Over the hills & far away, Teletubbies come to play..

The Metro (London) on Tuesday May 14^th: “Without a doubt, the UK is leading the world in pre-school programming with shows from Teletubbies to Peppa Pig.”

Pardon?

Now I have yet to experience the delights of Peppa Pig for myself, but I have indeed seen the Teletubbies. And world leading they are not… “eh-oh”

I think I was about 6 or 7 when they first appeared on the small screen and yes, I did have a brief but deep love for them. I even saved up my pocket money for a couple of weeks in order to be able to buy my very own version of Lala. Sadly my mama dear was not a big fan of the Teletubbies and was far from keen on my delight in their antics. She simply explained that such a program would lead to “verblödung” (like ‘schadenfreude’, this is one of those amazing words, which captures an entire English expression in one word. It simply means that ‘watching this program will make you dumb’)

So why is the Metro implying that programs like the Teletubbies are world leading? Perhaps because otherwise, we’d have to admit to ourselves that if our kiddiwinks weren’t watching the Teletubbies, then they would probably be playing on Dad’s/Mum’s/Granny’s/(god forbid) their own iPads.

Go and play in the dirt girls and boys!

Living in a Daydream

Having recently read a great article that discussed all different forms of reality, it brought forward a little developing thought in my mind: what reality are we living in? Can we still actually distinguish between fact and fiction? This may sounds slightly odd and I know that Google haven’t actually yet launched their ‘augmented reality glasses’ but let me explain…

Take Facebook; the epitome of a ‘virtual’ Internet reality. Although the idea behind it is a personalized profile to communicate with ‘friends,’ this medium allows us to completely construct a (partially) fictional persona. Don’t lie, some of your photos will be edited (and those that aren’t, untagged!). I’m pretty sure that subconsciously we are fully aware that the comments we post on each others walls will be seen by at least 25 others besides the originally intended, and so the pressure to appear witty/effortless/interesting is on. You don’t agree? Come on, everyone knows if a comment really is only intended for the other person’s eyes it does so in the form of a private inbox…

 

Then there’s the very obvious and ever-present (constructed) reality show. Yes Big Brother was brainless, but at least what we saw was actually occurring in the Big Brother House! As much as I love the likes of Made in Chelsea I put money on the fact that although it’s marketed to us as ‘reality’ the scenes are about as real as my dream last night, in which I finally gave in to Ryan Goslings über persistent begging to go out with me. Shows like the X Factor are no doubt worse and are almost certainly more planned and scammed than anything else!

These shows then provide the opportunity for the rise of the notorious celebrity…in itself an immense facade of planned PR stunts. We think we know Lady Gaga? What’s her real name? And does she really like meat/Kermit dresses or does she know that by wearing them she’ll get press coverage? And you tell me that the delightful Kim Kardashian’s wedding wasn’t a publicity manoeuvre…a fictional fairytale.

Lastly, as much fun as it is to follow, fashion sometimes seems to be one big fictional visual. Most people by now know that pretty much all photographs that we’re presented with of models and celebrities are photoshopped. But what probably most people don’t know is that an H&M scandal was recently uncovered revealing their photo ‘models’ were in fact computer generated bodies with facial images attached. Very real. And let’s not even get started on cosmetic surgery…

In hindsight this article is probably very cynical and I sound like I’m generally very displeased with culture. Far from it! I love Made In Chelsea just as much as the girl next door (if not shamefully more), I think that the H&M models are super sexy and I obviously watch X Factor. (although only at uni. With a big group of people) All in all I just feel that it’s important that our impressionable and naïve juvenile generation with our unquenching thirst for knowledge and culture, remain aware of the broader picture! Even if our access to reality is based on fiction as Deborah Kests says, as long as we’re aware of that it’s all chilled!

A 'Mini' Interview

(Interview on 17/02/12 as appeared on The National Student)

With one successful series already under her belt, Freya is still living the dream. As a keen follower of Skins right from the early days having the opportunity to join was like “loving a band, listening to their music, then suddenly being allowed to go on tour with them!” But with such a big respect for Skins legacy, it was obviously very daunting having to step into such large shoes and yet she’s done it well, even taking the sex scenes in her stride…

Freya has a very rational approach to this, it’s simply something actors have to do! “Look at Michael Fassbender’s graphic sex scenes in Shame! Of course it’s a slight dread, but a bigger challenge is almost better. But it’s not just the sex Skins depicts teen "issues" such as parties and alcohol, but recent episodes have also featured death and physical violence…surely this isn’t common in an average teenager’s life? “Skins tries to catch on to relatable issues, but it’s a drama, so it needs drama!” says Freya, explaining that Laya (who plays Liv) has the perfect theory: “it’s all the crazy stories you hear at school apparently happening to various people, all mushed up, happening to one friendship group!”

The fact that such a wide audience (including friends and family) see her explicit scenes is part of the process to Freya.

“Once they’re out, they’re out and at the end of the day they’re there to move the story along.”

Her nerves prior to filming have also settled, “It depends completely on the scene and the awkwardness and mindset of the character…an hour in you kind of get over it!”

She describes a certain ease and confidence filming this series compared to the first series, she’s gained confidence and a certain know-how and is better at tapping into the right emotions. Yet she still admits to nerves. “I’m apprehensive in the sense that I want to give a good performance.” Hence having a whole episode focused on her is both exciting and daunting; “Acting is what I want to do, therefore it’s good to showcase my talent, but yes, the pressure’s on!”

It’s obvious she is committed to her cause. “I loved filming the scenes and it’s always a lot of hard work that goes into it. It’s great to watch it back and remember the filming process!” But it’s not all smooth sailing…Mini’s episode deals with some big and emotional issues, not always easy to take in your stride. “I’d just filmed a really intense crying scene and then went straight into a more chatting and upbeat one and I just couldn’t do it! It really affected me, to achieve raw emotion you have to invest in it; it takes it out of you, and immersion becomes more and more believable…”

Yet Freya makes it very clear that she’s different to Mini, far more “gangly and awkward” whilst Mini is a “cold fish!” She explains that she doesn’t do bitchy, she “doesn’t have the balls” to pull it off and would definitely crumble! Then again when she started playing her, she considered herself and Mini to be polar opposites, but since, she’s discovered that she’s a bit like Mini in the sense that she likes to know what’s going on! Even so, in her daily routine nothing has changed. “When I started, I though I’d have to polish up, but I’m still scruffy! It’s important to hold onto your identity.”

Since she hit our screens, Mini has developed quite a bit from a secretly insecure virgin with body issues, to a more promiscuous young lady, accused of ‘not being able to love anything.’ This is where her episode on Monday comes in: “she’s been carrying a big burden on her own and a big secret is revealed. In the past she’s been let down and deceived by men, so she’s learning to trust and prove she’s independent…she can have a man on the side!”

Maybe this is why her clothing has changed slightly? The Skins costumes, Freya explains, “emulate what the character is going through.” Her comment that “when at end of day you’re taking off your costume, you’re also taking off your character’s skin” proves that acting is something that she is clued-up and serious about, and her stint on Skins has only validated this, giving her the valuable experience of acting on a professional basis; her ideal career.

A member of The National Youth Theatre, Freya has a sound knowledge of the industry and her practical take on it is amazing.  “Whilst it’s important to embody your character, you can’t isolate yourself from real life, method acting is good, but there’s a fine line between it and losing yourself…” Perhaps this is why she has stayed so down-to-earth? “It’s a hard industry, so hit-and-miss…so it’s important to keep other things going.” Clearly this isn’t a problem for her, juggling filming with finishing her A-levels. “I’m just a bit geeky in that sense, so I worked hard.”

Fair play to her, maybe it's something Mini could look into…

Skins Chat

So the other day I was lucky enough to interview Skins's very own Freya Mavor (aka Queen Bee Mini McGuiness...) the interview should go up on The National Student very soon, I'll let you know! x

Made on Essex Shore, ft. the Desperate Scousewives

“It’s Monday night and here are your news at 10. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel and….” I switch to E4, just in time to catch the review of last week’s Made in Chelsea. Thank god, just in time. Maybe here it dawns on me that somewhere I’m potentially getting my priorities wrong. Obviously I’d like to defend myself by suggesting that as a student I’m allowed to live in the ‘student bubble’ without so much as the faintest idea of what’s going on in the outside world, and yet, as a budding journalist, I do feel naturally guilty and ashamed! A couple of years ago, the U.S. brought us The Hills and The City, only for us Brits to jump onboard the ‘constructed-reality’ show bandwagon and launch The Only Way Is Essex (affectionately: TOWIE), Made In Chelsea, Geordie Shore AND the brand new, yet to be rated or slated, Desperate Scousewives. But why are these shows such a success and why do we knock them, only to actively count down the days until the next episode…in the meantime agonizing almost as much as Millie, that Hugo has probably cheated on her with Rosie in Chelsea?! The drama!!

 As the British public, due to our notorious need for celebrity, we practically allow anyone and everyone to become a ‘celebrated public figure’ who is featured in our media. Wikipedia tells me that Amy Childs became “well-known in 2010 while appearing in ITV2’s semi-reality programme The Only Way Is Essex where she brought the word ‘vajazzle’ to public notice.” Yes, that’s right. She achieved fame and fortune by promoting vajazzles aka vaginal diamante… Kudos to her!

True, 100 years ago our ancestors didn’t have reality shows or even Heat or Hello! to inform them what their contemporary Kate Middletons were up to and yes, perhaps they were less trivial, materialistic and superficial. Then again, look at Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire or Lord Byron, the celebrities of their own time. They have always existed. It is in our human nature; we need someone to look up to, to crave to follow, to aspire to. The triviality of our generation lies, if anywhere, in our ability of showing a genuine interest in someone who specializes in genital gems. Personally I think it’s wonderful to admire and observe public personalities such as Stephen Fry, French and Saunders, Judi Dench, JK Rowling…I could go on. Yes, they’re on TV, on audio and in print, but due to their talents, passions and hard work, not the fact that the camera follows them when they go on a ‘constructed’ night out.  

So surely, come next Monday night at 10pm I’ll be watching the news or Stephen Fry’s QI… 

Nah, I can safely assure you I’ll be watching Made In Chelsea because yes, I love it and a little bit of easy viewing never hurt anyone.