Today's Pop Junkie blog post looks at why it's time for the one and only Captain Planet to make a return visit to earth:
http://poppiejunkie.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/the-power-is-yours-why-its-time-for-captain-planet-to-make-a-return-visit/
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Monday, August 27, 2012
New 'Pop Junkie' Blog Post!
Today's 'Pop Junkie' blog post is a trip down memory lane as we look at what's become of Archie comics: http://poppiejunkie.wordpress.com/2012/08/27/this-aint-the-riverdale-i-used-to-know-redefining-archie-comics-in-the-21st-century/
Source for Pic: http://www.homorazzi.com/tag/kevin-keller/
Saturday, August 25, 2012
New 'Pop Junkie' Blog Post!
Today's blog post looks at the mystery of Pussy Riot and their Balaclavas:
http://poppiejunkie.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/questioning-pussy-riot-and-their-balaclavas/
http://poppiejunkie.wordpress.com/2012/08/25/questioning-pussy-riot-and-their-balaclavas/
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
New Blog Post!
Today's Pop Junkie blog post is dedicated to my rant about Aaron Sorkin's new series The Newsroom: http://poppiejunkie.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/if-you-dont-want-someone-to-fail-youre-in-the-wrong-business-failed-backstabbing-in-aaron-sorkins-the-newsroom
Monday, August 20, 2012
New 'Pop Junkie' Blog Post!
Check out today's 'Pop Junkie' blog post which looks at the act of celebrity impersonation on social networks: http://poppiejunkie.wordpress.com/2012/08/20/woah-a-celebrity-accepted-my-friend-request-examining-the-act-of-celebrity-impersonation-on-social-networks/
Source for pic 1: http://www.labnol.org/internet/customize-facebook-profile/18357/
Friday, August 17, 2012
New Post on 'Pop Junkie'!
Hi all so some of you have told me that you're out of the loop with the blog since it's moved to its new home. To compensate for this I'll be posting links to the posts on this site just to keep you up to speed. Here's today's blog which looks at why Desperate Housewives wasn't as bad as you thought it was: http://poppiejunkie.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/a-wisteria-lane-obituary-why-desperate-housewives-wasnt-as-bad-as-you-thought-it-was/
Source for pic 1: http://tv.spreadit.org/desperate-housewives-season-6-episode-15-watch/
Source for pic 1: http://tv.spreadit.org/desperate-housewives-season-6-episode-15-watch/
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Monday, August 13, 2012
Gender Trouble: The Problem of Looking at Caster Semenya as a Gender Heroine
As a nation we held our breath as we watched our own Caster Semenya take to the proverbial Olympic road for the 800-metres final. My emotional investment in this race was particularly higher than it was with our other athletes. This is because an Olympic gold victory for Semenya would symbolize a personal victory that runs deeper than the personal victories of other athletes. In fact, it would be a victory of cinematic magnitude because, just as with every cliched sports movie you can think of, it would not just be an individual victory but also a team victory. The team in question, of course, is not just the nation but more specifically women, human rights and LGTB activists who have come to hail Semenya as an icon for their individual causes. Unfortunately the gold was not to be but "we" (or, more specifically Semenya) still managed to get an impressive Silver, solidifying Semenya's status as both a sports star and a gender rights heroine.
Now here's my issue. There's no doubt that the Silver is a victory and that Semenya is certainly proud of the sports star title. However, I'm not completely sure if "gender rights heroine" is a title she would want to be associated with, at least not in the way it is here. The average female sports star fights for women's rights by, well, kicking ass on the sporting field which is still considered by many to be a male-dominated terrain. By doing so this average female sports star demonstrates that women are every bit as talented in the sporting arena as men are and, subsequently, that they deserve equal representation within this field. In the case of sporting stars such as Paralympics swimming champion Natalie Du Toit this fight is taken a step further in that she is essentially a representative of women's rights and the rights of disabled people to participate in sporting events at an Olympic level.
Semenya, I imagine, would initially have desired to represent women's rights in the same way as the average female sports star. However, since the emergence of the gender testing controversy and the problems it raised in terms of defining her gender within the sporting arena, Semenya has come to represent a message that is far bigger than the one signified by the average female sports star. Essentially, the term "gender" has been reappropriated in her case to incorporate the term "transgender", a term which the majority of her fellow female athletes do not have to contend with. As the development of media and academic studies on Semenya have demonstrated, the problem with emphasising the term "transgender" in relation to the sporting world is that it focuses in on the politics the athlete represents as opposed to this athlete's talent.
Of course, we are still well aware of Semenya's talent but the fact of the matter is that it is still difficult to disassociate her from the "bigger picture" she has come to represent. Semenya has now joined the legendary Saartjie Baartman as an African woman whose body is now symbolic of particular national and historical ideologies, making her space in the sporting world secondary or, at times, even tertiary. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the problems we face in defining Mandela as an icon and I fear the same issues have arisen in the way we perceive Semenya. She has not become a commercial brand but she has essentially become an academic and humanitarian one.
And yet, therein lies the problem. Whereas we can scrutinize Mandela's image for being turned into a commercial brand, it's difficult to take issue with Semenya's place within academic and humanitarian discourse. Semenya's story is one that opens up multiple debates and dialogues. It causes us to question, negotiate and finally seek solutions for issues which would not have come to light had this story not been told. Whether she likes it or not, Semenya is now an activist for social change and this is her primary claim to fame. It's a tough job but someone's got to do it. Unfortunately biology and social conventions suggest that it is Semenya who is that (possibly reluctant) "someone".
Source for Photo 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caster_Semenya
Source for Photo 2: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/26/caster-semenya-and-the-ioc-s-olympics-gender-bender.html
Now here's my issue. There's no doubt that the Silver is a victory and that Semenya is certainly proud of the sports star title. However, I'm not completely sure if "gender rights heroine" is a title she would want to be associated with, at least not in the way it is here. The average female sports star fights for women's rights by, well, kicking ass on the sporting field which is still considered by many to be a male-dominated terrain. By doing so this average female sports star demonstrates that women are every bit as talented in the sporting arena as men are and, subsequently, that they deserve equal representation within this field. In the case of sporting stars such as Paralympics swimming champion Natalie Du Toit this fight is taken a step further in that she is essentially a representative of women's rights and the rights of disabled people to participate in sporting events at an Olympic level.
Semenya, I imagine, would initially have desired to represent women's rights in the same way as the average female sports star. However, since the emergence of the gender testing controversy and the problems it raised in terms of defining her gender within the sporting arena, Semenya has come to represent a message that is far bigger than the one signified by the average female sports star. Essentially, the term "gender" has been reappropriated in her case to incorporate the term "transgender", a term which the majority of her fellow female athletes do not have to contend with. As the development of media and academic studies on Semenya have demonstrated, the problem with emphasising the term "transgender" in relation to the sporting world is that it focuses in on the politics the athlete represents as opposed to this athlete's talent.
Of course, we are still well aware of Semenya's talent but the fact of the matter is that it is still difficult to disassociate her from the "bigger picture" she has come to represent. Semenya has now joined the legendary Saartjie Baartman as an African woman whose body is now symbolic of particular national and historical ideologies, making her space in the sporting world secondary or, at times, even tertiary. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about the problems we face in defining Mandela as an icon and I fear the same issues have arisen in the way we perceive Semenya. She has not become a commercial brand but she has essentially become an academic and humanitarian one.
And yet, therein lies the problem. Whereas we can scrutinize Mandela's image for being turned into a commercial brand, it's difficult to take issue with Semenya's place within academic and humanitarian discourse. Semenya's story is one that opens up multiple debates and dialogues. It causes us to question, negotiate and finally seek solutions for issues which would not have come to light had this story not been told. Whether she likes it or not, Semenya is now an activist for social change and this is her primary claim to fame. It's a tough job but someone's got to do it. Unfortunately biology and social conventions suggest that it is Semenya who is that (possibly reluctant) "someone".
Source for Photo 1: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caster_Semenya
Source for Photo 2: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/26/caster-semenya-and-the-ioc-s-olympics-gender-bender.html
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
The Hebrew Mamita and Defining the Jewish kugel within South African Society
This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending Limmud Johannesburg, an annual Jewish-themed conference that grapples with such diverse categories as Jewish spirituality, Zionism and arts & culture. One of the presenters I was most impressed by at the conference was a young New York based spoken-word poet named Vanessa Hidary, otherwise known as the Hebrew Mamita. Basing her writings on her experiences growing up as a Sephardic Jew with close ties to people from other ethnic and religious backgrounds, the poetry Hidary performed at the conference centered on (among other things) Jewish mother issues, Antisemitism, gentile boyfriends and, well, general opposite sex issues. One of the most enjoyable pieces of poetry she delivered was a piece on JAPS (Jewish American Princesses). Focusing on the superficiality of this elite group of Jewish Americans, Hidary imitated the conventional methods of speech that JAPS would use in making bridesmaid speeches. On listening to the perfect way in which Hidary imitated the eccentricities and nasal qualities of the JAPS, we as a South African Jewish audience were fondly reminded of our own SAJPS: the kugel. Now this fond reminder and Hidary's curiosity about the 'kugel' term got me to thinking about a particularly interesting question: how do we define 'the kugel' within South African Jewish society?
In explaining the 'kugel' term, the Urban dictionary offers up a couple of interesting definitions. The most disturbing one is a reference to 'kugel' in its food form. The definition states that 'kugel' is "an entirely vile, disgusting sex act involving noodles, dairy products, dead females and friction" (yuck!). The other two definitions, however, are closer to home, each suggesting particular characteristics that are associated with the South African kugel. One definition refers to the kugel as "a materialistic wannabe-sexy Jewish woman who belongs to a specific subculture of wealth and style, with affected mannerisms and a nasal way of talking". The other refers to kugels as middle-aged Jewish women, living in Johannesburg, who are spoilt housewives who congregate in Sandton and have a belittling attitude towards those who don't live in the Northern suburbs.
One particularly interesting observation that this second definition makes is that the 'kugel' term now no longer just applies to Jewish women. As post-Apartheid South Africa has evolved, the Jewish kugel has begun to make way for the emerging identities of the black and Indian kugels.These kugel denominations have basically used the Jewish kugel as their template but, in doing so, have chopped and changed this persona to suit the characteristics of their individual cultures. As a result their versions of the 'kugel' still love shopping, doing their nails and bitching on their cellphones. Yet there are particular social and economic differences between these kugel breeds and the Jewish kugel. The black kugel is a good case in point. Though there are black kugels who live like Jewish kugels do, there are a large majority of them who do not have access to the traditional 'kugel' wealth. They do wear fancy leopard prints and other kugely trademarks but they are likely to get these clothes from cheap clothing stores in town rather than upmarket boutiques. They are also more likely to catch taxis as opposed to driving expensive cars and 'subject themselves' to a night out at the shebeen rather than a five-star restaurant. Then there is the black 'kugel' speech which moves swiftly between English and the vernacular with rapid and animated speed.
What then does this emerging 'kugel' breed mean for the Jewish South African kugel whose identity-some might say- is fast becoming indistinguishable against that of her more specifically local counterparts? Perhaps the greatest problem the South African kugel has always faced is that she always comes dangerously close to merely replicating the characteristics of the JAP. Sure she inhabits distinctly local spaces but there is nothing that classifies her as being distinctly South African. Like the JAP (as defined by Fran Drescher) she tosses around Hebrew and Yiddish terms with great ease but there's no real sign of any creative use of South African vernacular or, at the very least, an effort to experiment with a uniquely South African style. In her efforts to be the JAP, the South African Jewish kugel also doesn't do too much to counteract the stereotypes she is associated with. Of course not every South African Jewish kugel is middle-aged, a housewife and all the other things the Urban Dictionary accuses her of being. However, they are grouped this way because their JAP eccentricities make them indistinguishable from this form of identity. The South African Jewish kugel would do well to follow the examples set by millions of non-kugel South African Jewish women who do set out to forge a link between their Jewishness and their identities as South Africans. Of course this is an issue which is currently of no issue to the proverbial Jewish kugel but she would be wise to stop shopping at European designer stores and start considering it before her kind becomes a dying breed.
In the meantime if Hidary wants to write a fresh South African version of her JAP poem she should probably turn her attention to the intrinsically local black or Indian kugel. The Jewish kugel's identity is still in a process of South African reconstruction.
Source for pic 1: http://truthpraiseandhelp.wordpress.com/2011/09/01/the-last-kaiser-roll-in-the-bodega/
Source for pic 2: http://fashionfetishism.com/2012/07/11/the-nanny-fran-drescher/
Definitions from Urban Dictionary.com
In explaining the 'kugel' term, the Urban dictionary offers up a couple of interesting definitions. The most disturbing one is a reference to 'kugel' in its food form. The definition states that 'kugel' is "an entirely vile, disgusting sex act involving noodles, dairy products, dead females and friction" (yuck!). The other two definitions, however, are closer to home, each suggesting particular characteristics that are associated with the South African kugel. One definition refers to the kugel as "a materialistic wannabe-sexy Jewish woman who belongs to a specific subculture of wealth and style, with affected mannerisms and a nasal way of talking". The other refers to kugels as middle-aged Jewish women, living in Johannesburg, who are spoilt housewives who congregate in Sandton and have a belittling attitude towards those who don't live in the Northern suburbs.
One particularly interesting observation that this second definition makes is that the 'kugel' term now no longer just applies to Jewish women. As post-Apartheid South Africa has evolved, the Jewish kugel has begun to make way for the emerging identities of the black and Indian kugels.These kugel denominations have basically used the Jewish kugel as their template but, in doing so, have chopped and changed this persona to suit the characteristics of their individual cultures. As a result their versions of the 'kugel' still love shopping, doing their nails and bitching on their cellphones. Yet there are particular social and economic differences between these kugel breeds and the Jewish kugel. The black kugel is a good case in point. Though there are black kugels who live like Jewish kugels do, there are a large majority of them who do not have access to the traditional 'kugel' wealth. They do wear fancy leopard prints and other kugely trademarks but they are likely to get these clothes from cheap clothing stores in town rather than upmarket boutiques. They are also more likely to catch taxis as opposed to driving expensive cars and 'subject themselves' to a night out at the shebeen rather than a five-star restaurant. Then there is the black 'kugel' speech which moves swiftly between English and the vernacular with rapid and animated speed.
What then does this emerging 'kugel' breed mean for the Jewish South African kugel whose identity-some might say- is fast becoming indistinguishable against that of her more specifically local counterparts? Perhaps the greatest problem the South African kugel has always faced is that she always comes dangerously close to merely replicating the characteristics of the JAP. Sure she inhabits distinctly local spaces but there is nothing that classifies her as being distinctly South African. Like the JAP (as defined by Fran Drescher) she tosses around Hebrew and Yiddish terms with great ease but there's no real sign of any creative use of South African vernacular or, at the very least, an effort to experiment with a uniquely South African style. In her efforts to be the JAP, the South African Jewish kugel also doesn't do too much to counteract the stereotypes she is associated with. Of course not every South African Jewish kugel is middle-aged, a housewife and all the other things the Urban Dictionary accuses her of being. However, they are grouped this way because their JAP eccentricities make them indistinguishable from this form of identity. The South African Jewish kugel would do well to follow the examples set by millions of non-kugel South African Jewish women who do set out to forge a link between their Jewishness and their identities as South Africans. Of course this is an issue which is currently of no issue to the proverbial Jewish kugel but she would be wise to stop shopping at European designer stores and start considering it before her kind becomes a dying breed.
In the meantime if Hidary wants to write a fresh South African version of her JAP poem she should probably turn her attention to the intrinsically local black or Indian kugel. The Jewish kugel's identity is still in a process of South African reconstruction.
Source for pic 1: http://truthpraiseandhelp.wordpress.com/2011/09/01/the-last-kaiser-roll-in-the-bodega/
Source for pic 2: http://fashionfetishism.com/2012/07/11/the-nanny-fran-drescher/
Definitions from Urban Dictionary.com
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Finding Meaning in the 'Fifty Shades' of the Olympic logo
There are many things to love and hate about the Olympics. We love Cameron Van Der Burgh, Chad le Clos, the South African rowing team, Mr Bean and the exposure to all those wacky and random sports that ordinarily would be off our radar. We also secretly love the controversies that arise when an athlete's or team's skills are called into question, particularly when the rights to a gold medal factor into the equation. We hate the length of the opening ceremony, the randomness of the opening ceremony (except Mr Bean) and some of the random sports we don't really want to watch. What bothers us the most though is the highly disturbing Olympic logo which (let's face it) looks like it was created by a four year-old on steroids.
Initially this logo was designed with the intention of bringing a younger, hipper edge to the Olympics.It was assumed that placing the traditional Olympic rings inside a bunch of blobby shapes would be manic enough to attract the interest of teenagers and twenty-somethings, the audience which the Olympics organisers seem consider to be the life-blood of the event. The problem with this is that neither this audience nor older Olympic viewing audiences are able to work out what the the logo is meant to represent. There is some geographical significance to the blobby shapes but it requires a hell of a lot of abstract thinking from the average man to work out what this significance is. So instead of interpreting this logo in an Olympian context, we, as frustrated outsiders to the mind of Olympic logo creators, have bestowed upon it some very un-Olympic like interpretations. Some of these interpretations, as detailed by a March 2011 article on The Week website, range from unusual to hilarious. Everyone by now is aware of The Simpsons interpretation where the usually straight-laced Lisa Simpson does her Anastasia Steele interpretation as she gives her rebellious brother Bart a blow-job. Then there are the political associations which provide an interesting parallel. On one hand, Iranian citizens threatened to boycott the Olympics because they have interpreted the logo's shapes as forming a 'Z' for Zion. On the other, Jewish citizens have interpreted as a disjointed Swatstika. Perhaps the least harmful interpretation suggests that the logo could stand for "Izzo", the nickname of hip-hop star Jay-Z.
Indeed, all these differing interpretations suggest that the Olympics logo is highly problematic. Yet, in a strange way, they also, in a sense, make the logo the voice of a generation. I look at the Olympics logo in the same way as I look at Catcher in the Rye's Holden Caulfield. It's a screwed up product of its society, trying desperately to find its true meaning. Of course, the logo's search for meaning is also our own because when we look at it, our own religious and/or socio-political anxieties stare right back at us and it's our job to grapple with these anxieties. This means that, in actual fact, the Olympics logo showcases every facet of contemporary society. For instance, our modern fascination with erotica, as is evident by the success of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, is emphasised by The Simpsons interpretation (though it is quite sickening that yellow-skinned children are used to do it). Then the Zion interpretation captures the world's preoccupation with Middle East issues which, in truth, make the world go round almost as much as American politics does. Perhaps the deformed Swatstika, from a philosophical perspective, is a metaphor for the modern variations on evil which we find in various political and/or religious sects. The Jay-Z interpretation captures the savvy and street-smart attitudes of the modern youth which, at least, goes half-way to fulfilling the Olympics organisers initial intentions.
Yes, interpreting the Olympics logo (or blobs) from these perspectives might not relate much to sports in any way (unless you factor in the minuscule appearance of the Olympic rings). However, it really does have much potential as a piece of contextual "artwork" that changes meaning and significance with each generation it encounters. It will be interesting to see, decades from now, what the logo will come to symbolise for future generations. Will people still remember it as the symbol for the 2012 Olympic games? Or will they simply just look at it as a bunch of abstract blobs which can be shaped to represent whatever pop culture, political or religious metaphor they desire? If so, which cartoon character will be getting pleasured this time around? I guess only time will tell...
Source for pic: http://studyabroad.universiablogs.net/2012/04/17/2012-olympics-and-loughborough/
Initially this logo was designed with the intention of bringing a younger, hipper edge to the Olympics.It was assumed that placing the traditional Olympic rings inside a bunch of blobby shapes would be manic enough to attract the interest of teenagers and twenty-somethings, the audience which the Olympics organisers seem consider to be the life-blood of the event. The problem with this is that neither this audience nor older Olympic viewing audiences are able to work out what the the logo is meant to represent. There is some geographical significance to the blobby shapes but it requires a hell of a lot of abstract thinking from the average man to work out what this significance is. So instead of interpreting this logo in an Olympian context, we, as frustrated outsiders to the mind of Olympic logo creators, have bestowed upon it some very un-Olympic like interpretations. Some of these interpretations, as detailed by a March 2011 article on The Week website, range from unusual to hilarious. Everyone by now is aware of The Simpsons interpretation where the usually straight-laced Lisa Simpson does her Anastasia Steele interpretation as she gives her rebellious brother Bart a blow-job. Then there are the political associations which provide an interesting parallel. On one hand, Iranian citizens threatened to boycott the Olympics because they have interpreted the logo's shapes as forming a 'Z' for Zion. On the other, Jewish citizens have interpreted as a disjointed Swatstika. Perhaps the least harmful interpretation suggests that the logo could stand for "Izzo", the nickname of hip-hop star Jay-Z.
Indeed, all these differing interpretations suggest that the Olympics logo is highly problematic. Yet, in a strange way, they also, in a sense, make the logo the voice of a generation. I look at the Olympics logo in the same way as I look at Catcher in the Rye's Holden Caulfield. It's a screwed up product of its society, trying desperately to find its true meaning. Of course, the logo's search for meaning is also our own because when we look at it, our own religious and/or socio-political anxieties stare right back at us and it's our job to grapple with these anxieties. This means that, in actual fact, the Olympics logo showcases every facet of contemporary society. For instance, our modern fascination with erotica, as is evident by the success of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, is emphasised by The Simpsons interpretation (though it is quite sickening that yellow-skinned children are used to do it). Then the Zion interpretation captures the world's preoccupation with Middle East issues which, in truth, make the world go round almost as much as American politics does. Perhaps the deformed Swatstika, from a philosophical perspective, is a metaphor for the modern variations on evil which we find in various political and/or religious sects. The Jay-Z interpretation captures the savvy and street-smart attitudes of the modern youth which, at least, goes half-way to fulfilling the Olympics organisers initial intentions.
Yes, interpreting the Olympics logo (or blobs) from these perspectives might not relate much to sports in any way (unless you factor in the minuscule appearance of the Olympic rings). However, it really does have much potential as a piece of contextual "artwork" that changes meaning and significance with each generation it encounters. It will be interesting to see, decades from now, what the logo will come to symbolise for future generations. Will people still remember it as the symbol for the 2012 Olympic games? Or will they simply just look at it as a bunch of abstract blobs which can be shaped to represent whatever pop culture, political or religious metaphor they desire? If so, which cartoon character will be getting pleasured this time around? I guess only time will tell...
Source for pic: http://studyabroad.universiablogs.net/2012/04/17/2012-olympics-and-loughborough/
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