| The End. |
[Nov. 18th, 2007|02:07 pm] |
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Well, it looks like it's the end of this for me. |
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| Sea Change |
[Nov. 7th, 2007|11:15 am] |
Recently I got into an embittered battle with a friend concerning someone's Halloween costume.
A mutual white acquaintance dressed as a "wigger," which I found to be completely ridiculous and mad ignorant. The intent of the costume, it's said, was to "poke fun" at the way white people dress like black people. Other than the term "wigger" being only about a half step removed from the n-word, the costume was about as culturally ignorant as dressing in blackface, and it reminded me of the Straight Thuggin' party at the University of Chicago that garnered so much media attention. I know this girl did not have malicious intent, but isn't that always the excuse? My position is that, Halloween or not, cultural sensitivity does not suddenly fly out of the window. As someone who is highly concerned with issues of race and gender, I feel it is my duty and my right to speak out against someone making such egregious errors. Whereas someone can claim ignorance once, it's desirable to prevent such actions from happening in the future. Education and awareness are key, and I'm totally sensitive to the fact that sometimes white people with no black friends who grow up in white places aren't exactly as aware as they might be if they were in a different position.
The reason this battle bothered me so much is not because of the matter at hand. It was because I began to see that despite this person being one of my closest friends, there is a chasm that will never be bridged. At many points over the days that this argument boiled on (and on and on), I was brought to tears because of his sheer unwillingness and inability to understand this simple fact: As a white male, who grew up in Iowa, with absolutely no black friends besides myself, he just does not have the same reaction to these things that I do. It's not a bad thing, there's just no basis to see these things in the same context. To him, dressing in blackface and imitating minstrelsy is merely an act of political defiance, or an act of free speech. Ignorant, but understandable, given the circumstances. But to me, it evokes feelings that are very deeply connected to my past, my present and my future. My family lived through race riots in Chicago after King's assassination. My great-grandparents were share croppers. I've been called a "nigger." So for someone without those experiences to tell me that I don't have the right to be upset about something as seemingly inoffensive as a Halloween costume takes away my agency as a human being. There's nothing worse than being told that what you think does not matter, except maybe if it's a so-called friend who keeps saying it.
The most perplexing part of this is that this man purported to be advocating freedom of speech by chastising me for exercising mine. I never told anyone that they couldn't dress as anything for Halloween-- I merely wanted to raise awareness to the issue and make sure that if the person wasn't aware of what they were doing, that they would be in the future. But to be repeatedly bludgeoned by the First Amendment is missing the point. Doesn't that mean that I shouldn't be persecuted for feeling the way I did?
Look, this isn't about Halloween costumes. It's about the fact that this man, with whom I thought I shared a very special bond, pretty much ruined our friendship by going on a pointless self-righteous tirade with no logical purpose, even when I repeatedly pleaded with him to stop. I felt violated every time I was accused of hating free speech, or every time I was told I was wrong for having my beliefs. Weirdly enough, the same pig-headed tactics of flaunting the Constitution and denial of personal freedom are used by the American Government to get their way. Hmmm. Interesting.
But what I got most out of this is something I've been told I'd eventually figure out: There's no way in hell that I can ever seriously date a white man again. They'll never share the same beliefs as I do, which isn't normally bad, but I don't think I could handle the emotional fallout of such an argument again. I guess I can't explain it, really, but it's worse than disputes about normal things that happen in a relationship because there's just absolutely no way that the person will see your point of view because they've just walked in different shoes for their entire lives. And plus, that whole white man-black woman power dynamic is just something that always kind of simmers in the back of my mind and when things like this happen, I remember the historical implications of such relationships. This whole ordeal was taxing, but no matter how much I talked to certain friends about it, despite their wonderful intentions, they just could not grasp what I was saying. Except for Tiffany, my best friend, and perhaps one of the only people I know who looks at racial politics on the same level as me. She saw exactly the same things I did, and provided me with the encouragement to stick up for myself.
So, it may not seem like a huge deal. After all, it was just a Halloween costume. And I agree with that: at the end of the day, it's obviously not as bad as, say hanging a noose on someone's doorknob. But we need to realize, as a culture, that the things we do are not in a vacuum. You can use the argument that something is happening "just on Halloween" or "just at X College," but each such incident contributes to a larger issue that needs to be addressed in our country. It contributes to a collective mindset that is dangerous, given our nation's despicable and oppressive history. |
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| In Solidarity. |
[Nov. 7th, 2007|03:21 am] |
As I finish my first month in the Labor Movement, this high-profile Writers' Guild strike is underway and garnering plenty of media attention. It's interesting, because I think (maybe naively) that it's bringing the concept of the strike to audiences that might not normally think about it. The Labor Movement in America is strong these days, but it's not really as widespread as it used to be. Of course, this is counterintuitive in light of the fact that Big Business is becoming increasingly exploitative and pervasive. However, I think that this kind of reflects the way that America is going. We might be becoming more complacent and less willing to fight against these injustices because it's been the status quo for so long.
The WGA Strike is noteworthy both in terms of the Labor Movement and the digital age. The entertainment industry and, say, the hotel industry have never been associated historically, but they are using the same tool to gain footing in the workplace. The strike-- once a revolutionary tool used by workers to demonstrate to employers and to members of the community that they would rather sacrifice their pay than suffer the conditions they were subject to in the workplace-- has throughout time slinked into the background and has been taken for granted by most of us as we lead our lives. Worker solidarity has gone from something that has been felt with a resounding familiarity to all but the elite to something that has been marginalized beyond recognition and placed on the back burner. One reason for this is the introduction of the middle class. With the middle class bridging the gap between the elite and the hoi polloi, there came more of a need to distance themselves from the proletarian class in order to be more closely aligned with the bourgeoisie, and thus shedding their blue-collar, working class identities to be more accepted as the more desirable ruling class.
Instead of being seen as a necessary tool for workers of all social classes, labor unions have been associated with blue-collar, lower-class laborers. The middle class has probably perpetuated this point of view the most, and has time has worn on, they've struggled to attain status and separate from lower class roots. The expanding middle class has created a chasm that's difficult to bridge. Around World War II, membership in labor unions soared at around 60% of the workforce...now it's down to about 12%. To me, this is no coincidence: social, political and economic forces have created a perfect storm for the surge of big business, high profit margins and union busting, and have thus led to a dramatic decline in workers' rights.
"Pencils Down Means Pencils Down," said a full-page ad taken out in Variety last week by the likes of Tina Fey, David E. Kelley and Steven Bochco. In addition to the rank-and-file staff writers, executive producers and head writers-- the "show runners"-- are walking out and crippling the television shows that they created. If every strike could boast Tina Fey
on the picket line, we'd all garner the media attention we need and a sweeping wave of solidarity would suddenly consume the US.
This is monumental.
It's showing America that the Labor Movement isn't only for one type of worker-- its' for anyone who works hard for their money and feels that they're entitled to fair wages. That's a good thing to see. So as I work with hotel, restaurant and service employees at my own union, I'm encouraged to see the WGA strike highlighting to the rest of the world the similarities between workers everywhere. The struggle is one that we all need to be a part of. |
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| Halloween Laundry List |
[Nov. 1st, 2007|02:53 pm] |
Let the record show that next year's Halloween Party will be Werewolf Bar Mitzvah Themed.
The Village Halloween Parade was, obviously, bananas:
-TONS of Borats
-The Larry Craig Costume: A dude in a bathroom stall with a glory hole on one side
-SO MANY SLASH COSTUMES!
-Why is it that people dressed as Beetlejuice still make me LOL?
-Men dressed as women is always really fucking hilarious to me. See: Rob Green as Orphan Annie.
-People who dress as "myself" or who just have their regular clothes on with a mask are always really funny to me.
-Babies in any kind of costume are the best.
-A literal sea of people coming off of the A train in Washington Square is kind of hilarious in theory, but in practice, turns out it's mostly just hot and musty.
-Some man in a Soulja Boy costume cranked dat soulja boy in the middle of Bleecker Street. TOO FUNNY.
-These white people in black face were fucking ridiculous!
-People telling NYPD "NICE COSTUME!" never got old.
-HILARIOUS FIGHTS kept happening.
One:
Man: Hey cunt! Hey cunt! Fuck you and your boyfriend! Come back here so I can rip your throat out!
(I don't know what this was in reference to, but I wonder if he expected the girl to actually come back so he could rip her throat out)
Another:
Girl 1: Whatever, bitch.
Girl 2: Oh hell no, bitch, you're ugly! Your costume is ugly too!
Public fights are REEEEEEEEEEEEEALLY funny to me, especially when people are drunk and I'm not. One day I'm going to get my ass beaten by participants in such things, mostly because I just laugh my ass off in people's faces in these situations. These guys started talking shit to each other for literally NO REASON the other day on the bus and I just laughed forever. Everyone on the bus was telling them to shut the fuck up.
So, basically, what I'm trying to say, is that New York is so hot right now. DUH! |
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| (no subject) |
[Oct. 24th, 2007|08:38 pm] |
I don't know how to date people.
I mean, I don't know how to just date someone out of the blue. I find a lot of recent graduates have this problem, and it makes perfect sense: It's easy to fall back on that school safety net. But how does it work in the real world? I wish I knew, I kind of wanna do that just for fun. Incidentally, I was walking past the Berklee School of Music yesterday and there are some really attractive dudes there. Maybe not conventionally attractive, but definitely Juell attractive, which is to say Jewish, with a cello or whatever in tow.
This is a really exciting time to be in Boston-- WORLD SERIES TIME! I honestly don't care about baseball whatsoever, but I love Red Sox fans. They're passionate, but not like Cubs fans-- Red Sox fans have a deep sense of history and roots and tradition, and Cubs fans generally just like getting drunk and puking in front of bars on Addison. Although Red Sox fans have many drunk frat boys in their ranks, I just get this sense of deep pride that's really nice to be around. I wanted to be at Fenway as I type this, but I have some stuff to do for work, so I'll probably go tomorrow. Nobody from work wants to go though, so I'll either go by myself or call this dude who gave me his number the other day at Fenway. He wasn't cute, and I have no interest in him, but at least he'd be adequate company to watch the game.
Today I took a detour from work and went to Walden Pond. It was magnificent and beautiful. I was only there for about an hour, but I would love to be there forever. Now I understand why people come to watch the leaves turn. This is what I always think fall should look like. I think I feel confident in saying that Massachusetts is the most beautiful state I've ever been to, followed by Iowa.
Last night I had a bunch of dreams. It was nice. One of them was that my friends and I were sitting around watching Paul Sacks' television show, which was like Bill Nye the Science Guy, except for math. I swear, I have at least one dream about Paul Sacks a month. Maybe because he has such a brilliant name.
Is it me or is Grant, the Asian dude from "Mythbusters," the most adorable nerd ever? |
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| (no subject) |
[Oct. 2nd, 2007|10:24 am] |
Not much really really to say.
Except that I leave Chicago for NYC on Wednesday. This is all rather weird to me, and not quite real yet. I'm hanging out in Iowa just to keep from having an excessive freak-out in Chicago. And to see friends, and Girl Talk. Honestly, I'm not doing much to prepare for this, besides reading the NY Times more diligently than usual, and checking out brooklynvegan.com and freewilliamsburg.com whenever I feel the need. And then I get all pissed over Williamsburg hipsters. I'm just gonna pack a bunch of clothes, bring some books and DVDs and just hope for the best. I'm pretty at ease with the east coast these days.
Also, the new Radiohead album. They're letting people set their own price. Obviously, this is a monumental musical milestone. Can you imagine if the entire record industry followed this precedent? We'd be better off...maybe. I want to believe that it would force artists to make better music, but that's probably not the case. And also, it probably wouldn't level the playing field at all. In a perfect world, of course. But this world is far from perfect. I think I might get this album for free, to make a point. Radiohead doesn't need any more money; the reason they can do this is exactly because they're so popular and have such a reliable fan base. Why would I pay them for their album? They've got merchandising and tour money piled sky high. I'd rather save my money for more independent acts, at least that's my rationale. |
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| irony. |
[Jul. 26th, 2007|10:02 pm] |
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I've been unrelenting in my making fun of Harry Potter fever for the past week, and look at me, all jazzed up to see the Simpsons Movie at midnight. I really might wet my pants during the credits. It's for real like Christmas morning. |
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| this turned into so many pictures |
[Jul. 6th, 2007|09:30 pm] |
I miss my computer. Not because I miss computing, or that comforting Apple tone when I turn it on (although I kind of do, now that I mention it) but because I want to listen to The Rolling Stones and The Blow and The Beach Boys and Sleater-Kinney RIGHT FUCKING NOW. I have a precious 30 gigabytes of information that I really want THIS SECOND but I can't have it because my mom has a Toshiba and my external hard drive, for some reason, will not work with PCs. Go figure, right?
SHIT YEAH, PICTURES!
( Read more... )
AND NOW, HERE ARE WORDS.
This time last year, I think is when my dog died. I miss him a lot sometimes. I wanted to get another dog, but it's like starting to date someone else. Your heart has to be really into it, or else it won't work.
Anyone else like Miranda July? She's responsible for Me and You and Everyone We Know, and all kinds of precious and beautiful things. I adore her, and I think I'll buy her book.
I saw "Sicko" and I'm pissed at the health care industry. I'm pretty sure a couple of hilarious republicans at work think I am a communist for saying such a thing, but it doesn't matter. Did you know that in France you get 5 weeks' paid vacation MANDATORY, tons of paid sick days, maternity/paternity leave, and a nanny to help you with your kid...FOR FREE?! This isn't just at Deloitte or something: It's mandatory government issued rights. Also, a work week isn't more than 35 hours. Their productivity is still higher than ours. I think we're doing something wrong in America and Michael Moore lays it out fantastically. Debt is such a big thing here, and every American is working to get out of it. They can't protest because then they will lose their jobs, which they need to pay for the massive amounts of debt they've racked up. It's a vicious cycle. I happen to like my job, but there will come a day when I might not. It's not that I don't like you, America. It's that we just don't fit together very well. I've always wanted to move somewhere else, and now that I'm doing this whole Thailand thing, I'm beginning to think that being an expatriate is the best way to go. But who really knows?
Now the real question:
Volunteer at Pitchfork on Friday (when I can see GZA/Sonic Youth) and go Saturday or Sunday for free? Or volunteer Saturday morning, and go for free all day on Sunday? Apparently, I can only go to two days for free, besides the volunteer day. I might just end up hopping that fence like all those hipsters did last year. It was hilariously easy to do. |
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| (no subject) |
[Jun. 25th, 2007|08:43 pm] |
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I miss Sir Elton John. |
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