An event that I felt compelled to write about was a panel discussion that I helped to organize related to the recent labor/human/animal rights violations in Postville, Iowa. In the past few decades, Postville has come to be known for the hybridity of its community; the town is an amalgamation of white, Christians individuals, the Orthodox Jewish community, and Mexican and Guatemalan immigrants. More recently, Postville has been the subject of controversy when immigration officials raided a kosher meat processing plant, Agriprocessors this summer, in which 388 workers were imprisoned in a federal penitentiary and/or deported – as one of the panelists noted, this incident marked the first federal criminalization of illegal immigration in the U.S.
The panel consisted of Professor Rachleff from the History Department, Rabbi Morris Allen of Beth Jacob synagogue, Melissa Rudnik from Jewish Community Action (JCA), a local non-profit committed to affordable housing, immigration justice, and racial justice, and Abby Seeskin, a junior at Macalester who interned with JCA. I was impressed by the variety of perspective and critique that these panelists provided, and I think that each was able to couch the argument uniquely within the framework of a social responsibility to engaging these issues. As the panelists established, what occurred in Postville affords us the opportunity – or serves as a microcosm, a crucible so-to-speak – to dissect a host of issues related to globalization, migration, labor rights, animal rights, and adherence to Jewish dietary laws. Though the intersections between these issues may seem a bit unclear, I think that the panelists did a phenomenal job of putting these systems into dialogue with one another.
Professor Rachleff framed what occurred in Postville as emblematic of shifts in labor and labor rights, especially within the meatpacking industry. The meatpacking industry has become more decentralized so that plants reside not in their traditional locations – Omaha, Kansas City, Saint Paul – but in small Midwestern towns like Willmar, MN, and Postville, IA. Beyond location, the experience of workers in the industry have changed with regard to unionization and wages. The level of engagement between union organizers and management has decreased in this process of decentralization, and real wages have dropped by 44% – the result is that employees are working in harsher, more dangerous conditions for longer periods of time with less pay. Furthermore, the high numbers of immigrants from Latin America illustrate how globalization operates both within and outside the United States – both a deterioration of jobs in the industry, a bifurcation of jobs in general in the nation as well as immigration resulting from a variety of political and economic establishments.
What I found particularly compelling about the aftermath of the raid is the way in which people are moving these ideas and organizing around them; a group of individuals from the Twin Cities (working in conjunction with local leaders) traveled to Postville to show solidarity with the workers and their families who had been imprisoned/deported and left without any means of sustaining their families and community economically. Similarly, a local group called Hekhsher Tzedek has been established to examine kosher certification from a labor rights perspective and is gaining visibility in the Twin Cities and across the nation. As the panelists argued, what occurred in Postville serves as an impetus to reevaluate how we consume as a political act – in addition to the traditional importance placed on the animal and slaughtering process. Essentially, the discussion underscored the necessity to break the complicity of the Jewish community (and the larger community) with regard to this issue – to take responsibility for the process by which our food is made and to bring this notion of sacredness to encompass the human dignity of these workers.
Monday, November 24, 2008
ANTM - Reality TV Analysis
As I sat to watch the premiere episode of the 11th season of America’s Next Top Model, I prepared myself to deal with some Deep culture. In describing my experience, I hope that it is OK that I spend less time summarizing the program (by incorporating its traits throughout my discussion) since it has such a popular appeal and is frequently discussed in the presence of even non-viewers.
I first thought, “wow, this show is already at 11 whole seasons!” Then, I considered the role of social capital in the rise of the media industry; analogous to the quality associated with a company’s brand… and with that realization I’ve found ANTM to be a vital cultural barometer as much as a cultural creator/perpetuator. The show has remained dynamic enough to attract more and more of the people I had least expected to watch an American Beauty competition…
I realized, that as much as this show promoted the public and personal scrutiny of women’s appearances … (below is an image of the Body Scanner used in the beginning of the show, which was necessary to gauge explicit “profitability” based on “data” collected on the contestants) … it has provided its large viewing constituency with consistent delivery of “controversial” content.
“Who’s Technologically Bankable” – Tyra
“No way he’s hitting me in the money maker”… Brittany S (referring to her face and practicing for ultimate fighting with her ultimate fighter boyfriend)
The reason I bring up the issue of scrutiny is that it is the basis of ANTM’s “expertise” (often, and arguably embodied by Tyra’s role and public life); the show is seen as a system for analyzing female beauty. The fashion/modeling industry has seen a rise in global interest (there are “copy cat” programs in almost 20 countries); and advertisers have benefitted from not only a large viewing audience, but also one that is more or less focused on beauty as the avenue to a variant of the American Dream.
One of the contestants, Joslyn, is from a “disadvantaged area” in Los Angeles and her interview snippet also highlighted her motive to be an example of the American Dream: with enough effort, anything can be done. I have realized that it’s important to consider dreams for what they embody: hopes for the future.
I think that although ANTM can and often is dismissed as another institution upholding rigid and often unattainable beauty standards… it has emerged as a leader in bringing important questions about personal standards of beauty to “the masses”. Not only has the show’s publicity benefited from incorporating some “spice” into their line-ups, but it has raised our social consciousness of marginalized identities while in hot pursuit of the show’s overarching goal of popularity, influence, and profit.
Even if the American Dream is not necessarily attainable in absolute truth for all, it has inspired many and given them a means of coping with the micro inequities they face daily. When “Alpha” Jay, as one of the three “judges” proclaimed that he believed transgendered people (re: Isis) could overcome the prejudices they face to become successful (in the modeling industry), I did want to cry out for joy… but I also wanted to shout out loud that that this doesn’t make it OK for trans people to live in our society! But, not only was Jay speaking as an authority (perhaps one that is admired in his own respect by ANTM’s fan base), in doing so he may have changed some minds over… and ANTM gave Isis a way to strive for her goals while forever impacting many viewers of the show.
This brought me back to a quote found in Kirk & Okazawa-Rey’s intro to the third chapter: Women’s Bodies and Beauty Ideals; Elise Matthesen speaks of large women: “We have a right to take up space. We have a right to stretch out, to be big, bold to be ‘too much to handle.’ To challenge the rest of the world to grow up, get on with it, and become big enough to ‘handle’ us…” I guess this is what ultimately made me feel OK with Isis saying that she was on the show with no political agenda… it reminded me that many of us continue to do important work in pushing boundaries every day.
Two other things that have influenced my thinking on this issue are:
A NYTimes opinion piece (relating India & U.S.) highlighting the American Dream’s importance to our society’s level of optimism … http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/weekinreview/23anand.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2&em&oref=slogin
&
A tribute site I saw on a friend’s Facebook status for the Transgender Day of Remembrance: http://www.transgenderdor.org/?page_id=58
And this is just because I think I fell in love with Sheena a little:
I first thought, “wow, this show is already at 11 whole seasons!” Then, I considered the role of social capital in the rise of the media industry; analogous to the quality associated with a company’s brand… and with that realization I’ve found ANTM to be a vital cultural barometer as much as a cultural creator/perpetuator. The show has remained dynamic enough to attract more and more of the people I had least expected to watch an American Beauty competition…
I realized, that as much as this show promoted the public and personal scrutiny of women’s appearances … (below is an image of the Body Scanner used in the beginning of the show, which was necessary to gauge explicit “profitability” based on “data” collected on the contestants) … it has provided its large viewing constituency with consistent delivery of “controversial” content.
“Who’s Technologically Bankable” – Tyra
“No way he’s hitting me in the money maker”… Brittany S (referring to her face and practicing for ultimate fighting with her ultimate fighter boyfriend)
The reason I bring up the issue of scrutiny is that it is the basis of ANTM’s “expertise” (often, and arguably embodied by Tyra’s role and public life); the show is seen as a system for analyzing female beauty. The fashion/modeling industry has seen a rise in global interest (there are “copy cat” programs in almost 20 countries); and advertisers have benefitted from not only a large viewing audience, but also one that is more or less focused on beauty as the avenue to a variant of the American Dream.
One of the contestants, Joslyn, is from a “disadvantaged area” in Los Angeles and her interview snippet also highlighted her motive to be an example of the American Dream: with enough effort, anything can be done. I have realized that it’s important to consider dreams for what they embody: hopes for the future.
I think that although ANTM can and often is dismissed as another institution upholding rigid and often unattainable beauty standards… it has emerged as a leader in bringing important questions about personal standards of beauty to “the masses”. Not only has the show’s publicity benefited from incorporating some “spice” into their line-ups, but it has raised our social consciousness of marginalized identities while in hot pursuit of the show’s overarching goal of popularity, influence, and profit.
Even if the American Dream is not necessarily attainable in absolute truth for all, it has inspired many and given them a means of coping with the micro inequities they face daily. When “Alpha” Jay, as one of the three “judges” proclaimed that he believed transgendered people (re: Isis) could overcome the prejudices they face to become successful (in the modeling industry), I did want to cry out for joy… but I also wanted to shout out loud that that this doesn’t make it OK for trans people to live in our society! But, not only was Jay speaking as an authority (perhaps one that is admired in his own respect by ANTM’s fan base), in doing so he may have changed some minds over… and ANTM gave Isis a way to strive for her goals while forever impacting many viewers of the show.
This brought me back to a quote found in Kirk & Okazawa-Rey’s intro to the third chapter: Women’s Bodies and Beauty Ideals; Elise Matthesen speaks of large women: “We have a right to take up space. We have a right to stretch out, to be big, bold to be ‘too much to handle.’ To challenge the rest of the world to grow up, get on with it, and become big enough to ‘handle’ us…” I guess this is what ultimately made me feel OK with Isis saying that she was on the show with no political agenda… it reminded me that many of us continue to do important work in pushing boundaries every day.
Two other things that have influenced my thinking on this issue are:
A NYTimes opinion piece (relating India & U.S.) highlighting the American Dream’s importance to our society’s level of optimism … http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/weekinreview/23anand.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2&em&oref=slogin
&
A tribute site I saw on a friend’s Facebook status for the Transgender Day of Remembrance: http://www.transgenderdor.org/?page_id=58
And this is just because I think I fell in love with Sheena a little:
Sunday, November 23, 2008
What other prices are there?
On November 20th, in Olin Rice, Robert Jensen came to Macalester to speak at a screening of the film, The Price of Pleasure, about the pornography industry and its effects on our society. Before the film started, he spoke a bit about himself and his work with pornography. His interest started in 1st amendments rights, freedom of speech and grew to include whiteness and violence against women. As there grew a feminist anti-pornography movement, Jensen became interested and involved in that dialogue, looking at how pornography (in addition to other forms of mainstream media) support and perpetuate systems of domination and violence. His last comment before starting the film was about two paradoxical trends he has noticed in the last 20 years of his work with pornography:
-on one hand, there's a trend in the content toward more cruel and degrading portrayals of women, and more overt racism
-at the same time, pornography has become more mainstream, normalized, and centralized in our society (not to say that there are no critiques)
He asked: how is it that pornography could, at the same time, become more naturalized in our society, and at the same time continue on toward more extreme patterns of male domination and degradation of women?
The creators utilized multiple voices to create the narrative of this film. There were clips from interviews with: anti-pornography activists, porn actors and directors, college students with exposure to porn, adult men who explained how pornography affected their sex lives, people at pornography conventions, and women who had been directly affected by partners' use of pornography (and I'm sure I'm missing some other sources). I thought it was fairly comprehensive look at mainstream pornography trends through its producers, consumers, actors, and critics. Some of the more poignant and disturbing points/quotes that I heard were:
An exchange that was juxtaposed thus:
Scene 1: A male producer or consumer (I can't remember which) says: "We live in a free-enterprise system where women can make a quarter million dollars a year on their bodies"
Scene 2: A female anti-porn activist: "It obscures a fundamental question - why do we live in a society where economic inequality is so normalized. So that women must sell themselves - and the most intimate parts of themselves - to make money?"
So, the directors are taking arguments for the "empowerment of women" through buying into the commodification and assignment of value to their bodies and bringing them close to feminist arguments against pornography as one of the most lucrative fields for women. In addition, it appeals to the humanity of the viewers in sympathizing with the very gendered nature of the entertainment industry - the decisions women must make and what they must subject themselves to in order to make good money in entertainment. And this isn't only in pornography, this goes into music as well and Hollywood films. In music videos, even when the artists have such superstar status as Britney Spears or Madonna, they are filtered through the lens of the directors, and end up often being objectified and sexualized for the pleasure of, largely, the viewing males (but not exclusively). And, one point of the film is: this objectification and sexualization in mainstream media has become more blatant and normalized, as a result of pornography's widened acceptance and normalization.
Another similar dyad is the quote: "it's all about choice," which I believe was said by a male at one of the pornography conventions in relation to women acting in pornography.
Feminist critic: "when your best choice is taking off your clothes and sticking toys in your cunt for money, I think here's a real problem with the labor system."
This was some serious stuff...I mean, I was just so taken aback. The second quote really breaks it down, and it makes me want to add my own questions: "this is what you call choice? This is a good job to you?" (and that's not to say that women can't or don't enjoy acting in pornography, I'm trying to get at the fact that these male viewers aren't even questioning the enjoyment and pleasure they receive from this system of commidifying women's bodies). A lot of these guys don't even think about how watching pornography influences the ways they see women. I heard a quote from one guy who claims to, in different words, compartmentalize his views of women into a "good girl, bad girl" dichotomy, where the women in pornography, he has no respect for, yet he respects women as a whole. This reminds me of the discussion about the use of "bitch(es) and ho(s)" in Hip-Hop and the idea of "that's not me they're talking about." His claim is, in effect, saying that when he's not watching pornography, he leaves that world behind, and enters the "real world" where he respects women as completely different from those who choose (or "choose") to be in porn. So...how does that work? It doesn't. The women are the bad ones, of course, not the system in which they live, where, as quoted above, their "best choice is taking off [their] clothes and sticking toys in [their] cunt[s] for money...," and that's one of the least extreme acts that women have to do in the pornography industry.
Speaking of extremity, during the section Harder and Harder, there were a lot of very disturbing and provocative quotes. I think the most insightful (for me) thoughts came from this section.
"The future of U.S. porn is violence." Disturbing.
"Pornography takes violence against women and sexualizes it. And when you sexualize it, you render the violence invisible." YES, this is it. This was like...the holy grail. Don't get me wrong, I'm not happy about this, just that there was such a concise way to sum this up. And I would take that further and extend it to the way that many other dynamics operate in pornography - race, for example. When all of these violent and degrading acts are put under the umbrella of pornography (read: sex, to many viewers), and when it is a common occurrence for boys to be socialized into their sexualities by pornography, these days, and when people spend an increasing amount of time in isolation on computers, listening to iPods, playing video games, etc. and not communicating with other human beings, it becomes accepted as "how it is." At least, in the argument of this film, many of the male testimonies showed that boys had grown up with pornography, thinking that sex was supposed to be violent, that pornography was an accurate portrayal of sex and sexualities, that the acts performed in the films were enjoyable for all parties involved (because the women always "looked" like they were enjoying it too - yet one man's confession that he never thought to question the idea that people would get pleasure from ATM sexual acts...which I don't really want to elaborate, but it stands for ass or anal to mouth. Of course they aren't going to show the cut scenes where the women are gagging or throwing up because it's fucking DISGUSTING). When real sex with another person(s) proves to be inferior to that in the pornographic imagination, these men are forced to fantasize during sex to stay aroused. If that does not prove effective and they don't find sex pleasurable...guess who they take it out on - their partner(s). Of course. And I'm curious how they think women are supposed to know the roles that they're expected to fulfill by their male partners? Pornography is not aimed at women, and they certainly do not watch as much, statistically. But, of course, asking that question would be too critical of these guys who could just sit in front of their computers, alone, without any conflict or challenge, and have a good time. And one final quote from this section:
"Pornography shows the lack of questioning inherent in a system that values and rewards profit by any means possible. They'll explore every kind of sexual perversion, misery, sadness, and torture for which there is a market, and if there isn't a market, then they'll try to create it."
So, to sum up some points of what I'm trying to say:
This film was heavy. It was graphic, showing actual footage from porn videos (blurred out, of course, as if that would magically lessen the impact); it was scary, what (some) people in the industry do, and what trends they see coming; but, perhaps the most influential pieces of this film were the quotes from viewers of pornography. Their matter-of-fact language reflected their entrenchment in privilege - so deep and effective is (white, heterosexual) male-privilege that, for some of these men, there isn't even the thought of questioning the systems or even the porn industry itself, and everything falls on the individual actresses who become "whores," because they'll sell themselves and take part in acts that degrade them. I'm not sure if it was in this class or not, but I heard of a trinary (is that a word?) of types of people - those who read everything at face value, those who think there's something under the surface, and those who take a completely different reading than face value. The men interviewed in this film are, for the most part, the former of the three. I think I find it so interesting because I just don't understand what that's like...at least in this context. I just cannot seem to see into that mindset where porn is just "how it is" and my sexual interactions with other people are not; where those interactions must live up to images, to productions.
A quote from the website of the film: "Going beyond the debate of liberal versus conservative so common in the culture, The Price of Pleasure provides a holistic understanding of pornography as it debunks common myths about the genre."
I found this a bit problematic... "a holistic understanding of pornography" and "pornography" are parts that I'm not sure about. I question how holistic it is, or, to interrogate the other side, what they mean by "pornography." It is a fairly holistic approach, if they are talking strictly about hardcore, mainstream porn. But, I don't recall them ever making a statement of what sector of the porn industry they were looking at, or how the subject of the film fits into the larger body of pornography (I imagine a scale much like that of Hip-Hop, and how mainstream Hip-Hop fits in as a small fraction of the whole culture). Also, this whole film is so focused on "mainstream porn," they don't discuss homosexual or queer pornography, there are maybe two or three contributors/interviewees who are non-white. I'm not sure what the think. It seems that MEF films are very much like this. Beyond Beats and Rhymes suffers from a similar constricted view. Just as Byron Hurt speaks of the box of manhood that black men (and men in general) are put into, the film suffers from being in its own box of "mainstream Hip-Hop." I am a bit concerned that these films do not engage their subjects beyond a certain point. And I do understand that movies have limited amounts of time and budget, but what about just throwing in a sentence or two, even, saying "I know there's so much more out there in this genre, but here's what I'm/we're looking at...."
-on one hand, there's a trend in the content toward more cruel and degrading portrayals of women, and more overt racism
-at the same time, pornography has become more mainstream, normalized, and centralized in our society (not to say that there are no critiques)
He asked: how is it that pornography could, at the same time, become more naturalized in our society, and at the same time continue on toward more extreme patterns of male domination and degradation of women?
The creators utilized multiple voices to create the narrative of this film. There were clips from interviews with: anti-pornography activists, porn actors and directors, college students with exposure to porn, adult men who explained how pornography affected their sex lives, people at pornography conventions, and women who had been directly affected by partners' use of pornography (and I'm sure I'm missing some other sources). I thought it was fairly comprehensive look at mainstream pornography trends through its producers, consumers, actors, and critics. Some of the more poignant and disturbing points/quotes that I heard were:
An exchange that was juxtaposed thus:
Scene 1: A male producer or consumer (I can't remember which) says: "We live in a free-enterprise system where women can make a quarter million dollars a year on their bodies"
Scene 2: A female anti-porn activist: "It obscures a fundamental question - why do we live in a society where economic inequality is so normalized. So that women must sell themselves - and the most intimate parts of themselves - to make money?"
So, the directors are taking arguments for the "empowerment of women" through buying into the commodification and assignment of value to their bodies and bringing them close to feminist arguments against pornography as one of the most lucrative fields for women. In addition, it appeals to the humanity of the viewers in sympathizing with the very gendered nature of the entertainment industry - the decisions women must make and what they must subject themselves to in order to make good money in entertainment. And this isn't only in pornography, this goes into music as well and Hollywood films. In music videos, even when the artists have such superstar status as Britney Spears or Madonna, they are filtered through the lens of the directors, and end up often being objectified and sexualized for the pleasure of, largely, the viewing males (but not exclusively). And, one point of the film is: this objectification and sexualization in mainstream media has become more blatant and normalized, as a result of pornography's widened acceptance and normalization.
Another similar dyad is the quote: "it's all about choice," which I believe was said by a male at one of the pornography conventions in relation to women acting in pornography.
Feminist critic: "when your best choice is taking off your clothes and sticking toys in your cunt for money, I think here's a real problem with the labor system."
This was some serious stuff...I mean, I was just so taken aback. The second quote really breaks it down, and it makes me want to add my own questions: "this is what you call choice? This is a good job to you?" (and that's not to say that women can't or don't enjoy acting in pornography, I'm trying to get at the fact that these male viewers aren't even questioning the enjoyment and pleasure they receive from this system of commidifying women's bodies). A lot of these guys don't even think about how watching pornography influences the ways they see women. I heard a quote from one guy who claims to, in different words, compartmentalize his views of women into a "good girl, bad girl" dichotomy, where the women in pornography, he has no respect for, yet he respects women as a whole. This reminds me of the discussion about the use of "bitch(es) and ho(s)" in Hip-Hop and the idea of "that's not me they're talking about." His claim is, in effect, saying that when he's not watching pornography, he leaves that world behind, and enters the "real world" where he respects women as completely different from those who choose (or "choose") to be in porn. So...how does that work? It doesn't. The women are the bad ones, of course, not the system in which they live, where, as quoted above, their "best choice is taking off [their] clothes and sticking toys in [their] cunt[s] for money...," and that's one of the least extreme acts that women have to do in the pornography industry.
Speaking of extremity, during the section Harder and Harder, there were a lot of very disturbing and provocative quotes. I think the most insightful (for me) thoughts came from this section.
"The future of U.S. porn is violence." Disturbing.
"Pornography takes violence against women and sexualizes it. And when you sexualize it, you render the violence invisible." YES, this is it. This was like...the holy grail. Don't get me wrong, I'm not happy about this, just that there was such a concise way to sum this up. And I would take that further and extend it to the way that many other dynamics operate in pornography - race, for example. When all of these violent and degrading acts are put under the umbrella of pornography (read: sex, to many viewers), and when it is a common occurrence for boys to be socialized into their sexualities by pornography, these days, and when people spend an increasing amount of time in isolation on computers, listening to iPods, playing video games, etc. and not communicating with other human beings, it becomes accepted as "how it is." At least, in the argument of this film, many of the male testimonies showed that boys had grown up with pornography, thinking that sex was supposed to be violent, that pornography was an accurate portrayal of sex and sexualities, that the acts performed in the films were enjoyable for all parties involved (because the women always "looked" like they were enjoying it too - yet one man's confession that he never thought to question the idea that people would get pleasure from ATM sexual acts...which I don't really want to elaborate, but it stands for ass or anal to mouth. Of course they aren't going to show the cut scenes where the women are gagging or throwing up because it's fucking DISGUSTING). When real sex with another person(s) proves to be inferior to that in the pornographic imagination, these men are forced to fantasize during sex to stay aroused. If that does not prove effective and they don't find sex pleasurable...guess who they take it out on - their partner(s). Of course. And I'm curious how they think women are supposed to know the roles that they're expected to fulfill by their male partners? Pornography is not aimed at women, and they certainly do not watch as much, statistically. But, of course, asking that question would be too critical of these guys who could just sit in front of their computers, alone, without any conflict or challenge, and have a good time. And one final quote from this section:
"Pornography shows the lack of questioning inherent in a system that values and rewards profit by any means possible. They'll explore every kind of sexual perversion, misery, sadness, and torture for which there is a market, and if there isn't a market, then they'll try to create it."
So, to sum up some points of what I'm trying to say:
This film was heavy. It was graphic, showing actual footage from porn videos (blurred out, of course, as if that would magically lessen the impact); it was scary, what (some) people in the industry do, and what trends they see coming; but, perhaps the most influential pieces of this film were the quotes from viewers of pornography. Their matter-of-fact language reflected their entrenchment in privilege - so deep and effective is (white, heterosexual) male-privilege that, for some of these men, there isn't even the thought of questioning the systems or even the porn industry itself, and everything falls on the individual actresses who become "whores," because they'll sell themselves and take part in acts that degrade them. I'm not sure if it was in this class or not, but I heard of a trinary (is that a word?) of types of people - those who read everything at face value, those who think there's something under the surface, and those who take a completely different reading than face value. The men interviewed in this film are, for the most part, the former of the three. I think I find it so interesting because I just don't understand what that's like...at least in this context. I just cannot seem to see into that mindset where porn is just "how it is" and my sexual interactions with other people are not; where those interactions must live up to images, to productions.
A quote from the website of the film: "Going beyond the debate of liberal versus conservative so common in the culture, The Price of Pleasure provides a holistic understanding of pornography as it debunks common myths about the genre."
I found this a bit problematic... "a holistic understanding of pornography" and "pornography" are parts that I'm not sure about. I question how holistic it is, or, to interrogate the other side, what they mean by "pornography." It is a fairly holistic approach, if they are talking strictly about hardcore, mainstream porn. But, I don't recall them ever making a statement of what sector of the porn industry they were looking at, or how the subject of the film fits into the larger body of pornography (I imagine a scale much like that of Hip-Hop, and how mainstream Hip-Hop fits in as a small fraction of the whole culture). Also, this whole film is so focused on "mainstream porn," they don't discuss homosexual or queer pornography, there are maybe two or three contributors/interviewees who are non-white. I'm not sure what the think. It seems that MEF films are very much like this. Beyond Beats and Rhymes suffers from a similar constricted view. Just as Byron Hurt speaks of the box of manhood that black men (and men in general) are put into, the film suffers from being in its own box of "mainstream Hip-Hop." I am a bit concerned that these films do not engage their subjects beyond a certain point. And I do understand that movies have limited amounts of time and budget, but what about just throwing in a sentence or two, even, saying "I know there's so much more out there in this genre, but here's what I'm/we're looking at...."
Breakdancing in Kagin
The event that I chose to attend was the Break Dance Battle in Kagin Ballroom on Macalester's Campus on November 7th.
Although the event was intended to showcase music and break dancing I also found it to be an interesting space to observe representations of masculinity in a very masculine space. The majority of those battling appeared to be boys between the ages of 10 and 16. I suppose this was my first disappointment.
I attended the event hoping to see far more B Girls and only saw two, both of which clearly served the purpose of being “the girl on the team.” When they performed I could physically feel the expectations in the room change the same way they did when the smallest boys performed.
“Oh she's good, for a girl.”
An interesting parallel I drew was between the battle and the movie Paris is Burning about black queer balls. I saw the similarities between the two in the act of “shading.” In Paris is Burning the drag kings and queens use shading as a subtle form of intimidation while competing. One example of this may be miming the act of putting make up on your opponent while participating in a voguing competition. During the break dancing battle I saw the shading when the boys would give pelvic thrust or movements mimicking masturbation after doing a move they believed out shined their opponent. It's interesting to me that these two forms of intimidation were so reminiscent of one another even with one being in a queer context and the other being very heterosexual and masculine.
Another aspect of the break dancing that I was interested in was the fact that the space was not dominated by black males as I expected going in. I don't know a lot about break dancing but I do know it was started in black neighborhoods with hip hop. It was really interesting to see how this art form has been re-appropriated as a form of expression by other marginalized groups.
This being said I can't help be return to my earlier point about the lack of female representation I witnessed. It's too bad that a space thats doing so much good in so many ways still falls victim to patriarchy. Then again, when hasn't this been true?
I'm really glad I attended the break dance battle, although it was at the expense of other important events happening on campus. At times I think that being on this campus prevents me from interacting with real people, in the real world, doing real thing. This is not to romanticize the struggle of those “on the outside” but rather to keep things in perspective.
Although the event was intended to showcase music and break dancing I also found it to be an interesting space to observe representations of masculinity in a very masculine space. The majority of those battling appeared to be boys between the ages of 10 and 16. I suppose this was my first disappointment.
I attended the event hoping to see far more B Girls and only saw two, both of which clearly served the purpose of being “the girl on the team.” When they performed I could physically feel the expectations in the room change the same way they did when the smallest boys performed.
“Oh she's good, for a girl.”
An interesting parallel I drew was between the battle and the movie Paris is Burning about black queer balls. I saw the similarities between the two in the act of “shading.” In Paris is Burning the drag kings and queens use shading as a subtle form of intimidation while competing. One example of this may be miming the act of putting make up on your opponent while participating in a voguing competition. During the break dancing battle I saw the shading when the boys would give pelvic thrust or movements mimicking masturbation after doing a move they believed out shined their opponent. It's interesting to me that these two forms of intimidation were so reminiscent of one another even with one being in a queer context and the other being very heterosexual and masculine.
Another aspect of the break dancing that I was interested in was the fact that the space was not dominated by black males as I expected going in. I don't know a lot about break dancing but I do know it was started in black neighborhoods with hip hop. It was really interesting to see how this art form has been re-appropriated as a form of expression by other marginalized groups.
This being said I can't help be return to my earlier point about the lack of female representation I witnessed. It's too bad that a space thats doing so much good in so many ways still falls victim to patriarchy. Then again, when hasn't this been true?
I'm really glad I attended the break dance battle, although it was at the expense of other important events happening on campus. At times I think that being on this campus prevents me from interacting with real people, in the real world, doing real thing. This is not to romanticize the struggle of those “on the outside” but rather to keep things in perspective.
Events Break Off and MIO Show
NOV7 8:00 PM Bodacious Presents: 1st Annual Fall Break Off
Alexander G. Hill Ballroom, Kagin Commons
Come watch the hottest Breakdance crews from the Twin Cities battle it out during Bodacious Week. The Breakdance battle will be followed by a dance and party. Tickets for the battle sold in the lower level of the Campus Center for $2 or $5 at the door the day of the event. Sponsored by Bodacious.
Nov15 MIO SHOW.
It is part of Bodacious week. A whole week that had interesting cultural events and Friday came. My girlfriend purchased the tickets in advance and we were ready to enjoy a new event in Macalester that we hoped to bring a different perspective for a “Kagin” event. The result was better than expected; the organization was brilliant as there were judges, people for collecting tickets and answering questions.
More than that there was great variety of different crews that battled and the event kept it’s fast pace until the end. There were different parts of the battles – one to one, and crew to crew. All participants came to show their skills and their unique style and it was great to see that. One of the teams had two girls on the team that were very good and the audience liked their performance. They showed that although break dancing is accepted more as a men dance, girls can prove to be very good or better than some men. What I saw in the event reminded me to the talk that Maria gave us and when she explained how hard it was to be accepted as an artist and to be on the same stage with men.
Looking at the audience I saw that there was no separation between girls and boys, all people came to enjoy the Break Off performance and there is no reason to think that girls are not of equal importance of developing of the breakdance culture.
Another very important detail was that breakdance crew were from different ethnicities, there were Asian, Afro-American, Caucasian and other. Teams were not from different ethnicities and they had a common love, the love to break dancing.
Break Off competition is so great because it shows us that it doesn’t matter who you are and if you are girl or boy but if you put the hard work you can obtain amazing skills.
To be part of these crews is a great honor. There were even several boys that were not older than nine that inspired big part of the audience.
Next week, there was another event that I attended and figured out that what we study in the class is interpreted very differently from people from different cultures. In class we share ideas and comment on other’s people writings but it is always different when we express our own thoughts on a subject. The MIO show presented different cultural dances and it tried to show some of the world culture. Some people cannot understand and perceive that belly dancing is a popular and socially accepted dance in Greece, Turkey and the middle east. More than that throwing of flowers, napkins and breaking special plates was a popular way of entertainment in Greece and other Balkan countries. It is very different how the dances are perceived from the audience. A way to show respect and to show appreciation of some of the dances could be wrongly perceived as disrespectful and unacceptable behavior by some people. The cultural borders are made to be broken by people that want to do that. MIO show is trying to give audience a sampler of what is out there and entertain people. It is not to be judged is belly dancing is disrespectful dance for women as there is no one able to judge that as there is no one able to judge if dancing country music or watching a wrestling federation game is not right. Everybody have some cultural flavor to add and that is what makes the world such a great and culturally rich place. Place, where you can find something to amaze you and a place where you can learn a lot. It is not about if you a girl or boy, it is all about who you are.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Pleasure is not Free
Event Name: "Price of Pleasure" film
Date of Event: Thursday, November 20, 2008
I went to the screening of the film “Price of Pleasure: Pornography, Sexuality, and Relationship,” and had the great opportunity to hear Robert Jensen’s talk on the pornography industry. While the film contained some very sexually explicit images (and left me literally numb afterwards) I thought that it was especially important to see everything. As I continue to watch the distributing images in front of me, my hands clenched in fists, and my body tensed, but I could not force myself to look away. I watched on as images of women’s face soaked in cum and scenes of men forcing their genitals down women’s throat appeared onscreen. I was disgusted and horrified. No matter how much I think, I can not come to terms with the fact that pleasure and sex is so often times, associated with brutality.
Before showing the film, Jensen highlighted some very important facts about the pornography industry in which he described as this over-commercialized business that has become mainstreamed. Today, porn is at its peak with mass consumption from all over the world, depicting different genres that targets specific groups of people. For example, with the growing use of the internet today, porn can easily be access by anyone and as a result, kids today are being exposed to porn more than ever before. Little boys learned early on in life that women’s role in the world is to fulfill men’s sexual needs. They are taught that women should be view as sex objects and to believe that they have the power to assert their masculinity over women’s right to be treated as a human being. As a result, little girls are also told that they must exploit their bodies to be considered beautiful.
One of the biggest problems with pornography is that it helps perpetuate male dominance. Proponents of the porn industry argued that they should have “free speech” to express their sexuality. “There’s nothing wrong with having an orgasm!” they said. However, the truth is that pornography has been abused and sex, exploited. Sex is supposed to be a very intimate and somewhat, sacred act between two loved ones. Porn, however, depict derogatory images of women as animals or the hypersexualized schoolgirl who f**** her teacher. A woman from the film expressed her concerns with pornography and how it has affected her relationship with her partner. She talked about her role as a woman to fulfill her partner’s need and the insecurities that arises from it when her partner watches porn.
The most popular type of porn generating the web today is anal sex. Most of the men interviewed in the film were very arrogant of the injustice that porn does to women. According to one of the man, performing anal sex on a woman is a great way to punish her. As porn continue to be incorporate into our everyday life, the line between “fantasy” and “reality” merged and overlapped. As a result, women become victims to rape, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. One interesting point that the film brought up is the fact that pornography dictates sex life instead of enhance it. For example, the more exposure to porn, the more men are unable to receive orgasm. In other words, instead of helping increase sexual pleasure, porn has done the opposite by making it harder to reach sexual gratification.
Even though the film was tough to watch and like Jensen pointed out, one not for the feminist anti-porn movement, the film convey a strong message that was painful, but necessary for discussion. It helps us “see” and reexamine how we look at porn in a way that makes us realize how corrupted our culture is. One thing that I felt has been overshadow is the idea of agency and the right of choice. While it was evident that a lot of female porn stars choose to work in the business by so-called “selling their bodies”, it was also clear that to some of these women, choice was not an option. The point is, choice is not the problem. The problem lies in the content and the context of the pornography industry and how it has shaped our identities and relationships with each others. As a result, this film is a woman’s wound, a men’s guilt, and a society’s responsibility.
Date of Event: Thursday, November 20, 2008
I went to the screening of the film “Price of Pleasure: Pornography, Sexuality, and Relationship,” and had the great opportunity to hear Robert Jensen’s talk on the pornography industry. While the film contained some very sexually explicit images (and left me literally numb afterwards) I thought that it was especially important to see everything. As I continue to watch the distributing images in front of me, my hands clenched in fists, and my body tensed, but I could not force myself to look away. I watched on as images of women’s face soaked in cum and scenes of men forcing their genitals down women’s throat appeared onscreen. I was disgusted and horrified. No matter how much I think, I can not come to terms with the fact that pleasure and sex is so often times, associated with brutality.
Before showing the film, Jensen highlighted some very important facts about the pornography industry in which he described as this over-commercialized business that has become mainstreamed. Today, porn is at its peak with mass consumption from all over the world, depicting different genres that targets specific groups of people. For example, with the growing use of the internet today, porn can easily be access by anyone and as a result, kids today are being exposed to porn more than ever before. Little boys learned early on in life that women’s role in the world is to fulfill men’s sexual needs. They are taught that women should be view as sex objects and to believe that they have the power to assert their masculinity over women’s right to be treated as a human being. As a result, little girls are also told that they must exploit their bodies to be considered beautiful.
One of the biggest problems with pornography is that it helps perpetuate male dominance. Proponents of the porn industry argued that they should have “free speech” to express their sexuality. “There’s nothing wrong with having an orgasm!” they said. However, the truth is that pornography has been abused and sex, exploited. Sex is supposed to be a very intimate and somewhat, sacred act between two loved ones. Porn, however, depict derogatory images of women as animals or the hypersexualized schoolgirl who f**** her teacher. A woman from the film expressed her concerns with pornography and how it has affected her relationship with her partner. She talked about her role as a woman to fulfill her partner’s need and the insecurities that arises from it when her partner watches porn.
The most popular type of porn generating the web today is anal sex. Most of the men interviewed in the film were very arrogant of the injustice that porn does to women. According to one of the man, performing anal sex on a woman is a great way to punish her. As porn continue to be incorporate into our everyday life, the line between “fantasy” and “reality” merged and overlapped. As a result, women become victims to rape, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. One interesting point that the film brought up is the fact that pornography dictates sex life instead of enhance it. For example, the more exposure to porn, the more men are unable to receive orgasm. In other words, instead of helping increase sexual pleasure, porn has done the opposite by making it harder to reach sexual gratification.
Even though the film was tough to watch and like Jensen pointed out, one not for the feminist anti-porn movement, the film convey a strong message that was painful, but necessary for discussion. It helps us “see” and reexamine how we look at porn in a way that makes us realize how corrupted our culture is. One thing that I felt has been overshadow is the idea of agency and the right of choice. While it was evident that a lot of female porn stars choose to work in the business by so-called “selling their bodies”, it was also clear that to some of these women, choice was not an option. The point is, choice is not the problem. The problem lies in the content and the context of the pornography industry and how it has shaped our identities and relationships with each others. As a result, this film is a woman’s wound, a men’s guilt, and a society’s responsibility.
Postville Discussion
Bagel Brunch: Postville and Immigration and Labor Rights Discussion
11-2-08
Sponsored by MJO (Macalester Jewish Organization)
Location: Old Main (Macalester Campus)
This event was a panel discussion about the raid in Postville, Iowa on May 12 of a Kosher meat packing plant. The raid was the largest of its kind, with over 390 immigrant workers arrested and detained. The panel consisted of four people: Professor Peter Rachleff, Rabbi Morris Allen of Beth Jacob Congregation, Melissa Rudnick of Jewish Community Action (JCA), and Abby Seeskin, a student at Macalester who did an internship with JCA last semester.
The raid in Postville shed light on the way immigrant workers are treated in the United States. The workers were being paid under minimum wage under unsafe conditions. There were also a number of other aspects of this particular plant that were particularly unsavory. A family of Hasidic Jews owns the plant, however the managers of the plant were two Palestinian brothers who also sold used cars. The workers in the factory were forced to purchase cars from them in order to keep their jobs. Women were also forced to have sex with these men to get/keep their jobs. All of the training materials were in English, even though many of the workers only spoke an indigenous language of Guatemala.
The speakers on the panel filled in much of the background information about the plant in Postville, and then they discussed the ways in which the community has responded. Before the raid itself, members of the Jewish community visited Postville and made recommendations to the owners about ways to make the plant safer, as well as recommending an increase in wages for the workers. The raid has sparked many discussions regarding the Jewish community’s view of immigration, as well as a discussion regarding the kosher food industry itself. There was a huge march in support of the detained workers and their families earlier this year, which involved education about the history of the issues involved in this case. The groups working in Postville have collaborated with a local church in Postville, and they have really focused on local community action.
This raid brings up many problems regarding the food industry as well as issues involving immigration and immigrants’ rights. Because the raid occurred at a kosher meat packing plant, much of the response has been within the Jewish community, although the problems of the case are not exclusive to this one plant. Many of the issues surrounding this plant (such as pollution and treatment of workers) can be seen in many other similar plants throughout the country, and the response of the Jewish community should be a response of the American people.
11-2-08
Sponsored by MJO (Macalester Jewish Organization)
Location: Old Main (Macalester Campus)
This event was a panel discussion about the raid in Postville, Iowa on May 12 of a Kosher meat packing plant. The raid was the largest of its kind, with over 390 immigrant workers arrested and detained. The panel consisted of four people: Professor Peter Rachleff, Rabbi Morris Allen of Beth Jacob Congregation, Melissa Rudnick of Jewish Community Action (JCA), and Abby Seeskin, a student at Macalester who did an internship with JCA last semester.
The raid in Postville shed light on the way immigrant workers are treated in the United States. The workers were being paid under minimum wage under unsafe conditions. There were also a number of other aspects of this particular plant that were particularly unsavory. A family of Hasidic Jews owns the plant, however the managers of the plant were two Palestinian brothers who also sold used cars. The workers in the factory were forced to purchase cars from them in order to keep their jobs. Women were also forced to have sex with these men to get/keep their jobs. All of the training materials were in English, even though many of the workers only spoke an indigenous language of Guatemala.
The speakers on the panel filled in much of the background information about the plant in Postville, and then they discussed the ways in which the community has responded. Before the raid itself, members of the Jewish community visited Postville and made recommendations to the owners about ways to make the plant safer, as well as recommending an increase in wages for the workers. The raid has sparked many discussions regarding the Jewish community’s view of immigration, as well as a discussion regarding the kosher food industry itself. There was a huge march in support of the detained workers and their families earlier this year, which involved education about the history of the issues involved in this case. The groups working in Postville have collaborated with a local church in Postville, and they have really focused on local community action.
This raid brings up many problems regarding the food industry as well as issues involving immigration and immigrants’ rights. Because the raid occurred at a kosher meat packing plant, much of the response has been within the Jewish community, although the problems of the case are not exclusive to this one plant. Many of the issues surrounding this plant (such as pollution and treatment of workers) can be seen in many other similar plants throughout the country, and the response of the Jewish community should be a response of the American people.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Prop. 5 Vs The Prison-Industrial Complex.
If Proposition 5 goes down to defeat on Tuesday Nov 4th (it did), the five governors who lined up to condemn it Thursday will have won a Pyrrhic victory. Not one has offered an alternative to Proposition 5 for dealing responsibly with California's prison overcrowding crisis, the exploding prison budget or the outlandish power of a union whose interests lie in incarcerating as many of their fellow citizens as possible.
Full Article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-nadelman3-2008nov03,0,3924232.story
Full Article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-nadelman3-2008nov03,0,3924232.story
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Film Event: "Breakfast with Scot"
I don’t know where to start with “Breakfast with Scot”. It’s Canadian, and Scot has one t (why it’s abbreviated I’ll never know). The film itself was released in Canada in 2007, but has only recently made its way around American art house theaters this fall. It played for a limited time (only about a week) at the Lagoon over in Uptown.
The plot of “Breakfast” is pretty simple. There’s an (gay) ex-hockey player (Eric, played by Tom Cavanagh) who lives with his partner (Sam, played by Ben Shenkman) in a swanky house in a not so swanky neighborhood (is Toronto part of the rust belt now?). His partner unexpectedly becomes the legal guardian of his brother’s son when his sister-in-law dies of a drug overdose. Since the brother is in Brazil, the gay couple is stuck with a kid on their hands (the aforementioned Scot). Awkwardness, love, and searches for a true self ensue.
At the core of the film is the idea that everyone has a true self, and to what degree that true self is oppressed (maybe even erased?) is decided by external forces, i.e. society. I’m always a little wary of true self narratives, as its hard to believe that everyone is born with some inherent essence that makes them exactly who they are. I lean more towards the experience-as-self model of things. But films can be unrealistic, and characters appear in them implying that they have psychologies that have been developed through life experiences similar to mine (I won’t say ours). So uh… pick and chose, yeah?
In any case, Eric (the hockey player) is confronted with his own semi-out-ness by his partner’s brother’s kid, who turns out to be furnished with very pink clothes when he arrives at the couple’s house. In the end, a new kind of family love is born out of all of this and Eric seems infinitely more comfortable with himself and entirely accepting of his newly acquired son.
Most notable about the film’s production is that the NHL and the Toronto Maple Leafs allowed their names, logos, and spaces to be used in the making of the film. This is the first time that a major league sports franchise has ever endorse a queer-themed film.
Alright Canada. Alllright.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
READING "REALITY" TV Assignment [due by NOON on 12/2!]
WATCH at least 30 minutes of “REALITY” TV. 60 minutes is recommended (if you can handle it!)
Watch at least one episode of “reality” TV (shows focused on, or targeting women, girls, or queer audiences are ripe for analysis). Makeover, dating, family, weight loss, plastic surgery, model competition, sweet 16s and others would be great choices.
Some suggestions:
Network television examples - Wife Swap, Extreme Home Makeover, American Idol, Survivor, America’s Got Talent, Search for Next Pussycat Doll, Amazing Race, Next Top Model, Apprentice, Beauty and the Geek, Big Brother, Nashville Start
MTV - Juvies, Sweet 16, Real World, Made, 50 cent show, Diddy shows
VH1 - Real Chance at Love
TLC - What Not to Wear, A Baby Story, Surviving Motherhood, Miami Ink, Honey We’re Killing the Kids, Shalom in the Home, My Life As A Child, Bringing Home Baby
BRAVO - Top Chef, Real Housewives of Orange County, Project Runway
WE (Women’s Entertainment) – Bridezillas
OXYGEN – Girls Behaving Badly,
There are many sites on reality TV that could point you to some shows currently airing:
http://www.realitytvworld.com/
http://www.realitytvworld.com/realitytvworld/allshows.shtml
http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/
http://www.realitytvmagazine.com/
You can choose to watch something you watch often (but watch it again critically) or you can choose something you would not watch unless you were forced to. If you don’t own a television, you can view shows online (clips are viewable on some websites or can be purchaed for $1.99 on itunes for PC or Mac).
2. READ CRITICAL ESSAYS (use essays from our book, or browse the articles from the special issue of Feminist Media Studies focused on feminist analysis of “reality” television, available through the library’s searchable database, this database of readings on reality television (http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/realitytv.html) or find a scholarly article that can help you theorize to your “reading” of the show you watched.
3. WRITE AN ANALYTIC BLOG POST on our COURSE BLOG
Your essay should include:
a – A brief summary of the program you viewed (don’t go into EXTENSIVE plot details, just frame the show’s plot line as needed). THINK CONTENT [most significant details]
b – Discussion of the context (where does this program air, when, who produces it and for what purpose). You can find most production companies on the web. Hint: Watch the CREDITS and note the logos at the beginning and end of the programs).
c – A brief discussion of the intended audience (who do you think this show targets). Clue –what sorts of products are advertised during this program (cosmetics, fast food, minivans?)
d –Do a feminist intersectional analysis (a feminist “read”) of the show, using the theoretical concepts we’ve discussed and/or read. Think about how gender, race, class, bodies, identities, and sexualities are represented. Consider the portrayals, stereotypes and processes (like socialization and normalization) at work, the context (what you researched about the show’s producers and distributors), and the (potential) affects on audiences.
!!! Feel free to include image or screen grabs (if you watch your show online), to illustrate points that you may make about form.
!!! Suggested length 800-1000 words (around 2-3 pages). Make sure you cite at least ONE READING to support your analysis!
Watch at least one episode of “reality” TV (shows focused on, or targeting women, girls, or queer audiences are ripe for analysis). Makeover, dating, family, weight loss, plastic surgery, model competition, sweet 16s and others would be great choices.
Some suggestions:
Network television examples - Wife Swap, Extreme Home Makeover, American Idol, Survivor, America’s Got Talent, Search for Next Pussycat Doll, Amazing Race, Next Top Model, Apprentice, Beauty and the Geek, Big Brother, Nashville Start
MTV - Juvies, Sweet 16, Real World, Made, 50 cent show, Diddy shows
VH1 - Real Chance at Love
TLC - What Not to Wear, A Baby Story, Surviving Motherhood, Miami Ink, Honey We’re Killing the Kids, Shalom in the Home, My Life As A Child, Bringing Home Baby
BRAVO - Top Chef, Real Housewives of Orange County, Project Runway
WE (Women’s Entertainment) – Bridezillas
OXYGEN – Girls Behaving Badly,
There are many sites on reality TV that could point you to some shows currently airing:
http://www.realitytvworld.com/
http://www.realitytvworld.com/realitytvworld/allshows.shtml
http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/
http://www.realitytvmagazine.com/
You can choose to watch something you watch often (but watch it again critically) or you can choose something you would not watch unless you were forced to. If you don’t own a television, you can view shows online (clips are viewable on some websites or can be purchaed for $1.99 on itunes for PC or Mac).
2. READ CRITICAL ESSAYS (use essays from our book, or browse the articles from the special issue of Feminist Media Studies focused on feminist analysis of “reality” television, available through the library’s searchable database, this database of readings on reality television (http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/realitytv.html) or find a scholarly article that can help you theorize to your “reading” of the show you watched.
3. WRITE AN ANALYTIC BLOG POST on our COURSE BLOG
Your essay should include:
a – A brief summary of the program you viewed (don’t go into EXTENSIVE plot details, just frame the show’s plot line as needed). THINK CONTENT [most significant details]
b – Discussion of the context (where does this program air, when, who produces it and for what purpose). You can find most production companies on the web. Hint: Watch the CREDITS and note the logos at the beginning and end of the programs).
c – A brief discussion of the intended audience (who do you think this show targets). Clue –what sorts of products are advertised during this program (cosmetics, fast food, minivans?)
d –Do a feminist intersectional analysis (a feminist “read”) of the show, using the theoretical concepts we’ve discussed and/or read. Think about how gender, race, class, bodies, identities, and sexualities are represented. Consider the portrayals, stereotypes and processes (like socialization and normalization) at work, the context (what you researched about the show’s producers and distributors), and the (potential) affects on audiences.
!!! Feel free to include image or screen grabs (if you watch your show online), to illustrate points that you may make about form.
!!! Suggested length 800-1000 words (around 2-3 pages). Make sure you cite at least ONE READING to support your analysis!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Military Recruitment Videos
ARMY FAMILY
Kid Rock "Warrior"
Three Doors Down "Citizen Soldier"
AlJazeera TV: "Latinos become focus for US army recruitment - 10 Oct 07"
Student documentary about military recruitment (6 min)
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Lots on Sarah Palin and the Media
There is an image of Sarah Palin, published in the New York Times, in which she appears sitting on a couch, presumably in the Governor’s office in Anchorage, Alaska. On the back of the couch is a bear, a dead bear of course, but with an intact head still attached to the skin. Seeing this bear-as-throw motif, I realized, again, as I do periodically, that I was in a different country...READ ON
FlowTV is a critical forum on television and media culture published by the Department of Radio, Television, and Film at the University of Texas at Austin. Flow’s mission is to provide a space where the public can discuss the changing landscape of contemporary media.
FLOW Issue 8.10 Special Issue on Sarah Palin and the Media
Saturday, November 8, 2008
From Ms. Magazine: Academic Freedom?
Academic Freedom?
The right-wing campaign against women's studies turns a treasured ideal on its head
By Martha McCaughey
Within a month of the horrifying mass murder at Virginia Tech last spring, Phyllis Schlafly was busy on her Eagle Forum blog, blaming left-wing professors.
“Why was [shooter Seung-Hui Cho] consumed with hate, resentment and bitterness?” Schlafly asked. She then pointed to a course taught by Bernice Hausman, a feminist professor in English and former director of women’s studies, whose class syllabus Schlafly found online: “One of the assignments…[was] to ‘choose one day in which they dress and comport themselves in a manner either more masculine or more feminine than they would normally.’”
“It sounds like just the thing,” Schlafly declared, “to confuse an already mixed-up kid.”
Professor Hausman never taught Cho, however. Her theory course was for graduate students. But why let facts get in the way of a good diatribe? Schlafly concluded by asking “why taxpayers are paying professors at Virginia Tech to teach worthless and psychologically destructive courses.”
Schlafly’s vicious attack is just one of many far-right shots fired over the bow of academe. Targeting the “leftist university” as part of a broader political and cultural project to restore America’s “traditional” values, ultraconservative activists condemn women’s studies, ethnic studies, LGBT studies and other scholarship that questions dominant Western culture. Criticisms of this scholarship as “ideological” are not new. Nor are they entirely rational. But they are now particularly well organized.
Women’s studies programs, and even individual feminist scholars, have always had to cope with professors, students, alumni and others engaged in anti-feminist intellectual harassment. On my campus, an alum sends a yearly letter to the dean and other high-ups declaring his horror at our annual Queer Film Series, each time closing his missive, “Heterosexually yours.”
READ ON...
The right-wing campaign against women's studies turns a treasured ideal on its head
By Martha McCaughey
Within a month of the horrifying mass murder at Virginia Tech last spring, Phyllis Schlafly was busy on her Eagle Forum blog, blaming left-wing professors.
“Why was [shooter Seung-Hui Cho] consumed with hate, resentment and bitterness?” Schlafly asked. She then pointed to a course taught by Bernice Hausman, a feminist professor in English and former director of women’s studies, whose class syllabus Schlafly found online: “One of the assignments…[was] to ‘choose one day in which they dress and comport themselves in a manner either more masculine or more feminine than they would normally.’”
“It sounds like just the thing,” Schlafly declared, “to confuse an already mixed-up kid.”
Professor Hausman never taught Cho, however. Her theory course was for graduate students. But why let facts get in the way of a good diatribe? Schlafly concluded by asking “why taxpayers are paying professors at Virginia Tech to teach worthless and psychologically destructive courses.”
Schlafly’s vicious attack is just one of many far-right shots fired over the bow of academe. Targeting the “leftist university” as part of a broader political and cultural project to restore America’s “traditional” values, ultraconservative activists condemn women’s studies, ethnic studies, LGBT studies and other scholarship that questions dominant Western culture. Criticisms of this scholarship as “ideological” are not new. Nor are they entirely rational. But they are now particularly well organized.
Women’s studies programs, and even individual feminist scholars, have always had to cope with professors, students, alumni and others engaged in anti-feminist intellectual harassment. On my campus, an alum sends a yearly letter to the dean and other high-ups declaring his horror at our annual Queer Film Series, each time closing his missive, “Heterosexually yours.”
READ ON...
The Coat Hanger Project
This is the film I mentioned in class. The trailer devastated me (personally), so if watching "The Abortion Diaries" or our in-class discussion was too much, this isn't the doc for you.
Click this link to see info about the film. Trailer is on top of right sidebar.
Click this link to see info about the film. Trailer is on top of right sidebar.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Now FOX hates Palin. Because she's a woman or because of her "knowledgeability"
She didn't know Africa wasn't a country.
She didn't know what countries are in NAFTA.
Great.
From this article
She didn't know what countries are in NAFTA.
Great.
From this article
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Winona LaDuke TODAY!!!
Winona LaDuke, "Environmental Justice Locally, Nationally and Globally"
Thursday, November 6th, 5:00 pm, Hill Ballroom
Ms. LaDuke is an internationally respected Native American and environmental activist. She is the founding director of the White Earth Land Recovery Project and the co-chair of the Indigenous Women's Network. She is the recipient of many awards and accolades and the author of numerous books and articles.
Reception to follow in Weyerhauser Boardroom
Sponsored by: Lealtad-Suzuki Center, Office of the President, Dean for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, the Program Board, Environmental Studies,
If you have any questions or would like to be involved in any way, please contact Emma Sheppard (esheppard@macalester.edu) or Afifa Benwahoud (benwahoud@macalester.edu).
Thursday, November 6th, 5:00 pm, Hill Ballroom
Ms. LaDuke is an internationally respected Native American and environmental activist. She is the founding director of the White Earth Land Recovery Project and the co-chair of the Indigenous Women's Network. She is the recipient of many awards and accolades and the author of numerous books and articles.
Reception to follow in Weyerhauser Boardroom
Sponsored by: Lealtad-Suzuki Center, Office of the President, Dean for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, the Program Board, Environmental Studies,
If you have any questions or would like to be involved in any way, please contact Emma Sheppard (esheppard@macalester.edu) or Afifa Benwahoud (benwahoud@macalester.edu).
"A Vision of Students Today"
a short video summarizing some of the most important characteristics of students today - how they learn, what they need to learn, their goals, hopes, dreams, what their lives will be like, and what kinds of changes they will experience in their lifetime. Created by Michael Wesch in collaboration with 200 students at Kansas State University.
Today's Special Guest: Invincible
http://www.myspace.com/invincilana
"Invincible in Two Worlds": "Every A&R's worst nightmare" carves out her own path in hip-hop. READ ON
Bio from clnet download.com: It is truly rare to find an artist like Invincible. Her spitfire wordplay has gotten her acclaim from Hip Hop fans all across the world, while her active involvement in progressive social change has taken her music beyond entertainment, and towards actualizing the change she wishes to see. Repping Detroit, MI, many are already familiar with her work with Waajeed and the Platinum Pied Pipers, Finale, the all-female ANOMOLIES crew, Black Star, and many others. Dubbed by XXL Magazine as "every A&Rs worst nightmare" for rejecting major label deals and general industry politrix, Invincible started her own record label, EMERGENCE, self-releasing her long-awaited full length LP, ShapeShifters, June, 2008.
Invincible's versatility shines through on ShapeShifters over production by Waajeed, Black Milk, Lab Techs, House Shoes, and more. She is part of a community on the frontline of innovating the future of music, including featured guests Tiombe Lockhart, Finale, Wordsworth, Indeed, and Buff1. Every track stands alone in style, subject matter and concept. Together, the tracks form a cohesive unit that covers issues related to self and community transformation such as: the journey of a struggling artist, J Dilla and Proof's legacies, media monopoly, love/hate relationships, gentrification, faith, and beyond. Invincible's visual lyricism is interwoven with heavy hitting musical backdrops, creating a compelling cinematic sound-scape.
The lead 12" Single and title track, "ShapeShifters," produced by Waajeed, is a ride in itself, beginning with the urgent declaration, "Music is not a mirror to reflect reality / It's a hammer, with which we shape it." The song proceeds to take the listener to a post apocalyptic future where a time capsule of Hip Hop and cultural resistance is unearthed, sampled, and evolved for generations to come.
From Hip Hop enthusiasts to everyday people working for change, Invincible's ShapeShifters will give hope to listeners searching for substance within their daily dose of music. Invincible has created an album for the ages to transform the way people listen to emcees for years to come.
Invincible rhymes on prison at Oakland Unity High School:
Invincible with Talib Kweli:
Invincible and Finale "Locusts" (Docu-Music-Video):
Invincible's "Sledgehammer" video:
Invincible with her all-female crew The Anomalies:
Invincible's "State of Emergency"
"No Easy Answers"
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
From Bao Phi: First ever CD release: ¿Nation of Immigrants?
Hello Equilibrium Supporters,
And did we mention there will be free food? The CD will be on sale for $10 and there will be some short performances by some of the featured artists.
thank you all for making EQ's Fall season so spectacular!
Please come and help us celebrate our first ever CD release, ¿Nation of Immigrants? - a compilation of spoken word and performance poetry by Minnesotan Indigenous, immigrant, adoptee, refugee, and people of color - that seeks to explore, challenge, and explode the blanket-term "nation of immigrants". We gave preference to Minnesota artists that do not have their own CD out yet. It is really a spectacular collection, educational, thought-provoking, and inspiring, and it's just in time for the gift-giving season!
And did we mention there will be free food? The CD will be on sale for $10 and there will be some short performances by some of the featured artists.
Help us celebrate Minnesota poets and political art! And spread the word...
¿Nation of Immigrants? Minnesota spoken word artists and poets question the world
A CD featuring spoken word artists and poets Robert Karimi, Marcie Rendon, Juliana Hu Pegues, Tatiana Ormaza, Ibe Kaba, Khalid Adam, Preeti Kaur, Bobby Wilson, Lorena Duarte, Ka Vang, Ed Bok Lee, Tish Jones, Diego Vazquez, Christy Namee Eriksen, and Charlotte Albrecht.
Produced by the Loft Literary Center
Curated by Bao Phi, Associate Program Director, Equilibrum: Spoken Word at the Loft
Recorded, Engineered, Mixed and Mastered by Antonio Del Rosario
Original CD Cover Art by Ricardo Levins Morales
Graphic Design by Douglas Kearney
CD Release Party
Saturday, November 22, 8 p.m.
Featuring short performances by featured artists
At the Loft, 1011 Washington Avenue South
Free.
Food and beverage provided at reception following performances
Thien-bao Thuc Phi
Associate Program Director
Spoken Word and Community Collaborations
The Loft
1011 Washington Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55415
612-215-2585
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Suggested Event: Ananya Dance
Ananya Dance Theatre's
Pipaashaa: Extreme Thirst
Women of Substance Series and Ananya Dance Theatre
Thursday - Friday November 6-7, 2008 at 8PM
Pipaashaa, extreme thirst, is an artistic response to the steady
eradication and contamination of natural resources by aggressive
industrialization, from the point of view of some of the most
vulnerable populations in society. Created in collaboration with
leaders and scholars from the local environmental justice movement
and other internationally renowned artists, Pipaashaa is a story of
the desire to live amidst loss and struggle, and it articulates both
the aching thirst of struggling communities and the dream of an
alternative context, through the power of dance.
Pipaashaa is the first of a three-part series of new works
choreographed by ADT Artistic Director Ananya Chatterjea in response
to the steady drying up of the world's resources, specifically
through environmental damage, which heightens the vulnerable position
in which much of the world's women and children are forced to live.
It tells the stories of women and children who are forced to live in
the most difficult of circumstances-somehow pulling together an
existence by scavenging through dirt piles collecting recyclable
materials, for instance, in dense urban areas. More generally,
"Pipaashaa" explores ideas of loss and struggle, the desire to live,
and the relationship of these ideas to femininity.
When: Thursday - Friday November 6-7, 2008 at 8PM. (Post-show
Discussion Friday)
Where: The O'Shaughnessy, 2004 Randolph Ave, St Paul, Minnesota
Tickets: $25, student rate: $16
Call 651-690-6700 for Tickets or through www.ticketmaster.com
For more information on Ananya Dance Theatre:
admin@ananyadancetheatre.org
www.ananyadancetheatre.org
Contact Info
Brent Radeke, E-Newsletter Coordinator
admin@ananyadancetheatre.org
Pipaashaa: Extreme Thirst
Women of Substance Series and Ananya Dance Theatre
Thursday - Friday November 6-7, 2008 at 8PM
Pipaashaa, extreme thirst, is an artistic response to the steady
eradication and contamination of natural resources by aggressive
industrialization, from the point of view of some of the most
vulnerable populations in society. Created in collaboration with
leaders and scholars from the local environmental justice movement
and other internationally renowned artists, Pipaashaa is a story of
the desire to live amidst loss and struggle, and it articulates both
the aching thirst of struggling communities and the dream of an
alternative context, through the power of dance.
Pipaashaa is the first of a three-part series of new works
choreographed by ADT Artistic Director Ananya Chatterjea in response
to the steady drying up of the world's resources, specifically
through environmental damage, which heightens the vulnerable position
in which much of the world's women and children are forced to live.
It tells the stories of women and children who are forced to live in
the most difficult of circumstances-somehow pulling together an
existence by scavenging through dirt piles collecting recyclable
materials, for instance, in dense urban areas. More generally,
"Pipaashaa" explores ideas of loss and struggle, the desire to live,
and the relationship of these ideas to femininity.
When: Thursday - Friday November 6-7, 2008 at 8PM. (Post-show
Discussion Friday)
Where: The O'Shaughnessy, 2004 Randolph Ave, St Paul, Minnesota
Tickets: $25, student rate: $16
Call 651-690-6700 for Tickets or through www.ticketmaster.com
For more information on Ananya Dance Theatre:
admin@ananyadancetheatre.org
www.ananyadancetheatre.org
Contact Info
Brent Radeke, E-Newsletter Coordinator
admin@ananyadancetheatre.org
Analyze This! Video on Minnesota's Prison Industry
http://www.minncor.com/partnershipvideo.wmv
We will watch this in class today... we will analyze using readings from our text book.
Watch and think about KEY CONCEPTS from the reading and the "buzz" words used in this video like "productivity", "always here" labor force, "control our costs", "win-win situation for EVERYONE", and things like jobs others won't do... "where do you find workers....", the RESOURCES inside America's correctional facility"
Language and power folks.
We will look at the MINNCOR Industries website in class: http://www.minncor.com/default.htm
and take a "virtual tour" of Minnesota's prison at the MN DOC homepage: http://www.corr.state.mn.us/aboutdoc/tour/default.htm
(although Shakopee is not accessible)
Also, peep this blog by Carleton Educational Studies Chair Deborah Appleman who is using her sabbatical to teach a course on "Language and Power" inside Stillwater Prison:http://blogs.carleton.edu/Stillwater/
Also, trailer of my film about project in Stillwater: http://rachelraimist.com/gallery.html
FUN Stuff guys. And, my former student Amit will join us next Thursday!
We will watch this in class today... we will analyze using readings from our text book.
Watch and think about KEY CONCEPTS from the reading and the "buzz" words used in this video like "productivity", "always here" labor force, "control our costs", "win-win situation for EVERYONE", and things like jobs others won't do... "where do you find workers....", the RESOURCES inside America's correctional facility"
Language and power folks.
We will look at the MINNCOR Industries website in class: http://www.minncor.com/default.htm
and take a "virtual tour" of Minnesota's prison at the MN DOC homepage: http://www.corr.state.mn.us/aboutdoc/tour/default.htm
(although Shakopee is not accessible)
Also, peep this blog by Carleton Educational Studies Chair Deborah Appleman who is using her sabbatical to teach a course on "Language and Power" inside Stillwater Prison:http://blogs.carleton.edu/Stillwater/
Also, trailer of my film about project in Stillwater: http://rachelraimist.com/gallery.html
FUN Stuff guys. And, my former student Amit will join us next Thursday!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
WALKER ART CENTER - FILM VIDEO Internship Available
JOB TITLE Film/Video Intern (December 2008 – March 2009)
DEPARTMENT Film/Video
REPORTS TO Program Manager, Film/Video
The Film/Video intern will assist in the solicitation and tracking of preview and public relation materials for future programming; assist in the drafting, fact-checking, and proofing of text for brochures and catalogues; assist in identifying community groups to promote our film programs to; and help prepare text, video clips and web links for the Walker website. This internship requires a commitment of two, 7-hour days per week.
Qualifications for these internships include a degree or current enrollment in a film/video degree program; computer experience with word processing (MS Word), Excel (spreadsheet), Filemaker Pro (preferred); and office skills for faxing, photocopying, and filing. Some professional film exhibition experience also preferred.
Benefits include: free tickets to screenings of film/video presentations; comp tickets to other events as available; a Walker membership; and Gallery 8 Café and Walker Shop discounts. There is also a $30 per week stipend.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, November 21, 2008
For consideration, send your letter and resume to Human Resources, Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403. Job line: www.walkerart.org/jobs/
DEPARTMENT Film/Video
REPORTS TO Program Manager, Film/Video
The Film/Video intern will assist in the solicitation and tracking of preview and public relation materials for future programming; assist in the drafting, fact-checking, and proofing of text for brochures and catalogues; assist in identifying community groups to promote our film programs to; and help prepare text, video clips and web links for the Walker website. This internship requires a commitment of two, 7-hour days per week.
Qualifications for these internships include a degree or current enrollment in a film/video degree program; computer experience with word processing (MS Word), Excel (spreadsheet), Filemaker Pro (preferred); and office skills for faxing, photocopying, and filing. Some professional film exhibition experience also preferred.
Benefits include: free tickets to screenings of film/video presentations; comp tickets to other events as available; a Walker membership; and Gallery 8 Café and Walker Shop discounts. There is also a $30 per week stipend.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, November 21, 2008
For consideration, send your letter and resume to Human Resources, Walker Art Center, 1750 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403. Job line: www.walkerart.org/jobs/
Sunday, October 26, 2008
An Open Letter to White Non-Muslim Western Feminists
Taken from Muslimnists blog (http://muslimnista.org/2008/10/13/an-open-letter-to-white-non-muslim-western-feminists/)
"We need to talk.
Having the economic privilege to spend a few summers in Cairo or to study abroad in Dubai does not give you the authority to speak about Middle Eastern culture.
Dating a Saudi guy does not give you the authority to speak about Islam. Or about Muslim men.
Knowing some Muslim women through work or as friends does not give you the authority to speak for them or the rest of Muslim women.
There are those of us who suffer. But don’t speak of us as victims if we are not dead. Don’t deny the agency with which we become survivors and active shapers of our lives. Don’t ignore the fighting we do for ourselves.
We can—and do—speak for ourselves. So stop speaking for us.
I notice a lot of condescension and arrogance when you talk to us or about us. Let me be clear: you do not know more about us than we know about ourselves, our religion, our cultures, our families, or the forces that shape our lives. You do not know what’s best for us more than we do.
So please check yourselves.
Being an ally does not mean speaking for us, making choices for us, or figuring out what’s best for us. It means supporting and defending the choices we make and the voices we use.
If we want help, and ask for it, then do only what you’re asked. Don’t invent new ways to characterize us as oppressed or agitate for the solving of problems that aren’t pressingly important. Case in point: if we want better divorce laws in a particular country, don’t agitate for the abolishing of mandatory clothing policies.
If you can’t do that, then don’t bother. It’s better to just stay out of our way. Passing judgment on and mischaracterizing our choices, our religion, or ways of life does us more harm than good; with friends like that, who needs enemies?
Sincerely,
An Islamic feminist who has met one-too-many white non-Muslim feminists that assume that they know better"
"We need to talk.
Having the economic privilege to spend a few summers in Cairo or to study abroad in Dubai does not give you the authority to speak about Middle Eastern culture.
Dating a Saudi guy does not give you the authority to speak about Islam. Or about Muslim men.
Knowing some Muslim women through work or as friends does not give you the authority to speak for them or the rest of Muslim women.
There are those of us who suffer. But don’t speak of us as victims if we are not dead. Don’t deny the agency with which we become survivors and active shapers of our lives. Don’t ignore the fighting we do for ourselves.
We can—and do—speak for ourselves. So stop speaking for us.
I notice a lot of condescension and arrogance when you talk to us or about us. Let me be clear: you do not know more about us than we know about ourselves, our religion, our cultures, our families, or the forces that shape our lives. You do not know what’s best for us more than we do.
So please check yourselves.
Being an ally does not mean speaking for us, making choices for us, or figuring out what’s best for us. It means supporting and defending the choices we make and the voices we use.
If we want help, and ask for it, then do only what you’re asked. Don’t invent new ways to characterize us as oppressed or agitate for the solving of problems that aren’t pressingly important. Case in point: if we want better divorce laws in a particular country, don’t agitate for the abolishing of mandatory clothing policies.
If you can’t do that, then don’t bother. It’s better to just stay out of our way. Passing judgment on and mischaracterizing our choices, our religion, or ways of life does us more harm than good; with friends like that, who needs enemies?
Sincerely,
An Islamic feminist who has met one-too-many white non-Muslim feminists that assume that they know better"
movie
I have the movie for the day and will be watching it at some point if anyone wants to join me...i'm flexible time-wise...
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
movie time in the cultural house (37 macalester street)
hey all,
just wanted to let everyone know that I will be showing the movie at 7 o'clock tonight.
will that work?
elyse
Twin Cities League of Youth (aka Pissed Off) Voters
Visit the Homepage for more info
Endorsement Slate Introduction
Who we are…We are young people from the Twin Cities who are pissed off at politics as usual and want to have a say in the policies that govern our lives. There are a whole lot of us, and if politicians want our votes they need to get serious about the issues we face every day.
What we want… At the end of the day, what we want is simple—a fair chance to get an education, a job and a place to live in a safe and sustainable world regardless of sex, race, class, identity or ability. We pay taxes, we vote and we want to live in a country that respects young people and invests in us to succeed. We're not asking for handouts. We're demanding fairness and smarter priorities.
We did the research…And man was it a lot of work! Here are the candidates we think best reflect the needs and values of young people in the Twin Cites. But as LeVar Burton always said, “You don’t have to take my word for it”—We HIGHLY encourage you to do your own research as well!
What You Need to Know
WHEN, WHERE:
• Polls are open on Nov 4, 7am - 8pm.
• To find out where you vote, go to: http://maps.google.com/vote
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE:
• If you have been convicted of a felony, your right to vote is automatically restored when you finish probation/parole; if you are off paper, you can register and vote
• If you need assistance with a disability or a language other than English, you can bring someone with you into the polls to mark your ballot.
• Out-of-state college students: you can vote absentee in your home state OR you can register to vote in MN (but not both)
• You have the right to be absent from work, to vote, for up to two hours on the morning of Election Day—without reduction in pay
• YOU CAN TAKE THIS ENDORSEMENT SLATE INTO THE VOTING BOOTH
REGISTERING TO VOTE:
• Register by October 14th so your name is on the voter rolls on Election Day, OR….
• Election Day Registration -- bring proof of who you are and where you live to your polling place:
o Option #1: MN driver’s license, MN state ID, or photo tribal ID (ID can be expired, address must be current)
o Option #2: A photo ID + a current utility bill in your name
o Option #3: A voucher -- someone registered to vote in your precinct who can swear that you live there
VOTER HOTLINE:
• If you have any questions about where or how to vote, or if anything sketchy or confusing goes down, call:
• 1-866-OUR-VOTE
Hit us up!
For questions, or to get involved with the Twin Cities League of Pissed Off Voters, contact Camille: Camille@theleague.com, 651.414.6040. Check out our website: www.theleague.com/tc
Download PDF of guide: Final_Endorsement_Slate.pdf
Axe Dark Temptation: Consuming the Other
I saw this ad when I was watching the baseball game last Sunday night.
There is also a website for "Axe Dark Temptation" featuring prizes, games, and opportunities to meet Chocolate Man in person at various Six Flags locations, etc.
http://axedarktemptation.com/home.asp
There is also a website for "Axe Dark Temptation" featuring prizes, games, and opportunities to meet Chocolate Man in person at various Six Flags locations, etc.
http://axedarktemptation.com/home.asp
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
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