Follow-up to Queer Eye

So I saw the show and was very pleased. I was a little worried, but they did a great job of making who Miles was approachable while still respecting the complexity (I think that's what I'm trying to say).

My friend Sarah informed me that it was not the first time that a trans person was on reality TV, but it was still exciting anyway, it is good to know that Queer Eye is not the only show that was willing to breach the subject.

Finally, I was also quite happy with how loving and accepting Miles' family is. I remember sophomore year we were hanging out in the library (did you notice the Vermont flag in his apartment- well that used to hang in "the fort" the space we took over in the Library) during finals and Miles was nervous about a wedding (I think) he was going to with his family. It was the first time he would be wearing a suit at a family function while his sisters would be wearing dresses. I don't think I ever heard how it went but I am glad to see where his family is at now.

Not that Frida was trans or that this is really related, but I just love Frida and that last paragraph made me think of her:

That's Frida in the middle :)

Queer Eye for the Mount Holyoke Guy

I know what you're thinking. "Is this some J-show skit you were in?" (well maybe you were thinking that if you really know me).

Anyway, this is no skit people, this is the real thing- Bravo TV. Tonight at 10:00 pm Miles Goff, who started Mount Holyoke in '99 (I think) as Amelia Goff will star in Queer Eye for the Straight Guy episode 302: TRANS-FORM THIS TRANS-MAN.

(Miles is in the back)

I don't know Miles well, but I know that he is a good guy and very kind and I'm really excited for him. He was at our reunion and we said something to him about his upcoming fame and he just sheepishly smiled and asked how we had heard about it. A number of the other friends that appear in the episodes are friends and acquaintances from Mount Holyoke. Needless to say Claudia (a fellow MHC alum) and I are having people over tonight to watch the episode.

This is the first time Queer eye has ever had a trans-gendered person on, and my friend Bekka has speculated that this may be the first time a trans-gendered person has been on a reality TV show. So tune in and check it out, and if you don't read this blog until too late, don't distress it's Bravo, here are the other show times: Tue, Aug 1 12:00 AM, Thu, Aug 3 8:00 PM, and Sat, Aug 5 1:00 PM.

Happy watching :)

And America's Next Top model is...

Danielle

(cue cheesy theme music)

Yay! Danielle won. I seriously would have never watched ANTM again if she didn't. And with all the crazy misogynism (I think I made that word up) and racism this season I still may not tune in next season.

In the last episode the models had to do a commercial. Danielle was so nervous about containing her accent that she ended up sounding like she was shouting and her accent slipped out a bit at the end. So once again Tyra reprimanded her for not "turning off her accent". Meanwhile Joanie (the other finalist) let out a bit of a lisp during her commercial- but did anyone say anything about that? Nope!

I realized two things while watching the show: 1) It is ridiculous that the gave Joanie a dentist to take care of her snaggle tooth but told Danielle to just "turn off" her accent (as if people do not hire coaches to train them in that) 2) Since they chose Danielle despite her "accent problems" and despite the fact that they had no issues with Joanie, I have come to the conclusion that someone higher up must have pointed out that Tyra was favoring the Black women too much so she felt the need to start being racist. Or it could just be that old, "I did it so you can too" syndrome- does anyone know where Tyra is from?

Anyway, I'm happy and I'll probably send ANTM a letter that no one will read about how disappointed I was with the show this season...

America's Next Generic model

Okay, so tonight is the season finale of Top model and if they don't choose Danielle this may be the last episode of Top model ever for me.

For those of you who have not been watching this season of Top model let me clue you in. Danielle is awesome. She is a completely normal person, she is not irrational or bitchy or too emotional, she is just normal and cool and basically nice and helpful to everyone- but not overly so. She is also beautiful- she has been taking great pictures since day one.

Danielle is also and individual and proud of who she is. In the first episode when there was a self proclaimed racist on the show Danielle stood her ground and told the girl why she didn't agree with what she was saying. Danielle also has a gap in her two front teeth and when Top model offered to fix it she declined saying it was her trade mark.

Apparently the people at Top model think that beautiful, strong women who are not afraid to be proud of who they are, are bad for ratings. After Danielle declined to have her teeth fixed she was berated by the judges who claimed she was "Leaving a gap for some other girl to fill," and who asked, "Do you think cover girl wants models with gaps in their teeth?" The ironic thing is that the only cover girl model that I can remember from those countless YM and Teen magazines I bought in high school is a model who had a bigger gap in her teeth than Danielle. And I don't remember her because it was ugly- at first I found it odd and then I realized how cool it was because she was distinctly different from the other cookie cutter girls.* Danielle consented to have her gap filled in BUT she would only allow the dentist to fill in some of the gap- thus continuing to assert her individuality.

Once that saga was over they started attacking Danielles accent. Danielle has a southern accent. But she doesn't have the acceptable white southern bell accent like Nicole who won last season. Oh no, Danielle has a deep south black southern accent. According to Tyra Banks, "Accents are beautiful because they show where we are from, but we have to be able to turn them off sometimes (if they make you sound black)." Funny thing is, they also made fun of Nnenna for her accent because she sounded to snooty- she has a Nigerian accent!

So in summation. If they get rid of Danielle and keep personalityless stuck up Jade, just because Danielle has an accent and a small gap in her teeth I may throw things!!! And then I will officially begin my boycott of ANTM.

There is clearly a lot more I could say about this but I need to go home...

*Next time I go home I am going to look through my collection of youth mags for that models picture, and then I am going to send it to Tyra Banks with a note about how odd it is that she decided looking generic is one of the qualifications to be a top model.

Sabbatical

I know what you're thinking. "Why is this girl so irregular with her posting?" I know, I know, I'm working on it, but the last couple of weeks have been kinda crazy. I have spent a number of days out of the office doing regional work. Sounds exciting doesn't it? I have enter names and shredding files- do you know what it is like to shred for four straight hours??? And when I have been in the office I have been working on a masterpiece: "Lost Park".

A while ago my mother sent me a picture file of "Lost Park" that someone had sent to her. Lost Park is the characters from "Lost" as "South Park" characters. I was unimpressed with the job this guy had done so I found the build a South Park character website and started working on my own creation.

I was not actually planning on putting it on my Blog but I recently found out that Linds and Lei (two of my most loyal readers) are also Lost fans. So here it is for your viewing pleasure:

(It is much bigger, clearer and more detailed in reality- this is the biggest I could get it on here. If you want the full sized version let me know and I'll e-mail it to you)

Comments and suggestions are encouraged ;)

I need my moment of Zen

The daily show has been showing reruns all week, and it is making me really sad. I do get my news in other ways- the paper, democracy now, wonkette (thanks claire), other peoples blogs, but I must say Jon Stewart is my favorite place to get the news. Although I could watch Jon's impersonation of George W everyday, it is sooo awesome! "eh heh heh heh...."