honestly. Whatever happened to British phlegm and stoicism? We seem to
have become a nation of emotional cripples.


--
Marc Living (remove "bounceback" to reply)
"The first objective of any tyrant in Whitehall would be to make
Parliament utterly subservient to his will; and the next to overturn or
diminish trial by jury ..." Lord Devlin (http://www.holbornchambers.co.uk)

Marc Living

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Jun 8, 2002, 8:21:25 PM6/8/02
to
On Thu, 6 Jun 2002 20:31:36 +0100, "Gazzz"
<REMOVEME...@lycos.co.uk> wrote:

>Yeah, the advert was far better then the actual x-box, which had great
>potential, but so far has shown to be a pile of poo, now excuse me while I
>go and play Resident Evil on my Gamecube..........

If I want to play Resident Evil, I will get my Play Station out of the
storeroom. Why on earth would anybody want to buy a 5 year old game
for a new console? I'm reminded of the time when people bought "Candle
in the Wind" (with XYZ* on the flip side), and then, a year later, all
went out to buy XYZ (with Candle in the Wind on the flip side).

(* Forgot what it was:- )

Marc Living

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Jun 8, 2002, 8:21:25 PM6/8/02
to
On Thu, 6 Jun 2002 20:12:23 +0100, "Zer0" <ze...@bigwig.net> wrote:

>>It succeeded.
>
>Third, the advertisement - and the ad agency responsible - failed, as is
>evidenced by the ITC's decision to ban it.

Hmm ... have you ever heard of the phrase "begging the question"?

Gazzz

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Jun 8, 2002, 8:54:11 PM6/8/02
to
Marc Living wrote:
:: On Thu, 6 Jun 2002 20:31:36 +0100, "Gazzz"

:: <REMOVEME...@lycos.co.uk> wrote:
::
::: Yeah, the advert was far better then the actual x-box, which had
::: great potential, but so far has shown to be a pile of poo, now
::: excuse me while I go and play Resident Evil on my Gamecube..........
::
:: If I want to play Resident Evil, I will get my Play Station out of
:: the storeroom. Why on earth would anybody want to buy a 5 year old
:: game for a new console? I'm reminded of the time when people bought
:: "Candle in the Wind" (with XYZ* on the flip side), and then, a year
:: later, all went out to buy XYZ (with Candle in the Wind on the flip
:: side).

Because the game is superb, it has been improved, and changed dramtically on
the Gamecube. Enjoying it an awful lot, much more then PS2s Code Veronica X.

Gaz

:: (* Forgot what it was:- )

Marc Living

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Jun 9, 2002, 7:56:31 AM6/9/02
to
On Sun, 09 Jun 2002 01:21:25 +0100, Marc Living
<black...@ntlworld.BOUNCEBACK.com> wrote:

>I'm reminded of the time when people bought "Candle
>in the Wind" (with XYZ* on the flip side), and then, a year later, all
>went out to buy XYZ (with Candle in the Wind on the flip side).

>(* Forgot what it was:- )

Remember now. It was Benny & the Jets.

Steve Glynn

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Jun 9, 2002, 8:24:33 AM6/9/02
to

"Marc Living" <black...@ntlworld.BOUNCEBACK.com> wrote in message
news:dr45guo64le87l5do...@4ax.com...

> On Fri, 7 Jun 2002 10:58:10 +0100, "Steve Glynn"
> <steve...@ntlworld.com> wrote:
>
> >However, some years ago Sky TV ran an ad, clearly humorous in intent,
> >featuring the late Joseph Stalin apparently advising the Russian workers
and
> >peasants to subscribe to Sky. It didn't bother me, but it did have my
> >wife in tears, since a lot of her family died at the hands of the NKVD.
>
> >Her reaction was probably quite irrational, but there are only two people
in
> >the world who can get away with upsetting her (she's married to one, and
the
> >other one gave birth to her). I also understand, coming from a city
that
> >has large Polish and Ukrainian communities, the sort of offence this ad
must
> >have caused to a lot of other people, even though some idiot in an
> >advertising agency probably didn't.
>
> >I had no hesitation in complaining to the ISA, along with a couple of
> >hundred other people, and I'm very glad the damn thing was pulled.
>
> I'm not. Your wife's reaction was wholly irrational - and you had no
> business taking offence on her behalf. Telling her to pull herself
> together would have been more like it.
>
> Honestly. Whatever happened to British phlegm and stoicism? We seem to
> have become a nation of emotional cripples.

You mistake my point, Marc, perhaps because I deliberately chose an obscure
example.

A jokey advert involving Stalin isn't going to upset you or me, though both
of us agree he was thoroughly evil. If someone wants to put on a play,
or show a documentary, or publish a book about him, even saying what a great
chap he was, that's fine. People can decide whether or not they want to
watch or read the thing.

Contrary to the impression I sometimes give, my wife is reasonably
level-headed and resiliant (some people would say she has to be to live with
me). She recently bought me a copy of Antony Beevor's account of the fall
of Berlin, knowing that for family reasons I'm interested in that sort of
thing. I've asked her if she wants to read it, and she assures me she
does, but only when she feels ready to. This I understand, because it
concerns some pretty horrific events that killed a lot of the members of her
family in rather unpleasant circumstances.

Fair enough. That's her decision if she reads it or not, and it's surely
up to her if she feels she needs time to prepare herself for an experience
she knows will be distressing. Similarly, if I want to watch "Black
Emanuelle III Does Something Highly Improbable" and she doesn't, that's
between her and me, and if she doesn't wan't me to watch it either, it's me
she'll be slinging the crockery at rather than you, though you might video
it for me.

Which things having been said, that Sky advert caused considerable offence
(even though, clearly none was intended), amongst the UK Latvians -- both
those who came over here to get away from Stalin and Beria, and their
children. I know the Latvian Welfare Association's members were
cancelling their subscriptions to Sky in droves, and I'm willing to bet
members of the Polish White Eagle Association and the Ukranian Welfare
Association were doing exactly the same thing.

My point is, Marc, that anyone can decide if they want to watch a particular
TV programme or read a particular book. Adverts are a bit different, in
that they don't get announced in advance. You and I might well think my
wife's reaction was excessive, as was that of a lot of other people, but you
and I probably didn't have relatives murdered by Stalin (or Hitler, or Pol
Pot or by the Wests, come to that).

And certainly, if my wife asks me to write a letter of complaint on her
behalf, since she is so furious that she doesn't trust herself to write it
herself, I'll talk it over with her, ask her to sleep on it, and then, if
she still wants me to and I think her complaint is justified, I'll do as she
asks, even though I may not be as upset as is she.

Steve


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