Well Read(?): Fifty Shades of Grey

❆ 1/2 Mitten ❆

Well friends, I am a really nice person. Like, the best person ever. Why, you ask? Because I read Fifty Shades of Grey, so you don’t have to. I mean, unless you wanna read really poorly written smut based on Twilight. Then, by all means, this is the book for you.

I’m not really sure where to begin. I guess with a little about the book. Written by some British lady named E.L. James, apparently the story began as Twilight fan fiction and then, with some name changes, an underground ebook hit. Oh and part of this new fad called “Mommy Porn,” and appeals, I guess, to all the Twi-hard mothers out there who got kicks out of Stephanie Meyer’s chastity-based series. The ‘Bella’ of Fifty Shades is a literature student named Anastasia who has is a virgin and has no idea that any boys have every liked her. Just like Bella in Twilight who cannot fathom why she’s worth existing or talking to until Edward likes her. Actually, until she becomes a vampire and awesomely sparkly. Christian (Edward), is a wealthy billionaire who is young and sexy and into BDSM. And so begins a true love story of our time, when klutzy brunette interviews sexypants Christian, make his dingle dangle point towards her like due north. By “true love story” I obviously mean kinda graphic sex scenes punctuated by really stupid plots about drug addict mothers, feelings, and vengeful bosses.  Continue reading

Tagged , , ,

Bunched Panties: ‘Girls’, Hipster Racism, and Great Expectations

So, a few weeks after I got maligned by Julie Klausner for pointing out an essay on hipster racism her problematic language in an interview in Bust, this new show Girls came out. And it has been either widely lauded or horrible criticized for not being everything that we all want… Oh and for only having white people in it, as if that’s what New York is really like. However, unlike Sex and the City, which also had this problem, people have been so much harder on Girls. I think it’s because 10+ years have passed and the awesomeness of just being lucky enough to have a show that was women-centered and sex positive, albeit problematic, has worn of. We want Lena Dunham’s creation to be more: to be all of what we liberal, feminist young women are today. And, obviously, we want for the show’s fellow writers to not make “ironic” racist jokes and TOTALLY NOT GET HOW IT’S A PROBLEM.

Except, of course, that’s totally unfair. Not the “don’t be racist” part, the “be everything I am part.” Yes, it would be great to have more women of color on tv. But the fact that Girls has become a lightening rod is because it appears to be the only one of its kind standing out in the field during a thunderstorm. There are more women on tv, not all great (WhitneyChelsea), but very few are acting in feminist ways. And those that are (Parks and Recreation, Shonda Rhimes’s shows) are not about young women trying to make it after college. When you want something to reflect your experience so badly, of course you are going to either love it too much or criticize it into pieces.

Anyhow, I haven’t actually watched Girls yet. I’ve been to0 nervous to with all the hubbub around it. Will I love it, despite knowing its problematic relationship with race and privilege? Will I hate it, despite it honestly showing women’s reproductive choices? Will I not care at all and wish I had both my time and my DVR space back? It’s too much right now…

Tagged , ,

Soapbox: Awareness Raises Nothing or Kony 2012

About a month ago, everyone I know on Facebook was posting this video called Kony 2012. I immediately became suspicious. When everyone is sharing something, so quickly, they often having thought anything about it and are riding on some “awareness raising train.” That really makes me give out side eye, y’all.

I’m not against awareness raising, per se. Hell, it’s what I do here. However, to me there are two kinds of awareness raising. There’s pointing out to someone when they are being insensitive or racist or uncool and why, and then there’s putting up posters about some issue you really have no interest in or plan on doing anything about other than wearing a bracelet. Kony 2012 is the latter. And somehow it managed to combine two groups of simple-minded people into one cause, the ‘Oprah’ watchers (who don’t realize they are being sold stuff wrapped in “philosophy” so that O’s empire can continue to grow) and the alternative college-aged crowd (who put up PETA posters at Thanksgiving but have no problem with the fact that PETA sexually objectifies human women for any and all reasons). I mean, really? Harnessing those two types of people together in an attempt to change the world… by putting posters up and sharing videos on Facebook and buying bracelets? Genius. Continue reading

Tagged , , , ,

KWM Original: Knope/Taylor 2012 Encore Presentation

Since Buddy Garrity was on last night’s Parks and Recreation, I just had to share my Knope/Taylor 2012 illustration. Clearly Parks and Recreation loves it some Friday Night Lights… as it should.

Tagged , ,

About Last Night: Parks and Recreation

Season 4, Episode 20, 4/26/2012 (“The Debate”)

Bobby: By the year 2013, we will have a fully functioning mall on Jupiter

First off, did you know that Amy Poehler wrote and directed last night’s episode? I didn’t! Go Amy! Starring, writing, and making other people do what you want. ::tips sneaking around clothes hat::

Too bad it was a somewhat uneven episode. ::sad face:: Paul Rudd’s much-anticipated return as Bobby Newport did not disappoint. Mainly because he didn’t disappoint at the debate, which was a nice bit of tension. He came off as charming and sweet and Leslie as mean and aggressive. That is until he threatened that Pawnee’s biggest employer Sweetums would leave for Mexico if he didn’t win. Leslie, who had been holding back her attacks (and making me genuinely nervous for her), let it all lose with a speech that gave me goosebumps and caused her opponent to stupidly applaud her and get misty-eyed. Man, that guy is dumb as rocks. And oh so cute.  Continue reading

Tagged , , , ,
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 171 other followers