It's a weird time in my life. I'm what I've been calling "in between." Everything is in transition. Nothing is particularly steadfast or certain. I have no job. I have no permanent home. (And with those things come no income, no health insurance, no financial security -- no fun things like that.) Making decisions has never been my strength and figuring out what to do with my life -- or even just the next step -- is daunting. It's easy to wish and dream. But hard to make a real life. So, some days are hard.
Yesterday PBS Digital Studios posted their very first video to YouTube. It's called "Mister Rogers Remixed | Garden of Your Mind," it was created by the very talented melodysheep (aka John Boswell), and it's brilliant. (I like melodysheep's video "We Are Stardust" too. It says, "Every atom in your body came from a star that exploded. You are all stardust.")
When I was a child I, like many others, was an avid Mister Rogers watcher. I vividly remember going to the crayon factory and visiting the Neighbourhood of Make-Believe and feeling safe. Mister Rogers was a trusted friend. (And I had lace-up "sneakers" just like his.) So, it seems oddly appropriate that as an adult Mister Rogers still brings me comfort. I watch this video and feel a sense of hope and of possibility. And I'm reminded that it's okay to be me. Sure, that makes me cheesy or sentimental or both, but I'm happy to give thanks to a guy who was in my life as a child and is still in my life as an adult. What a legacy he built for an entire generation.
I work at a school that’s atypical in a number of ways. It’s a 110 year old, co-ed, private K-12 school (housed in one building) in the heart of Chicago, and our educational philosophy is based on progressive, constructivist, democratic ideals. We are pretty intentional about things like building a safe, productive community in which everyone’s voice is welcomed, in which challenging one another and challenging previously unquestioned ideas and assumptions is encouraged, and where differences are valued as strengths, especially when our differences challenge one another to be more knowledgeable, more thoughtful people. We have a common language and shared ideals with which everyone is familiar and by which everyone strives to abide, including:
Our motto: “Everything to help and nothing to hinder.” – Francis W. Parker (our founder)
“A school should be a model home, a complete community, an embryonic democracy.” – Francis W. Parker
“If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” – 1 Corinthians 12:26 (We are not a religious school, but this biblical quotation is a guiding adage that has been part of our expectations for one another for generations.)
There’s a lot of history, and a lot of tradition, at the school. But it’s not all about being serious and stoic. We try to be a place where the whole person is welcome – whether that whole person is a student, a family member, or a faculty or staff member. And that means that we share gifts, abilities, talents (and challenges) that are parts of our ‘real world’ lives with one another, even if those things might not be welcome in other, perhaps more traditional schools. At our school, students and teachers laugh together (and cry together), and teachers share things about their ‘real lives’ that the school culture in other settings might discourage – things like our whole identities, our political beliefs and convictions, what we did over the weekend, and when we are an awesome break dancer. (Which I am not.) And one of the things we love to share with one another is HUMOR!
A relatively new tradition at our school (ranging back to at least 2006) is the annual Mike and Duane Show – a production that essentially boils down to a comedy sketch show presented primarily by faculty and staff, with occasional student involvement. It includes comedy routines, dances, music videos, and always a princess number. It’s a pretty serious undertaking and a beloved piece of our school community.
Last year I shared with you the “Bad” video that was a part of the 2010 Mike and Duane Show. (And it’s totally worth revisiting, or visiting for the first time if you’ve never seen it. How often have YOU watched your Assistant Principal dance Michael Jackson through the halls while being backed by a gang for faculty and staff?!)
This year, I thought I’d share a little more – both present and past. This year’s show was fun. It included lots of singing and dancing, a video/live performance of an original tune, a high school science teacher showing off his aerial acrobatic skills, and a crazy music video mash-up of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal,” Katy Perry’s “Firework,” Onyx’s “Slam,” and Ok Go’s “End Love.” (The links will show you video of these acts.)
But, to give you an idea of the tone in which the show is presented, here was this year’s introduction (inspired by The Electric Company, of course):
(And in case you want to know, Duane is a counselor in our Middle School, Mike works in our afterschool program for K – 5th graders, and Casey (Hudetz – thus “Chudetz”) teaches in the Middle School computer lab.)
Every year's show features a faculty number which typically recreates some pop culture dance from the previous year – ranging from the Jai Ho to the Sound of Music flash mob in Amsterdam to this year’s Double Dream Hands, of which I was a part. See if you can spot me:
And there is typically at least one performance by faculty and staff who actually live up to the title ‘dancer.’ This year, said talented folks did a remake of Janet Jackson’s "Rhythm Nation."
There are MANY a great Mike and Duane act from years past. Here are a few of my favorites:
2007:
(The prince is played by our assistant principal, the cop is our technology facilitator, and the cab driver is one of our high school science teachers.)
2008:
2010:
For us, part of being a community means making time to laugh together and making time to share our talents – both those of the students and those of faculty and staff. And we like to have fun. Isn't that how school should be?!
I was wandering the internet this afternoon, as I am often wont to do when I am avoiding something else on the agenda. (Today’s avoidance was my taxes, which are now complete and filed.) In my YouTube perusing, I wandered into a clip from Me and Gus, the “interactive educational music video for children ages 0-6” I did back in 2006. Here’s the clip (and yes, it cuts off in the middle of a verse):
There are over 10,300 hits for this video, which is crazy (especially being that I had no idea the video was posted on YouTube). We also have a website (where you can see a bunch more clips) and a Facebook page (which I also didn’t know existed until today – where have I been?!).
Gus (looking like a shark in this shot) was played
by the talented Lee Tosca who is used to being
an art director, not a puppeteer.
For me, participating in this project was one of those, “What am I doing?! Is this really real?! Is this my life, or perhaps it’s just a crazy dream?!” experiences. At the time I was working at Boston Children’s Museum running their Music Department (which sounds super fancy, but really I was a one-woman department responsible for making sure my programs, staffing, calendar, and marketing didn’t collapse into a big ball of chaos around each and every corner). One of my favorite, and longest running, programs was a weekly group called “Sing-a-Story.” It was a literacy-based music and movement program for zero to three year olds and their families. We used our voices and bodies, puppets, books, and all sorts of other props (or none at all) to sing stories. (I mean, at the end of the day, what is music anyway, other than a form of storytelling?) One particular day, after a regular Sing-a-Story program, a woman approached me saying she was working on developing a children’s video that centered on learning through music and movement, and she wondered if I was interested in participating. I must admit I was skeptical; it was an odd request – both unexpected and surreal. But how sketchy could this woman, Kim, really be if she’s come to find me (with her kids in tow) while I was singing with a bunch of toddlers?
Long and short, I eventually signed on to do the pilot episode of Me and Gus. Kim had been looking for videos for her children that were educational and entertaining for kids, not annoying-as-all-holy-hell for adults, and sought to connect with children in a low-tech, simple kind of way. And she wasn’t finding any. So she decided to create her own. She called up her friend Fitz, who’s been doing awesome stuff in television and film for several decades, and they got to work.
By the time I came on board, the show was well under way. The script had been through a bajillion revisions and the songs were on their way to their finished form. I was able to offer my input from the position of a professional educator who regularly uses music to connect with kids, and I worked really hard to learn my lines and the songs. That said, I have to admit, I am a horrible actor. Always have been. So I was experiencing a growing concern that I wasn’t going to be able to pull this off. Performing music has always been easy. I can sing myself into tears or laughter, no problem. But delivering dialogue and having it sound natural and spontaneous is a skill I have never mastered. And I suck at memorizing anything. I can remember the plot points and story arch without issue and can make up dialogue that gets us where we need to be (I do it everyday in the classroom), but delivering word-for-word dialogue is a real challenge. Thus, the title of actor is not one I apply to myself. So, being asked to ‘act’ on film was a scary, scary, yet desirably challenging concept.
We were swimming.
Aren't my shoes cool?
As rehearsals and finally filming day came, I became increasingly anxious. I felt like the stakes were really high. And I wanted to meet the expectations being set for me. Plus, I was in a whole new world – a fast-paced world filled with very few familiar things to latch onto for support. I was “the talent” who had my own hair and make-up person, who could ask for anything I wanted and it would happen, who had someone drive me to and from set – all this crazy stuff. I was wired for sound (meaning I had to remember to turn off my mic pack when I went to the bathroom), I had to remember not to put my hair behind my shoulders because it would throw off consistency between shots, and I had to pretend that the sweat dripping down my back and soaking into my jeans wasn’t feeling like an extra ten pounds of water weight. It was crazy. And exciting. And hard. But I did the very best I possibly could – pushing to give everything I had to offer and to be successful at something I found intimidating.
I still have no idea if I lived up to the expectations of the creators, producers, and director. I hope so. I certainly learned a lot. And I think that if I ever had the opportunity to do something like it again I would be able to approach it with less anxiety, more grace, and a faster learning curve.
In the meantime, this was an opportunity to try on a different kind of life for a brief time. And an opportunity to really see and appreciate the immense talent, patience, and hard work that is part of working in the film industry day in and day out. They are amazing. And awe-inspiring. And for a short time I was able to witness their intense drive, determination, and passion. How lucky am I?!
Once the video was edited and put into circulation for the world to accept or throw off as it saw fit, I think I only watched the whole thing through once from beginning to end. (It’s hard to watch yourself on film.) But, I’ve had the opportunity to talk to a few families here and there who own the video and hear the ways it has been a valuable resource for their families. A few years ago I was in Michigan visiting a dear friend of mine. He had given the video as a gift to his niece and nephew the Christmas before, and when I got there the kids kind of hung back a bit. Eventually the older, who was maybe four at the time, said, “Are you Kelly? From my video? Do you really know Gus?” I said yes and we spent the rest of the weekend playing and singing and laughing together. I was honored and truly humbled that this small project I had participated in meant something special and valuable to these young children and their family. Seriously, how cool is that?!
Note: The photos in this post were taken by the talented (and busy) Debra A. Schneider who was one of the producers for Me and Gus.
I must confess. I am rather infatuated with Darren Criss. (Not in the "Yeah, we hang out and actually really like each other and frequently chat about the intricacies of our personal day-to-day lives" sorta way, but in the "I've never met you, probably never will, and yet I think you are truly delightful" kind of way.)
There are many reasons. Here are a few:
1. He's crazy talented. (I mean, have you SEEN him sing?! Go watchthisrightnow!)
4. He knows and acknowledges his own roots and he's a man comfortable enough with his own sexuality to say what needs to be said. And he does it explicitly and with kindness. True ally.
I love music. (If you somehow missed that about me, we've obviously never met.) And I'm enraptured by the capacities of the human voice. AND, the human brain baffles me.
Also, Bobby McFerrin is really, really cool and you can't convince me otherwise.
There's a GREAT comment about this video on YouTube. It reads, (from 1987GTD) "People always laugh when they are suddenly aware of their awesomeness." Right? Right?!
If you want to read more 'technical' comments focusing on the way that McFerrin is highlighting the power of the human brain as it relates to the pentatonic scale, you can read some of the comments at TED.
And if you can't live without a little more McFerrin fabulousness, go listen to this AMAZING collaboration he does with -- tada! -- his audience. They do a juxtaposition of Bach's Prelude No. 1 and Charles Gounod's Ave Maria. (Tells you a thing or two about the knowledge set McFerrin's audience brings with them.) Plus, for vocalist geeks (like me) he gets in a few laugh-out-loud singer jokes! (On an only barely related note, my favorite music joke of all time is the following: "You all know what syncopation is, right?! It's irregular movement between bars!" And all the credit on that one goes to Doc. Shearer, my teacher and music magician for four years in college.)
I like Glee. It’s my guilty pleasure and the only TV show I watch faithfully.
And this week’s episode struck a chord with me. To catch you up, in case you aren’t a regular watcher, Kurt Hummel is the only openly out gay student at McKinley High. And he faces relentless bullying, overt and subtle – gay jokes and taunts, getting thrown in the dumpster, being slammed into lockers, the whole gamut. This week’s episode in particular really highlighted the overwhelmingly oppressive darkness that results from being treated with less than your full humanity, and how sometimes even the most well-meaning friends, teachers, and family-members can’t quite get past the “Sorry you’re having a hard time, but if you’re gay, things are gonna be rough” into a place where they reject the norm of intolerance, declare it unacceptable, and live that resistance in word and deed.
This week, in the midst of feeling utterly alone, Kurt met a new ally in Blaine, an openly out student at another high school, who offers Kurt courage, hope, and assurance that change is possible and life gets better. Plus, Blaine can SING. (And DANG, can he sing! We know how I have a ridiculously intense sweet spot for men’s a cappella, and the Dalton Academy Warblers bring it, singing a cover of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream.” I’m fairly certain this pushes my previous Glee favorite song – Lea Michele and Idina Menzel’s rendition of Lady Gaga’s "Poker Face" to number two!)
As you may have noticed, I titled this post “Queering pop culture.” In the realm of feminist theory and resistance, to ‘queer’ something means to change the way it’s seen, to shake the assumptions that hold social constructions in place, to deviate from what is socially understood as normal, and sometimes to even try to redefine what normal is. For me, to queer something can be a very positive thing – it can jolt folks out of their ‘normal’ experience long enough to (sometimes, we hope) be critical about why we do what we do, who it benefits, and who it limits. When we queer our understanding of the world, it can free up space for all people to freely be more wholly who they are.
What I like about this episode of Glee (and several others – several with Kurt’s dad come to mind), is that it (intentionally or unintentionally) has the potential to queer viewers’ ways of understanding the world (which, I believe, is a good thing). Merely because of its willingness to place marginalized experiences, like Kurt’s battle with bullying, at the center of the public’s view, those stories can be told through the eyes of those living them rather than through the eyes of those who fit into the social norm. (For feminist theory folks, we’re talking margin-to-center stuff here, and pushing into the power of standpoint theory.) Listening to marginalized voices tell their own stories tends to show the deep complexities of oppression, power struggles, and lived experiences in ways that are often erased when dominant voices frame the story. (This is the same concept often talked about in the context of history. “The victor writes the history books.” How is Columbus’s arrival in the Americas told differently through the eyes of native peoples? How would understanding change if racism were talked about as not merely individual, but also historical, structural, and institutional? You get the idea.)
So, I am grateful that this piece of Kurt’s story, as told through his eyes and his experiences, (alongside and in conjunction with other stories in other places) has the potential to complicate general understanding of the human experience. While Kurt’s story is not necessarily unique, nor the first time that such material has been on television, its presence on a popular, prime time, network television show is noteworthy and worthy of recognition.
Plus, they sing and dance!
Even so, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out a few of the frustrations I felt in watching how Kurt’s story played out on Tuesday’s episode and how those things relate to larger concerns in society. In the show, after Kurt sees the Warblers sing, he has a short conversation with Blaine and two other Warblers over coffee.
First, one of the students explains that at Dalton everyone is treated the same because they have a zero tolerance harassment policy. While I understand the impulse to suggest ‘easy’ fixes to issues of bullying, harassment, and abuse, adopting a zero tolerance policy is not enough. To create a safe environment for all students requires the changing of minds, the disruption of prejudices and biases, and a communal commitment to holding one another accountable to treating all people with their full humanity. And those efforts require continual work to learn how to think and act differently (because it does NOT come naturally in a society like ours built upon prejudice and inequality). So, adopting a zero tolerance policy is not a cure-all. It is surely a beginning step, but does not and will not create safe spaces for all students without intense, committed, and continuous work.
Second, when explaining how the school’s zero tolerance policy works, one of the students said, “Everybody gets treated the same, no matter what they are. It's pretty simple.” In the ideal world, it would be simple. In the real world, it’s not. Even in his statement, the student uses language that can feel dehumanizing. My hope would have been that he said, “Everybody gets treated the same, no matter WHO they are.” While this could be chalked up to a simple grammatical slip-up, it is important to be thoughtful about language use. We want to always aim to use language that honors individuals’ full humanity, rather than reduce people to objects (WHO you are vs. WHAT you are).
Third, Blaine offers Kurt some advice. He says, “You can refuse to be the victim. Prejudice is just ignorance, Kurt. And you have a chance right now to teach him.” I agree; prejudice is ignorance. But, prejudice is often backed by power. In our society, individuals, groups, institutions, etc. get away with homophobia, racism, sexism, and so many others, because our social systems support them. Society is not inherently neutral. Lines were drawn long before we showed up on the scene, and while we didn’t pick the setup, it’s been laid out for us. Battling ignorance IS about education and about sharing information that changes the ways the world is understood, but we’re already starting on biased ground. The battle truly is an uphill climb. Plus, the battle is bigger than changing individuals. It involves changing individuals and seeking to change the larger culture that places limits and restrictions on those who don’t conform to a socially built idea of ‘normal.’ So, while perhaps Blaine’s advice is accurate and appropriate for Kurt, for Glee, and for the audience, I feel the need to acknowledge some of the complexities in accomplishing what Blaine suggests.
Okay, enough of my being down on the details.
As Emma Pillsbury would say, “Yay, Glee!” Plus, I must offer a shout out to actors Chris Colfer (who plays Kurt Hummel) and Max Adler (who plays Dave Karofsky). You gentlemen are amazing in your attention to detail. You knock my socks off!
Also, if you’re interested in other pretty mainstream examples of queering pop culture, a good example is the video below. The men of the University of Rochester's YellowJackets filmed a parody of the video to Taylor Swift’s “You Belong with Me.” Much like Glee’s version of “Teenage Dream” could be interpreted as a musical conversation between two same-sex participants (Blaine and Kurt), the YellowJackets reimagine a song originally written about a hetero- couple in a queer context. (The video below has Swift’s voice as audio. If you want to hear the YellowJackets sing it, go here.)
From my perspective, the more we queer pop culture, the more space exists for everyone to feel safe and comfortable being exactly who they are. There has been a lot of news coverage in the past few months about young people who have taken their own lives as a result of bullying focused on the victim’s sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation. Information from The Trevor Project tells us that suicide rates have not gone up, only the level of media attention they are receiving. Young people all over the country, and all over the world, are feeling hopeless, voiceless, and alone. Queering pop culture is one (of many) ways to help people feel less alone. Seeing media representations of characters and experiences to whom and with which they can relate matters.
If you’re unfamiliar with The Trevor Project, check them out here. Also, the It Gets Better Project, founded by writer and media pundit Dan Savage, is a space designed to give voice to experiences often pushed to the margins. Their tag says, “Many LGBT youth can't picture what their lives might be like as openly gay adults. They can't imagine a future for themselves. So let's show them what our lives are like, let's show them what the future may hold in store for them.” There are many great videos in their archives. If you haven’t seen the video by Fort Worth, Texas City Councilman Joel Burns, it is especially worth watching.
And, on a final, final note, if you feel the need to hear more delicious a cappella, give this a try. It’s the Leading Tones from The Ohio University (Ohio represent!) singing Ben Folds' "Brick." (Did you know Ben Folds pulled together a WHOLE album of collegiate groups singing vocal arrangements of his songs?! It's called Ben Folds Presents: University a Cappella! Hell to the yeah!)
This video was filmed and produced at the school where I teach, features Damian, our assistant principal, as Michael Jackson and members of our faculty, staff, and student body as the other dancers, singers, and actors. The video was shared with the entire student body (K-12) yesterday during one of our regular school-wide gatherings. Who's bad?!
If you're like to see the video with an inset of the original MJ video, you can watch that here.
Life's busy, but I wanted to highlight that Dessa Darling, an Minneapolis-based author, spoken word artist, and emcee that I really dig just dropped her first full length album -- A Badly Broken Code (which you can get more info about, download a free track off of, and/or buy here). Dessa's a member of the Doomtree Hip-Hop Collective and is also a founding member of The Boy Sopranos, an a cappella group. And she teaches composition, songwriting, and hip-hop at the college level. (Awesome, right?!)
I love the strong voice and raw talent she brings to her music. Swing by her MySpace page to hear a great sampling of her work, and below is the first video single, Dixon's Girl, from her album:
Being a woman in music, especially in hip-hop is not easy. Dessa wrote up a little essay at the turn of the year about her experience being a woman in hip-hop. Here it is:
My membership in Doomtree has been the largest single factor in my career as a hip hop artist. I make music with with smart, funny, good-hearted guys who aren’t particularly concerned with the fact that I’m a woman. So my gender hasn’t played a very large role in my process of making music. My gender has, however, affected the presentation of that music.
The fact that I’m female seems to be more interesting to listeners and critics than it is to the people I work with. And I think I understand why. Women are rare in hip hop and novelty is interesting. My private fear, as a person who hopes to have a sustainable career as an artist, is that people might become interested in me for the wrong reasons. Youth is brief and beauty is fleeting, and I don’t want to tether my reputation to variables that are so temporary–and that are completely distinct from my art and from my character. The challenge for me has been to find a way to work as a rapper without diminishing my gender (in effort to fit into a pretty masculine environment) or exalting it (for some easy coverage). It’s a surprisingly fine line, and honestly I’ve made missteps on either side of it.
The other primary challenge is probably even better known to actresses than to rappers. It involves trying to understand the motivations of men who profess to be interested in professional collaboration. To be totally frank, I’m a little nervous that this paragraph will come off as whiny–but it’s an honest account of my experience, so here goes:
As an artist, it’s marvelously exciting when someone you admire offers you a professional opportunity–it’s one of the best feelings in this line of work. As a single, female artist in her late twenties, one of the worst feelings you can have is when you realize that someone has offered you a professional opportunity because he’s hoping for a romantic encounter. The artist part of you feels disappointed because the proposed collaboration was not motivated by a respect for your art. The female part of you feels insulted for being deceived. The human part of you feels embarrassed for having hoped…and then been duped. Repeat this experience at a regular interval, year after year, and it’s hard not to feel a little jaded about the way that people work.
But all said and done…I love being a woman. And I love being an artist. And I’m privileged to live in a culture that allows me to be both in almost any manner that I please. The challenges are offset by the genuine responses that I get from listeners, and by the thrill I get working with the other artists in Doomtree.
This post's goin' up because we all need a little light-hearted fabulousness once in a while. (Also, it's 12 days before Christmas.)
In case you didn't know, I have a warm fuzzy place in my heart for men's a capella groups. (Seriously, you have no idea.) These guys, Straight No Chaser, got their start at Indiana University back in 1996, took a 10 year hiatus after graduation, and then reached near immediate success when video from performances 10 years prior hit YouTube in 2006. Huge viral success. And then a major label record deal (with Atlantic). Kinda crazy. (Actually, a version of the song in this video is what caught the ears of the world.) Also, you may have heard them recently singing a holiday special/membership drive on PBS.
And if I'm gonna promo a capella, let's do it right. First, three of my favorite a capella groups: King's Singers, The Manhattan Transfer, and Toxic Audio. Second, (and this is for all you lovely Bostonians) check out Emerson's WERS 88.9FM program All A Capella every Saturday and Sunday afternoon from 2-5pm. (How many afternoons did BLP and I listen to that show while doin' crap around the house?... Many.)
(Plus, for "A Little Christmas Music" (quite literally) bonus, listen to/watch the King's Singers, Julie Andrews and John Denver together.)
Tonight a homework break turned into the rare opportunity to watch an important and moving film for which I'm not sure I have the words to justly represent. So, hear me out...
Tonight I went and watched an independent documentary film called Trouble the Water. You probably haven't heard of it. I hadn't either until earlier today.
The film tells the story of Hurricane Katrina through the lived experiences of those least represented but hardest hit. This film, rather than being told through the words or views of the media, politicians, 'experts,' or even aid workers, is told through the lives of Katrina survivors Kimberly Rivers Roberts and her husband Scott Michael Roberts. Born and raised in New Orleans, they lived three blocks from the levees in the 9th ward. When the storm came they had no way to leave the city and were left to fend for themselves. And, until the batteries failed, Kim's camcorder captured their story. Here's a very small piece of it:
Trouble the Water has a lot of big names attached to it. It was directed and produced by Fahrenheit 9/11 and Bowling for Columbine producers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal. Danny Glover is one of the film's executive producers. The score was created by Robert Del Naja and Neil Davidge. (Del Naja is one half of Massive Attack.) Plus, the film introduces four tracks written and performed by Black Kold Medina (BKM), aka Kim herself. (You can also listen to an ASCAP Network Audio Portrait of BKM here.) The film is even the winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival.
But still, very few people know about it. The film does not have a national distribution deal, and at the moment, is playing screen to screen as theatres give them a chance. (As of today, they have short term engagements on a total of 65 screens nationwide. That is NOT a lot, folks. And when I say short-term, I mean, like, they get to screen the film just a few times. Like at the Landmark Century where I saw it, the theatre contracted the film for three days. And they'll decide Monday morning is they keep it or send it out the door.)
Tonight I was lucky enough to watch the film with directors/producers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal. They stayed for a Q&A after the screening and spoke with deep emotion about their desire that word of the film would spread. Certainly, the film's success would be good news for them, but far more importantly, they stressed, and I agree, the film tells the story of Katrina in a way that's been ultimately too absent from our understanding of it. The film is about much more than an extreme weather event. It's about not only how Kim and Scott and their whole community were failed by the government during and following the events of Katrina, but how they've been failed by the government and by society their whole lives. The tragedy of Katrina began long before the levees broke and the flood waters rose. And the aftermath is still going on. The film shows some of the ways that issues of race and poverty intersect with history and culture and the hope for a different, better future, and the film does it in the voices of those best able to tell the story.
So, this is my plea to you: If you can go see this film, DO. The only way others will have a chance to see it is if you see it and tell them to see it too. You aren't going to see a commercial for it. You're unlikely to even see a review of it. But, you're reading this, and I'm extending this as your personal invitation. To see when and where the film is playing near you, visit here. (And, all my peeps in Boston, New York, Ohio -- north & south, and Chicago, it's playing near you, now or shortly. Seriously. You have no excuses. Go see it.)
Yesterday I went to the UMMA (United Muslims Moving Ahead) & IMAN (Inter-City Muslim Activist Networks)'s "CommUNITY Cafe" show in honor of Black History Month. It was off the chain. (Can a goofy white girl like me even say that and not sound stupid?) They had Amir Sulaiman (a Chi-town, 2 time Def Poet), Three Generations (with Maimounna & Nataska Youssef -- Maimounna was featured in "Don't Feel Right" on The Roots' last album), a whole crew of local Hip-Hop DJs, MCs, beat boys, and music makers, and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, a Chi-town born and raised group of street jazz musicians who crash through boundaries of genre definitions grafting this crazy soul, funk, hip-hop, marching band, classical infused jazz music that you can't help by move to. (And they just got off tour with Mos Def. Yeah...) They're good. So, I've gotta show some Chi-town love. Check it.
And if you want a little more history/context for the group, you can watch the short vidThe New York Times did on 'em in 2006.
if you know anything about me, you know that music is a deep passion in my life. it's a part of my every day going-ons and brings a depth to my existence that is rarely paralleled by other pursuits. i am especially drawn to the music that you start to feel in your blood and your bones -- the kind that you breath in, as deeply as it can go, because to let it just fill the air isn't nearly good enough. and when you find music that truly speaks to you in that way, the inspiration of it can be truly powerful.
a friend sent me a music video today that kinda gets at me like that. it's will.i.am's Yes We Can Song -- a labor of love brought to fruition in the 48 hours of January 30th and 31st, 2008. featuring the voices and presence of many, including Common, John Legend, Scarlett Johansson, Tatyana Ali, Herbie Hancock, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and Nicole Scherzinger, among many others, will.i.am grafted the words of Barack Obama's Yes We Can speak (which you can see in its entirety here) into an anthem of voices speaking up for change. under the direction of Jesse Dylan, the video speaks to the power of the American people to seek hope and to seek change.
if you would like to read the elegant, heartfelt words with which will.i.am describes the project, go here. and if you would like to see an interview with will and jesse dylan on abc news, you can go here.
and most importantly, if you live in one of the 24 states holding primaries or caucuses this tuesday, february 5th, 2008, i encourage you to get out and vote. i don't care who you vote for. i just care that you make your voice heard.
and if you're not registered to vote, take this opportunity to get registered. it only takes a few minutes and instructions and applications should be available through your local or state elections board. (most folks have all the info online, so you don't even have to leave your house.)
and, "yes we can" make a difference!
We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.
your voice carries a weight that no one else can fill. use it.
Hey y'all. It's been a bit. I hope the new year is bringing good things your way. As for me, I've had a bit of a bee in my bonnet as of late (honestly, when do I not?). So, back in June I shared a short digital video I really dig -- Dove's 'Evolution.' (It looks like the original link is outdated. Here's where you can check out the video.) As part of their Campaign for Real Beauty, Dove released a follow up video a little while back entitled 'Onslaught.' Here it is:
Essentially the film highlights (subliminal-speed style) the advertising industry's common portrayal of women -- a highly sexualized version of womanhood -- and they close with the message “Talk to your daughter before the beauty industry does.” Rock on, right?
In and of itself, yeah, maybe. But, here's the part that gets my goat (not that I have a goat to be gotten, but for the sake of literary flow...): Dove's parent company is Unilever who, as we'll get to, seems to have some conflicting intentions. In describing the Dove brand, Unilever say things like:
In a world of hype and stereotypes, Dove provides a refreshingly real alternative for women who recognise that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.
and
Our ground-breaking campaign for our new Dove Firming lotion, which features women of all shapes and sizes, ... underlines our commitment to breaking down stereotypes and enabling you to celebrate your beauty.
Yay! A brand that cares about me as a REAL woman -= no supermodel, no 100 pound, flawless youth decadently pretending the world is mine because of the body I've got to master it with. A company that believes women are more than boobs and asses. Finally. Woohoo! Raise a flag, do a dance, sing a song, and for the love of all that is good, buy Dove! Right? Perhaps not...
Unilevel is parent to a large number of brands, including Slimfast, Bertolli, Pond's, Country Crock, Hellman's, Knorr, Sunsilk, Vaseline, and Axe. You know Axe, right? It's the world's most popular brand of male grooming products (sold as Lynx in the UK, Ireland and Australia). On the Axe website, they describe the 'work' of their brand as follows:
The Axe Effect is the internationally recognized name for the increased attention Axe-wearing males receive from eager, and attractive, female pursuers. Regardless of where you live (shout-outs to Cindy and Diane in Dawson City, Yukon!) you can "get you some" Axe Effect by going to a store near you and purchasing one of our fine products.
With its coolly seductive fragrances and packaging, the brand has established itself as the world's top male grooming brand by coming up with a constant stream of new ideas to keep guys a step ahead in the mating game.
Um, uh, what? Axe is body spray (and other products for men) to help the male members of our species get a little leg up on the "mating game." You got that "get you some" innuendo, right? Yeah. Thought so. Hard to miss. Axe is a brand that's sole purpose is to help men get into girl's pants. Awesome. I feel so clean and wholesome now. And a bit objectified. Just a bit.
And, just to stress the point, if you visit the Axe website, you get an even clearer image of their view of women. After you get through Flash loading, oh, excuse me, I mean "Your mojo is loading," you have a couple options. You can watch a video about The Axe Vice Naughty to Nice Program designed to 'rehabilitate' all those unfortunate sweet women who have fallen victim to the irresistible lure of Axe products and as a result committed crimes. (It's the 'good girl gone bad' scenario, 'cuz really, does anyone want a bad girl who's already been bad? Seems not.) You can watch The World's Dirtiest Film. (I'm sure you get it. What more do I need to explain about that?) You can play the Dirty Rolling game to see 'how much dirty fun you can get into.' Mind you, if your digital giggling self and lip-locked partner roll over women to join your rolling trout in the mud you get bonus points. If you roll over men, you lose points. We only want one guy per dirty game, apparently. Or, and this may be my 'favorite,' you can download a "Long Lasting Axe V.I.X.E.N.S." (Very Interactive Xtremely Entertaining Naughty Supermodel) for your online pleasure. Is it fair for me to say yet that I hate these people?
(Okay, and for my own satisfaction, I also have to highlight that Unilever introduces Axe saying, "In the film The Matrix, Keanu Reeves is given two choices. He can either take a blue pill and wake up in the morning as if nothing has happened or pop a red pill and enter the unpredictable 'wonderland' of the Matrix. As millions of guys around the world know, Axe has taken the red pill." Just so we all know, The Matrix was inspired in part by a book written by Jean Baudrillard called Simulacra and Simulation. Simulacra and Simulation, like Baudrillard's other works, is a critique of contemporary consumer society, suggesting that our obsession with material things and the societal meanings we ascribe them (example: body spray makes you irresistibly sexy) leads to our own apathy, nihilism, and eventual destruction. We live in a world of constructed lies -- false images obscuring the truths of our existence. Essentially, everything we come to believe is in a falsehood. In The Matrix, Neo's acceptance of the red pill doesn't take him to a 'wonderland' where deodorant makes him every woman's sex dream; it takes him to a reality stripped of the images we place upon it -- exactly the opposite of the result Axe suggests. Just needed to point that out. Yeah, I'm a nerd. And I'm cool with that.)
And, just to make it more fun, Axe has fronted this 'band' called The BomChickaWahwahs who taut themselves as "the world's naughtiest band." And who are they? Well, a group of four lingerie-clad Axe minions whose theme song (uh, only song?) includes the lyrical anthem:
Bom chicka wah wah. It’s the labido’s mantra.
Yeah it goes bom chicka wah wah. Mmm, baby come to mama.
The scent goes up through the nose and then into the brain
Attacks the common sense, whose always super lame...
It invades a woman’s mind. Her limbic region goes insane.
She’ll start aching for a man and acting so profane.
It’s a sexual turrets. Strange words break out your mouth.
We’re here to warn all you girls: there’s a monsoon headed south. ...
How to explain this sensual feeling,
Somehow my panties end up on the ceiling.
Even guys we cannot stand have us eating from their hands. ...
Bom chicka wah wah...
(There is also a music video, which I can't quite bring myself to post here, but if you want to see it, go here. It's also on the band's website.)
Have I highlighted enough examples yet to demonstrate the demeaning way women are portrayed by the Axe brand? So, then how do we (you, me, whoever cares) reconcile the reality that Unilever actively promotes Dove, a brand claiming a desire to break from the traditional messages of women as sexual objects and promote a more realistic view of women, while also pushing Axe, a brand centrally grounded in the promotion of women as sex-objects to be mastered/owned/conquered (whatever language you prefer) through the purchase of products? (This is the stuff that keeps me up at night, folks. Seriously.)
So, what do we do about it? Do we deny the value of Dove's messages? Well, no. If they impact positive growth or change, I wouldn't deny them that power, nor would I want to. But, recognizing the purpose-serving motives of advertisers is important as well. Unilever, through Dove, promotes 'real' women as a marketing ploy, just as Unilever, through Axe, promotes women as sex-objects as a marketing ploy. They create the same material they warn us to save our daughters from. Unilever's mission says
Our mission is to add Vitality to life. We meet everyday needs for nutrition, hygiene and personal care with brands that help people look good, feel good and get more out of life.
And regardless how it is framed, the company's purpose is to stay in business, to make money. And apparently it doesn't matter whether you do that by portraying me as a 'real' woman or as a sex object. Whatever sells. And it's too bad, really, because I've got this soft spot for companies that are interested in serving real people, not the almighty dollar. And my cash follows my interest.
P.S. - If you'd like to do something about Unilever's hypocrisy, one option is to join a letter writing campaign being led by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. You can encourage Unilever to consider the mixed messages they endorse in their expressions of concern for girls' and women's well-being while also positioning women as sexual objects.
I don't know if anyone else has noticed this, but...
In the last few weeks an interesting trend seems to have developed on the pop music airwaves. I'm not actually sure it can be called a trend, in that this "trend" consists of two songs (that I know of). But the fact that both songs are out now and have a pretty consistent and generally uncommon theme interests me. The two songs (drumroll, please):
Ray Lavendar - My Girl Gotta Girlfriend
Pittsburgh Slim - Girls Kiss Girls
See the theme forming?
And here's what gets me most about these songs: I think they're hilarious. Not so much in their objectification of women (I'm setting that one aside for just a moment, though I think it still holds undeniably true), but more so in their founding on some utterly unlikely, Little Boy Blue pipedream.
My girl got a girlfriend
I just found out, but its aight, long as I can be with her too
My girl got a girlfriend
It really is not a problem cause imma make it do what it do
Cause havin' 2 chicks is better than no chicks, I'd rather the join in,
Keep my girl and keep the other one too
My girl got a girlfriend...
But i'm so cool wit it, both of y'all in my bed watch what I do to it
Ya’ll know what's hot to me?
When she tongue tied - can’t talk to me
Not with a man, not with the band,
with the best girlfriend and the shit ain’t planned
so unscripted, unpredicted who would of thought
they’d both be with it...
i like when girls kiss girls
late at night
i like when girls kiss girls
aint that right...
not to brag
but i'll knock your socks off
i'll be glad to make the three way pop off...
let's bring fantasies to life
In case you didn't catch it, both of these men have this perhaps faulty understanding that the women of their affection, while interested in other women, will somehow maintain an interest in them, because, really, all queer women (even if they're bi) deep down still want a man. Right? Sure they do. (Hear my dripping sarcasm?)
But maybe even more important is that I don't really think these songs are about queer woman. I think they're about dudes who want to have more than one woman serving them at the same time. So in reality, the sexuality of the women isn't even part of the picture. It's not considered relevant or valuable information. (And yes, I use the language 'serving' intentionally, 'cuz this is really an issue of dominance and subjugation.)
Similarly, it's interesting that in Ray L.'s music video the women never actually lock lips. Mind you, they don't kiss Ray either. Lots of suggestion and innuendo throughout the video, but no actual lip to lip contact. I'm curious about the artistic decisions made on this front. Did the label (Geffen) not want "that kind of relationship" on film? Does not showing the women kissing maintain the illusion that they'd want to get with Ray too? Was someone not comfortable with putting kissing women on TV? Or afraid the video wouldn't get aired? Was it simply a decision of creative license (though you've got to have a reason for all your artistic choices)? Or something else? It could be ANY number of things anywhere in the production process. I don't watch a ton of music videos (hardly any), but I wonder if an authentic queer relationship of any kind has been the positive feature of a mainstream video, ever. I couldn't tell ya. I don't know.
In the Pittsburgh Slim video (Def Jam), on the other hand, the women do kiss. In fact there's a whole strip tease thing going on. With Krista Ayne of Penthouse fame (it says so in the credits). It's kind of like soft porn, really. But, Slim's video scenario is different than Ray's. The dude (Slim, I presume?) is webcamming with a girl three time zones away. So there's screen separation. No threesome happenin' today. But, it's on his mind. And is the girl-on-girl action considered video "kosher" cuz the girl is doing it at the guy's request (and because she's a sexy Penthouse model)? Couldn't tell ya.
At the end of the day, all I can tell you is that NONE of this would fly if it were two men and a chic singer. Never in a million years. And THAT should set off some alarms about the not-so-helpful things being promoted by these videos. And I'm NOT talking about queer relationships. I'm talking about the objectification of women. (I couldn't hold back any longer.)
Anyway, that's all I've got to say about that. These songs (and videos) are laughable in their absurdity. Why not write songs about real relationships (of whatever variety), with real run of the mill people doing what real run of the mill people do? Oh yeah, that kind of song doesn't sell...
UPDATE: So, this little rant has been rolling around in my brain for a few months now and I figured it was time to put it down for digital posterity. In the last while singer Katy Perry has gained some pretty quick fame, most notably for her queer curious "I Kissed a Girl" which flew up the Billboard Hot 100 tracks to hit #1 on June 25, 2008. Some people love it. Some people hate it. I for one am somewhat undecided. On the one hand I appreciate that Katy openly writes about her own sexual curiosities. (She says in an interview with The New Gay, "I love my men. I’m not a lesbian, but I can appreciate the beauty of women. That’s what the song is about: me opening up a magazine and seeing Scarlet Johansen and saying “if she wanted to to kiss me I wouldn’t say no. ... Yeah, [the song] it’s fantasy, it’s a song about curiosity.") (By the way, just to jump on the gossip wagon, Katy's currently dating cutey Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes.) On the other hand, I felt pretty strongly even the first time that I heard the song that it's very much about garnering attention (from whoever - men, women, audiences worldwide...), not really about meaningful relationships (but then again, how much of pop-culture is?), and in the song and the video she always returns to the safety of her hetero- relationship. While I'm cool with anyone who says, "Yeah, it's true, I'm hetero," (not like anyone really has to say this; it's generally assumed unless a person's sexuality is called into question for some reason -- just a reminder about where our society's biases lie...), I do worry a bit when the message says something like (and I'm quoting the song lyrics directly here): "I kissed a girl and I liked it./ ...It felt so wrong. It felt so right./ ... It's not what good girls do. Not how they should behave." This merely reinforces that being gay is a misfunction, a failure, a misbehavior -- none of which is true. Now, we know Katy grew up with two pastor parents, her first album (Katy Hudson) was released as a Christian gospel album, and she's said, "I came from a very strict household, where any of that taboo stuff was wrong. I don’t say I hate where I came from, I love my parents and was happy to... have that opportunity to grow, but I came from a strict, suppressed household where that was wrong. Now I’ve been in LA for seven years and realizing there’s nothing wrong, there’s nothing wrong with anybody. If you love someone and you’re a good person that's what counts." Hurrah for growing and building new understandings of the world, and if I accept "I Kissed a Girl" as a process piece in that journey, then I can just shut my mouth and let it go. But, not without mentioning Katy's first single "Ur So Gay," a send-off to an ex-boyfriend. Now, getting your emotions out about your ex is probably a good thing. Saying "I hope you hang yourself with your H&M scarf/ While jacking off listening to Mozart./ ... You’re so gay and you don’t even like boys." -- that, yeah that might be going too far. But reviews are mixed. Slant Magazine writer Sal Cinquemani says, "Perry's casually derogatory use of the word 'gay' is emblematic of how the word has been optioned by straight youth. And what does it say that Perry has gotten famous doing it—and thanks, in part, to the reigning queen of the gay community?" (Madonna endorsed Katy and the song on the radio back in April, and again in May.) On Out.com one reader says, "Using the term 'gay' as a put-down in any way is just plain offensive, and while Katy might do this amongst her clique, re-enforcing this phrase for the masses only makes it OK for people to continue to associate being gay with something negative, or at the very least, to be laughed at. " On the flip side, another reader says, "Katy has this thing called.. A sense of humor. Having the ability to laugh at yourself?? She is absolutely not meaning any offense to the LGBT community and is in no way trying to contribute to the discrimination that said community faces everyday. I honestly think that her debut will work to desensitize the masses to such 'taboo' words/topics/communities. This girl is here to stay!" While I tend to believe that the song, while catchy, doesn't say anything positively supporting the gay community, it's hard to say how the song will affect the wider listener community. Hmm. Thoughts? - 7/19/08
i don't know what i am anymore, and i think that's just fine. i've returned to academia, taking the good with the bad. if you ask me what i do, on the bad days i'll say i'm a "slave to an instituationalized oppressive system." on the good, i'll say i'm a "student who is an adventurer in the art of learning" (P. Freire).
