Kim Kardashian Doesn't Realize She's the Butt of a Racist Joke
I don't know enough about Kim Kardashian to have formed much of an opinion about her as a person. She comes across as tone deaf and oblivious, and she's pretty tacky. Maybe it's my tendency to root for the underdog, but despite (or perhaps because of) all the negative press she gets, I don't really dislike her. However, I found this article about the racial implications of her photo shoot really eye opening.
When I was talking about this with my boyfriend, his response was something along the lines of "there are so many bigger, worse things in the world. Why are we even talking about this?" I think the reason why people get so involved in the whole issue is that these photos didn't happen in a vacuum. Black women are devalued in our society, and the way that they are portrayed sexually plays a huge part in that. These photos are not the same things as black women being targeted by a serial killer who knew their disappearances wouldn't be investigated as thoroughly because of their skin color, but it's a symptom of the same problem. No, Kim Kardashian is not black, but she does have the kind of figure that is typically associated with black women, making the parallels obvious.
A Vintage Nerd - Dell Purse Book 1964: 75 Hairstyles
Photo taken from A Vintage Nerd
And onto a subject that's a little less fraught. I love this post from Daphne at A Vintage Nerd about the cute little purse book she came across. My hair is getting long enough that I can set it with sponge rollers, so I'm thinking about giving some of these a try this weekend.
Who is the lumbersexual and is anything about him real?
I was deeply amused by this article. Although I think the actual term is pretty silly, I definitely know guys like this. The Lumberjack look is slowly edging out of Old-Timey Mustache and Pomp look in my neighborhood, but I'm pretty sure none of the guys that used to wax their mustaches to points have picked up any backwoods survival skills in the past six months. Of course, I also know flannel and beard dudes who really could build a log cabin from scratch if they wanted to, so maybe it's just a look.
The Disabled Children Locked Up in Cages
I talked a little bit about the stigma against mental disorders in the post that I put up for Veteran's Day, and this just shows how much worse it can get for people who are considered "abnormal." This is just heartbreaking - it's like baby prison for kids with autism or other disorders that make them difficult to care for.
The Psychology of "It's So Cute I Could Eat It" Phenomenon
Speaking of things that trigger my cute aggression, head over to She Loves Dresses to wish Jenny a happy birthday. She created an awesome project prompting her readers to send her selfies with a note about something they love about themselves. She also makes me want to squeeze her until she squeaks. Weird.
Into it. Apparently it helps us even out emotionally. The more aggressive you get, the bigger decline you have in positive emotions, bringing you back to a normal base state.
The Wrap Dress
Diane von Furstenberg didn't invent the wrap dress, but she was the one who brought them to the masses and made them into the wardrobe staple that they are today. According to DVF herself,
"...the V-neck wrap design fit a woman’s body like no other dress: snug around the chest and arms, tied flatteringly slim around the waist, full enough over the legs for a woman to take an unrestricted stride, yet tight enough to show off her bottom."Hot stuff.
What do you remember learning from Sesame Street?
I may be the only kid in America that doesn't have fond memories of growing up with Sesame Street. I'm sure I must have watched it at some point, but I honestly don't remember it at all. There was a lot of Warner Brothers in my life that shaped my formative years, though - Animaniacs, Histeria, and anything and everything Bugs Bunny. I'd say irony and hammerspace were worthwhile subjects to discover at a young age...
Animaniacs is one of my favourite TV shows EVER - so happy to have found a fellow fan! I loved the show so much I have a clear memory of being in hospital with a suspected broken nose and driving my mother mad because I was so upset I might miss the weekly showing. No catch up in them days! Oh, and I had a bit of a crush on Whacko. I was young and foolish, but I still think that says worrying things about me...
ReplyDeleteWakko, huh? That's really funny, actually. I wouldn't say I had a crush, but I was always pretty partial to Yakko. The countries of the world song is still one of my favorite bits.
DeleteThis is such an engaging mixed bag of links. I clicked through on every one that I hadn't read yet and will be spending the next little while with them this afternoon. Thank you for such fascinating reads.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up we had both Canadian and American Sesame Street. I remember learning a few things from each (and surely learned others that time has erased the exact moment of when I picked up the knowledge of them from my brain), but without a doubt the most prominent memory is that I picked up my first french word (papillon = butterfly) when I was about three or four from the Canadian version.
♥ Jessica
That's really cool that you learned a little bit of French from your Sesame Street. I know there are versions all around the world, but it still seems strange to me sometimes.
DeleteGlad you enjoy the reads. They're mostly just from me poking around the internet going "that's interesting!" and deciding to share with the class.
I think the question of the reaction to a white woman doing a photo shoot like that comes down to a lot of variables. If it's the same pose and photographer, I think a lot of people would still bring up the same issues. I think it would also depend if they're known for the size and shape of their asses too, just because that tends to bring up a lot of race and sex issues. It's such a weirdly thorny area, and it would be nice if it were just "butts."
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