Miley, the latest version of the Virus
Posted: October 30, 2013 Filed under: SONGS | Tags: allegedly provocative music videos, don't feed the charlatans they may go away, feminism, How to make a feminist's flesh crawl, manipulation, Miley Cyrus - Wrecking Ball parody by Jay-Jay Mike & Dom, Miley Cyrus sounds like a virus, Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball clip, no story, old men and young girls style of creepy, pop culture, X spawn of Billy Ray must be stopped 2 CommentsI’ve come to this pop culture party very late, but I want to weigh in on the debate about what is wrong with Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball mini fillum. It sucks. And not because she’s writhing around licking a hammer, although that is wrong because she’s not at a hardware store. No, it’s because it’s all been done. To death. At the risk of sounding like an old ‘back in my day, when dinosaurs roamed the earth and Madonna got her boobs out for the 24th time’ fart, it’s tired. I’m from the if you’ve seen one pair of boobs you’ve seen ’em all school of feminism so I couldn’t give a rat’s arse about Miley’s naked body, but Miley’s clip is creepy.
Old, balding tosser dribbles over young girl and tells her the storyline for her clip is provocative, original and daring. My flesh crawled when I googled the man’s name. He is 48 and a know pervert according to Doctor Wikipedia. Women 40 + are used to this kind of boring; male directors who don’t think they have to push their female star to actually act or perform or take us on an emotional journey because she is pretty, this style of ‘directing’ has been around as long as film (watch Rose Byrne in Two Hands or Angelina Jolie in most of her movies if you don’t believe me). No Miley, as cute as you are, flashing flesh is not enough, I want a storyline too. Copying Sinead O’Connor’s Nothing Compares To You video and faking the tears shames you as an actor, and the fact that a director’s cut exists says it all. I think you’ve been manipulated by a wanker who thinks he’s an artist. And that is very sad.
One Hit Wonders Part Two
Posted: October 22, 2013 Filed under: ART, SONGS | Tags: 80s disco, favourite songs, hit songs, one hit wonders, Player - Baby Come Back, radio friendly 70s songs, S-S-S-Single Bed Noosha Fox Film Clip Countdown Australia, sexy songs, the golden age of disco music, tragic 70s and 80s music Leave a commentI forgot so much fabulous music in my original post I could’t live with myself if I didn’t highlight other neglected 70s classics like Pussyfoot’s 1976 hit The Way That You Do It, Noosha Fox’s S-S-S-Single Bed and Lene Lovich’s Lucky Number. Or what about Patrick Hernandez’ Born To Be Alive or Player’s Baby Come Back from the golden age of smooth disco? My current favourite is Divine’s 80s hit You Think You’re A Man? My list of wonder hits is so very, very long if I read it out loud the accompanying soundtrack would be the Bee Gees’ song Tragedy (except they were no one hit wonders). What are your favourite 70s and 80s tragic tunes? Or 50s, 60s, 90s or current one hit wonders?
Count your blessings
Posted: October 21, 2013 Filed under: Clown Doctors, LOVE | Tags: attitude, beautiful girls, count your blessings, feisty teenagers, gratitude, happy memories, Laughter, Laughter therapy, life is so unfair, Pink fans, RIP princess, thank you, Who Knew by Pink Leave a commentIf your kids are healthy, hug them and hold them tight. You have won the lottery as a parent.
Because I am a girl
Posted: October 11, 2013 Filed under: FEMINISM | Tags: akon, child marriages, child workers, Destroy The Joint, Education for girls, equal rights, I am Malala, India Arie I am not my hair, Malala, Plan Australia, UN International Day of the Girl child Leave a commentIn a world where Destroy The Joint often triumphs over misogynist Twitter trolls, it’s easy to think that we girls are winning since we decided to put our knitting down and come out of the typing pool to run the world fairly, but we are a long way from the ideal of equal rights for all.
Today is the UN International Day of the Girl child to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world. For its second observance, this year’s Day will focus on “Innovating for Girls’ Education”.
Consider these facts;
1 in 7 girls is married before the age of 15
Every 60 seconds a girl dies giving birth
Girls are persecuted more than any other political or religious group
Around 90% of child workers are girls aged 12-17
Girls are three times more likely to suffer from malnutrition than boys
One in every four girls are sexually abused by the age of 18
And these from the UN website:
The fulfilment of girls’ right to education is first and foremost an obligation and moral imperative. There is also overwhelming evidence that girls’ education, especially at the secondary level, is a powerful transformative force for societies and girls themselves: it is the one consistent positive determinant of practically every desired development outcome, from reductions in mortality and fertility, to poverty reduction and equitable growth, to social norm change and democratization.
While there has been significant progress in improving girls’ access to education over the last two decades, many girls, particularly the most marginalized, continue to be deprived of this basic right. Girls in many countries are still unable to attend school and complete their education due to safety-related, financial, institutional and cultural barriers. Even when girls are in school, perceived low returns from poor quality of education, low aspirations, or household chores and other responsibilities keep them from attending school or from achieving adequate learning outcomes. The transformative potential for girls and societies promised through girls’ education is yet to be realized.
Recognizing the need for fresh and creative perspectives to propel girls’ education forward, the 2017 International Day of the Girl Child recognises the power of the adolescent girl, and most of all, the engagement of young people themselves.
“There is no tool for development more effective than the education of girls,” said Kofi Annan, the former UN Secretary General. I donate to Plan Australia, their Girls Fund is doing great work in the world.
I may be just a girl but I hope we educated gals in the west can go to bed knowing that we gave our sisters in other parts of the world an equal chance. As my 20 year old daughter said four years ago,
“What if the cure for cancer is trapped in the brain of a girl like Malala and it can’t get out because she’s not allowed to get an education?”
A long pause
Posted: October 10, 2013 Filed under: Birthdays, LOVE, MARRIAGE | Tags: DAVID LEE ROTH, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Famous Marriages in History, famous playwrights, great showmen, HAROLD PINTER, Just A Gigolo, October 10 birthdays, Pinteresque pauses, The show must go on, Theatre Leave a commentLet us stop for a moment as we remember today was the birthday of the playwright Harold Pinter. The fabulous modern showgirl David Lee Roth was also born today.
As I reflect on my single mother status and wonder if I should be married and living in happy couple land, I think of famous marriages in history:
On this day in 1975 Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton celebrated wedding No. 2.
Thank you for the music
Posted: October 10, 2013 Filed under: ART, AUSTRALIA, SONGS, WRITERS | Tags: Australian folk heroes, bloody cancer, cancer deaths, Chop Chop, Chopper Read dead, famous Irish bands, great Irish musicians, Irish music, kiss my arse, Mark Brandon "Chopper" Read, Melbourne underworld figures, never let the truth get in the way of a good story, Phil Chevron, Pogue Mahone, tall tales, The Pogues - Dirty Old Town Leave a commentBloody cancer has taken another creative being. Rest in Peace Philip Chevron, your music will live on. Whether on the main stage at Glastonbury, or crammed onstage in a tiny pub in Sydney, The Pogues were a brilliant live band in their heyday.
Meanwhile in Australia, notorious Melbourne underworld figure, ‘hitman’ and teller of tall tales Chopper Read has also succumbed to the big C. Thanks for the laughs Chop Chop, we will miss your storytelling but maybe not your murdering ways.