FirstWord Imran Yusuf
The former games designer is now a top TV comedian, though he’s still enough of a games nut to want the Super Mario theme played at his wedding
First record you ever bought Single – ‘Sesame Street Remix’ (1992). Album – Wu-Tang Forever (1997).
Last time you made an impulse buy and regretted it When I was 15 years old, I swore that I would one day own the Killer Instinct arcade machine. When I was 21, I worked for Midway Games who published the game in the arcades, so I bought the guts to the machine from the San Diego office, had it rebuilt into a giant home console all for about £700, played it five times and put it in the attic. First crush When I was 20, I was totally infatuated with, and was convinced I was going to marry, Natalie Portman. She was interviewed in Marie Claire and I bought it and hid the magazine in my bag in case someone saw me reading a woman’s magazine and made other assumptions!
Last crime you committed Probably a heart I stole . . .
First thing you’d do if you ran the country Reinvent the mechanism of civilisation by focusing on what we can achieve by sharing rather than being greedy. That or give everyone free ice cream. Last book you read Belching Out the Devil by Mark Thomas. I’m currently reading his book on the arms trade.
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2 THE LIST 21 Jul–4 Aug 2011
First film you saw that really moved you Armour of God, in which Jackie Chan plays an international kung-fu treasure hunter. There is a scene in the film where he says, ‘When I was a kid, I dreamt of being a hero, saving people, doing good deeds.’ As an eight-year- old, I felt that was my dream, too. Last funny thing you saw online Probably a video of someone falling off something.
First song you’ll sing at karaoke ‘You Can’t Touch This’ - MC Hammer. Last time you bought someone flowers I sent flowers to a fan of mine who underwent a liver transplant, however they did not permit flowers to be delivered to the hospital and so her mum had to take them home until she was well enough to be discharged.
First great piece of advice you were given When I was 14, my history teacher, Mr Wright, said, ‘information is power’ and it left an impression on me. Later I would learn that ‘information is potential power’ and that it is taking action that counts the most. Either way, he was right, and it was probably the most valuable thing I learned at school.
was only 26 and had so much to look forward to. when I was 16.
First concert you ever attended Video Games Live at The Hammersmith Apollo in 2007. Last person in the world you’d sleep with Are we actually talking about actually sleeping? Because if we are then it’d have to be someone who snores too much or takes up too much space.
Last meal on earth – what would it be Nando’s.
First song at your (potential) wedding The end theme to Super Mario 64. Last song at your funeral Probably something from Naruto [a Japanese manga series].
Last time you cried When my cousin mysteriously passed away in his sleep a few years ago. He First job Stock movement at Debenhams at a pre-minimum wage of £3.26 an hour
■ Imran Yusuf – Bring the Thunder, Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh, 3–28 Aug, 7pm. Previews 3–5 Aug, £5.
WeLike The things making our world just that little bit better
■ We know tie-dye is in this summer, but really: in another case of the developing East taking its cues from all the wrong elements of Western (read: ker-azy American) culture, pet owners in China have adopted the trend of dying and trimming their dogs to look like other animals. While this provides one way around the world’s declining tiger population, The List is not sure it can
condone such cases as this frankly unnerving specimen.
Vets are apparently concerned about
the psychological effects of the attention attracted by such poor unfortunates. Let us be thankful, though, that no such limelight issues plague Snoop Dogg, who has apparently expressed a wish to appear on Coronation Street, prompting bookies to offer odds of 100/1 that he will make a cameo on the show as the US President. Because he’s, y’know, American. Our vote is for a return of Snoop's own TV sketch show – Doggy Fizzle Televizzle. Yup.