Lililth is back but no one is listening

I read this article about the new Lilith Fair in the Globe and Mail this morning. It seems there are many who don't want to partake in the old school woman's club now that some of the battles have supposedly been won.

Redefining feminism

For my final creative project in Media and Cultural Studies, I decided to interview women of various ages to hear what they had to say about what it means for them to be women and what feminism means to them. I was curious what others thought because before our last lecture, when I thought of feminism, I thought angry, man-hating, bra-burning, hairy armpited women. Talk about stereotypes! I am embarrassed to admit it but that is the image in my head. But Jaigris' simple statement on feminism completely changed my perspective and I am so grateful for this. She said that feminism is about wanting equality between men and women--simple as that! I am grateful for all the hard work women before me have done to allow my generation and those to follow all the liberties my baba and great-baba did not have.
Even though women have overcome many limiting barriers, I would consider myself a third wave feminist because we still have so much work to do in creating equality and eliminating sexism. Air-brushed male fantasies on the cover of magazines or young famous and spoiled starlets are not setting positive examples for teenagers. According to a Maclean's article, girls appear to be doing well in school but their self-esteem is low and they think they have to do whatever it takes to place the boys. Shouldn't this younger generation be moving beyond this? It appears sometimes as though we are moving backwards--that even though girls have more power through choice, they are still trying to please men.
The one step towards change, that I can see, is changing our perspectives, so our society stops nurturing these stereotypes of what it means to be male or female. It is time to get rid of these labels and acknowledge that we are all people that deserve to be treated equally with respect. It's time to shed these limiting beliefs that are not helping the next generation move past these patriarchal roots.

Yoga: a sublculture

I think yoga was a subculture at one point, just as Linda described vegetariansim. Yoga's roots are in India and it has been around for a very long time. But it started to be practiced in the West in the 60s it started and was associated with the hippie culture. At that point it was a subculture. I think many people thought it was some strange religion and maybe thought of it as a threat because it went against mainstream society, especially traditional religious and fitness activities.
Yoga has definitely been incorporated into mainstream society today. It has become an expensive commodity to purchase and a "cool" lifestyle to participate in. Lululemon yoga clothes and studio memberships are expensive. It is now part of the dominant culture. I think that is a great thing -- the health benefits from practicing yoga are proven effective, but all people need is some comfortable clothes and some water to practice. Heck, why bother with clothes?

{photo found here}

Walk like an Egyptian?

I remember dancing around to the song "Walk Like an Egyptian" when I was a kid. Now when I listen to it, the lyrics seem rather offensive.
Maybe I'm just hypersensitive this week after studying Orientalism.
This video version is a mash up between the Bangles hit song and a Michael Jackson's video for "Remember the Time" - how postmodern!
Funny how the song and video go together so well. Most pop songs have the same rhythm which is why Girltalk's re-mixes work so well.
Postmodernism and Post colonial theory grabbed my attention this week. I feel like I am finally starting to think a little more critically about my culture, culture industry motives, and the psychology behind media. Most importantly, I'm realizing that all that I have been taught isn't necessarily true. It is always good to question before consuming and ingesting any sort of media.
And question stereotypes. What your fifth grade teacher taught you may not be entirely true.

{photo found here}

Tourisme-Montréal

Club Super Sexe is a strip club located in the middle of downtown on St. Catherine's Street right beside a family restaurant and across from the Eaton Centre.

The dirty little secret that strip clubs usually are doesn't seem to be so dirty here in Montreal. They are not hidden in the "seedy" part of town, like they so often are. Here, they are mixed in beside clothing stores and above family restaurants. These low culture establishments are normally viewed as profane second worlds, and they still are I guess, but here they are also part of the mainstream public. The resistant culture of strip clubs has been accepted by the dominant culture by being allowed to exist in public spaces where families go out for Sunday night dinners. Strip clubs are big part of Montreal tourism. I think it's pretty tacky but I hardly notice the sleazy bouncers anymore that stand under their neon lit signs as I walk past them into The Gap! (I hardly do; It's hard not to notice them, but I just try to accept that's the way it is here.)


{photos found here}