Non-Demeaning to Women Wednesday 90s edition: Part 3
Posted: May 23, 2012 Filed under: Non-Demeaning to Women Wednesday | Tags: Carly Rae Jepsen, Clarke Isaac, hanson, Jordan Taylor Hanson, MMMBop, Shout it Out!, Thinking 'bout Somethin, Zachary Walker Hanson 1 Comment »So when faced with an important decision like “who will be the final 90s Boy Band honored with the title of non-demeaning to women,” I like to ask my friends, family and cats for their input. But, when everyone told me that *NSYNC should be the third and final group, I began to question if that was the right choice. It’s not that they aren’t a great band, but after a close reading of their lyrics, it became clear that they were not the right guys for this blogger. Instead, I present to you the original boy band that stole my heart in 1st grade:
Courtesy of http://www.theskykid.com
Hanson
Created in 1992, this boy band made it big in 1997 with their tune MMMBop. While not their first venture into fame, the single went platinum and my locker roommate Lorena (whats up girl?!) put pictures of them all over the doors of our cubby. Still a hit every time its played on the radio, dance floor, or reunion, the band is probably sick of these lyrics. But how can we not include them? They are so women friendly!
Oh yeah oh oh
So hold on the ones who really care
In the end they’ll be the only ones there
And hen you get old and start losing your hair
Tell me who will still care
Can you tell me who will still care?
Oh care
The brothers regrouped after a decade of independent attempts at fame and fortune in 2010, and released their latest album “Shout it Out!” Their first single Thinking ’bout Somethin didn’t do so well on the charts, but that’s only because everyone just wanted to hear them perform MMMBop. The single is pretty good though, featuring some pro-women moments we all can learn to love.
Well, I gave you love, you know it
So when did you outgrow it?
And decide that you would find another man
Well, you’ve been out there shakin’
Tell the boys you’re chasing
When you get home, I’ll be the bigger man
Although the album was a little lack-luster in its sales, the brothers are becoming increasingly known for their covers of bands like “Slipknot” and Carly Rae Jepsen (I’m not kidding, its a hilarious cover). Philanthropically, the band has also raised money to help poverty stricken children in Africa and the TOMS shoes, shoe drop. In 2009 the band joined the Independent Music Award panel to gain some street cred. Right on boys, right on…
Courtesy of sgnsgss.blogspot.com
Non-Demeaning to Women Wednesday: Part 2
Posted: May 16, 2012 Filed under: Non-Demeaning to Women Wednesday | Tags: 98 Degrees, boy bands, Drew Lachey, Jeff Timmons, Justin Jeffre, Nick Lachey Leave a comment »…and were back!
It’s Wednesday, friends, so time for another edition of Pro-Women Wednesday’s 90s edition. This week we’ll be looking at an undervalued group in the boy band era: 98°, aka 98 Degrees.
Founded in 1996 on the Motown label, the band included Nick and Drew Lachey, Justin Jeffre, and Jeff Timmons (the last guy is the founder and someone who’s probably pretty p.o’d about his lack of fame). As the group rose in the late 90s, their music became the sound track to a 1,000 proms and teenage breakups. Lets pay some homage to their greatest pro-women moments!
“My Everything” was released in 2000 on the Revelation album the last from the collective. Consider reading these words dramatically,
You are my everything
Nothing your love won’t bring
My life is yours alone
The only love I’ve ever known
Your spirit pulls me through
When nothing else will do
Every night I pray
On bended knee
That you will always be
My everything
Next: “The Hardest Thing” from 1999′s 98 Degrees and Rising screams we are four men who aren’t afraid to show our sensitive sides…
I can’t let you see what you mean to me
When my hands are tied and my heart’s not free
We’re not meant to be
It’s the hardest thing I’ll ever had to do
To turn around and walk away
Pretending I don’t love you
Part three will be next week. Any suggestions for the last 90s themed edition?
Non Demeaning to Women Wednesdays: 90’s Edition
Posted: May 9, 2012 Filed under: Music, Non-Demeaning to Women Wednesday | Tags: 90s Music, backstreet boys, BSB, Girl Power Leave a comment »In order to help a girl out, I’ll be taking over the Wednesday spot for the next few weeks. So, I bring you the years that I am most familiar with, the 90s. And what a great decade it was for the ladies. A number of strong single girl musical acts hit the main stage, and a smörgåsbord of boy bands pining for our attention were always around. To honor this period of girl power, I present the three boy bands most famous for their woman praising lyrics.
Backstreet Boys- Brian, Nick, AJ, Kevin and Howie, there was one for every day of the work week. One of the best-selling acts of the 90s, BSB was formed in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. Their debut album Backstreet Boys, featured pro-women singles such as “Anywhere for You” and “I’ll Never break your Heart.” Don’t they sound like loyal bf’s?
Their second album featured the mega fit “I want it that Way.” While almost every 90s pre-teenager knows the lyrics of the songs, I’ll remind you of what I feel are the most powerful lines:
Courtesy of sodahead.com
“No matter the distance
I want you to know
That deep down inside of me
You are my fire
The one desire
You are, You are,
you are, you are…”
Things got a little weird after the 2000 release of Black and Blue. AJ got rehabbed and Kevin left the group (although the eternal rumors of his comeback are ever present). As the BSB grew up, it seems that they became even more woman friendly, getting married, starting charities for breast cancer research, and participating in the “It Gets Better” campaign. You go boys!
More to come next Wednesday!
Topless Tuesday 2.0
Posted: March 20, 2012 Filed under: Topless Tuesday | Tags: Liam Hemsworth, miley cyrus, The Hunger Games, topless, Topless Tuesday Leave a comment »So in honor of “The Hunger Games,” it’s time to explore the male counterparts to Katniss. More specifically, let’s talk about Liam Hemsworth, the guy who plays Gale. While he may be Miss Miley Cyrus’ bf, it’s important to recognize that their relationship is probably not as strong as the connection we all saw in the movie. So rather than comment on his current relationship with the train-wreck, let’s talk about his finer points (and no, I’m not talking about his acting talents).
Let the pics speak for themselves. But if you like what you see, go support him this weekend as the ultimate anti-hero Gale.
Photo Courtesy: shirtlessstars.blogspot.com
Hmm, maybe this one will be better…
Photo Courtesy: life-gay.blogspot.com
So Liam, if you ever get tired of Miley or Katniss, call me (or Kari, she’d be down too)
Things I learned from ‘The Hunger Games’
Posted: March 20, 2012 Filed under: Movies | Tags: book, Hunger Game, Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Katniss Everdeen, Liam Hemsworth, Like Crazy, movie, Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Game movie, The Hunger Games, tribute 1 Comment »On Monday, Kari and I were treated to an advanced showing of the latest teen novella craze, “The Hunger Games.” As a fan of the books (note the use of fan, not die-hard, all-knowing, and emotionally attached super enthusiast), I was excited to see the film adaptation.
While I was impressed with the translation of the book to motion picture, there were some cinematic difficulties that were hard to overcome. The first 20 minutes of the film were pretty shaky, and I found myself craving a wide-angle shot (something I don’t ever think I never imagined I would desire). The constant close-ups on the faces of the actors and a really shaky camera was obviously a stylistic choice made at the expense of content.
But, the books and the storyline speak for themselves and the movie was still an overall hit. That being said, as a professor I thought I would share some lessons I learned from watching the picture.
1. I want to form an alliance with Jennifer Lawrence
Rooney Mara take note: Jennifer Lawrence is epic. After watching her in “Like Crazy” this weekend, its impressive to see the scope of her acting talents. And oh yeah, she kicks ass in all fight scene. If I was to head into the games, I want her on my team.
Photo Courtesy: myhungergames.com
2. 142 minutes is not enough
The books are long, the movie is long, and yet I wanted more. Some critical roles were taken out of the film that made a big difference in the books. It will be interesting to see how they handle it in the next couple of movies. I would have liked a few extra minutes spent in District 12 or the capital, but I’m assuming that could come later.
Photo Courtesy: themoviebanter.com
3. Don’t take Harry Potter for granted
I think I have falsely made the assumption that if the book was good, then it shouldn’t be too difficult to turn it into a good move. Harry Potter is a good example of a good book series made into a good movie series. I always knew that the sacrifices in the HP movies were for the greater good and wouldn’t totally effect the viewing experience. I didn’t have that same level of trust with this film. There was something that put me on edge and made me stress over the parts that were removed and the implications it could have for the next two parts.
Photo Courtesy: zimbio.com
Overall, the movie was pretty well done and I give it a solid B+.
Topless Tuesday 2.0
Posted: March 13, 2012 Filed under: Topless Tuesday | Tags: Britney Spears, Jessica Biel, justin timberlake, Nsync, people, topless, topless men, Topless Tuesday Leave a comment »
foxyreign.com
Hi friends, it’s your favorite professor/Ph.D. student and pop culture junkie. Kari (an awesome roommate for the record) is currently working on her finals project, so I’m taking on the Topless Tuesday responsibilities today.
So let’s get down to it.
Justin Timberlake
When it comes to my personal ‘90s love, no one knows my love like JT. He was always hot, and the rest of *Nsync was just playing backup to his talents.
As he now ponders his engagement to fellow 90s star Jessica Biel (everyone together now… ugh), let’s look back at some of his better moments… like when he’s wearing no shirt.
So lets just let the pics speak for themselves…
Courtesy of big-fashionista.blogspot.com.
Miss Biel, you are one lucky lady, don’t mess it up (because I’m waiting for him to be back on the market again)!
Live Blog From the Oscars
Posted: February 26, 2012 Filed under: Movies | Tags: academy award, Academy Award for Best Actor, Jean Dujardin, Martin Scorsese, nominees, Octavia Spencer, Oscars, The Academy Awards, winners 1 Comment »To make tonight’s Oscars a little more interesting… Kari and I (Hi I’m Alison her roommate) will be live blogging and competing for a brownie to celebrate who picks the most winners! (PS sorry for the spelling, live blogging is far from a perfected form)
Photo Courtesy: reelmaniacs.com
Winners
Cinematography
*Alison – Hugo
Kari – The Artist
Art Direction
*Alison – Hugo
Kari – War Horse
Costume Design
*Alison – The Artist
Kari- W.E.
Makeup
*Alison-Iron Lady
*Kari – Iron Lady
Foreign Language Film
*Alison – Iran
Kari – Canada
Award for Actress in Supporting Role
*Alison – Octavia Spencer
Kari – Melissa McCarthy
Achievement in Film Editing
Alison – The Artist
Kari – Hugo
(oops! Girl with Dragon Tattoo)
Achievement in Sound Editing
*Alison- Hugo
Kari – Transformers
Achievement in Sound Mixing
*Alison – Hugo
Kari – Transformers
Best Documentary
Alison – If a Tree Falls
Kari – Pina
(oops! Undefeated)
Best Animated Featured Film
*Alison- Rango
Kari- Puss in Boots
Best Visual Effects
*Alison – Hugo
Kari – Planet of the Apes
Best Supporting Actor
*Alison – Christopher Plummer
Kari – Jonah Hill
Best Score
Alison – War Horse
*Kari – The Artist
Best Song
Alison – Rio
Kari – My Heart Will Go On (Kari is outraged at this one)
(oops! Man or Muppet)
Adapted Screenplay
Alison – Hugo
Kari – Ides of March
(oops! The Descendants)
Original Screenplay
*Alison – Midnight in Paris
Kari – Bridesmaids
Best Live Action Short
Alison – Time Freak
Kari – Pentacost
(oops! The Shore)
Best Short Subject Documentary
Alison – The Barber
Kari – The Tsunami and Cherry Blossom
(oops! Saving Face)
Best Animated Short Film
*Alison – The Fantastic Flying Books
Kari – A morning stroll
Best Directing
Alison – Hugo – Martin Scorsese
Kari – Woody Allen
(oops! The Artist)
Best Actor (its b/c of the eyebrows)
*Alison – Jean Dujardin
*Kari – Jean Dujardin
Best Actress
Alison – Viola Davis
Kari – Michelle Williams
(Mind blow…Meryl Streep)
Best Film (The Artist)
*Alison – The Artist
Kari – The Help
I had a blast live blogging. See you next award season! -Alison
P.S. I beat Kari 15 to 3. o0o0 burn!
