There’s been some really neat things going around the Internet this summer. Yet, none were quite long enough to justify writing a post on. So, I guess this is my version of a link dump. These aren’t particularly interesting to anyone. Just pop culture thought bunnies that have been in the back of my mind: webseries, Rape Crisis Scotland’s public service announcement, Lady Gaga selling costumes (and out?), and a shameless plug for Janelle Monáe.
Two of my favorite webseries, The Guild and The Legend of Neil, are midway through their current seasons. The Guild is a comedy about people obsessively playing an MMORPG to the point of being unemployed, socially maladjusted, and generally geeky. The Legend of Neil is a parody of the original Legend of Zelda video game.
… Across the pond, Rape Crisis Scotland has released the following public service announcement:
Description: The public service announcement features a young woman at a bar, talking to some men. She’s wearing a short, blue, sequin skirt. A little ways away, a man tells his male friend that the young woman is “asking for it.”
The scene cuts to a clothing department. The young woman from before is comparing two skirts. A shopping attendant asks if the young woman needs any help. The young woman states she’s looking for something “that will make a man want to have sex with me against my will.” The attendant indicates the blue skirt (from the earlier scene) would be the better choice. The young woman turns to the camera to say, “as if.”
The tagline, “Nobody asks to be raped. Ever.” is shown.
This is a fantastic anti-rape campaign! It isn’t blaming women or implying that a woman’s dress or behavior is partially responsible for her being raped. The only thing that all rapes have in common is the presence of a rapist. You don’t blame murder victims for being killed, do you?
… Lady Gaga is still fantastic (minus the disability appropriation of “Paparazzi” last year). I missed going to her concert because I didn’t want to go without someone. There’s always next year. I like a lot of her songs; despite the underlying negativity, they always perk me up. Her over-the-top theatrics are fantastic to watch. On a whim, went to her official online store. Didn’t see anything that screamed “buy me.”
I did learn that she is now selling Halloween costumes based on some of her video and public appearance outfits. A woman that has made her name from being different is selling knockoffs of herself. And not even particularly quality knockoffs: for anyone familiar with fabrics, it’s really obvious that the materials (and even the colors) are not right.
And, this bothers me. It bothers me because it is coming from someone I admire for caring about theatrics and originality. I expect quality materials from someone that wants to be a walking play. And it really is the antithesis of originality if there’s a million copies to be found.
Compare this to cosplayers. It is a badge of honor to do one’s own sewing, metalwork, etc. Yeah, you can get a special order from China that will be a fantastic replica of your favorite character. But, it’s less real. It’s less… personal? You’re not entering the character’s mindset as much when you’re just playing dressup. By making the items yourself, you have more reason to think about why the creator designed the character that way. Why the character themselves would want to dress that way.
… Janelle Monáe is a singer/songwriter/performer who I am falling for. She’s got an amazing voice and her music sounds so different than anything I’ve heard. (Perhaps I should listen to more
And, as strange as it sounds, I’ve been listening to some of her tracks for the past few weeks, contemplating what I felt about it. She is a very well-read and geeky woman, referencing science fiction classics in her lyrics. I love her outfits and hair. She’s feminine and masculine at the same time, a beautiful gender-bending appearance.
I’ve always had a fascination with creatives that I do not instantly love or hate. This sensation of “I don’t know what I feel” is a wonderful indicator of someone who has done something truly unique. And the more I listen, and contemplate, and listen, the more I’m loving her.
I’ll be picking up her two albums soon.
