Dirty Mouth?

It's unfortunate that the f word, yes, feminism, is still thought as something ugly, nasty and wrong.

Well with the help of my lovely, wonderful and one of the best artist women group, TLC, may just give you a better outlook on such a dirty word.

These women were amaaaazing beyond words. Of course this was back in the day, when music was still considered music. Their words and songs were like something no one had ever heard. Apart from the songs about relationships and love, they brought other elements into their music, as such talking about safe sex and overall women empowerment. They were sexy and beautiful with out being too extra, and were not known for their sex appeal but instead for their music. It showed if anything that Women of color could be feminists, it wasn't something that was solely reserved for the white privileged women.

In all these three women embodied what being a feminist is all about. Now, I am aware that there is no standard definition of a feminist, but it is rather varied all over the world. Nevertheless, TLC, were not trying to take over the world, were not some bra burning, man hayting and bashing group.

Now really, I could go all day, and really I could, about what being a feminist, well what it means to me at least. But I'm not. This short blog was to bring a different perspective on what feminism is. That feminism IS a beautiful word to embrace and use.

And if you don't believe me, Arsenio Hall, described them as feminist, now if he says it, you know it must be true lol :-)

are you gay? you're fired!!

sigh. there's too much going on right now and even with such a hectic schedule, this is very important and must not go unnoticed.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/virginia-gov-bob-mcdonnell-rolls-back-non-discrimination-protections-for-gay-state-workers.php/

let the work begin to undo such craziness........

"The handbag that makes that woman." Yup.

This is my paper I had to write for my Sociology of Gender Class, before you read it, heres a little something extra;

Big news in the handbag world. Chanel has announced the newest limited edition and highly coveted handbag. With only 13 available worldwide, this handbag sits upon the accessory throne as one of the most expensive luxury handbags in the world. The Chanel Diamond Forever Classic Bag will debut in December adorned with 3.56 carats made up of 334 diamonds, 18 carat white gold hardware, and white alligator skin. Five of these ostentatious handbags will be available in the states. The price tag on this number is a staggering $261,000. Yes the price is sky high, but these bags are masterpieces, works of art. With only 13 being made, owning one would be similar to an art collector owning a Picasso.

Yeah i love purses. Its my addiction you could say. And yeah next to the Chanel, the most expensive bag, the Berkin bag is quite famous, and yeah, I'm not going to lie, they are quite sexy. But I know better.......and who really knew how much damage it was doin go figure huh?......


Violating Gender Norm
The gender norm that was violated for this project was a male carrying a pink purse. Walter was to carry the purse on his shoulder around the Webb Center, specifically in the North Cafeteria. The observations made as Walter walked around the North part of the Webb Center, were that many of the people did notice him and gazed at him momentarily. Apart from the stares, there were a few smiles from individuals, and other than these stares and smiles, no one actually made a comment or approached Walter about the situation. The only person that we did approach, quoted, “to each is own.” When Walter was asked what his reaction was to the overall experience, his first response was that he did feel to some degree, a sense of humiliation. However, he also stated that after some time of wearing the purse, he felt at ease and comfortable with the idea of carrying purse. Even so, he did say that he would not do this at any other given moment, because he is a little too self conscious. Walter went on to saying that, had someone approached him about the situation, he would have informed the person that it for was for a class project, especially if it was girl that he would have liked to flirt with. In all, he says that carrying a purse is a practical idea whether a woman or man carries it. My reaction to the gender violation was not a negative one because if I had been part of the audience, instead of taking down notes, I would not have paid much attention to a man carrying a purse. Perhaps I would have paid more attention if the purse that was a fashionable purse that I would be interested in buying. So with this being said, I do not think there’s a form of social control with me with this particular example. For the most part, the reactions received for the violation of this gender norm did reinforce the gender system. Though the perplexed expressions and amused reactions of other’s weren’t extreme, this gender norm violation was indeed acknowledged.
This particular norm in question serves a lot of purposes, some for reasons that can’t aren’t always visibly recognizable or questioned. For example, on the surface, this purse is only interpreted as no more than a fashion statement, an extension to the outfit that is worn at that the time as an accessory to enhance and compliment that outfit. Also, when looked at from another perspective, its simple purpose is that of a practical one to carry all you personal belongings in. However, this innocent fashion accessory is really doing more harm than it thinks. It slowly sets up a gender norm that affects both genders in a negative way. It creates a generalization that all women then carry purses, furthermore that purses are then only for women.
The magnitude in the influence of this accessory is apparent by the monetary value of the purse that is placed upon. Women will pay up to thousands of dollars for such purses, and even if you can’t afford them, women can always get the knock off brand. This then, marginalizes men from this fashion sphere because after all, purses are a women thing and a man carrying a purse will not always be welcomed. However, this is a complicated issue because it is contradictory in so many ways. The very same men who aren’t allowed to wear such purses are yet the very same men designing these purses for women. So while we can make the assumption that this benefits women, in reality the only one that benefits from this fashion statement is the fashion industry, the companies, the media and its marketing. For that reason the issue of consumerism becomes heavy subject and is then more correlated with women then men. It then places a heavy emphasis on women’s appearance and their success.
What we see on the other end of the spectrum is how the media takes on a large role of influence, and although it won’t always impact everyone, it serves as an instrument of socialization. The purse is then associated with the issue of significant social characteristics. A certain purse will often be a categorized and identified with certain race or class. After all, a women of lower class, does not see it practical to spend her month’s earnings on purse. However, this won’t stop her from wanting such a purse. The purse is then yet another agent to enforce limitations and put the predominant social group in continuous power, becoming an underlying method of social control.
In all, the purse is more than just something fashionable as it has slowly created another norm in the gender system. The attempt to define what is gender appropriate is something as either black or white. This has been clearly socially constructed, because after all, don’t we all need some form of bag to carry our belongings? Because when a man carries purse, they have deviated from something that is not gender appropriate and so then issue of homosexuality is then deliberated. In conclusion this pink purse has become a vehicle to identify what type of behavior should be labeled as feminine or masculine, a belief and value that we as a society come to learn and construct

What's YOUR ethnic make up

I was (still am) going to write a piece about makeup.

However in Sociology, we saw this video, and well yeah, it was pretty kick ass, and it was better said in the video lol enjoy! :-)

I'll Make Love to You ♥

I love the movie Brown Sugar, for many reasons that I could easily turn into a two thumbs up movie review, but that’s beyond the point. And even if you haven’t seen the movie, the major line throughout the film is, "when you did fall in love with hip hop?" Now, I can't really say and pin point the exact moment that I fell in love with hip hop, but I sure can tell you the day that Jesus sure waved at hip-hop. It went to cardiac arrest, but as I then listened to India Arie, I had hope that it was still alive, somewhere out there, far, far away in a secret unknown place, but alive nonetheless.

The day it went to cardiac arrest was in my car, as I turned on the radio and Soulja Boy’s Superman that Ho, came on. First off, I’m not exactly sure that Superman would really like to be given a shout out in a song that refers to women as simply a ho let alone a sexual act that degrades women. But really though? It’s pretty evident that the exploitation and degrading of women, specifically regarding their sexuality, in my opinion is more than manifested in the entertainment industry. And to top it off there’s actually a 'dance' to it? So let’s all sing and dance to derogatory lyrics regarding women. Nice. It's not so much what these artists are writing, because everyone is more than entitled to express themselves in any way, but that it’s actually been put out there. That people are actually listening to these lyrics, there dancing to it and what’s more labeling it as music. But I have always wondered if such people who listen to it, are REALLY reading into the lines. Are you actually hearing what you are repeating, singing and idolizing?

What gets me is the violence towards women that is underhandedly being sung about. Do I blame the artists? Not necessarily. I do however, hold them accountable for what they are still doing. Music, especially the male rappers is no more to me then the quintessential example of societal expectations of masculinity. These norms are so deeply embedded in them, whether they are aware of it or not, but more than likely not, that as result are conveyed in their lyrics. And then we have women who feel the need to drop their butts in a heartbeat, shake it like it’s going out of style and grind like hardcore foreplay. Women who are then looked at as nothing more than a sexual object, to only please men’s desires, to the point where you are dealing with the possibility of rape. The overlooked messages in these “innocent” lyrics are a grave issue. I love to dance, but that’s not my definition of dancing or healthy sex for that matter.

SEX SELLS. I am more than fully aware of this. Do I think it should be used as a method in order to have a thriving business or to achieve fame? Yes and no. I think that it can be done in a way that does not degrade women or men. Simpler said than done of course. And I’m certainly not oblivious to the fact that the topic of sex has never been sung about in the past. But it was done in way that wasn’t exploiting women. My prime comparison is example of Boys II Men and Superman, with the choice of song, “I’ll make love to you”. Cheesy title much? Probably, but it was done in such a way, that was sensual, near damn erotic. It wasn’t referring to me as something to have your way with me, see me as an object and not a person. God forbid my needs were just as important as his. Now tell me listening to a song with lyrics such as, “Anything that you ask, I will give you the love of your life……I’ll hold you tight all through the night……I’m just gonna concentrate on you.” ;-D Now, if you don’t recognize the names I have mentioned, I am aware that one group is hip hop while the other is R&B but the subject matter is still the same nonetheless.

And don’t even get me started on the fact, that all this music with heavy sexual content is biased. Anything sexual regarding LGBT is absent, because no one wants to hear about same sex couples having sex. If you count Katie Perry’s, “I kissed a girl and I like d it,” nothing else really comes to mind. No we would much rather have lyrics that say, “I’m cocking on your bitch.” Better yet, here are some better interpretations I found, Urban Dictionary’s website defines the term as the following: “when you ejaculate on a girls back then put a blanket on her so when she stands up the blanket sticks therefore making her look like she has a cape.” OR Crank Dat: Crank dat refers to the act of masturbation, as indicated by the lyrics "watch me "crank dat" soldier boy then superman that hoe" ie; Watch me crank dat soldier boy then superman dat hoe...OR...watch me masturbate my erect penis then ejaculate on this promiscuous woman's back before sticking a sheet to the soiled spot on her back causing an eventual cape-like effect." WELL, I’m definitely turned on.

Is there hope for the music industry, specifically in regards to how women and sex are been viewed and portrayed? Well, it’s not going to easy, but changing society’s so called standard views never are. So, being the optimistic individual that I am, I’m just going to say yes. On your part, I’m asking that next time, whatever it is you listen to, really hear what is being said, or what you are repeating for that matter.

Welcome! It's Sexy Sexy Time

I was inspired by Jessica Valenti (amazing woman) after reading (currently) both of her books, Full Frontal Feminism and her most recent book, The Purity Myth. Jessica Valenti is a blogger and a feminist writer from New York City.She is founder and Executive Editor of the feminist blog Feministing.com, that she found in 2004.

Her book, particularly, The Purity Myth, brings a lot of good points about sex, the good and the bad. As for me, I wasn't all that surprised to read many of her points in the book, well because I was already aware of these issues. Maybe what I was surprised at, well no not entirely, is that many of these issues aren't that much different than they were 5,10, or 15 years ago. But what's more, is the fact that so many individuals are oblivious to all this. But no worries, that's what I'm here foooor :-D


So, let's be real, sex, is everywhere. And whether or not people want to admit it or not, talk about it, read or listen about it, it's prominent in our everyday life. To me, the whole ordeal of Sex, is almost as natural as breathing, I mean, after all, we wouldn't be here on this earth now would be? But somehow, the topic of sex is a ta bu. It's only for the "kinky", "freaky," "promiscuous" people, and its an overall a hush hush thing. Why? ( I mean there's a lot of reasons why, so watch out for these future blogs)

Let me be clear, however, that this is blog was not intended to give out sex tips. If you were hoping to read up some sex positions or how to pleasure your partner, my friend, go to Google right now or go to book store for the Kama Sutra. (not at all saying I'm against it :-D ). It isn't that type of site.

My purpose of this blog, is well yeah, evidently to discuss sex, but more so on the political standpoint of sex. (Yea talk about sucking the fun out of sex lol) How society views sex, the messages we get, send, receive about sex. Issues that have been so deeply embedded in our lives from day one, that we don't dare think twice about these societal norms regarding sex. Sure there are circumstances (i.e. double standards) of sex that we do think about, we may or may not like, but in all, we take it as it is and keep moving.

BUT NOT ME. :-D

I on the other hand, I'm very well much aware on the double standards of sex, and being raised Catholic, in a Mexican culture, AND a female on top of that, well, just give me my one way ticket to hell and profile me as a promiscuous outcast. lol For that reason, I will bring many of these topics to your attention. You may not agree, heck, you might even find some things said offensive. Is that the point? Not necessarily :-D

I intend to bring awareness. I'm not here to change your views and opinions (although I would be more than happy to welcome you to my side :-D ). So I will try my best to constantly post these thoughts, and while most posts will be directly related to topics of sex, I will every now and then write about other topics that are just as important.

So stay tuned........