Words About Things

It’s that time of year where various companies have the bright idea of releasing a calendar featuring scantily clad members of staff. These calendars tend to be in aid of charity although the massive amounts of free publicity they generate by catching the attention of lazy blog writers probably has  a lot to do with it.

The marketing geniuses who work for Ryanair have done it once again with another calendar featuring 12 air stewardesses (or is it cabin crew?) in their underwear. Being a low cost airline the underwear is mostly no-frills. The airline’s chief executive Michael O’Leary has apparently already bought the first 100 copies of the 2010 calendar which suggests that is wife might be throwing his copies away.

“Ryanair has again done the dirty in a desperate bid for profits and pimped out its “sexiest” airline stewards in a “bare all” calendar. Such derisory marketing will surely deter more serious candidates interested in a career in airline services and bring the entire airline service industry career into disrepute as a result.”

MEP Mary Honeyball objecting to last years calendar.

It is hoped that as well as annoying Ms Honeyball, this year’s calendar will raise £100,000 for the charity KIDS who help disabled children and their families.

The Danger Global Warming Project was set up to draw attention to the problem of Global Warming through the medium or art. It was organized by the multi-media art collective Blacksmoke in collaboration with Greenpeace. Artists were asked to incorporate Greenpeace’s black and yellow warning tape motif into artworks of any form they saw fit.

Paintings, videos and installations have been submitted from around the world. Those who have taken part range from unknown artists to big names like Philippe Starck, Bruce LaBruce and Billy Childish. Some of the artworks are great, others less so. The main thing however is that they make you think and hopefully they have enough of an effect on you to stick in your mind long after you see them.

DANGER GLOBAL WARMING (recycled by Utah Saints) from Danger Global Warming Project.