Friday's Unscientific Poll

[nanila]

In the space of less than 24 hours, I have come across two new British Things that I'd not encountered previously. The first was Revels (mentioned on Mock the Week last night).

Poll #16005 Confectionery

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 29

View Respondents

I have never eaten Revels. Am I missing out?

View Answers

Goodness me, yes. Go and get yourself a pack and rectify this immediately!
10 (34.5%)

Meh, no.
19 (65.5%)

The second was the D:Ream song "Things Can Only Get Better", which was played on the radio this morning. I'd never heard it. The bloke was shocked.

Him: "This was the Cool Britannia song. It was the Labour Party anthem in 1997. Massive cultural significance."
Me: "Heh."
Him: "What?"
Me: "It's just kind of...understated*, you know? As far as sentiments about huge societal changes go."
Him: "Is it?"
Me: "Well, it's not exactly 'EVERYTHING IS AWESOME', is it now."
Him: *chuckles*

* It reminded me of an exhibition we went to see at the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham a few weeks ago. The tagline was, "As Exciting As We Can Make It". It amused me no end that they felt the need to qualify the excitement in that way. American advertising would have no qualms about calling it "THE MOST EXCITING THING EVAR!!1!!!!ELEVENTY!!!"

Comments

[liseuse]

Mmmmmmm, Revels. I haven't had Revels in ages, which I am now thinking is a mistake that I must rectify.

And argh, now I'm earwormed with Things Can Only Get Better. Argh.

[davidgillon]

This, twice over.

[nanila]

I'll get some Revels and take the time to sample them with my full attention this weekend.

My apologies for the earworm. If it helps, I was earwormed by alternating choruses of this and "Everything Is Awesome" all day.

[rmc28]

I'm getting one to the tune of the other!

[antisoppist]

Revels are my favourite chocolate snack. It's like a magical lottery of fate, with sweets, where you never know when you're going to get the horrible raisin one or the nice orange and malteeser ones*, but if you look at them really carefully, you can actually tell which one is which, for those days when you just can't face the random unpredictability.

*yes you could just buy a packet of malteesers, but where's the fun in that?

[nanila]

I probably will end up inspecting them carefully and sorting them, because I'm one of those people who likes to sort Skittles and gummy bears and put them into little groups before I eat them. :P

[soliano]

Being on this side of the pond I had never heard of Revels before. I wondered if they were something like prarie oysters so I had to google them. They sound yummy (unlike prarie oysters). I would say go for it!

[nanila]

I had to google prairie oysters, and I'm originally from that side of the pond. I am now somewhat alarmed, and also very glad that Revels are basically mostly chocolate-things.

[davidgillon]

"It's just kind of...understated*, you know?

Hello, British; understated is who we are ;)

(And it's so natural, I keep finding instances where I've done it totally without thinking as I'm editing the novel-project, which wouldn't be a problem if the novel wasn't set in the States).

[nanila]

understated is who we are

I noticed. Well, it took me a while, but eventually I noticed. ;P

[clanwilliam]

And now that you've heard "Things Can Only Get Better", you can deal with the fact that Brian Cox (the physicist, not the actor) was D:Ream's keyboard player.

Revels is also known as Russian roulette for peanut allergies.

[nanila]

They did mention that on the radio after the song finished. I'm still boggling.

[cxcvi]

And now that you've heard "Things Can Only Get Better", you can deal with the fact that Brian Cox (the physicist, not the actor) was D:Ream's keyboard player.

You're shitting me, right? Right?

[rmc28]

Rock-star physicist :-)

[cosmolinguist]

I hate Revels because I have an anxiety disorder: I like to know what I'm getting. :)

[nanila]

I'm one of those people who likes to sort Skittles and gummy bears by colour, and eat them in small carefully designed groups. I'm not sure I'm going to like Ravels much either...

[nou]

After reading this I realised the things I thought were called Revels are not actually called Revels, so I had to go and change my vote. (I was thinking of Minstrels, which are delicious.)

[cosmolinguist]

Yes, Minstrels are nice. :) My sweet of choice when I go to the theatre.

[foxfinial]

"It's just kind of...understated, you know? As far as sentiments about huge societal changes go."

:D :D :D :D :D :D

[nanila]

The only way to make it more understated would be to have called it, "Things Aren't Actually Getting Worse".

[foxfinial]

We have "Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life" for that!

[hilarita]

I think that Things Can Only Get Better's popularity suffered a massive nose-dive after 2001, when all the people who'd voted Labour in 97* discovered that 1 million people taking to the streets couldn't stop Bloody Tony Blair taking us to war in Iraq. But it did instantly give me flashbacks to 1997.

* I didn't vote Labour in 97, because I was just 4 weeks off my 18th birthday...

[nanila]

Ha, I can imagine. I moved to the UK in 2004, so I missed out on the heady wave of optimism of the pre-Iraq-war Labour years and arrived as the cynicism was kicking in properly.

[lark_ascends]

*giggles at your last comment - it's not EVERYTHING IS AWESOME*

[nanila]

Then I started singing it, and Humuhumu piped up "NOOOO" from the back seat. :P

[lark_ascends]

*giggle snort*

[cxcvi]

Whether or not you're missing out on Revels depends entirely on if you like all of the flavours. Voting no because because coffee. And also slightly because orange.

Edit: The classic advert is this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQkIHXtEr20

[nanila]

Note to self: everything is awesome. Except coffee and orange Revels.