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Economic Car Crashes
In a complete turn around from Monday’s embarrassment, the House has just passed the bailout with a margin of 92 votes.
While everyone on Capitol Hill is patting themselves on the back and both presidential candidates are claiming the role of our knight in shining armor, the big question is: what changed? What revisions were made to change the minds of the 200+ politicians who deemed the plan un-American?
Did they increase the direct benefits to their constituents? Maybe extend a little help to the 9.4 million people who are unemployed? Change the bankruptcy laws to protect all those houses on Main Street from going into foreclosure?
Of course not.
Unlike President Roosevelt, who was under more pressure and facing a nation in even greater despair, Congress didn’t use this opportunity to reform an inherently corrupt system. Instead, they packed the rescue bill with earmarks so off the wall it’s almost funny. Two of my favorites are a $2 million tax break to wooden arrow manufacturers in Oregon and $192 million rebate for rum producers in the Caribbean.
Forget lipstick on a pig. They brought a band-aid to a car crash.
Being the responsible college senior that I am, I spend a lot of time mulling over my future and what I need to do to ensure my long-term success. Normally such thinking involves things like employer 401ks and high-yield savings accounts (I know, I’m a nerd). However, as I watched the news coverage of Fannie, Freddie, and the bailout that wasn’t on Monday, my strategy went by the wayside.
Now, all that comes to mind is how much I’d like to get my hands on one of those shiny red Easy Buttons from Staples.
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John Edwards: Gay Marriage Advocate?
On a night when the country’s attention was on the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, and with a barrage of evidence and rumors barreling down on him, populist hero John Edwards quietly admitted that for almost a year he had cheated on his wife Elizabeth, a woman who is possibly more respected than he is and has cancer. Oh, and there’s a baby involved.
Whenever scandals of this nature pop up and the public has to sit through another publicity shot of the apologetic statesman with his tail between his legs and dutiful wife by his side, the same reactions arise. Some see it as a strictly private issue that has nothing to do with a person’s leadership or civic duty. Others feel it one more example of how politicians -- or men in general -- are pigs.
For me, the flawed characters of men like John Edwards bring one question to mind – Why is gay marriage illegal again?
The Edwards scandal, despite its salacious details, has surprisingly been a minor blip on our cultural radar, swept away by the Jonas Brothers and Chinese gymnasts. Part of the neglect is due to the fact that the snooty main stream media was scooped by the lowly National Enquirer. Another factor is that if you remove Elizabeth Edwards’ illness from the tale, it is a story that pops up every few months: charming politician lets his ego and hormones get away from him (and it’s always a man). From Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to Sen. Larry Craig to former NY Gov. Eliot Spitzer, we’re experiencing infidelity fatigue.
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Will Black Ever Be the New Black?
Black. Is there anything more iconic, more essential to fashion? More than just a color, it is an aspiration - sexy, classic, provocative, demure, slimming. It's Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's and punk pioneer Sid Vicious. Black is never out of style - except when it comes to skin color.
Outrage and concern over the fashion industry's obsession with super skinny models and exotic furs, but little thought is given to its underlying racism.
Last year, only three Black models were cast in New York's fashion week. Across the pond in London, a whopping one model of color was used. Things were even worse in Milan percentage-wise where of the 1,084 times an outfit was sent down the catwalk, it was worn by a Black model a mere fourteen times.
The numbers for Asian and Latina women were just as anemic and disturbing, but the representation of both ethnicities was still better than Blacks.
The print industry is no better. A couple of months ago a writer for The Times of London scoured through 25kgs (about 55lbs) of the top fashion magazines from the United States, Europe, Japan, and India. Wading through thousands of pages of editorials and advertisements, the journalist found paltry 163 photos of non-White models. Fourteen of this already laughable statistic were of Africa descent. In an industry where exposure is such a vital part of success, the absence spoke volumes.
Not to be left out, the beauty world is doing its part to promote a less colorful society. "Tanorexia" may be on the rise amongst our porcelain-skinned peers, but the aversion to dark skin that began on plantation fields 400 years ago is not only present, it is thriving in the 21st century.
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Can We Talk?
I've been thinking a lot about the magnitude of these elections, and I have decided that the one person worthy of leading this great country is…Condoleezza Rice. Sure she's an enabler for warmongering megalomaniacs and the architect of one of the most embarrassing, destructive regimes in United States history. We are probably opposites on every important issue at stake. But, I don't really care about silly things like ideologies. I'd throw every belief out the window to get Condi in the White House. Looks are what count, specifically, how much a person looks like me. Unlike the guy stumping in for the Democrats, Ms. Rice is not only Black, she's a woman too! It's a win-win situation, right?
Just kidding. Like most people, basic intelligence and a sense of responsibility inform my decisions, not demographics. If you missed my sarcasm, I won't hold it against you. The opinions of Black women have routinely gone unnoticed in the media's election coverage.
Which brings me to a question that has been bothering me: In an otherwise boisterous election, why have African American women been so silent?
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Wanted: Superhero
A well coiffed offering from comedy king Will Ferrell couldn’t deliver, nor could a steamy bodice-ripper from It Girls Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. The Wachowski brothers (the duo behind The Matrix) bombed spectacularly with their $160 million revision of Speed Racer. The standard formulas for Hollywood hits -- marquee actor, pricey special effects, sexy starlets – just aren’t working like they used to.
A look at the year’s most talked about films and recent box office numbers shows the public wants more than big names. From well-known icons like Iron Man, Batman, and the Incredible Hulk to fringe characters Hellboy and The Spirit, the public is on a full-on superhero binge.
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Vogue Resurrects Old Stereotypes
I should have known it wouldn't last. The year began with such promise. America was starting to look beyond rehashed stereotypes. Progress and possibility were everywhere. Barack Obama was on the verge of breaking into the ultimate Good Ol' Boys network. Sports writers were waxing poetic on Tiger Woods' status as the greatest of all time and quest for golf's Grand Slam seemed inevitable.
Then Vogue announced LeBron James would grace its April "Shape" issue alongside uber-model Gisele Bundchen, and ... my excitement crumbled.
I know it's just some athlete posing for a picture, but the news of James' coverboy status on the venerable fashion mag had me almost as excited as the other milestones. Vogue is notoriously picky (or prejudiced depending on how you look at it) when it comes to who is allowed on its cover. In its 118 years in publication, there have only been two men and three African Americans to appear on the front cover. (To be fair, Vogue is an equal opportunity discriminator. The designers of Rodarte were recently told to go on a diet and get a personal trainer if they wanted to be in this month's release.)
So, to hear that a Black man was chosen for such a popular issue ... surely, this was a good sign.
If only. What I had thought would be a stylish symbol of cultural growth, was nothing more than a lesson in Black Stereotyping 101. The suave, graceful superstar we see on and off the basketball court was replaced by a snarling, Scary Black Man. Whatever hope or pride I had felt in anticipation of the April cover was replaced by shame and dissappointment. I am pretty thick skinned, but this stupid little picture hurt.
The photo, which bares a striking resemblance to classic King Kong posters, plays on deep rooted beliefs of the past. The image of Black men as animalistic, predatory thugs is apparently still going strong.
Of course, not everyone sees a tinge of racism in James' cover, which is exactly why I find it so disturbing. Obvious injustices -- like nooses swinging from a tree in Jena -- are easy to spot, easy to confront. It is the small, subtle slights that go unnoticed and end up holding us back.
Anika Brown, 22, studies fashion at Academy of Art University in San Francisco and spends her spare time designing t-shirts. Her interests include pop culture, politics, music, art, and, of course, fashion.