Who on Earth is This?

DISGRACEFUL! Did not even recognise her. Time to remind myself of why dark-skin is wonderful again!

Tumblr link here to wonderful tumblr page here!

Why Call Yourself a "King"

It's foolishness how Nicki Minaj and Beyonce find it cool to call themselves "kings" as a way of reinforcing their dominance. Doesn't this just come right back to the patriarchal notion which tells us that to have power is to be male or masculine. This is just positive reinforcement of the gender binary. These two could not do anymore to disappoint me in my books.
MASSIVE FAIL, Nicki Massive Fail and for Beyonce, what else would you expect from someone married to Jay-Z?

Destiny's Child and Beyonce

It's official, this is my anthem of the moment. Just can't seem to stop listening to it. It sounds great, the lyrics are empowering to me as I'm sure plenty of women and girls around the world find it.

My own childhood was filled with Destiny's Child's music. 'The Writings on the Wall' album was a permanent fixture in the conversations I used to share with friends at school during 5th and 6th grade. At the ages of 10 and 11, I was learning assertiveness and not submissiveness, strength and not weakness and Kelly, Beyonce, Michelle, LaTavia and LeToya had plenty to do with this.

While there seems to be a lot of feminist backlash about the song being an inaccurate portrayal of the gender structure in society, I find the song favourable because as many of these types of songs, it is encouraging and empowering. Women may not occupy equal power positions as it is but with enough work, we could well be on our way to sharing equal footing. The debate is about whether empowering songs of this nature do more harm than good. I would have to argue that they play a positive role in fostering a healthy sense of self which is what most women and girls need anyway given the circumstances of being part of a marginalized group.

Girls running the world may not be the reality now but it sure as hell does not hurt to dream. When I listen to this song, I see images of all the powerful women I know who have made their mark. Though they have had to struggle and found themselves exploited at times, they have given as hard as they could give and that is an accomplishment in itself.

Beyonce Backlash: Trollers, How I Love Thee!

So all of a sudden, the 'Unspoken Word' came to life after I made that post about Beyonce. Since then I have:

1. Rejoiced about the fact that I have trolls. Wow, the 'Unpoken Word' finally has some real blogosphere action.

2. Responded to the individuals that do not get my drifted and posted serious-sounding comments about me being a hater.

3. Downloaded the song (yes, I'm a pirate...aaaaargh) and listened to it over at least 30 times.

4. Had my inner-Destiny's-child-loving girl self rejoice about the fact that Beyonce is singing real female empowerment songs again that are not overly sexualized like some of the work she has delivered as a solo artist.

5. Danced around to this song pumping hard through my earphones.

6. Loved the hell out of the song, how she incorporates a South African dance style in the song for all the world to see and appreciate.

7. Had parts of the video play in my head in joyous recollection of how dope it is.

Now, I don't know where the trolls discovered something in my words to attack. It's just a case of subtle misunderstanding because this is quite obviously my new feminist chant.

But trolls, I love you. Reading your comments has brought back a new enthusiasm for blogging that died with along with my reader count.

All I have to say is, "Thank You" and please by all means, keep on trolling. What would the blogosphere be without you entertaining individuals?

Back to Bey....

WHO RUNS THE WORLD...GIRLS BEEEATCHES!!! YEAH!!

Next up: my discussions will revolve around an analysis of women's role in science and the general male response to their presence at all levels of the academia from Undergraduate, Graduate ("Toast to the college grads" - Beyonce) to Doctorate and Professorship level.

Beyonce Dancing Pantsula

Oh, boy. We have to deal with another carbon-copy of an African-dance style from some artist in the states. First it was that teach me how to dougie which was a straight-up 'Twalatsa' done by Arthur and 999 about 12 years ago over here in South Africa.

Now, it's Beyonce doing semi-awkward pantsula in this:

Can't say which one is worse. But I'm glad the song seems to have feminist undertones.

Thelma and Louise - Reeeeemix!

This is some severely twisted, hyperanimated, comic version of Thelma and Louise and yes, me and my twisted, eccentric, always-searching-for-something-different, Grace-Jones-obsessed nature LOVE IT!!!

Beyonce, I have one word of advice for you. Keep on hanging with Gaga, she's your career's only hope. Oh, and while Rihanna is steadily suffocating in the ditches of hypersexualized, young singing sensation, maybe just maybe you can re-invent yourself and stop boring the pants off of everybody with the same old material.
Yeah, and thank God you dropped the Sasha Fierce get-up. That was getting a little tired too.

Good yes, Queen Grace. You have plenty to be proud of! Look at the legacy you've left behind. Ah, it's just wonderful.



Yeah, that's Tyrese Gibson being killed. HAHAHA!!

Video Phone featuring Lady Gaga

Okay, I am neither excited nor roused into hysterics after seeing this. It's quintessential Beyonce with a brand new weapon - Lady Gaga. It's really nothing new here. In fact, right away it is clear that Hype Williams is the director. We've seen similar products from him namely the "Check on It" video and the "Gold Digger" and "Digital Girl" videos both similar in nature. Now the same oversexed, video vixen image is used this time with leading artist and guest star instead.

I am left disappointed. It's not all that creative. A mere repetition of old styles of choreography and filming. It's getting a tad bit boring. When things become redundant, some of the more observant ones lose interest. After this, highly unimaginative effort, I am starting to lose interest in Lady Gaga, the same way I lost it long ago with repetitive Beyonce and her crew of formulaic design and image team members.

All I'm saying is that for a song so nuanced with such a brilliant instrumental from Shondra "Mr Bangladesh" Crawford, they could have and should have taken this video to the extreme. Blow people's minds. Instead they chose to re-work vintage Beyonce and take on a tired-of-thinking-up-fresh-ideas-like-I-did-in-the-late-nineties Hype Williams to do the same old same old and bore us once more.

Well, on the bright side of things - at least the video is not in black and white!

Beyoncé - New Music - More Music Videos

Puzzled, Amused then again, why am I not surprised by...

the usual attention seeking narcissistic behaviour from none other than Jay-Hova himself...



A dedication to the Obama Presidency. A very original, never-conceptualised-before song called History...yawn, what else you got Mr Carter?



Then his woman (another yawn) with a mediocre rendition of the repetitive theme song from a flop performance - Cadillac Records.



Not hating, just had enough of them but certainly most certainly won't get fed up of the 1st couple for a long time to come.

Hit this up for pics of Inaugural Ball

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Neighborhood-Inaugural-Ball/ss/events/en/012109neighborhoodba;_ylt=AkVhe3KxxwZ1RN8Mczx7.BnCw5R4

The One Thing I Am Not Looking Forward To...

Oh hey there, Happy New Year by the way. I know it's long overdue but whatever. No things did not turn out the way I planned but that is life and I have to deal with it. What I cannot seem to handle is the news that Jay-Z's woman (she made herself a trophy by marrying him, I'm not being a female male chauvinist here!) is performing at Obama's Inauguration. Could you have found anyone worse? Not that she's not a good performer but we've seen her stage shows. That is not the kind of effort one would expect to see presented at a classy and historical event such as the Inauguration of the first Black American President. Okay so here's the brief about who'll perform. Still looking foward to the main event though. Ah. History shall unfold. 'Aint it just beautiful!

Props to Feminist Lyrics

Now, let me say this first - these two do not even pitch close when it comes to my top 50 list of favourite artists but lately they've caught my attention.
The latest from Ms Beyonce and Britney both having a nice little bash at men and their problems with them. I'd like to see more of this but for once, there's less sex and more addressing of feminist issues in Beyonce and Britney. Plus the men in the videos are very yummy I must say.

Beyonce - If I Were A Boy




Britney - Womanizer




Speaking of videos, I'm loving the new one from Kanye - "Love Lockdown". It is visually and artistically astounding not to mention original. She just excels above the boundaries of the norm and brings us something fresh everytime. It's good to see when you have the likes of Lil' Wayne and 50 with the same old redundant shit that just bores and bores and bores. Here it is.

Sell Outs...Boredom With Repitition

Okay I'll start with the selling out part. He's only a kid and he's probably just going along with what his record bosses are telling him to do but c'mon. When did Chris Brown start doing dance/techno music and have white girls featured in his videos as the stars of the show. I'm talking about the "Forever" track. I know whose behind this. That big-lipped money hungry man. Everyone is so concerned with making money they'll do anything I mean anything. I'm so bored with the music industry right now and I can't stand that song by Usher - "Love in the Club". Is the absolute worst thing that has happened to me this year. I will even start a hate group against that song!

As for Rihanna. Aka Beyonce part II. Who too has a break-up song. How obvious. The whold video setup is similar if not completely taken from the Irreplacable Video concept. Guy chased out. Girl is strong and has more money and is acting tough about the break up. Her hair keeps getting shorter and shorter. Guess she's trying to shed that sugary, sweet "music of the sun" image she started out with. But c'mon now is this girl's career going to last. Or is she just a flavour for the minute like Cindy Lauper was in the 80's. Time will tell. My guess is she's not gonna last.

All in all. I am so incredibly bored with the music these days (the mainstream that is) so I'll just keep on with my Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, Michael J, Alanis, Coldplay, Jimi, Lauryn Hill, The Fuggees, Erykah, The Roots, Jill Scott all the real music from yesterday and the recent years because mainstream plain sucks!