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.