Kids of the Future

  I was sent a link to this video today by a colleague, created by global media agency PHD Worldwide, commenting on what the landscape of society and consumerism will be like in ten years time.  I thought it was very thought-provoking and a clever way of putting forward the discussion of how companies will have to relate to consumers in years to come with technology growing as it is.

  There's been a lot of bad reaction to this video for exploiting children actors (who do a good job, in my opinion) and portraying them in such a demanding and selfish light.  They also criticise the film-makers for painting such a cynical view of the future and putting a dampener on the youth of today.

  I disagree.  The video plainly presents these children as the voice of the future, talking about the future on numerous occasions and using the future tense.  They paint the logical conclusion of where this selfish society is heading in such a technologically progressive time and I think it's a very clever, thought-provoking and stylistic video.

  What do you think?  Are the film makers at fault creating this film?  Does it paint a plausible picture of the future of consumerism?

  Whatever you think, Chris, the guy who sent the video to me, said he 'prefurred' this version of the video.

Gay Hotels Up Next

  As The Telegraph reported the other week, gay only hotels are being investigated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) for discrimination against heterosexuals.  The claim is that, in being a hotel designed to cater for homosexuals in an environment which allows them to do things they wouldn't feel comfortable doing in other places, they are being unfair in the provision of goods and services.

  This all feels very familiar and is part of the fall-out of the campaign against the bed and breakfast of Mr and Mrs Bull, a Christian couple whose policy to restrict double rooms to married couples was seen in the same way.  The high court order to fine the couple three and a half grand damages has pushed the business, also their home, to near ruin in addition to the abuse still being suffered by email and telephone.

Mr and Mrs Bull at court.

  The EHRC, which spent more than £15k to enforce the new laws on equality on Christian ran hotels, now says it must make an objective balance to make the laws go both ways, something expected by one gay hotel owner. He says 'the law is a double edged sword' and equality laws had 'come at a cost'.

  Indeed, any equality laws should be seen across the board but is this just beurocracy gone mad?  Although I don't want to encourage the homosexual way of life, which is against God's natural order of things, I believe that businesses like these, across the board, should be allowed which policies they want.  The gay couple who were turned away from the Christian could have easily found the next one along in the same way that heterosexuals can easily find a generic hotel in place of a gay one.

  Let's not go as far as Naziism, banning certain people from certain businesses, but businesses being allowed to market to a niche market is how many businesses thrive and being able to implement your beliefs into your work should be a right.  As a famous gay historian said this week, going too far either way just goes to show the lack of tolerance that this society seems to crave.