culture: weird, true and freaky

Meet the Burryman. CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

"The Burryman is there to vacuum up evil and spread good fortune for the coming year. "

Every year on the second Friday of August, during the Ferry Fair, a strange spectacle can be seen walking round the town of West Lothian, Scotland. During the day, a local man is dressed in a full-body costume made of flannel, before completely covering himself in burrs. Once covered in his suit, the Burryman finishes off the ensemble with a flower-covered bowler-hat, a flag cummerbund and two staves of flowers. Apparently this is an ancient tradition dating all the way back to 1687.

Source: Scotsman.com

it looks like snow

how many words for "snow" do the Inuit really have?

finding this answer has proved much more difficult than I anticipated.

There have been books written on this..The Great Eskimo Vocabulary Hoax by Geoffrey Pullum

"1911 when anthropologist Franz Boaz casually mentioned that the Inuit—he called them "Eskimos," using the derogatory term of a tribe to the south of them for eaters of raw meat—had four different words for snow. With each succeeding reference in textbooks and the popular press the number grew to sometimes as many as 400 words. In fact, "Contrary to popular belief, the Eskimos do not have more words for snow than do speakers of English," according to linguist Steven Pinker in his book The Language Instinct. "Counting generously, experts can come up with about a dozen."

The myth initially began by somone named Phil James who compiled the Eskimo's One Hundred Words For Snow

Part of the list:

tlapa - powder snow

tlacringit - snow that is crusted on the surface

kayi - drifting snow

tlapat - still snow

klin - remembered snow

naklin - forgotten snow.

The list moves into longer phrases like these:

talini - snow angels

priyakli - snow that looks like it's falling upward

chiup - snow that makes halos

blontla - snow that's shaken off in the mudroom

tlalman - snow sold to German tourists

tlalam - snow sold to American tourists

tlanip - snow sold to Japanese tourists

and so on..

season's readings

"Set in New York City, a curious girl named Sofia takes us on her holiday adventure as she walks along the streets of Manhattan asking passersby which holiday they celebrate. From her nail lady to the business man to a woman sipping tea, she wonders then asks, if they have a Menorah or a Christmas tree. "

Oh Sofia, what if you are neither? Refer to post "Holy Days".

barbie world

With the holidays right around the corner, I feel like now would be the perfect time to talk TOYS!!! Specifically, Barbie. The iconic, over-idealized, materialistic, "perfect" woman that girls across the world aspire to have and to hold. With so much negative criticism surrounding the most popular doll for sale, I found myself wondering..what does Barbie say about diversity?










In 1967 Francie was considered the first African American Barbie doll to hit stores. Although her debute was clouded with controversy as Francie's mold was an exact replcia of the white Barbie doll--the only physical change was the color of her skin. Alterations have since been made in the doll's hair and facial features to depict more authentic characteristics--the So In Style line of Barbies--includes new fashion forward BFF's: Grace, Kara and Trichelle .
One year later Steffie was introduced, she was the first Hispanic doll which actually featured a "Steffie" head mold--the same that was used on the Hawaiian Barbie later in the 70s.

Bhopal Gas Leak

Today marks the twenty-five year anniversary of the Bhopal gas leak.

On December 3, 1984, the city of lakes, Bhopal, India was victim to the world's worst industrial disaster. Methyl Isocyanate leaked from Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) plant, killing about 4,000 people, and leaving others permanently disabled. To this day, a toxic waste from the plant still contaminates the soil and groundwater and we find that children are still being born with birth defects. After a thorough investigation it was found that," six safety measures designed to prevent a gas leak had either malfunctioned, were turned off or were otherwise inadequate. In addition, the safety sired, intended to alert the community should an incident occur in at the plant, was turned off." Chairman and CEO of UCIL, Warren Anderson, neglected to fix any of the thirty major hazards found in a 1982 safety audit. Anderson was arrested by police in India after visiting the site, jumped bail and flew back to the United States. He has yet to return to India. Anderson is wanted in India and by Interpol. Justice needs to be served to the innocent victims of this tragedy. "United States authorities claimed they could not find Anderson and India has not pursued his extradition from the United States for fear of damaging US investment and trade."

holy days

The winter seasons is upon us and with that, cultures around the world participate in celebrations and festivities. A number of these holidays are associated with religions, hence the name holiday.."holy day". We also find that during these winter months, the days get shorter and the nights get longer.

"... Most of the winter holidays are linked to winter solstice in some way, especially in the northern hemisphere. And this is the reason that most wintertime seasonal holiday traditions have their roots in the northern hemisphere."

I came across a few holidays that we are, perhaps, least familiar with:

Hogmanay

This is a Scottish word which means the last day of the year, which celebrates the New Year, according to the Gregorian calendar, in the Scottish way. It begin on the night of December 31, lasting all through the night and carrying on until the ‘Ne’erday’ or January 1, and sometimes even carrying on to January 2.

Bodhi Day

This is celebrated by the Buddhists on December 8 in commemoration of the enlightenment of the Buddha. This is considered the most important holiday for the Buddhists.

Eid-al-Adha

This is a feast that is celebrated by Muslims following their pilgrimage to Mecca that lasts for three days, and begins on January 10. It is a commemoration of Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, at the behest of God. Muslims consider Ishmael to be the Arabs forefather.

Las Posadas

This is a traditional winter holiday celebrated in Mexico between December 16 and December 24. In English, the term Las Posadas translates to ‘the Inn’, and therefore is a re-enactment of Joseph searching for a room at the inn. Hence, every Christmas, there is a procession carrying a doll, which represents Christ as a child and the images of Mary and Joseph riding a small donkey, which goes through the streets.

(source: buzzle.com)

nollywood

Right behind Hollywood and Bollywood, stands Nollywood, Nigeria's film industry, the world's third largest producer of feature films. With an average budget of just $15,000 and a production span of ten days, Nollywood films have been on the up since the early 90s. Time and financial constraints certainly haven't inhibited the directors, producers and writers of Nigeria.."some 300 producers churn out movies at an astonishing rate—somewhere between 500 and 1,000 a year." It can certainly be said that creativity is fostered in the midst of spare time and resources, and the innovative talent behind Nigeria's film industry prove that.

bollywood

With our recent readings on Indian culture, film and television, I figured now would be a good time to touch on the phenomenon that is, BOLLYWOOD!
Bollywood is the name given to the Mumbai-based Hindi-language film industry in India. It unites the words Bombay and Hollywood and in doing so, is a greater symbol for the assimilation of American and Indian culture. A bollywood film is usually characterized by its elements of modern indian music and dance. Indian dance often blends with Western dance styles (like those seen on MTV music videos). The plots are often quite theatrical. The plot tends to center around "star-crossed lovers, corrupt politicians, twins separated at birth, angry parents, courtesans with hearts of gold, dramatic reversals of fortune, and convenient coincidences." Indian film is quite popular on Indian television, which creates a dynamic dyad of the success of film and television in Indian culture.

POV | Documentaries

I came across this website today and was overwhelmed by the number of documentaries which focus on issues of ethnicity and immigration. I included a trailer of one film below, filmmaker Almudena Carracdeo claims, "Made in L.A. is an intimate portrait of an all-American experience: the struggle of recent immigrants to get a foothold, to assert their voices, to say, 'I exist. And I have rights.'”

the telly

The most recent survey conducted by the Nielson Company (a marketing and media information company, specializing in data collection ) suggests that Americans watch an average of 151 hours of television every month, that's 5 hours a day! Last year the firm reported only 3.8 hours per day. So, what accounts for this increase? Are television shows getting more interesting? Are television screens becoming more and more accessible..it seems like we can watch it everywhere..from our car to our cellphones and even the Internet. Susan Bandura, director of strategy in the San Francisco branch suggests that, "the average U.S. household now contains more televisions than people, which means that family members or roommates can watch their favorite shows alone." Well, we have certainly come a long way from crowding around a single tube in the living room with friends, family and neighbors.

color-blind casting

As an extension from my last post, I came across this article from Entertainment Weekly.
Diversity: Why is TV so white?
Shondra Rhines, creator of shows like Grey's Anatomy, explains, ''Do I want to see any more shows where someone has a sassy black friend? No, because I'm nobody's sassy black friend. I just want to see shows in which people get to be people and that look like the world we live in. The world is changing, and television will have to follow."
I couldn't agree more. These television shows aren't showing enough of an equal, realistic landscape of the diversity we see in America today.

off script: from g's to gents

The Los Angeles Times reports that, "despite decades of public pressure on the major networks to diversify, the lead characters in all but a handful of prime-time scripted shows this season are still white —- and usually young and affluent. In contrast, reality programs consistently feature a broader range of people when it comes to race, age, class and sexual orientation." It supports this statement by bringing up examples from such contestant in shows like The Amazing Race, Survivor and the Biggest Loser. Nevertheless, this does always shed the most positive light on these minorities. Generally speaking, such unresolved issues surrounding race, class and sexual orientation can generate further tension and emotions, and in doing so, provides material to the show. These reality shows don't provide the most enlightening experience. Their producers aren't necessarily adding diversity in order to appear pro-social but rather to obtain better ratings and merit entertainment. Specifically, I'm reminded of reality shows such like From G's To Gents. I've included a clip for your viewing pleasure. http://www.mtv.com/videos/from-gs-to-gents-season-2-ep-1-down-n-dirty/1604291/playlist.jhtml

Frida's Stamp

For designers, stamp design is by far one of the most prestigious and memorable projects to be granted. Generally speaking, most US stamps depict America or American-related subjects. American flags, the liberty bell, native birds and flowers, the statue of liberty..these are generally the images we see on stamps. On June 21, 2001, Frida Kahlo became the first Hispanic woman to be honored on an American postage stamp. The President of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Cecilia Alvear, responded, "as Latinos we are pleased by the U.S. Postal Service's recognition of the artistic genius of Frida Kahlo..This stamp, honoring a Mexican artist who has transcended 'la frontera' and has become an icon to Hispanics, feminists and art lovers, will be a further reminder of the continuous cultural contributions of Latinos to the United States."

color blind children

So much of what children learn is through imitation. Repeating things that are said and done on television, in movies, through books and simply from observing society. I've always felt that as long as we have thrived on earth it has been ingrained in our genetics to classify, separate and construct groups. Children, at a young age, learn to recognize difference and categorize accordingly. Keeping all of this in mind, do children develop a solid understanding of race and diversity through a combination of the media, education and their parents? I would think that children would learn how to positively or even negatively interact with different races according to their daily observations. So, I ask myself, are children really oblivious to racial difference?

"think outside the bun"

Moving forward with my previous post on Chicano Civil Rights Movements, I came across a stand-up preformance by the Mexican American comedian George Lopez. I feel this clip in particular directly correlates back to the braceros. It certainly sheds some mildly vulgar humor on a particularly tragic subject.

El Movimiento

Our new text, Shot in America: Television, the State and the Rise of Chicano Cinema, has spawned my growing interest in Chicano culture. Searching through endless pages of Chicano art, I came across this Graphic Design poster created for The Grape Boycotts of the United Farm Workers Association (UFWA) in the 1960s. In the early 1940s Mexican workers entered the United States in hopes of obtaining work and a better life--they entered the excruciating world of the labor-intensive industry. Known as "braceros", these workers endured terrible working conditions, low wages and abysmal living corridors in farms across America... we are taking a mere TWENTY cents for over three hours of work. Over 1,000 farmer workers joined the UFWA and rallied for better wages and conditions. Civil rights activists, Cesar Chavez successfully lead strikes and boycotts against grape growers which ultimately resulted in national recognition and the signing of union contracts, better wages and working conditions.

"It's ironic that those who till the soil, cultivate and harvest the fruits, vegetables, and other foods that fill your tables with abundance have nothing left for themselves." -C. Chavez

Aussies vs. Kiwis

I remember first seeing Flight of the Conchords on an HBO special years ago. Their comedy was fresh. Their integration of music was creative. And their accents were too darn cute. Flash forward two years--Bret and Jermain have made it big in America, with an HBO television series and an intense following. I thought I would share a bit of their work--it illustrates their style of comedic performance & puts a funny twist on diversity.
"Each person deserves to be treated like a person."

walt disney pictures, part deux

In light of the overwhelming responses from my last post, I figure I'd do some research on this new movie, featuring an African American princess, set to release on December 11th. Princess Tiana will star in The Princess and the Frog, which follows the basic premise of any classical Disney fairy tale--she kisses a frog, he is transformed into a magical prince who sweeps her off her feet and they live happily ever after. Mulan, Pocahontas and Jasmine are certainly odes to racial diversity across the board--generally speaking, before their appearance the lead characters were overwhelmingly white. I suppose the question we must ask ourselves is, will Disney be able to break away from their humiliating racial controversies of the past? Will Princess Tiana fill the void of a black heroine, imitated by thousands of young girls across the country?

walt disney pictures

My friend sent me this video today. I haven't watched a Disney movie in an age, but I was certainly exposed to them all throughout my childhood. It's awfully surprising to view these small clips out of text. Certainly children wouldn't pick up on all the subtle imagery and sounds, but there is no denying the stereotyping of minorities here.

k-west, t-swift and b-obama

FOX NYDAILY NEWS These links show two binary POV's from the political spectrum, both a conservative and a liberal take on President Obama's recent remarks regarding the Kanye West controversy at this years VMAs. Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift as she was accepting her VMA award for Best Female Video and claimed that Beyonce Knowles had the best video of all time..ironically enough, she ended up winning the Best Video of the Year later in the show. President Obama was then quoted calling Kanye a "jackass" in an interview with CNBC.
I found it interesting to compare both of these articles..the first sentence alone, says more than enough:
FOX reports: "President Barack Obama called hip-hop musician Kanye West a "jackass" on Monday in an off-the-record comment during an interview with CNBC, an ABC News anchor reported on Twitter."
NYDAILY reports: "When it comes to Kanye West, it seems that President Obama is thinking what the rest of the country is thinking."

the art of food

The Sydney International Food Festival
I found this food festival to be a creative stab at diversity and cultural recognition. Each flag is constructed from food native to a specific country. For example, the French flag is made from red grapes, bleu cheese and camembert, the Japanese flag includes a single circle of sushi (probably raw tuna) sitting ontop rice.
I've included a few below for your viewing pleasure..

Hubbly Bubbly

Usually you'll find Middle Eastern men sitting behind tall ornate pipes smoking sheesha, or hookah as it may be more popularly known as. But it's become a growing trend among your average college student. Hookah is a traditional Indian water pipe that allows for flavored tobacco (everything from strawberry to coconut to vanilla) to be inhaled through hoses. Smoking hookah has always been a social activity as it can be shared among multiple people. While smoking cigarettes may be disbaned from indoor facilities, hookah bars are becoming more popular and permitted in cities throughout America. It's become a trendy way to socialize--an alternative to heading to the a bar, club or lounge. This cultural adaptation has become a surprising fascination among college campuses across America.

the windy city

"We live in a fractured world. I've always seen it as my role as an artist to attempt to make wholeness." -Anish Kapoor

In 2004, Kapoor constructed a 110 ton ellipse of fortified steel frames, covered in hand-rolled stainless steel plates. He titled this piece Cloud Gate and placed it on the AT&T plaza in Millenium park, Chicago. The giant bean reflects the height and sensation of the Chicago skyline--which is something I've been dying to witness in the flesh, ever since I can remember. I've never been to Chicago and I don't even know anyone who lives or has lived there. It's an intriguing city.. full of art and architecture..known for it's vibrant neighborhoods and the renowned Magnificant Mile. It's a city of heart and soul, creativity and innovation.

it's always sunny

I came back to my apartment the other night to find my roommates huddled around the television watching the first season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. One episode in particular reminded me of one of the many discussions we’ve been having in COMM 300. The episode, appropriately titled “The Gang Get’s Racist,” brings up, surprisingly enough, issues of race and the representation of blackness. This episode in particular, lightens the severity of racism through use of comical writing and direction. Yet, at the same time, it touches on some very real issues facing both black and white people alike. It sympathizes with both races and exposes our frustrations and fears in a facetious demeanor.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Gang-Gets-Racist/dp/B000H4ZXJ2

speak the truth, even if your voice shakes.

I came across an article online from Life magazine of women in the 1960s. Life magazine has always published some of the most powerful images of past centuries. Fashion models, actresses and even London police women posing in uniforms graced the pages of this article. However, it was the image from the Watts riots in Los Angeles, taken in 1965, that struck me the most. Upon further research, I was taken aback by the scale of these riots-- they lasted six days total, ending in six hundred damaged buildings, four thousand arrests and thirty-four were killed. This image captured from the riots is visually stricking. Four small black children standing in a line are clinging to one another as the cold, cement storefront (probably white-owned) covered in graffiti looms behind them. It conveys desparation and fragility. These riots represented a violent but necessary rise for black self-empowerment.