Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Gay Rights March 2009


Whatever happened to activism? The 1960’s is known as one of the most revolutionary decade for human rights. During this time Martin Luther King Junior fought for rights for African Americans. Marches were held and speeches were made. It is because of this brilliant man and all of the work he and many others did that African American’s have the rights they do. It was also the time that feminism became a big deal. You can’t think of the 60’s without thinking of women burning bras. College students were the main fire behind activism, housing sit-ins, teach-ins, demonstrations and marches. They protested the war, unfair human rights, and was influential to the way we are today.
A few days ago there was a National Equality March on Washington. Around 250,000 people arrived at the march. This is the same amount of people that were present at Martin Luther King’s famous I have a dream speech. One would think there would be a lot of news coverage for this but surprisingly there was not. In fact, Barney Frank, the first openly gay member of Congress says it was a waste of time and they should be putting effort instead into Lobbyists. For those of you who don’t know who Lobbyists are they are people who try to influence politicians in any way possible, mainly by raising money.
What kind of world do we live in where money speaks louder than knowledge? The whole point of activism is to educate others and tell them, “Hey, guess what? We are human.” It is to show people that we are worth their time and effort. Most people don’t take gay activism seriously because they say that there aren’t enough gay people to be concerned. Obviously there are if we can stage a march of this magnitude! Yet no one was really covering it. We are being shut down and I don’t understand that. People say that we have more pressing matters to attend to with the economy and the war. I would be happier though if I saw some progress being made. I don’t see Obama doing anything! What is it that he is working on that is so important? I know he’s not going to legalize gay marriage, he believes that should be left up to the state, but DOMA should be revoked.
Activism isn’t just a cry to the President. Activism is about making your mark on the world and saying that nobody can ignore you. What I would want this march to mean is for us to be taken seriously by other people, to open up room for debate so that people can learn more about us and we can abolish the myths of the gay community. It should make politicians think about us, and think about the changes they could make for us. They shouldn’t need to be paid to do this, they should always be thinking of ways to make our country better for the citizens. We are citizens, we pay taxes, we live and we die here, we vote for our leaders and we should be given the same rights and the same respect as every other American.

-Willow

Friday, October 9, 2009

Museic: Shakira


I remember when my sister let me borrow Shakira’s English break-out CD, Laundry Service. I listened to it so much I wore it out and my sister almost killed me when I returned it skipping. Although this was the first album many Americans heard of this Columbian virtuoso, she had been in the music biz a full ten years before. Laundry Service was released in 2001 but her first step into music was in 1991 with Magia. At this time she was only 13! Her first two records were pop-rock ballads that although pretty popular didn’t really sell well. She began producing her own music with her third album, deciding to further work on her sound. Obviously she did well as she reached #1 on the billboards of 8 countries. Her fourth album was even more successful, as she won a Grammy for each single. Of course I can’t really critique these songs as I can’t speak Spanish and translators are pretty unreliable when it comes to song lyrics.
As far as Laundry Service goes, every song on it makes me want to dance. I have never heard an artist quite like Shakira. Her voice is so singular and she does some great tricks with it. All of her songs center on love or a man. I am very picky when it comes to love songs. I like them with fire and some irony in it. I loved “Objection”’s punky attitude and brilliant sound, and “Whenever, Wherever”’s honesty astounded me. “Underneath your Clothes” is really the only tender love song I like. The only song that sometimes gets on my nerves is “Rules” because I personally think it’s asking too much for a person to only be for another person. I love to sing out to “Fool”, it’s just so emotional and heartbreaking. My favourite songs from this album are probably “Poems to a Horse” and “Eyes like Yours”. “Poems to a Horse” not only because I love the way she sings it but because it’s a very empowering song any woman can identify with. All of us know a guy that needs a good slap to the face. I love the Indian influence in “Eyes like Yours”; it makes me want to take up belly dancing. All of her songs make me sing them, even when it’s the Spanish versions.
I was very excited when my sister bought me Oral Fixation in 2005. Unlike most second American pop albums, I don’t think Shakira lost her vision at all. Even more amazing, not all of her songs were about relationships! Many of her songs in fact were about god and politics, two subjects I think make amazing songs. “How do You Do” is asking God why, a question I’m sure all of us would like answered. It is definitely a song I myself would write. “Hips don’t Lie” is probably the most well known songs from this album, sung with another one of my idols Wyclef Jean. It’s a dance club song, meant to make people want to shake their hips. It definitely succeeds! “Animal City” is about the dangerous life of the rich and famous; it’s definitely catchy and has some great lyrics. I love “Don’t Bother”’s cynical view of love after it’s been lost. Hey you, much like “Rules” from her previous album, speaks of being someone’s everything. I like this one better though, mostly because the way it’s sung is very fun and cute and it’s a lot more ‘I want to be your everything’ and less ‘I have to be your everything’. “Costume Makes the Clown” is one of my favourite songs on this CD. It’s kind of a sequel to all her previous songs and is very reminiscent of No Doubts “Magic in the Make-up” in that it’s confessing that you haven’t been true to your significant other. The lyrics are just really clever and put together well. I have to like “Something”, if for no other reason than it has French in it. French my second language, and I tend to like music that includes it, but other than that it’s just another love song. “Timor” is amazing, definitely my favourite. It refers to the corrupt way our country is and how the majority of us don’t care as long as we get what we want. We don’t care about anyone, least of all a poor Asian country that was attacked by Indonesia with weapons provided by the United States. Unlike Laundry Service which had four songs translated into Spanish this album only has one song in Spanish, “La Tortura”.
Her next album is to be released this month if it hasn’t been released already. It is titled She Wolf, from the title song. I am looking forward to listening to more brilliant music from a brilliant artist.

-Polyhymnia

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Museic: Black Eyed Peas


The Black Eyed Peas is an ever-changing entity. They went from a mismatched group of enthusiastic artists to Grammy Award Winners in the course of seven years. Very few had heard of them before their break-out album Elephunk which was released in 2003. I can count myself in those ranks. Previously (before Fergie had joined the group and their female member was a woman by the name of Kim Hill) they had released a record called Behind the Front. The only commercial song off that album was “Joints and Jams”. The rest was a varied representation of their different backgrounds and styles including hip-hop, soul, funk, latin and reggae.
With Elephunk and stardom came a more radio feel. Most of the album was witty dance songs, blending Fergie’s sex appeal with the smooth talking Will.i.am, Apl.de.ap, and Taboo. However, I truly got chills when I listened to “The Apl song” and “Anxiety” became my theme song. I could listen to this record and get everything; dance jams, soulful anthems, and sexy love songs.
Monkey Business was long awaited for me (released in 2005). I could not wait to hear more from this band! Of course there were quite a few dance club songs, as well as relationship songs and some music that had no purpose but to be music, but it was still a good CD. I really liked “Union”, it being one of the first songs about peace by mainstream artists. I also liked “They Don’t Want Music”, because they acknowledged that many artists (including themselves on some part) made beats that had no meaning to them because that’s what a lot of fans like. They want something they can dance to; listening to lyrics is such a bother!
At this point in time most of the members of BEP went off to establish their solo carriers, but they came back to produce The E.N.D this year. Although the title was really clever, meaning The Energy Never Dies, I was overall disappointed in this album. They made some pretty good dance songs, but they were lacking a bit in the lyrical department. I did like One Tribe, but it was basically a remake of their song Union. Now Generation was good, but it’s already been made into a song. I get it, Ipods are taking over the world and everyone spends way too much time on the internet.
Now I am not one to get onto bands for “selling out” or anything, music is progressive and you can’t help what you are inspired to write. At least they write their own music! Most bands these days have people paid to do that for them. I will continue to listen to and enjoy the Black Eyed Peas, but I will definitely be hoping that the direction that music is going right now will take a U turn or a sharp right and not become a hopeless combination of nice beats and tired rhymes.

-Polyhymnia

Monday, October 5, 2009

Gay Club Rant


Tonight I went to the Drag Show at Xanadu's for the first time in months. Frankly, I was disappointed. Despite the fact that the lesbian population had doubled at least, the straight population had also grown. Also apparently the gay boy population has decreased exponentially, because the place was almost empty.
Now if you know Arkansas you know that the only music that is played at a club is either ghetto rap music or pop music. Before, there was a tolerable amount of ghetto music mixed with pop that I can actually enjoy. However, for some reason there was only maybe five pop songs and the rest was practically unbearable rap.
If that wasn't enough for some reason the skanky factor has gone through the roof. People were humping each other against walls and floors. I am not one to bad-talk booty dancing, or limit self expression but what these people have to understand is actual sex is not sexy. Its bumping, grinding and sweating. The sexiest dancers, the exotic ones, never once touch another person. It's the rhythm of the body and the suggestion of something more that is sexy. THE SUGGESTION. Anyway, off my high horse.
I'm not saying Xanadu's is Backstreet skanky, but suffice to say that if Xanadu's gotten this bad i do NOT want to see what Tangerine is like. If you did not get the last sentence, Backstreet is the skanky gay bar of Little Rock and Tangerine is the only gay bar of Fayetteville (and it's pretty skanky)
I'm glad I'm leaving this two horse town for San Fransisco. Except for the whole everything-is-millions-of-
times-more-expensive thing. I wont be able to afford to go to clubs but by god they will be awesome! Maybe I can bring one home with me... Hmmm I don't think It'll fit in my car... Anyway. I just hope Fayetteville get's it's act together.

-Simply Cherry

HP Rant


Anyone who mentions Harry Potter around me should know that I have a problem with said book. The main reason being that it basically stole the main character from my favourite author of all time, Neil Gaiman. Of course, Neil has never pressed charges and it is skeptical that J.K Rowling would ever pick up The Books of Magic, a DC comic but the case remains. I am going to list the similarities here

1. Both main characters are British and boys
2. Both main characters start out as 12 years old
3. Both main characters wear glasses that at some point in time are broken and still worn
4. Both main characters have messy dark hair
5. Both main characters have had a parent die
6. Both main characters are fated to save the world from certain doom
7. Both main characters have white owls
8. Both main characters did not know they were wizards until shadowy individuals told them so
9. Both main characters meet many well known people/creatures from mythology (*cough* Neil does it better *cough* and also in his mythology that includes DC mythology)
10. Both main characters almost die multiple times
12. both stories kind of go through the same amount of time, Books of Magic only going for 6 years (kinda)

etc etc

If you think that's bad, just look at the chick who sued J.K for plagerism. N.K Stouffer coined the term "muggle" and her main characters name was LARRY POTTER, who also has dark hair and glasses. However, N.K's story has diddly squat to do with magic. That's not the only book either that bears startling similarities to HP. Even Troll, a low budget film from the 80's main character's name is Harry Potter. SERIOUSLY? I wouldn't even be that miffed because, lets face it, there's no such thing is a new idea but all the other books DO IT BETTER WITH HALF THE RECOGNITION. I mean The Books of Magic is fantastic and it actually properly uses mythology. Neil Gaiman would never mistake a Basilisk with a BLOODY GIANT SNAKE. For all of you who don't know, a Basilisk is a combination of a chicken and a lizard that turns people into stone. Snake is not involved. This is just one of the many slights put into the Harry Potter books. It's as if she skimmed through an encyclopedia of myth and pulled out things at random. This pisses me off. In conclusion if you want a brilliant story about boy wizards read these, all of which were written before Harry Potter:

1. books of magic
2. wizard of earthsea
3. The chronicles of prydain
4. The Dark is rising
5. Wizards Hall
6. Enders game
7. Spellcasting Series
8. The Secret of Platform 3
9. the worst witch (not technically a BOY wizard)
10. Charmed life (this one has TWO children)
11. Discworld (okay technically not about a boy wizard, but it is along the same line)
12. The once and future king (both Neil and J.K have cited this as an influence)
13. The Chronicals of narnia (again not exactly boy wizards)
14. The lord of the rings (see above note)

there are many more books out there in this genre, but these are the ones that most closely resemble Harry Potter.

-Willow Tsukino