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Nov 22, 2011
The Fleshbot Awards 2011
Founded in 2009 the, US-based, Fleshbot Awards aim to recognise the creme de la creme in sexy pop culture, rewarding the year’s sexiest books, movies, technology and positive recognition of stars who’ve blurred the line between the mainstream and erotic worlds.
Held on the 11th of November, the 2011 Fleshbot Awards were hosted by comedian and sex-positive podcaster, Sara Benincasa and award winning erotic actor Stoya. The ceremony featured performance by superstar Belladonna as well as some of New York’s finest burlesque and neo-cabaret performers.
Award winners on the night included:
- Sexiest Film: Shame
- Sexiest TV Show: Game of Thrones
- Sexiest Art: Molly Crabapple
- Sexiest Fashion: Alan Cumming
- Sexiest Music: Fischerspooner
- Sexiest Book: Kristen Schaal ‘The Sexy Book of Sexy Sex’
- Sexiest Technology: Minna Ola
- Porn to Mainstrean Crossover: Joanna Angel
- Mainstream to Porn Crossover: Chyna
- Lifetime Achievement in Sex Culture: Dan Savage
Images from the night can be viewed at FleshBot.com (links to a sexually explicit site).
(Source: fleshbot.com)
Oct 31, 2011
DJ Mag’s Top 100, Misses the Girls Out, again
Electronic music’ bible’ DJ magazine published its top 100 DJs last week and, once again, not one female DJ appears. Not even those revered by the mainstream such as Annie Mac, Lottie or Peaches and not a snifter for Subcultre DJ icons like Janette Slack or Fidelity Kastrow who play to (literally) thousands of people week in week out.
Hanna Hanra wrote a piece for the Guardian on why she’s not surprised the list remains a sausage party.
Oct 31, 2011
The Return of London’s Secret Cinema
London’s Secret Cinema is back this December for three weeks of cinematic surprises. The festival takes place from the 6th to the 31st of December, and will present a mix of film, participatory theatre and cinematic exploration.
Set in an as yet unknown location in central London for its longest run to date, Secret Cinema aims to bring a its audience an experience like no other.
Tickets for December are on now on sale and can be purchased via www.secretcinema.org/tickets.
Oct 25, 2011
The Guardian’s “Growing up for Goths”
It’s frustrating to read an authoritative position on subculture which shows an impressive lack of knowledge on it.
Louise Tickle’s article ‘Growing-up for goths’ in today’s Guardian, is an interesting read to a degree, indeed it can appear that more ‘goths’ visibly stick with ‘being a goth’ into middle age, however, the theme of the article, essentially that active participation in subculture is the domain of those under 30, is entirely incorrect. The broad stroke statement of “many people who belong to youth subcultures such as punk and rave tend to drift away in their 20s” is just not true, particularly not of punk. There are as many older “punks” as there are young “former goths” as any participant in those subcultures can attest.
Ditching the mohawk does not mean shedding of commitment to subculture and equally donning a black trench coat does not make the wearer a goth. Subculture is not a youth phenomenon, that’s a huge misunderstanding of its definition.
The study which is the crux of this story appears to be a sociological assumption based on conversation with a few ‘goths’. Studying those who self identify as devotees of ‘goth subculture’ certainly gives insight into that subculture, but it teaches little on the other subcultures mentioned.
Comments in the article such as “goths may have better career options than an outsider might expect” tread a the line of extreme ignorance and assume it of the rest of us.
“It’s a relatively middle-class subculture, so despite … all the going out and being into the music, goths have always had a fairly positive view of people who are also achieving academically” where are the missing words from this quote? In its current state it’s confusing. Unless there has been a study proving that those of the middle classes generally go out less and are not as ‘into music’ as those of the working, upper and ruling classes and that all other subcultures shun academic prowess.
Link to the article:
Oct 24, 2011
ReBlog: Iscandal App via Richardson Magazine
Wish you knew the minute a homophobic politician who has been railing against gay rights gets caught in bed with another man? There’s an app for that.
Oct 24, 2011
Film Review: How to Start a Revolution ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
- 24th October 2011
At the age of 83, working out of a two room office in a working-class district of East Boston, 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee, Dr Gene Sharp is a far from most people’s image of a revolutionary. Yet his writings on non-violent rebellion against dictatorships have inspired generations of peaceful protesters living under authoritarian governments, including the overthrow of regimes in Serbia, Ukraine, Indonesia, North Sudan and more recently with rousing Arab Spring activism.
How to Start A Revolution, the debut film of journalist Ruaridh Arrow,documents how Dr Sharp’s ideas have guided democratic activists, most notably through his 1993 book From Dictatorship to Democracy, whichcontains a 198 step guide to overthrowing dictators, without violence
The film is successful in providing both a personal portrait of its subject and presenting a globally-focussed piece of documentary film, moving from evocative archive footage of Dr. Sharp’s words in action, to touching glimpses of his personal world and work with The Albert Einstein Institution, which he founded in 1983 to advance freedom through non violent action. Certainly, the most moving scenes show nothing more than a man in his twilight years tending to his beloved rare orchids.
Some of the most personal and touching moments of How to Start a Revolution occur between Dr. Sharp and colleague Jamila Raqib, depicting their close relationship and the determination of each to promote an alternative to violence in revolution. The documentary also features interviews with notable revolutionaries including Serbian Otpor! member Srdja Popovic, Egyptian youth movement leader, Ahmed Maher and leading Syrian activist Ausama Monjad. Sharp’s friend and former colleague, the retired US Army Colonel Robert Helvey, brings a distinct personality and humour to the film as well as covering Dr. Sharp’s early work at Harvard University and with the Burmese revolutionary movement.
Arrow’s film also tackles accusations made on Sharp’s influence in recent years, covering rumours of collusion with the CIA and showing television adverts broadcast in Iran and Venezuela which warn against reading his work, citing him as an American “secret agent”. However the reality is that the Albert Einstein Institution is a hugely under-funded organisation struggling to remain solvent, despite worldwide interest in its work.
As a piece of independent film making How to Start a Revolution is impressive, not only in bringing the thoughts and words of one of most important political philosophers of recent generations onto film for the first time, but also in creating a passionate documentary with purpose. Indeed the film has already received best documentary plaudits at both the Raindance and Boston film festivals and will have an art house cinema release in early 2012. One can only muster the smallest of criticisms of an otherwise flawless work, the constant use of rousing music and black screen graphics give it the feel of a 90 minute trailer for something bigger coming soon, though perhaps that was the point.
- Donna McGrory
Trailer:
Sep 6, 2011
One of the most common biphobic narratives is that the penis is what counts. A woman who has sex with men is really straight, even if she also fucks women; a man who has sex with men is really gay, even if he also fucks women. If a man fucks a man, even once, he is forever corrupted from the heights of heterosexual masculinity.Bisexual Men, Like, Exist And Stuff | No, Seriously, What About Teh Menz? (via sexisnottheenemy)
(via thesmu)
Aug 18, 2011
Edinburgh Festival Fringe Podcasts
Our Editor-At-Large Dee has recorded a series of podcasts at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this is Volume one.
(Source: itsy.org.uk)
Aug 17, 2011
Review: Peace, Love & Petrol Bombs by D.D. Johnston
Peace, Love & Petrol Bombs follows the adventures of a young Scottish lad who, not content with his lot in life as a fast food worker, forms an underground union with his friends, gets politicised, takes part in some of the spectacular anti-capitalist actions of the turn of the millenium then has his life unravel as his optimism fades as the movement stumbles.
Shot through with deadpan humour, it’s both hilarious and heart wrenching. It’s a good document of a particular era, as the optimism of the anti-capitalism movement waxes off the back of the success of J18 & Seattle then begins to wane over the events in Genoa & 9/11. It’s also unflinching in it’s honest depiction of Scottish working class life, taking the fucking rough with the smooth, neither romanticising the proles nor indulging in Welsh-esque rubber-necking.
All in, a great a debut novel and will look forward to more books from D.D. Johnston.
- S.Lyall
Jul 25, 2011
The Sunny Side of Smut | Richardson Magazine
“For most people, pornography use has no negative effects—and it may even deter sexual violence”
By Melinda Wenner Moyer
Jul 25, 2011
Murder, She Blogged: Retrosexism in Life on Mars and LA Noire | Bitch Media
From the village bobby on his bicycle to elaborate games of cops and robbers in mid-20th century America, detective fiction often harks back to the past. From a feminist perspective, this is a can of worms.
Consider Mad Men: feminist and social justice bloggers hated and loved it in equal measure. It certainly highlights the sexism, racism, antisemitism and homophobia of the 1960s. But Mad Men also replicates many of the same problems: white men are still the central characters, and they still hog the screen time. People of color are still sidelined; yes, just like in the 1960s. Ultimately it allows the viewer, particularly the privileged viewer, to take a safari into the past, commenting on how much worse things were then. But it turns out we haven’t moved on so far as to spend equal time exploring the lives of the most marginalized people in that time and place, rather than adopting the gaze and perspective of the white protagonists. (Broadwalk Empire arguably does this better.)
Jul 23, 2011
Amy Winehouse - In My Bed (by AmyWinehouseVEVO)
Jul 18, 2011
Alf Hornborg on How We Have Been Mystified by Technology | Kickitover.org
Alf Hornborg, professor in the department of Human Ecology at Lund University, Sweden has long been untangling the tightly fused networks that merge the material dimensions of the environment with the cultural processes of society. “Machine Fetishism” Hornborg’s term for the way in which we have been mystified by technology highlights the links between technology and asymmetries in global exchange and uncovers the relationship between ecology and power.
Read at Kick it Over.org.
Jul 18, 2011
Amnesty International celebrates its 50th birthday this year and has launched a a fortnightly satirical TV spot ‘Amnesty TV’ - view the You Tube Channel Here.
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