BLOG: Continuing the celebration of women’s art, stories and victories year round
March may have passed, but women should be celebrated and recognized every day. To stay true to this, here is another blog dedicated to featuring stories about women and/or are told by women. Here are some things across the internet that I found or recently rediscovered that are really freaking cool and interesting.
Music:
“The Sudan Archives” by Brittney Park – Park’s experimental music draws inspiration like Irish jigs, West African fiddle, trap, EDM, lo-fi and guitarist like Jimmy Hendrix. This fusion results in interesting tracks and feels right for the present as it came from the “do it yourself” experimentation of the internet. This interview is embedded with the tracks “Come Meh Way,” “Oatmeal” and “Nont for Sale” and all feature Park’s smooth voice and her sharp fiddle playing. If you listen to MIA or Solange or just like any of her influences her music is a must.
Movies and television:
“Period. End of A Sentence” – This very short documentary looks at how The Pad Project forever changing the lives of the community. I, like probably many people, didn’t hear about this amazing short until it won an Oscar this year. It shows how taboo the idea of menstruation is with many even believing having a period to be a sickness only women get rather than the natural process it is. This movie reminds us that though fighting for menstrual equity at home is great, we need to also think about how to help our sisters overseas in the long term.
“Knock Down The House” – This Netflix original documentary follows four women as they run to become congressional representatives for their district in the 2018 election. The most famous of the group being Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. This is very moving and a real look at the behind the scenes way incumbent politicians aim to keep their power.
“Harlots” – This show manages to do what most shows about non-taboo topics do by having diverse representations spanning race, gender, sexuality, body shape and able-bodiedness. All characters are fully fleshed out and interesting with their own motivations. It follows two rival brothels 18th century England.
One of the few ways for a woman to gain agency for most of history, even sometimes in the present, has been through sex-work. These women being set in a time in which women were literally property becomes even more apparent. There are only two seasons out right now but it can be streamed on Amazon, Hulu or iTunes.
“Shrill” – Starring Aidy Bryant, best known for her role on “Saturday Night Live,” this story follows aspiring writer Annie on her journey to loving herself and addressing the haters along the way including online trolls. The show is inspired by a book which itself is an autobiography by Lindsey West. The writing feels so real as it doesn’t follow a linear story of a woman blossoming but shows the steps backward that we realistically make when “starting fresh” and the bad things that come with too much confidence. This first season is so short with only six 30-minute episodes so be careful or you’ll finish it before you know it.
Must Reads:
“GLOW #1” by Tini Howard, Hannah Templer and Rebecca Nalty – This comic follows the same cast of characters as the Netflix original “GLOW” – which itself is inspired by the actual “Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling” from the 1980s. It captures the same humor and drama from the show but is able to tell a different story in a more creative way on the page. If you haven’t watched the show it may be very confusing as it seems to assume the reader is picking it up because they liked the Netflix show. It is available online and at Bedrock City Comics on Bay Area Blvd.
“The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock” by Imogen Gowar – Going in I was told this was like a feminist retelling of “The Little Mermaid” – which is not at all how I would describe it, but I loved it. Set in 18th century London, it follows a widowed merchant and a popular courtesan as they develop a relationship. The mermaid acts as the agent that brings them together and in which the story is moved around. Like Harlots, it doesn’t shy away from talking about race, class and gender dynamics through the lens of a historical fantasy setting.
More Ya Know:
Colette Fu – It recently occurred to me that I have never talked about an artist on this blog and I can’t think of anyone more talented to share than Colette Fu. Inspired by pop-up storybooks she created large photo collage pop-up books. Some are so large they take two people to open properly and are several feet in length. In addition to “paper engineering,” she has produced stop motion animation features and is a photographer.
“What sex work taught me about the value of my fat body” by Laura Moon – In this short and very honest blog by Moon explains how something often seen as devaluing women helped her find value in herself. She lays out the perception of sex workers both in and out of the industry by both men and women and how she has used that knowledge and experience to learn to value herself the way she is. This is super honest and explicit from the moment it loads so probably the most NSFW than anything on this blog other than “Harlots.”
“The Escapist” – This webisode pilot follows three women of color in their late twenties dealing with the pressures to marry and have a well paying stable job. The focus of this episode is imposter syndrome which is something a lot of us feel in college and after. The paper and past achievements prove we have earned our place but something doesn’t feel right and you almost feel like you walked into it.
