Entries tagged "media"

Losing Faith in the Media and Other People

November 11, 2016

I wrote this to someone sad and possibly in disbelief about the NY Times giving Trump the validation and narcissistic attention he has longed for without saying what he has done to get where he is, without making a moral and factual stand and calling things like racism and sexual assault and authoritarianism what they are.

This applies to much more than this one paper, or Jimmy Fallon mussing Trump’s hair like a playful fraternity brother. It applies to a lot of things and people that may begin to feel different that what you had believed. I urge you to consider that if something or someone seems different to you than you had imagined, that that is not just about someone else or something else changing. It is, most importantly, about you changing. When you do think, and not just feel about it (critical!) you will find that your own present conclusion means you now believe you were misguided before or did not see as whole a picture before. Consider why you didn’t and what that way of seeing and believing meant to you. These are suggestions I am offering from my own experiences of loss. Everything Is Subject to Change. #EISTC:

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It is painful to see the places and people one believed were safe and enduring “homes” appear to not be what we’d believed : an external consistent safe and reliable place. The “parent” element we look for and project into so much and so many. It is believe it or not, good that you feel the disappointment. It is healthy. It is so hard. I am sorry for the feeling and it is good to be in community to help as we have these feelings. But it is not feeling** that allows illusions and projections to rule us, to give our unwitting obedience to something other than our own connection to our inner guidance. It is a lonely, abandoning feeling path but it is one many millions are now on. You are not alone. You are becoming more yourself. With all of us.

The Disappearing Butch

A recent current affairs program on CBC Radio ran a general news story on The Disappearing Butch. And yes the Canadian government funds the wonderful CBC which I sometimes get to contribute to. I also get to end sentences with prepositions when I feel like it.

While this is a story I have seen some of from living in the queer community, I’m not used to seeing these bits of my life in the mainstream press. It’s sort of stunning to me. In a good way. In fact, it’s a moment for me. I’m realizing: I really don’t expect the general media or conversation to get it, see or even consider the reality of our lives. And I mean like even at the basic level or how many queer people see themselves. We pretty much just see a lot of what we get chunked as, databased as, filed away as. You know the central casting view of your life. Which, let’s face it, general media does to just about anyone. And this is stunning to me because my work is pretty much about creating and speaking to a larger audience/community. This shows me I’ve been assuming it’s not possible and that that is not a helpful assumption. I don’t have to stop at gay 101. I can just work from nuance and detail of the real stories and take people with me.

The US now has 13 states with same-sex marriage equality with just a few more than that banning employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

But I did hear that one of my favourite people in the world, who is almost 11 and a Californian, just had a lesson on gender at school based around questions like “What are things people say boys/girls don’t do? Is that true?”

And no, I don’t see myself as butch. But that doesn’t stop many people from presuming.

Today’s Resource: sequined headbands + Olivia Newton-John Make a Move On Me

 

Maybe you need to have been born exactly when I was to find Olivia Newton-John incredibly sexy, or a headband or cigarette-like mic entertainingly comforting.
And somehow there are no women in this dance club. Hmm, I wonder why that could be?
I can’t wait…

Today’s Resource: Bette Midler at the Baths

Continuing my promise to post one thing every day that makes me happy. I missed yesterday because of Gram’s sudden decline in health but the movement for freedom which I tweeted plenty about made me very happy.

 

This is Bette singing at a gay bathhouse. the Continental Baths early in her career with piano player Barry Manilow.
If I had Fantasy Island powers this is own of the places I’d want to go back in time to. Come to think of it. If I could Fantasy Island it, I’d sing this song, just like this.
It’s my favourite take on one of my favourite songs.

 

“I see my light come shining…”

Today’s Resource: Young Frankenstein

I’m promising myself I’ll find and post one thing every day that makes me happy.

 

 

 

Ah yes, back when film comedies had women who really did comedy in them.
Comedy perfection, every one of them: Teri Garr, Madeleine Kahn, Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman and my higher power, Mel Brooks.

127 Hours, loss, and tequila bar wisdom

 

photo: Chris Applegate 

I saw the film 127 hours last week. It made a big impact on me. (I liked it a lot more than Social Network. It’s a very interior film and will take you as well as a virtual thing can, to a place of feeling what matters about being alive to you. Log line: a climber cuts off his own arm to survive. Spoiler below).

 

I was in a bar last night and found myself talking with someone very tall visiting Toronto from Vancouver. Did I mention that this bar’s specialty was serving just tequila and making mid-town professionals comfortable on a night off? It wasn’t really my scene.

 

I mentioned the film. This woman sharply zeroed in her energy and delivered the pinnacle scene to me: “I made that boulder. I made this moment. This boulder has waited it’s entire life for me…” She hasn’t seen the film but a friend did and he told her about it. This friend saw the film a few days after this happened to him:

 
Continue reading…

The Original Portlandia: My Vagina Is 8 Miles Wide

 

“Maybe you’re just not enough for me?”

 

Sing it out girls. over and over.

 

The upcoming film Portlandia has tune called Dream of the 90s and its video has been making the rounds.

Continue reading…

Hot F+ck You Sign Language Video

1. Man this chick is super cute. 

2. I think that this is a mostly deaf audience and what could be better than having your tune/performance get them clapping along?

3. this song has been in my head since I first heard it a while ago. Good luck getting it out. Perma-groove.

Great documentary film recommendations

If you like documentaries and wonder what some good recommendations would be here’s a great list.
I complied it form the suggestions made to pal Jesse Epstein, a wonderful documentary filmmaker in her own right (see the hilarious Wet Dreams and False Images) and founder of indie filmmaking network Shooting People who was looking for good introductory films for some students on Facebook. Here’s the list her friends suggested. I’m guessing many of these suggesters are documentary filmmakers too:No Lies
David Holzman’s Diary
Dark Side of the Moon
Brother’s Keeper
American Movie
In A Dream
The Cove
Boys of Baraka
The Life and Times of Alan Ginsburg
(the 2nd DVD includes interviews w Johnny Depp and Patti Smith)
It Might Get Loud
Bueno Vista Social Club
Man on Wire
Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
Hoop Dreams
The Thin Blue Line
Super Size Me
Mad Hot Ballroom
Spellbound
Born Into Brotherls
Food INc
Dogtown and Z Boys
The Fog of War
Sicko
Salesman
Continue reading…


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