Culture
Preacher's Daughter: Are There Progressive and Feminist Voices in Country?
A couple of commenters have raised questions about progressiveness in country music. Today, I want to suggest that there are progressive voices, at least in Americana, roots, and alt country music, but those voices are limited. They are almost always white, and usually populist... Read more »
The H-Word: "Dancing Saved my Life"
“When I was a teenager, like 14, I took off from an abusive foster care situation (one of many) and I had to ‘make it’ on my own. I had no ID, and no money. I danced at Billy’s Topless and a place called The Baby Doll Lounge, until I was legal age to be on my own and to get a proper job. I... Read more »
Isn't He Lovely: Hollywood Adores a Handsome Blind Man
If Hollywood gravitates toward a “sexy” disability for male characters, it would have to be blindness. I was recently mulling over how the big screen portrays men of color and with disabilities and realized that blind male characters in... Read more »
Sm{art}: The Intricate Horror of Parastou Forouhar
Office chairs upholstered in mourning fabric, Arabic calligraphy covering white walls like black foliage, and graphic patterns with horrific details—these are just a sampling of Parastou Forouhar’s multimedia artwork.
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The H-Word: Rachel Lloyd vs. The Fashion Police
Many people find it challenging to see sex workers as subjects, rather than as objects—as individuals capable of making choices and as actors in their own lives. Tragically, many of these same people purport to be our advocates.
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Bringing Up Baby: Up All Night is Boring But Christina Applegate is Soooo Cool!
I really thought I would like NBC’s new comedy series, Up All Night, which stars Christina Applegate (Reagan Brinkley) and Will Arnett (Chris Brinkley) as a married couple whose fun-filled,... Read more »
Isn
I wish that The Hangover had hit theaters in 2007 to get that roundtable’s perspective on Mr. Chow, because my immediate reaction to the role in the context of Asian American stereotyping was that it represented more of the same. Don’t get me wrong: Ken Jeong is a hilarious... Read more »
Preacher's Daughter: Women in Country and the Construction of Femininity
There’s a script for women in commercial country music that doesn’t necessarily coincide with more mainstream stereotypes and assumptions about women. If you’ve ever heard Carrie Underwood’s ubiquitous 2007 single, “... Read more »
Adventures in Feministory: Dara Puspita, The First Indonesian All-Woman Rock Band
Dara Puspita (“Flower Girls” in English) were the first Indonesian group of women to pick up instruments and play rock music on their own, without the assistance of any men. Up through the ’60s, many Indonesian women had found musical success singing for bands with only dudes, but Dara... Read more »
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