Avenue Q

Recently I was lucky enough to take in the Tony Award winning Broadway play Avenue Q . And it was fantastic. I struggled trying to decide if I should blog about it, because I felt like if I described the story too much, I could potentially ruin the laughs for you, when you saw it. That's how good it was - I don't even want to retell the jokes! I do however, want to break out into a chorus of "The Internet is for Porn!", one of my favourite musical numbers from the show. See, now I've told you too much.

This is the synopsis offered on the website, and I refuse to say anymore, just in case you get a chance to see it:

AVENUE Q is the story of Princeton, a bright-eyed college grad who comes to New York City with big dreams and a tiny bank account. He soon discovers that the only neighborhood in his price range is Avenue Q; still, the neighbors seem nice. There's Brian the out-of-work comedian and his therapist fianceé Christmas Eve; Nicky the good-hearted slacker and his roommate Rod -- a Republican investment banker who seems to have some sort of secret; an Internet addict called Trekkie Monster; and a very cute kindergarten teaching assistant named Kate. And would you believe the building's superintendent is Gary Coleman?!? (Yes, that Gary Coleman.) Together, Princeton and his newfound friends struggle to find jobs, dates, and their ever-elusive purpose in life.

I will tell you a few things about the experience. One, I laughed from beginning to end, almost non-stop. Two, Gary Coleman was played by a woman, and it was totally convincing. Three, the grey haired lady beside me laughed throughout as well. Four, I was sad when it ended. Five, I didn't hate the musical numbers. Which says a lot because I hate musicals.

And lastly - these little fellows, the Bad Idea Bears were so adorable, I fell in love with them and plan to have a few Bad Ideas myself this weekend.

Illustrator of the Month With Your Lovely Hostess - ME.

Welcome to your first installment of "Illustrator of the Month". Feel free, random people reading, to offer suggestions or suggest yourself.

In researching artwork for my job I often discover artists that I love but will never be able to use for work projects. (Well, just yet that is...) I felt I had to begin honouring them in some way, for all their hard work in sending me packages and such. So, my own personal blog will act as my ode to their work.

I discovered Henne Haworth after seeing work of hers published as an editorial illustration in the surprisingly good Air Canada magazine enRoute. Here are a couple of her illustrations - check out more at her website.

I don't know much about Hennie Haworth , other than she's quite nice to work with, seems young to be having such success, is very talented, and is based in London, England.

Be sure to check her site for other excellent pieces..these are just two of my favourites. If you click on the below images, it will take you to a much larger version.

This illustration speaks to me on such a personal level, and not just 'cause my favourite colour is orange:





This is an example of her more typical work...she does amazing studies of all sorts of things, and her style reminds me of those drawings we did in art school with our eyes closed...except hers actually look good.

Is Lil' Wayne the new Rick James?

If there is one thing I like to hear in music, it has to be slutty, dirty, skeezy lyrics. There's just not enough these days, what with the overly-strict FCC in the US, and the focus of the big record company on safe-bet songs which generate big sales. Trashy lyrics will even make me forgive a musician I can't stand - take 50 Cent for example. I'll forgive him for changing "Yayo I'm tired of using pornography" to "Ay-o I'm tired of using technology" simply for the fact that he wrote Candy Shop, which managed to get these lyrics on the radio for quite some time:

Soon as I come through the door she get to pulling on my zipper
It's like it's a race who can get undressed quicker
Isn't it ironic how erotic it is to watch em in thongs
Had me thinking 'bout that ass after I'm gone
I touch the right spot at the right time
Lights on or lights off, she like it from behind
So seductive, you should see the way she wind
Her hips in slow-mo on the floor when we grind

An exception, to be sure. The lyrics to that song were just dirty enough to feel scandalous, but not so dirty they couldn't get air time, I'm sure because there are no swear words contained within. I miss the days of not being able to hear nearly 1/2 the song because so much of it was bleeped in editing. I prefer that to artists changing the lyrics entirely, because to me it has more integrity. If you are going to change the lyrics for radio, I say, just change them. Don't do two versions. You are a sell out, that's not easy to acheive these days, so own it, be proud of it. Be a radio artist and that's that. Ok, so maybe I didn't forgive 50 for the "technology" change.

Alas there is hope. Found in the most unexpected of artists, Lil'Wayne. I must admit before hearing this tune I had little to no knowledge of Lil'Wayne. I had heard of him - he seemed to surface in a wave of artists prefaced with "Lil's, but hearing the song "Lollipop" surprised me. Not only was it catchy, and unusual sounding (arguably terrible, but nevermind that), it was almost entirely bleeped/slurred out on the radio. So investigation in to Lil'Wayne ensued. This is what I've learned.

Lil'Wayne is from Louisiana, and had is first break at 14, the same year he left school, rapping freestyle on a Cash Money track or two. He had his first child at 16, and had a few albums before breaking in the mainstream in a guest appearance on the Destiny's Child track "Soldier". In 2005, he became president of Cash Money records, the very same label he had joined by freestyling on the owner's answering machine years earlier. For the last few years, he's been under the radar again, self-producing socially concious songs such as "Georgia Bush", in response to the poor treatment of victims of Katrina, and also self producing some mixtapes under the names Da Droughts 1-3, one of which Rolling Stone called "One of the best albums of 2007". In January of this year Lil was arrested - his tour bus was stopped, and found on board was the following stash:
a .44 caliber pistol.
105 grams of marijuana (3.7 ounces)
29 grams of cocaine (1.02 ounces)
41 grams of Ecstasy (1.4 ounces)
$22,000 dollars in cash

Suffice it to say, dude knows how to party. Recently he was quoted as saying something about not doing coke anymore, since it was ruining his complexion, giving him acne. What a good reason to stop using! I love this dude. Seriously, there hasn't been someone this interesting in music in ages. His new album, Tha Carter 3 has this for a cover:



He claims this is his baby picture, undoctored. I mean, of COURSE it's doctored, but isn't it kind of awesome that he's denying it? And here's another version:



Wait, does he have tattoos on his eyelids? Who does that? I'm in love! Anyhow, as I was saying, there just is such a lack of personality in music these days. Perhaps I'm grasping at straws here but most acts seem to either take themselves too seriously, the music too seriously, or their image too seriously. I don't get that from this album cover (especially #1) or from these lyrics. To me, this is the 'party' returning to rock and roll, that was lost some time in the mid ninetys when it became uncool to be over the top. What a shame. Clearly being over the top is more fun. And quite honestly, who has been the Rick James of our generation? I say it's high time we had one. Perhaps it's the record company's iron grasp on their artists, but do they not realize how boring it all is? Who knows? It's boring when everything is perfect, overly produced, sleek and photoshopped. Everyone has perfect skin, smooth hips and a fake tan these days. Sigh.

It's refreshing to see someone have some fun with it, you know, be dirty, get bleeped. Have face tattoos. Talk about sex. Be human.
And now for the song:

Lollipop

Ow…
Uh Huh No Homo…
Young Mula Baby
I say he so sweet
Make her wanna lick the rapper
So I let her lick the rapper

She she lick me like a lollipop (x4)

Chorus:
Shawty wanna thug
Bottles in the club
Shawty wanna hump
You know I'd like to touch
Ya lovely lady lumps
Come On Okay

Lil mama had a swag like mine
She even wear her hair
Down her back like mine
I make her feel right
When its wrong like lyin'
Man She ain't never had a love like mine
Man I ain't never seen an ass like hers
That pussy in my mouth
Had me at a loss for words
Told her to back it up
Like berp berp
And I made that ass jump
Like jerp jerp

And thats when she Sh-Sh-She lick me like a lollipop (x4)

Chorus

Okay After you back it up
Then stop
Drop It shawty
Drop It
Drop it like its hot
Drop it like its hot
Do do do it shawty
Don't stop

Shawty said the nigga that she with Ain't shit
Shawty said the nigga that she with Ain't this
Shawty said the nigga that she with Can't hit
But shawty Imma hit it, hit it, Like I can't miss
And He can't do this
And He don't do that
Shawty need a refund
Needa bring that nigga back

Just like a refund I make her bring that ass back
And she bring that ass back
Because I Like That

Chorus

Shawty Wanna lic-lic-lic-lick me Like a lollipop
Shawty Wanna lic-lic-lic-lick me Like a lollipop
Shawty Wanna lick me Like a lollipop
I Let her lick the rapper

Chorus

Call me So I can make it juicy for ya (x8)

Chorus

I get her on top
She drop it like it's hot
And when I'm at the bottom
She Hilary Rodham
Middle of the Bed
Give and gettin' head
Give and gettin' head
Give and gettin' head
I said hmmmm I like that
Say hmmmm yea I like that
I said hmmmm yea I like that
hmmhmmm

Call me
So I can come and do it for you
Call me
So I can come and prove it for you
Call me
So I can make it juicy for you
Call me
So I can get it juicy for you

Shawty wanna Lic-lic-lic-lick me like a lollipop
She She Lic-lic-lic-lick me like a lollipop
(I say he so sweet Make her wanna lick the rapper)
She She Lick me, like a lollipop (And She Do)
She lick me Like a lollipop (So I let her lick the rapper)

Don't Call Me Ma'am

Last night I went to Micheals to buy a new drawing pad. I'm going to get back to drawing, dammit, if it kills me. Spending the weekend at the Surtex Art Licensing Show made me depressed I'm not doing art full time, instead doing the business side of selecting other people's artwork. I mean, that's an awesome job too, and going to New York City for a few days to see art and make deals to use the stuff I like is pretty sweet, don't get me wrong. It's just that eventually I'd like to be on the other side of the table.

Anyhow, so I bought a new drawing pad, that is intended to inspire me to get back to creating some work in my spare time with the thought that eventually I'll have a collection of illustrations to license. Maybe I'll share some here, that is what the 'scribbles' are intended to be.

The young girl who cashed me out said, "Good night ma'am" as I thanked her and left. I hate being called Ma'am. I would say it makes me look over my shoulder for my mother, but that's exactly what my mother said when people would call her ma'am. She hated it too. I am thinking I inherited this particular pet peeve from her.

What I wonder is, does this young girl think that "ma'am" is the polite thing to say? It seems so old fashioned to use that word these days. It always catches me off guard, as I don't hear it often. Maybe her mother taught her to say it? Is it intended to be respectful? According to wikipedia, it is a sign of respect, often used in the military and it is short for "madam".

It feels downright horrible! And to be honest, I'd rather be called "madam". Or "beeotch". But that's just me.

I Love Being Right

Here is a little blip from feministing that all but confirms my rant earlier this month:

May 21, 2008
New study says "boy crisis" is a myth
A new report from the American Association of University Women says that the idea that there's a "boy crisis" in U.S. education is a myth. (Cough, cough.)

The most important conclusion of "Where the Girls Are: The Facts About Gender Equity in Education" is that academic success is more closely associated with family income than with gender, its authors said.
"A lot of people think it is the boys that need the help," co-author Christianne Corbett said. "The point of the report is to highlight the fact that that is not exclusively true. There is no crisis with boys. If there is a crisis, it is with African American and Hispanic students and low-income students, girls and boys."

Of course, the original media frenzy wasn't exactly focused on kids of color, but instead featured magazine covers with sad looking white boys and complaints about young men having to deal with the horrors of a supposedly feminized education system. Let's hope this report will set some of that straight, and put the educational focus where it really needs to be.


***

From the Washington Post article:

AAUW's study does show female students outperforming male students in some measures. Women have earned 57 percent of bachelor's degrees since 1982 and outperformed boys on high school grade-point averages. In 2005, male students had a GPA of 2.86 and girls, 3.09.
The proportion of young men graduating from high school and earning college degrees is at an all-time high, the study notes. "Perhaps the most compelling argument against a boys crisis is that men continue to outearn women in the workplace," the report says.

Among all women and men working full time, year-round, median annual earnings for women were 77 percent of men's earnings in 2005. When looking at the college-educated, full-time work force a year out of college, women, on average, earned 80 percent of what men did in 2001. Women a decade out of college earned 69 percent of men's earnings in 2003. And men consistently earned more than women at differing educational levels and within race and ethnic groups, the study found.
Hill said that recent articles highlighting the success of female students in college have incorrectly suggested that men are being undercut as a result.

My New Favourite Bra

Freya lingerie rules. That is all.

California Legalizes Same-Sex Marraige!

A small victory!!

I can't tell you how happy this makes me. I don't know why this issue is close to my heart - I'm certainly not anxious to walk down the aisle...and I'm in a hetero relationship. But I feel incredible empathy for those who wish to, and wish to be legitimized in the eyes of God, or the State. Or both. Ultimately, it says that they are people, and people loving people is ok, and if you love someone, you can marry them.

To me, the social function of marriage is not reproduction. That is an arguement that is often thrown around - that since two men or two women can't produce children, they therefore have no right to marry. But how rediculous! After all, we don't force straight couples to reproduce. And since straight couples don't have to - then the function of their marraige isn't children.

Marriage, to me, is a symbol of commitment. It is a way of declaring to the universe (as well as close friends and family) that you love that person, and intend to be with them forever. To me, marriage shouldn't be entered lightly, and should last forever. I think that's why I'm not married yet. Forever is a long fucking time.

How about this, have you ever heard of a Gay Divorce? I'm sure there has been one, but I doubt gay marraiges end in divorce as often as straight ones. The reason being, straight people consistently get married for all the wrong reasons; they want gifts, honeymoons, or a white dress; all their friends are doing it; they feel obligated since they said yes when blinded by a big diamond. But to me it seems that gay couples take the decision with more weight. It might involve coming out to loved ones, or at very least convincing some 'doubters' that they are serious, and I doubt very much they want to do it just for the clothes they get to wear that day. It seems to be more about the actual commitment than the day itself. Which is more than I can say for a lot of straight marraiges!

What I wonder is, does this mean Brad and Angelina are going to tie the knot now?

Pink is for Girls and Blue is for Boys

Pink and Blue have not always have the same gender associations as they do now. In fact, "In Western culture, the practice of assigning pink to an individual gender began in the 1920s. From then until the 1940s, pink was considered appropriate for boys because it was the more masculine and decided color while blue was considered appropriate for girls because it was the more delicate and dainty color. Since the 1940s, the societal norm apparently inverted so that pink became appropriate for girls and blue appropriate for boys, a practice that has continued into the 21st century."1

Interesting, huh? Funny how pink was considered the more 'masculine' colour. Seems insane, right? Alas, this is what media and culture can convince a mind of. Things generally change quickly, trends some and go quickly. But not always, and pink/blue are great examples. I was thinking about this annoying association of colour and gender recently while shopping for baby gifts. Over the past few years, I have found it incredibly difficult to purchase something that is not one of those two colours, for anyone under the age of 5. Recently I've noticed a trend away from those colours - or colours at all in fact - in children's clothing. However it is not for the reason I'd prefer, rather it is a movement towards browns and greens, and other neutral or naturally dyed tones to follow the eco-trend. Don't think eco-conciousness is a trend? (ahem *Brian* ) ....well, I'll cover my reasons for that in another blog post. The trend is creating a fear of any unnatural dyes or finishes. Gloriously, 'baby' pink and 'baby' blue are quite difficult colours to match using natural dyes. And so, in stores, I saw BROWN onsies! What a joy. While most mainstream parents are buying these new eco-saavy colours for their kids because of the status wearing eco-friendly items evokes, they are deeply affecting social change on a larger scale.

While I accept that this does not truely signal an end to gender assignment via terrible children's fashion, I do wonder if this trend signals a shift in importance that society is placing on the way their children are presented to the world. While I certainly know that most of my with-child friends couldn't care less where the clothes their 8 month old is wearing came from, I also know that my social network is not reflective of society at large. But outsiders create trends, they are the 'early adopters' that Gladwell was talking about. Since my social group has decided to dress their daughters in male cousin's hand-me-downs, brown eco-friendly onsies, and decorate their bedrooms in Orange instead of princess pink, this is a signal of the very early beginnings of a shift in the traditional gender roles, and how we teach them to our children.

I am hoping anyhow.

I continue to hope that as our generation grows and becomes the Man, we will help to change the roles we were forced into as children. Yesterday I read a story about a 9 year old boy that will have his gender reassigned this year. He is in grade three in Philadelphia. The administrators decided it was wise to send a letter home with each child in the boy's class to advise the parents their children would be receiving councilling and therapy to help them with the transition of their classmate. These sessions would help the young boy to transition to a girl, the administrators say, because they will teach the other children what the change means and why it is happening, thus easing the strain on the child. At least s/he will not have to explain herself. But of course! Parents object! How could they let their innocent 9 year old children LEARN how to accept differences!? To be fair, some parents have been very supportive. Some however, feel this is "offensive".

Without losing my mind, trying to figure out why any parent wouldn't want their child taught tolerance, I will say this. The very fact that a school board has handled this so well is a sign of hope for the future. The fact that most parents are OK with this says even more. As my generation, and the ones that follow grow up, we become more willing to accept that life is not created with a cookie cutter. Everyone is different, and that is a good thing. And since everyone is different, our children should not be wearing only pink or blue.

Ultimately, there are many things that define our gender. Some of it is learned. Most we are born with. Dressing your child in pink or blue serves as a social signal to strangers about the sex of your child. But why? Why is it important for people to know?

Perhaps, if society is so concerned about the overt sexualization of young girls, we shouldn't be assigning a gender to them at birth. I know, thinking outside the box here people! Perhaps we should be concerned with teaching our children how to be people, not boys or girls.

For they will discover all on their own what their gender is, and how to express it.





1. Source: Zucker, Kenneth J. and Bradley, Susan J. (1995). Gender Identity Disorder and Psychosexual Problems in Children and Adolescents. Guilford Press, 203. ISBN 0898622662.

Friday is Song Lyrics Day

Dragonette: I Get Around

9 am
In your bedroom
The radio alarm clock
is set for soon
I know your friends and
you know mine too
you don't tell on me
I won't tell on you
I get around

Seconds to your elevator from the station
How can I resist
that kinda invitation

Second floor and I'm in trouble
Gotta get me back down to street level
I get around

Here I come when I better go
I say yes when I ought to say no
Here I come when I better go
I say yes when I ought to say no

Quietly slide away off the mattress
Find my clothing on the bed post
So I tip toe out of this mess
As I slip back into last nights dress
I get around

Put a little lipstick back on my face
Blow a little kiss to you from the doorway
walk the hall right past the stair case
take the elevator back down out of this place
I get around

Here I come when I better go
I say yes when I ought to say no
Here I come when I better go
I say yes when I ought to say no

I say yes when I ought to say no
I say yes when I ought to say no
I say yes I say yes I say yes I say yes
I say yes
Say yes
Say ya

Here I come when I better go
I say yes when I ought to say no




***

I have a soft spot for Dragonette, especially since I discovered Martina Sorbara is their lead vocalist. I booked her once as a solo act for a festival and she was not only super talented, but super sweet as well.....

Wrinkles, Creams and The Evil Known as 'Fashion Magazines'

I love a good fashion magazine. I really do. I love the pages showing the expensive items next to the so-called affordable items (which are also out of my range), I love the crazy outfits the stylists assemble, and I adore the idiotic relationship advice. It's always so amusing in its innaccuracy.

Here is my problem, however. While the pages of these magazines advise us to love ourselves, eat well and exercise, the advertising tells us to hate ourselves, buy lots of expensive creams, and use some sort of 'paddle' to avoid celulite.



I'm not quite thirty yet. I've got a good year and a half to go and I've already started thinking about wrinkles. Fucking hell. I always thought I'd be able to avoid this sort of self-defeating thinking patterns, but I know I'm not alone. While I may be able to think logically, I have trouble acting logically. The fact that I've spotted anti-wrinkle creams in the bathrooms of at least two of my fabulously-skinned girlfriends confirms to me that we are all doing the same thing. We are beliveing that we need them, because the advert said so.

Why do we do this? We all are educated, intelligent women with lives on the go. We know wrinkle creams don't actually work. In fact, we don't really even have wrinkles. The magic of the beauty industry is that they make us believe we do, even when we don't. They make us believe that we can buy something to reverse or prevent this natural phenomenon. They make us believe we need the cream, and that our lives will be better for having used it. Are we complete idiots?

I sat for a few minutes this morning staring through hazy morning eyes at an ad for a wrinkle cream. The model's skin is so smooth. There aren't even any pores. As I stare at it my eyes begin to open, more and more. That's not even human, that model. Even the model doesn't really look like this. I'm a graphic designer by trade for fuck's sake. I know full well that this is not only generously airbrushed, but it's likely completely edited to the point that the model herself isn't really appearing in the ad. It's just a glossed over version of a model. Who is, likely, 14 years old. Yet somehow, I am convinced.

The age of models used in magazines does a number on us too. I don't really notice it when the model is young. You know who does? My boyfriend. He'll be sitting in the bathroom, reading a copy of something beside the toilet, and yell to me, "What the fuck have they got this 12 year old modelling business attire for?" The sad thing is, everytime this has happened, and it does more often than he'd like to admit, he's always right. I pick up the magazine, have a look and think, hmmm...he's right, she's completely 12, or maybe 14. And this is the image I am intended to 'aspire' to?

Because after all, aren't women's magazines about 'aspiring' to something? They say if they put affordable clothes in women's magazines, we don't buy the magazine again. Why? It's not because we can afford $1200 Chanel socks, it's because we aspire to be able to afford them. Just like we aspire to be smooth-skinned like wrinkle cream models and thin-thighed like the 12 year olds modelling business suits.

It is so distorted, this reality we are aspiring to, that even with all the money in the world we'd never have it. They can make wrinkle creams from diamonds, but they still won't be worth the money, they just don't work.

When I look at Madonna lately I'm incredibly disappointed. She went and got all botoxed up to the point that her face doesn't move. Wrinkle free, sure, but devoid of human characteristics that made her face interesting. It's particularily disturbing on Madonna - a woman that so many looked up to as a symbol of feminine strength. But even the strongest woman has trouble avoiding the pitfalls of vanity.

Vanity is a trap, and I hope to spend much of my life fighting against what the big companies are trying to convince me is wrong with me. There is nothing wrong with a few wrinkles~! In fact, I might even let my hair go grey. Take that beauty industry! Men are deemed more attractive with age, with more wrinkles. With good reason - they look more handsome. This isn't a falsehood, ask any woman and she'll say that its true. Why can't it be this way for women? (This, dear reader, is rhetorical. I know why. Sigh)

All I can say to my dear dear friends, and to myself, is this: Be Strong. Look at each and every ad for a product and pick it apart. Spot the airbrushing. Laugh at the idiotic claims and promises. I think it will make you feel a lot better inside, than buying the wrinkle cream will.


Sigh. I miss Sassy Magazine.

Anna Wintour's Costume Instititue Dress That Everyone Hates Is My Favourite of the Night.

By Chanel:



Fearless. This is fearless fashion. Oh, Anna you are one of a kind.

Men - The 'New' Women?

I've been hearing buzz in the media lately about men being the 'new women'.

My knee jerk reaction to this is along the same lines as my reaction to the argument, "What do they need Gay Pride Day for? There's no 'Straight Pride Day'!?!"... because really, everyday is straight pride day, just like every month is white male month. I intend to show here, that my knee jerk reaction is right.

Women are graduating university at a greater rate, as well as enrolling more often. We are waiting to have children, until we've got careers on the go. In fact, we are doing all sorts of things before marriage that we never did before - we are buying homes (all alone at that!), travelling, having kids, having careers, having experiences outside our parent's basement. All of the above, and on less money than men make doing the same work.

Men, in contrast, are living at home longer than in the past, and are less career driven and oriented than their female counterparts. They are less likely to own a home before a woman, and they are therefore more likely to be living in their parent's basement, playing video games, as a full time job than we are. They don't dress as mature men. When was the last time you saw a 30 year old man in a shirt with a collar? The t-shirt is the standard uniform. They have, essentially, lost sight of what is intended to happen to them after high school: they are supposed to grow up. But they aren't. They are teenagers stuck in the bodies of 30 year old men. Why? Because growing up means giving up something - total freedom of responsibility.

Women on the other hand, have taken their already responsibility-heavy lives, and piled on more. Their own lofty goals sit a-top society's expectations: motherhood, home keeping, scrap booking, looking perfect in a dress, getting great haircuts, 'girls night outs', worldly travel and blog-writing... add in some pressure to cum every time we get fucked by some random dude in a decade-old t-shirt (because of course, we're the newly evolved female that is comfortable with that sort of thing) and you've got a rough picture of what it is like to be a modern female.

So what have we become? We aren't the 'new men'....we are both man and woman in our own lives. We open our own doors, we fix our own cars, we earn our own money, and we bear our own children. We have created a situation for ourselves wherein it is difficult to feel whole if you can't achieve all of the aforementioned things, without help. "Why can't you do it all?" our inner voice says, "You are a woman!". We've taken the work load of children and housekeeping and doubled it with the responsibility of being the breadwinner and battle fighter. All this while perched perfectly in kitten heels just like the ladies on Sex-In-The-City. Because heels are now a symbol of female success, or something.

While the media is busy trying to make us believe feminism has been successful, reality speaks a different truth; the very reasons feminism became a movement are completely lost on today's youth. Today's young girls are more strongly pro-life than ever before in the past. They don't seem to like the word 'feminism' very much - it's been demonized. They believe themselves equal to their peers - but don't seem interested in fighting for the same rights as their peers - because they are too busy being trained how to be a 'diva', what with their perfect manicures and degrees in psychology.

I suppose this will be controversial to say so, but what seems to be happening is that feminism has created a monster. The new monstrous woman is never satisfied with a simple success. We aren't satisfied just by getting better marks than men. We also need to have better degrees, better jobs, better cars, and better family lives. After all, many of us now have 40hr-week jobs, and two kids, and volunteer, and plan the household and generally run things on the home front. The real purpose and goals of feminism have been lost. Yes, we can wear pants, use birth control, and live alone....and yes, it's not such a big deal for us to have children out of wedlock....but can we really have 'any' job we want? Do we make as much money? Are we taken as seriously? Are we equally represented in politics? Business? Media? Absolutely not.

A great example was given to me by a friend who is studying Sociology at Guelph University. Her professor, a female, managed to obtain the pay structure for the sociology department at the university, made photocopies of it, and handed it out to the class. As a result of this, she was suspended without pay for 30 days. What information did she leak that the university didn't want students knowing? That all of the female professors in the department were paid significantly less than their male peers. Why? No good explanation surfaced. The whole thing was put on a hush-hush rule by the faculty. The female prof's education and skills were identical. Why would a respected university do this to it's female profs? Because this is the status quo. This is what is socially acceptable in today's world. Don't believe me? Go into any large business. Take a look at who is sitting in the cubicles, and who is sitting in the offices with doors. Then come back and talk to me about this, ok?

My point is this - the media would love young women to believe that men need the hand up. That they are suffering and need special classes, just like young women have had, so that they can feel important.

Don't be fooled young women! Don't believe this hype created by a male-managed media! Men might have a delayed adolescence, but that is their choice. They choose not to be as driven - everything that is available to us is available to men x10000. Don't believe the media reports otherwise. There is still so much to fight for.

Spank Rock - Bangers And Cash

This five song ep, inspired by 2 Live Crew, is fucking awesome. It was recommended by a good friend, who obviously knows that songs degrading women with titles like "Pu$$y" and "B-O-O-T-A-Y" wouldn't offend me. A good friend, indeed! Because what is a self-described feminist, if she's not able to appreciate a little booty house once in a while?

In all seriousness, I strongly doubt a single one of these lyrics was written without humour. The group is currently touring with the Beastie Boys and I think this means that there really is little of this album that is said in anger.

And isn't it anger that makes insults offensive? If I called you a "fucking idiot" with smile on my face, it would be different than the same insult said in anger. This is a simple distinction but an important one. I suppose purist types would say I am simply functioning in patriarchy, it's not my fault, I don't realize I'm being degraded because of how every day this sort of degredation is. Oh, maybe they are right. But I can't think in circles like that, it makes my head hurt. Whilst that variety of feminist is sitting at home typing essays, I'm shakin' it and feeling fine. My point is, it's fucking funny. It moves my ass when I'm at the gym. It is chock full of hot booty-bass beats I haven't heard the likes of, in far too many years.

I'm sure MC Spank Rock goes home to his long term girlfriend and cooks her dinner anyhow. This is the dichotomy of the modern man, no? Maybe just the men I know.

I decided to begin investigating the music and I came upon the review at Rolling Stone. They aren't too fond of it, obviously, since it only was granted 2 stars. Which tells me why I don't read Rolling Stone anymore. (Well, except for when they put Britney Spears on the cover, but that's another post). I thought perhaps they weren't far off the mark when they said "Blanco's beats — all booming low-end and high-gloss electro — probably won't do a whole lot for you unless you're a fan of Miami bass or are high on E." however in thinking about it, I'm not sure they are right at all. While I'm not high on e (shouldn't it be lower case?) I am a fan of Miami bass. But I strongly doubt that this assessment of the beats is fair. I don't think you have to be either high, or a basshead (or both) to appreciate the retro-liciousness of these stompin' tracks. The fans of this music that I can call out from memory certainly don't fit their description, so I deem them, incorrect! You simply require a sense of humour. And, in Rolling Stone's case, being under the age of 40.

I highly recommend checking it out, and since it's only 4.95 at Amazon, who can resist?