Girl Power (chords)…

Orianthi has given new light to the rocker girl genre, particularly because she really knows what she’s doing. As a novice guitar player, I can’t help but watch in awe (and sometimes drool) over the youtube videos my boy showed me; videos that actually convinced Michael Jackson to want to meet her and eventually hire her for what would have been his This Is It tour.   She has also played with Carrie Underwood, and jammed with Santana on stage when she was just 18.

I find is incredibly refreshing to watch Orianthi play with such grace and natural ability, things that have been notably reserved for male rockers like Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, and Jimmy Page to name a few. My boy could list them on and on.  Not only is she an excellent role model for girls who want to be more than just a spectacle on stage, she shows us that such artistic dedication can actually pay off in a big way.

What I find disturbing though, is the way that they seem to be marketing this girl. She’s fantastic live, just like all the great guitarists that went before her. How were they marketed? Their music catered to their talent. Trying to shove Orianthi into a pop-rock genre seems like a complete waste. While they scatter her amazing solos here and there in the single “According to You” I wish for something more, like that she’d been around in the 60′s and 70′s instead, so she wouldn’t have to compete to a pop market and look “hot” in her videos. The plus side? Kiddies will see that it’s her playing in the videos, and she’ll attract an audience who will pay to see her live. Maybe some little girl will drag her parents to the nearest Guitar Center instead of buying skanky Miley Cyrus inspired clothes at the local Wal-Mart.

The Gaga

I’m so excited to finally see this video. I have to say it’s my favorite (up until now I loved “Paparazzi”). I have always been fascinated by surrealism, and this video is just visual candy. I really hope she does all the art direction for her videos (I saw a photo of her working on a storyboard of one of her videos, so I believe she has a lot of input). Her vision is brilliant. Her live show is equally amazing, and she doesn’t lipsync. Love this gal. Check out some of her acoustic stuff on youtube if you don’t believe me, namely her cover of Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida”.

thanks for the image www.perezhilton.com

flashback?

hey boots

momma’s boots that I found lying around my room. She says they’re 70′s 80′s. They’re scruffy and worn, and I like that about them. I picture them with jeans of course, and possibly leggings with a tunic or dress. It’s a nice find to say the least. They are cozy and comfortable, and to me, that’s what fall is supposed to be about. I only wish my house was warmer.

Leave the Gun, Take the Cannoli

Check out the interview on food in gangster films, and it’s general role in current media studies. The site is The Splendid Table and the interview is right here:Oct. 31, 2009

Rebecca Epstein is a PhD from UCLA in the department of Film, Television, and Digital Media and talks about her study of food in gangster films and what it says about gender, sexuality, violence, and family in films like Pulp Fiction and Bonnie and Clyde. The dissertation, “Crime and Nourishment” I can’t seem to find lurking around the internet, but she gives some nice details in her interview.

My lovely sister-in-law sent it to me, knowing about my media studies obsession. And luckily I took a class that focused specifically on food in America, and it’s role in the media and our national image. I recommend the book “Fat” as a general study on America’s relationship with body image. Excellent and quick read.

Testing, testing

1…2..3.

I got the first post crazies.