lgbt | Girls Are Made From Pepsi

Fair day! Fair Day! Gotta get down on fair day!

By: admin

14-10-2011

Last weekend marked the kick off of Perth’s annual Pride Month. I know Sydney gets a massive street party full of whirling lights and leather boots up to where, but Perth is slowly, but surely, making an attempt to be socially progressive on queer entertainment front. On Saturday I was inaugrated into the gay scene of Perth with the annual Fair Day, an event I’d been waiting for since I’d touched down back in April. For months I’d been left wondering what Perth people do for fun. Oh sleepy little city of sand and sun, where are all the sapphic sisters? What does the queer community do in Perth? Is there even a gay community? Have they all migrated to Melbourne to wear scarves and drink wine in lane ways? With a population of around 3 million, of which 1.6 % is gay (Source: drunk guy at Russell Square), the turn out was about 1/16 of the queer events that I’m used to in Sydney. I was discussing with a friend the other day that Perth has the benefits of being a capital city, but it has this beach-side town chillax vibe. So naturally, Fair Day was a fairly tame gathering of queer, trans, bi-curious and gay friendly Perth types.

For those not in the know, if you want to get down with your bad self, Perth’s gay community has a choice of two bars. The Court is a fairly decent sized bar in the heart of Northbridge with multiple dance floors, and a fairly warm and happy vibe. Lots of complaints are being made about the Court’s “hetero invasion”, and I believe they’ve also stopped funding Pride Month. There’s also Connections, which is similar to Sydney’s Arq. Having never been to Connections, or “Connies” as it’s locally known, I can’t comment on it too much, but I’ve heard it gets off the heezy.

Fair Day was a fairly relaxed event, but I get that impression from everywhere in Perth. Unfortunately for me, much of this time was spent sitting down or limping around on crutches, detailing the repercussions of a non-existent dirt-bike accident. I’ve broken my foot, and it’s going to take about a month to heal. I did get to explore what they had there though – which wasn’t hard, as Russell Square is pre-tty teeny weeny. Slut walk had a booth, as did the Greens, the Cross Campus Queer Network, Manhunt, the Christian Queer Alliance, amongst many other organisations. I’m slightly skeptical about how the Slut Walks will be received in Perth. The city’s fairly conservative, and with the protest taking place so long after the rest of the world jumped on the band wagon, it’ll be interesting to see how much of an impact it has.

Sunday Hustle 9/10/11

By: admin

08-10-2011

sunday hustle

Is Zooey Deschanel too girly? This article extends upon the New York Magazine’s interview with the indie-darling we all either love or hate. Conventionally beautiful with a penchant for cupcakes and kittens, is Deschanel the paragon of anti-feminism? (Huffpo)

Source: Movies Pad

What I find baffling about the controversy surrounding Deschanel’s trademark adorableness is that she doesn’t fall neatly into a feminine pigeonhole. Yes, she is thin, white, conventionally beautiful, and bubbly, and she has an apparently authentic enthusiasm for cupcakes and baby animals. But she has played characters who curse

indiscriminately (“The Good Girl”), defy their parents (“Almost Famous”), and reject the men who love them (“500 Days of Summer”) — not exactly ladylike behaviors — and her laugh (which Yuan describes rapturously as “as the joyous union of a bray, a bark, and a honk”) is decidedly unfeminine. Deschanel, as far as I can tell from her films and Yuan’s profile is, like all of us, complicated: a mix of soft and hard, girly and nerdy, silly and serious.

Julie Klausner writes about cutesy behaviour in her ode to age-appropriateness. (Julie Klausner)

Working women are selfish and should go back to making babies, according to a doctor in Perth. As a child whose parents were always a great deal older than my friends, I understand to a degree what Doctor Walters is saying. It’s hard when your parents are more conservative, less energetic and on a more superficial level, less up to date with popular culture. However, I’m also really proud of the fact that my parents dedicated their younger lives to being their best selves. Both my parents left home before 21 and travelled the world, seeing and doing amazing things, enriching their lives far more than they could have if they’d decided to shack up as soon as the first marriage proposal rolled in. It wasn’t until their late 30s that they settled down and had children. Sounds pretty sweet to me! (Sydney Morning Herald)

Rachel Hills defends writing for women’s magazines. (Musings of an Inappropriate Woman)

I chose it because I think there is a certain magic to combining political ideas with candy coating. There are a lot of people who know their feminist theory, and there are a lot of people who can adapt their writing voice to sound like a Cosmo article. There aren’t as many, I dare say, who can do both. I chose it because writing for women’s lifestyle magazines means writing articles that are ”for” women rather than just “about” them. As I said at the beginning of this post, I chose it because I wanted to write about women’s social issues, and women’s lifestyle magazines are a logical place to do that.

What Girls REALLY need. This is by far one of the best articles I have actually read all year. Why? Because not only do they mention awesome cool must-haves like a power song to boogy too, it’s also a clarion call for more girl-love! Yeehaw! (Vice)

Australia sets the standard with the Positive Body Image Awards. (About Face)

Why fashun needs a flock of people staring at the pretty. (Final Fashion)

The Talks interviews Mila Kunis, and she has some really poignant things to say on learning from others mistakes, perfectionism

Source: I Know Hair

and losing yourself in Hollywood. (The Talks)

Is that a problem in Hollywood, the pursuit of perfection? So many girls at your age try exactly that: to be and to look perfect.

It is really sad, because it’s true. Everybody is starting to look the same. It is bizarre how everyone has the same facial features now. One person dyes her hair brown, everybody dyes her hair brown. I think people lose all sense of themselves. It’s unfortunate.

Is that something the entertainment and fashion world caused itself?

I don’t know what caused it, I don’t know what came first: the chicken or the egg, but something caused it. I don’t know if it’s the covers of the magazines where you see the most perfect, most beautiful people. The sad thing is that it is all photoshopped. There is no such thing as perfection. What I consider beautiful, most likely you don’t. That doesn’t mean that I am right and you are wrong, it’s just a difference of opinion.

You’re Cordially Uninvited

By: admin

07-10-2011

video

I love South of Nowhere. For those not familiar with teen TV shows, SoN is a teenage drama produced by the now defunct US Television Network, The N. At 23, I am probably way to old to resonate with anything coming-of-age. But when a mainstream television channel produces a show where the main plot subverts the hetero-normative Hollywood standard, I go out and buy streamers and dance, spirit finger style. And then I blog about it.

In a nutshell, SoN is your classic fish-out-water plot, but the small-town-girl-meets-big-city-living drama is a little more complex than the boy-meets-girl scenario that usually eventuates (think the latest rendition of 90210, or the OC). SoN is so good because it’s girl-meets-girl, and the whole saga gets developed over a very nice but not too monotonous 3 seasons. They also are admittedly quite cute, but let’s set the aestheticism a while for a side and give snaps for The N normalising lesbian relationships.

So if, like many SoN fans, I have a huge celebrity crush on Gabrielle Christian, how on earth did this short movie fly under my radar?

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3ChcZhbTZE]

Has anyone seen it in its entirety?

You (didn’t) ask for it: Leaving the coop – how to find a perfect and non-offensive roomie

By: admin

04-10-2011

features

An example of the most attractive and least likely living scenario.

Hello internet! Welcome to another post where I give advice. I’m no Dumbledore, but I’ve got some lively pursuits and shit experiences under my belt that may or may not deem me worthy of advising others. You want some wisdom? I aint got none of that, grasshopper – but I do have witty anecdotes up the wazoo! So here be the bestowing of some pearlers. Grab a chair disco monkeys, this one’s not for the TL;DR crowd.

This week, I’d like to discuss moving out. Specifically, moving out and into a discrimination free environment. There comes a point in one’s life where you need to learn how to boil water and do laundry by yourself. Most importantly, you need to be able to be yourself completely – no sneaking around, no pretending to call potential suitors of the opposite sex. Let me tell you, it’s no packet of Tim Tams trying to hide your stash of Out in Perth magazines. For some people the best thing to do is to remain closeted at home, and that’s ok. We all have our reasons. Should you want to find a supportive and unprejudiced home to call your happy place, you need to formulate a battle plan. You need a swinging bachelorette pad replete with rainbow flags raised high, ya dig?

Her piñata is RAINBOW.

1. Firstly, let’s talk about finances. The general truth is that most people have limiting beliefs about money. Do you like money? Do you have money? Do you hate people who have money? Do you enjoy your money? Do you hate people who do, whilst you sit at home downloading movies and eating mi goreng because you’re a broke student and your computer is dying AND OMG HOW WILL YOU AFFORD OKTOBERFEST. Living out of home requires budgeting, and only you can open a can of whoop ass and declare no more to late night online shopping. Truthfully, you can afford to live out of home, but like a lot of things in life, you have to really want it.

When first considering moving out, you need to consider your budget. Rent differs from city to city, but as a general rule of thumb, I like to make sure it takes up only a third of my weekly income at most. Bond is usually four weeks rent, and is used as a security deposit in case, you know, you trash the place with a keg party or draw stick figures on the walls like a friend of mine did. Some places also like for you to pay a few week’s rent up front.

2. Scope out the rental situation in your city. Most young folk like to use the interwebs to find potential roomies, so probably avoid the library unless you want to replace your family with another nuclear family unit. For Australians, Gumtree.com.au, Domain.com.au, Realestate.com.au, and Flatmatefinders.com.au are your best bets.

3. Keep your gaydar peeled! Do the images of the apartment resemble Ikea catalogues? GAY! Do they live in Newtown? 90% chance they’re spirit animal is a unicorn. How about Erskineville? Northbridge? Maylands? Fremantle? Fitzroy? Collingwood? If they’re not waving their spirit fingers, they’ll more than likely be liberally minded and attend Pride Day with you. Are they female vegans? Do they express an interest in roller derby? Look for the clues.

4. When it comes to outing yourself, remember that you’re under no obligation to inform your housemates of who you are or aren’t dating. However, you’re moving out so you can be your sparkly, high-voltage self 100% of the time, right? Ease into the subject a little. Casually mention that you’re off to lunch with your girlfriend. Subtly place a FCK H8 sticker on your wall. Maybe mention that you met the most HILARIOUS dude in the queer department. Be prepared for questions, but don’t treat them as hostile. Your housemates might just need some clarification, and want to make sure they don’t say anything potentially hurtful.

5. What happens if you house mates turn out to homophobic jerks? What happens if you the place you initially thought was free of prejudice, turns out to be a teaming cesspool of racist jokes, but like, it’s actually okay because your room mate’s best friend is Asian and blah bloody blah? Perhaps you’ve moved in with a vampire and fear for your iron levels. Or your roomie neglected to tell you they have OCD. For whatever reason, you’re just not meshing with the person next door. But that’s okay. All is not lost sunshine. You can always move out. Occasionally, moving out as soon as possible can’t be executed. You’ve got school, or you’ve got work, or you’re chasing dreams and bands across the country. If this is the case, treat your ‘home’ as a place to merely sleep and store your cereal. Many people live together without as much as a passing hello or goodbye. Be civil and fulfill any chores you’ve been assigned, then when the time comes, grab your stuff and skip merrily into the pro-equality sunset of non-shitty share houses! Onward march, soldier!

Sunday Hustle 2/10/11

By: admin

02-10-2011

sunday hustle

For your reading pleasure, whilst I tackle mount academia. Since my energies are going into my studies for the next 2 weeks, here’s some awesomesauce material from the rest of the web.

Pretty people have better lives, more money. Case in point? Female tennis players. Apparently, there are better looking women on the court these days than there was a decade ago. When I first found this article, I kind of rolled my eyes and put on this New York accent and whined “oh puh-leeeaaassse!” (do they do that? I think they do that. Clarification please, internet!). Slightly wary when it comes to debates about beauty privilege, Leith then hits me with this chestnut:

What possible advantage would a beautiful woman have over a not-so-beautiful one on the court? Well, maybe she would catch the eye of coaches and sponsors early on in her career. And maybe, having caught the eye, she would get a better deal overall. Maybe she would be pushed to the front. It was, I thought, possible.

Then I found out about how one gets to play on the centre court during Wimbledon. It is all to do with ratings. Several reporters had pointed out that, during the tournament’s early rounds, some of the more attractive players, such as Gisela Dulko, Sorana Cirstea and Maria Kirilenko, were picked to play on centre court, even though they were not top seeds. Some of the higher-ranked but less attractive players were relegated to the outer courts.

Definitely something to think about. Perhaps my views are biased because I’m drawn to other attributes, such as whether a person has a sense of humour, or a razor sharp whit, super intelligence or a social conscience, but I don’t believe that people are so easily swayed by looks alone. Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps… (The Age)

Publicist, author, awesome. Kelly Cutrone - no super model, but she's known for bringing them down a notch. Proof that brains and perseverance triumph over looks?

Megan Fox is not a bitch. Speaking of good looks, this interview with Megan Fox shows a different side to the actress normally presented as aloof, a little snotty and a bit too open about her sexuality. Perhaps it’s because the reporter entered the interview with no notes prepared, or perhaps it’s a sign that in the eyes of some, you can be too pretty (see Tavi’s flow chart for elaboration on jealousy and girl hate) (Moviefone)

Scarlett Harris, one of Australia’s most promising up-and-coming writers, features a guest post on Feminism and religion. Controversially juicy, as always! (Early Bird Gets the Worm)

Kristina Keneally, one of NSW’s favourite punching bags, shows us what she’s made of, stands up for gay marriage.

My lack of knowledge about homosexuality meant I had very few presuppositions to confront. I came to the questions of how to respond to homosexual people armed not with Vatican teachings and cultural assumptions, but simply with the Gospel message of ‘love one another as I have loved you’.

What I witnessed were people who suffered greatly because of the judgement of their family and community; friends who were more acquainted with loneliness than with romantic relationships; devout Catholics, some with a true call to vocation, grieving because their own church had no place for them. I realised no one would choose an orientation that brought such misery.

You go Glen Coco! (The Drum)

Just a post about swooning over matronly babe Helen Mirren. (Feministe)

The Guardian features an article discussing research which proves that caffeine is happy sauce for women everywhere. Interestingly, they also delve a little deeper and examine the social variables that may or may not be involved.

But it would have been interesting if, along with measuring the women’s coffee consumption in relation to depression, this latest research had asked: was the coffee drunk alone? With friends? At a cafe? In other words: socially or medicinally? And was the depression to which over 2,000 of the women succumbed linked in any way to work or the lack of it, to difficulties with partners or children, to loneliness, to poverty? Extreme sadness is rarely just a chemical affair, though of course like everything else in the world, it’s linked to chemistry. (The Guardian)

More and more women are now on the front line. (The Guardian)

Mookychick interviews Lena Chen of Chiktionary about sex workers rights, her life as the college “sexpert” and how she deals with online harrassment. (Mookychick)

The media is to blame for misogyny. According to Gender Across Borders, the media are public enemy number one when it comes to misrepresenting females. Read on for an analysis of both men’s and women’s magazines. Spoiler! They’re all basically the same. (Gender Across Borders)

Sunday Hustle 11/9/11

By: admin

11-09-2011

sunday hustle

I can remember exactly where I was when the plane struck the Twin Towers. I was 13, asleep in my bed, and I could hear my grandmother yelling from downstairs. Groggy from the deep sleep that only a growing teenager can appreciate, I lay in my bed listening to my father and his mother express their shock and awe at what was happening over in New York. It was the first time I’d ever really heard the word ‘terrorism’. It was the first time I saw my friend Becki teased at school, and it was also the first time I really understood what racism was. The next day, and for a few weeks thereafter, my Iranian friend was nicknamed Osama. I began to understand why she’d changed her name from Bahareh a few months earlier. So on this day, my heart goes out to all those affected by the 9/11 bombings.

And now, a round-up of this week’s best reading.

The Huff Po has a pretty sweet round-up of the best and most kick-ass representations of working women on film. My favourite? The Devil Wears Prada. Hands down. Not because as a female with writerly ambitions I automatically identify with any fictional journalist and I really, really like the way they styled Anne Hathaway, but because so many girls are disillusioned by the glitz and glamour of the glossy industry. Although expeditions to retrieve unpublished Harry Potter manuscripts are probably a bit of a stretch from the truth, the fashion and fashion magazine industry do some with their sacrifices. (The Huffington Post)

And this awesome meme celebrates their television counterparts. I would love to see the Gilmore Girls on this list! Check it out – you might just fall in love. (Le-Fays)

Britta from Community. 28. High school drop-out. Douche-ray vision.

Rachel Rabbit White elaborates on her piece in the Frisky about the illusive Rock Groupie. Fanatical fame whore? Spot-on cool hunter? Mandatory band-aid or the misunderstood shaman of 1970s feminism? (Rabbit Write)

The most intelligent analysis of the Spice World Movie I have ever read. (The Thought Catalogue)

Still a bit afraid of the f word? This study confirms what we might have already known – sticking up for yourself makes people respect you. Are those unintentionally sexist comments at work niggling at your patience? Is the office sex pest getting a little too personal? Speak up ladies – you’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to gain. (Jezebel)

A London university is being sued for discrimination against men. That sentence was not meant to sound ironic, or sarcastic, and perhaps provides a little bit of insight as to why so many women are reluctant to identify as feminists. Nobody wants to be accused of being unfair. One student at the London School of Economics feels he experienced anti-male discrimination at the hands of the gender studies department. (The Guardian)

This reminds me of the one guy we had in our Women’s Literature course last year. He showed up for once class. Then he was gone. Although our tutor welcomed him, perhaps being the only male in the room was discomforting. I know I feel out of place in a room full of men. Sometimes, I wonder what it’s like to hear the feminist perspective from a male point of view. What would they feel? Sympathy? Shame? Rage? Disbelief? What do you think? Read the story. Are this student’s views valid?

Girl Crush is a new website that proves that lady love isn’t always sexual. It’s about intense admiration for another girl. It’s about celebrating the achievements of other women, openly and proudly singing your praises for someone who has something your admire. It’s about not giving into jealousy and our inner mean girl which whispers in our ear, telling us that we can do no better, that she is the enemy, that there can only be one bright star in the sky. (This website reminds me a lot of Yen Magazine actually). (Girl Crush)

Tavi Gevension (yes, THE Style Rookie) has her own online magazine now, aptly called Rookie Magazine (of which there are two, confusingly). Rookie takes a page out of the holy teenage bible tome of Sassy, and presents an array of relevant, inspiring and intelligent articles for the 21st century super girl. Want to learn guitar? Yearning for more ballsy advice from Barfin’ Arfin? How about fashion features that won’t make you weep with the tears of student poverty? Look no further than Rookie. Although it’s targeted at younger girls, it’s a definite must browse for women of all ages. (Rookie)

Aren’t these images by Julia Trotti just the epitome of the word lovely? I’m a big fan of this talented girl’s work. Check out the rest of her website for more beautiful images from an up-and-coming Australian photographer (did I mention she’s 19?!).

Sunday Hustle 4/9/11

By: admin

03-09-2011

sunday hustle

I was trying to figure out what was wrong with myself this week. Fatigued, beaten to death by academia, and sniffly and snotty like a snivelling toddler, I wasn’t myself at all. Insomnia had crept back into my life like a thief in the night (quite literally) and robbed me of my rest. No amount of meditation podcasts and lavender incense could make the whirring in my brain come to a stop. So on Wednesday I felt pretty drunk – but I’d never made it to the party. I ended up in Fremantle hospital, my mind fairly scattered as nurses asked me if I could remember my birthdate. Did I know why I was here? Was there any chance I was pregnant? Can I get you to pee in this again please?

I’m ok now, and I’m actually feeling just a little bit more tired than is normal for a healthy 23-year-old. Despite my medical episode, I’ve somehow managed to get everything done this week. I’m up to my eyeballs in assignments and design work I’d rather not be doing (who knew I’d make a terrible graphic designer?!). I moved into my new place almost a month ago but have spent the majority of my time here holed up in my room cradling a cup of tea over my laptop, shaking my fists at ye Gods of academia.

Which leads me to unraveling my latest project. I have a new website. I’ve officially registered an Australian Business Number for myself, bought www.camillapeffer.com.au, gone head to head with CSS, lost a battle with Posterous, and ended up back at WordPress (I LUFF YOU!). The reason I started it up was to showcase a bit more of my professional work and position myself as a freelance copywriter for small businesses, entrepreneurs and individuals. Check it out, and if you know of anyone who might like some help whipping up some kick-ass copy, send them my way! Be sure to also like me on Facebook. Nobody likes me yet! I want people to like me!

And here’s the usual Sunday Hustle. I must have superpowers or something.

One Female Lead Does Not A Zeitgeist Make – I am SO EXCITED about this new Disney/Pixar film! Brave is set to hit cinemas in June 2012, and tells the story of a fierce archer with flaming red ringlets and strong willed sass. SMH gives props to Pixar for FINALLY having a female lead, and mentioned the Gina Davis Institute too. Does this mark a change in Pixar’s gender bias? Should we even care about the politics of animated films? (Sydney Morning Herald)

Source: Pixar

Actor and filmmaker Jennifer Siebel-Newsom has made a new documentary about the media’s warped beauty standards. Upon viewing this trailer, I really wanted to walk out onto my porch and yell to the Canning Highway “YES! THIS WOMAN HAS NAILED IT!” Because she really has. Like the majority of anyone with a vagina, growing up I was incredibly insecure. I still am. But I’m getting better. It wasn’t until last year that I felt comfortable, nay safe, in leaving the house without makeup. And it’s empowering knowing that no, you are not just your looks. You are not your tangled hair, your blemished chin, nor your made-up lips or high heels. And thank god.

As a woman who works both in front of and behind the camera, Siebel-Newsom’s documentary examines the media with the critical eye of a woman who’s lived and worked the battle field. She’s interviewed high school girls, media representatives, media workers, media survivors. There aren’t any planned screening for Australia as of yet, but the film’s website offers individuals a chance to organise screenings.

Did anything surprise you during the making of the film, either in the information you were taking in, or in the process?

I did have a sexist experience working with someone, who I ultimately let go, but who came on and wanted to take over and direct the film and was very objectifying of me and condescending. This was a young male. That was a very challenging experience for me, given the theme of the film. I couldn’t believe that he was actually doing what our film was talking about as [being] a bad thing to be doing. In terms of the information, I was shocked by a lot of the statistics. I just couldn’t believe some of the statistics myself, and [in the research] I also started to pay more attention, and I think once you actually start to pay more attention, you see it everywhere, in very subtle ways. What really surprised me is how we just accepted the status quo.

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/18985647 w=400&h=225]

Newest Miss Representation Trailer (2011 Sundance Film Festival Official Selection) from Miss Representation on Vimeo.

Sweety Darling! Ab Fab is coming back darling! Grab Mummy’s snuggie and a glass of cider! (Jezebel)

Source: Fanpop.com

Beauty and the western woman myth. When reading this post, my mind went back to that scene in Mean Girls where Regina and co are all bemoaning their over sized pores and bad breath and MAN SHOULDERS, etc. Chelsea Bruck over at Gender Across Borders writes about her experiences as a Westerner in Korea and cultural perceptions of beauty. (Gender Across Borders)

Korean girls are generally known for being shy, but put this typically taboo topic on the table and they are anything but! For the past month I have been coaxing English sentences out of these girls as if they were cavities, but now they were fervently typing away on their dictionaries, eager to express themselves.

The desire for double eyelid surgery was unanimous. One girl wanted her forehead pushed out (never heard of that one before). They all wanted smaller noses, a bridge between their eyes, thinner faces, bigger boobs.

I did my best to explain the phrase ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder.’ I even brought up the term ‘Asian fetish’ to try and get my point across, but it fell flat.

One looked me in the eyes and stated earnestly, “Koreans are ugly. We want Chelsea teacher face.”

Amber Heard refuses to put a label on her sexuality. I, on the other hand, am always confused as to whether labels are necessary. I suppose that labels help people to understand what the hell is going on, but do they segregate and divide? Or are they a symbol of pride? Does not labeling yourself gay/feminist/bi/whatever shame those who do? As if to say “Yes, I like girls/boy, but I’m not like them“? What do you think? (Lesbilicious)

The Pursuit of Harpyness echoes the same sentiments in this post. (The Pursuit of Harpyness)

Here’s a sweet infographic for the nerds! A visualisation on the hierarchy of internet distractions. (MoMA)

Gala Darling might have just gotten married, but she still has the time to deliver the material we all know and love. This latest post is about frenemies, and when to kick fun sponges to the curb. Because nobody should feel guilty about feeling good, right? (Gala Darling)

This chick was hot, and then they mentioned her Bieber similarities. (Glamour)

Lipstick Feminists has a firm word with Tumblr over their use of the word rape. You don’t need to be an English student to recognise a trope in a poor taste. (Lipstick Feminists)

And because this image sums up my life:

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Peace x

Sunday Hustle 28/08/11

By: admin

28-08-2011

sunday hustle

Natasia over at Hot Femme writes about fine tuning your gaydar and the gay-girl stereotype. So, say you’re out at a bar. You spot a pretty girl. Is she gay? Is she straight?

Is THIS what a femme looks like?

How on earth can you tell? Sometimes, you can’t rely upon your gaydar, whatever this psychic ability may be (does it even exist?!)

For those of you who don’t know, femme invisibility is the term used to describe queer women who feel unrecognized by both the gay & straight communities. I frequently blame femme invisibility on the fact that straight people don’t think about gay, it’s not something that’s ‘top of consciousness’ for them. So of course they will ask me if I have a boyfriend, even if I’ve mentioned my partner multiple times. They don’t think in “queer.”

Touche, mon ami! Touche! I feel my very own post about this coming on… (Hot Femme Writing in NYC)

Are sexy female game characters doing more harm than good on the gender-equality front? (Austintotamu)

Did you know that Geena Davis is awesome? The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media is doing some fairly cool and progressive stuff. Developed in response to an inherent gender bias in the media, Davis’ institute is working on an international scale. One of their goals is to champion the Disney Princess myth (my personal pet peeve! We need more scatter-brain imperfect characters like Alice in Wonderland!)

The Crunk Feminist Collective (god I love the word ‘crunk’!) compiled this post for all the ladies heading back to school this ‘fall’ in the US. But I find it’s still quite pertinent for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere who are being bowled over by a cacophony of university work. My own personal tips for mid-semester stress? Silence your inner mean girl with a big dosing of self-love, bubble bath style. Also, please, please, please don’t think a drunken night will cure a sense of impending doom. It’s really, really not worth the hang over! (Crunk Feminist Collective)

Uh-oh. Yoplait is demonising food again. Except their own. Duh.

Classifying some foods as “good” and vilifying others as “bad” sets one up for failure in a most beautifully orchestrated series of events. Certain foods may be healthier for you than others, but like most things, foods do not carry with them an innate characteristic of innocence or evil. In giving foods these kind of descriptions, they take on anthropomorphic identities that make it easy for one to associate with themselves. If cake = bad, and I consume cake, then I have consumed bad, ergo me = bad. Cake isn’t “bad.” It’s sweet. Sometimes sugary, sometimes tart. Sometimes in cup form. It isn’t “bad.”

To be honest, I don’t watch a lot of television these days, so when I hear about this incredibly WTF way of thinking about food, and the fact that it’s broadcast to the masses on television, it makes me wonder if maybe I’m slightly blind to the fact that women are still being forced this notion of beauty. I try and surround myself with similarly happy, positive and inspiring people to filter out these types of messages, and for the most part it works. But I’m interested in hearing if women are still feeling under intense pressure to be thin, or whether this might be a field we’re finally making some ground on. Hit me up with your thoughts! (Jezebel)

Rachel Hills is getting hitched! How did I not know this? I read her blog all the time. How? When? And more importantly, what is a feminist wedding? Do they even exist? (Musings of An Inappropriate Woman)

Thirsty? How about a delicious beverage? Pussy is the latest energy drink on the market, and apparently it’s more akin to super powers in a can. (Jezebel)

Photo: Jezebel

And for now, I’ll leave with you some images taken by my latest photographer obsession, Hedi Slimane. I featured Slimane’s images of a very much grown-up Frances Bean-Cobain in last week’s Sunday Hustle, and now I’m completely enraptured by his photographic work. Aren’t these pictures of Sky Ferreira beautiful?

Sunday Hustle 21/08/11

By: admin

21-08-2011

sunday hustle

For your reading pleasure!

Hot people are mean and more than likely to steal your candy at get away with it, according to the observer. And they won’t say sorry either! No sir. They’ll probably bat their eyelashes and get you to hand over your phone. (Jezebel)

Source: fuckyeahmeangirls.tumblr.com

Where do women rate on the gender wage scale? As these handy infographics reveal, obtaining a higher education is gonna bring in the big bucks (or, bigger bucks). But for whom exactly? Not all students are created equal, it appears. (Ms. Magazine)

Move over Hollywood! Presenting to you…Kittywood! Oh the lulz! (Jezebel)

I’m guessing that if you read this blog, it’s no secret that I dig chicks. And not in entirely sexual way either! I just really love women. Which is why I’m torn over whether I love or hate this article over at Sex, Gender, Body. Alex starts off by arguing that women are hardwired to form relationships, our bodies the perfect factory for producing the love hormone oxytocin. She then goes on to say

That is why affairs affect lesbians very differently to heterosexuals and why there needs to be a different view point taken when understanding affairs between two women. This is not to say that straight people aren’t affected by affairs in their marriage, the impact of betrayal on any person regardless of sexual orientation can be devastating and painful.

Is she playing the devils advocate, down playing the validity of love between two women? Or is she saying that women are naturally inclined to form strong emotional ties thus we should just let them eat the damn cake? I’m not sure. What do you think? (Sex Gender Body)

Rachel Rabbit White writes about fashion and feminism. I see a lot of this relating to the issue of feminist guilt, which is basically feeling kind of shitty for enjoying things like make-up and high heels. (Rabbit Write)

It’s interesting though, that with the new rights women gained, fashion saw women trying on male-ness. Is it feminist, if women had to bend what they were wearing in order to fit into the “man’s world’? Whether it’s women bobbing their hair after they get the vote, or Chanel’s pantsuit, or the 1980?s power-suit with it’s pointed masculine edges, worn as women really took hold of the workplace it’s all women taking on male roles. (One of the things the third wave seems to have done is take back traditional feminine fashion, in it’s “ironic” retro silhouettes and crinoline.) And yet playing with gender in fashion can be liberating, and helpful to breaking down gender roles and the binary.

The National Library of Australia celebrates 50 years of Women’s Weekly with a retro exhibition! Too cool! (GWAS)

Stuff, glorious stuff. Erica Bartle writes in response to an article in Bloomberg Businessweek about materialism and consumer culture. Apparently, we live in a consumerist world. Well, I’d like to argue that we’re not materialistic enough. But bare with me before you start your witch hunt and hammer my door down – I have a point! It’s not the phone you want, it’s the iPhone. Perhaps it calls to you like sweet and seductive siren from the pretty and sleek packaging that Apple wraps their products up in and sends out of their shiny buildings. You don’t want those shoes. You want these shoes. Etc, etc, ad nauseum. Stuff, and the kind of stuff you buy, gives you more social/cultural capital. (Girl With A Satchel)

In the worst of cases, you wake one day to find that you are not a whole but, indeed, an assembly of lots of selves and cultural artefacts. Your attempts to emulate, to run with the pack, or even stay two steps ahead, have left you flat with nothing to give back. You feel like an iPhony. So the quest to find your true self begins… only beneath all the clutter, you’re not so sure you’re going to like what you find. Not to worry: more stuff will numb that straight away!

When the one you love breaks your heart by leaving you, you don’t fall into his arms when he says sorry, like Bella, you punch him, like Hermione. (Musings Of An Inappropriate Woman)

Oh, and Francis Bean Cobain grew up. These are from her photo shoot with Dior’s Hedi Slimane. Jaw=dropped. (Good Morning Midnight)

Lady of the Week: Natasia Langfelder

By: admin

15-08-2011

Lady of the Month

Lady of the Week is back! Last week was all sorts of crazy, so regrettably I couldn’t share my latest internet soul sistah with you all. So here she is – meet Natasia Langfelder, aka, Hot Femme in NYC. An entertainment writer from the city that never sleeps, Natasia’s blog is full to the brim with anecdotes about the life of a yummy young lady living the rainbow life in New York City. Need advice on dating? On breaking up? On coming out to your religious and conservative parents? Or maybe you just want some LOLs and want to understand the dating scene of the LGB crowd. Natasia delivers the funneh with her signature sparkling wit. She was delighted to hop on the good ship and answer a few of my questions. Enjoy! And be sure to check out her work.

Who are you? And what is your business here?!
Hi, I’m Natasia and my business is the funny. Also I go down on other chicks, so we have that in common. Call me!

I’ve been the features editor at a few online LGBT websites and I was focused on celebrity news that would be of interest to the LGBT community. What I learned from that is that there’s not a ton of interest in what Angelina and Brad are doing. Generally, gays want to know about other gays and have fun instead of gossiping about celebrities. So I took my crazy to WordPress.

I’m trying to create a space that will entertain gay girls while also giving some hints about the nuances of queer dating, romance, fashion and the social scene in general. I would really like to help people find, get and keep the girl of their dreams. Or at least get laid once in awhile. My blog is shaped by my personal experiences in the queer world (aka what I did last night) as well as by feedback from the delightful ladies who write to me for advice. So each post is here and queer even if we aren’t talking straight up vadge.

Describe what your blog is about for the hapless hetero or discerning bi-curious.
Straight people: We aren’t that different from you! We care about how we look, fitting in, how to ask out the hot woman sitting next to us and if you tickle us, we laugh. (Holla Shakespeare) My blog is about all the things that you care about, but with a queer slant. Like, if the world was reversed and there were more gay people than straight people and you all had to be the loser best friend instead of the star? That’s my blog.

Oh are you bi-curious? Call me. I can help.

What does being a femme mean to you?
To me, Femme is less about how you look on the outside and more about who you are on the inside. It means being compassionate, empathetic, staying true to yourself and showing respect for others, probably while wearing heels. A Femme should build up her partner, make her feel sexy, strong and special. There’s no love like femme love.

Do you think the Kinsey scale is relevant? Where do you think you fall?
I think the Kinsey scale is an easy way to pretend to quantify sexuality and that’s something people feel a deep need for. If we can break sexuality down and give it a number, it becomes something we can more easily process. So not too relevant. Love and sex are too messy for numbers.

But if we are playing this game, I’m probably a 5. Which means I’m mostly a huge muffdiver who fell onto a few guys. Everyone is so sexually fluid these days and I’m not! I feel left out and boring. BUT before I dated women, I had some really great boyfriends that I’m still very close with. I would never want to trivialize my relationships or my connections with them. But I’m 99.9% sure I would never, ever choose to be with a man again; which is great news for my wife.

What are the most annoying misconceptions about gay girls?
That we are all attracted to straight women. It drives me crazy. I’m more into chicks that like chicks. We’ve all had that moment when your straight acquaintance is drunk at the bar and wants you to tell her she’s the prettiest princess you ever had a shot with. “Yes, you are pretty. No I don’t think you are hotter than the dyke who works in the mail room at my office. Yes, women who look like men do turn me on and no, I won’t tell you why.”

Also, no we are not all ugmos who are just gay because we can’t get men. If we are conventionally pretty, we are not just waiting for the right guy. Oh and duh, no threesomes that involve a guy.

Whether for eyecandy or inspirational reasons, what women do you adore or admire?
I adore Margaret Atwood. Her writing is so beautiful it makes me cry in frustration because I want to be able to create that so badly. Angst, it’s a helluva feeling.

I also admire Katherine Moennig. Both for being sexy and making me think seriously about developing an eating disorder. I never feel very “Shane” but one day I would like to.

Do you have any advice for girls ready (or not so ready) to come out?
Life is too short to stay in the closet. Unless you rely on your parents for financial support and there is a chance they will kick you out of the house, just come out. When I came out, my best friend cried because I had kept it a secret from her. It hurt her feelings that I thought she wouldn’t understand. I have been continually surprised by how amazing my friends and family are. Give yours credit more credit than I did. Living an honest life will make you and your loved ones feel more at peace. Plus girl on girl is awesome, so go get it.

Sunday Hustle 31/07/11 – The Body Image Edition

By: admin

31-07-2011

sunday hustle

….And thus concludes the end of my second week back at uni. Was I ready for this jelly? No, no I was not. Regardless, you’re more than likely to find me bouncing out of bed ready to LEARN IMPORTANT STUFF rather than clutching at my pillow, praying for JUST 5 MORE MINUTES PLZ. I love learning, and I’m so happy to be back at uni. It’s the ultimate indulgence to feed my mind, to bounce ideas off of other inspiring, positive and creative people.

Things might be a little more quiet now that I’m back at big school and writing essays and trying to remember how to use the APA referencing system (which I totally don’t remember existed, by the way). I wish I had more time to jump up and down on my computer keyboard excitedly and churn out more posts like the eager Gen Y smarty-pants I am, but my course requires a lot of attention and little time for…well, life. Having said that,I’m really determined to make time for the projects that matter to me these days. More writing! More photography! More reading! Like a grocery list chock block of awesome food for the soul! Time is trickier than Where’s Wally. You can’t find it, you have to make it, and you’re never too busy for the things you love. Never.

This week I definitely noticed a trend in articles on self-loathing and self-loving in the physical sense. Because Girls Are Made From Pepsi is all about lady love, coming to terms with and accepting our diverse physicality is a large part of appreciating and celebrating your foxy self. Females of all ages – whether young girls or middle aged women – have all gone through some sort of body image crisis. Some deal with their inner critics more effectively than others, whilst some of still unconsciously grab at imaginary love-handles when trying on new jeans. I personally don’t feel ready to write a body image post of my own, so below are some of the best I’ve read this week (or ever!).

How gay-friendly is Facebook? With the Google+ machine ploughing through the digital stratosphere aiming to catch as many band-wagon enthusiasts as possible (oh yeah, I saw it riding past and climbed on!), Lesbilicious takes a look at how the world’s most popular (and infamous!) social networking site helped (or hindered) queer visability. Can we expect the same from Google+? Do social networks force people out of the closet when they ask you disclose information? Or is it still possible to keep some of our life private? It did not escape me that Google+ does not ask for your sexual orientation…

By the way – it’s awfully lonely on Google+! If anyone wants an invite, holla at me! I’m willing to spread the love around!

Liz at Autostraddle does a fashioncap of the latest Pretty Little Liars, turns the majority of the cast/extras into homos, and consequently makes my week whilst doing so.

THIS IS NEW INFORMATION. Not all women like pink. If you are one of those women, I’m sorry for my blog’s colour scheme and it’s affect on your retinas. Not really, because I love pink! But don’t worry, I still like you. This study, published in the Harvard Business Review (and handily dissected for the sake of my poor attention span by Gawker), suggests that women don’t like pink because it reminds them of other women.

Despite the fact that a full 100% of lesbians are women, it appears that women do not actually love themselves? Because it’s not the color of pink that women hate, according to the study, so much as the fact that pink is “a gender cue” that triggers a “defensive response” among women. This sort of self-loathing behavior is really sad to see among a gender that has produced lots of really quality gymnasts.

The study was conducted in relation to breast cancer donations. Although it seems fairly obvious that sometimes, you know, women prefer blue, some parts of the study actually sounded like they might not be completed baseless.

We put breast cancer banner ads on a website we showed the subjects but never mentioned them. When the site was geared to women [with the colour pink], 33% of women recalled the ads. When it was gender-neutral, 65% remembered. It’s been three years, and we have duplicated the same basic finding 10 times. It keeps happening.

Check out this video for Vanessa Bruno’s SS 12 collection. It features a Lou Doillon and Jessica Joffe as beautifully dressed forest sprites of some sort. (I am still recovering from Stevie Dance’s departure. I feel the need to talk about this. Anyone?)

140 characters can say a lot about your gender. According to a sociolinguistic study, women use a lot more emoticons and exclamation points ( !! =] ). I think I may have been an unwitting subject for this study…

Girl With a Satchel (Erica Bartle, or GWAS as she is known) is talking about body image. It’s a regular topic on GWAS, but I always love her posts on body image because they’re not just empty, superficial rhetoric about how important it is for us to love ourselves. Erica’s past experiences inform her views on body image and the media, so it’s not like she comes across all gung-ho about fighting the evil advertising standards which allow women to look like pore-less faces of sparkling beauty. She just recognises that it really, really sucks to open up a magazine and not feel like you resemble the yummy young things that dominate the pages.

What can be done by publishers in light of the fact that the Voluntary Code of Conduct has not been widely accepted? Go easy on the Photoshop, embrace what’s real, and complement fashion and beauty with a greater proportion of content that gives credit to women and girls’ other attributes. Devote sections to cultivating their minds, creativity, social conscience, resilience and knowledge of the world, as well as playing on their capacity to empathise, laugh, have fun and contribute something positive.

Source: weheartit.com

Rachel Hills shares her personal experience of BDD (body dysmorphic disorder).

When you’re actually living through something, it feels like some dark, impossible shame you could never speak openly to anyone about. Then there’s the stage of recovery where the whole event seems far enough in the past that the stigma begins to evaporate and you can speak about it freely. And eventually, you get to the point where it seems so long ago that it no longer feels relevant, almost as if it happened to another person.

I think I feel a bit like Rachel in a way when she says she finds it hard to open up, and not because she’s ashamed or doesn’t want to relive past events she’d rather keep locked up in her 16-year-old diary, but because it’s had to relate to who we were in the past. How do you speak for someone who exists outside of your here and now? Just as it’s difficult to comprehend and interpret another person’s state of mind, so too is it problematic to try and justify the actions of your former self. I, like many other girls, feel so far removed from who we once were, and that’s why many things are left unsaid.

Conversely, Anna Sussman writes of the eating disorder cliche – ‘Me Too’ Syndrome. I would really love to hear everyone’s thoughts on this one! Do you think there’s an E.D cliche? Or are you more partial to an open book policy? Over sharing? Or over people not caring?

Your vagina is a beautiful flower and anyone who gets your naked as hit the jackpot. Nay to vulva antagonism!

gucci gucci louis louis fendi fendi prada

Look familiar?

Apple, Pear, or Eggplant? I never understood why people compare their bodies with the shapes of fruit. I get the need to associate the female form with a deliciously sweet snack, but I’ve never felt these so called guides to female body shapes ever achieve anything.

Not satisfied? You might have more luck with something like Trinny & Susannah’s body shape guide, which has 12 possible forms—but, if you’re like me, you’ll still be left untyped. This isn’t because of your crazy, freakish body type that is unfit to be clothed. It’s because your body is probably a combination of run-of-the-mill (I mean that with love!) without a particular feature that calls for attention, and certain features that you may want to highlight or conceal but that don’t land you in one of the classic types.

Sunday Hustle – 10/07/11

By: admin

10-07-2011

sunday hustle

Photo: flickafame @ flickr.com

For your reading pleasure!
Should we tell little girls they’re pretty? I mean, of course we should! Right? Who doesn’t love the feeling of an adoring looker ogling at the outfit which took you like, FOREVER TO PUT TOGETHER OMG. Compliments are like big soul injections that pump you full of self esteem juice. That person actually noticed that I exfoliated – squee! But does a focus on a person’s outward beauty devalue their inner beauty?

Teaching girls that their appearance is the first thing you notice tells them that looks are more important than anything. It sets them up for dieting at age 5 and foundation at age 11 and boob jobs at 17 and Botox at 23. As our cultural imperative for girls to be hot 24/7 has become the new normal, American women have become increasingly unhappy. What’s missing? A life of meaning, a life of ideas and reading books and being valued for our thoughts and accomplishments.

Word.

Whilst we’re on the topic of self-image, Liz Jones has set off a firecracker with her criticism of a young girl’s choice to forego wearing makeup. She argues that an impeccable appearance is mandatory for front of house positions, and any deviation from any implicit and explicit uniform codes is an insult to the company you work for, and your customers.

Women who feel no compunction to improve what nature bestowed upon them are, in my experience, arrogant, lazy or deluded, and frequently all three.

This is especially true in the service industry, where a bare face is no more acceptable than a dentist with halitosis. It tells me that a woman doesn’t really care what others think of her.

Wearing even a little make-up shows respect to others, demonstrating on the outside that you are professional, a stickler for detail, someone who doesn’t cut corners.But there is one aspect of Ms Stark’s case that I do find puzzling: why does any intelligent women (whatever her workplace) need a manual to tell them what is or isn’t acceptable. Surely common sense should do?

This reminds me of something Gala Darling said in her podcast Love and Sequins. She says that keeping up appearances is just good manners. I work in retail. I wear makeup. I wear nice clothes. The world would be a perfect place if strangers could peer into our souls and tell that we have integrity, that we’re intelligent and caring individuals. Unfortunately, this isn’t how customer service works. You are judged upon your presentation, and this applies to other social situations too, if not most. I admire any girl who has the guts to walk past the mirror in the morning and be completely comfortable in her skin, head held high with a natural self confidence. However, I just haven’t reached that point yet (and I also really, really love wearing bright red lipstick!) What are your opinions? How much makeup do you wear to work?

Gastronimical girl power! Could this be the breakfast of feminist champions? Take a look at this tiny woman who won a hot-dog eating contest.

Kristin Wigg as the hot but super awkward Annie with the cookie-cutter hair cut. Ugh.

Aaaaaannndd….yet another article on Bridesmaids, which I totally thought was over-hyped, but then I changed my mind about half-way through the movie and decided I loved its’ honest display of how complex, skrewy yet incredibly awesome and supportive female relationships can be. I saw a band-wagon travelling past and I have jumped straight on. I really appreciated how the token unattractive side-kicks were actually more realistic in the looks department, because honestly, it’s kind of an insult when Amanda Seyfried, Anne Hathaway and Emma Watson play that part. I really hope the success of Bridesmaids paves the success for more female comedians who don’t rely upon their Oscar-ready looks.

Why blogs for women don’t do shit for equality. I’m going to play the devil’s advocate here. I’d have to say this blog is exclusive – it’s written by a female, for other females, and doesn’t really take into account a male audience. Susannah Breslin, whom I don’t usually agree with but I consider an awesomely fierce superwoman regardless, argues that this withdrawal from the real world and into ‘girl world’ is actually counterproductive. I used to live near the beach in Sydney, and there was this amazing women’s pool that I used to frequent in the summer. It was a place where you could go and sit and relax in the company of other women and not have to worry about getting perved on by creepy guys and just be you. I really liked going there because most women dropped their judgmental egos at the door, so there was less pressure to have a bangin’ bikini body. You were at complete liberty to let those jiggly bits do their thang and not have to worry about an audience. So I do believe we need these spaces. I do believe they are havens. What do you think of blogs for women? Or of spaces for women in general?

Photo: Jezebel.com

Lady Ga-Ga: brazen opportunist or LGBT warrior? I will admit with my duck-taped nipples aimed high that I am a fan of the Ga-Ga. She has a talent for wearing outrageous get-ups, manipulating the media with imaginary penises and writing ridiculous songs that are just. So. Damned. Catchy! In her interview with The Advocate, Gaga says she’s bisexual. Personally, I feel bisexuals cop a lot of flack. They represent the ‘other’. They’re not gay, they’re not straight. How do you pigeon hole them? They are neither black nor white, bu encompass both sides of the sexuality spectrum. So why the lack of support for bisexuals? I mean, the LGBT symbol is a rainbow for diversity, right?

This up and coming documentary about body image in the media looks interesting, and I like that it targets women of all ages and not just young girls.

This is the show that is on every lesbian’s mind this week. The Candy Bar Girls appears to be a British carbon copy of The Real L Word, but don’t judge it until you see it. Candy Bar Girls is a lot more of a docu-style reality television show, with a Big Brother style voice over narrating with this slightly David Attenborough tone (Ah! And here you have the lesbian in her natural habitat!) and for those reasons seems a lot less forced than The Real L Word. Another well-scripted reality television show, or an actual chance to transgress the lesbian stereotype bla bla bla yadda yadda patriarchy prejudice hoojey-ma-flop. Check out the cringe-worthy promo below, but then go and watch the whole thing.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuGKuG3IUwo]

Oh and check this out – FIGHT CLUB FOR THE 20TH CENTURY LADY.

Photo: Powerhouse Museum

Happy Sunday ladies! x

Fair day! Fair Day! Gotta get down on fair day!

Sunday Hustle 9/10/11

You’re Cordially Uninvited

Sunday Hustle 2/10/11

Sunday Hustle 11/9/11

Sunday Hustle 4/9/11

Sunday Hustle 28/08/11

Sunday Hustle 21/08/11

Lady of the Week: Natasia Langfelder

Sunday Hustle 31/07/11 – The Body Image Edition

Sunday Hustle – 10/07/11

Menu

What

Daily Booth

Connect

Live Stream

Copyright Disclaimer

Categories

Link Luvin (Oz)

Link Luvin (International)

Menu

What

Daily Booth

Connect

Live Stream

Copyright Disclaimer

Tags

Categories

Link Luvin (Oz)

Link Luvin (International)