Media Mass

[mediamass]

[mediamass]

[mediamass]

[mediamass]

Reunions

By Nicole Lucca

After seasons full of hijinks and laughs, the show Friends had its last rendezvous in the middle of Central Perk over ten years ago. Now the gang (minus a reluctant Matthew Perry) will reunite for a one time only two-hour window into the past in tribute to the creator of Friends. With nostalgic talks of what was and what will be, I can’t help but reminisce over some reuniting of my own.

While going to college away from home, you leave behind friends who’ve been bonded by embarrassing snapshots and long days in class on our way to becoming adults. Promises to talk every day become once a week, become once a month, become we’ll see each other at Thanksgiving. But that nostalgic string keeps the whole charade together in a delicate balance. Flashes of laughs with no origin, secrets that disintegrate in the night air minutes after being revealed, that one time we went to that one place and forgot there was a time we had to grow up. Now we all wear taller shoes and paint our faces and think about money and taxes and what’s to come rather than what was. And for a while the memories are enough.

But then that inevitable break finally reaches the forefront. I’m on a plane next to all these other college students going to the same place with different faces to miss once they leave. Do they wonder the same questions as me between bites of surprisingly organic airplane chips? I don’t know if it would comfort me more to think they are or aren’t. That reunion is somehow everything that matters now. No sparkling ancient memories can eclipse how important this one weekend seems to be. Because this weekend is when three months passes all at once. When hair grows far longer than in pictures from graduation, and inside jokes feel shrunken and uncomfortable. Because all we have is the inside now, inside everything else we’ve already experienced in our new worlds. Although reunions can be heartwarming, they are mostly desperate clawing at the past. Not necessarily the two-hour sitcom reunion, but in general, reunions rest on extreme expectations that can erase the pain of being gone so long. It can get a little depressing actually, building up to be pleased by something we can’t even describe.

But when I sat in that crowded BMW again, in the middle seat, because I’m the shortest, with someone’s perfectly orchestrated playlist pulsing through the speakers, and loud smiles blowing back in the wind and hitting our faces, I remember why people want reunions in the first place. Not only to forget what time has been in between, but to remember. Remember so much it’s hard to breathe under the weight of one night compared to a whole lifetime. And with that much pressure, it’s better not to think about what could have been if distance didn’t exist. It’s better to let your thoughts fall out the window, and sing along.

[mediamass]

How Parks and Recreation Captured My Heart One Last Time

By Kate Greenlese

Rating: A

Well, here it is. The last installment, where all of my best friends tie up their loose ends and bid farewell (not only to each other but to their large following). As much as the large fan base of Parks and Recreation wanted the series to continue forever and ever, all good things must come to an end, and February 24th, 2015 (just over a year ago now) was that bittersweet day.

As any good TV show should, this finale nicely tied up everyone’s loose ends. This last episode, titled “One Last Ride”, jumps back and forth from “present” time (2017) where the characters are doing one last thankless public service project, to each character’s future endeavors. Before each time hop, it would show Leslie Knope (now head of the Midwest branch of the National Parks service, you go girl) giving a sap-tastic speech about how proud she is of said character. I think if it was any other show or any other character making these speeches it wouldn’t make sense, but for Leslie it so does. Having watched her constant praise throughout the series for the things she loves, it just fits well that she would give impassioned speeches to her loved ones.

The writers and actors made such distinct characters, so it was cool to watch each of these different personalities and their futures. I also liked how the writers left it up to the viewer to decide if it was Leslie or Ben (Leslie’s husband) who became President, because if the show ended with her becoming president it would have almost been too good to be true, but because the fans get to think about the possibility of a world where Leslie is president it’s so much more satisfying. Speaking of Ben, one of my favorite moments was when Ben organized everyone back together for Leslie because of how worried she was about not seeing everyone at the same time again. It’s a true testament to real life, because when people get old and have families, they grow apart (cough How I Met Your Mother) but like Ben, being the best husband ever, made sure the reunion happened for her.

I think Ron’s ending was a real defining moment for him, because once he got the job as Park ranger (working for the federal government, his worst fear) he realized there is some good in government and maybe he shouldn’t give up on it just yet. I feel like we’ve been watching the struggle between Ron and government for all the seasons so it was cool to see that explicitly in the episode. It also gave us one last look into the sweet side of Ron that I love to see every now and then. For all of the times that he fought Leslie in the past, she definitely won him over this time.

But the overall best part of this finale (and really this whole last season), us fans explicitly see why we loved this show so goddamn much. Leslie changes people for the better. She’s influenced Ron and his life decisions so much, and he finally turns the corner and asks Leslie for help. She helps April decide whether or not she and Andy should have kids by explaining how having kids is just adding new team members to an already amazing team. Because at the end this show is about this crazy positivity and generosity coming from a person, and in real life that is so rare it becomes comical.

The reason this finale format worked was because Parks had such a good cast, and each cast member could hold their own as a character and also as a comedian, so it drove the need to see how everybody played out. The actors all had amazing chemistry, so during the sad goodbye moments, they were all truly sad and during the happier reunited moments they were all genuinely happy. I went to Nick Offerman’s stand-up at the Wilbur Theater, and he even mentioned that they had a cast group text, so they still keep in touch as a group. Thier goodbye was real, it was goodbye to seeing each other and getting to work together every day. This audience is going to see all these actors go on to different projects, but live for moments when they will come together.

Honestly, the Parks finale was so much better than a lot of finales. Compared to the infamous How I Met Your Mother Finale where you see the characters grow apart and by the end you feel like a pile of sad mush, Parks shows us that it’s possible to still love your faraway friends. Parks is so important to so many people so I was not only happy with the finale, but with the fact that the writers respected their fans enough to give them a great finale with tied ends, emotions, and laughs. The Parks following is like a cult. It really didn’t get good ratings in the beginning, but the people who watched it were so attached, and they respected the show so much that the writers had both leeway and a responsibility in the sense that us fans are gonna eat up whatever they give us. They stayed true to their overarching sense of community by showing us all where they are but also keeping a connection between all of them. The shows inside jokes perfectly balanced everything allowing the characters to branch out to realize their potential that us fans saw the whole time, but also keeping them together where I want them.

BRB, crying because “when is this group of people ever going to be all together again? That’s all I want- all of these people in the same place at the same time.” -Leslie Knope

Thank you very much to Caroline Fortuna and Jillian Giandurco for helping me discuss the many points in which we talked upon for this review.

[mediamass]

Harry Potter: A Lifelong Companion

By Nastazia Nogacki I was eleven years old when the final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was released. Harry Potter was, to say the least, a significant part of my childhood. I was originally introduced to the series when I was six years old, and my mom took me to see the first movie. At that age, going to the movie theatre was already an exciting experience, but Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone stunned my young mind in a way no other movie had. I remember going through the next couple days in a bit of a daze, unable to think of anything but Harry and Hogwarts and Voldemort and the Wizarding World. Throughout the next five years, I devoured anything and everything Harry Potter that I could get my hands on—first having the books read to me by my mother, then rereading them myself, watching and rewatching the movies on VHS, and reading fan theories on places like mugglenet.com. I was obsessed, and would chatter incessantly to anyone who would listen to me about the characters and world I had grown to love so much. Other interests at that age were fleeting, but my love for Harry Potter was unwavering.

When the release of the final book was imminent, it felt like something I had waited decades for, even though I had barely been alive for a single decade. The book came out on July twenty-first, 2007, and bookstores all over the world were staying open until midnight on the twentieth to sell the novel at the earliest possible moment. I had been looking forward to this for months; my parents had let me attend the midnight release of the previous books and a few of the movies, and these nights were nearly as exciting to me as Christmas Eve. Naturally, this release was met with more anticipation than any others; with this book, all our questions would be answered, and the speculation that had kept fans up until the wee hours of the morning would finally be over. I couldn’t wait. I didn’t even think about the sadness I’d feel once the series was complete and there were no more Harry Potter books to wait for—I just wanted the final book in my hands now.

Outside of the Harry Potter excitement, however, the summer of 2007 was not the happiest of my childhood. My parents, who had never had a happy marriage, had reached a boiling point in their fighting and decided to get a divorce. My father still lived in our house but had moved upstairs into my younger brother’s bedroom. My younger brother, who maybe at his age didn’t fully understand the implications of divorce, took the news in stride, but I was devastated. My father is a commercial fisherman, and his job requires him to be away from home for months at a time, so I was used to living only with my mother. But the thought of my dad having his own house somewhere, and my mom moving us into a house different than the one I had grown up in upset me greatly. Life at home was different too; my parents would barely even look at each other, and when they did, it almost always ended in a loud fight that I found impossible to tune out, try as I might. Gone were the family dinners that I had grown up anticipating every night. My mother, who normally was a cheerful person, was sullen and distracted. My father acted opposite of my mom—he acted like nothing was wrong when he was around my brother and I, and even at my young age it felt forced and false.

To distract me from my worries and distress over the divorce, my mom signed me up for Pony Club, which is ultimately as silly as it sounds, but run by people who take it more seriously than they should. Pony Club is essentially an organization for young horseback riders to build their riding abilities through lessons and competitions. Unfortunately, despite what you might think, Pony Club was not as fun for an eleven year old, horse-obsessed girl as it sounds. My best friend, Ann, and I were both signed up for summer camp through Pony Club, which involved waking up at six in the morning to be at the barn by seven, riding lessons all throughout the day, and hanging out a group of other riders that mainly consisted of catty girls who liked to argue over whose horse was worth more money. The camp was expensive and tiring and ultimately a bit of a toxic environment. Ann and I both hated it, but didn’t tell our parents, because at that age we hadn’t yet realized that it was okay to dislike and want out of an activity that was supposed to be fun. We would relieve our frustrations by whispering to each other at night as we lied side by side in our sleeping bags, refusing to fall asleep at a reasonable hour even though we were exhausted and needed to wake up early the next day. The stress of the divorce and the dissatisfaction with camp put more weight on my shoulders than an eleven year old should be subjected to, but with the final Harry Potter book in my periphery, I kept my head up and stayed positive.

July twentieth was the last day of Pony Camp, and it was a testing day. Pony Club separated riders into levels, which ultimately didn’t mean much, but as a kid, competition is a big deal. I was only a D-2, and I was sick of being a D-2. I wanted graduate to D-3, mostly just so I wouldn’t have to say I was “only a D-2” anymore. Ann had decided she didn’t want to level up (but she was already a C-3, so she didn’t really need to) so I was stuck without anyone to whisper to or make funny faces at while the woman lecturing droned on and on about the alleged dangers of letting your horse eat clover.  

I don’t know how long I spent sitting there, listening to this supposed educational lecture in order to finally advance a level on a meaningless scale, but it felt like an eternity. I spent most of the time daydreaming about Harry Potter, smiling to myself in my excitement when I realized that the day was finally here, and the book was so close I could nearly touch it. When I saw my mom’s car finally pull around the corner to pick me up, I felt immense relief. The week was finally over, and I was sore and tired and smelled like horses, but I was too excited to be bitter about the less than enjoyable week I’d just spent at camp. 

That night was just as great as I anticipated it to be, and it’s something I will never experience again. There will never be a book release with as much weight as the final Harry Potter book, I’ll never step foot into a Borders again, and I’ll never experience that wonder and excitement that only children have the ability to experience. Once I finally had the book, I read it as fast as I possibly could at that age, devouring every word, until I had finally turned the last page. It was a bittersweet feeling; finally having the answers I had longed for, but the loss of anticipation was a sinking, sad feeling. 

Mid-2007 may seem like an inconsequent time to some, but for me it brought the end of a significant period of my life. Not only did my favorite childhood book series end, but a lot of other things began to change as well. Pony Club sparked the beginning of my gradual disinterest with horseback riding, and my parents divorced forced me to have to deal with bigger things, things that seemed more “grown up,” and eventually lead to moving out of my childhood home. That fall I started middle school, and some old friendships dissolved when others began, as friendships at that age tend to do. Twilight became the next big thing after Harry Potter, but the excitement and obsession with that series peaked and waned until it became an afterthought. So much of my life has changed since I was a child, and I can always seems to pinpoint the beginning of those changes to that summer, with the end of Harry Potter as a landmark for the end of one period of my life and the beginning of another. Though it seemingly ended with my childhood, Harry Potter has remained a constant in life. In high school, when I became frustrated with school and my friends, I’d turn on a Harry Potter movie and feel, at least for the duration of the film, like I was a kid again, and my biggest worry in life was the fate of Harry and his friends. Of course they always ended up okay, just like I did. The summer before I left for college I reread the entire series, which simultaneously quelled my fears of the unknown and brought me back to the simpler times of childhood. Even now, when I’m homesick or unsure of my choices, flipping through one of the books or watching a clip of one of the movies helps to dispel my anxieties. Having been such a solid in my life for so many years, Harry Potter is something I anticipate will remain in my life for years to come despite whatever changes and transitions I may face.

[mediamass]

Credit Where it’s Due: The Problem with Ghost Production

By Jake Nelson

What if you were told that the last time you tuned into the radio, you were lied to? With satellite radio bringing the artist’s name, album and track title to your dashboard, it’s easy to remember who wrote or produced the catchy verse that always gets stuck in your head on the way to work. Or is it? A recent practice, secretive in nature, has recently exploded into the modern music industry, in rap to electronic music to pop. A practice which undermines an artist’s creative nature one hopes to support by purchasing a song, buying a concert ticket, or simply tuning into the radio. This practice goes beyond the world of music and has been a major key in the success of many artists, from Shakespeare to Andy Warhol, and can be traced back to the sixteenth century. It’s the practice of taking credit from true artists. It’s a practice that has most recently come to be known as ghost production.

As a young artist hoping to succeed within the music industry, specifically the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) industry, the practice of ghost production is very discouraging. Having the knowledge that multi-millionaire, superstar DJs tour the world taking credit for songs they didn’t write, while I sit in my dorm room for hours on end attempting to perfect my craft, certainly makes ghost production a passionate subject. In an interview with LA Weekly, London-based DJ and writer Ben Gomori states my thoughts sufficiently. “I think it’s pathetic. It’s the apex of the materialistic, charlatan, ostentatious desire of certain types to become a ‘superstar DJ’ for the love of status rather than for the love of music” (Khawaja).

The EDM industry may be the most culpable for the use of ghost production, as the creation and manipulation of electronic music starts and ends on the computer. This makes the performance aspect of EDM more than easy; all one must do is hit ‘play’. It’s often joked that anyone with a computer can be a DJ. Without a doubt, all good jokes contain a bit of truth. Consider if a “ghost guitarist” were to write a solo: it would still take talent, practice, and effort to both master and perform that solo live. Which in itself is respectable and admirable, even if the performer didn’t write the piece.

Part of the reason why ghost production within the EDM industry is so widely accepted is due to the nature of a DJ’s performance. Since the mid 1930s and 40s, when disk jockeys began to increase in popularity, the practice would always involve spinning other artists’ work. It was (and remains to be) the DJ’s job to keep a continuous flow of music, regardless of who the songs were made by. In the early 70s, when EDM rose in popularity within the DJ scene, rarely would EDM artists perform their own tracks. Instead, they would sell them to club DJs, as EDM wasn’t so regularly listened to as it is today. The only market for EDM was in nightclubs.

But not anymore. Over the past two or three decades, electronic music has rapidly influenced the music industry. From the time of Dr. Dre and NWA to the rise of Justin Bieber or Kanye West, the amount of best-selling records created solely by electric keyboards and computer programs has only increased. Especially recently, huge pop artists such as Bieber and Nicki Minaj have released EDM singles, collaborating with DJs such as Skrillex, Diplo, and David Guetta. With the rise of EDM within popular music, unfortunately the practice of ghost production has risen with it. “Though speculation is rampant, those in the industry are hesitant to explicitly out any of their peers. Superstar DJ David Guetta is most frequently mentioned as someone who’s likely using ghost-producers. On his first three albums, almost every track credit lists French house pioneer Joachim Garraud as co-writer and producer. A notable DJ in his own right, Garraud wasn’t even mentioned in the marketing, which was odd”.

What’s more is that ghost production is not just apparent within the instrumentation behind the vocals. The lyrics, too, are more often than not written by someone other than the artist credited for the song – a name other than that on your satellite radio dashboard. These days, certain rappers are singled out for being credited for using “ghostwriters.” Some of the most relevant  ‘beef’ between rappers in recent history is over the use of ghostwriters. Toronto native Aubrey Drake Graham, also known as Drake, calls out Philadelphia’s Meek Mill in the song Back to Back, after ‘Mill accused Drake of buying pre-written lyrics – using ghostwriters. “The pen is working if you n*ggas need some ghost lines / I thought you wanted yours like I want mine.”

This, however, isn’t new by any means. Some of the most respected artists of all time, such as Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, and even The Beatles, rarely put pen to paper when writing their #1 hits. Although the concept is similar to ghost production in the world of EDM, it is much less aggravating due to the fact that such famed artists truly did have talent – their voices.

In the popular case of Edith Piaf’s La Vie en Rose, her management is known to have bought the lyrics from a wounded French veteran who’d lost the ability to speak. To this day, Piaf is still credited as the lyricist. Having the inability to perform or publicly produce a form of public media, either as an individual artist – such as Piaf’s French veteran – often led to the discovery of an outlet through which to release such media, either through an additional performer, or (more commonly), under another name. This practice is known as using a pseudonym.

In the 1940s and 50s, the United States experienced what is known as the “Red Scare,” a mass fear of the rise of communism or radical leftism. In Hollywood, “many prominent individuals suspected of sympathizing with liberal or humanitarian causes were branded a communist threat, and even accused of espionage”. This led to a scandal known as Hollywood Blacklisting. When a certain artist suspected of communism or communist activity arrived to their place of work one morning, they wouldn’t find their name on the list of employees permitted to enter the gates. They’d been fired overnight without notice. These artists included names such as Orson Welles, Charlie Chaplin, Dalton Trumbo and Langston Hughes. “After 10 actors refused to testify in front of the House Committee on Un-American Activities, the blacklist was created. Hundreds of actors, actresses, directors, screenwriters and other entertainment professionals were barred from working”.

As the Red Scare continued for over a year and a half, many professionals, specifically screenwriters, now out of work, were led to the practice of publishing scripts under pseudonyms. They knew it was beyond unlikely that any production company would dare hire a blacklisted communist. Many of them were pretty successful, too. Over the years, the practice of publishing under a pseudonym became a common practice among writers, in order to protect their identity. Such names include Mark Twain, Lewis Carroll, Dr. Seuss, and even Stan Lee. Perhaps the most famed-yet-underexposed pseudonym of all time belongs to William Shakespeare.

The Shakespeare Authorship Question is an argument stating that someone other than William Shakespeare wrote the works attributed to him. The popular belief is that Shakespeare of Stratford-upon-Avon is a fake name, a front to shield the identity of an author, or group of authors, who did not want to take credit. “Shakespeare’s biography, particularly his humble origins and obscure life, seemed incompatible with his poetic eminence and his reputation for genius, arousing suspicion that Shakespeare might not have written the works attributed to him”. It was first questioned in the middle of the 19th century. It is argued that William Shakespeare lacked the education, sensibility or familiarity with the royal court that is so apparent in his works. “Though it has often been depicted as a relatively recent phenomenon arising in the nineteenth century as a result of, and as a reaction to, Bardolatry, there is strong evidence that doubts over Shakespeare’s authorship – and indeed, over [Christopher] Marlowe’s death – began with Shakespeare’s very first publication, raised by a man very much in touch with the contemporary literary scene.”

Though many artists, most specifically writers, have utilized the practice of publishing under pseudonyms, the inability to take credit for a piece of media isn’t the only reason to do so. EDM artists and DJs will rarely use their birth-given name on stage. Not because they feel forced to or are unable to take credit for their work, but to give their performance a name, similar to the way that The Beatles aren’t called McCartney, Lennon, Harrison and Starr (unlike Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young).  

Many companies, specifically music firms such as record labels, have used pseudonyms as a strategy to reissue songs more than once, for many different reasons. “We understand pseudonyms as deceptive acts used by firms to reinforce and heighten their role identities in the early jazz market. During the rise of the ‘Jazz Age’, many of the recordings released by the key firms were actually fictitious reissues of songs by artists the same firms had previously recorded”. The purpose of this practice was to reach a larger audience without having to hire more artists. “This use of pseudonyms was driven by the diverging tastes of the mass market (which drove profits) and the cultural elite (which conferred legitimacy). The mass market preferred lowbrow jazz over highbrow jazz; lowbrow jazz was typified by African-American and Creole musicians in smaller improvisational groups and highbrow jazz as music characterized by larger groups of classically trained white (Anglo) musicians who played more symphonic arrangements”.

This practice is still taken advantage of in today’s music industry. Many pop hits are first released as strictly instrumental EDM singles. When the track has finished circulating the EDM market and died down in the EDM community, a pop or rap artist will be hired to record vocals over the track to make it more radio-friendly. This is an easy way for DJs and producers to recycle their old work and collect bigger checks. Although an admirably smart strategy, as a young professional looking for room to squeeze into the EDM industry, I’m not so sure I’m so content with the practice. This, I’m sure, is the stance many young EDM enthusiasts have regarding the industry. It’s hard to develop the right connections in order to make it to the big leagues, especially when ghost producing is such a big part of the market.

A good amount of young, struggling EDM artists tend to slip into ghost producing when no other doors are made open to them. Whether that’s because they’re never picked up by a record label or agency, or that they’re unable to follow their passion due to schooling or lack of support. Whatever the case, it’s through ghost production that they slowly realize is the only way to find success. This may be through selling their tracks to larger names, or, if they’re lucky, a certain artist who admires their sound or style might take them under their wing. This is how many professional DJs got their start. When this happens, the young EDM artist will produce tracks for the larger artist, to be released as ‘collaborations.’ Although the larger artist will rarely do any of the production, it will still be released under their name and record label, featuring the young artist. The purpose of this is to sell the young artist’s material to the larger DJ’s following in order to build a similar fan base. Although a smart strategy which certainly makes plenty of sense, the practice of a huge DJ selling tracks and touring the world using a younger artist’s material just seems immoral. Though maybe I’m simply jealous that I haven’t found a big name to do that for me… yet.

[mediamass]

White Feminism

By Talya Gelfand

Taylor Swift, multi-millionaire pop singer living in Manhattan, NY with her two cats Meredith and Olivia, saved my life growing up. When Taylor released her first album in 2006, “Taylor Swift”, I listened to A Place in This World on repeat, reminding myself of the bullies at school that would pick on me in the cafeteria. As Taylor sang, she, in her own way, told me that she understood what I was going through. That her songs would always be there for me, so I wouldn’t have to be tormented alone. I was fifteen when Taylor released her fourth album in 2012, “Red.” And when the boy I was deeply in love dumped me in the middle of a diner, I sat in my room for hours, playing guitar and singing All Too Well. And when Taylor sang “Time won’t fly, it’s like I’m paralyzed by it, I’d like to be my old self again, but I’m still trying to find it,” she somehow saved me from the pain I was feeling. She never let me suffer alone. It was as if I always had a friend by my side that was going through the same things I was dealing with, and there for, always understood how I was feeling. She never made me go through heart breaks and feeling like an underdog alone.

However, recently Taylor Swift has been less of my personal hero and more of an annoyance. I used to watch her music videos in amazement, and now I watch them cringing at every moment. It’s odd growing up idolizing someone, and once you grow up, realizing how problematic they actually are. Taylor Swift prides herself on being a feminist. Now this isn’t necessarily a bad thing or even a false statement, and yes Taylor Swift does make statements about feminism that rings true, but Taylor seems to be a bit ignorant when she discusses the topic of feminism. Now, at eighteen and a college student at a school which prides itself on the justification of humanity, I recognize the faults in Taylor’s persona, social views and ideals. Though Taylor Swift is a feminist, she tends to preach a type of feminism that is often seen as problematic: Taylor Swift is awhite feminist.

Now I know you might be thinking, “I know what a feminist is. Feminists just believe in the equality of men and women.” Though feminism is mostly about the equality between men and women, white feminism is taking a step back on what feminism actually is. Feminism is defined as the equality of all men and women. However, White feminism is feminism that ignores intersectionality. White feminism is about supporting women that are white, cis and straight. White feminism is problematic for various reasons. First of all, it is assuming that the way white women experience misogyny is the way that all women experience misogyny. White feminism preaches their goals to change the wage gap between men and women. But something that white feminists often times fail to recognize is that Latino and African American women make even lessthan white women in America. Feminism also preaches the equality of beauty standards and the way women are portrayed in the media. Feminists often believe that a women should be allowed to show off her body without it being considered problematic and “slutty.” White feminism doesn’t pay any attention to the role whiteness plays in beauty standards. A white woman showing off her body in a bikini advertisement is never seen as problematic to white feminists, however Nicki Minaj’s low squat in her Anaconda album cover is considered a set back when it comes to feminism, which in my mind, doesn’t make any sense. If one body is celebrated, why is it any different from other bodies?

Taylor Swift continues to make a point of her white feminism with her extreme controversial music videos. When Taylor Swift released her music video ofWildest Dream, a video which depicts a reenactment of a 1950s movie shoot taken place in Egypt and contains no black people, though Egypt mostly consists of darker skinned people, and continues to romanticizes the brutal ongoings of colonialism, it’s quickly swept under the rug as people begin to question it. However, when Nicki Minaj released her music video of Anaconda which consisted of “provacitive" dancing, it was talked about non-stop for a good two or three months. Taylor Swift also continues to appropriate African American culture in her music video Shake It Off. In one scene, Taylor crawls under the legs of multiple black women as they do a popular, urban dance known as twerking. Taylor Swift laughs at the dance and rolls her eyes, acting as though she is better than the fucking dance that came out of a certain culture. And just as you think Taylor might eventually realize her wrong doings and come to an end with her innocent facade as she preaches racism, she continues to fail when it comes to recognizing her mistakes.

Taylor Swift often refers to herself as an underdog. She often preaches phrases such as “haters gonna hate” and “If they don’t like you for being yourself, be yourself even more.” Ever since her career has boomed at sixteen years old, Taylor has referred to herself as an outsider, an underdog. However, she is quite the opposite. Taylor was born on a farm in Pennsylvania, wealthy with a mother that worked in finance and a father that came from multiple stock brokers. Taylor Swift also refers to her group of friends as her and her “squad.” Now normally I wouldn’t have a problem with this, but somehow when Taylor uses it, it just seems wrong. Taylor’s group of friends, which includes super models such as Cara Delevingne and Karlie Koss, are all very wealthy girls that came from wealthy backgrounds and don’t have any sort of struggle going on in their lives. However, when you actually look at the history and origin of the actual word “squad,” it is referring to a group of people that are going through a struggle together. This word has been a significant use when it comes to African Americans who joined together during the civil rights movement to fight against the systemic racism they have faced for generations.

But what really put the icing on the cake was Taylor Swift’s twitter feud with Nicki Minaj which took place last year. Though Twitter feuds are generally just catty and pointless, this Twitter feud in particular is critical when it comes to seeing how white women few feminism in America. Nicki Minaj had stated how black women are barely recognized and appreciated for everything they do in the music industry, even though they are the most significant in pop culture today. Taylor Swift, instead of supporting Nicki’s claim, immediately backlashed by accusing Nicki of pitting women against one another. Swift totally ignored what most white women don’t recognize. She showed a clear exhibition of white feminism by ignoring the serious race issue in Hollywood while preaching a form of feminism and how “all women need to stick together.” And even though this situation took place and Taylor was clearly in the wrong, the media played Nicki out to be “the angry black woman,” and played up Taylor to be a “feminist hero.”

White feminism is a problem that is often overlooked and not brought into the light. As other white female artists in the media are making a point by calling themselves “feminists,” they should always make sure they are always preaching the correct form of feminism and not white feminism, like Swift so effortlessly does. As race relations continues to change in America, hopefully Swift can realize her wrong doings and make a point to change her ways.

[mediamass]

Life of Pablo Review

By Daniel Gusinski

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding Kanye West since his last debut album, Yeezus. With public outbursts, audacious claims of influence, and now the looming debt over his head, West hasn’t had the quietest years. He’s a father now, with a two-year-old daughter and a son on his way, his music is ripe for growth and development.

Being a producer, speaker, and rapper, Kanye is known for his ability to create unique sounding records with each album. With weaker lyricism, yet stronger delivery, he made a name for himself through sheer audacity and challenging production, especially on his last commercial album. With the controversial nature surrounding The Life of Pablo, with even the albums name changing multiple times, Kanye has the opportunity to delve into his own psyche and create a resonant and fascinating look into the mind of a new father, controversial figure, and inspiring speaker.

I’ll be reviewing the album in order, mostly skipping over the skits that are interspersed throughout the album.

Ultralight Beam – This album kicks off with a unique sample of Natalie is Great, a semi-famous Instagram account that follows a young child. Sampling her giving an impromptu sermon to her mother, which sets the tone for this soulful and fascinating track.

West teams up with The Dream to deliver the Hook, a long repeating melody. “We on an ultralight beam / We on an ultralight Beam / This is a God Dream / This is a God dream,” he reflects. Noting that he looks to his faith whenever his life seems to be fighting against him.

This is such a complete opposite of the start from his last studio album, Yeezus, where it barked and growled its way into your ears, whilst this washes over them with a heart-pumping church choir. In fact, Kanye doesn’t do any rapping at all this entire track, leaving that to his comrade Chance the Rapper in the second verse, after Kelly Price and Choir discuss their belief and faith.

Chance delivers what I could only imagine is a labor of utter love. A thirty six bar verse that expresses his ideas of faith. As he finishes his bravado verse the song raps up with critically acclaimed gospel artist Kirk Franklin giving a heartfelt prayer to everyone listening to this song.

It’s a powerful track, reminiscent of West’s earlier work with choirs back in the early 2000s. That being said, I felt like there was a period between Chances verse and Kanye’s Hook that felt as though the song was being stretched out. Kanye west, for me, is someone who doesn’t quite know when to shorten a song down, creating a tedious experience to anyone who isn’t enjoying the particular track. That being said, it’s a solid beginning to the album, which is already delivery on a distinct sound. Grade: B+

Father Stretch My hands Pt 1. – As quickly as the album began, it can feel as though there’s a direct pause between songs, and that pause comes with this first entrance of a two part track, Father Stretch my hands, where Kanye asks “Father”, in this case, God, to help him deal with the criticism, as well as pain caused by his other ex, Amber Rose.

Kanye is hardly ever filtered, which is good, he hardly ever knows when to not include something that simply doesn’t work, however. A soulful beat is cut through by Kanye’s cringe-inducing line about anal bleaching. A weak attempt at wordplay that halts the song right at the beginning. As the incredibly short verse ends you are left cringing, or at least I was. Maybe my humor just doesn’t align with West’s, who uses said humor in a song that I don’t see myself every playing allowed, or even to myself.

Grade: D+

Pt. 2 – The second part is thankfully a better conclusion, with a bombastic beat that serves as a good backdrop to the topic of comparison between West and his actual father, not god, surprisingly. When Kanye was young, his father left him and his mother. Kanye delivers a short, but fitting, verse about how he compares himself to his father. How he puts work in front of family, and how he knows he shouldn’t ever do that. “All his cash, market crashed/ Hurt him bad, people get divorced for that”, he sings.

However, after his verse ends, Kanye West’s compatriot Desiigner comes onto the track in what I can only imagine is discount Future-esq delivery of boring materialistic rap that once again doesn’t fit the track. It’s boring, cliché, and once again juts out like a sore thumb. Grade: C

Famous – This is more like it, with Rihanna jumping in on the intro and hook. A strong and catchy beat that slows down for every hook and ramps up with moaning synths and powerful bass. Sampling Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam”, as well as Nina Simone’s “Do what you Gotta Do”, this is a fairly cohesive track that brings back Kanye’s signature braggadocio.

“I feel like me and Taylor might still have sex / Why? I made that bitch famous,” Kanye remarks about Taylor Swift and the incident that occurred at the Grammies in 2009. This song is a fairly simplistic trip, but its effective regardless, creating something I enjoyed. I do want to remark that he seems to have completely dropped the idea of soul music backing this album.Grade: B

Feedback – A whining synth swishes into your ears as an aggressive Kanye growls, “Wake up, nigga, wake up!” Throwing the soulful theme out of the window for a more industrial sound like he had back in 2013’s Yeezus.

Referring back to his album Graduation, as Kanye asks “Ayy, y’all heard about the good news? / y’all sleeping on me, huh? Had a good snooze?” I’m thrilled. Here’s something a little more energetic. So it came as a much bigger disappointment when the song ends just before it really began, at a brisk two and a half minutes. Thankfully the final verse is a little longer, with Kanye rapping at his critics like PETA who were mad over his fur jacket, or the bloggers that constantly gossip about him. If being short wasn’t enough, the song ends with a fairly odd skit. Albeit its fitting with his jab at PETA. Grade: A-

Low Lights – This isn’t a song. It’s an undeserved resting point for an album that hasn’t really earned its right to give us a break when almost every song thus far hasn’t been more than just a short 2-3 minute snippet of something slightly unfinished.

Highlights – The much awaited duo of Young Thug and Kanye West, who apparently have over forty songs recorded together, make their appearance on this track. A fairly light-hearted beat accompanied by soft clapping in the background creates for a highlight reel for Kanye’s life.

Kanye reflects on his life referring to his family as “The new jacksons,” referring to the amount of Grammies he’s won. Changing up his flow a little, creating for a fairly engaging track. The theme of the album, according to Kanye himself was soul, yet with each song I feel like he’s straying fairly far from that theme. There is no soul here, but there is some soul in the figurative sense, as his strive to make at least semi-engaging tracks throughout the album is still existent. Also, even if I’m not a huge fan of him, Young Thug felt criminally underused here. Grade: B-

Freestyle 4 – Alright Mr. West, you’re a God, as you said on Yeezus, even whenit often felt as though he’s trying to convince himself rather than us.

Well here, Kanye says “This that rap god shit nigga / I rip every one of these motherfuckers down.” Kanye west always did exaggerate a bit. Rap god has an air about it, the most recent declaration before this was of course Eminem’s critically acclaimed and Guinness world record smashing hit single, Rap God.

After his declaration of his “Writers block” being over, in his single No More Parties in LA, I was highly anticipating a more hip-hop centric album release. This seems to be the first track fully try to deliver, or so I thought.

This isn’t a six minute 1,000+ word jaw-dropping lyrical flexing. This is more of a sub-150 word lyrical limp noodle. “Get stacks, drive cars / Whip out, bitch out / Tits out, oh shit,” Kanye raps. Simplistic, boring, derivative, cliché, repetitive and hilariously not self-aware, this felt a bit embarrassing to listen to. As though I was peeking into the shower curtain at Kanye washing himself and freestyling, holding his comb like a microphone. The saving grace is the epic beat, that fits better with the hook, sung once again by compatriot Desiigner. Grade: C-

I love Kanye – Skit - Right when I thought there was no self-awareness to be found, I find some self-awareness. It’s a cute skit as Kanye addresses the criticism of “changing”. Although, it seems to be in line with every other time he’s addressed criticism this album by simply parroting what has been criticized in a sarcastic tone.

Waves – Although a fairly corny collaboration between Chris Brown and Kanye,Waves does provide a fairly entertaining pop song. It doesn’t stay too long at a brisk three minutes creating for yet another track that ends very quickly, however, I don’t think it needed to be longer. It could have easily overstayed its welcome, but Kanye comes in for an incredibly short two verses, the first sounding like a few throwaway lines on his pad, and the second being more of an interlude, albeit a more interesting one.

It’s an entertaining pop song. It doesn’t go beyond that, but the production is clear and the organization by Chance the Rapper is admirable. I do wish it ended on a smoother note though.

Grade: B

FML – In one of TLOP’s more sobering moments, Kanye exposes what little of his heart we actually get to see. It’s surprising, and like the rest of the album, a completely random detour that lacks any organization or meaning in its placement. Many say its due to the title, Pablo referring to Pablo Picasso, so the disorganization makes sense. Whether it makes sense or not is irrelevant to me, however, it is sonically awkward.

That said, this track is pretty great. A haunting hook by The Weeknd helps with creating Kanye’s verses stand out better. Talking about his love for his family, as well as the inner struggle he goes through when it comes to staying faithful. It’s honest, compelling, and necessary. The beat-switch towards the end is welcome as well, creating for an even eerier sound. After my initial listens I soon realized that the title, FML, isn’t actually “Fuck my life”, as commonly thought, it is more like “For my lady”, since the concept of staying faithful is so important in this track. Grade: A-

Real Friends – With the pinnacle of this album, Kanye continues the trend of being unexpectedly real with his listeners. Once again the idea of this song coming after the last is awkward and unfitting, however, the track on its own is one of the best works Kanye has put out in the past half a decade.

Releasing it as a single it got me incredibly excited for the album to come as it showed a Kanye West that I thought was long gone. The idea of the track is interesting as well, with Kanye questioning who his real friends truly are, as he’s constantly being betrayed by the people he considers are his family, as well as questioning whether he’s been a real friend to the people around him as well. Compelling stuff with a solid production and a surprisingly welcome guest bridge by Ty Dolla $ign.

Grade: A

Wolves – If there is one thing that will stick with you in this gutted version ofWolves, it’ll surely be the production, providing eerie backup vocals, powerful bass and a catchy hook. If you didn’t know, Kanye cut a lot of the meat from this song from its initial debut on SNL. No longer is there a feature from fellow rapper Vic Mensa as well as Sia, who provided the needed backing for this song. This gutted version is by no means bad, simply weaker.

It’s interesting hearing Kanye thankfully delivering longer verses later in this album, albeit some incredibly weak lines. He says “I know its corny” a few times in the first verse, self-awareness is the first step. The second being correcting said corniness. Delivering what has to be another cringe-inducing line, “You tried to play nice, everybody just took advantage / You left your fridge open, somebody just took a sandwich.” I didn’t expect that I’d be so taken out of a song so quickly just 10 tracks after the horrid Father Stretch my Hands Pt1.

Grade: B-

30 Hours – A melancholy trip into Kanye’s psyche as he talks about his relationship with an ex. Specifically, Sumeke Rainey, who lived in Chicago while West moved to Los Angeles to break into the music industry in the early 2000s. According to him, it takes him around 30 hours to travel from LA to Chicago to visit her.  

The moody beat and the simple yet poignant hook set the tone for this track, creating a fairly compelling environment to close out the album. However, this song struggles with being too long. Unlike almost every song on this album being too short, this one is much too long, with the actual rapping ending at the three minute mark and Kanye begins to ramble for two and a half minutes about nothing.Grade: B

No more parties in LA – In this track, Kanye says, “I know some fans who thought I wouldn’t rap like this again / But the writer’s block is over, emcees cancel your plans,” caused me to really become excited for the release of this album. It showed a new Kanye, someone who takes his production seriously as well as backing up said production with actually impressive lyrics.

This single from TLOP is perhaps my favorite song on the album. It’s rough, intense, and offers an awesome guest verse from Kendrick. But the real star here is surprisingly Kanye who delivers a blistering, albeit blistering for Kanye, verse that spans tens of bars and many minutes. It was unexpected and certainly the most impressive verse he’s delivered since his 2010 album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Although he does hop on and off beat a few times with his flow, it is admirable to see him try so hard to actually contend with better rappers in the game. Grade: A

Facts (Charlie Heat Version) – I don’t think anyone was expecting this track to be on this album. At first it was released by Kanye as almost a throwaway, touting mediocre production, bad mixing, and horribly corny lyrics. This revised version, although still equally disappointing lyrically, especially after No More Parties in LA, provides a significantly more impressive beat which creates a surprisingly entertaining track, even if that is one of the only things going for it.Grade: C+

Fade – This album, pardon the pun, fades out with Fade. A somewhat corny disco beat backed with vocals from Ty Dolla $ign. He doesn’t do the song much favors, however, this corny disco beat is pretty engaging. That being said, this song is incredibly sparse. There’s nothing happening. It’s a brisk three minutes of absolutely nothing but repeating vocals and generic lyricism. Although the sample of “deep inside” by Ms. Barbara Tucker is hilariously awesome. Grade: C

Consensus:

The biggest issue with Kanye West’s The Life of Pablo is its lack of organization and sonic originality. Researching a lot of Pablo Picasso’s most famous paintings, what became clear is that in his cubism there is still a theme, there is method to the madness. The track list organization is simply the framing to the painting that is the music. Kanye seems to struggle with understanding that, prompting to simply disorganize the tracks making for an awkward paced album. Picasso didn’t disorganize his paintings.

The gospel undertone Is mostly lost, with only a few songs leaning heavily into soul and choir samples, as well as Wolves having allusions to the bible. Overall, however, this theme is lost on the project. The music is more of a “greatest hits” compilation without any of the great hits. Mostly it has seemingly unfinished music with a few phenomenal gems interspersts throughout the sound that we’ve all heard before on his previous projects. Whether it’s the Yeezus-like industrial sound of Feedback, or the Late Registration-esq choir of Ultralight Beams, nothing here is a new Kanye.  

Lastly, where Kanye could have delved deep into his psyche and addressed his criticisms, he instead prompted to simply parrot what has been said about him. He hardly provided explanations, and while the music sounded good it didn’t feel like something that I could really analyze as I keep listening to it.

Overall, The Life of Pablo is as disorganized as it is uneven. With some beautiful tracks, some mediocre tracks, and some truly awful tracks. It doesn’t feel like West tried much new here. With over six production credits on each track and six writing credits on each one as well, it feels as though this isn’t the Kanye sound I was honestly hoping for.

[mediamass]

“The Story” of Us

By Allison Moltz

I was covered in mud when I fell in love. Alex and I were playing some lame, middle- school version of hide and seek in his backyard with his family. It was summer and you could smell the rotten stench of fertilizer in July (a common smell of rural Pennsylvania at any given time). He was my partner and we needed to find a hiding spot before the seekers came outside. We ran as fast as we could to the side yard, unlatched the fence, and raced past the big oak tree to sit and wait. Of course I tripped. Of course it had rained all afternoon. Of course I was wearing white. Alex so graciously asked if I was okay, if I wanted to surrender, go inside, and change. Nope. Our eyes were fixed on each other, below a canopy of stars and draped in summer sweat.

I crossed all the lines and I broke all the rules, but baby I broke them all for you

Alexander and I were not supposed to date. He was my drummer and I was the lead singer in a paid teen rock band. We had all come together in 2011 when the drummer, guitarist, and vocalist, all brothers, needed a feminine edge. That’s when I joined, and the rest is history (who would have thought weekends gigging at bars would be the life of goody-two-shoes Allison). For the sake of the band, everyone had agreed to keep their distance so we wouldn’t be the next Fleetwood Mac. However, after that night in the mud we could not keep our eyes off of each other. We knew from then on nothing would be the same. We were only 13 and 14 years old and we had no idea what we were doing. When I was watching the Palladia Music Channel with my poppy a few days later, a live performance of “The Story” by Brandi Carlile struck a chord in my innocent and ignorant heart. Even though my “friend who was a boy”, never asked for me to be his girlfriend, we were in constant contact on our little go-phones (the coolest phones in my  middle school years—pre-iPhone). I immediately messaged Alex my favorite lyrics from the song. Only to get the reply of “cool.” Each note is a cry of despair as she floats the pitch up and down and allows the cracks in her voice to fall where they may. Even though the notes may have been a cry for help, I was in such lust that I could not be saddened by it. I listened and listened and listened…cried a little…and listened some more. Every day for us consisted of slightly brushing each other’s hands, insisting on sitting next to each other at lessons, choosing each other for partner work at practice, and other minute (but riveting to young teenagers) details. But I was made for you Then he dumped me. It was January of the next year, 2013. In his defense, “we were never official.” However, the handholding on hay rides, the hugs that lasted a little longer than normal, and the overwhelming amount of make out sessions in the storage room of our practice studio, forced me to beg to differ. I guess he found another freshman who could raise his manhood. Like any other angsty teenager who thought her future husband had just dumped her, I turned to music. Nothing seemed more appropriate as I spooned my confused cat (who was also being drowned in tears), than to listen to “The Story.” I wanted to shout lyrics in Alex’s face. I WAS MADE FOR YOU! How could this fourteen-year-old boy not see this?

You see the smile that’s on my mouth. It’s hiding the words that don’t come out. And all of my friends who think that I’m blessed, they don’t know my head is a mess

February was when my voice cracked, but not in the way Brandi Carlile’s does in her song. It was the way a thirteen-year-old pre-pubescent boy’s does when he nervously raises his hand in class. I was singing in the band in front of my high school peers for a competition. I was reassured by my bandmates and family members of course: “It was not as bad as you’re thinking”, “No one will remember in five minutes.” Everything went in one ear and out the other (like most compliments you feel your mom is obligated to give you). We came in third and celebrated with pizza. That slice of pizza was the last thing I ate for three weeks. Like a slug covered in salt on a hot sidewalk, I was slowly impending my destruction. How could the only thing I was good at fail me at the time I needed it most? Maybe if I didn’t eat, nothing could pass my fucked-up throat and damage it more. Maybe the disgusting uselessness I was made of would slowly deteriorate. I was 15 and I felt like there was nothing special about me. I was not great at anything, nor was I devastatingly gorgeous. I lost 24 pounds in that desolate and confusing time. I listened to “The Story” at least a hundred times. Even though Alex had chosen for us to go our separate ways, we still talked. He still came to all of my theatre shows with flowers. I still went to all of his football games with candy. Some sort of relationship had to be maintained for the sake of the band. Sometimes he was the only one I could talk to because I didn’t know how to tell my closest friends and family. I was afraid to break my mother’s heart. I felt like he was the only one who would listen to my story with a concerned ear, even if he was just a 14 year old boy.

Boys came and went as Alex and I remained friends. Of course, I still clung to Brandi Carlile’s therapeutic tunes as I felt uncertain in my life. After a rather devastating break up in May of 2014, my mom could tell my head was a mess. I experienced a panic attack while driving that almost slid me off the road. I pulled over carefully. My extremities were locked, feeling like pins and needles stabbing me over and over, due to hyperventilation. It was not just about the boy. My mom finally realized I had been acting like this stray dog, unwanted and rough around the edges, for years. My anti-anxiety medication slowly numbed me like an extra toe, about to be chopped off from anything important. It was summer so I usually just laid around if I wasn’t working and listened to my music, listened to my Brandi.

Because even when I was flat broke, you made me feel like a million bucks

Alex invited me over to swim one day in August of 2014. Some of my friends slowly decided their time was better spent with my ex-boyfriend, so I did not have many plans anyway. Sure. Why not? I needed to get out of the house for a reason that wasn’t work, so we swam. We were with his family. There was no scene out of Fifty Shades of Grey, but we slowly fell in love with each other’s eyes again. If I could count on anything with Alex, it was undeniably smoldering eye contact. I never thought it could be sexy to look into someone’s eyes until I looked into his once again…and yet I felt like a young girl, thinking about our time under the stars, so many summers ago.

No, they don’t know who I really am. And they don’t know what I’ve been through like you do. I was made for you.

As my senior year was coming to a close, my relationship with Alex started to bloom. He was my person I told everything to…especially my hate for our senior song “Let It Go” from Frozen. My parents rewarded me for my hard work (straight A’s throughout high school) by taking me to meet my sister for two weeks in Amsterdam where she was studying abroad. The week after that I went to Nebraska with my school for a festival (it’s a long story). Three weeks without my best friend, my Alex. We were not romantically involved yet, but I messaged him on the bus ride home from the airport. I was dying to see him. My excitement jumped off a cliff and into a shark tank when I got home, however. My parents decided to have a separation while I was gone.

I ran into my house, petting my cat, hugging my sister, and jumping for joy to see my family. That’s when my mom broke down and my sister told me we had to talk. She told me dad wasn’t home, and he wasn’t coming back. I put on my best game face. I had to be strong for my mom. I simply shook my head and went to my room to unpack. It was 4 am when I called Alex. My call had woken him up, and I was so incoherent between my hysterical sobs that the call amounted to nothing. I ran across the street and into my best friend, Laura’s house to cry. I couldn’t let my mom hear me and become more broken than she already was.

Over the next few weeks, I could not stay in my house. It was too depressing. As soon as I woke up I asked to go to Alex’s and I drove off at the speed of light. We played Yahtzee and I laughed and carried on as usual, but Alex could tell something was off. When his brothers left to get donuts for dessert at the local convenience store, I took him into his room and told him of my parents’ separation. My mascara ran like raindrops on the car window as I sobbed into Alex’s pillow and his chest. He pulled away a little, and I was appalled for a split second, before he simply wiped my face with his sleeve and told me, “You are going to get through this. I know you. I know you are one of the strongest women I have ever met. And I know that I will love and support you no matter what.” That’s when I kissed him. I kissed him and I knew he was the one. He was my first kiss back in 2011, but this time was different. Much like Noah and Allie when they reconnect after seven years apart in the Notebook (for lack of a better example), we realized it had never been over between us. We were made for each other.

It’s true. I was made for you.

I was covered in mud when I fell in love. It all seems clear as day as I think back now. When you are made for someone, it never works out with anyone else. No one else memorizes the lines on your face. No one else knows the lowest valleys of your despair and the highest mountains of your happiness, (and everything in between) and still wants to share all moments with you. Mud is messy, thin, thick, and sticky, but so was our love. Our story. The story.

[mediamass]

Cultural Appropriation in Music Videos

By Rachel Tscherwinski

As everyone knows, the band Coldplay was this year’s super bowl half time performer, that is until Bruno Mars and Beyoncé stole the show. However, Coldplay has been getting a lot of press lately on the release of their new music video Hymn for the Weekend and not their super bowl announcement. Coldplay’s new music video showed them going through the streets of a colorful India. There was paint being thrown everywhere, colorful cars and buses, and to top it all off Beyoncé was dressed in traditional Indian garb. This representation of India received a lot of backlash from audiences saying that it was culturally inappropriate and that they have no right to project India as this dirty place. Other people have argued that Beyoncé is appropriating Indian culture by “dressing up as an Indian woman for her own profit” while others believe she can’t be blamed for cultural appropriation because of all the anti-black sentiment in Indian culture and how other minorities don’t raise any attention when black culture is being appropriated.

The bands lead member Chris martin is known for having an active political voice on issues such as fair trade and he has visited countries like Ghana and Haiti to gain a better understanding on these issues. Martin has also been a part of the many musical efforts to raise money for the major natural disasters that have happened in the past decade. In 2012, the band was part of a concert held for Hurricane Sandy relief and they joined the charity group Band Aid 30 which is a band comprised of several well-known artists that make songs to help raise money for relief efforts. Recently, Band Aid 30 has created songs to raise money for the Ebola crisis in Western Africa. In 2015, Chris Martin became the creative director of Global Citizen Festival which was created after the establishment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which are essentially several tasks that need to be strived for and completed in order to end global poverty by the year 2030. What I’m getting at is, Chris Martin is a really good guy. He is actively involved with politics and genuinely wants to make a difference in the world.

Some argue that India is just used as the backdrop of Coldplay’s music video to which I fully disagree. Having been to several Coldplay concerts and having seen more of their concerts on TV, Coldplay really makes the audience feel like they are important and apart of the band and this is seen in their music video for Hymn for the Weekend. Chris Martin is actively interacting with Indian children and adults during their annual Holi festival and is seen singing to people in the street while everyone is all colorful from the powder. At no point in the music video does Chris Martin make the Indian people or the country itself out to be dirty.

If people even listened to the song or knew anything about music or Coldplay at all they would realize that their goal for their past few albums has been to make “happy” music. Coldplay is literally only in our lives to make us feel better because Chris Martin is such a nice freaking guy. In the song Hymn for the Weekend, the song is very upbeat with jumpy piano rhythms that make your heart skip happily and it has a clapping beat that makes everyone feel subconsciously unified. I can listen to this song and see all of the colors in my head because tis song is so happy and upbeat. Their latest album in which this song is on is literally the color spectrum in this cool little design using circles.

With this use of color throughout their album, it makes perfect sense to me why Coldplay chose to shoot this music video in India. India is known for being very beautiful and colorful and Coldplay shows that through his video. He’s not going through the town like “look at all these disgusting kids and people and this dirty village of poor bastards”. No. The expression on Chris Martin’s face throughout the whole music video is like “wow these people and this culture are so cool and I totally appreciate the beauty in this culture”.

There was a lot of backlash from Indian people saying that Martin showing India as a colorful place was bad because not all of India is colorful and they don’t want to seem like a joke. Just because the music video showed a colorful aspect of India doesn’t mean that the whole country is one colorful costume. Also, color is used as the theme throughout their whole album, so it makes complete sense to me why Chris Martin decided to use the Holi Festival in his music video.

The Holi festival happens annually in India and it acts as a day to share love with the people around you and to have fun. These two themes of fun and love are shown throughout the entirety of the music video to Hymn for the Weekendwhich fits into Martin’s overall theme of the song and respects the tradition of the Holi festival. If people looked at the lyrics of the song they would see that song is about love. Martin sings about how he is “thirsty” meaning he is looking for love and happiness which he finds and is represented visually by using the Holi festival in their music video.    

As someone who doesn’t live in India, I did not think that India only looked colorful or that it was dirty from this music video. If someone watching this music video thought that all Indian people do is throw color at each other and ride colorful cars than there is a bigger problem with our society. People should be educated on other countries culture’s in order to stop this plague of cultural ignorance from happening. Most people should be able to watch this music video and understand that this is just a certain part of one country and it doesn’t show all aspects of life in that country. If some people fail to recognize this than the artist cannot be blamed for the ignorance and lack of education of the audience.  

Coldplay used that Holi festival as a big part of their video because it had a purpose, it supported the song lyrics, and it was easy to tell that Chris Martin had some background on the festival and what it means to the people. If artists research and puts some thought into the culture they are showing in their music videos, there shouldn’t be a need to criticize them.

Along with Chris Martin, Beyoncé was also getting a lot of negative feedback from wearing Indian women’s clothing, wearing henna, and attempting to dance in an Indian style in the music video. The argument is that Beyoncé is using Indian culture for her own profit and for this reason she is being accused of cultural appropriation.

Beyoncé is also someone who has a very active political voice which has been showing more recently in her newest songs such as “Formation”. The pop star has been involved with a lot events surrounding black lives matter and has helped people and groups who have been protesting for equal rights. In 2013, Beyoncé publicly endorsed same sex marriage and attended a rally in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman for the shooting of Trayvon Martin. She also advocates for feminism which she sings about in her song “Flawless”. So along with Chris Martin, Beyoncé is also a very politically active artist and she is trying to say something with her music. Both artists try to incorporate deeper meanings into their music which are usually supported by the themes in their music videos.

Beyoncé’s traditional Indian apparel in the Hymn for the Weekend music video should not be labeled as cultural appropriation. If there aren’t hateful lyrics or derogatory motions towards the culture that appears in the music video, the artist or artists should not be criticized. In Coldplay’s music video, Beyoncé is seen wearing a very intricate and detailed dress and she is mostly placed in front of a kaleidoscope like background. She literally stays standing in one position throughout the whole entire music. Usually the most complaints arise when an artist wears traditional clothing and dances erotically in them or just over sexualizes the culture in general. In the Hymn for the Weekend music video, this is not the case. Because Beyoncé stays in one position throughout the entirety of the song and only uses slight hand movements as her form of dancing, there is no over sexualization of Indian culture. Her fluid movements and attire make her seem very elegant, and it appears almost as if she isn’t moving around a lot because she wants the audience to focus on the beauty of the clothes she is wearing and the backgrounds behind her.  

The music video for Hymn for the Weekend should not be labeled as cultural appropriation. Today, we live in a globalized community which lives and breaths off of consumerism. This so called “cultural appropriation in music videos” is not going to stop, and people need to think before they start crying wolf on this topic. When it comes to other artists like Taylor Swift and Iggy Azalea, who have also been accused of cultural appropriation, using other cultures in the background of their music videos is a tactic to gain more viewers and create something that is different and interesting. However, it’s not going to do any good if people just blame the artist for cultural appropriation. Instead, the artists should be properly educated on the various cultures that appear in their music videos before they put their own twist on them and the audience should be properly educated as well.

Half of the problem in this situation is the fact that the audience isn’t up to par with what should be educational requirements in our globalized society. People should have a general background of cultures as citizens of not only a particular country, but of the world. Especially in the case of a culture so prominent and influential as Indian culture, people need to have a general understanding of what makes up this culture. If everyone had a better educational background, no one would think that what they see in music videos is everything they need to know about a country because in this case India is not just one big Holi festival.

Unlike pop stars such as Taylor Swift and Iggy Azalea, Coldplay and Beyoncé incorporate meaning behind their songs. There was also an apparent theme of color and love throughout the whole entire song and album, so using the Indian Holi festival was a great way to capture both of these themes visually. Both singers do not over sexualize, misrepresent, or make a joke of Indian culture in any way. As someone who doesn’t know all of the specific elements that make up Indian culture, this music video did not make me think that India was dirty or just a colorful mess. I thought this music video was beautifully shot and put together and the themes of color and love are good messages for everyone to see and hear in their music video Hymn for the Weekend.      

[mediamass]

Joyce and Tony Live at Wigmore Hall delivers passion, precision, and pleasure

By Christiana Jamroz

Invited back to open the 2014-15 season at Wigmore Hall in London, American mezzo-soprano, Joyce DiDonato and Antonio Pappano, the music director of the Royal Opera House, once again delivered an exceptional performance. The Warner Classics/Erato label released the live recording as a 2-disc set in September 2015.

The first half kicks off with Haydn’s Arianna a Naxos, a solo cantata finely interpreted by DiDonato sharing Arianna’s disbelief and acceptance that her lover has left her, versus the more well-known ending of heartbreaking defeat. Pappano follows her moving lines with such care and alertness; one wouldn’t be able to pull them apart. This piece was also on their debut program at Wigmore, lending more value to a piece the ears and eyes of many had missed the first time. Shifting between recitative and aria, both capture the full range of emotions that are spread across the lengthy cantata. Pappano nicely sets the scene of a hopeful heart as DiDonato’s character is struck with sudden doubt moving through a resigned fury and fit of outrage at being betrayed, ending in a furious agreement with her fate. It is one of Haydn’s works that relies more on dramatic expression than technical skill. Only having the chance to listen and not watch, I was still able to feel the emotional connection between DiDonato and Arianna, supported faithfully by Pappano.

It is quite evident that Ms. Didonato has really begun to dig into the core of her voice, finding that “sweet spot.” Of course, that comes with age but there’s absolutely no sign of fear in her technique. She takes the risks needed to accomplish these demanding numbers and as a result is grounded and clear in all aspects.

Her selections that follow come from one of her favorite composers Gioachino Rossini. Beltà Crudele offers a calm moment to release the listener from the fire of Arianna and prepare them for a sparkling rendition of La danza. Warner Classics uploaded the live performance to their Youtube channel for all to enjoy:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGtSoaKFnII.  Usually sung by a tenor, one would have missed a rare performance of the song in a rich female voice, so kudos to Joyce for this one. She rises to the challenge and transports us to a little town in Italy dancing along to the tarantella. With any program of music, one must pick and choose where to use the most and least amounts of energy, better known as pacing oneself. As this piece is no walk in the park, demanding technical accuracy and consistent strength of support from both pianist and singer, DiDonato and Pappano remain grounded and full of energy. She is careful not to take the complete spotlight in this piece and definitely acknowledges her fearless pianist throughout the entire performance by gesturing to him and paying attention to his runs in the piano, stepping away only when technique demands her to. On stage, she captures the difficulty that comes with the repertoire but is careful not to give away too much of the character. In today’s age, many advocate for a good visual of the text being sung, which can be distracting and diminish the beauty of the music itself. With her strength being the dramatic elements she embraces each phrase with grace and dignity, carrying the program quite nicely.

The first disc concludes with a lesser-known song cycle I canti della sera by Francesco Santoliquido and a warm piece by Ernesto de Curtis, Non ti scordar di me! which fittingly  translates to Do not forget me! Of course, no one can forget Ms. DiDonato!

Hopping back across the pond, DiDonato prepares us for an all-American second half. Helped in part by a dreamy arrangement of Stephan Foster’s Beautiful Dreamer, both she and Pappano create a nostalgic landscape to open the second half. It is filled with charming little numbers from some of America’s finest composers including Jerome Kern, Richard Rogers, Irving Berlin and Harold Arlen. Being one of American theatre’s greatest in the 20th Century, Kern gave us Showboat, in which he worked with Oscar Hammerstein II to produce the songs “Ol’ Man River,” “Make Believe,” and “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man,” which DiDonato sings right before Rogers “My Funny Valentine” from Babes in Arms, really showing us that just because you sing opera for a living doesn’t mean you can’t pull off an equally stunning performance of a popular Jazz standard.

As a Kansas girl, she brings us back home with her closing number Arlen’s “Over the Rainbow,” originally sung by Dorothy in the opening scenes of The Wizard of Oz. But not before an entertaining performance of Berlin’s “I Love A Piano,” which is also up for viewers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E885OODHOjc. Here it is quite obvious that both artists can stretch their abilities far and wide without losing their charm, the dynamic between them showing how connected they are. DiDonato sings as if she’s thinking things up on the spot and Pappano playfully follows her. Just listening you could imagine him improvising over the keys, taking a break from his work at the Opera House, agreeing with Joyce’s delight that “he’s decided to throw that old baton away!” It really was the finale, though, “Over the Rainbow,” a number close to her heart that brings our dream to an end and back to reality.

There is a fine line between entertaining and enriching an audience. Do I think she captures both? Sometimes artists can get a little carried away and give the audience more love than the music, but she was able to reach into the hearts and minds of what David Mellor describes as, “surely the most knowledgeable and musically sophisticated in Britain.”(The Mail on Sunday, 2014) If her performances continue to warrant similar responses, we may see this second time Grammy award winner go for her third. Thank you, Joyce and Tony, for another spectacular performance!

[mediamass]

Why Obama Makes Me Cry

By Madeline Ramaley

When Obama was first inaugurated, I cried. Not because I was so emotionally moved to tears, but because I had a cold. For the entirety of the day my eyes were watery and my nose was running. And it just so happened that when Obama was sworn in, my eyes were especially watery and my nose was especially runny. This isn’t to say that I wasn’t excited about Obama being the President. I was extremely excited. In fact, I was even quoted in my town’s local newspaper saying “I think it’s kind of a beginning. It makes me happy and excited.” The Elk Grove Citizen writers had come to my elementary school to report on students’ reaction to the president being inaugurated, especially the fact he was going to be the first African American President. 

As a sixth grader, I don’t remember anyone I knew being opposed to Obama being president, especially people my age. In fact, I remember this kid in my fifth grade class (while the primaries were happening, and Obama and Hillary were fighting for the nomination from the Democratic Party) who yelled at me when I said wouldn’t mind if Hillary got the nomination, just because it would have been cool to have a woman president. He got so upset that I didn’t agree with him that Obama was the only option for president that he yelled at me, and not just a shout, but a solid screech that lasted for at least ten seconds. He then didn’t talk to me for the rest of the year, and I imagine he gloated profusely to me in his mind when Obama won the nomination (but because he didn’t talk to me I can’t be sure). Other kids I knew weren’t as extreme in their support of Obama, but pretty much every one that I knew supported him. I guess this can be attributed to the fact that the town I grew up in was fairly liberal, which isn’t surprising for a suburb in the Sacramento Valley. If you go up into the mountains, you’ll start to see your Confederate flags and pickup trucks, or even if you go a little too far deep in Elk Grove. But for the most part, everyone is pretty left-wing

***

When I was in sixth grade, Proposition 8 was up for vote in California. Proposition 8 focused on gay marriage, and whether it should be legalized or not. The way it was explained to me at the time was: to vote “yes” was to vote that gay marriage was bad, it was against the law, and to vote “no” was that gay marriage was good, and should be made legal. It was all very confusing to my sixth grade self. I guess what was so confusing was that voting yes was connotated with something so negative in my eyes, and voting no was connotated with something so positive.

Even though I was too young to vote when Proposition 8 was being voted on, I still adamantly followed the election that year. Everywhere in Elk Grove, you would see propaganda both for and against Prop. 8. “YES ON 8” screamed signs on front lawns, directly across from their neighbors’ bumper sticker that screamed back “NO ON 8!” The one thing that bothered me to no end was the fact that the “Yes on 8” signs were so pretty. According to my personal beliefs and what I believed to be constitutionally right, voting no on Prop. 8 was the right thing to do. But it was so hard for me, purely because I didn’t like the way the “No on 8” signs were designed. They weren’t very attractive, just a dark blue background with white font (and not even a pretty font at that, just a basic block font). They said “Vote NO on Prop 8; UNFAIR AND WRONG,” with a red “X” in the middle of the “o” in “NO.” Looking back now as a Political Communication Major, I can appreciate what the campaign was going for, by striking an “X” through the “o” to signify how you should vote. But, as an 11 year old, the signs were so boring! Especially in comparison with the “Yes on 8” signs. The “Yes on 8” signs were a sunny yellow with “YES ON 8; Protect Marriage” in a carefree, easy to read, block, bright blue font. Above the scrawling words was a stick figure, silhouette family, all reaching their arms upward, as if in celebration. And of course the family was one man, one woman, and their perfect stick figure children (of course one boy and one girl, let’s be reasonable here). I knew that the “Yes on 8” campaign went against everything I believed in, but I did have to give them credit for some pretty killer signs.

***

Ultimately, Prop. 8 passed in California. I don’t really remember when the results came out, but I was sorely disappointed in the voters in my state. It’s weird, I remember the build up to Prop. 8 being voted on, the propaganda ads on TV, the advocates both for and against the cause rallying on the sides of the roads and in front of the State House, the signs in the front yards, I remember the build up. But I can’t recall the aftermath. I can’t recall when the results of the election were released, or the reactions of the public, or anything really. I just remember being sad. Sad that 52% of voters in California didn’t understand the basic meaning of equality. 

***

When Obama has his last day in office, I know I’m going to cry. Not because I have a cold (though, I can’t predict the future so I might), but because I’m going to be so emotional. Obama defined a pivotal part of my life for me. Obama defined the period of my life where I realized what I wanted to do with it. Obama is the reason I love politics. 

As a fifth grader, I had never paid attention to politics before, which isn’t uncommon because most elementary schoolers don’t care to learn about politics. But when Obama began to seriously campaign for his presidency in 2008, I was amazed. Here was a man who stood up for what he believed in, he was trustworthy, he was young, he was relatable, he was passionate. As a ten year old, I was in awe of this man who seemed to hold in his hands the fate of America. 2008 was the first year when I actually started paying attention to what was happening in the government, and if it hadn’t been for Obama I wouldn’t have even been exposed to what was happening in the government. When he was running for president, I cared. I watched the news, I read the newspaper. And even after he was elected, I still continued with my routine of reading the newspaper and watching the news. So later when everything started gaining traction with Proposition 8, I was able to follow what was happening. Obama had introduced me to my routine of watching the news, learning what the issues were, and educating myself on them, and this carried over to me informing myself about Prop. 8. I had a newfound love for politics, I grew passionate. Proposition 8 was important to me, it was pivotal. It was more than just a sixth grader thinking this was something cool,  it defined so much more.

Politics is a way in which people have the ability to truly make a change. I look back at Prop. 8, and I think, “Maybe, if more people were informed about how to vote, more informed about the importance of politics, they would have voted in that election, and Prop. 8 wouldn’t have been passed. And then, maybe, gay marriage would have been legal in California for a lot longer than it has been, and that would be amazing.” This is why politics is important to me, because it’s so much more than just having an opinion, checking a box, and getting a sticker that says “I Voted.” It’s about inspiring a generation, it’s about making a change. It’s finding something that you’re passionate about, and investing in it. It’s realizing that politics isn’t just for old white men, but for change-makers, for those who want to make a difference. It’s about teaching young people that their voice matters, that they have the ability to make systematic change. 

Obama inspired me to become passionate about politics, Obama is the reason I followed Prop. 8 with such diligence, and continue to be passionate about social justice. He inspired me to want to make a change, he inspired to be a Political Communication Major. And I hope that someday, I can inspire a sixth grader in a classroom someday to find something they’re passionate about, and inspire them to make a change.

[mediamass]

Pop Candidacy

By Jon Dery

America. Just the word conjures a scruffy man with the American flag in one hand, an automatic rifle in the other, and the bill of rights projecting from his poaching red, white, and blue eyes. Land of liberty, free from tyranny of any sort or stature. Bipartisan by respectful, honorable individuals since 1776, united by the common goal to uphold America as America The Great. This has been the America recognized, defended, and deployed to assist domestic and foreign concerns across the globe as a leading world super power. However, currently there are powers greater than any nation. Tyrants that rule and permeate all sectors of modern civilization. Society has reached the point where tyrants are no longer political positions occupied by individual rulers; now they are virtual applications administered by global conglomerates. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, the list continues. Social networks purposed for international social interaction are now utilized as political weapons and perception manipulators. Americans have exchanged their flags, their colors, their arms for devices capable of contriving multiple identities, painting matters in skewed shades, and endangering far more than an individual’s or a group’s life; these devices have the power to determine the future. With the 2016 presidential race rapidly heating toward an election between a powerful woman portrayed as simply America’s not-so cool mom and a delusional megalomaniac attired as a humorous clown, the future of America and the world is treated as the punchline to a far too facetious joke. The future is not a joke, nor is it serious anymore; due to the pop culture and entertaining display of the current presidential race, the future is grave. It is only proper to speak on behalf of the future if the precedent is established first. Reality is virtual now. Yes, of course, reality is the physical world and is technically separate from the cyberspace. Though is it really? With the rapid spread and growth of the Internet, they have appeared some social phenomena such as cyberbullying, internet pornography, grooming through social networks, cybersuicide, Internet addiction and social isolation, racism on the web… Social networks (1) are characterized as online services that allow individuals to create a public profile within an entrenched net system… Social networks are a set of interactions and relationships. In summation, according to Marianna Diomidous in her review “Social and Psychological Effects of the Internet Use,” people, more importantly adolescents, tend to their virtual lives to such an extent that their cyber-reality affects their physical reality to detrimental extents. Thus, the virtual reality is positioned as the highest priority. The most affecting impacts are those resulting from online interactions. Therefore, any physical interaction or experience is not only second to its virtual counterpart, but nearly irrelevant. The results of Diomidous’ review are not only deserving of immediate acknowledgement, but even more so immediate intervention: The spread of the Internet and the growing influence of it to such an extent as to constitute a dominant element in the lives of users, led to the exploration of the consequences that may cause the frequent usage of the internet in the physical and mental development of both young people and adults. Among the multitude of parameters that make up this new and constantly evolving situation are the exposure of users to propaganda and racist ideas. Additionally, Internet may offer inappropriate material and misleading ideas. The Internet and its content transcend influence and is better categorized as molding. The conception of individuals, especially adolescents, is malleable, therefore what they invest their time and attention into will shape their disposition and, ultimately, their realities. What people see and interact with online matters; it matters the most. “Bullying…Racism…Inappropriate material and misleading ideas,” do these all sound frighteningly familiar? Do these qualities conjure the image of a particular individual? Is that individual a presidential candidate? Not even O.J. Simpson’s lawyer could refute these terms possessing direct associations with 2016 presidential candidate Donald Trump. This person not only pre-existed as a powerful figure, he could likely be one of the few people appointed the position allotted command of the world’s strongest military, contributors to the global economy, and the nuclear launch codes that would result in global annihilation. If this sounds a bit extreme, it is because it is. Yet only few individuals and communities perceive it to be. Sensibly so too: who would suspect a frivolous clown to ravage a country and decimate a planet? Donald trump is only a clown because his opposition paints him so with social networks as the canvas and social media as the brushes. The mockery extends to the other candidates as well. Bernie Sanders is portrayed as some cute, cool-guy underdog who deserves a pat on the head, Hilary Clinton as, well, his opposite, and the other republican candidates’ depiction matches Trumps. It is understandable why this portrayal exists. It is humorous. It garners attention, fondness, or opposition toward particular candidates and the one who posted the meme, gif, video, or comment. And these forms of media are typically frivolous and harmless. But that’s where the potential problem lies. Since the candidates, one of whom will be the president of the United States and have control over all its powers, are displayed in a format that is defined the platform for passive, reductive humor, the candidates are interpreted as such too. The consequences of this interpretation, especially with the current presidential candidates are terrifying. Terrifying not because the wrong people are gaining support and attention, but because the attention is directed at mocking the opposition rather than considering how they could likely become president while, in the background, their chances and number of supporters increase. Trump can be mocked all the Internet wants, but the current state of blind ignorance cannot resume. The future of America and the world further and further approaches critical condition while those who are capable of impeding tyrannical terror sit idly by, obstructing themselves from the reality with their dangerous jokes. Using social networks as the platform, however, is not all bad. Though the content and psychological effects of using social media to discuss the presidential candidates are dangerous, the spread of information and quantity of participants has never been higher. People across the world of all ages are now included. The moment an individual sees some media content on a presidential candidate while scrolling through their newsfeed, they are involved. They may not be engaged, nor an active contributor, though they have a general sense of the current situation and who supports each party and candidate. This awareness is valuable in its own right, however, it is more important that it has potential to be advantageous. If the right celebrity or figure supports a candidate, or a polarizing incident occurs, one of those who are simply aware could possibly become involved. Although, this circumstance can be equally detrimental if that involvement and support leans toward a candidate likely to cause havoc. The Internet’s ability to spread information and reap awareness is powerful; it is best for that not to be forgotten. Ultimately, here’s the point: the longer we perpetuate the facetious portrayal of these presidential candidates, the more likely the future will be dangerous. We need to stop masquerading these malignant tumors as just beauty marks; they are not pretty, nor are their repercussions. What people experience and interact with dictates their perception. It does not matter if that is through cyberspace or reality; the virtual plane has become the reality. Considering how most individuals spend nearly all their time and attention on social media, their lives are now more dependent on the Internet space rather than physical reality. Saturating social networks with rudimentary depictions of the 2016 presidential candidates is not only detrimental, it is disastrous. There is an unintentional indoctrination occurring where people view the candidates as small quips rather than serious figures. Racism, sexism, discrimination, moral impotence, humiliation, and instigation are not qualities of even the worst president; but they are possible. If the cancer is not severed, it will only strew and fester beyond restraint or repair. The production and exhibition of this content cannot simply be deactivated or banned. That would cause outrage and, frankly, yield worse implications. Instead, the very same platform and mediums should be used to promote the objective and informative representations of the 2016 presidential candidates. Not only would this mitigate the perception of the candidates being frivolous, it would replace the space with the accurate view. This cannot be done over night, nor by any ordinary individual. This must be executed by those who amass the most popularity, attention, and political humor content. Celebrity endorsements, social networking implementations such as the addition of a factual newsfeed or section to view the candidacy objectively, and those who produce these dooming presidential portrayals necessitating this reform, are the most effective contributors to an informed, safe future. The spread of this content does overwhelmingly extend the reach of information and generate exponentially more awareness, however, this quality currently leads to more tribulation. It is time to swap out the dooming frivolity for serious information. When it comes to games and jokes, sure, present it in any manner. But when it comes to factors determining the future, be appropriate. Be responsible. And be informative. All traits that counter a maniac with his prearranged clown foot far in the door wide red smirk making his opposition laugh and his supporters cheer. Trump the humor; make America sane again.

[mediamass]

Don’t Vote For Her Just Because She’s Female

By Kate Greenlese

The definition of feminism is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes”. It doesn’t seem that difficult to grasp in this straightforward statement, and yet everyone seems to have a different interpretation, which is ridiculous. Apparently there are different levels of feminism, ie being a radical feminist. But it’s ridiculous to be anything but a feminist, because once people start adding adjectives to feminist, they stray from the true definition: equality. It seems every self-proclaimed feminist slips up now and then, even the famous ones. Madeleine Albright and Gloria Steinem have recently received backlash over some statements they made on the presidential primaries. Albright, while at a presidential candidacy rally in New Hampshire for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was quoted saying “There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other,” referring to women who are voting for the other Democratic runner Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (or any of the Republican candidates (even Carly Fiorina)). In an interview with Bill Maher, Steinem said “When you’re young, you’re thinking: ‘Where are the boys? The boys are with Bernie,” basically stating that the only reason a young woman would vote for Bernie is because that’s what the young men are doing. The women have since apologized, and many young feminists have been left with holes in their hearts.  And the question on everyone’s mind is: what made them say that? I feel in order to properly critique what these women said, we have to look into their pasts and really define what they stand for. Gloria Steinem was born March 25, 1934, in Toledo, Ohio, became a freelance writer after attending Smith College, helped pioneer New York and Ms. magazines, and helped form the National Women’s Political Caucus. Throughout her long life, she has advocated for women’s rights in all aspects. She’s the one who coined the phrase “A woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle”, and has also been recorded saying “Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It’s about making life more fair for women everywhere. It’s not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It’s about baking a new pie.” Similarly, Madeleine Albright is a strong-willed feminist, although her contributions are more involved with politics. Madeleine Albright was born May 15th, 1937 in Prague (later moving as a child to the United States), entered politics after attending Wellesley College and Columbia University, became American Ambassador to the UN in 1993, and was the first female Secretary of State. Being the first female Secretary of State, she paved the way for many women in politics and is seen as a proper role model to all young women. Some famous quotes of hers are “Women have to be active listeners and interrupters - but when you interrupt, you have to know what you are talking about,” and of course “There’s a special place in hell for women who don’t help each other” Why would women who have encouraged young women to pursue their dreams condemn them for voting for who they think is right? At first glance, Hillary as a candidate would be ideal to vote for against all of the other white men in the race. But obviously, not everyone is convinced. Jetta Darrow, a female voter from the state of New Hampshire, actually voted for Hillary in the 2008 election. She felt at the time that she was more qualified and Hillary represented the issues she wanted. But this time around, she’s casting her vote for Bernie, but for the same reason. She feels he’s better equipped with the issues she stands for. Darrow clarifies and states “It’s not about gender. It’s about empathy.“ Even Lena Dunham, an avid Hillary supporter, says, “Nothing gets me angrier than when somebody implies that I’m voting for Hillary Clinton because she’s a woman. It’s not like we have some feminist version of beer goggles called ‘estrogen lens’ that just causes us to go walking up to the nearest vagina and vote for them.” But she doesn’t completely ignore it (I mean how can you). Dunham also stated,  “While Hillary Clinton’s anatomy is not the reason I’m voting for her, there’s nothing that would send a stronger message to this country, and to the world at large than sending a competent, strong, essential woman to the highest office.” Democratic women all over the country have probably thought about voting for Hillary because she’s a woman. This is frustrating, but I don’t blame them. Part of the platform she’s running on is that she’d be the first female president. When Barack Obama ran for president, he didn’t run on the fact that he’d be the first black president- he ran on his ideas. Hillary’s been quoted saying “Who can be more of an outsider than a woman President?” and wants our country to be a place “where a father can tell his daughter, ‘You can be anything you want to be, including the President of the United States of America.’” These are obviously great ideas, but it seems like she’s constantly pointing out that she’s a woman. I am a woman who voted for Bernie when the primary came around to my state (Vermont, go figure). I strongly believe that every of-age American should go and vote for whom they think should lead our country for the next four to eight years. It’s their duty as American citizens to take action in their own system. It honestly really hurt me when Steinem and Albright made the comments that they did. I even questioned, for a second, why I was voting for Bernie and not for Hillary. “Am I not a feminist?” flashed across my mind. It made me self conscious about my vote, because a vote is a very powerful thing (I mean look at Donald Trump for peat’s sake, the only reason he’s doing so well is because people are actually voting for him). This is my first Presidential election, and I want my vote to count, to mean something to me. I don’t want to be the stereotype the older generations have put on the millennials and just not vote. I’ve done my research, I’ve picked my candidate, and now you’re going to tell me I’m wrong? That I’m voting for Bernie because that’s what the boys are doing and I don’t have a mind of my own and I just follow whatever they’re doing? I would love to have a female president, I just want to wait for the right one. If Steinem and Albright’s only concerns for the president are being female, then what about Carly Fiorina? She’s a woman! Obviously, I’m over exaggerating because Fiorina does not have very many feminist values, but you get the idea. It’s not fair to condemn the women in this country for voting for who they think best represents them, whether it’s Bernie or Hillary. Madeleine Albright and Gloria Steinem were wrong to say the things they did. And yes, they did apologize. I’m working on forgiving them, because we all say stupid things we regret later on accounts of hurting someone. I’ve grown up in a society where women constantly hate on other women. It’s a vicious, seemingly never ending cycle that at this point I’m used to. Yes, we need to support each other. But by supporting each other, don’t unsupported others because they’re not voting for the same person you are. Support the person you’re going to vote for, but support those people who choose not to follow in your steps. We should be kind and fair to everyone, and we should all believe in political, economic, and social equality of all people. Otherwise, what in the world are we even voting for?