AND ON THAT NOTE...

More fantabulous ladies in the art world

Miriam Schapiro

Judy Chicago

Guerrilla Girls

Georgia O'Keefe

Barbara Kruger

Dorothea Lange

Diane Arbus

CINDY SHERMAN

I wanna talk about the super duper cool and totally awesome American photographer Cindy Sherman. Often serving as subject as well as photographer, Sherman made a name for herself with her Untitled Film Stills Series from 1977-80, in which she plays the role of B-movie, film noir and foreign film actresses. The photographs are often voyeuristic, confronting and even disturbing and Sherman aimed to highlight the way women are stereotyped in the media, although she does not consider herself a feminist. Her work is pretty original and I think the themes are timeless.

JOISY SHORE

From one extreme lifestyle to probably its exact opposite, I would like to take this opportunity to list my top 5 reasons why I love MTV's reality show Jersey Shore (slash redeem myself for using several hours of my father's monthly internet, streaming the show online, and subsequently having to explain to him what 'guidos' are.)

The show has become a cultural phenomenon, with gen Y kids everywhere fascinated by the situation under the Situation's shirt, the unfathomable carroty hues of Snooki's face, and Pauly D's gravity-defying hairstyle. It has inevitably garnered a lot of controversy, with the cast referring to themselves using the derogatory terms 'guido' and 'guidette'. Then there was the incident where Snooki was punched in the face by a frat kid in a bar, with many angry viewers calling it poor taste. (Ummm if we're going to talk about taste, why not mention the 'tops' that JWOWW wears - fabric necklaces, worn for 'vibin' in the club - or the casts' nightly drunken exploits which they often struggle to remember the next day?) So without further ado, here are the top 5:


5. The hilarity. The eight stars are willing to poke fun at their absurd lifestyle in promotion for the show - like this clip from Jimmy Kimmel in which the cast are featured as the characters from Twilight. The best by far = Pauly D as Jacob the werewolf, the worst = Angelina, she's boring.


4. The fashion. They are a sophisticated bunch, those kids from the Shore. With the boys favouring wife beaters and Ed Hardy T's and the girls teaming as little clothing as possible with as many false beauty items they can - fake nails, hair extensions, spray tans - the J Shorians are the cast of American Gladiators splattered with leopard print, acid wash denim and metallic lycra.


DJ Pauly D

3. The lingo. Where to even begin? This is a big one, it's almost a character in itself. Much of the dialogue consists of ridiculous acronyms, like GTL, describing the daily ritual of the cast members, gym, tan, laundry. Most of the J Shore jargon describes the cast's blissful lifestyle of partying and working out, or to describe potential pursuits of the opposite sex. Here are a few of my favourites:
Landmine = skinny, ugly female
Grenade = fat, ugly female
Vibin' = having a successful interaction with the opposite sex
Creepin' = stalkerish flirting technique
Juicehead = ripped, hulk-like muscle man


2. The premise. The idea for the show is that the eight cast members will spend the summer on New Jersey's Seaside Heights in a shared house, partying and getting in to all sorts of guido antics. But in an ironic twist, they must work in a T shirt store in exchange for their board. One of the house mates, Angelina, finds working in retail to be beneath her and after not turning up to her shifts, she is told she must leave the house and the show. This rule is rather odd, however hilarity ensues in the workplace, with Mike 'The Situation' creating women's underwear with the words 'I <3 the Situation' written over the butt, which prove to be mighty popular with the ladies.

The Situation and Snooki

1. The classiness. Finally, the main reason I can find to justify watching the show is that I feel so very good about myself after watching the despicable actions of the Shore crew. My favourite scene comes in season two when the girls are fighting with Angelina over the drama she caused in the first season. In a talking head describing the confrontation with the three girls, she claims, in a wonderful New Jersey brawl, that she is decidedly 'too classy' for all of this. Never has a word been further from its meaning.

BEING A HIPSTER'S COOL

This is a brilliant video that Dan sent me about those cool cats that try so hard to be alternative and non-conformist, but have actually become super mainstream. I have surely seen a lot of 'dickheads' around, I guess this particular breed originates from East London. Symptoms of dickhead-itis include:

• wanky fake 'nerd' glasses. You're not fooling anyone into thinking you're smart.
• Hitler youth hairstyle
• androgyny
• oversize 'David Bain' jumpers. Come on, really? This is sooo two years ago.
• toting a leather satchel and riding a fixie bike to uni
• claiming to be a graphic designer when you really work in a lame call centre
• wearing a fedora and blazer to class
• subscribing to any aspect of culture that's 'vintage' e.g. in fashion, photography, music...
• basically being so ridonculously self conscious (read: insecure?) that you can't ever catch yourself not looking cool.

Sufferers from dickhead-itis should intake a heavy dose of Jersey Shore immediately, listen to ZM full blast, and buy a Jay Jays witty pun T shirt to contradict 'cool' vibes. This should balance out douche-ness and alleviate the problem. If symptoms persist, change degree from design to accounting.

BOWIE WONDERLAND

I don't know what it is about them, but I can see a certain bow theme emerging in my wardrobe. I love how girly they are, but also how they can look quite edgy. I adore the juxtaposition of such a feminine symbol made with metal netting in the ring.

It was purchased for $10 from a cute Asian store on Left Bank, which has really lovely jewellery for very reasonable prices. Incidentally I saw an almost identical ring in Artikel for an outrageous price the other day, so this was a total steal.

My BFF Kath and I got matching bow stockings from
Sportsgirl in Sydney

This is from one of my favourite stores in Oz, General Pants Co.

CUPCAKE-IFISATIONATING

What is it about the humble cupcake that brings me so much joy? Such a simple pleasure, but nothing quite beats the satisfaction of pulling out a batch of perfectly formed, golden miniature cakes from the oven, slathering them with pastel buttery frosting, and decorating them with sugar flowers and glittery gels.

In extreme procrastination from my assignments, I decided to share happiness. These cupcakes had rather garish pink and green frosting, but it sure was a lot of fun personalising them with edible glitter pens, and I think they look pretty cute. I am kind of obsessed with the recipe from this amazing baking book I got for my birthday, Ladies, A Plate. It was compiled by a dear friend of my auntie Alison, Alexa Johnston, and each recipe was tried, baked, and beautifully photographed by the author herself. It has a recipe that I swear by that makes the lightest sponge of a cake, and the creamiest frosting.

ON THE COVER OF THE ROLLING STONE

I have never really had much of an opinion of Rolling Stone magazine, but since I've been required to do a presentation on it for my popular music paper I've gotten way interested in its significance to pop culture, and how it has come to be one of the most trusted music publications of our generation.

Hunter S. Thompson

I'll just quickly give a run-down on the deets: it was started in 1967 in San Francisco by then-twenty-year old Jann Wenner, a UC Berkeley drop-out, as a journal focused on youth culture and rock music promotion. Wenner asserted that it was to be ‘not just about music, but also about the things and attitudes that music embraces.’

What I like about RS is that in the 1970s it took on gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson and undertook more of a political feel. The magazine published Thompson’s initial serialized versions of Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72. Thompson, acknowledged as the creator of gonzo journalism, whereby writers utilize a unique first-person narrative, remained a contributor for the magazine until his death in 2005.

RS has attracted contributions from greatly respected journalists, and launched the careers of many as well. P.J. O’Rourke, Cameron Crowe, Kurt Loader and Anthony De Curtis are among those who have graced the pages of the publication over the years.

Another unique feature of RS is its famous interviews. The magazine prides itself on its discussions with respected figures in music, politics, entertainment and culture. The expansive interviews are aimed at shedding light on their subjects’ philosophies, lives and personal experiences. Arguably the most famous one is the 1970 John Lennon interview by Jann Wenner, in which Lennon speaks candidly about his strained relationship with Paul McCartney, the pressure he felt from fans, and his resentment towards the Beatles’ opinion of Yoko. Here's a taste of Wenner's almost seven hour talk with the music icon.

RS knows what its audience wants. It is, first and foremost, selling a product – that of popular culture and celebrity – and so it features slick and sexy pieces and glamorous photo shoots. The September 2 issue cover shows a naked Alexander Skarsgård, Steven Moyer and Anna Paquin of True Blood fame, in suggestive poses and covered with blood. It caters to its audience’s interest in music, movies and an attractive celebrity lifestyle, while at the same time producing them as consumers. However, the magazine is not all fluff pieces, and it features articles on hot political issues. For example, the July 23 issue featured an item on why President Obama has given the proposed climate bill the scrap.

I love that RS has never been afraid to push the boundaries. From controversial cover shoots to unconventional political reporting, the magazine is constantly dishing out fresh material, and Wenner's determination and respect among both the journalism and music industries are what make Rolling Stone what it is today.