Malarkey is Andy Clarke, a creative designer with a passion for accessibility and web standards. This is his personal website.

Someone squash the Crazy Frog

Don MacLean may have sung it before in American Pie, but today surely must be the day the music died. Well perhaps died is too severe, but today for me must be the day that popular music reached an all time low.

A popular ring-tone track is set to scoop the top spot in the UK singles chart, on course to beat Coldplay’s comeback to number one on Sunday.

On BBC breakfast television this morning, Andi Peters (producer of Top of the Pops, the UK prime-time music show for over 40 years) predicted that for the first time a ring-tone, Crazy Frog’s Axel F would top the singles chart at the weekend. His comments were accompanied by interviews on the street, split almost universally between over 25’s who thought the ring-tone irritating and not really music and younger people who thought that the song deserved to be number one. There is more on this story on the BBC news site.

Spending what must be a phenomenal advertising budget, mobile software vendor Jamster have invested heavily in advertising on many satellite channels. The Crazy Frog advert plays in both the first and last slots in many ad breaks. Not being of an age where I spend my hard earned on ring-tones, I’m certainly not qualified to speculate on why some people spend money on novelty ring-tones, wallpapers or phone games. But what does concern me is the fact that such music not only crosses into record stores but is bought in such quantities to make it to the top of the singles charts.

I’m a grumpy old git

Don’t get me wrong. I know that I’m a grumpy old git. I know that every generation looks back on the music of their time through tinted lenses and despairs of the musical taste of younger people. I also know that for as long as I can remember, novelty records have been as successful as they were irritating.

I also understand that music is big business and in the mainstream driven by profit rather than by talent, but that is also not my point. What concerns me today is that people buying this track are obviously so unchallenged that they actually like this stuff. Where is the passion, the spirit of rebellion, the spirit of youth? Did the Clash or the Sex Pistols never happen?

Our popular culture is in serious trouble when the constant force-feeding of inane television and packaged music results in the possibility of a ring-tone reaching the top of the music charts. More worrying still is that if our popular culture is in this state, our society must be in a worse state of disrepair.

Replies

  1. #1 On May 26, 2005 10:26 PM Mikkel Malmberg said:

    Oh my, that stupid-ass-frog is all over MTV Nordic too (now it’s actually called MTV Denmark. but that’s news).

    I hate it - And being 18 years old might put me in the target-age-category. Terrible!
    Now they’re also offering dancing chickens, devils and other crap for momey - while still one of the top hits is about donating and helping people.

    Hehe, first I thought you were talking about the danish record label Crunchy frog - home of Junior Senior, The Raveonettes and The Mopeds… :)

  2. #2 On May 26, 2005 10:32 PM Andrea said:

    Axel F: hated it in 1985, still hate in in 2005. How did they make it worse?

  3. #3 On May 26, 2005 10:44 PM Jonathan Holst said:

    Did I hear anyone mention "Schnappi, das kleine Krokodil"? :-)

    You’re right, the music world is in a terrible condition.

  4. #4 On May 26, 2005 10:52 PM Shawn Lauriat said:

    I fairly recently turned 23 years old and today’s music scene makes me feel like a grumpy old git, too.

    I have to admit, I thought about buying a ringtone from one of those sites…until I realized it took two minutes to make my own from the first twelve or so seconds of come on you slags.

    Pop culture definitely makes me seriously consider that whole "ignorance is bliss" philosophy.

  5. #5 On May 26, 2005 10:58 PM Craig C. said:

    The ringtone on my phone is the theme from Knight Rider. Kids today just don’t appreciate the classics.

  6. #6 On May 26, 2005 11:15 PM Chris Vincent said:

    The thing that really irks me is that the "crazy frog" isn’t even Jamster’s own invention. Hell, it wasn’t even a frog to begin with. Do a search on Google for "insanity test" and click the top result.

    If you’d have seen that before the Jamster commercials, it would have been funny to you and the Jamster commercials that much more irritating. They stole something unique and funny and mass-produced it as a ringtone for profit. Oh, and they killed the humor in the sound, too.

    I’m right with you on the whole low quality music thing. I’m annoyed at all the people who think Green Day is deep because the lyrics for the vastly overplayed Boulevard of Broken Dreams are "abstract" and "symbolic". Give me a break. A musical break, with a guitar solo and creative drumming to boot. I haven’t heard one in a while.

    Now I have to listen to some Led Zeppelin.

  7. #7 On May 26, 2005 11:23 PM James said:

    I’m proud of my taste in friends to say that I don’t know any of the 2 million people who have downloaded the ringtone, or who like it.

    And I’m 17. There is hope.

  8. #8 On May 26, 2005 11:31 PM Peter J.Lambert said:

    That bloody ringtone! Even my six-week old son cries when it comes on the telly box. It’s chav culture’s first musical victory.

    I’m sure the person who "wrote" the ringtone was just pissing about before some marketing GEEEEENYUS got hold of it and rammed it down our throats. It won’t be long before he has to go into hiding as Europe revolts.

    I’ll stick with my Bullseye Theme ringtone thanks.

    "Let’s have a look what you could have won"

  9. #9 On May 26, 2005 11:35 PM Dave Longworth said:

    The only people who download it are stupid, if I really wanted it I wouldn’t spend ’20, or however much they are charging for it - instead I would ILLEGALY download the track for FREE and create my own ringtone. Then I would sell it to anyone who wanted it for a quarter of the price, thus getting back at Jamster and making some profit out of it!

    You are not a grumpy old git Malarkey, you are just a normal sane person. If this gets to number one instead of Coldplay, it’s time for us to think about what music really is.

  10. #10 On May 26, 2005 11:56 PM Dave Simon said:

    OK, didn’t know anything about this until I read this post. I wish I could erase my memory from the last five minutes.

    Axel F was catchy, but still annoying after one listen during the movie. This is just sick.

    "There’s a sucker born every minute." I think maybe the frequency has increased. Is there a Moore’s Law of stupidity? As MHz increase, intellegence of the general population decreases?

    Malarky: yes, the Pistols and the Clash did happen. Put on some quality headphones, put in London Calling and know that not everyone has zero taste.

  11. #11 On May 27, 2005 12:22 AM Tom said:

    I’m suprised, they actually paid to have a slot between corrie (mega expensive). Worst thing is it will go on the Radio1 playlist, I really hope they dont play. Im a sort of music protest.

  12. #12 On May 27, 2005 01:23 AM Keith McLaughlin said:

    They interviewed the guy that released that ’crazy frog’ song on MTV and they asked him what his thoughts were on it beating Coldplay.

    His reply was "Maybe Coldplay should write better songs".

    The bloody cheek of him :-)

  13. #13 On May 27, 2005 01:39 AM Matt said:

    I loved the original Axel F when it was initially released. This crazy frog version is appalling. But that’s not really what it’s about…

    I’ll explain what I mean: the whole concept of the Crazy Frog character is that it is just MAD…totally barking…and it’s funny for it. I think if the Crazy Frog edition of Axel F succeeds it is purely because it is relying on it’s novelty factor, catchiness, and downright absurdity! (Laughs)
    It’s also a Chav anthem - and it’s the acne-plagued plebs who are buying this sort of rubbish up in bucket-loads who will push it to number one in the charts.

    No…it’s not ’real’ music….but then again - it’s not really trying to be either….not for a second.

    Coldplay and bands still have a place with people who have taste.

    Note: What the hell would I know?…I like music ranging from Progressive Dutch Trance to Pink Floyd to World Music to Blues guitarist Gary Moore!

  14. #14 On May 27, 2005 01:45 AM Malarkey said:

    @ Matt: I feel very old. What is a Chav? (Now back to Elvis Costello)

  15. #15 On May 27, 2005 01:53 AM Chris Lienert said:

    The horror, the horror.

    From the BBC article: "students and even office workers seem to be drawn to its rather kitsch, ironic appeal." What ironic appeal? Combining a 3D rendered horror with bloody annoying is not ironic.

    Scary part of all this is that it’s part of an international campaign - or at least ring tone peddlers around the world have jumped on the band wagon. Worse is that it has no doubt set a precedent so we can look forward to more to come.

  16. #16 On May 27, 2005 02:44 AM Matt said:

    #14 On May 27, 2005 01:45 AM Malarkey said

    @ Matt: I feel very old. What is a Chav? (Now back to Elvis Costello)

    Chav is the current slang word used to describe a particular group of Britons who are laughably crap and (in)-breeding at a rapid rate in most of the UK…especially towns in the South!

    Chavs are the Brit version of ’trailor-trash’.

    Want to see how absurd they really are, then check out this funny little site (ignore the design and markup aspects of course!): www.chavscum.co.uk

    And Elvis Costello is much cooler than any damn hyped-up amphibian with a ring-tone shoved up its ar**!

  17. #17 On May 27, 2005 02:49 AM Steve said:

    There’s a mac news website - macdailynews.com from memory, although I can’t be sure - that occasionally has this ringtone feature as part of the ads it displays. And as soon as I hear it, I’m gone.

  18. #18 On May 27, 2005 05:32 AM Adrian Kostrubiak said:

    Wow, this is simply terrible. I don’t really know what else to say about it.

    I feel so utterly ashamed to be part of this generation.

  19. #19 On May 27, 2005 07:01 AM Jack said:

    Just another reason to stop watching television and listening to popular music. It wasn’t funny back in the "Insanity Test" days and it’s even less funny now.

    Who’s actually buying the ringtone? I’ve never heard anyone’s phone ring like that.

  20. #20 On May 27, 2005 07:23 AM Charlie Bass said:

    Still, the Crazy Frog is only slightly worse than Coldplay. At least the Frog keeps you awake.

  21. #21 On May 27, 2005 08:16 AM Jan Korbel said:

    @Malarkey: More worrying still is that if our popular culture is in this state, our society must be in a worse state of disrepair.

    Yeah, there are times when I recall what your history teacher at the university told us: "The decline of the Roman Empire was so slow that they did not noticed it. They were thinking they are still on the raise."

    So I think about all this technology boom and everything and I am compering it with all the culture swamp around and I am worried if we are not actually in decline of civilization.

  22. #22 On May 27, 2005 08:28 AM Paul Livingstone said:

    I despise the frog.

    And what’s with his freaky and decidedly innapropriate genitalia? I’m so glad they’ve been forced to blank it out.

    Still… it does not stop the nightmares.

  23. #23 On May 27, 2005 08:56 AM Denis Radenkovic said:

    Yep, frog is very irritating.

    Akon’s pathetic single with some squeaking little voice in the background repeating "I’m so lonely… so lonely", sounds just the same… yet it was UK’s number one!

  24. #24 On May 27, 2005 09:06 AM Steve Dalgleish said:

    Remember Hamster Dance? Same irritating squeel, same high chart position - gah!

  25. #25 On May 27, 2005 09:12 AM Matthew Pennell said:

    Malarkey: ’Chav’ is an old Romany term for boy, but has been co-opted by the sneering liberal left to look down on the working classes just because they dare to have a common identity.

    Anyone happy to label an entire subset of their community "scum" can fuck right off in my book.

  26. #26 On May 27, 2005 09:13 AM Rob Waring said:

    The frog thing started off as some bloke in Scandanavia (sp?) doing an impression of his mates scooters, then it got put on the Insanity test, then some utter MUPPET got hold of it and thought "yeah this sounds like a crazy frog". Personally I want some of whatever that marketing exec was on cause it must have been damn good.

    Btw as far as most peeps under 21 (and quite a few over) are concerned the Clash and the Sex Pistols didn’t happen and music SHOULDN’T be mixed with politics. I’ve actually heard that from a lot of chart artists recently and thought "Why remove half the point of the music in the first place?".

    @Chris Vincent. The reason Boulevard is popular is because they’re the only band around atm doing that sort of stuff. Also they are one of the few mainstream bands making ANY kind of statement with their music.

    Essay over, I wish uni work was this easy.

  27. #27 On May 27, 2005 10:14 AM Gazzer said:

    All this time I thought I was the only person felt this strongly… hey, you are all invited to my place for a BBQ this weekend!

  28. #28 On May 27, 2005 10:35 AM Malarkey said:

    @ Rob Waring: Just so I’m clear. Are you saying that music and politics shouldn’t mix, or are you commenting on a commonly held view?

  29. #29 On May 27, 2005 10:42 AM Rob Waring said:

    I meant that music and politics should be able to mix. A lot of the time the music produced is better that way because theres more belief behind it than just another generic love song.

  30. #30 On May 27, 2005 11:53 AM Ben Darlow said:

    About 3 or 4 years ago I read an article in The Guardian which was pointing out the terrible state of the UK singles chart, to the extent that a single now only needed to sell around 20,000 copies in its opening week to hit the number 1 spot, and this number was falling consistently. The demographic of the average UK chart singles buyer, it said, was under 14s spending their pocket money, and as a consequence the marketing folks were turning their attentions ever more rapaciously towards them.

    Given that 3 or 4 years ago the iTunes Music Store (and wannabes) didn’t exist, is it really any surprise that the trend has not only continued but is far far worse? Does anybody over the age of about 17 care about the singles chart when the songs they *really* want (and let’s not make the mistake of implying that all teenagers have poor music taste) are available in a far more convenient medium - either legally or illegally - on the internet, ready to be downloaded to their iPod/A.N.Other media device?

    This to me highlights the failure of the monolithic recording industry bodies like the RIAA and BPA; their major efforts for the last five years in the public eye have been cracking down on music piracy, whilst carefully dusting their guilty-verdict on overpriced CDs and failure to embrace changing habits and technologies under the carpet. And the end result is the sorry state of once-important institutions like the UK top 40.

    The singles chart *is* dead, but the fact is, it died a long time ago. Songs like the crazy frog are merely the vultures picking at its bones.

  31. #31 On May 27, 2005 12:53 PM Barry said:

    This is from the company that effectively signs you up to ’3 per week in continuous charges until you remember to unsubscribe. It’s on the f**king telly whilst I’m typing this!!! ffs!! It should be illegal, just like cigarette advertising

  32. #32 On May 27, 2005 01:17 PM Dave Longworth said:

    For all who have not seen it, or do not own a TV: https://norrlandsguld.privaten.nu/frog.swf.

    Kill me please…

  33. #33 On May 27, 2005 01:36 PM Kev said:

    @Denis: The first time I heard that ’lonley’ song I turned to my wife in bewilderment and said ’What are Pinky and Perky doing in the charts?’.

    Think I’ll have frogs legs next time I go out.

  34. #34 On May 27, 2005 01:37 PM Pete Smith said:

    If only Take That would reform…

    The world would be a better place.

  35. #35 On May 27, 2005 03:23 PM Andy Stones said:

    According to some statistics floating round… They’ve spent ’3 Million so far on advertising. ITV is saturated we’ve these ads at the minute… The constant ’ding - ding’ of that cray frog is driving me crazy!

  36. #36 On May 27, 2005 04:02 PM Dave said:

    I think blaming it all on the "chav" culture is a little unfair. I’m sure that when Crazy Frog enjoys it’s inevitable commercial success, students purchasing it to be "random" and "ironic" and middle-aged businessmen who see it as the musical equivalent of the "you don’t have to be crazy to work here but it helps" sign above their desks will be every bit as culpable.

    Apparently Jamster, the company responsible for the ring-tone is now owned by Verisign, the .com and .net registry. As a protest I propose a consumer boycott of .com - stick with local TLDs or .biz, .info or .org when registering domain names for new websites. Now there’s a strategy that can’t possibly fail…

  37. #37 On May 27, 2005 04:10 PM jake said:

    Over here in the U.S. it’s not quite as bad, yet, that’ve seen. But I really don’t grasp the concept of buying a ringtone of a popular song more than once or twice in the life of the phone. (I know someone who’s phone broke shortly after purchase and she had to go through hoops to not have to pay for the songs she already downloaded). My buddy has the theme to MacGyver, and I find ringtones like to be a little cooler. But I would not buy the "flavor of the week" for $2.99 in 30 second crappy quiality.

    I’m actually thinking about moving from Verizon to Cingular simply because they don’t mess with their Bluetooth. I loathe them trying to get me to pay for moving pictures, wallpaper, ringtones to/from my PC. All just so they can make more money…

    The only probelm is, all of the phones out there now suck. I’m not interested in buying some $500 pda/phone and all the regular phones are only magrinally better than the phone I bought 2 years ago. I’m sick of cell phones. I might just buy something that can only make phone calls and cost me 50’ even with no contract. ;)

  38. #38 On May 27, 2005 04:13 PM Martin said:

    Well. Leaving aside the fatuousness of arguing about whether Crazy Frog’s "Axel F" is music ("real music!" - groan) or not, I think that the truly depressing thing about this is that vapid shite like Coldplay is held up in contrast as something of intelligence, worth, ’musical authenticity’ (whatever that is), and invigorating emotional depth.

    Blimey, if that’s the case, then I reckon we should collectively hang our heads in shame.

  39. #39 On May 27, 2005 04:20 PM Graham Bancroft said:

    I haven’t seen TOTP for a long time because the poo that gets to the top of charts is just as bad if not worse than the frog song, hey, do you think Paul McCartney had anything to do with it?

  40. #40 On May 27, 2005 05:14 PM monooso said:

    Gotta laugh Malarkey - all the time and effort that you’ve spent educating us about the joys of web standards and the like, and the most comments I’ve ever seen on this site are in response to a post about the stupid arsed (and genitaled) crazy frog.

    Hope this doesn’t mean you’ll be dumbing down in the future just for ratings ;)

  41. #41 On May 27, 2005 05:17 PM Olly said:

    You know, that crazy frog thing was funny the first time - you know, before it was the crazy frog. It was a flash thingy - just a picture of a Ferarri F1 car and the brmm brmmm thing as the background noise.

    Quite how someone has managed to make millions out of it, make a number one single out of it, and can afford to take up every commercial break on prime time television is incredible. I can’t watch hollyoaks anymore because the ad breaks make me want to smash up the television.

    I was walking through town the other day and I heard that ring tone go off. I wanted to go up to them, take their phone and shove it up their arse. I didn’t though, I’m far too nice a person to do that sort of thing. I just glared at them instead.

    And another thing - its advertised as a video ring tone. Why the fuck would you want a video ring tone!? When are you ever going to sit there and watch it? If my phone is anything to go by you’ll get about 15 seconds in and voicemail will kick in. You’d have to be completely stupid to buy one.

  42. #42 On May 27, 2005 05:43 PM Malarkey said:

    @ monooso:

    All the time and effort that you’ve spent educating us … and the most comments I’ve ever seen are in response to a post about the stupid arsed (and genitaled) crazy frog. Hope this doesn’t mean you’ll be dumbing down in the future just for ratings ;)

    You gotta laugh haven’t you? ;)

    @ Olly: That is hilarious!

  43. #43 On May 27, 2005 06:13 PM Mike Stenhouse said:

    I can’t feckin’ stand it! Really, really can’t. I change the channel if it comes on TV and I turn off the stereo if it comes on the radio. No. Just no. I think I seriously consider severing all ties with my own mother if she put it on her phone. I think maybe I’ll download a pirate version of that ringtone, just for the satisfaction of knowing that I am stealing from the bastard who made it up. Sorry, I’m not normally this easily riled!

    On the other hand, it kinda validates my lack of interest in the charts… Will the Barbs, Common or Vincent Vincent ever make number one? Hmmm. Was TOTP ever good? I actually can’t remember.

  44. #44 On May 27, 2005 06:38 PM Andrea said:

    Does Alex have a phone? I’m thinking of sending him a birthday present… (evil grin)

  45. #45 On May 27, 2005 07:01 PM Dan said:

    Heh, I think that would count as crimes against humanity Andrea ;)
    I think it’s the fact that it’s presence is just so saturated, and the marketing folks behind it are just flogging it (and similar ideas, see that awful Nessie the Dragon, and Sweety(?!) the Chick)to death that piss everyone off.

  46. #46 On May 27, 2005 07:19 PM Matthew Pennell said:

    Right, so everyone’s coordinating their Crazy Frog ringtones to go off right in the middle of a certain @media presentation then..?

  47. #47 On May 27, 2005 09:26 PM Matt said:

    #46 On May 27, 2005 07:19 PM Matthew Pennell said

    Right, so everyone’s coordinating their Crazy Frog ringtones to go off right in the middle of a certain @media presentation then..?


    Excellent idea!

    …..(Except that I won’t be @media, and not sad enough to download that p.o.s. on to my phone! #Laughs#)


    #25 On May 27, 2005 09:12 AM Matthew Pennell said
    Anyone happy to label an entire subset of their community "scum" can fuck right off in my book.

    So, you’re a Chav then?

  48. #48 On May 27, 2005 09:30 PM Matt said:

    @ monooso + Malarkey

    [….All the time and effort that you’ve spent educating us … and the most comments I’ve ever seen are in response to a post about the stupid arsed (and genitaled) crazy frog. Hope this doesn’t mean you’ll be dumbing down in the future just for ratings ;)

    You gotta laugh haven’t you? ;) Watch out for my Crazy Frog design column in the next few days… ]


    So damn true, I’ve never SEEN so many posts for one of your blogs! This topic has really hit a nerve…(maybe the same nerve in the inner ear that makes people spit with fury when they hear that ringtone?) #Laughs#

  49. #49 On May 28, 2005 12:51 PM Kev said:

    hmmm … the crazy frog does make me want to kill everyone within a 2000 metre radius of the offending phone, but nothing, nothing, makes me want to cause pain more than those 3 evil words: ’Sweetie the Chick’.

    and … discuss:

  50. #50 On May 28, 2005 02:07 PM Dan. said:

    There must be a way to stop this thing, it is taking over and I am starting to lose my marbles everytime I hear it or see it on the telly.

    I too am also getting worried as I can’t watch Hollyoaks anymore as I want to put my fist through the telly when ANY of the Jamster adverts appear!!! It appear as though I wont be able to watch big brother, CSI, or Formula one without seeing it at least twice in each break!!! Thank god it hasn’t got in between 24 yet!

    I thank god that i’m not a parent who has too see my kids mobile phone bill and realise that they have been conned out of three quid a week by some clever and very annoying telemarketing scam.

    Jamster must be raking it in to shell out soooooo much on TV advertising.

    I am tempted to tell sky to cancel my subscription quoting the bloody crazy frog and jamster as the reason!!

    Ahhhh thanks for letting me moan, it feels much better now!

  51. #51 On May 29, 2005 01:06 AM Chris said:

    This is why people use P2P.

    They fill the shops full of crap like this and good music is impossible to find. You go into HMV and ask for anything outside the top 40 and they have to call the manager.

    P2P is the best way to find the music you want and until the shops change or iTunes improves they can keep making this crap because I don’t like the music industry anyway.

    And how the feck did they get the money to advertise so much?

  52. #52 On May 29, 2005 05:09 PM Ben Darlow said:

    Has nobody else noticed that the Google-powered AdSense adverts above are pointing to Jamster’s site? Malarkey; your site appears to be endorsing the crazy frog itself!

    FWIW I am as guilty as any as having "annoying" comedy ringtones, but they’re just comedy to me and annoying to everyone else. Elbow’s cover of Independent Woman, Al Hirt’s Green Hornet (on the Kill Bill vol. 1 soundtrack) and a curious remix of Snap - The Power and one of those strange Internet memes: the Leeroy Jenkins World of Warcraft video (Well worth a look, regardless of your videogame - or lack thereof - tendencies: https://dlx.gamespot.com/pc/worldofwarcraft/moreinfo_6124493.html).

    The real test, I’ve found, is whether or not you feel so embarassed that you have to answer your phone (or silence it) when your ’unique’ ringtone starts up…

  53. #53 On May 29, 2005 07:25 PM James Stevens said:

    C’mon Malarkey, you don’t seriously pay attention to the charts do you? I thought a music afficiando such as yourself would have long since discredited the british music charts for the overhyped overexposed pile of drivel that they really are!!!!! True musicians and music lovers at least have the foresight to look further than this rubbish that’s pushed down our throats!!!!

  54. #54 On May 29, 2005 07:33 PM Malarkey said:

    @ James: Good to see you back. To answer your question, I pay no attention at all to the singles charts. Although the anti-frog outbursts have been theraputic, my original point was about the poor state of British popular music culture and the worse state of peoples’ taste to even allow this abomination to reach the charts at all. (Have fun)

  55. #55 On May 29, 2005 09:22 PM Erwin Heiser said:

    You’re not being an old git, today’s "music" scene is in the sorriest state it’s ever been in. To quote good ol’ Morrissey "all I see are lock-jawed popstars thicker than pigshit with nothing to convey, so scared to show intelligence it might smear their lovely carreer".
    Nuff said.

  56. #56 On May 29, 2005 10:00 PM Batteries not included said:

    Something for those frog haters,

    https://www.headstaggers.com/?shoe=flash&moo=show&id=22


    made me laugh. for a minute.

    Dub

  57. #57 On May 29, 2005 11:35 PM Vincent Grouls said:

    Hahaha I feel pity for all you people listening to the radio or watching telly and having to put up with crap like this.

    I am one of those people who only listens to what he likes, i.e. what’s in my iTunes playlists or on my CD’s. Having over 500 CD’s and over 120 gigs worth of MP3 really pays off.

    I’m not a television fan so no big deal there either. I only watch the news. And if I want to see a movie I’ll happily visit my local movie rental store.

    PS: we call then ’neds’ :D

  58. #58 On May 30, 2005 04:16 PM seek & destroy (the frog) said:

    The reason that popular music is in its current sorry state is because the marketeers managed to figure out how to stop kids thinking idependently. Nowdays you’re only ’cool’ or whatever if you think among the narrow lines of popular music, reality TV and vapid consumership. An example of this? There’s another advert for another of these god awful ringtone companies where people who don’t have ’’the newest ringtones!!!’’ are ridiculed and depicted as sad loners.
    And when I say popular music I DO include stuff like Green Day, Good Charlotte, My Chemical Romance etc. This kind of plastic packaged punk rebellion is even more creepy and disingenious than the bloody Frog! The underground was nutured a long time ago.
    Oh, and about the Frog specifically: is there no way to oganise a mass petition or protest about it? I’m sure that there are millions of people sick and tired of this patronising and annoying toss being pumped into their homes day in day out. Another post contemplates unsubscribing to Sky or something…I’m sure Sky might do something if hundreds or thousands of customers started kicking up a fuss. As for ITV… well why would you watch anything on ITV anyway? That’s just asking for trouble.

  59. #59 On May 30, 2005 05:34 PM Alex said:

    For all those with Digital radio/cable/satellite/internet (well that’s everyone here)
    I’d recommend listening to BBC 6 music:
    www.bbc.co.uk/6music

    Also for those saying today’s music scene is rubbish I’d recommend checking out the following:

    British Sea Power
    Stephen Malmas (ex pavement front man)
    The Eels
    Ben Folds
    Matha Waineright
    Idlewild

    I would have thought even the Mod obsessed Malarkey would have found something to like in the current surge of guitar based indie rockers (The Zutons, Furtureheads or Interpol)?

    I’ve not known what is in the charts since my early 20’s except in times like this when the chart makes the news.

  60. #60 On May 30, 2005 05:49 PM Malarkey said:

    Well, this column and all the replies has taught me one thing, I should stop writing about design, CSS or standards and just ramble about novelty records ;) Anyone for Remember You’re A Womble? Maybe this be the thing after all the standards talk has been exhausted? Anyone for;

    Jason Santa Maria on ’I Saw Mummy Kissing Santa Claus’ or Doug Bowman on ’Stop the Cavalry’?

  61. #61 On May 30, 2005 09:25 PM Ben Ward said:

    @Steve Dalgleish - You mention the Hamster Dance. I’d be careful if I were you. Money says that Jamster are already eyeing up the rights to it and will be picking a cute little character from Microsoft’s clip art library any day now. If not, I’d be very surprised indeed. It will return, you know it.

    If it happens, I’m going to need a desperation fuelled coping mechanism. So if it’s okay, I’m going to blame you just for saying it out loud.

  62. #62 On May 31, 2005 02:18 AM Territan said:

    FYI: The ring tone on my phone is the theme from the old C64/Atari/decrepit old computer game M.U.L.E.

    Does that date me or WHAT?

  63. #63 On May 31, 2005 11:09 AM Chris Hunt said:

    "Nowdays you’re only ’cool’ or whatever if you think among the narrow lines of popular music, reality TV and vapid consumership."

    True, but there’s nothing new about that. Teenagers have always rebelled against their elders, but sought rigid conformity with their peers. The fact that the things we had to do, the music we had to like, and the clothes we had to wear to be "cool" were different to todays crop doesn’t matter - they were mostly crap too.

    Coming up next - don’t policemen look younger these days…

  64. #64 On May 31, 2005 06:16 PM Michael G said:

    It breaks my heart to say this but my 2yr old son love’s it and poor old daddy had to spend 79p of his money downloading it from itunes :(

    But today I jumped for joy when I received this in an email:

    https://www.flufffree.com/stuff/frog.jpg


  65. #65 On June 1, 2005 06:06 AM Grna said:

    Maybe Coldplay needs to make better music. Many of you seem to think that Crazy Frog is the cause of this… rather it’s a symptom of the fact that most popular music made today just plain sucks.
    Offer less of the regurgitated audio that they call today’s pop music and more choices in a variety of quality musical offerings and no one will want to listen to the Crazy Frog song.
    You’re right, though, the music did die; but it’s been dead for quite a few years and pop is what did it in.

  66. #66 On June 1, 2005 12:08 PM Haga said:

    I agree with everything that has been said about this matter, yes I know that I am used the music that my dad ( Malarkey ) listens to, and not the music ( if you will call it that ) that my age group does but that mind-bendingly annoying Crazy Frog makes me want to run around in circles.

    Please will someone squash the Frog before it drives me compleatly up the wall!

  67. #67 On June 1, 2005 11:20 PM Andy Budd said:

    Jive Bunny.

    Nuff said

  68. #68 On June 1, 2005 11:50 PM Dan said:

    Well luckily the Advertising Standards Agency are looking into it again, after they’ve had over 800 complaints. So hopefully its’ reign of terror will be over soon.

  69. #69 On June 2, 2005 02:14 PM I hate that frog said:


    Why not have fun and shoot him with your 12 bore.

  70. #70 On June 3, 2005 01:48 AM jennie said:

    i think the crazy frog is good i think it was good when it came out and could get better people are buying it from the shops and shoud continue to keep buying it im 10 and i love the crazy frog !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

  71. #71 On June 3, 2005 01:49 AM jennie said:

    crazy frog good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good good

    Ed says: And on that note (thanks for your comment Jennie) and with one more comment than on my redesign column, I’m closing comments on the Crazy Frog. Close your eyes and ears Jennie, I hate that damn frog!