On Sexism in Media & Society

Just found the most eloquent explanation of sexism in popular media and society.  It's in response to the attempts of women to draw attention to it to improve the situation and the backlash by some men who claim sexism is no longer an issue or that misandry is just as prevalent in media as misogyny. But it is a wonderfully apt analogy for all prejudice and the slow change within the social consciousness.

Black_Heart wrote:

If everyone was influenced by and took material from all entertainment as legitimate courses of action for real life, our society couldn't function for obvious reasons. If no one was influenced by anything in entertainment at all, I think we would be at just as much of a loss.

LadyM replied:

Well, here's the thing. It's not so much about any one piece of literature/art having a direct effect (although that does happen on occasion). Like, I feel like you're conceptualizing this as "the idea is if a guy watches one sexist movie he will go home and slap his girlfriend", and that's not really it.

Imagine there is a mosaic made up of one small piece of tile. Except by definition that's not really a mosaic, is it? A mosaic has to make up a bigger picture, made from smaller things.

But let's say five more tiny tiles are added to the mosaic. Then twenty more. A hundred. A thousand. Ten thousand. Now you have enough tiles to make a mosaic. Any one of those tiles is nothing more than a little bit of colored ceramic, and yet when you put them together you can form a definitive picture.

That's what our society is like. That's what our ideas of "normality" and gender relations and race relations and heteronormativity are like. They are built out of a million tiny things. So maybe one video game featuring Syldanian Six-Boobed Slut Warriors or whatever will not have much effect on society. The thing is, there isn't just one video game like that, and that isn't the only place the idea that women are objectified. When people criticize Hillary Clinton's appearance (because male politicians are such hotties, right? Not bloated, liver-spotted, fat old men) . . . that is a little piece of tile. When a comic artist draws kidnapped male Justice League characters in tied up but non-sexy poses, while the kidnapped female Justice League characters are tied up like they're getting geared up for a video session of "Bondage Sluts III" . . . that is a little piece of tile. When someone tells a sexist joke . . . that's a little piece of tile. Look in the comments section of any online news story about a woman being raped and you will find more little bits of tile.

And the defense is always "Well, my piece of tile isn't at fault! It's Society!" It is indeed society that predefines the mosaic, based on the piece of tile that were placed by previous generations; but it's the individual pieces of gossip, art, expectations that fill in that mosaic. Unlike a real mosaic, old bits fall off quite frequently, forgotten by a new generation. Sometimes they are replaced by a new piece that is about the same as the old one; sometimes they are replaced by a new one. Sometimes there's a lot of new pieces at once, like in the 1960s when a bunch of activists took hammers, beat the crap out of that mosaic, and stuck a bunch of new pieces on to radically alter the picture. The point is, if no one starts changing those tiles, small as they may be, the overarching image will never change.

*slow clap* Very well-said, LadyM! Thank you!

The Avengers - A

Finally saw The Avengers on Thursday! (Well, I say "finally" even though it'd only been a week since it had come out. But in geeky anticipation time, it's a long time. XD I felt like the only geek left who hadn't seen it!) Have to say, it lives up to all the rave reviews. I give The Avengers a solid A.

LOL! Too true; too funny. We need more beefcake cheesecake in comics. XD

In the way that Iron Man was the perfect fun, action-packed (but still logical) comic book superhero summer blockbuster, Avengers was the perfect fun, action-packed (but still logical) comic book superhero team summer blockbuster. It was a really enjoyable movie with a sensible plot, good characters/actors, lots of action (but not over-the-top), humor (oh, quippy Whedon), and even romance (good chemistry all around; I love Tony/Pepper).

What impressed me the most was how balanced the movie was. Whedon did a really great job with writing, directing, and editing in order to properly showcase the large team of 7(!) super-egos (and several supporting characters) and make excellent use of the star-studded ensemble cast. @_@ Each hero had their moments, from heroic to funny to badass. And I liked their interaction with each other, both in conflict and bonding, that showed them growing as individuals and as a team. Even the villains felt fleshed-out and entertaining.

Wow, I can't think of anything I disliked about it. Avengers was so good, it made me want to watch all the solo hero movies, in order (fandom OCD). I liked the Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor movies, but I had skipped the Hulk ones because I never found the Hulk interesting until now. Kudos to the Marvel cast and crew for turning this DC comics fangirl into a movie Avengers fan.

That said, even though Iron Man was the perfect "fantastic fun" superhero movie, The Dark Knight was the perfect "real epic" superhero movie, smart, serious, grounded, thought-provoking, and evocative. And I expect The Avengers will be similarly matched by The Dark Knight Rises later this summer. ;P (Now if only DC would shape up and start making more frequent and quality solo hero movies to build up a Justice League one! Til then, we got RandomGuy's hilarious parody trailer. ;)

The Legend of Korra

I love this show so much. It's actiony, dramatic, romancy, funny, surprisingly dark and deep, and so beautiful. Avatar: The Last Airbender redefined American "cartoon children's shows" with its anime style, Eastern cultures-inspired world, and grand-scale storytelling, landscape, and score. Legend of Korra takes all that up to the next level. Mixing Western 1920s aesthetic, lovely painting backgrounds, better animation. More mature themes and complex plot about equality. Stronger focus on the art, action, and lighting direction.

The latest episode (6) blew my mind! Past and present shippiness, mysterious flashbacks, political intrigue, classism/racism issues, and the most awesome fight scenes! It's an amazing fantasy martial-arts epic. You can watch full episodes at nick.com.

[Spoilery Speculation] I think Asami is one of the motorcycle Chi-blockers, but she will be the baddie-turned-good who later joins Team Avatar. But it'll still end with MaKorra! Poor Bolin though. ^^;  Also, I read this one theory that I loved, in which Korra must sacrifice her Bending to become the spiritual Avatar that Republic City needs. It does seem to fit the theme and feel of the show. I'd love to see the poetic but tragic irony and dramatic scenes, but hopefully ending with a spiritual loophole that allows Korra to get her abilities back. But I'm sure I'll love whatever Bryke (the creators/producers/writers) gives. I just really want to see more Airbending training and philosphy, 40-year-old Aang flashback story, and the Anti-Bending Revolution and the questions it raises about social, political, and economic individuality, equality, and power. Ahh, we're halfway through! The finale is gonna be epic!

The journey home is never too long...

...when open arms are waiting there. --"The Journey Home" by Sarah Brightman
(skippable journal entry)

Must-See Movies of 2012

I only go to the movie theater once or twice a year. I think tickets are too expensive, I'm not that excited about many movies, and I prefer DVDs with subtitles (usually borrowed from the library). So it has to be a movie I really want to see and experience on the big screen, like The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, or Star Wars. This year, there are five such films.

Avengers - May 4
I'm a DC Comics gal, but I gotta admit, Marvel totally kicks DC's cinematic ass when it comes to production/release, like 3:1! -_- In recent years, DC has Nolan's Batman (awesome), the Superman reboot (awful), Jonah Hex (didn't bother watching), and Green Lantern (okay), while Marvel did the X-Men (pretty good, especially First Class, but they're my fav Marvel heroes so i didn't like many changes), Spider-Man (good, I guess, but I prefer Blue Beetle ;), Iron Man (very good), Fantastic Four (good b/c Ioan Gruffudd), Hulk (didn't watch), Ghost Rider (ditto), Thor (very good), and Captain America (very good). I'm mostly ambivalent about Marvel, but they've had good stuff the past couple years, and it'll be cool to get the chance to see Marvel's major superhero team on film because we'll never get a Justice League movie!!.


The Dark Knight Rises - July 20
Aaaahhhhh~~!! I am SO excited for the conclusion to Nolan's Batman trilogy! I'm currently struggling with whether or not I should read spoilers. Not illegally leaked spoilers, but just the viral marketing and tidbit information purposefully released in interviews and stuff. I want to be prepared and psyched, but I also want to go in "unspoiled" and ride the excitement, confusion, and thought-provoking social, political, and moral dilemmas that I expect Nolan has in-store.
[minor spoilers: basic character bio +rumors] So far I like Tom Hardy's Bane (tho I'm worried about his supposedly hard to understand speaking), I'm unimpressed with Anne Hathaway as Catwoman (not sexy enough, sorry; don't like her long brown hair w/ the 60s-ish mask and cat ears, b/c Selina Kyle should have short black hair and cat-eye goggles; cat-suit looks good tho), and of course, I'm intrigued by Marion Cotillard as Wayne exec Miranda Tate (Talia??) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt's John Blake, GCPD (rumors abound! could he be Robin/Nightwing/new!Batman? or a dirty cop or... just a cop? XD he'd be a great Nightwing w/ his dark hair, lean build, and gymnastic ability).


Looper - September 28
I like sci-fi that explores human nature in "what-if" scenarios. This sci-fi action time travel movie looks promising, especially since it promises to delve into the philosphical/ethical questions of meeting and possibly killing your past/future self, in addition to the cool action sequences. It'll be interesting to see JGL transform into a younger Bruce Willis hitman through three hours of make-up and BW-inspired performance. I really liked writer/director Rian Johnson's Brick and the way he stayed true to a genre (detective) but also breathed new life to it (set in heightened reality high school), so I look forward to his spin on sci-fi.


The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - December 14
My mom and sisters and I are all big Lord of the Rings (films) fans, so we definitely can't wait for this one. I never finished reading The Hobbit because it wasn't as interesting to me as LOTR, but it's the same team of filmmakers, so I know it's going to be fantastic. It'll be great to return to Middle Earth (I cried so hard at the end of Return of the King ^^;). And I hate 3D, but I'm actually considering watching it in 3D; that's how much I trust Peter Jackson. Bonus: It stars Martin Freeman (Sherlock's modern Watson) as Bilbo and Benedict Cumberbatch (modern Sherlock) as Smaug the dragon via motion-capture+voice!


Les Miserables - December 14
Finally, after 25 years, the film adaptation of one of the best musicals ever! Les Miz is a favorite in my family (it's my mom's all-time fav, but it's my second, only to Phantom). I've been watching the 10th Anniversary Concert, and I keep imagining how they'll show this and that and what they'll cut and how it'll sound with Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, etc. So looking forward to it. I might just watch both Hobbit and Les Miz the day they come out.
(No movie trailer yet, so here's one with clips from the stage show, just to give an idea of how beautiful, dramatic, and epic this could be on film.)



Must-See on DVD
Rurouni Kenshin (if it's shown in US theaters, then I am so there! EEE! ^_^x), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, War Horse, Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, Justice League: Doom (animated), Hunger Games, Mirror Mirror, Superman vs. The Elite (animated), Sherlock Season 2 (BBC series), Brave, Amazing Spider-Man, Ruby Sparks, Perks of Being A Wallflower, Premium Rush, Lincoln

SS3 reunion & JM's birthday

Just when I think I'm getting "cured" of kpop, our boySS do something that drags me right back, reminding me how lovable, handsome, talented, and simply wonderful they are. ♥

Seeing the Trio joking and singing together again made me laugh and cry at the same time. They look so happy and adorkable, just the same as they were 7 years ago (except hotter now). It's cute how HJB becomes Baby again, YS is shy and cute, and KJ is now more confident and leading. ^^



Wahh~ I love these guys! >3< God, how I miss SS501. T_T Someday...

And yes, I am disappointed that JM went to a fashion show instead of the B2M CEO's wedding a.k.a. DSP Family reunion. =( But it's his birthday, and he gets to choose how he spends it. I just hope it's not because there's been a falling out between any of the members. (I kinda suspect KHJ and JM since they've had zero interaction since the break. But the rest seem fine, just busy.)

But it's hard to be upset with JM when I'm still drooling over his glorious walk down the runway for the Dominic's Way fashion show. omggggg JM how are you so SEXY GORGEOUS HOT CHARISMATIC AWESOME?



Holy Dark Angel! JM literally looks like a living anime character! A tall, lean, beautiful man with unnatural colored hair, uselessly ornate, fashionably ragged, rock-goth clothing and accessories, and sexily smouldering expression that hints at a tortured soul. XD

(Quick, someone cast him in a paranormal/fantasy romance drama NOW!)

(This is just begging to be made into a romantic melodrama movie poster.)

*swooooooon*

Happy 25th Birthday, Jung Min! You're my angel, my heaven, and I love you forever. ♥

Edit to add

Link from JM's Japanese site to romeomidnight.com shows:

A teaser image for his upcoming Japanese album?? Ahh~ this is exciting!



New Favorite Things

Inception - I've watched it five times in a couple of weeks, and I still wanna watch it again. Imaginative, mindblowing, cool, fascinating, smart, EPIC, even funny and touching. I'm addicted to this movie. I even started reading fanfiction, which I only do for fandoms I'm really into. XD Also, I love the soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. It makes anything EPIC. My favorite track is the EPICally emotional "Time":


Christopher Nolan - When I first watched Batman Begins, I was kinda disappointed by some of the character and casting choices (Christian Bale as a less dashing Bruce Wayne who becomes a less intelligent Batman at 30(!). Katie Holmes as a young ADA love interest involved with her boss? Liam Neeson as a white(!) Ra's al Ghul?? And I still can't unsee Michael Caine when he plays Alfred. Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman were perfect though!) But after watching it again, without critical Bat-fan goggles, I can appreciate it as a very good superhero/action film. And of course The Dark Knight was outstanding all-around (great casting, especially the brilliant Heath Ledger), and I loved it (except Bale's Bat-Bear voice). I cannot wait for The Dark Knight Rises this summer!
Now Inception's awesomeness inspired me to watch Nolan's other films. I just watched Memento (about a man with short-term memory loss and a vendetta, told backwards) and The Prestige (story of two magicians' life-long feud and the secrets of illusion, plus David Bowie). Both had excellent writing, directing, style, and acting. The story concepts were interesting, intricate, involving, and impressive.
I don't know much about film direction, but I really admire Nolan's visionary storytelling abilities, always unique, just the right balance between confusing and clear, enough to intrigue and enough to understand, filled with ideas and spectacle but also a solid emotional throughline that makes the story worth caring about, ending in a mostly satisfying way that leaves you wanting more, or at least a re-watch (or two) to get it all. Nolan, with his writer brother and producer wife, makes movies that are as deep and cerebral as an indie film and as entertaining and thrilling as a Hollywood blockbuster. It's a combination of fiber and sugar; it's a BRAN DOUGHNUT.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Yup, I fell for the suave, badass, kiss-stealing ninja Point Man. I remember watching him in 3rd Rock from the Sun and having a TV crush on Tommy Solomon. lol. He was such a cute and funny young comic actor. I also loved 10 Things I Hate About You, one of the best teen flicks and modern Shakespeare adaptations. But looking at his later work, JGL has become a very accomplished dramatic actor as well (see Mysterious Skin, Brick, and The Lookout). No matter how weird, unlikable, or silly his character is, he manages to instill some real humanity and charm into it.
I guess that's why most of JGL's acclaim was for his dramedy roles, especially in the totally charming (500) Days of Summer (the whimsical but emotionally real rom-com that puts a twist on the rom-com genre and its portrayal of love) and the great based-on-a-true-story 50/50 (the cancer comedy that's both hilarious and touching with its honesty). (Hm. Why do so many of his works have numbers in the title..?)
He's a talented, diverse, and dedicated actor. Not to mention he can sing, dance, compose, play guitar and piano, speak French, do gymnastics, write, direct, and run an online production company for global artistic collaboration, hitRECord. He looks like a cross between Heath Ledger and Keanu Reeves, and he's funny, charming, and just seems like a cool guy. Wow, I'm sorry for all the fangirling over my newest celebrity crush. ^^;; But here's my favorite part of 500DoS: Tom singing karaoke! ♥

Sherlock - (No, not the Robert Downey, Jr. movies, although they're pretty fun.) I'm talking about the BBC mini-series of 90-minute TV movies, which modernizes Sherlock Holmes, bringing his genius intellect and detective skills (and bizarre personality) into today's world of technology and crime. I love this series because despite being adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work, it's very fresh and cleverly twisty. It's fast-paced, smart, funny, quirky, intense, and cinematic, like a bromantic dramedy "CSI: London". ;P It stars Benedict Cumberbatch, one of my favorite British actors, and Martin Freeman, and they have great chemistry together as the contemporary Holmes and Watson. Here's the scene from the first episode showing their first meeting: