Art Rant - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds's "Stagger Lee"

This here badass mo'fo' song as performed by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and it tells the tale of one Stagger Lee Shelton; but set in the 1932s, which is a bit weird, cause he died in 1912. ...I will allow the excuse of artistic licence for this. ...come to think of it, I'm starting to think that there's another dude out there named Stagger Lee, but I Googled high and low for one with no such luck.

What you might not know is that Stagger Lee is an African American criminal back in the early 1900s', and as the song mentions, he was quite the badass. He was described by Cecil Brown as"[...a character that] belonged to a group of pimps known in St. Louis as the 'Macks'. The macks were not just 'urban strollers'; they presented themselves as objects to be observed." The cultural significance of this dude's legend is the stuff great crime films are made of. He's an archetype of the badass criminal who is so confident in his masculinity, he doesn't care if you're a dude, if you need to be taught a lesson, boy will he do it, even if it means using his dick on you.

Back in the days, most of America was still into that "whites only" mentality, and so for a black dude to cause break the law, wreaking havoc and disturbing the peace... well, Mr John Johnson and his wife, Mrs Jane Johnson [archetype middle class Americans of the time] did not feel safe; the guys at Scotland Yard must be summoned! ...wait, that's the British. Oh well, them po' pos' all look the same.

The central theme of the song (in case you haven't noticed by now) is sex and violence. Two powerful forces that smash us upon the rocks of life. ...worst metaphor ever? WTF?!

The thing about sex and violence is that it's the kind of thing that transcends borders; it's a culturally universal aspect of life that affects each and every one of us in many different ways. And so when listening to this song, I could sometimes imagine seeing myself stepping into his shoes. Not that I enjoy killing rude bartenders and humping fat boy rear ends; God, no. I'm just saying; they're the kinds of things that we know can affect you severely, and yet for some people, they could just inflict it upon others with callous disregard for the other party. Such is the human condition. People can sometimes be assholes.

Now before we begin, I have to state that I do not condone violence of any kind. This song just happens to treat the subject with neutrality, and to appreciate it, you have to look at it in a neutral way. It's almost comedic; it's what allows us to get through with life. This is why homicide detectives joke around about their jobs; not because they care, but because they care so much, that if they allowed their feelings to get involved, they might lose perspective, which in turn hinders them from doing their jobs. It's a tough world. Someone has to clean up after all the assholes, and if the have to make fun of it to survive dealing with it, so be it, as long as they can do their job and nail the perp to the wall. ...but I digress,

Consider this my pitch for a Stagger Lee video if I had to star in it and be the main character. It's the only way I could relate this to you.

Bad ol' Stagger Lee. He's a badass dude, and if I were to step in his shoes, I'd have my hair slicked back kinda like how Johnny Depp wears his hair occasionally. Kinda like this:

But instead of wearing a bikers jacket, I'd wear a black buttoned up vest, bell bottom slacks and high heels; kinda like Lady Gaga in Alejandro:

And uh... yeah. Somehow depict all the insanity in the song while trying to avoid an X rating from the censors. Which I imagine will be pretty difficult.

I can imagine myself in the shoes of the other people mentioned in the song, like the bartender, and the popular call girl in town. If you look at it from Stagger Lee's point of view, all you see is cool control, and bad ass vibes. But if you look at it from the other character's point of views, you get different feelings about it all, and I find that to be interesting. Why is such a man glorified? I as a woman should understand how despicable sex and violence can be when mixed. But the thing is, it's a primal thing. We're all capable of it, but we don't, because if you are sane, you'd have self control. Unfortunately, there are people out there who do not restrain themselves. You can guess where it goes from there, yeah? Both men and women are capable of violence; a quick look back at history and the line "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" should be a big enough hint.

...yeah, this wasn't my most coherent of rants, but hey, this song is badass. I could play all the characters, even. Though it might be a bit difficult to find a hooker costume from the 1930s that won't get me in trouble with the parentals...

Al-fatihah for Norway 93

Today, I spare a thought for the people of Norway, and to the families of those lost in the tragedy.

Firstly, I would like to say that religious prejudice is no excuse for any person to take a life. There is no reason for anyone to kill a person because they pray to different Gods, or have different views about what is right or what is wrong. Hate cause by any kind of difference is hate all the same; and hate will eventually lead to violence.

Wars being waged, people are dead, and now this asshole. I mean really, where does it end? Some of his friends and fans (and believe me, in this fucked up world, anything is possible, and this is as likely as fire when you put match on kerosene) are probably rejoicing at the pain that they caused to the families of the 93 victims.

Personally, just hearing about this kinda shit diminishes more and more of my faith in humanity. Do we really deserve to survive as a species? This discriminating and snuffing life out as though playing God... Astaghfirullah. I feel sorrowful every time I think about how fucked up the world is. I can only do my part in making it a better world by spreading words of love, words of hope, and to forgive others because often times, it's the only thing we can do.

-

I'm listening to Alejandro by Lady Gaga, and it just happens to be snowing today. I am reminded of the Orwellian music video, and how religion plays into all this. I've come to realize that people use religion to control others. This is why they shun liberal media; it shows the brutality of the situation all too clearly. I've heard of the excuse where 'it's not religion, it's politics.' But these fuck heads are using religion to enforce their political agenda. We've all seen it. Don't try and blame it on culture or nationality; the prevalence of culture in the world of religion is freaking obvious, blind people see it.

Art Rant - Linkin Park

I've always been a fan of Linkin Park. I first bought their Hybrid Theory album when MTV still had mail in request shows where they read the gaudiest request card that was sent in; I had a green walkman and cassette tapes. That's right, folks; my first Linkin Park album was on casette! ...these days, it's all on my mp3 player function on my Blackberry. Suddenly, I'm feeling nostalgic.

It feels weird to use that word; 'nostalgic.' I'm not that old! I'm 23, for fuck's sake!!!!! NO! I'm not old. I'm a big kid, is what I am. Ask my parents; they'll tell you that though I may have book smarts, I'm still a loud, obnoxious little punk pixie that I was 10 years ago.

But I digress. My taste in music is just a part of me. And Linkin Park has always had a special place in my heart because their music lulled me to sleep when I was feeling alone and friendless. Their music helped me get through the tough parts of childhood. I remember the songs In The End, Crawling, and Place For My Head; these were among the few that I would repeat. And on a walkman, it wasn't always easy. I had to rewind it, and I got pretty good at guessing how long I had to wait before pressing the play button. Most times, I pressed just before the music would start. :D

But I was laughed at for liking them. I was laughed at by the guys who quizzed me on how to spell Wes Borland (dude from Limp Bizkit) and when I spelled it correctly, the dude asking the question looked at all the other guys and nodded, like a gangsta would to signal to his gang that yes, I provided the right password and I am allowed to enter the evil lair. Yes; this was the shit I had to put up with as a kid.

My mum asked me once, would I hug Mike Shinoda (whom I had a crush on at the time) if I ever happened to meet him. I said yes, and she told me off. See, in Islam, we're not allowed to hug men who aren't family. ...but I'd still hug you, man. The entire band. Hell, I'll cook dinner, you guys play in my livingroom until my blind neighbour texts me telling me to quieten down because the music is making his guide dog howl. Or we could hang out in the garage. Whatever. Either way, I'm cooking.

....I LOVE YOU GUYS!

Where's all the politicking?

...it's on facebook now. THEY CAN'T STOP US! ...unless they ban facebook, which is downright censorship. I don't think we'll take that lying down. No way, José.

Freedom is ours, kawan-kawan!

Rant number [I haven't a clue]

Been trying to rein in the crazy that my mind lets loose. Sometimes, I feel like the world might laugh and spit me out.

As a little kid, I would always have nightmares about being sent to school, left there, only to find that the place was completely empty. It scared the life out of me. I don't know why I have such deep seated anxieties about school, but it's been there since I could remember. It's always the same dream; I'm alone in the courtyard during assembly, feeling so abandoned in a place that was cold, and intimidating. ...well it wasn't cold literally. I lived in the fucking tropics; cold is when it's raining cats and dogs. That's as cold as it'll ever get. ...but I digress.

High school was no better; at least in primary school, the compound was smaller. In high school, the buildings were intimidatingly tall; about 3 story. Everyday I walked through the schoolyard, feeling like I was walking up to a grey place, void of colour. ....that previous sentence gives off an oxymoron kinda vibe. Or maybe I'm thinking about it too much.

This anxiety still haunts me. I have one last paper to complete my BA. But recent events have set me back in terms of how I'm coping with life. It's been rough. Tears and panic attacks kinda bad. I cried so much, I got massive headaches because of it.

I'm trying to deal with it. And step one is to say FUCK YOU SCHOOL!

How did they manage to suck the fun and life out of learning? When I learn stuff off of the discovery channel, I always feel curious, intrigued, interested and fascinated. The schools I've been to all suck the life out of it! There is no passion in the lessons. History, for example. Films bring to life history, and depending on whose point of view it's told from, you feel like you're there, experiencing the trials and hardships of the people at the time. ...this is why I can't watch WW2 themed films. I always think about my late grandparents and young uncles and aunts, and think of how life must have been back then.

But when it comes to school, they read the facts out to us in a painfully dry monotone. I got in trouble for falling asleep in class a lot. But can you blame me? It was so painfully boring, and I was desperate to be entertained. Learning should be FUN, DAMMIT. It's enlightening, it's elevating, it's ALL THAT JAZZ! But school was anything but! I hated school and I waved my dislike around proudly like a war banner. I'm not just a disgruntled student; I'm a disgruntled citizen because there is so much to learn about our country, but it's just disappearing in dusty books because they sucked the life out of it! It's not just the syllabus. It's the teachers. I'm not naming names, but I remembered one thing about my history teachers was that they all bored me to death. And because I was wasn't interested in listening to their bumbling about dates, names and places, I was always scolded. ....you have no idea how I wished for retaliation.

I loved form 2 science, though. I can't remember the name of the teacher, but she was well loved by everyone, even the class clowns and hard heads. She was jolly, inviting, down to earth, and she was also great with communicating with students. She didn't have this 'holier than thou' attitude which many teachers have. Yes, there are good teachers out there, but the ones I had were all sucky! They were the suckiest bunch of sucks that ever sucked! Back to form 2 science teacher. She as nice. I liked her. She always laughed and kept the atmosphere light. I felt like I was having fun learning. Aside from biology form 4, form 2 science was a great class. I enjoyed the experiments. In other classes, it felt like we were Nazi prisoner scientists; failure to procure desired results will lead to something horrifying. Like being loudly scolded by the teacher for being such a slow learner. Just cram a sock in it, please.

....this was a rant by a very angry student.

Art Rant - Lady Gaga's 'The Queen'

I love this song. Lyrics available here.

In this song, Gaga tells us of her pride for embracing her femininity in all its glory. ...I suppose this post will be one of those posts that discuss the lyrics. If you're ok with that, I'm all game.

Anyway. Let the art rant commence!

The first verse, Gaga sings to us in these poetically written words that she is an empowered woman, and that she is brave enough to face anything. She knows of her success, but for true love, she would give it all away.

Well, that was the vibe that I got. To claim the title of 'queen' is a pretty daring thing to do, and Gaga tells us that she feels the killer queen within. But for just the right man, she would watch it burn. Ah, Lady Gaga must be a romantic at heart.

Throughout the song, she expresses herself, telling us how she's going to embrace life as a woman and live life to its fullest. She describes herself as wind and hurricane, forces of nature that can be ruthless, and as the storm sky and rain, which has the potential to be destructive, but can bring rain which is the source of all life. You know what they say about a woman scorned; hell hath no fury like it. But if you're good, you'll know love and affection like you've only ever dreamed of.

Then the bridge with the 'bitch' word censored. BOO! She says how she gets called a bitch when she's being the strong person that she is. It happens. I've felt it. You show the world of your confidence, show them that you can be as fearless and as ruthless as the others, and people start seeing you as a threat. This is when they resort to name calling. I've been called names before. Whatever. :P RIGHT BACK AT'CHA is what usually comes to mind.

I don't know what 14 karat guns is supposed to mean, but I assume it means diamond ring; and to me, it feels like she's saying how she doesn't need to be somebody's wife to feel like she's worth something. It's sad how we've been schooled into believing that we women are destined to be just someone's wife. Some women use this as their ammo against women who are empowered; it nags at a private secret close to one's heart about the desires to be loved and cherished.

Then the final verse of the song rolls around, accompanied by change in melody. This part felt familiar to me. To me, it felt like she was welcoming all that was under the heavens into her soul, but hopes that heaven will not forget her when she comes knocking. This feels like a reference to how certain things people see as immoral or inappropriate, and being an open minded woman is still a foreign concept to people; they look at you, like trying to let you know that they think you're not being very ladylike or something like that. There is a stereotype about how women are dumb and whatever, because that might just be what weaker men need to feel strong. And those blonde jokes. Oy vey. But being open minded is also not right for a woman, according to chauvinists at the religious department. (I'll move on before this becomes a feminazi rant.) I once was called a hardened woman for being so opinionated. Or something like that; I don't know, it's a direct translation. I mean, what the hell is that supposed to mean? That I am no longer a delicate woman if I am opinionated? That really pissed me the fuck off.

And she tells us that she'll fly on a Challenger (I assume it's a reference to the Challenger Space Shuttle) across the sky. ...if you recall, the Challenger didn't do so well. It's like she's acknowledging that people are expecting her to fall from her state of fame and glory, the way the Challenger exploded mid-flight. But no matter; even if she did, she won't die; she's like a phoenix, rising from the ashes! It's a rebirth theme, which she's big on in her latest album, and is notably the central theme to her Born This Way music video. The more you improve, a new you is born. Or something like that. (This feels somewhat Inception-like all of a sudden.) She is a phoenix rising from the ashes, reminding us of the dream she bore. The dream of all little monsters. It is fitting that she is the Mother Monster. <3

Art Rant - Black Swan starring Natalie Portman

A psychological thriller set in the world of New York City ballet, BLACK SWAN stars Natalie Portman as Nina, a featured dancer who finds herself locked in a web of competitive intrigue with a new rival at the company (Mila Kunis). A Fox Searchlight Pictures release by visionary director Darren Aronofsky (THE WRESTLER), BLACK SWAN takes a thrilling and at times terrifying journey through the psyche of a young ballerina whose starring role as the duplicitous swan queen turns out to be a part for which she becomes frighteningly perfect.

This film tells the tale of one Nina Sayers, a ballerina who lives with her overbearing stage mom who treats her like a child. After Nina is appointed the lead in the company's next production called Swan Lake, she struggles trying to embody the character of the Black Swan who is more sensual, daring and confident; everything that Nina is not. We see how a girl grows up into being a woman; but she has a few things working against her, and she needs to overcome things in order to be able to dance the role of the evil twin, the Black Swan.

First of all, how can you be sensual and embrace your womanhood when you have a mother dressing you up at that age. We see her mother at the beginning of the film putting her sweater on for her, then noticing the rash on her back, asks her in an authoritative kinda way, which irritates the fuck out of me. Her mother calls the secretary at the company to check on Nina, and to keep tabs on her, so truly, even in her world of dance is her mother controlling her. Nina is reminded constantly of her mother's choice of giving up her career to have her; by guilting her, Nina's mother keeps her trapped in that child-like emotional state. Whatta biatch, eh?

I can relate to how Nina has trouble in embracing the Black Swan character. The White Swan character she does effortlessly; in a way, we're all meek and fragile like that. But when it came time to perform the Black Swan, she had trouble. How do you dance and let the audience know of the character's personality? In dance, it's all about the sensuality and confidence you exude while dancing; it's as subtle as how hard you strike a pose, to being as obvious as how passionately you pirouette. And all this comes from within. But how can you dance how you feel when you've never even felt confident or sensual before? Nina Sayers lives her life in a 12 year old girl's room (pink wall paper, stuffed toys on every surface) and subsequently, she acts like she's 12, even though she's supposed to be a grown ass woman.

In the film, we see how Nina grows up and ventures into the real world; she meets Lily, a fellow dancer at the company, who is Nina's exact opposite; she's carefree, sensual, sexual, and daring. And her dance reflects that; Thomas the director even said that she's not faking it (simply because YOU JUST CAN'T FAKE THIS SHIT.) Lily shows Nina how to live live on the edge, and being the sheltered thing that she is, she practically threw herself at life with everything she had.

As the film progresses, we see the colour of her outfit change. These days, fashion plays quite an important role in films. In the beginning, we see her wake up wearing a pink tank top with pink bows on the straps. It doesn't look like something a woman would wear; it looks like something a child would wear. Later on, when she goes out with Lily, we see her put on a lacy black tank top. Black has always meant dark, seductive, secretive, devious and wicked to me, and to see her character development being reflected in her clothes is what makes this film a true masterpiece. It doesn't neglect any artistic possibility. Even make up; when Nina went to Thomas to ask for the role, she wore the lipstick she took from the previous leaf female's dressing room. And I confess, as a girly girl, this former tomboy likes make up. I love dressing up because it makes me feel good. Confident. We see in the film how Nina does what most women would do when they feel like they need a bit more pep in their step.

And when she danced the Black Swan... I had chills. It's my favourite scene of the film. You see her transformation reflected in her dance. She danced with confidence, pirouetting with vigour, and finishing strong. It was rapture. It was a woman dancing with reckless abandon, but with the grace of a ballerina. We all want to be the Black Swan. She's not the girl who gets pushed around. She's not the girl who lets her mother treat her like she's 12 anymore. She's the strong woman that intimidates people, including men. Powerful men.

Nina becomes more daring throughout the film, and this allows her dancing to progress. We see how even the director notices; she's embraced her sensuality, and is able to dance the Black Swan. Despite the benefit that the wild lifestyle provides to her in terms of her dancing, Nina's mental condition begins to deteriorate, and she spirals out of control. ....gender studies student in me is inclined to mention how this is the tragedy of being a female in this cruel world. You're scared to the point of believing that you're worthless; then comes time where you need to let go of all that. It's not easy. It played mind tricks with Nina. It played mind tricks with me too because I related to that. I knew how it felt. The need to let go of the anxiety and insecurity can sometimes drive one to destruction. The familiarity of this leaves me feeling awestruck. Darren Aronofsky did a wonderful job directing the film. The photography was great, the style of the film in terms of camera movement added to the frantic feel of the film. Everything was arranged just as it should have been.

Seduction, innocence, corruption, suspense, drama, psychological thriller... IT HAS IT ALL! I totally recommend this film.

Was that too wordy?

Anyhow, I thought this film was beautifully made. They couldn't have picked a better actress than Natalie Portman. She spent 6 months training for this film, and the result definitely reflects how much work she put into her dancing. Jealous! I'm hot for Natalie Portman. :P And to be able to portray such a range of emotions; THAT'S acting. Not stiff dialogue reading like Kristen Stewart.