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Easing back into this blogging thing with a few movie reviews. I haven’t done much this summer but I have seen a couple of flicks …
Up
More heart-rending than I expected. A warm, positive family film; if I had kids, something I’d want them to see. But, can someone explain to me why Pixar can bring monsters, dogs, action figures, and robots to life but all the human beings look like, well, cartoons?
Land of the Lost
Crap. Utter and complete crap. I was dragged against my will and it was agony to watch. And, on top of its crappiness, also sexist, homophobic, and unnecessarily sexually graphic.
Away We Go
Funny & charming, if overly precious at times. A bit too “Having a Baby Makes Everything Better” for my (admittedly childfree) taste. The portrait of the obnoxious feminist scholar was a complete caricature — and yet something about it rang true to some overly-protective, new-agey, progressive parents I have known. As a rare entry into the category of films about female academics (also here), it’s pretty interesting.
The Hangover
Fucking hilarious. Really. I was expecting bathroom humor and sexist jokes about scantily clad women — but I found the humor emerged from different avenues altogether, and was much funnier as a result. Still scratching my head about the Asian character — out and out racism or a clever inversion of stereotypes? But, overall a surprisingly fun film.
I’m likely to double my summer film list this weekend, what with Harry Potter, Julie and Julia, The Hurt Locker, and Public Enemies playing.
Fairly spoiler-free review, I promise.
Sci-fi geeks have reason to celebrate! The new Star Trek movie is great fun — it manages to incorporate just enough of the familiar to satisfy long time Trek fans (of which I am one) with just enough of the big summer blockbuster aesthetic (can you say, “explosions”?) to be entertaining.
I have never been a huge Kirk fan (my heart belongs to Picard, thank you very much) so I don’t have a stake in the “can he replace Shatner?” debate — but I thought that overall the casting was the high point of the film. The actors were beautiful to look at and enjoyable to see in these new/old roles. Yes, I was even able to forget Sylar when I watched Zachery Quinto playing young Spock. There are a couple of poor casting choices in terms of minor characters — including one egregious “Cornel West in The Matrix” moment that will make you scratch your head and wonder what the hell they were thinking — but overall, I give the film and the acting high marks.
Unfortunately, feminist sci-fi geeks have less to be excited about. There is a conspicuous lack of female characters and the ones there are fall into one of two classic categories: loving but doomed or inexplicably absent mothers or love interests/sex objects. There has been an attempt made to give Uhura an actual area of expertise, rather than just being a glorified telephone operator, but she still doesn’t do much except be ogled at by one male lead or gaze affectionately at another. And yes, she’s still in the micro-mini skirt — when she’s not in her underwear. Sigh. Given that so much of contemporary sci-fi is dominated by ass-kicking females (Starbuck, Echo, that Terminator chick), you’d think they could have given Uhura some previously unknown fighting skills. But, I hope that now that this origin story is done, the film makers can put a little bit more thought into female characterization in the next film. (Are you listening, J.J. Abrams?)
In the end, though, I enjoyed the movie, enjoyed being back in that universe I know so well, and watching it with a huge laughing and applauding crowd who got all the in-jokes (red shirt, anyone?) made it all the more fun.
Suffering from low blog traffic? Or what Ink calls statometer sickness?
Have I got the solution for you!
Apparently, using the phrase “gladiator sandals” in a post — even one attesting to the hideousness of gladiator sandals — guarantees hundreds of random visitors will be shuffled your way every day.
Welcome, people who like to read blogs about clothing items!
And, yes, gladiator sandals are still ugly.
I am coming out of my short-lived, self-imposed hiatus with this urgent public service announcement:
Ladies, do not believe anyone who tells you that gladiator sandals look good and are the most important wardrobe addition of the season. They don’t and they aren’t
Ugh. Who comes up with these things?
It’s that time of year, when thoughts turn to the frantic question of “what the hell am I going to do about xmas gifts??” I am a notorious scrooge when it comes to the xmas holidays. I’ve lobbied many times to have my family either forgo gift giving or to ignore the holidays altogether. I dream of travelling to a non-Christian, non-western country in late December, the kind of place where people treat Dec. 25 like any other day.
But, I live in the US and my family and friends — even the non-Christian ones, even the Jewish ones! — celebrate xmas and expect me to do so as well. So, I cave in to the gift-giving pressure but I also make an effort to shop well and give thoughtfully.
In my opinion, the best holiday gifts meet the following criteria:
• Cost very little. I strive to break the cycle of consumerism by not buying into (heh heh) the idea that the best gifts are the ones that cost more.
• Involve very little material expense or waste. In other words, very little natural resources or artificial materials had to go into either the production, distribution, or packaging of the item.
• Can be purchased from the maker directly or at least purchased from an independent store owner. I will do just about anything to avoid buying gifts at the big box stores or from any corporate entity.
• Are made from organic, natural, non-toxic, or locally produced materials. I put this one last because it’s the hardest criteria to satisfy — especially if you are also trying to spend less money.
My holiday gift to you, my devoted readers, is the following TOP TEN HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS. (Eat your heart out, Oprah.) I hope that you will share your own gift ideas, especially those that fit the above criteria, either in the comments or on your own blogs. (Please link to this post so I can see what you have to say!) I should add that most of the ideas are for adults; I don’t really have a clue what to give children — especially since it seems that kids these days (insert grumpy shaking of fist here) only want gadgets with lots of lights and sound effects.
1. The gift of activity. This is my favorite gift to give and to receive. Rather than give an object — another thing to own or dispose of — give the gift of an experience: movie tickets, tickets to a concert or play, membership at a museum or arboretum, a few yoga classes, music lessons, a massage, a reservation at the handball court, etc. Now, this gift can certainly be costly — depending on the event or location — but it also involves the least waste of material goods and the highest likelihood of enjoyment.
2. Restocking the spice rack. Everyone knows that you are supposed to replace your dried herbs and spices every year but, yeah right, who does that? I tend to hold onto dried herbs and ground spices for years, until they lose all semblance of flavor. So, how about giving a selection of standard cooking herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme) and spices (cinnamon, coriander, curry)? If you buy in bulk at your local Whole Foods (or equivalent) or at the farmer’s market (if you are so lucky), you can package the herbs/spices yourself in nice — and recyclable! — packaging.
3. Magazine subscription. The gift that keeps giving throughout the year. Every month your friend/family member will be reminded how wonderful you are. A nice and easily recyclable gift.
4. Going green gift. Almost all of us are in the process of going more green but the shift over from conventional ways to more environmentally friendly ones can be expensive. So, give basic green items to help. For example, we all know that we’re supposed to stop using plastic containers for storing food (you knew that right?) and start using glass. Give the gift of some pretty glass food containers like these at the Container Store or these by Pyrex. Or give a bottle of Dr. Bonner’s Liquid Soap and an empty spray bottle for mixing a safe home cleaner. (For more ideas of “green gifts,” check out TreeHugger’s Holiday Gift Idea List.)
5. Books from Persphone Books. This independent press in London reprints popular “middle-brow” fiction from the early 20th C, mostly by women. The books are exquisitely made with reproductions of fabric patterns on the endpages. Not only are they beautiful objects, the novels themselves are a revelation — strange, quirky, and incredibly fun.
6. Textiles. There is just about nothing better than a soft, sensuous scarf or hat made from a fine (or even organic!) textile. If you are not crafty yourself, visit your local yarn shop where you might find items for sale. You can also do some online shopping at Redneck Mother’s Crafty Mother’s Corner.
7. Cookbooks. Talk about a gift with almost endless happiness attached. For a small expense, you can guarantee many days of good eating (if the recipient is willing, of course). My suggestion: Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything, pretty much an indispensable contribution to any kitchen.
8. The best book you’ve read this year — something that really meant something to you. And, you should be prepared to explain why, either in your xmas card, a note in the opening of the book, or verbally — a significant part of the gift is the story of its meaning to you. For me, it would be Michael Chabon’s Yiddish Policeman’s Union, which is a stellar piece of storytelling and continues Chabon’s record of being the guy whose novels I am least interested in upon first description (imaginary Jewish settlement in Alaska? No thanks) and yet who always transports and enraptures me.
9. Gifts for pets. If you know anyone who dotes on their pets, speaks about them as their children and to them as if they were children (“aren’t yu da cootiest wittle puppy”), give them a gift for their pet. Speaking as a person who is guilty of telling people at length about my cats’ special diet or my dog’s gastrointestinal issues (yes, I’m one of those), I would take a gift for my pet as a sign that the gift-giver recognized the importance my pets have to me — not to mention the fun I would derive from seeing my animal’s fun. I don’t think any dog can resist the charms of a grunting stuffed hedgehog (like this one). I don’t have any specific recommendations for cats because, of course, they will hate whatever you give them — they’re cats after all.
10. Charitable donation. It takes a special person to receive a charitable donation made in their name as a gift, and not feel slighted about not getting a “real” gift. (Trust me, I’ve given charitable donations to family members who were distinctly cranky about not getting some cheap piece of crap instead.) So, choose wisely. But, if you’ve got a selfless and generous soul in your family/circle of friends, there’s nothing better than giving in their name. If you don’t know them already, Heifer International has made holiday charity easy and appealing. But, there are an infinite number of causes: your local animal shelter, the homeless shelter(s) in your town, Doctors Without Borders, Planned Parenthood, you name it.
While I am at it, let me just add that one of the most distressing thing to me about the holidays is the amount of waste not only in the gifts themselves but in the wrapping paper, bows, cards, and etc. It breaks my heart when I walk through my neighborhood on the trash day after xmas and see piles of garbage bags filled with xmas wrapping — a few minutes of unwrapping pleasure followed by a lifetime in a landfill. So, please: re-usable gift bags (don’t throw them out! save them for next year!), recycled xmas wrapping, no more useless, unnecessary tissue paper (I’m on a personal campaign against the stupidity of tissue paper), creative wrapping like brown paper grocery sacks or left over cereal boxes, or wrap everything in a new kitchen towel that becomes part of the gift. It’s not the wrapping, stupid, it’s the gift that matters.
I like a good vampire story as much as the next person. I even like some bad vampire stories. I read Anne Rice back when she was just a fingerless-lace-glove wearing nut — before she became a “life of Jesus” nut. I watched (and continue to watch) Buffy and Angel. I read some of the soft-core crap that passes as the Anita Blake series. I’ve been watching Trueblood on HBO.
Yet, somehow I missed the whole Twilight thing. Until now.
Now, of course, it is impossible to escape the phenomenon that is Twilight. I watched news coverage about tween girls and their moms camping out overnight at the mall to catch a glimpse of the guy who’s starring in the movie. I heard that the first weekend’s showings of Twilight sold out a week in advance. I saw that some of my favorite bloggers are reading or have already read the series. (That’s you, What Now?, Mean Something and Dr. Crazy.)
So, my curiosity was piqued. I bought Twilight on Sunday and finished it today. I could certainly have finished it sooner if it hadn’t been for, well, all that pesky work that requires doin’. I give Stephenie Meyer credit for writing a fun and engaging story. It’s a pretty riveting, stay-up-until-2am kind of a read.
I was also reminded of one of the problems I have with these modern vampire narratives: Why in the world would a well-travelled and cultured vampire who’s witnessed hundreds of years of human history want to hang around with a teen-aged girl? The biggest fantasy presented by these stories is that 16-year-old middle-class white American girls are endlessly fascinating. The authors try to get around this by making the teen-aged girl somehow “special”: Buffy is the slayer. Sookie has psychic powers. Bella’s mind cannot be read by Edward. (I sense that there is more super-duper mystery surrounding this fact that will be revealed in subsequent books but I’ve only read the first one so don’t ruin it for me!) You could argue that the point is that 16 year old middle-class white American girls are capable of being endlessly fascinating — and propose that there’s an uplifting message in these stories: Be strong, brave, and loyal and it doesn’t matter that you’re just an ordinary girl. Unfortunately, I fear that the real message is: Only young, nubile, and virginal girls are interesting and even 300 year old vampires know it. So, you better hope you get “bitten” early on because no one cares about old chicks.
Am I wrong?
I’d like to see a vampire story in which the brooding, mysterious vampire says to himself, “You know, I’d like to have a real conversation with a woman who’s lived long enough to develop a mature perspective on the world, who has thought about things other than who’s going to the prom with whom, who has maybe read some books. We could talk for a while and then I would bite her soft, slightly wrinklely but still quite delicious neck.” I just don’t think the tweens would camp out all night for that guy.
As the Bittersweet Girl, I have been known to use this blog to make sweeping pronouncements. That’s one of the things I enjoy about blogging – you can make claims, generalizations, and suppositions without having to provide any supporting evidence, acknowledge counter-arguments, or give a damn what anyone else thinks.
One of my pronouncements is that COSMETICS ARE EVIL. A recent search term leading to my blog was “bitter sweet cosmetics evil,” so apparently I am known by at least one reader for this bold statement.
I thought that, maybe just this once, I would make an attempt to support my argument, if not with actual evidence, than a more elaborate statement of my opinion.
Let’s review the case against cosmetics.
The accused, “the cosmetics industry,” encompasses all varieties of makeup, including lotions, creams, soaps, shampoos, conditioners, hair styling products, and every other unguent we are encouraged to spread on our bodies in the interest of preserving our youth, achieving our optimal health, and looking “beautiful.” And, yes, it includes hair dye, one of the worst offenders.
The sins of cosmetics industry are the following:
1. The use of natural and artificial resources that could more properly be used for socially necessary or beneficial ends. This includes the energy resources that cosmetics companies use to produce, package, and ship their products, as well as to create in laboratories the various hyphenated chemical compounds that constitute most cosmetics. Also, the plastics and other materials that go into the packaging, most of which are not recyclable.
2. The inclusion of many chemicals that are harmful to the health and well being of cosmetics users, and to the environment overall. Since the FDA is a weak federal regulatory organization and deep in the pockets of corporate America, the cosmetics industry continues to use chemicals that are dangerous to our health, including parabens and phthalates. Not only do these chemicals threaten to harm individuals’ health when they repeatedly spread cosmetics on their skin, but they also threaten to further damage the environment when such products are washed into the water system (as when your hairdresser washes your hair dye down the drain) or are deposited in landfills (after you throw that half-empty bottle of nail polish in the garbage).
3. The use of animal testing. While it is necessary for cosmetics industry to verify that the latest brand of fashionable eye liner won’t cause a suburban housewife to break out in hives, it is insupportable that the means of doing so is the confinement, suffering, and death of animals.
4. The complicity of the cosmetics industry with the fashion and beauty industries overall in promoting the idea that women should be judged primarily by their appearance rather than their intellect, character, or abilities. Moreover, fostering the idea that women should be dissatisfied with they way they appear naturally – and must rely upon external applications or adornments to look “better” or even to look “right.” I hardly need to review the feminist condemnation of the beauty industry for the ways it has entrenched the idea that there is a single standard for beauty, or the consequences for women’s self-esteem – do I?
To elaborate:
I simply don’t see how anyone can argue against the first point. Could anyone rationally claim that the energy, materials, and technological resources that are employed by the multi-million-dollar-a-year cosmetics industry are better spent making eye shadow and anti-wrinkle creams than in feeding the hungry or improving the environment?
But, it’s not just the cosmetics industry that has its balance sheet out of whack. Every time that we spend our money on makeup, we perpetuate a culture of consumption that places the individual superficiality over substance – and affirm that we’d rather make ourselves look nice than to use our individual resources to do something meaningful like, say, give to a charity, or buy slightly more expensive organic produce or grass-fed free-range beef, or even to save our money and stay out of debt!
Sure, it is true that not every kind of cosmetics employs dangerous chemical components. It has become popular lately for cosmetics to trumpet themselves as “all natural,” “100% organic,” etc. We all know that most of these claims are unregulated by the FDA and essentially meaningless. However, there are cosmetics companies that are known for being more environmentally and health conscious than others.
Treehugger recommends Avalon Organics, Dr. Bronners, and The Organic Pharmacy, among a host of others. I used to be a big fan of Bert’s Bees until I learned it was owned by Clorox and I have had serious skin reactions to Aveda products – so I have a hard time endorsing either of those eco-organo-cosmetic powerhouses. But, the point is, that careful shoppers can identify cosmetics that don’t sin in their contents.
There are also companies that refuse to use animal testing. PETA’s Caring Consumer site provides a list of anti-animal testing cosmetics companies. If you join PETA you’ll get a wallet-sized card identifying animal-friendly companies for convenient reference. There is also a handy “leaping bunny” logo identifying the companies that comply with the Humane Cosmetics Standard that you can find on the products themselves.
Again, however, it depends upon the consumer to shop carefully and responsibly to regulate the cosmetics industry – to regulate with your dollars where they won’t regulate themselves – and that takes time and effort that many aren’t willing to sacrifice. The search for the Holy Grail of cosmetics that unites all the good characteristics – organic, chemical-free, non-animal-tested, minimally packaged in recyclable materials, and still effective – is a challenging one, not to mention that that such products tend to cost far more. In a million little ways, corporate America conspires to make it easier for us to just buy what’s at hand and to willfully ignore the consequences.
I know that many will argue that wearing makeup, using hairspray, painting ones toenails, getting highlights, spending money on anti-wrinkle medications and treatments, and so forth does not necessarily mean that a woman is demeaned. “Fun feminists” would say that they do it for themselves, that it makes them feel better about themselves – more empowered, more in control, more secure. I find this argument specious to the extreme. The whole “I’m doing it for myself” claim assumes that you live in a vacuum or never leave your house – that you’ve somehow magically slipped the bonds of patriarchy.
In a recent screed against burlesque sexuality, the brilliant Twisty Faster condensed the problems with the “I do it for myself” argument: Quote: “The idea that women’s public sexuality can so precisely mirror traditional male fantasy while simultaneously existing in a kind of pro-woman, I-do-it-for-myself alternate universe is the cornerstone of funfeminist ‘thought.’ The flaw in this reasoning is that all women must participate in patriarchy regardless of what they say motivates their participation; patriarchy is the dominant culture, and there is no opting out. Which means there is no opting in, either. Do it for me, do it for you, whatever; the primary beneficiaries of women’s participation — willing or unwilling, ironic or sincere — in patriarchy, are men.”
To paraphrase Twisty: The idea that you can wear makeup or style your hair in a way that meets dominant ideals of women’s beauty but somehow simultaneously escape from the patriarchal constructs of the beauty industry is, well, a nice fantasy, but that’s about it.
I wish I could say that I have successfully escaped the grip of the evil cosmetics industry but, of course, I still use many cosmetic products. In my efforts to become a more ethical and environmental consumer, I have come to the conclusion that the easiest answer for me to the cosmetics conundrum is to eliminate all unnecessary products. What I have concluded as unnecessary (for me) includes makeup, hair dye, nail polish, etc. These items seem to be designed purely to make me fit into some externally and artificially derived concept of “beauty.” But, I still consider necessary items like shampoo/condition, hair gel, lotion, etc. that seem (to me) to be more about cleanliness or neatness than about being “beautiful.” It’s a daily struggle but I am working on redefining beauty for myself as centered around spirit, good works, love, and compassion – and not physical appearance.
While I am discussing consumer products that are marketed to and used almost exclusively (or, in this case, entirely) by women, that present health hazards to their users, as well as environmental hazards through their disposability, I think it’s fair to say that FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS ARE EVIL. May I delicately point you in the direction of the Diva Cup?
Want to know more? TreeHugger has an amazing resource page on How to Green Your Personal Care.
Yesterday, had you come to my house, you would have witnessed such a pitiful sight, you would have know the end of the world has to be coming: Golden Boy and I frantically scanning the online list of Starbucks closings to see if our local Starbucks is one of those marked for execution.
How did it come to this? I went to college and graduate school when independent coffee houses were having their heyday and would never have deigned to spend my money at a Starbucks. I was one of those populist coffee drinkers — no corporate coffee for me. I have bemoaned to Starbucks-ification of North America — the horrifying spectacle of four Starbucks on the four corners of the same intersection was enough to keep me up at night.
But, somehow, slowly, Starbucks began to erode my political, aesthetic and culinary taste. First, they managed to close most of the independent coffee houses so, even if I wanted to sip alternative coffee, I couldn’t. Second, by virtue of their ubiquity, I started to expect a Starbucks at every intersection and to feel peeved if there wasn’t one when I wanted a cup of coffee; on road trips, in particular, I noticed that I started to expect a Starbucks in every city, however small.
I also have to admit that, when I recently travelled in Europe, Starbucks had consistently clean and free bathrooms, so even when I was tramping around in cities renowned for their epicurean delights, I was often drinking my coffee at a Starbucks.
When Golden Boy and I moved to our current residence, we were dismayed to discover that there were no local independent coffee houses (well, they’re a dying breed, so no particular surprise) but pleased that at least there was a Starbucks about a mile away. We’ve spent a lot of time there working and reading. We generally don’t like Starbucks coffee, disdain the cardboard constructions that pass as “pastries,” and are annoyed by the lack of free WiFi.** But, we go there because it’s convenient, it’s nice to get out of the house, and the “baristas” are friendly.
So, imagine our despair yesterday when we discovered that Starbucks is closing not only the store near our house but every Starbucks in our little suburban town. Now, the nearest coffee will be in the local Barnes and Noble — which is a terrible place to work.
We’re so depressed — and we’re also chagrined to discover that we’ve become the kind of people who are depressed when they can’t go to Starbucks whenever and where ever they want.
Gotta be the end of the world, right?
** Notorious Ph.D recently celebrated the free WiFi at Starbucks, but that’s not true in our area. CORRECTION: Notorious actually remarked upon the lack of WiFi at Starbucks. Whoops. My mistake.
Okay, I feel like a cheeseball for linking this but, what can I say? I had a rare and precious burst of affection for humanity while watching this. Resist if you can.
… we’re not married.”
This is a phrase that I’ve said a lot lately. Although Golden Boy and I have been together for many years, we’re not married and I seem to be constantly correcting people who assume that we are. I guess we seem married. We’re not that young any more so we don’t fit into the youthful “just living together” time frame. We bought a house and, ever since, I think we’ve developed that complacent sheen that goes along with suburban living and that appears to reek of marriage. We’re straight, so we could and, in some people’s view, should be married. We don’t have any external markers of alternative-ness: no tattoos, nose rings, purple hair to indicate that we’re rebellious. Yeah, we seem like a nice old married couple.
But, we’re not — and not being married is a deliberate, conscious decision on our part.** We don’t want to be married for many reasons, primarily having to do with a rejection of social norms: heteronormativity, female subordination, conventional religion, and the absurd psycho-drama that is the modern wedding. We have elected to remove ourselves from those conventions, at least as much as we can.
The funny (or annoying … or perhaps inevitable) thing is how much other people want to put us right back in there.
It’s not that big of a deal when the checker at the grocery store calls me GB’s wife, but it takes on more significance in other contexts. Many of my colleagues refer to GB as my husband — so many and so often that, frankly, I’ve given up correcting them because it’s tiresome to keep repeating myself. But, then I feel guilty, like I’ve slipped into conventionality rather than sticking by my guns.
It doesn’t help that there are no good terms for describing an unmarried straight couple. I call GB my partner but that often necessitates further explanations that we’re not a queer couple. I don’t mind being mistaken for a lesbian but, once again, I feel like I’m getting credit for being what I’m not. Given the incredible adaptability of the English language, it’s amazing that a new term hasn’t developed to fill this gap.
And, of course, the phrase “Actually, we’re not married” often has to be followed up by some lame caveat along the lines of “But, we don’t have anything against marriage! We’ve got lots of married friends!” to placate the hurt feelings of the married set. It’s amazing how many people are offended by our unmarried-ness — I’ve lost several friendships over it, but that’s another story. And don’t even get me started on our families.
The fact is, we do have something against the institution of marriage! The Dyke Action Machine coined the great, provocative line: “Gay marriage. You might was well be straight.” I’ve always thought there should be a hetero-version too: “Straight marriage. You might was well be … well, straight and married.” ****
—
** We live in a state with extremely liberal common-law marriage rules, so we’ve taken legal steps to guarantee that we won’t be inadvertently married by the state.
**** I’m not saying I’m against gay marriage, okay? Put away all those poison pens. I am absolutely in favor of the right of gay marriage and will vote for it if I ever have a chance. I just don’t agree with the idea that heterosexual marriage should be the desired model for any kind of relationship.
