The new record from Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings is less than one month away. I Learned It the Hard Way is their first full-length since the record-breaking (but by no means debut) album 100 Days, 100 Nights which catapulted Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings into indie stardom. And their latest proves their musical momentum is just as strong as ever. Due April 6th (Jones' birthday), it's another solid album of songs that sounds decades-old but for some reason feels anything but anachronistic, and is equally fit for a cocktail party as your headphones. Stream the title track, "I Learned It the Hard Way" after the jump!
In honor of the 82nd Annual Academy Awards and Kathryn “I don’t want to talk about gender” Bigelow’s historic Oscar win AND the 99th Anniversary of the first International Women’s Day Conference, I thought it would be appropriate to highlight some Hollywood feminism that seems to always be in quirky style – the marvelous Diane Keaton, actor, director, photographer and singer.
First things first: All of us at Bitch HQ are bursting with excitement because the folks at Oregon Humanities have awarded us a grant to explore the intersections of advertising, feminism, and media literacy. This virtual symposium is called “Mad World: Gender, Advertising, and Identity in a Mediated World” and over the next eight months you’ll be seeing articles, blog posts, podcasts, and even a virtual book club on the website and in the magazine. Get your media-literacy pants on, people, because we’re doing this thing!
On this, the official Mad World blog, we’ll be discussing how advertising informs our identities and our ideas about sex and gender. Got an idea you’d like to discuss? Let us know! The Mad World blog will go up every Tuesday, and we want you to jump in early and often.
Let’s start with a discussion of this ad:
This project was made possible in part by a grant from Oregon Humanities (OH), a statewide nonprofit organization and an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, which funds OH's grant program.
Even before I did my stint in a graduate film program, I was a pretty big fan of the Academy Awards. Though I’ve gotten increasingly less glamorous in my old age, I still enjoy the consistency of the red carpet style. But in terms of the environmental effects of the Academy Awards, I can only shake my head. The crazy electrical bills? The grotesque waste? The blood diamonds paraded around on loan from celebrity jewelers? All aspects I can do without. However, there were a few bright spots in terms of eco-powered celeb moments.
Favianna Rodriguez's work bridges the gap between social justice movements and the marginalized individuals with which community organizers work. “I use art to transform global politics,” she says.
Happy International Women's Day, everyone! This year, the folks at International Women's Day are asking us to reflect on "equal rights, equal opportunity, and progress for all." What does this mean to you? Are you doing anything to celebrate International Women's Day in your community?
