Daniel Marcus Rashford’s school meals crusade
We should have been in the midst of Euro 2020 by now, one of the few occasions that a Man Utd striker is able to unite the nation. But obviously we’re not, and without kicking a ball, Utd and England striker Marcus Rashford has found widespread acclaim with his heartfelt campaign to ensure that free school meals will continue through summer for some of the country’s most disadvantaged kids.
In what really seems a no-brainer at a time of global uncertainty and pronounced hardship, an energetic, digital campaign caught an analogue government off guard, leading to a painful and inevitable U-turn. The Twittersphere soon called for Rashford to take a crack at the PM job himself with #RashfordForPM trending nationwide.
Seeing Health Secretary Matt Hancock confuse a Premier League footballer with Daniel Radcliffe of fictional boy-wizard fame (apparently his daughter is reading the books) was a bonus.
Sue and Derek keep it real
As part of its ‘Keeping It Real Online’ campaign New Zealand’s government deployed ‘porn actors’ Sue and Derek to explain that porn probably isn’t the best way to learn about sex, relationships or consent.
In the video, Sue and Derek explain to a woman that her son has been watching them online, prompting the mother to realise that now might be the time for ‘a bit of a chat’.
It’s the latest in a long list of events which are making New Zealand’s effective, progressive and good-humoured government (led by Jacinda Ardern, who topped a poll of most trusted politicians in neighbouring Australia last year) the envy of many.
An oldie but a goodie from Zara
This was last month, but it is still worth a look. Launching its Spring-Summer range, Zara decided the best way to sell its wares was by showcasing them in a series of bizarre poses, including balancing precariously on a stove, leaning halfway up a bookcase and even submerged underwater.
Apart from being strange, people complained they couldn’t see the clothes properly, which – and I’m no expert – seems like an oversight. I guess people are talking about it, but at best it’s twee and at worst it’s utterly ridiculous.