I've Been Thinking... - Things For This Week.

Hi!!!

Here's a collection of things for this week - things to watch, do, read and listen to - which will make your week go from good to great (or at least, better). Enjoy.

WATCH: Derry Girls on Channel 4 (on Thursdays at 10pm) and All 4.

Derry Girls is an utterly hilarious portrayal of youth, set against the backdrop of 1990s Derry in Northern Ireland. Full of very real characters, genuinely funny jokes and the effort and energy of a great cast and crew, you'll be doing yourself a favour if you watch it. It's easily one of the best shows I have seen in ages and I am the biggest fangirl of it. You can see the first two episodes HERE.

LISTEN: Swimming Tapes on SoundCloud.

I recommended some bands that I have been enjoying on SoundCloud recently in THIS post and Swimming Tapes were one of them. They are the band to go to for soft, dreamy guitar tracks which are the perfect way to inject bright and fun feelings into your life this week. Find their SoundCloud page HERE.

READ: Star Wars, The Debate Wars: Jedi vs Sith on Chronicles of the Red Herring.

Even though we have both been blogging for ages, my best friend and I have never collaborated on a blog post (at least not on our current blogs), until now. It took us ages to find a topic we disagree on but eventually we found one - I'm on the side of the Jedi, she prefers the Sith. In the post we discuss everything from weapons to memes - and I took the memes very seriously. I'm really pleased with how it turned out, it was great to work on something together, and if you're a Star Wars fan, I think you'll like reading our Light Side vs Dark Side debate. It might be going up here soon, too, but just in case or if you'd just like to get on with it and read the thing I've been rambling about, we'd both really appreciate if you went over HERE and read it - and as always feel free to share your opinions in the comments - especially if you want to talk about memes.

DO: Sign petitions to help protect the homeless.

This will take all of five minutes to do but it is so worthwhile. The council for Windsor want the police to remove all homeless people and rough sleepers from the area by May (aka the month of the Royal Wedding). THIS petition asks for a long-term solution to help Windsor's homeless population rather than the dehumanising proposed short-term measure. THIS petition asks for the repeal of the 1824 Vagrancy Act which makes it an offence to rough-sleep or beg in England and Wales. This law, despite being two-hundred years old, has been used as recently as 2014 to arrest and charge people. Poverty is not a crime or an inevitability - rage against it.

Thanks for reading - I hope I've helped you find some ways to fill your time this week.
What are your recomendations for this week? Do you have any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Feel free to leave a comment below if you do.
I hope you have a great week - you got this.

GingerSnaps xxx

I've Been Thinking... - Four Of My Favourite Comedy Christmas Specials

Hi!!!

So as it's now officially December (cue excited squeals), I thought it was about time that I got some Christmas content going on over here. So today, I wanted to talk about one of my favourite parts of Christmas - the comedy specials. Here's some from over the years that I think you should watch to get you feeling festive.

The Royle Family, 'The New Sofa'

This one is my all time favourite Royle Family Christmas special ever - and that's saying something as there are loads to choose from. From Denise wanting to be Nigella (we've all been there), to Dave trying to defrost the turkey in insane ways, to the excitement at a reclining sofa, this episode is full of so many laughs that you simply must watch it- what a fabulous festive classic.

Gavin and Stacey, Christmas Special

This is one of the best Christmas specials there is. I think at this point I could quote it backwards, and with good reason, because it is hilarious. It has the incredibly loveable characters we know and love from the show, and they all get a turn in this one. Expect lots of loud singing, talk of tea towels, a bit of a fight, some side splittingly awkward moments and those iconic gift wrapped Celebrations chocolates.

Miranda, 'The Perfect Christmas'

Miranda is a ridiculously funny show all year round, but something about this Christmas special tops it all. One thing everyone loves about Miranda is how relatable it is and that doesn't change at Christmas - Miranda misses the delivery of her parcels full of presents, she tries to have Christmas at her house but her friends cause chaos and some fantastic Christmas jumpers are worn. All round festive fun with the potential to make you cry-laugh.

The Vicar of Dibley, 'The Christmas Lunch Incident'

I've seen this one loads of times now, and it never stops making me laugh. What happens when you say you'll go to three christmas lunches? This episode shows you. With laughs galore, Dawn French as the fabulous Geraldine, advent calenders, jokes from Christmas crackers and some of the best one liners that the character Alice was ever given, this is a must watch before the big day.

All of these Christmas specials are available on the TV Channel ChristmasGOLD (Sky Channel 110, BT Channel 310, Virgin Channel 124 and TalkTalk Channel 310), and are available as part of series box sets. Some are also available on streaming services, like Netflix and SkyGo so do be sure to try a quick search there too.

Thanks for joining me today, I hope you liked this post.

What is your favourite Christmas special? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know by leaving a comment. 

Go forth and watch TV.

I hope your day is full of laughter.

GingerSnaps xxx

I've Been Thinking... - My Thoughts On The New Ghostbusters Film and The Public Response.

Hi!!!

If you've a movie fan, you've probably heard about the new 'Ghostbusters' film, a reboot of the classic from the 80s. The trailer for this film is one of the most disliked videos in all of YouTube's history. Its cast is lead by four women. Here are my views.



I am a huge fan of the original 'Ghostbusters' film, just for your information. I enjoy it, it's staple viewing at Halloween and it always makes me laugh.

 

I love the new 'Ghostbusters' movie.
It's funny, it's spooky, it features some great characters and it has a very strong plot. My favourite characters are Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) and Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon). They're interesting, unique, funny and smart. I mean, the other lead characters are, too, but Patty and Holtzmann are far more up my street.
 All the actresses are great with comedy and work as a group really well. The film kept me engaged throughout - sometimes at the cinema, I do have a sneaky look at my watch... - and it made me jump at times, too.
It shows the strength of female friendships like the original showed the strength of male friendships, which is so good to see.
I loved that the costumes for the film are like clothes that actual women wear - not everything is on show, not everything is ridiculously glamorous and they don't fight ghosts while wearing high heeled shoes.
 I think the character Kevin (Chris Hemsworth) could be improved, especially given the all-female group of Ghostbusters. I think its a shame that, in a film that makes a lot of progress in terms of casting and characterisation of female characters, Kevin is 'the stupid cute guy' who is 'hired because he's cute'.
Other than that, I personally think the film is great and would recommend it to you.

I'm sure at least some of you know about the criticism this movie faced before it was even released. The trailer is one of the most disliked videos on YouTube.
I appreciate that some people are not keen on the idea of the new film because they love the old one so much and don't want to see a film of less quality become part of its legacy. That, to me, is fine - I understand your worry (but I don't think you don't need to feel that way because it isn't a scene by scene remake and it is good).
However, there are some people who are totally against the film because of the all female cast, although these people often try to suggest that it is more to do with their love for the original. I think it's disgraceful.
  Let's get a few things straight, shall we? Women can be amazing actresses. Women can be hilarious. Women can inspire other women. Women deserve the opportunity to showcase their abilities and encourage others to do the same. Women have worth. Women deserve respect.

Another awfully shocking response to the film has been the racism Leslie Jones has had to face. Black actresses can be amazing and hilarious. They deserve the chance to show off their abilities and inspire people. Black people have worth. Black people deserve respect.

One thing I can say, is that the four women in this film have handled all of this so well, even though they should never have had to. I respect them all so much.
I don't mind at all if you don't like the film because you think it has a weak plot or poor characterisation or lacks development of key themes. I don't share those views but that's alright because you are entitled to an informed opinion. But for people to dislike a film, simply because the cast are mostly female and feature more than one ethnicity is absurd to me. That's just unfair to everyone involved.
Everyone has rights and talents, and I look forward to the day that everyone recognises this.

Thank you so much for reading.

Have you seen the new Ghostbusters film? What did you think? What are your thoughts on the public response? Do you have any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Be sure to tell me in the comments.

I hope you have a great weekend. I'll be celebrating my birthday on Sunday, so I'll speak to you after that.

Have a totally marvellous day!

GingerSnaps xxx



I've Been Thinking... - The Comedy Box Sets You Need In Your Life.

Hi!!!

I am a massive comedy fan, be it stand up, movies, sitcoms or anything of that sort. Over the years, I've watched many a sitcom/comedy box set and I've certainly been more impressed by some than others. With that in mind, I thought that I'd share my carefully curated favourites list with you today. Some of the shows have finished and so you can watch them all at once if you wish, while others are ongoing and so you can catch up before any new series.

The Comedy Box Sets You Need In Your Life.

 

Father Ted. I have no words to express how brilliant Father Ted is and how much I love it. It is honestly so hilarious and one that I always go back to. It follows three priests from Craggy Island - Ted, Dougal and Jack - and their housekeeper Mrs Doyle and their ridiculously funny exploits in life including a rather interesting trip to a department store, an attempt at a caravan holiday, a very intense ride on a milkman's van and a marvellous 'Eurosong' entry. This show is life.

The IT Crowd. Another Channel 4 favourite. I absolutely love The IT Crowd. Moss, Roy and Jen work in the IT department of Reynholm Industries and on the show we see their antics both at work and outside of work, which are always ridiculously funny. 'Countdown', football, social media and trips to the theatre (I cry laughed at that one in particular) are all under fire. It's one for the geeks - it's clever, it's relatable and it's riotous. Love.

Modern Family. The show revolves around Jay and Gloria, Claire and Phil, Mitch and Cam and all of their children - Hayley, Alex, Luke, Manny, Lily and Joe. The show is stellar - it's super funny, it's relatable and it makes my heart happy. From taking Halloween hilariously seriously to raising ducklings to family photo-shoots gone wrong, Modern Family provides the perfect mix of belly laughs, craziness and truly heart-warming moments.

The Big Bang Theory. This show has become a bit of a pop culture icon, and it's easy to see why. Leonard, Howard, Sheldon and Raj are all massive nerds and they and their neighbour Penny (who is about as far from a nerd as you can get) experience all of the crazy moments of life together. It's smart, massively entertaining and, of course, totally hilarious. Science, paintball, The Cheesecake Factory and comic books are all regular features of this gem.

How I Met Your Mother. Ted is a bit of a hopeless romantic and the show follows him and his friends Marshall, Lily, Barney and Robin, and the story of how he met the love of his life and the mother of his children - it involves a marathon attempt gone wrong, games of laser tag and *that* yellow umbrella. Full of laugh out loud moments, little life lessons, charming moments and the happy things that make up life, How I Met Your Mother is a stroke of brilliance.

Miranda. I think this show is completely hilarious - I've loved it for years. Miranda runs a shop with her best friend Stevie, is hopelessly in love with her friend Gary, has a mother who is constantly trying to marry her off, and is trying to navigate her way through grown up life. I love this show and whether it be going to the gym, booking a not-so-far-away holiday or going for lunch with school friends, this show is full of belly laugh moments. (Apparently, Elf Girl and I are like Stevie and Miranda...)

Not Going Out. Flatmates Lee and Lucy and Lucy's brother Tim make for a fab trio in this series (although Tim doesn't appear in the later series and Lucy isn't in the first). Their antics and mishaps make for very funny viewing, whether they be having a go at Battle of the Bands competitions (despite their questionable talents), getting stuck in ski lifts or trying their hand at am-dram, the mundane and the ordinary become the extreme and the hilarious in this cracker of a comedy.

 Gavin and Stacey. One of my all time favourite shows ever, ever, ever. Lovebirds Gavin and Stacey and their legends of friends and family are the subjects of this one. Whether it be a big old family Christmas (I can quote that episode backwards), ordering takeaways, going to foam parties or crossing the M6 toll bridge, this show will bring side-splitting comedy in absolute spades. I'm forever referencing it and I always love watching it (I've even been to Marco's in Barry). Big love.

Thank you for reading this, I hope that I've given you some inspiration for what to curl up and watch on these chilly February evenings.

What are your favourite comedy box sets? Have you seen any of mine? Which do you think you might like to watch next? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts? Let me know in the comments below.

I'll speak to you all soon, I hope your week is off to a good start.
 

I hope your day is filled with happiness and laughter!
 

GingerSnaps xxx