“A day in ‘the life’…”
Made in L.A.
When Forever 21 isn’t knocking off indie and major label designs, and being sued for it, I wonder how much time they devote to damage control in light of the Made in L.A. documentary? Probably not much, seeing as though I’m just now learning about the 2007 Grammy awarded film two years later.
Far from the city’s glitz and glamour, a trio of Latina immigrants toils away in a Los Angeles sweatshop. This documentary follows the women’s three-year battle with their employer, fashion retailer Forever 21, for essential labor rights. Enduring 14-hour days and oppressive, dangerous conditions, the women never lose focus on the need to effect change. Award-winning filmmaker Almudena Carracedo directs.–MadeinLA.com
“Female” vs. “Woman”
Question: Why is it the en vogue thing to refer to women as “females”? This has always irked the hell out of me, and I refuse to do it. Especially since nobody goes around calling men “males.”
This explains it perfectly:
As a noun, female has no place in ordinary conversation unless one is speaking of an animal species.
Ex. Can you tell if that lizard is a female?
Using “female” in place of “woman” in other than a clinical setting smacks of depersonalization and contempt.
Ex. At Thanksgiving the females watched a chick flick in the living room while the men watched the game in the den.
Substituting the word “male” for “men” in this context would not improve matters. In Western culture the words “male” and “female” are not merely designations of reproductive roles. They are terms frequently used to imply superiority or inferiority.
Among the many definitions given for the word female in the OED, we find:
female: n. Applied to various material and immaterial things, denoting simplicity, inferiority, weakness or the like.
I’m not objecting to the use of female as an adjective, as in “female reproductive organs.” My objection is to its careless use as a noun substituting for “woman” in ordinary conversation.–DailyWritingTips.com
Magazines Evolving
For all of you out there who feel print isn’t dying, only evolving…I bring you Netflix for magazines! It’s called Maghound, and you get any three magazines for about $4 each month (unlike Netflix, no you don’t return them. You keep them forever.) I thought this was an interesting turn of events, making magazines cheaper in light of folks not buying them and getting information off the web.
The selection is OK, but growing (they say). I’m kind of ticked they don’t offer international mags. Lately I’ve been eyeing Elle Decor in the grocery store, but haven’t felt moved to purchase it. Maybe this is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for? There’s a free month trial. So maybe I’ll do that. Haha.
Making prints cheaper may be part of the solution, though the big issue is still lack of relevant content most times. Publications really need to get on that.
Vogue Evolution
So if you’ve been watching America’s Best Dance Crew, you’d know that Vogue Evolution has been on this season representing for the ballroom scene kids. So far they’ve been killin’ it and meeting every challenge thrown at them. Sunday, Lil Mama (why is her tacky azz still somebody?) made some comments that have the blogs buzzing:Prior to the group’s performance, it was revealed Vogue Evolution had a hard week with Leiomy repeatedly missing dance practice and then walking out before dress rehearsal [Apparently due to homesickness--L.X.]. After the performance, Lil Mama kicked off the critiques calling the performance good not excellent. Apparently linking it to Leiomy’s behavior, Lil Mama chose to direct a bit of “advice” to Leiomy when she told her, “your behavior… is unacceptable….you have to always remember your truth. You were born a man and you are becoming a woman. If you’re going to become a woman, act like a lady. Don’t be a bird…. Even though you’re the face for transgenders, you’re the face for America right now with this group.”–BlackGayGossip
I really have to say Leiomy (the “Beyonce” of the ballroom scene right now, and a Mother of the House of Mizrahi), really has character and kept her composure despite looking extra pissed at Lil Mama’s insensitive comments. Leiomy may have been uncooperative this week, but I don’t see at all what that has to do with her gender identity. Someone fill me in? Right.
You can catch ABDC Sunday’s 9pm ET/PT on ABC. Also remember to vote! You can do so each Sunday; it’s easy, even if you didn’t watch the show! Vogue Evolution’s appearance is the first time the ballroom scene has been in the national spotlight in a big way since the Madonna “Vogue” era (circa 1990). Let’s help them make it!
College: My Rant
I really feel it’s pointless and I’m wasting my time and energy. I have no interest in my major, and my university doesn’t offer that great of an array of classes to take. All my degree will be is a piece of paper saying I’m qualified for somebody’s entry level job. I want to own my own business(s) one day, and it will have nothing to do with what I’m studying now. In fact I plan to go into a field that has nothing to do with what I’m studying.
Economics is my major because I was “grasping at straws” trying to pull out something I thought I would be kinda-sorta interested in studying. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, but I had a few ideas: sociology, neuroscience, chemistry, computer science, public health/pre-med, pre-law. All these were majors that I either had or contemplated (the pre-med/pre-law were my father’s wistful ideas of course; he refused to pay for a sociology degree.) on switching to. As you can see I wasn’t very focused.
To top it all off my GPA isn’t the best because I was studying a bunch of crap I wasn’t passionate about. (I got top marks during my sociology phase though.) I’ll just be glad when I finally have that piece of paper and it’s all over. The majority of what I “learned” during my college years was not in the classroom, but through life experiences. Then again that’s probably true for most people.
***To top it all off, our campus looks like a demolition zone since they are renovating everything. I’m also mad that our campus pub got rid of my favorite item on their menu: three-cheese steak nachos and replaced it with dry chicken wraps! Ugh!
Recent Comments