Simply one of the best television advertisements of all time. The way this taps into the tenor of the historical moment is very, very clever. Directed by Dean Blumberg.

From Time magazine’s blog:

It must be lonely at Robert Mugabe’s during the holidays. That’s the premise of a new ad from South Africa–based fast-food chain Nando’s, which has scored a viral hit by depicting Zimbabwe’s president (or rather, a lookalike) all alone at a festive dinner table once crowded with his fellow dictators. Luckily, memories of sunnier days past — making sand angels with Saddam Hussein, karaoke with Chairman Mao, hitting the swings with P.W. Botha — keep Mugabe’s spirits up. (So does, presumably, the promise of a delicious Nando’s 6-Pack Meal, which includes 1 ½ flame-grilled chickens, two large portions of fries, a pile of bread and some Liqui-Fruit for the equivalent of about $20.50.)

Via Time/Stephen Fry’s Twitter feed

 
Tony Clifton, one of Andy Kaufman’s many alter-egos, presides over some totally clueless plaintiffs and defendants (clearly not actors) in this brilliant and absolutely apeshit take-off on The People’s Court.

Stormy Justice: With Judge Tony Clifton was allegedly filmed in 1999 and directed by Adam Collis. But most anything having to do with Andy Kaufman, dead or alive, is suspect and shrouded in mystery. One thing I’m certain of is Kaufman’s good friend Bob Zmuda is portraying Judge Clifton in this hilarious prank. Zmuda shared the Clifton persona with Kaufman even when Kaufman was alive. All the more to confuse the fuck out of his fans.

Did this actually air on TV? And are those commercials real? We have entered the Tony Clifton zone where no one and nothing is spared…most of all reality.
 

 
Mick Jagger makes his TV debut with some sensible shoes.
 

 
It’s Friday. Here’s Bill Hicks. Relentless. Recorded at the Just For Laughs Festival in 1992.

Sad to think Mr Hicks would have been only 50 this December. How things have changed since his death in 1994. A damned shame, as we could do with someone like him now.
 

Painting by Dan Lacey.
 
Memes within memes within memes.

We’ve entered the hall of mirrors at the sideshow.

Of the “Hitler reacts” videos, this is particularly stellar in its self-referential brilliance. 300 views on Youtube. Let’s see how fast this goes viral.

“It’s pathetic, being a meme used to mean something.”
 

 
Thanks Mirgun

 
The Warriors of Goja put the bang in Bhangra. Mayhem prevails. Awesome on all counts.

India’s Got Talent.
 

 
Via Ignored Prayers

 
There’s a lot of these photoshop jobs doing the rounds, but this is my favourite so far. Via Matt James.

 
Fashion designer Michael Fish created some of the most memorable outfits of the 1960s and 1970s, most famously the “men’s dress” as worn by Mick Jagger and David Bowie. His designs were also graced the films Modesty Blaise and Performance.

Here is Mr Fish as he introduces a brief taster of his 1969 collection, from German TV’s Aktuell.
 

 
With thanks to Maria Salavessa Hormigo Guimil
 

 
John Waters in rattling good form on Clive James’ chat show Saturday Night Clive from 1990.

Antipodean James started off as a sixties folk singer, before establishing himself as a respected TV critic and presenter. James is left mainly as a spectator as Waters brilliantly improvises on deviants who make adverts; how he’d like to cast Mother Theresa as a hooker; why Jayne Mansfield was the first “female female impersonator”; American fashion; his fan mail from prisons; and how his failure as a juvenile delinquent led to his first film.
 

 
Via Psychotic Cinema
 

 
Much respect to The Roots’ Questlove for what has to be one of the best TV punkings of all time. When Michelle Bachman appeared on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon last night, his band The Roots played the Fishbone track “Lyin’ Ass Bitch” as she stepped on stage (as NO-ONE applauded). We couldn’t think of a better song! Questlove has since been “grounded” by Fallon (whatever that means), but we wouldn’t worry too much about it - aside from all his excellent music work, this guarantees the guy legendary status.

Michelle Bachman’s entrance onto Jimmy Fallon:
 

 
Here’s Fishbone playing the original, live in Japan in 1987:
 

 
Thanks to Rusty Lazer!