Friday, April 8, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Attacking Power in an Unlikely/Unlikeable Form
The Williams sisters dominant tennis. They come from a poor background and did not follow the traditional path to professional success. When you combine that, with the fact that they are Black women, that is more than enough reason to send people on the attack.
This is just one example taken from "Womanist Musings"
How many times have I been subject to a cross-sectional analysis of Oprah, Venus and Serena and countless other powerful, accomplished and successful Black women who do not conform to traditional standards of beauty. It can only be classified as plain simple "hating". These women have more than enough going for them - plenty of dosh, accolades, fame and the loving of a good man so what's left to use as ammunition: relegating them to the bottom of the so-called beauty heirarchy used against women only. A rich man can continue being rich without any critique of his external appearance. But a woman violating patriarchal codes of dominance as measured by wealth must be attacked.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Boobs
Sitting in physics class this morning and a young woman wearing a royal blue flowered strapless sundress decides to adjust its top while she is walking past the entrance of the lecture hall. While she does, her girlies accidently pop out for three seconds with only a few of us in the class noticing. Quick escape for her. But hilarious to watch for those of us that did see. Can I hear a wardrobe mash-up. This one goes out to you Janet, Tara and others...
A young guy in my class who saw the event said that he believes women should keep their ta-tas in bras obviously motivated by the thing he saw. So, it made me think about bras: their actual purpose and how they intertwine with aspects of gender conceptions. He, as a young man, wants women to wear bras as a means of keeping that which he views as erotic out of his sight. The bra in this sense is not for support is rather a cover up or concealment. In extreme cases in society, women wear burqas to conceal that which men find erotic which happens to be their entire body. So perhaps the reason why first wave feministas starting burning bras in the first place was because they saw these items of clothing as a means by which the sexualization of the female form propagates. But men have nipples too yes? But theirs have not been made sexual in a common sense.
Bras are bloody uncomfortable. Going without always feels amazing. Who cares about the sag or the nipple, it's about freedom. The freedom to roam, reach, explore, investigate, learn, discover and walk the journey of life with ease not hiding.
This ties right into a recent event. The Rio Carnival which took place this month. Astounding! The kind of show one has to try their darndest to see at least once in their lives. Some of the women performing had their breasts out. Some cultures in Southern Africa also have women bearing their breasts during cultural dances. Neither are ashamed. Shame about boobs is a social construct but more importantly a Western social construct. Stating obvious stuff of course.
Bras are bloody uncomfortable. Going without always feels amazing. Who cares about the sag or the nipple, it's about freedom. The freedom to roam, reach, explore, investigate, learn, discover and walk the journey of life with ease not hiding.
This ties right into a recent event. The Rio Carnival which took place this month. Astounding! The kind of show one has to try their darndest to see at least once in their lives. Some of the women performing had their breasts out. Some cultures in Southern Africa also have women bearing their breasts during cultural dances. Neither are ashamed. Shame about boobs is a social construct but more importantly a Western social construct. Stating obvious stuff of course.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Taking Sexy Away
First saw Gail Dines who is the author and promoter of several books on the following topic state her piece on SkyNews and I was immediately drawn to this. It's great that her website and reading materials have been given this much coverage by global news networks.
Packaged in a concise 47 minute video presentation is a full discussion on why pornography is so damaging to the mind's and attitudes of people the world over. Whether you are an active user or someone who couldn't care, this is some information that you most certainly need to have at your disposal. For standing in opposition to this profitable yet seedy and destructive industry the word "prude" should not even come to mind when considering popular opinions but rather "dignified" and mindful of the humanness of not only girls and women but all of us. Something strong should be said about this beast. It may not change the minds of millions over night but one step at a time, society may start to acknowledge the ugly that it has amalgamated and like those powerful lyrics in 'Man in the Mirror' - "make that change..."
The sadness of it all is that there seems to be a culture of dismissing and excusing misogyny as a "boys will be boys" trope. They can't help themselves. They need an outlet for their voracious appetites for human flesh. Where better than to see this subtely portrayed in a current obsession for movies and TV shows that carry 'vampire' themes.
Even videos where models are used as embellishments for the set design just make you sick to your core when you come to see what's really going on here. These women are not people with voices, opinions, histories, background and rights. They're voiceless, ornamentalised objects. That's some sad isht going on there I'm telling you.
Not to mention how this kind of material and messages such as these reduce boys and men to view intercourse as a kind of sport without any non-physical meaning. It's just plain old 'fucking' to them. Nothing intimate. Nothing that has to do with a mental, psychological, spiritual connection to another human being no. Just plain ole fucking.
Clearly remember English teacher from 12th grade who lead us through a length analysis of 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' by George Orwell - what led me to find love for the book in the first-place (shout out to Ms Gardyne!). Something interesting about the fact that the 'Ministry of Truth' supplied pornographic material to the Proles in the novel - a population the government saw little use for and ignored for the most part. The dregs of humanity were fed the worst kind of media for entertainment - porn. Because "porn is boring" as I vividly recall Ms Gardyne uttering that afternoon in English class. And hey, you know what it just is.
When leave out the meat (and not talking about that meat) of it. What really makes this level of intimacy so powerful. Subtle nuances that almost often have zero to do with anything on a physical level. The brain is the most potent factor in all this being the source of all physiological activity. Why skip all that. Why trash all the meat and just suck on bones. Literally. It's wack. Just straight up wack.
Notwithstanding the effects that it has on the psyche. Subliminally. The video goes in depth into every aspect of this.
Know someone personally who is a regular user of porn. Even aspired to be a porn star at some point in his life. Knowing this it's no surprise to hear anti-feminist statements come out of his mouth. That he found the 'Tip Drill' video "cool", you know the part where that foolish Nelly swipes a credit card between a woman's convulsing butt cheeks. That same foolish Nelly when being confronted about having released such a debauched and lewd video asked a member of the audience whether he should "put white girls in there" as a substitute to prevent the vitriol that 'Tip Drill' caused. See that attitude. That's the misogyny. Instead of inspecting his actions and seeing the wrong. He sees as a solution, replacing the black "ho's" with a new set in a brand new hue. Reflective of an attitude that regards women as yup...disposable, replaceable, movable and interchangeable objects. What a dumb dumb.
Back to my young friend who also views erotic literature as a product for "girls" since they probably don't have that same insatiable sexual appetite for 'fresh meat' as their male counterparts do. They are soft, unassuming and not interesting in sex - prudish and innocent. Which again, as was explained in the video is a myth that often needs to be acknowledged in porn that fetishizes innocence and virginity. So, the erotic books that explore the psychological complexities of characters both male and female are demonized and dismissed as stuff for "girls" and instead the hardcore pornographic images that degrade, debase, humiliate and remove all possibility of interaction between male and female that does not involve violence, aggression, intimidation and violation are favoured. Favoured first and then absorbed as a representation of how intercourse should be (as the video clarifies).
This is also someone that believed that C.Brown's abuse had justification because RiRi allegedly gave him an STD and shoves off any discussion of gender inequality in favour of a false belief in an idea that "women are powerful" anyway. This sounds like that "punnany-power" thing again. Perhaps in possessing appetites that are difficult to control. The objects upon which these very appetites are satiated hold power, an overwhelming power which matches an overwhelming need to 'get pussy' no matter the cost or the stakes involved. So they bestow a false sense of power on them which helps them to easily ignore the actual non-power that girls and women have in environments where their rights are continually violated. In the forced marriages, the genital cutting, the honour killings etc. Hey, they still have "punnany-power" right so it really doesn't matter what you do them because they deserve it. That's what you call misogyny.
Have yet to comment about Kanye's dumb dumb 'Monster' video because just had enough of his attention-seeking ways. Watched 30 seconds of it and ignored the rest. Now, someone like that would defend their actions by reciting a monologue about record sales and money and the music business. Ya know how it is. Yep. There's the proof you need to realise how much of a big business misogyny is in the world. That images of women hanging dead from a ceilings, lying around dead fit with imagery reminiscent of depictions of demonic possessions in videos is sending out the message 'they're better of dead', 'they're evil' and if that's not hate speech against an entire gender then don't know what is.
Packaged in a concise 47 minute video presentation is a full discussion on why pornography is so damaging to the mind's and attitudes of people the world over. Whether you are an active user or someone who couldn't care, this is some information that you most certainly need to have at your disposal. For standing in opposition to this profitable yet seedy and destructive industry the word "prude" should not even come to mind when considering popular opinions but rather "dignified" and mindful of the humanness of not only girls and women but all of us. Something strong should be said about this beast. It may not change the minds of millions over night but one step at a time, society may start to acknowledge the ugly that it has amalgamated and like those powerful lyrics in 'Man in the Mirror' - "make that change..."
The sadness of it all is that there seems to be a culture of dismissing and excusing misogyny as a "boys will be boys" trope. They can't help themselves. They need an outlet for their voracious appetites for human flesh. Where better than to see this subtely portrayed in a current obsession for movies and TV shows that carry 'vampire' themes.
Even videos where models are used as embellishments for the set design just make you sick to your core when you come to see what's really going on here. These women are not people with voices, opinions, histories, background and rights. They're voiceless, ornamentalised objects. That's some sad isht going on there I'm telling you.
Not to mention how this kind of material and messages such as these reduce boys and men to view intercourse as a kind of sport without any non-physical meaning. It's just plain old 'fucking' to them. Nothing intimate. Nothing that has to do with a mental, psychological, spiritual connection to another human being no. Just plain ole fucking.
Clearly remember English teacher from 12th grade who lead us through a length analysis of 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' by George Orwell - what led me to find love for the book in the first-place (shout out to Ms Gardyne!). Something interesting about the fact that the 'Ministry of Truth' supplied pornographic material to the Proles in the novel - a population the government saw little use for and ignored for the most part. The dregs of humanity were fed the worst kind of media for entertainment - porn. Because "porn is boring" as I vividly recall Ms Gardyne uttering that afternoon in English class. And hey, you know what it just is.
When leave out the meat (and not talking about that meat) of it. What really makes this level of intimacy so powerful. Subtle nuances that almost often have zero to do with anything on a physical level. The brain is the most potent factor in all this being the source of all physiological activity. Why skip all that. Why trash all the meat and just suck on bones. Literally. It's wack. Just straight up wack.
Notwithstanding the effects that it has on the psyche. Subliminally. The video goes in depth into every aspect of this.
Know someone personally who is a regular user of porn. Even aspired to be a porn star at some point in his life. Knowing this it's no surprise to hear anti-feminist statements come out of his mouth. That he found the 'Tip Drill' video "cool", you know the part where that foolish Nelly swipes a credit card between a woman's convulsing butt cheeks. That same foolish Nelly when being confronted about having released such a debauched and lewd video asked a member of the audience whether he should "put white girls in there" as a substitute to prevent the vitriol that 'Tip Drill' caused. See that attitude. That's the misogyny. Instead of inspecting his actions and seeing the wrong. He sees as a solution, replacing the black "ho's" with a new set in a brand new hue. Reflective of an attitude that regards women as yup...disposable, replaceable, movable and interchangeable objects. What a dumb dumb.
Back to my young friend who also views erotic literature as a product for "girls" since they probably don't have that same insatiable sexual appetite for 'fresh meat' as their male counterparts do. They are soft, unassuming and not interesting in sex - prudish and innocent. Which again, as was explained in the video is a myth that often needs to be acknowledged in porn that fetishizes innocence and virginity. So, the erotic books that explore the psychological complexities of characters both male and female are demonized and dismissed as stuff for "girls" and instead the hardcore pornographic images that degrade, debase, humiliate and remove all possibility of interaction between male and female that does not involve violence, aggression, intimidation and violation are favoured. Favoured first and then absorbed as a representation of how intercourse should be (as the video clarifies).
This is also someone that believed that C.Brown's abuse had justification because RiRi allegedly gave him an STD and shoves off any discussion of gender inequality in favour of a false belief in an idea that "women are powerful" anyway. This sounds like that "punnany-power" thing again. Perhaps in possessing appetites that are difficult to control. The objects upon which these very appetites are satiated hold power, an overwhelming power which matches an overwhelming need to 'get pussy' no matter the cost or the stakes involved. So they bestow a false sense of power on them which helps them to easily ignore the actual non-power that girls and women have in environments where their rights are continually violated. In the forced marriages, the genital cutting, the honour killings etc. Hey, they still have "punnany-power" right so it really doesn't matter what you do them because they deserve it. That's what you call misogyny.
Have yet to comment about Kanye's dumb dumb 'Monster' video because just had enough of his attention-seeking ways. Watched 30 seconds of it and ignored the rest. Now, someone like that would defend their actions by reciting a monologue about record sales and money and the music business. Ya know how it is. Yep. There's the proof you need to realise how much of a big business misogyny is in the world. That images of women hanging dead from a ceilings, lying around dead fit with imagery reminiscent of depictions of demonic possessions in videos is sending out the message 'they're better of dead', 'they're evil' and if that's not hate speech against an entire gender then don't know what is.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Sunday Quote: on savagery
Courtesy of 'Womanist Musings'
Read the full post. It's riveting.
One can only listen in absolute horror at the sound of someone that has internalized colonialist belief systems. An individual who not only attempts to defend the evils of white supremacist domination by deflecting attention away from the cause of these measures - racism by making generalized and false statements about how we are all akin to savagery and in that nothing should be said about the damage done by European Imperialism and then goes on to side with those that have done this damage in an act of blatant self-loathing that shows up in a number of ways. Strong beliefs in racial stereotypes about one's own race which is somewhat pathological. It's as if one takes on the internal eyes of the oppressor, assuming a subliminally racist mindset that hinders them from seeing their own in an individualistic manner. Strange.
"I absolutely promise, that if you look at the evils committed by Blacks honestly, it will pale in comparison to the history of violence and oppression committed by Whiteness and yet it is Blacks who are told that we are savage. There is nothing to be ashamed of. People are trying to survive in a world that exploits them at every turn."
Read the full post. It's riveting.
One can only listen in absolute horror at the sound of someone that has internalized colonialist belief systems. An individual who not only attempts to defend the evils of white supremacist domination by deflecting attention away from the cause of these measures - racism by making generalized and false statements about how we are all akin to savagery and in that nothing should be said about the damage done by European Imperialism and then goes on to side with those that have done this damage in an act of blatant self-loathing that shows up in a number of ways. Strong beliefs in racial stereotypes about one's own race which is somewhat pathological. It's as if one takes on the internal eyes of the oppressor, assuming a subliminally racist mindset that hinders them from seeing their own in an individualistic manner. Strange.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Adamant Game-Changers
After uttering the concluding "God's peace and blessings be upon you" of the prayer, they began the chant: "Leave! Leave! Leave!"
Cairo Protests Continue
Cairo Protests Continue
bell hooks on rap music, new caste system and commodified blackness
She really hit the nail on the head with this one. I have always looked upon young white males that consume rap culture with a hint of suspicion. Though some may try to explain it away as an authentic interest in the music what she said seemed more profound and fitting to me. That these very consumers see 'rap' as a kind of "third world country" and the performers of this art a mere trasngression from the norm thus making them exciting, radical, different, cool and unique. In this sense, the act of exociticizing and othering takes place. Something distinctly different from perhaps the ability to engage with another's culture on a level where you become one with it.
Again, my mind is drawn to episodes of 'Jersey Shore' which I watch in a mixture of horror, amusement, surprise and sadness. Mike 'The Situation' and his pals often refer to women they perceive as unfitting to their tastes in animalistic and onjectifying terms. They will be referred to as "grenades" or "gorillas". It's not surprising to see the same individual using colloquial terms derived from hip-hop culture. He likes to "creep", he says in reference to his player persona. This seems to me a lucid example of what bell hooks refers to in her explanation of the otherizing and commodifying nature of a capitalist society when it comes to hip-hop culture in the US. They will readily absorb and buy the fruits of these artist's labour while never fully closing the gap, always standing at a distance looking into fields the way a slave owner would watch his slaves toil in the sweltering sun, profit from the fruits of their labour while continuing to otherize them to the point where their humanness would cease to exist in his mind.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Quote for the Day
"The worst that you can call somebody is crazy, it's dismissive. I don't understand this person so they're crazy. That's bullshit, people are not crazy, they're strong people. Maybe their environment is a little sick."
- Dave Chappelle
Friday, January 21, 2011
When You Know Someone Fucked Around With You
Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting
I’m through with doubt
There’s nothing left for me to figure out
I’ve paid a price
And I’ll keep paying
I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should
I know you said
Can’t you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it
I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over
I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should
I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should
What it is you think I should
Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting
I’m through with doubt
There’s nothing left for me to figure out
I’ve paid a price
And I’ll keep paying
I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should
I know you said
Can’t you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it
I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over
I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should
I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should
What it is you think I should
Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Once More...
found increasingly solitary
ever present in this very moment
yet incapable of making the connection
and i find that...
there's never been a better time
than this
ever present in this very moment
yet incapable of making the connection
and i find that...
there's never been a better time
than this
Monday, December 13, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Interracial Sleb Couples
I must admit, I did not realise some of these men were into chocolatey cocoa!
http://opentotheidea.com/2010/05/20-black-women-white-men-celebrity-couples/
http://smokiesays.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html
http://www.flyguychronicles.com/2010/02/black-woman-dating-double-standard/
http://opentotheidea.com/2010/05/20-black-women-white-men-celebrity-couples/
http://smokiesays.blogspot.com/2009_07_01_archive.html
http://www.flyguychronicles.com/2010/02/black-woman-dating-double-standard/
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
shout out to Mountain View, Cali
To My One and Only Faithful Reader,
Thank you for taking interest in the rants, opinions and grievances of a socially-frustrated "like" person like me. Please feel free to drop comments even if its only a word. The Unspoken Word is feeling quite solitary and would not mind creeping up from under the vegetation for a little conversation.
Yours faithfully,
Ms Sheeba
Thank you for taking interest in the rants, opinions and grievances of a socially-frustrated "like" person like me. Please feel free to drop comments even if its only a word. The Unspoken Word is feeling quite solitary and would not mind creeping up from under the vegetation for a little conversation.
Yours faithfully,
Ms Sheeba
prodigy - omen (2008)
I would love to go to a 'Prodigy' concert. Only I'm worried I might come back with broken limbs.
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