Friday, July 8, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Drag Shows
Two weeks ago, I returned to my Alma Mater and happened to catch a dance show. The way I put that makes it sound like I was lounging on a cruise ship somewhere in the Aegean Sea. The "dance show" was, in truth, a mid-semester professional performance choreographed by the college's dance professors and starring the department's strongest students. One of the pieces, entitled "Hot Mess", was an experiment in high-femme camp aesthetic. Featuring songs by groups like the Eurythmics--well-known for gender-bending--the dance straddled the line of female performance and the grotesque. The stand-out number for me was set to "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)".
I love Annie Lenox's performance in this video; it's basically Cabaret redux. And there's a cow. What's not to love?
I love Annie Lenox's performance in this video; it's basically Cabaret redux. And there's a cow. What's not to love?
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Liveblog--State of the Union and Responses
So I came in about 15 minutes late to the broadcast. The president was talking about Sputnik. Or maybe he wasn't, but he was saying something about how the U.S. needs to pick itself up (I hate gendering the country, so no 'herself' here) and compete in the global economy, especially against China. There was a lot of inspirational rhetoric meant to propel the American people into a fervor of competition. I'm sure we'll hear a lot of talk from Glenn Beck about how he's using communist tactics or whatever to make the U.S. a duplicate of China or Soviet Russia.
I was thrilled that Obama payed special attention to education. It worries me, as always, that the measures of "academic success" will likely depend on test scores. I'm hoping that Obama will keep the plans tailored to each individual district--hopefully, this will enable teachers to address issues of intersectionality, language, lgbt, and minority rights. Oh, and sex education. Like that's ever gonna happen, but I'm hopeful.
I was upset that Obama concluded with a nod to the myth of meritocracy. Yeah, you made it. And so did Joe Biden. And John Boehner. So what? Everyone can achieve the American Dream now? And what was all that about the military? I don't support wars based in opportunism. Well, I don't really support wars at all. But he really whitewashed that whole debate.
And is it really true that not a single person in the room would rather call another country their home? Did they conduct a poll?
And now I'm watching the Republican counteraddress. Blah, blah, blah. Actually, he had some good points at the beginning, if you're a moderate. Which I'm not. But to say that "open-ended" health-care coverage is too much is disgusting. And as for his promise to replace HCR with a cheaper, more effective solution, I say--show me. Not that I believe you.
Republicans and libertarians, it seems, care more about the theory of government than actual citizens.
OMGGGG GREECE IRELAND AHHHH WE'RE DOOOOMED
Yeah, yeah.
Blah, blah, personal responsibility, blah. That's become my least favorite phrase in the English language.
The Greatest Nation on Earth, blah.
Wait....Reaganomics helped the poor?? Bullshit. That Welfare Queen myth is never going away thanks to that man.
Oh wait, here comes Bachmann.
Tea Party apparently a force of good.
Spend, spend, spend. Failed stimulus.
HOW DOES NO ONE KNOW THAT THE STIMULUS DID NOT, IN FACT, FAIL??
Ooh, a chart!!!
Wishing she were more crazy right now. It'd be more entertaining.
Where did her Gabrielle Giffords ribbon go??
They're telling us which lightbulbs to buy!!! How did I know this would come up? Because helping the environment is un-American, you know.
World's finest healthcare? Lie.
"Obamacare"? Check.
Free-market solutions. Check.
"Obamacare". Check, again.
Highest corporate tax rate in the world? Good.
Anyone remember that this woman once said that not all cultures are equal?
"Just the creation of this nation itself was a miracle". Yeah, a miracle of Native genocide.
Can't stomach any more.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Garbo Today
Garbo Today by Kitty Galore featuring a beret hat
Were Greta Garbo alive today, I wonder if her look would resemble something like this.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
October 23, 1929
October 23, 1929 by Kitty Galore featuring a leather handbag
A modern re-imagining of the day before the rich got poorer.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Inglourious Basterds
I called my mom this afternoon to wish her a happy birthday, and to tell her about a fantastic movie I saw last night.
Our conversation went thusly:
Me: I saw this great movie last night. Inglourious Basterds.
Mom: Oh, yeah...is that the one about the goats?
...pause...
Me: No.
Mom: Does it have that little Boston guy in it?
Me: No, it's not a Matt Damon Movie. And George Clooney's not in it either.
Mom: So you're going to see this movie?
Me: I said that I saw it last night.
*both crack up*
You should definitely see this movie. It's not about goats.
It's about a small group of Jewish-American soldiers (headed by Tennessee goy Brad Pitt)--calling themselves The Basterds--who drop into Germany to "kill us some Nazis" (the 'a' in which is pronounced like the 'a' in patsy). There are explosions and lots of scalping. I couldn't really watch that part.
The stunning Ms. Laurent plays a young French-Jew who escapes the violent death that claims the rest of her family. Unbeknownst to the Basterds, Melanie has her own plans for killing Nazis...but I won't give you anymore information about that.
I couldn't help but notice that her costume here references what the title character of Fassbinder's The Marriage of Maria Braun wears at one point in that film. That sounds really vague, but knowing Tarantino, it was probably a reference.
But don't go just to see Laurent and Pitt. Go to see this guy.
This is Christoff Waltz, and he is unbelievable. Hard to believe that his role as a Nazi detective and commander was almost played by THIS guy:
Yup. Almost. Then Tarantino decided to go with a native German actor.
You know what, if I hadn't seen Waltz's performance I might be able to see DiCaprio in the role. I think he could pull it off. But never, never, NEVER with the madness, cruelty, and yet the almost-sweetness that Waltz brought to the role.
If you don't see it, I'll never know, but please do. For your own enrichment.
Our conversation went thusly:
Me: I saw this great movie last night. Inglourious Basterds.
Mom: Oh, yeah...is that the one about the goats?
...pause...
Me: No.
Mom: Does it have that little Boston guy in it?
Me: No, it's not a Matt Damon Movie. And George Clooney's not in it either.
Mom: So you're going to see this movie?
Me: I said that I saw it last night.
*both crack up*
You should definitely see this movie. It's not about goats.
It's about a small group of Jewish-American soldiers (headed by Tennessee goy Brad Pitt)--calling themselves The Basterds--who drop into Germany to "kill us some Nazis" (the 'a' in which is pronounced like the 'a' in patsy). There are explosions and lots of scalping. I couldn't really watch that part.
The stunning Ms. Laurent plays a young French-Jew who escapes the violent death that claims the rest of her family. Unbeknownst to the Basterds, Melanie has her own plans for killing Nazis...but I won't give you anymore information about that.
I couldn't help but notice that her costume here references what the title character of Fassbinder's The Marriage of Maria Braun wears at one point in that film. That sounds really vague, but knowing Tarantino, it was probably a reference.
But don't go just to see Laurent and Pitt. Go to see this guy.
This is Christoff Waltz, and he is unbelievable. Hard to believe that his role as a Nazi detective and commander was almost played by THIS guy:
Yup. Almost. Then Tarantino decided to go with a native German actor.
You know what, if I hadn't seen Waltz's performance I might be able to see DiCaprio in the role. I think he could pull it off. But never, never, NEVER with the madness, cruelty, and yet the almost-sweetness that Waltz brought to the role.
If you don't see it, I'll never know, but please do. For your own enrichment.
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