Apparently this is my most visited page. I have no idea why, but with good reason I figured I'd update you all with more American Girl news. As seen below in my last Old School Friday post, I really like being a girl.
Honest disclaimer: I still have not watched the American Girl movie. But I do respect the all around movement to expand upon the gender norms imposed within our culture by including girls of different races and cultures. Maybe we'll get around to allowing different perceptions of girlhood, but that will be problematic. I know I for one am not promoting Ciara's "Love, Sex, and Magic" steez even though it is an annoyingly catchy song.
American Girl is adding one more to their collection with a Lower East Side Jewish girl. I really wish they got A.O.Scott to write this article since he reviewed the last movie and I would have loved to see a journalistic continuation of the discussion. But the sad dying writer inside of me understands how a newsroom works. Salkin delves into the discussion and yes, the Jewish American girl has brown hair.
I'm still waiting for my revolutionary black afro flaunting girl of the 70s in the American Girl collection along with a blond hippie friend. I know that is the most contrived image, but I always though they belonged in the series.
But on another note, this girl is coming back to blogging slowly but surely. It's going to happen.
(removed imeem songplaylist)
I've had this post sitting her for a few days, so I figured I may as well publish it.
Undoubtedly entangled in Women's History Month are discussions of feminism, women's rights, and the cultural revolution of the 1960s. In the last 15 years, gender issues within the black community and hip hop culture have become extremely publicized from letters to boycotts to books, more books, and town hall discussions. In the midst of all this, while listening to the radio late one night in high school, I heard what I thought was a new rap song and got caught up in the story of one woman's quest to get a message across.
Sarah Jones's "Your Revolution" uses lines from radio-approved rap (and a few reggae/r&b) songs to showcase the portrayal of women in music. After getting her spoken word piece on to the radio, the FCC deemed it too raunchy and it could only be played late at night...despite the fact that each song she used a line from got played during the day. Sarah Jones got FedUp but continued performing the piece, eventually moving on to do greater work and getting her own Broadway show "Bridge and Tunnel." I had the opportunity to see her perform at the Brooklyn Museum of Art once and she was really good. Find the text for "Your Revolution" below as well as a video of her performance.
Yeah yeah, yeah this goes out to all the women and men from New York to London to LA to Tokyo struggling to keep their self-respect in this climate of misogyny, money worship and mass production of hip-hop's illegitimate child, Hip-Pop.And this especially goes out to Gil Scott-Heron, friend, living legend and proto-rapper who wrote "The Revolution will not be Televised." Much Respect.
Your revolution will not happen between these thighs Your revolution will not happen between these thighs Your revolution will not happen between these thighs Not happen between these thighs Not happen between these thighs The real revolution ain't about booty size The Versaces you buys, or the Lexus you drives And though we've lost Biggie Smalls Baby your notorious revolution Will never allow you to lace no lyrical douche, in my bush Your revolution will not be killing me softly, with Fugees Your revolution ain't gonna knock me up without no ring And produce little future emcees Because that revolution will not happen between these thighs Your revolution will not find me in the backseat of a jeep With LL, hard as hell, you know doin it and doin it and doin it well doin it and doin it and doin it well, nah come on now Your revolution will not be you smacking it up, flipping it, or rubbing it down Nor will it take you downtown or humpin around Because that revolution will not happen between these thighs Your revolution will not have me singing, ain't no nigga like the one I got And your revolution will not be sending me for no drip, drip VD shot And your revolution will not involve me, feelin your nature rise Or helping you fantasize Because that revolution will not happen between these thighs No no, not between these thighs Oh, my Jamican brother, your revolution will not make you feel bombastic And really fantastic And have you groping in the dark for that rubber wrapped in plastic You will not be touching your lips to my triple dip of french vanilla, butter pecan, chocolate delux Or having Akinyele's dream, m-hmm a 6-foot blowjob machine m-hmm You want to subjugate your queen? uh-huh Think I'm a put it in my mouth, just cuz you made a few bucks? Please brother please Your revolution will not be me tossing my weave And making me believe I'm some caviar-eating ghetto mafia clown Or me giving up my behind, just so I can get signed And maybe having somebody else write my rhymes I'm Sarah Jones, not Foxy Brown You know I'm Sarah Jones, not Foxy Brown Your revolution makes me wonder, where could we go If we could drop the empty pursuit of props and ego We'd revolt back to our Roots, use a little Common Sense On a quest to make love De La Soul, no pretense But your revolution will not be you flexing your little sex and status To express what you feel Your revolution will not happen between these thighs Will not happen between these thighs Will not be you shaking and me *yawn* faking Between these thighs Because the real revolution, that's right I said the real revolution You know I'm talking about the revolution When it comes, it's gonna be real It's gonna be real It's gonna be real When it finally comes When it finally comes It's gonna be real, yeah yeah
Another day I'll bring my theory on revolution in African American poetry from the Black Arts Movement through the hip hop era, but really I have twenty pages on that..so I have to distill my thoughts. (Or I could do a series, but I haven't reached that level of blogging yet).
On last night's episode of "I Want to Work for Diddy" (VH1), the reality competition to work for Sean "Diddy" Combs, Laverne-the resident transgendered contestant was eliminated. In a battle for what seemed to be the integrity of her identity versus exploitation versus the public's comfort--Laverne did not fare well in the heat of the battle. Kimberly, also known as Po-Prah managed to stay in the battle despite her annoying ways because she knows how to play a game. I can't wait to see her in future reality shows where they use old contestants.
Laverne isn't the only gender bender to pop up on television recently. In keeping with the classification of two sexes and their socially constructed genders, television has been showing more and more people not conforming to the roles. America's Next Top Model now features a transgendered contestant, Isis, and on Project Runway an episode was dedicated to drag queens with RuPaul as a guest host. I guess times are changing, because when I was growing up RuPaul was quite the scandal even though there was a talk show. Today Andre J has become a celebrated [hot mess] personality and Ms. J teaches all the girls how to stomp on the runway on ANTM.
"To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything Julie Newmar" gives a laundry list of definitions in the beginning--running through all the trans terms and ending with drag queens. Film has long portrayed transgendered folk, but television has done it quite differently making lots of noise within the last few years.
With much less ado, I present top Gender Bender moments on television, in no specific order. These aren't all transgendered, transexual or tranvestite moments...just gender bending.
UGLY BETTY: Following Christian Siriano's celebrated turn on Project Runway where he popularized the phrase "Hot Tranny Mess" he appeared on season 2 of Ugly Betty using his phrase on Alex/is, the transgendered sister who revealed herself on the season finale of the first season.
THE RUPAUL SHOW RuPaul had a talk show on VH1 back in the late 90s and a bevy of guests appeared including the Backstreet Boys. One of the many performances on the show.
DIRTY SEXY MONEY ABC's show about the rich that did not live up to the hype, but is more than watchable is all about the twist. So it's nothing unusual that the politician son played by Billy Baldwin has an extra-marital affair, the twist is that the affair is with a transexual, played by Candis Cayne and offering just that much more drama.
BOSOM BUDDIES Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari helped define an era with this show about two men who dressed as women in order to live in the Susan B. Anthony apartments. They didn't care what you said then and Tom Hanks surely doesn't care now.
THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MIRIAM Call me close minded, but the premise of this UK show is just wrong. Men vied for the attention of a women all to find out in the final episode that Miriam was born male. I admit I'm a little surprised the U.S. has not copied this idea yet.
ALL MY CHILDREN This favorite ABC soap opera has been on for years and although a family favorite, I can't say I really follow it. I knew about Bianca, but I also found out there's a transgendered character named Zoe.
There are other noticeable moments, seen on shows like the L-Word and Ally McBeal. For the full list of transgendered moments offered by Wikipedia click here. See below for a bonus!
Black Men like to Dress like Women
So okay, not just black men do this obviously. We already have a clip from Bosom Buddies and we all remember that episode of Saved by the Bell when the guys dressed up as girls--or at least I do. But let's admit--black men like to dress like women.
THE FLIP WILSON SHOW I'm sure theres at least one interview out there questioning the morality of Flip Wilson's Geraldine , where the answer is "The Devil Made Me Do It!" In fact that should become the slogan for cross dressers everywhere. As one of the mainstays of his show, Geraldine did skits and interviews and won the hearts of many fans.
MARTIN Comics are known for playing roles of the opposite gender, and Martin Lawrence is no exception. After Flip Wilson did Geraldine and before the Wayan's brothers became white chicks, there was Shenehneh.
FAMILY MATTERS I reference this show way too much. As it Steve Urkel wasn't enought, they made him also share the role of his female cousin , Myrtle Urkel.
What gender bender moments on television stick out for you? Let me know!
There is no such thing as American history, only a frontier. -Don Draper, Mad Men.
They did the same thing to Jesus. They did the same thing to Martin Luther King. They do the same thing to every great leader. --Po-Prah, "I Want To Work For Diddy" Episode 2.
Morning conversations)Mommy: What did you have for breakfast? Kimmy: cookies! Mommy: Cookies aren't breakfast, unless they're oatmeal raisin. But I know you and you had chocolate chip. Kimmy: I had chocolate chocolate chip cookies. Mommy: (sigh) Alright my child, I have to get ready for work.
