Twees're Good (except they're not)

[Trillhouse]

Distinctively Northern stuff, even at its most Hovis ad, is inherently not twee. The defining characteristics of stereotypical northerness - gruff stoicism, solidness, manliness, dependability - are the antithesis of twee. Comfortingly divorced from reality - yes, cloyingly sentimental - maybe, twee - no.

I don't see how the Hairy Bikers as any of those things though.
Like I said, it's not Northerners or distinctively Northern stuff that I find twee, that would obviously be ridiculous. It's these comedy Northern monkey stereotypes that seem to get perpetuated on tv & radio, like the Hairy Bikers, or the 'comedy' Northern sidekick that seems at times to be a prerequisite to get a daytime show on 6music (unless you're already a celebrity).

 

[Mr. Tea]

I don't see how the Hairy Bikers as any of those things though.
Like I said, it's not Northerners or distinctively Northern stuff that I find twee, that would obviously be ridiculous. It's these comedy Northern monkey stereotypes that seem to get perpetuated on tv & radio, like the Hairy Bikers, or the 'comedy' Northern sidekick that seems at times to be a prerequisite to get a daytime show on 6music (unless you're already a celebrity).

E.g. Johnny Vegas, actually partnered with a monkey on those ads.

 

[Slothrop]

I don't see how the Hairy Bikers as any of those things though.
Like I said, it's not Northerners or distinctively Northern stuff that I find twee, that would obviously be ridiculous. It's these comedy Northern monkey stereotypes that seem to get perpetuated on tv & radio, like the Hairy Bikers, or the 'comedy' Northern sidekick that seems at times to be a prerequisite to get a daytime show on 6music (unless you're already a celebrity).

That's still not twee, though.

The absolutely definitive characteristic of twee is a sort of over-the-top prettiness, self-aware or otherwise. Noone would describe Johnny Vegas as 'pretty' hence noone should call him twee either.

 

[grizzleb]

I think some crossover can be found in that tweeness has an attempt at homeliness, a 'down to earthness' (of a particular kind) that also is present in popular depictions of the north.

 

[Mr. Tea]

That's still not twee, though.

The absolutely definitive characteristic of twee is a sort of over-the-top prettiness, self-aware or otherwise. Noone would describe Johnny Vegas as 'pretty' hence noone should call him twee either.

Oh, I'd never call him 'twee', not by a long chalk. But he fits the bill for likeable comedy rent-a-Tyke down to a T.

Who's that other fat northern guy? Younger, baby-faced. Supposedly broke the joke barrier with a gag about garlic bread or some shit.

 

[e/y]

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[SecondLine]

"In its conviction that oversized glasses are an adequate substitute for actual character traits, New Girl is hardly guiltier of concessions in the war on twee than hundreds of Shoreditch teenagers."

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/laurie-penny/2012/01/hello-kitty-girl-real-woman

 

[Slothrop]

So is the PLAYGROUND LORE thread another example of what we're talking about in this thread?

 

[computer_rock]

british bulldog aint twee

 

[rubberdingyrapids]

saw the hairy bikers last week for the first time. all very cosy (is there any other way for a cooking programme to be? i did used to like floyd's programmes - if you watch the repeats on saturday morning, theres something a bit more on the fly about him, plus idk, id rather watch him than half the ppl doing cookery on tv now). but i just wanted to tell them that a masala dosa isnt actually a 'curry'. just saying.

 

[Slothrop]

british bulldog aint twee

But getting cosily nostalgic about it from a safe distance is as much twee as 90% of the stuff in this thread...

 

[hucks]

So is the PLAYGROUND LORE thread another example of what we're talking about in this thread?

It's the masculine counterpart to the femininity of acoustic cover versions and cup cakes.

 

[computer_rock]

i dont think 'remembering things' and nostalgia are the same thing. nostalgia is more about a yearning, a desire to revisit and relive the past, so i guess in that way it's as much an attitude towards the present as it is the past.

but to address your point: is nostalgia for 'playing footy with the lads in the park jumpers for goalposts etc.' twee? i think it could be. there was an advert for some kind of washing power/detergent a couple of years ago that featured a young boy (a rascal) coming come, covered in mud and eating a sandwich - his mum just ruffled his hair cause she knew the dirt would come out etc.. it presented an idealised vision of childhood that i would consider quite twee.

 

[Mr. Tea]

I really, really cannot fucking stand these retarded hats:

and just...ugh...

I'm sure any guy with a girlfriend who wears a hat like that^ must be a closet nonce - unless he has a matching one himself, in which case they should both be put down for their own good.

They're often obnoxiously rainbow-coloured too, which is more hippy than straight-up twee (hardcore tweediots - if that's not an oxymoron - can't cope with any colours that aren't pastel) though I guess there's a big overlap.

 

[DannyL]

I thought this thread was all mean and shit then I saw some of 500 Days on the telly.

Jesus FUCK

The most shitty cunty film EVER. How the fuck did this shit get made?

 

[luka]

slothrop i think it is safe to say that i am not twee.

 

[Ulala]

They're at it again...

Right, so fucking with the Smiths was unacceptable. Fucking with the Pixies, though? That's a crime beyond measure. I love the Pixies. I don't, however, love this:


The cunts responsible for this abomination (namely some smarmy-looking shitbag called Guy Farley and some fey-voiced bint called Sunday Girl) are not only desecrating brilliance, but getting paid for it as well. THIS IS UNJUST.

It could only be worse if that Pomplamouse harridan was mugging and eyelash-batting her way through it.

God, I hate these things.

 

[jimitheexploder]

Oh my...

 

[e/y]

fuck, I feel nauseous after watching that.

 

[Corpsey]

The cunts responsible for this abomination (namely some smarmy-looking shitbag called Guy Farley and some fey-voiced bint called Sunday Girl) are not only desecrating brilliance, but getting paid for it as well. THIS IS UNJUST.

Hahaha

I'd actually pay money (if I had loads of money) into creating a compilation of singularly nasty songs (''Bite It You Scum'', ''Belsen Was A Gas'', ''To Kill A Hooker'' etc.) transformed into twee John Lewis fodder.

Probably just for an ironic novelty laugh which would actually make me as bad as all of the above twee scumbags if not actually worse.