5 posts in Hit or Shit?

Hit or Shit?

What You Need To Watch On Netflix

By Harish No Comments
What You Need To Watch On Netflix

Three weeks into my time here at C27, I was approached (well not really, more like tasked) with writing about my recommendations for a few good shows on Netflix. Not shying away from a challenge (and my atrocious viewing history), I decided to take it up. This works out great because Malaysia finally has its own Netflix page (shameless plug here), which also means it’s your solemn duty to go like that page if you’re reading this. And well, if you disagree completely with everything I’ve written, go and hound the page for my head to be put on a spike.

Okay, enough pish-posh, let’s get straight into it.

1. Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King
Netflix - Hasan Minhaj Homecoming King

Trust Harish to start off a post with some sort of brown influence (I know you said those exact words in your head). But not only is this comedy a special one that’s actually worth watching, it’s one worth watching with your parents.

Hasan goes about the struggles of being a brown kid in the States, dealing with the stigma of 9/11, weaving it all in with humorous and heartbreaking anecdotes of his life. Comedy and storytelling aside, this show will serve as a subliminal plea to your overbearing Asian parents to allow you to date outside of your race/religion/sexuality and the likes. The refugee mentality, although not entirely applicable here in Malaysia, will still appeal to the elders in your household, finally giving you something good to bring to the family Netflix table.

Chances of Your Parents Asking You If You Have A Muslim Girlfriend - 70%
2. Big Mouth
Netflix - Big Mouth

The usual connotation associated with students from all-boys schools is that they’re shy, perverted, and possibly homosexual. I went to an all-boys school time and I can confirm that 2/3 of these statements are true in every school. That being said, I’d like to direct the attention away from my La Sallian heritage and to this amazing (animated) flurry of hormones titled Big Mouth.

I stumbled across Big Mouth through the genius that is the Netflix algorithm. I’m positive I did not include my schooling history in my payment information but I’m not complaining. Big Mouth has a great mix going for it – Jordan Peele as the Ghost of Duke Ellington, the non-existent 4th wall, and clearly, The Hormone Monster. The entirety of it revolves around teenagers and the nightmare that is puberty, and the writers hit the nail right on the head (well almost). Each episode is cut into a palatable 30-minute bite but this is one meal you will not regret binging on.

Accurate Description of You During Puberty? - 60%
3. Altered Carbon
Netflix - Altered Carbon

Since we’re on this whole Netflix topic, I thought I’d take it upon myself to add some variety to the mix – you know, to make myself seem less one-dimensional. You’ve heard of the crazy embryonic installations at CES in Vegas and the talk of immortality. Keeping all of that in mind, my third recommendation would be Altered Carbon.

Altered Carbon is your Blade Runner-esque sci-fi drama with an interesting take on immortality. Essentially, our consciousness is all housed in a stack, this disc-like addition to your spinal cavity (imagine having a slipped disc now). A serving of Altered Carbon comes with amazing visuals, a diverse cast, and is bedazzled with nudity. I say bedazzled because the people in this show are actually attractive (everyone except that guy who has his shirt on but no pants in Episode 9). I don’t say this much, but I’m already looking forward to Season 2.

Chances of Rewatching Solely Due To "Plot" - 90%
4. Brahman Naman

This one’s a longshot – I don’t think I’ve met anyone who’s watched Brahman Naman. There isn’t much I can say about this comedy other than it’s the first Netflix production out of India.

Brahman Naman tells the tale of Naman, a Brahman (obviously) and his college quiz team as they embark on a journey to win the coveted “All India Finals”, and um… lose their virginities. Set in the 1980s, Brahman Naman is the ultimate throwback, citing hit rock records from yesteryears and bringing to light a side of comedy I rarely see. To put it into perspective, I thought I was vulgar, coming from an all-boys school, but boy (no pun intended) was I wrong.

Chances of You Finally Understanding Boys From All-Boys Schools? - 40%
5. Stranger Things
Netflix - Stranger Things

You saw this one coming from a mile away, didn’t you? What can I say, it’s amazing! Providing the ultimate throwback when it comes to fashion and culture, ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Stranger Things.

Aside from the million reasons you’ve heard of about why you need to watch Stranger Things, I’d suggest it solely because of the hype (and the memes). It comes as no surprise that the show has a cult following of those who love everything from the 80s. From the stars now being the faces of Gucci to Dustin’s purple Brontosaurus hoodie selling out and crashing the webstore of the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul, it’s clear to see that the public has a vested interest that extends beyond the show. So go ahead and grow out your locks in aspirations to reach Steve level style and of course, tune in to Stranger Things.

Would You Adopt Dustin Given The Chance? - 100%

And that, ladies and gentlemen, are my 5 picks for your Netflix list. Please like, comment, and subscrib… wait.

Cheers.

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By Harish
Fashion

Malaysian Retail Brands Worth Every Ringgit

By Rathika Sheila No Comments
Malaysian Retail Brands Worth Every Ringgit

Malaysian brands are blooming faster than hibiscuses these days. A few brands included in this wave of retail growth have got their direction and identity down — like Aaliyah ‘Down’, not Jay Sean vibes. But no judgement if you dig it… for now.

I can’t list all the brands that I admire right now (because then you won’t come back for more), so here are 4 homegrown brands that y’all should be keeping up with if you aren’t already.

1. Velvet Vanity Cosmetics

The brand’s aesthetic is sharp, memorable and playful — all at once — and translates across everything from its packaging to its lookbooks to content on social media.

What I like about Velvet Vanity is that it takes risks. When we think of cosmetics, the immediate thought of who its audience is becomes: women. But in the larger — and more socially conscious picture — we know that there are men who love wearing makeup just as much as we do, and Velvet Vanity does not shy away from including them in its campaigns too.

 

Brand identity aside, the names of its products is what I live for. ‘Shook’, ‘Glo With the Flo’, ‘Peach Perfect’, ‘Mr. West’, ‘Cheap Thrills’ — simple but enough to be embedded in your mind. Its order boxes have ‘Treat Yoself’ written across it and that’s the kind of reminder every customer needs after they’ve shopped. And y’all should ‘cos everything is under RM60.

Bottomline is: The founder, Adlina Nadirah, has a vision, and y’all gotta trust it.

Check it out here: @shopvelvetvanity

2. The BIG Group

I remember when Ben’s Independent Grocer (B.I.G) introduced itself to the market; it left many of us in awe of its prettiness. There was a lot of giggling because of its heavy use of puns on its signages and in captions — like “There’s no problem when there’s masala (chai)”. And of course, the ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ because it carried beautifully packaged products. Like, I have had so many instances of shopping at B.I.G and wanting to buy something just because it looked good. Don’t judge me. You’ve probably done it too.

 

Ultimately though, I think many of us were stunned at the distance this team was willing to go to create an experience for grocery shopping. We then saw the expansion of the BIG Group which included bars, restaurants, cafes, bakeries, roasters — you name it, BIG’s probably working on it — all of which received the same treatment and attention to detail as B.I.G had, which meant that success was guaranteed.

And thanks to its consistent aesthetic and brand voice, it’s become easier to identify whether or not an establishment is under the BIG umbrella.

Keep up with the BIG Group here.

3. Against Lab

I find that many homegrown streetwear brands are uninspiring and lazy. Many designs either replicate a popular silhouette or print a paraphrased copy of a popular statement (hello anything Supreme touches). But one brand that does stick out though, is Against Lab. Everything from its well-executed lookbooks to apparels shows that effort was put into it.

When it comes to advertising, I appreciate that it does things organically; pasting photos of its lookbooks across streets that have high traffic (hello Bangsar) and positions itself in places that are relevant to its audience — which not only makes for great #OOTD props, but now whenever you (if you’re familiar with the brand) see a fashion editorial, you can almost immediately think to yourself that Against Lab was behind it.

 

Ultimately though, its products are at the forefront. No gimmicks, no sensationalism, just original thought. Against Lab also caught the attention of Hypebeast last year — it’s not a big deal, it’s just the biggest media brand that validates a brand’s existence and assures the people behind it that they’re on the right path. It’s totally chill.

Follow Against Lab here.

 4. Mossery

My fellow stationery hoarders will be with me on this: if a cover of a journal/planner has bright gradients, polka dots, or stripes and is complemented with calligraphy, we know it’s Mossery’s. There’s no argument.

 

Mossery produces the essentials for every creative; notebooks (in both pocket and medium sizes), planners, sketchbooks, pens washi tapes… alright, the latter is not an essential but it’s pretty to have. The brand also gives the option of personalising your planner with your name — use your given name or one of a person you wish you were like (mine would be Beyoncé). Go wild.

Keep up with Mossery here.

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By Rathika Sheila
Hit or Shit?

The Whine and Cheese Club #2: Super Bowl Ads We Love In 2018

By Beatrice Tan No Comments
The Whine and Cheese Club #2: Super Bowl Ads We Love In 2018

It’s that time of the year again. The time when over 110 million viewers hold their bladders during commercials to catch some of the best ads of all time. Yes, that’s right. We’re talking about those 30-second spots that run in between the big plays at the Super Bowl.

So of course, we had to talk about it in one of our Whine and Cheese sessions too. We might not be able to catch the Super Bowl here, but we can definitely gush and share our love for our favourite Super Bowl ads – from David Harbour’s Dirty Dancing tribute to sassy senior citizens singing a parody of the Banana Boat Song.

(Oh if you’re wondering what this whole Whine and Cheese thing is about, we briefly explained it in our last “Whine and Cheese: Merdeka Edition” post.)

1. Tide – It’s a Tide Ad

Is it a typical car ad? No. A beer ad? Nope. It’s a Tide ad. Now that’s a clever way of spoofing every typical Super Bowl commercial out there and making your USD $5 million spot worth it. And who doesn’t love David Harbour and his smooth-as-butter (as Mashable would say) acting? Best of all, nobody died from eating those damn Pods.

“This.was.so.smart. Super Bowl ad brief for all agencies: TRUMP ALL OTHER ADS.”
– Michelle Francis, Senior Copywriter

2. Tourism Australia – Dundee

Just when you thought there was going to be a sequel to Crocodile Dundee, Tourism Australia got us fooled. The faux movie trailer turned out to be just one giant tourism ad. But fans are begging for the movie to happen that they even created a petition. C’mon people. We. Need. To. Make. This. Happen.

“Second favourite Super Bowl ad for 2018 (first would, of course, be the Tide ads). I love how they decided to break through to American viewers by going full-on Australian. Australian stereotypes, Australian cast, Australian movie reference, Australian humour. Could’ve been another cheesy tourism ad, but nope! They went all out and created a fake movie trailer about Australia.
– Beatrice Tan, Copywriter

3. Toyota – Good Odds

Okay, who decided to chop some onions up in here? This Paralympic-themed spot may have nothing to do with cars but it still gave us all the feels.

“Love how just by putting numbers in the video enhanced the narration.”
– Chi Cheng, Art Director

4. Doritos x Mountain Dew – Doritos Blaze vs. Mountain Dew Ice

A rap battle between Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage and Morgan Freeman aka God? Hell yeah. Look at them getting their freak on! (Also, could this fire-and-ice theme be a subtle nod to Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire? If it is then well played, Doritos and Mountain Dew. Well played.)

“Celeb endorsements done right. Love the contrast as these guys are used to playing really heavy characters. The Hip Hop element is juxtaposed perfectly as it breathes new life to whatever perception you have towards these guys.”
– Fazil Fuad, CEO

5. Amazon – Alexa Loses Her Voice

This is what happens when Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa goes on MC. Hollywood celebs—Gordon Ramsay, Cardi B, Rebel Wilson, and Anthony Hopkins—take over and fail hilariously. We can’t deny how entertaining and funny they are though. A+ for effort!

“All I need in this life of sin is Gordon Ramsay reminding me that I cannot cook. It’s what everyone needs, really. And using Anthony Hopkins was rad too.”
– Rathika Sheila, Copywriter

6. Tide – It’s Another Tide Ad

Seriously, can anybody ever get tired of David Harbour? And this time, it’s with the Old Spice guy. Plus, for that extra cherry on top, the ad even ends with Harbour singing, “Tide ad” over the classic Old Spice jingle. Just give this man a damn Oscar already.

“This.was.so.smart.too. Using one of the most recognisable commercials to showcase your product. Short and simple.”
– Jeremy Phun, Junior UX Designer

7. Doritos – Ultrasound

People will go to great lengths to get some Doritos. Unborn babies included. Sounds ridiculous? It totally is.

“I like how low-key terrifying it was. Without showing any gore, the ad still makes you cringe and laugh at the same time.”
– Andrew Kasimir, Copywriter

8. E*TRADE – This Is Getting Old

E*Trade taps into the issue of not having enough savings for retirement. But instead of making one of those emotional ads, we get a silver-haired window cleaner, an elderly lifeguard, and a hype grandma singing to Day-O. Shoutout to DJ Nanna!

“I love how they used music to represent the story, and added a little bit of humour to it.”
– Kah Suit, UX Designer

9. Volvo Interception

Okay, so we cheated here a little. This isn’t a Super Bowl ad; it’s a Super Bowl campaign, done in 2015. Sorry, our Senior Art Director was busy and sorta flung this case study at us. But it’s still ah-ma-zing.

“Brilliant idea and strategy.”
– Nic Low, Senior Art Director

10. Pepsi – This is the Pepsi

Remember that Britney Spears’ Pepsi ad? Well, this year, the brand gives us all that and more by taking us through decades of pop culture icons including Michael Jackson, Cindy Crawford, and even the DeLorean from Back To The Future. All the throwback feels!

“Love how they took their past classic ads and made it something relevant today.”
– Yaw Kho, Developer

There you have it, folks – a round-up of our favourite ads for this year. We could go on and on about David Harbour how brilliant these ads are, but let’s not make this post too long. So au revoir – till the next Super Bowl!

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By Beatrice Tan
Hit or Shit?

Oprah’s Running For President

By Rathika Sheila No Comments
Oprah’s Running For President

Okay, she’s not and she probably won’t because she’s got zero time to correct the fuck-ups 45 men have left for her to inherit. Speaking of mistakes men make that women have to clean up, the theme of the Golden Globes this year was #TimesUp; it was in response to the ludicrous number of sexual assault and harassment reports, and inequality that we’ve put up with for decades. It’s essentially saying that we’re not making anymore time to listen to excuses for inappropriate behaviour; a strong statement dressed in black tie, of course.

There were many moments throughout the show that were worthy of ‘Who Run the World? Girls!’ playing in the background. Some of our favourites were:

1. When Natalie Portman called out the all-male nominees for the Best Director category

I suppose it was rather difficult to find successful films directed by women in 2017 to nominate. There were only productions like A United Kingdom, The Zookeeper’s Wife, Lady Bird, I Think We’re Alone Now, The Beguiled, Mudbound and Wonder Woman — which is considerably one of the most influential movies of 2017 and was even listed to be the highest-grossing live-action movie directed by a woman, to choose from. Why any of those titles didn’t qualify will be a justification that only the Lasso of Truth can give us.

The lesson we learned here is this: It is important to call things out.

While the nominees for this category were deserving (The Shape of Water is brilliant!), completely sidelining titles that created a great impact in the industry as well as its overall contribution to pop culture was not cool. There is a dubious historical pattern with the Globes to only nominate one woman every few years. Hell, the last time a woman won in this category was in 1984. That was 34 years ago when we made room for sexism but as they said: time’s up. 

It’s not like we’re asking for women to be nominated because of their gender — if that thought crossed your mind, you need to learn how to outgrow your ignorance before breeding — it’s because women are putting in just as much (or more) work in the entertainment industry as men but aren’t getting the recognition they deserve. It has to change.  

Browse through Netflix’s section of Women Who Rule the Screen here to expand your watchlist.

2. Handmaid’s Tale’s wins and encouragement to be more than just gaps between stories
 

Handmaid’s Tale took home 2 awards that night for Best Drama TV Series — fun fact: 8 of the 10 episodes were directed by women — and Elisabeth Moss won the Best Actress in a Drama TV Series award for her spectacular portrayal of the main character, June Osborne.

In Elisabeth’s acceptance speech, she (sort of) quoted the writer of the show, Margaret Atwood, saying:

“We no longer live in the blank white spaces at the edge of print. We no longer live in the gaps between the stories. We are the story in print, and we are writing the story ourselves.”

What we learned here is direct; when stories and opportunities aren’t accessible to us, we have to create them ourselves.

If you’d like to induce yourself into an existential crisis of personal reflection, we’d strongly recommend reading Margaret Atwood’s work; she has the ability to make you want to curl up into a ball and cry while also empowering you to do better.

3. Oprah’s speech when she accepted the Golden Globes’ Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement

What a time it would be if we were able to live in the United States of Oprah. She’d be the president, the emperor, and the queen. She’d be Michael Jackson, and we’d all be Tito.

Oprah shared anecdotes of what it was like for her watching the Golden Globes as a little girl seeing Sidney Poitier, a Bahamian American actor, being celebrated on television:

“And I’d never seen a black man being celebrated like that. And I’ve tried many, many, many times to explain what a moment like that means to a little girl — a kid watching from the cheap seats, as my mom came through the door bone-tired from cleaning other people’s houses. But all I can do is quote and say that the explanation’s in Sidney’s performance in “Lilies of the Field”: “Amen, amen. Amen, amen.”

In 1982, Sidney received the Cecil B. DeMille Award right here at the Golden Globes, and it is not lost on me that at this moment there are some little girls watching as I become the first black woman to be given this same award.”

All the feelings! But wait, Oprah isn’t done. She hits us with another one.

“What I know for sure is that speaking your truth is the most powerful tool we all have. And I’m especially proud and inspired by all the women who have felt strong enough and empowered enough to speak up and share their personal stories.”

What everyone can take home from Oprah’s speech is this: we need to both listen, and speak up.

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By Rathika Sheila
Hit or Shit?

How Stranger Things Has Taken Over Our Lives

By Beatrice Tan No Comments
How Stranger Things Has Taken Over Our Lives

(Image Source: iHorror)

Warning: Spoilers ahead! Don’t say we never warn you ah.

If you’re into 80’s pop references, pre-teen sassiness, and telekinetic tantrums, then you’re probably no stranger to the hit Netflix original series Stranger Things.

*Plays theme song* Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo.

Like many fans, we binged all nine episodes of Stranger Things 2 in one sitting and absolutely loved it. Everything about it, from Dustin’s purring to Joyce Byers’ facial expressions. And we’re not the only ones. The first episode alone garnered 15.8 million viewers in the US so we’re pretty sure that says something.

Now that the show is over, we’re not quite sure how to go on with our lives. Okay, that might be a lie but we do have a lot of feelings to unleash after watching the show, especially now that we have to wait until 2019 for the next season.

Can you say Stranger Things has taken over our lives? Yes. Are we gonna talk about it? Yes. So grab your Eggo waffles cause shit’s about to get real strange up in here.

1. Everyone wanted to be Eleven (aka Jane) for Halloween.

Pop on a blue jacket, pink dress, fake blood, and bam. You’re Eleven. Her look is so easy to recreate that it would stop any Demo-dog in its tracks.

Case in point: Our CEO, Fazil

2. Our lives revolve around Stranger Things memes.


When you try to get your crush’s attention:


When you accidentally liked your ex’s post:

 

When responsibilities come out of nowhere:


When it’s the time of the month:


Oh this can go on forever, my friends.

3. Christmas lights will never be the same again.

It wouldn’t be surprising if one of us turns on the Christmas lights and yells, “ASK THEM A QUESTION DAMN IT.” (That’s not a bad idea since Christmas is coming.)

4. There’s a Stranger Things kid we all relate to.

Are you the loyal friend (holla at ya, Mike!), the one who’s constantly unlucky (sorry, Will), or the weird quiet kid (ahem Jonathan)? If you’re not quite sure, there’s a quiz you can take to find out which kid you resemble.

5. Hopper’s. Dancing. Is. Everything.

Hopper’s such a sweetheart in the second season, thanks to his heartwarming relationship with Eleven. But it’s his dancing that has the whole world in shambles – there’s even a Twitter account in honour of his goofy moves and we love it!

6. Bob Newby’s the real superhero here.

It’s already sad that his first name is Bob. His last name had to be Newby. Like newb-y. But hey, he’s still the nice nerd who got the girl and pretty much saved the day at Hawkins Lab. It was sad to see him go though. RIP Bob, you will be missed.

7. Sign us up for Steve Harrington’s Babysitter Club.

Steve went from a total douchebag in Season 1 to the most lovable character in Season 2. He surprised us all by forming an unlikely friendship with the kids and offering to babysit them while Eleven closes the gate. Shame he got beaten to a pulp but hey, the guy’s still a champ.

8. Lucas’ sister is all of us.

The little savage.

Overall, there’s just something about Stranger Things that makes it so compelling. We mean, the show’s all kinds of weird and wonderful: nerdy kids, walkie talkies, creepy monsters, girls with mental abilities. But what’s not to love, right?

Have you finished watching the show? Tell us what you think!

P/S: Barb, where art thou?

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By Beatrice Tan