In honor of the Oscar's last Sunday, this week I decided to write about some of my favorite highlights. First and foremost, in my opinion they (whoever it is that makes these decisions) could not have done a better job with choosing Ellen DeGeneres as the host. I have always been a huge Ellen fan--I have actually been to a live taping of her talk show twice--and she brought all the goofy antics from her show to this spectacular Hollywood event. If only DJ Tony O was there, it would have been just like her show.
There were so many "best moments" from the Academy Awards this year--so many more than there are usually, if you ask me. Here they are, according to me:
1. When John Travolta completely mispronounced Idina Menzel's name
Adele Dazeem? Check it out:
2. When Ellen snuck up on Sandra Bullock and Leonardo DiCaprio
I also would have liked to see her sneak up on Amy Adams...she seemed a little bored.
3. Lupita Nyong'o's acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress
She is so inspiring!!
4. Kevin Spacey just being awesome
Frank Underwood, ladies and gents.
5. Kerry Washington looking stunning even though she's SO pregnant
She was so excited about the pizza and it was so adorable.
6. Pharrell Williams wearing shorts with his tuxedo
You've got to hand it to him for daring to shock everyone with his clothing choices.
7. Pharrell Williams and Meryl Streep shimmying
My two heroes, of course.
8. Harvey Weinstein handing Ellen $200 for the pizza
Classic.
9. Jared Leto being really sweet with his mom
Doesn't it just make you fall in love with him that much more?
10. The selfie that won for most retweeted photo--and probably also for "most movie stars in one selfie"
Ever since 1973, when Roe v. Wade ruled in favor of a woman's legal right to an abortion, the right to choose has been a prevalent and inconclusive issue across the political spectrum in the United States. Most widely known arguments are the "pro-life" stance stating that abortion is just as immoral as killing another person and the "pro-choice" stance which focuses on a woman's natural right to do with her body whatever she chooses.
Of course, the descriptions I just offered of these stances are quite narrowly explained and far too condensed to serve as a proper summary of the debate on abortion rights. My descriptions in this case, however, serve sufficient to background Virginia State Senator Steve Martin's recent Facebook post. In response to a message he received from the Virginia Pro-Choice Coalition asking him to rethink his position on abortion, he wrote a lengthy backlash against their argument. One quote from his post reads, "Once a child does exist in your womb, I'm not going to assume a right to kill it just because the child's host (some refer to them as mothers) doesn't want it."
Upon receiving an extensive amount of negative feedback regarding this comment, Martin did eventually change the word "host" to "child-bearer." However, in my opinion, referring to a mother as anything other than that which literally means "mother" is highly offensive. Even so, his original comment raises multiple questions in regard to his ethical definition of motherhood. Defining pregnant women as merely a "host" of the child she bears is at once extremely sexist and completely immoral, both in liberal and conservative terms. While I am not bothered by Martin's decision to post his pro-life opinion on his Facebook page, I condemn his demeaning definition of a woman's right to motherhood.
Yesterday, Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López made the brave decision to hand himself over to the authorities. Before doing so, however, he gave a powerful and explosive speech to his fellow Venezuelans. With his country's flag around his shoulders and a small bunch of white flowers in his hand, López urged the protestors to remain peaceful and to keep fighting. He explained that "if [his] imprisonment helps awaken [the] people, it will have been worth it." The final jurisdiction on López's arrest remains undecided.
For those who are not up to date on the state of Venezuela, the main story is that the country is currently being run by socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro. In a country with a population of less than 30 million people, there have been almost 25,000 homicides just in the last year where no police arrests or government investigations have followed. Peaceful protestors have marched all over the country holding posters and letting their voices be heard, only to be met with gas bombs thrown, guns fired, and beatings by the military that is supposed to protect them. Some have even been killed.
In an attempt to put a stop to the opposition, Maduro took control of all forms of media and communication. The people of Venezuela are not even allowed to purchase paper, for Maduro's fear that someone will attempt to start an opposition newspaper. The only form of media that the Venezuelans had to speak out to the outside world was Twitter, but Maduro quickly shut that down as well.
Because the entire country of Venezuela is cut off from all modern forms of exercising free speech, the oppressed people have no choice but to march and let their physical voices be heard. Said López, "If the media remain silent, then let the streets speak out! Let the streets speak out with people! Let the streets speak out peacefully! And let the streets speak out in democracy!"
It is hardly necessary to comment on the sadness, anger, and hopelessness that the people of Venezuela must feel when faced with the monstrosities that their government has imposed upon them. But there is also no doubt that they can allow themselves at least a small glimmer of hope that justice will come to Venezuela. López's arrest has attracted worldwide media attention, and new tweets with #PrayForVenezuela are being posted every second. López remains a hero, and his fellow protestors continue to fight a peaceful fight for democracy in Venezuela.
It's 11:48pm. I'm sitting on the bed with my roommate while we chat about nothing and watch the little TV mounted on the dresser, flipping back and forth from E! Channel to the Olympics. All our homework is finished, we have no exams the next morning, and we don't feel like putting on heels and makeup to go out.
This has to be a familiar scenario for most college girls: pajamas, no contacts, and doing absolutely nothing after a long day of classes can feel like sheer bliss. Going out and partying make for great Instagram opportunities, but some of the most fun nights are the ones where you decide to have a night in.
But there is, of course, the constant internal battle that many girls have between being comfortable all the time and looking their best. Why does this have to be a choice? Because in a perfect world, our version of comfortable involves not moving from our bed and watching Netflix while we have amazing takeout brought to us whenever we desire. And much of the time, "whenever we desire" means somewhere between the hours of 11:00pm-2:00am. Yes, I am talking about late night eating.
I have fell victim to late night eating more times than I can count, and I like to think I've really tried it all--Thai food, fast food, pizza, fried chicken--pretty much anything that is available in those dark hours is something I have tried. And all of them are sinfully amazing.
Unfortunately, however, I wake up the next morning and my stomach is still full from the night before. I feel sluggish and gross, and I keep thinking, "I can't believe I ate that." Because as much as I love ordering a pepperoni with a side of Ranch from Greenville Avenue Pizza Company, I also love looking and feeling fit. And so, as a testament to college girls everywhere, I feel for you. I really do. But, please, please, please hang up on the Asian delivery man before you pay for that chicken pad Thai. Because I promise you that you will regret it.
Last Sunday, the entire nation sat on their couches with their friends and family. They drank a lot of beer and mindlessly ate chips and dip as they watched the television intently, with the bets they placed on their favorite team in the back of their thoughts. Last Sunday, of course, was Super Bowl Sunday. And while the overwhelming victory that Seattle took over Denver certainly makes for a game worth discussing, I do not think it is in the public's best interest to listen to my opinion on anything remotely related to the NFL.
Yes, I realize it is a little pathetic that I, a 21-year-old girl who attends college in the football-loving state of Texas, have no knowledge of football or have ever attempted to gain any knowledge of football. Growing up in Orange County, CA and attending a high school whose average SAT scores far exceeded our football record probably has something to do with it. But while I could not for my life tell you the name of a single player on the Denver Broncos, I feel very strongly about one of the quite moving commercials that aired during the Super Bowl this year. I am, of course, talking about the Coca-Cola Super Bowl ad.
I am sure that by now mostly everyone is familiar with the commercial. But for those who are not, it depicts the song "America, The Beautiful" sung in Hindi, Spanish, Tagalog, and four other languages that represent immigrants of the United States. While the advertisement, titled "It's Beautiful," emotionally and expertly depicted the diversity and unity of this country, it also received a large amount of negative backlash for using many languages to sing a patriotic song. One tweet, for example, read: “Dear @CocaCola: America the beautiful is sang in English. Piss off. #DontFuckWithUs.”
More importantly, however, the commercial featured an interracial gay couple playing with their daughter at a skating rink. According to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), this is the first Super Bowl advertisement to feature a homosexual couple. While the world was anxiously waiting for the major sponsor for the Sochi Games to comment on Russia's anti-homosexual laws, Coca-Cola made a bold statement and a brave move. I could not be more proud to be an American when one of the largest American corporations speaks up for same-sex issues the way it did.
One of my oldest and best friends is a kind, smart, and capable gay man living in this country. There is nothing I want more than for him to live in a world where he is not judged by who he falls in love with, but by the fiber of his character and by the life experiences he has made for himself. When I hear people make anti-gay comments, or when I read in the news about the outrageous and unnecessarily difficult struggle to legalize same-sex marriage in this country, I am angered. I am angry that in 2014 people are still judging others by anything more than the amount of goodness in their heart. I am angry at the thought of my best friend falling in love with a wonderful person, and then not being able to marry him because some suit in a government building can't seem to fathom the simple fact of nature that nobody chooses to be gay. And lastly, I am angry that just because my friend was born a homosexual, every once in a while he has to face ignorant people in this world who see him as a gay man instead of the fun-loving and well-read person that I know and love.
It is because of this anger that I was brought to tears when I saw how happy the same-sex couple and their daughter were in the Coca-Cola ad. That advertisement was not depicting some sort of fantastical, over-the-top happiness that we often see in commercials to better persuade us to purchase the product. The couple was comfortable and at ease as they took each other's hands. There was no concern on their faces of judging stares that may have ensued. The scene was both powerful and politically correct because it showed simultaneously what it means to be an American and what much of the country seems to be afraid of. Showing gay couples in a traditional family setting in the media is all too rare, and it took my breath away to see two men in love enjoying a day at the skating rink with their daughter.
Coca-Cola could not have done a better job of making a statement against anti-gay sentiments. The ad reminded me and all of America that it does not matter what race you are, what language you speak, or who you fall in love with. Above all, we are all simply human, and we are all Americans who are entitled to acceptance and equality under the law and among our fellow citizens. And that truly is beautiful.
In honor of the Grammy's last weekend, I thought I would make my first post about music. Full disclosure, I have very minimal experience in actually playing music, and I also have basically no expertise in music or musical quality. On the other hand, I take heavy interest in music and consider myself to have respectable musical taste. To start off, I cannot help myself but to say what everyone has already said: Beyoncé and Jay-Z's opening performance was the best and most impressive part of the entire night, and I can't wait to see what Beyoncé gets nominated for at the 2015 Grammy's.
There are over sixty Grammy award categories, but there are really only a handful of categories that I either know anything about or feel that they are worthy of talking about. Those categories are Best Rap Album, Best Alternative Music Album, and Best Pop Vocal Album. I am a proud Kanye West fan, and I firmly believe Yeezus should have won Best Rap Album. It was groundbreaking and fresh. West's blunt and outright form of lyricism is something the hip hop world does not see much of lately.
I was very excited to hear that Vampire Weekend won Best Alternative Music Album. Modern Vampires of the City is cheerful and catchy, and I could listen to "Diane Young" no matter what mood I am in and it would leave me smiling. The fact that Justin Timberlake did not win Best Pop Vocal Album for The 20/20 Experience - The Complete Experience was disappointing to me. However, I am probably a little bit biased, since I have been a fan of and had a crush on Justin Timberlake since I was probably thirteen years old. He is a truly multitalented artist, and while this album was unconventional compared to his previous albums, he executed it extremely well. Also, where was he at the Grammy's? I don't even think he had a seat, and that is a disappointment in itself!
Music is a very integral part of my life. I have music playing while I am cleaning my apartment, while I am driving in my car, while I work out, and even when I am in the shower. So naturally, I have always enjoyed discovering new music and new artists. I have a very wide range of music taste. My iPod is filled with songs by artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, The Black Keys, Kanye West, Flume, Alexi Murdoch, and Beyoncé of course. One of my favorite artists right now is The Weeknd. The Weeknd puts a new wave spin on smooth R&B with mysterious yet self-assured melodies and haunting falsettos. I have actually seen him twice--once at Coachella a couple years ago, and once in Washington, D.C. when I was visiting my sister.
As much as I love watching the Grammy's, which normally showcase big-name artists that are part of the mainstream pop culture, I also have great respect and appreciation for many talented musicians that are not as well-known. I go on all kinds of sites online such as The Kollection to search for new sounds and unsigned artists.
It was when I saw the Weeknd perform in Washington, D.C. that I discovered a new artist--his opening act, a soulful singer by the name of BANKS. Her voice powered through the entire venue of Constitution Hall. Although she stood on stage under a simple spotlight with no gimmicks or props, her cool black dress and long, stick-straight black hair was somehow a very loud and powerful visual. Her music is uniquely both dark and uplifting, matching her soulful rich voice with new wave beats. Here is one of my favorite songs BANKS has recorded, titled "Waiting Game."
