The Weekender – empty paintings, theatre reviews and Coolio comes clean

Date
19 October 2012

With winter drawing in, The Weekender has decided it’s about time it got a mate, a fellow whimsical culture round-up with whom to share days out, nights in and sushi binges. To this end The Weekender has been to see a flirting expert and is going to try out some of its new tricks on our dear readers if that’s ok (which we’re sure it is!). So here goes – Hello. I’m The Weekender (points at your shoes with whole arm) I like your shoes. Do you like days out, nights in and sushi binges? (Points at your hair with both arms) I like your hair. Do you want to see my room? – and scene! Money well spent I’m sure you’d agree. Bring on the nonsense!

Best of the site

This week we marvelled at the power of removing all the people from famous paintings, we loved this prism cabinet from the irrepressible Studio Swine and we were over Keith Negley’s brilliant illustrations (brillustartions if you will?).

Best of Best of the Web

Top of the class this week for Nowness’ glorious interview with Hans Ulrich Obrist, for Buzzfeed and the best Amazon reviews of all time and for The Guardian’s super behind-the-scenes photos of President Obama’s four years in the White House hotseat.

Best of the Rest

Big fans this week of Cloud Atlas author David Mitchell’s guide to Japanese authors (among other things) for The New York Times, the Stratigraphic Manufactury showcased on Dezeen and these photos of the exact moments visitors to a haunted house were spooked good and proper

Tweet of the Week

“I was taken to Madame Tussauds when I was 4 but I didn’t recognise any of the celebrities so I just thought it was a clothes shop.”
There’s something oddly moving about this revelation from @adamhess1.

Making the impossible possible video of the week

Question: What’s the only earthly way the ubiquitous aural affliction Gangnam Style could be any more annoying?
Answer: If it was done as a parody by pupils at uber elite public school Eton

Cultural boundary-pushing of the week

I’m sure we all like the theatre but it’s fair to say that theatre criticism is seen (rightly or wrongly) as a bit of a bastion of conservative cultural values. So what’s the way to breathe new life into this form of journalism? Ladies and gentlemen, we give you, the stunning Bros on Broadway which this week includes the line: “The show is basically a crazy nightmare full of sex and puke, which is actually pretty great.”

Bridge of the week

Broadly speaking I’m a fan of bridges, providing as they do a faultless means of crossing rivers, roads and homes for trolls. But then this concept for the trampoline bridge over the Seine came along and rendered all other bridges immediately and spectacularly rubbish. I want to bounce across the Thames from now on, or I’m just staying on this side.

Wi-fi network name of the week

This BBC piece about the rise in passive-aggressive (and indeed aggressive-aggressive) wi-fi names is really good, but whoever came up with the name “Pretty fly for a Wi-Fi" deserves a ruddy medal.

Solved conundrum of the week

I know you’ve been itching to crack the fiendish riddle “What’s the only thing Coolio’s been doing longer than rapping?” for some time and I’ve decided to put an end to your misery. So here’s the answer – thank me later.

Call me maybe?

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About the Author

Rob Alderson

Rob joined It’s Nice That as Online Editor in July 2011 before becoming Editor-in-Chief and working across all editorial projects including itsnicethat.com, Printed Pages, Here and Nicer Tuesdays. Rob left It’s Nice That in June 2015.

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