The Pakistan Spectator meets.. The Hardcore Effect

Would you please tell us something about you and your site?

Benji Hardcore: Well, I'm basically a failure of a musician with too much time on his hands and a big mouth. The site has been going in one form or another since 2003 but we didn't really get noticed until I got Ravi on-side, I was immediately a big fan of his writing.

Ravi Hensman: I don't get much of a chance to be creative in my uni work so the blog is a great creative outlet. I've always enjoyed writing about anything that interests me, so if I can fashion a career out of it in future, I'll be very happy indeed. Our site is a sounding-board for our random thoughts and anyone is welcome to contribute.

Do you feel that you continue to grow in your writing the longer you write? Why is that important to you?

Benji: Of course, Theres a constant challenge to keep coming up with new subject matter and fresh features, we don't want to be covering old ground or recycling material and opinions at any stage. We update everyday so this is something we like to plan in advance for, we usually converse over facebook some time in advance of a piece and its a constant process of editing and amending until we're happy.

Ravi: I think that when you write your style is constantly evolving. Maybe you learn from others, or or you just become more articulate with time. It'll be great to look back in a few years and see if my style's changed significantly.

I'm wondering what some of your memorable experiences are with blogging?

Benji: Becoming Swedish was pretty special, we adopted team and their cultures for the European football championships and wrote from our experiences. I became addicted to Kopparberg and listened to more ABBA than is probably healthy for a grown man. Changing my name stands out also. I try to enjoy my writing so I love to arrange little challenges and experiences, if I'm interested the readers will be too.

Ravi: I tried to use tarot cards to predict football results but that didn't work too well. I interviewed the barman in my favourite pub too, which was fun and we got a great response. However, I'd like to think the best experiences are still yet to come...

What do you do in order to keep up your communication with other bloggers?

Ben: We don't really, many bloggers don't take us seriously because of our humorous content and high rates of instances where we have offended people, we get quite a few complaints and I enjoy that because it means people are actually thinking and not just reading. Some times we exaggerate but its to provoke a reaction from people who normally cruise through life on autopilot, my writing alias is basically a cartoon character. Benji Hardcore is a million miles from Ben Williamson. All this can mean we receive a mostly cold reception from other writiers, many take themselves far too seriously.

Ravi: I don't have a writing alias as such in the same way as Ben. The Ravi in the blog is very much the real me and I leave most of the hardcore stuff to him. In that way we complement each other well. He can wax lyrical about social malaise and I can just talk about scotch eggs.

What do you think is the most exciting or most innovative use of technology in politics right now?

Benji: I couldn't say. I'd really like to taser Robert Mugabe though.

Ravi: I wouldn't call it exciting, but Boris Johnson's blog for the London mayoral election was a good ploy. Barack Obama's website is also a stroke of genius as it's allowed him to raise millions of dollars from web donations. However, that's not to say this use of technology is a good thing. At the end of the day, it's just about winning votes...

Do you think that these new technologies are effective in making people more responsive?

Benji: I'm sure he'd respond to that kind of voltage, yes.

Ravi: Well, Boris Johnson is now London mayor and Obama's election funds are seemingly bottomless. I just hope that new web technologies will equally be used to actually make the world a better place to live in, rather than just for electioneering.

What do you think sets Your site apart from others?

Ben: Its the fact that we don't bind ourselves with political correctness or a main theme, it means we're free to write what we want, when we want, how we want. We're not offensive for the sake of being offensive because that is pointless and stupid, we just like to provoke thinking out of the box.

Ravi: our sports analysis is second only to the work of Jimmy Hill.

If you could choose one characteristic you have that brought you success in life, what would it be?

Ben: A sense of humour, you have to laugh.

Ravi: Generally trying to be a nice chap (most of the time)

What was the happiest and gloomiest moment of your life?

Benji: The best moment, if I exclude the normal things people would say would probably be my first gig with my oldest friends at our high school. We covered Nirvana, we were awful but the buzz was amazing! The worst involves a sheep, alot of beer and some ice cubes.. I should probably stop there.

Ravi: The happiest moments for me just seem to involve simple pleasures like spending time with family and friends. I'm an eternal optimist so I try not to dwell on the gloomy times.

If you could pick a travel destination, anywhere in the world, with no worries about how it's paid for - what would your top 3 choices be?

Benji: Stockholm, Sweden would top that list, we're going there on the Hardcore tour this November, its such a stylish city but it isn't so stylish as to alienate people, its a warm and welcoming city with plenty of fun to be had. I'd also love to go to Tokyo and Morecambe.. to see if its still as terrible as I recall.

Ravi: 1. New York 2. Berlin 3. Coventry (I've lived away from the UK for a year so it'll be nice to spend some time at home this summer)

What is your favourite book and why?

Benji: The Hungry Caterpillar. Its a classic, easy to read under the influence of beer and has a truly happy ending, thats rare these days.

Ravi: 1984, closely followed by Go Dog Go.

What's the first thing you notice about a person (whether you know them or not)?

Benji: Stance, most people expect you to say eyes, but how someone stands or walks reveals quite alot about them I think.

Ravi: Hairstyle- not that I'm in a position to judge though.

Is there anyone from your past that once told you couldn't write?

Benji: Just about everyone I've ever met!

Ravi: No, but I was told that I throw like a girl.

How bloggers can benefit from blogs financially?

Benji: I'm not sure, we've found it near impossible but companies are reluctant to form relationships with us due to our content, plus I feel it would compromise our integrity and before you know it we'd be writing about the benefits of filtered water or something. I'd love to take The Hardcore Effect to a wide audience and get paid to do so, but it probably won't happen with out us having to change our methods.

Ravi: Ben first asked me to contribute to the blog after reading my Facebook notes. In turn, there's always a chance someone will like what they see on the blog and ask us to lend our writing "skills" to something else. It's like networking I suppose and it could lead into money-making opportunities that way- if that's what you're in it for.

Is it true that who has a successful blog has an awful lot of time on their hands?

Benji: Possibly, I still work a full 40 hour week as well as writing and sometimes its tough, some blogs just pump out articles for the sake of writing them, but like I said we take great pride in our work and after a full day's work it can be a real pain having to work on a piece and check through it all, its rewarding though.

Ravi: I also work 9 to 5 but if you're inspired, blog article needn't take a long time to write. It's a bit like keeping a diary, except millions of people could potentially see it!

What role can bloggers of the world play to make this world more friendlier and less hostile?

Benji: We live in an age where I consider it unacceptable to discriminate against anyone, we do it on the blog to prove a point but we're actually very liberal and tolerant individuals. I think bloggers need to set aside personal predjudices and focus on some positive things to conteract all the negative things we hear about. When we wrote about our problems with advising young women to have plastic surgery we didn't just tear into celebrity culture, we made a point of saying that every young woman is beautiful just the way they are. Theres no shame in trying to look good, but surgery is a bit too far.

Ravi: In a lot of blog articles, you'll be putting out an opinion for people to respond to. In this way they can evoke debate and encourage contact between people who would otherwise never "meet". It all helps to make you realise that the chap sitting at his computer in Singapore or Cairo may live far away but you still have plenty in common.

Who are your top five favourite bloggers?

Benji: I don't have a top 5 as such, but I love the S-Spot, because they talk candidly about adult issues without any taboos or stigma, it's refreshing.

Ravi: I tend to search for blogs by topic rather than sticking with the same one. Everyone has an equally interesting story to tell in their own way.

Is there one observation or column or post that has gotten the most powerful reaction from people?

Benji: Plenty! we get alot of feedback, most of it very, very good! I think my piece on the Germans being sore losers or Ravi's casino sting gained the most positive feedback. My Euro 2008 final piece from yesterday got the most complaints to my knowledge.

Ravi: I provoked an international incident when I mispelled 'bratwurst'. That's about all I think.

What is your perception about Pakistan and its people?

Benji: I'd love to visit, you could teach me how to play cricket properly! I think its great that you show a lot more tolerance to the west than some of your neighbours. We're not all bad people!

Ravi: I've visited Sri Lanka a few times as that's where my dad's from. I'd imagine that Pakistani people share a lot of the qualities of Sri Lankans- generosity, hospitality and friendliness. Pakistan is definitely a country I'd like to learn more about.

Have you ever become stunned by the uniqueness of any blogger?

Benji: Ravi, as I said his writing always impresses me.

Ravi: that's very kind Ben. I'm always stunned when bloggers bare their souls and talk about deeply personal things. The openness of some people is astounding.

What is the most striking difference between a developed country and a developing country?

Benji: Ravi noticed that they have much better access to scotch eggs than he does in France. Generally though I can't really say as the nearest I've come to a developing country is Poland. I think its time we took action though, theres enough food and resources for all and its about time they were shared fairly.

Ravi: There's the visible difference- which people tend to notice first. There's also the invisible difference which is probably more striking. People tend to have a different mentality. In the UK people complain about working 9 to 5 or not being able to afford a HD TV. In Sri Lanka people can have next to nothing, yet they still seem contented and not at all resentful.

What is the future of blogging?

Benji: Us. I say things like that. everyone should love themselves, I just lead by example!

Ravi: I think it will become gradually more commercialised as companies recognise it as a useful marketing tool.

You have also got a blogging life, how has it directly affected both your personal and professional life?

Benji: Mrs. Hardcore often complains that I spend too much time working on the blog, its a labour of love so although it interferes with my plans alot I don't mind too much. I spend my whole working day mentally composing articles and I can't descide if thats great or the mark of a very sad man.

Ravi: one key difference is that I'm more likely to do random things if I think it would make a good article. In that way in can make life more eventful. So when Ben told me to go to Stockholm with him for a weekend of reviewing bars and general Scandinavian frolicks, I said yes.

What are your future plans?

Benji: To keep writing until the whole world gets our message and there is peace, reason and logic the whole world over. Then I'd develop an attention defecit and lie about being terminally deficent in chocolate chip cookies and have the nation rally round to keep me in packets of Maryland and Swedish cider.

Ravi: in the short term, return home to England, eat some scotch eggs and finish university. Beyond that, who knows...

Any Message you want to give to the readers of The Pakistani Spectator?

Know that we love you, thats right, all of you and go in peace.