The Universe According to Benskog

So, the Internet is raving over Disney´s latest holiday film: The Princess and the Frog. It is set in 1920´s New Orleans, and the female lead is - ta-daa- Afro-American. Which is a first. The animations is somewhat old-fashioned, in a good way. I have wondered for a decade when this trend with drawn-out figures will come to an end. How post-modern can you get, before a Disney figure looks like modern art? Personally, I´m not a fan of figures pulled out tautly like rubberbands.

The female lead is as thin as a rail with huge eyes. The male lead (when not a frog, I assume), is a six-footer with quarterback shoulders. No queer surprises there. Males = muscular and strong. Females = reedy and child-like.

Hello! My name is Benskog and I´m heavy on sarcasm, since I don´t suffer fools glady. In my days, I´ve analysed quite a few advertising campaigns. Here´s a recent one that has badly backfired.

Lindex, a Swedish clothes-chain, is desperate enough to do anything now. Recently, it launched an ill-advised collection named Affordable Luxury. Between size 36-42. The pictures show emanciated girls in flesh-coloured, er, clothes. Or something. Mostly, the frocks look like something a fifth-grader tried to rustle up at school.

When people commented (unfavourably) upon the collection, the stupidities came a-rolling from the company.

Some examples:

* The sizes S and M are the most popular at Lindex.
Wrong. Size L is always sold out, I´ve noticed.

* Women bigger than size 42 are supposed to shop at the Lindex department named "Generous". Oh, who wouldn´t dream of shopping at something called "Generous" or "Big is Beautiful"? Just to rub in the insult.

Have you seen the clothes at Generous? They´re hideous, 99% of them. Tunics for pregnant women. Pregnant with triplets, that is. In Christmas red, or swirly patterns in black and white. Yes, to look as a IKEA sofa anno 1997, that´s the way to go!

Oh, I have a great idea: Lindex can clump together all sizes over 38 and rename them as a new line: "Fatso". And rename Affordable Luxury as Unbearable Stupidity, because that´s what it is..

Have relocated derrières academically - i.e. kicked ass in the class. That exam - I nailed it.

Today I got hold of this little darling: //shop.hm.com/se/campaign788designercoll?category=LB&page=7
- and a violet-grey ballgown in size 40. Am cradling the clutch like a favourite teddy-bear. If you see the picture: Just look at the giant Swarowski star! An appropriate accessory at a DM concert, or what do you think, Emilsson?

Terrible weather today. Very comatose-inducing, but I shall write about Soka Gakkai, and drink another cup o´java. Ta!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReklDIQS-n8

I´d hug myself as a ten-year-old, and slap myself as a twenty-year-old.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zv9rfj1lr

The lyrics.
The marvellous Annie Lennox.
The video.

... or, because I have such dry and bonkers humour, I give you this:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=38B5-Y5GIIk

You know who you are!