This post is part plug, part genuine enthusiasm and wholly seasoned with large amounts of nostalgia. The title relates to an all-male a cappella band made up of St. Andrews University students. I must admit, during my time there I hadn't really heard of them. I was vaguely aware of one of the other bands through a mutual friend but I thought that's where it ended. How wrong I was.
The Other Guys gained prominence last year when they released a song coupled with a video about the Royal Wedding where the gentlemen of the group sang about their undying love for Kate Middleton (well who wouldn't?) to the tune of Lady Gaga... while dancing. Much as it sounds like a musical car crash, it was extremely funny as the subsequent stratospheric viewing figures showed.
This year, they have released another song, this time to raise money for breast cancer care. This time it's on a theme close to the hearts of most men in St. Andrews... St. Andrews Girls. The breed of beautiful girls that seem to inhabit the town sporting Ugg/Hunter boots, Barbour jackets and pashminas galore. Who said Sloane Street doesn't extend to Scotland?
An article in the Telegraph around the time of the Royal Wedding last year had a similar description of St. Andrews girls and gained much criticism for being patronising, chauvinistic and generally unpleasant. However this, in my opinion, was misplaced. The description is an affectionate one meant as a gentle parody of the inevitable informal dress codes and traditions that evolve in such an institution. Obviously, not everybody conforms but it's still fun to play with. To the people that complain that it portrays the females who attend St. Andrews as airheads, I would like to point out the continued academic excellence of St. Andrews, coupled to the fact that the majority of the students are girls.
All this is a slight digression from what is essentially a funny and charming video. Buy it, even if you don't like it; the money goes to a good cause.
JR
The Other Guys gained prominence last year when they released a song coupled with a video about the Royal Wedding where the gentlemen of the group sang about their undying love for Kate Middleton (well who wouldn't?) to the tune of Lady Gaga... while dancing. Much as it sounds like a musical car crash, it was extremely funny as the subsequent stratospheric viewing figures showed.
This year, they have released another song, this time to raise money for breast cancer care. This time it's on a theme close to the hearts of most men in St. Andrews... St. Andrews Girls. The breed of beautiful girls that seem to inhabit the town sporting Ugg/Hunter boots, Barbour jackets and pashminas galore. Who said Sloane Street doesn't extend to Scotland?
An article in the Telegraph around the time of the Royal Wedding last year had a similar description of St. Andrews girls and gained much criticism for being patronising, chauvinistic and generally unpleasant. However this, in my opinion, was misplaced. The description is an affectionate one meant as a gentle parody of the inevitable informal dress codes and traditions that evolve in such an institution. Obviously, not everybody conforms but it's still fun to play with. To the people that complain that it portrays the females who attend St. Andrews as airheads, I would like to point out the continued academic excellence of St. Andrews, coupled to the fact that the majority of the students are girls.
All this is a slight digression from what is essentially a funny and charming video. Buy it, even if you don't like it; the money goes to a good cause.
JR
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