Nicole Kidman on Women’s Rights

04Nov09

Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman stood before congress last month on behalf of UNIFEM, calling for an end to violence against women.

The actress, who was in Washington to testify in favor of the International Violence Against Women Act, admitted that Hollywood can perpetuate negative stereotypes by portraying women as “weak sex objects”, but was quick to point out that she had “no interest” in such roles.

Although Kidman is clearly committed to her post as Goodwill Ambassador for UNIFEM – she traveled to Kosovo in 2006 to meet with abused women and helped launch an advocacy campaign in 2007 – I wonder if the organization would have benefited from choosing another, more suitable, spokesperson.

While it’s undeniable that Kidman has built her career upon a foundation of talent and hard work one need only look at her to see that she too has fallen victim to society’s sexist ideologies. In recent years Kidman’s taut forehead has made her into an unwitting poster child for excessive cosmetic surgery; last week, images of the actor’s apparently immobile face seemed to spark just as much online debate as the actual lobbied cause.

While I don’t believe there’s anything inherently wrong with plastic surgery, I find Kidman’s insistence that she is “completely natural” unsettling. I’m equally disturbed by the way that “role models” like Kidman endorse society’s collective fear of the aging woman by freezing their faces beyond the point of recognition.

The idea that a woman’s allure can only be maintained through youth constitutes a double-standard that is, at its root, abusive. The fact that UNIFEM has opted to elect an ambassador who has, by her own actions, perpetuated negative beliefs about feminine beauty is curious to say the least.

A woman who is paralyzed by insecurity often requires as much counseling as a woman who has suffered at the hands of a man. Perhaps UNIFEM would benefit from acknowledging and mentoring women who have inflicted abuse and self-denial upon themselves.

They can start with their own ambassador.


Filed under: Celebrities, Women   |  1 Comment
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No Burqas on the Street

03Nov09

[photo by deepchi1]

French immigration minister Eric Bessom initiated a debate on French national identity last week, declaring that the country should cease to tolerate burqas – the head-to-toe covering garments worn by many Muslim women – arguing that they run counter to the country’s equality values. Bessom’s statements echo those of French President Nicolas Sarkozy who spoke out against the burqa in June of this year, declaring that the “oppressive” garments are “not welcome” in the territory of the French Republic.

Bessom has not called for a ban on the burqa but the country is considering the option. Despite their minimal presence in France, the garments of Islam have been a point of heated debate for some time: In 2004, a political firestorm erupted when France proposed a law prohibiting Islamic headscarves and other visible religious symbols from appearing in French public schools. A slew of public debates and demonstrations followed.

As contraversial as the garments of Islam may be, legislating a full-out ban will do little to help France’s cause. Any law that prohitbits a woman from wearing a burqa is every bit as tyrranical as the traditions that brought the garment into frutition. While some outsiders view Islamic garments as a symbol of oppression, there are women who don burqas as an expression of free will. To deny a person the right to dress as he or she pleases demonstrates a blatant disregard for human rights.

The “fight” to advance women’s freedoms should not be rooted in coercion. Rather than attempting to prohibit public displays of the burqa, the government of France should empower its citizens with freedom of choice. The most effective way to create positive change within a society is through education and open dialogue – not legislation.

It is only when the government of France begins to view burqa-clad women as equals – instead of as “prisioners” in need of rescue – that an amicable resolution can be achieved.


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Song of the Day – Little Boots – Every Little Earthquake (Yes Giantess Remix)

23Oct09

I have much love for Little Boots. For me, her music calls to mind fond memories of Jem dolls, lite brites and neon plastic jewellery.  Fun.

Here’s “Every Little Earthquake”, remixed by Yes Giantess.  Come to think of it, you should check them out too. I had the opportunity to interview YG’s lead singer last month and he was SUCH a nice guy.  I love when good people find success.  It’s truly inspiring, no?

Anyway, here’s Little Boots.  Enjoy!


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Metric at Massey Hall, Toronto – 10.21.09

22Oct09

Metric performed at Toronto’s historic Massey Hall last night and I was there, screaming like a madwoman.

Hands down, this was one of the best concerts I’ve been to in a long time and that’s saying a lot; I didn’t think anything could top the Underworld concert I saw back in August.

I will be posting a full-length review for Quiet Color later today but for now, here are my initial thoughts:

- The Stills opened the show. This was the second time I’ve seen them perform live. Lead singer Tim Fletcher appeared to be in a far better mood than he was at the Chill on The Hill show.  Julien Blais is an incredible drummer.

- Emily Haines is awesome.  Amazing, even.  She looked phenomenal last night.

- I don’t like Massey Hall as a concert venue - it’s too big to feel intimate and it’s too small to have the mystique of a stadium (yes, I think that stadium concerts have a certain “mystique” about them – what with the pot smoking kids and the smoke machines and all).  What’s more, the seats at Massey Hall are small and crammed together.  A plus side though: pretty much every seat in the house will give you a great view.

UPDATE: Here’s my review for Quiet Color.


Filed under: Canada, Music   |  Leave a Comment
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Balloon Boy is Big Business

21Oct09

On October 15, 2009 the media bombarded us with images of a curious-looking weather balloon drifting through the air. According to the headlines it had become untethered at a private home in Colorado and floated upwards of 7,000 feet before landing a few hours later. Inside the balloon, purportedly, was 6 year-old Falcon Heene.

What initially sparked fear and panic was later revealed to be a giant hoax. Falcon had never been anywhere near the weather balloon – he’d been hiding in a box in the attic the entire time, as instructed by his clearly-deranged father. It turns out that the Heenes are nothing more than a family of fame-mongerers, the masterminds behind a sick publicity stunt aimed at drawing attention to their upcoming reality TV show.

It’s been a week since the Balloon Boy incident and major news networks continue to prattle on about it. Online, people have debated the “newsworthiness” of the story, calling for an end to its coverage.

Yet it continues to make headlines.

Most, if not all, of us have extended this story’s fifteen minutes of fame in one way or another – including those of us who have lamented its coverage. News networks haven’t conspired against us to report solely on the ridiculous and the absurd – instead, they report what sells, and right now Balloon Boy is selling.

Competition is fierce among major news networks. Not only are they forced to contend with one another, but they must also find a way to stay relevant in the face of online social networking, the blogosphere and user-generated content websites like YouTube. The need to report a story first has become more important than anything else – more important than relevancy, more important than fact-checking, and certainly more important than journalistic integrity and we, as a public, seem to be eating it up.

We may collectively despise characters like John and Kate Gosselin, Octomom and the Heenes, but we can’t seem to turn away.

If you’re able to ignore the fame-hungry train wrecks that trapeze across our televisions on a daily basis, I applaud you.

I, obviously, am not that highly evolved.


Filed under: Media   |  1 Comment
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Bah

14Oct09

Here we are less than two weeks into October and the shops have already begun shoveling Christmas down our throats. 

Fearing a less-than-fruitful holiday shopping season, major retailers like Wal-Mart are rolling out the Christmas trees ahead of schedule in hopes that their festive decorations and miniscule price cuts will get people back into stores, buying useless crap that will end up in a Goodwill donation bin in a few months’ time.

Speaking of useless crap, the Christmas toy of the season has been announced.  Allow me to introduce you to Zhu Zhu, the curious-looking toy hamster:

Zhu Zhus do just about everything a real hamster does – from scurrying through a hamster maze (sold separately for around $30.00) to running on a hamster wheel (sold separately for another $30.00) to sliding down a hamster slide (sold seperately for another – you guessed it – $30.00).

Apparently the shops are having trouble keeping Zhu Zhus on the shelf and it’s only a matter of time before they start fetching hundreds of dollars on ebay. At $20-$60 a pop for the hamster alone (sixty bucks will get you a “collector’s edition” Zhu Zhu) the cheapest Zhu Zhu is about four times more expensive than a living, breathing hamster - but perhaps it’s a good thing that Zhu Zhu enthusiasts aren’t buying the real deal. Anybody stupid enough drop over a hundred bucks on a Zhu Zhu plus accessories shouldn’t be trusted with a live animal (or a child for that matter, but I’ll save that rant for another day).

Once upon a time, Christmas was a joyous celebration (or so I’ve been told). Now, thanks to over-commercialization, layoffs,  extreme bullying and bone-crushing debt  have come to define the season above everything else.

Sigh.

Hold on to your reindeers, friends. Xmas 2009 is shaping up to be a looong and bumpy ride.


Filed under: Business   |  2 Comments

Cherylsantamaria.com

09Oct09

Finally!

My website is up and running! Click on the icon above to view it or you can access the site from the handy “Website” tab at the top of this blog. When you’re on the site, I strongly advise that you refrain from clicking on “View Source” as this will reveal the MESSIEST CODE EVER!!

If designing a website has taught me one thing, it’s that I’m a very bad coder.

Like, horrible.

Oh, well.  I’d appreciate your feedback, though. I’m still trying to work out the kinks and any broken links/formatting errors are in the process of being fixed.

Cheers!


Filed under: Shameless Self Promotion, Uncategorized   |  2 Comments

Billy Talent Announces New Canadian Tour Dates (2010)

09Oct09

[photo source]

… Aaaaaaaand here they are:

Mar 3/10 Victoria, BC Save On Foods Centre
Mar 5/10 Penticton, BC South Okanagan Events Centre
Mar 6/10 Kamloops, BC Interior Savings Centre
Mar 8/10 Prince George, BC CN Centre
Mar 9/10 Dawson Creek, BC EnCana Events Centre
Mar 11/10 Red Deer, AB Enmax Centrium
Mar 12/10 Medicine Hat, AB Medicine Hat Arena
Mar 13/10 Lethbridge, AB Enmax Centre
Mar 15/10 Edmonton, AB Rexall
Mar 16/10 Calgary, AB Pengrowth Saddledome
Mar 18/10 Regina, SK Brandt Centre @ Evrez Place
Mar 19/10 Saskatoon, SK Saskatoon Credit Union Centre
Mar 20/10 Winnipeg, MB MTS Centre
Mar 22/10 Sault Ste. Marie Essar Centre
Mar 23/10 Sudbury, ON Sudbury Arena
Mar 24/10 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
Mar 26/10 Ottawa, ON Scotiabank
Mar 27/10 London, ON John Labatt Centre
Mar 28/10 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre


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An Olympics Fact Sheet

07Oct09

I’ve compiled a handy 2010 Vancouver Olympics fact sheet. Since I’m too lazy to put together an entire list in one sitting, I’ll be updating this frequently.

Here’s what I have so far …

1. The Olympic torch looks like a joint.

2. Usain Bolt will NOT be joining the Jamaican bobsled team, so stop campaigning for him to do so.  He’s a runner, people. Not a bob-sledder.

3. The constuction of the Olympic village is a whopping $130 million over budget and, to make matters worse …

4. … Reports are suggesting that the costs may not be recouped, what with the recession and all.

5. The IOC on the other hand is faring quite well, having secured a record $3.8 billion in revenue from broadcasting rights for the 2010-2012 Olympic games.

6. If you ask me, the 2010 mascots are cute as hell, but I’m upset that MukMuk the Marmot has yet to achieve official mascot status.

7. A ticket to the opening ceremonies will set you back about $1500.00 (CAD).

8. Front row tickets to the closing ceremonies are now going for around $4071 (CAD) a pop.

9. According to CTV, Seventy-nine countries will be participating in the 2010 Olympics, while  Tourism Vancouver is saying that 80+countries will be taking part.  WikiAnswers, on the other hand, estimates that there will be 90 participating countries.

In short, nobody knows who is coming to the games.  Also: don’t trust the Internet.

10.  Many Vancouverites are planning on skipping town during the Olympics.  Apparently, the province has been less than enthusiastic about the impending games, sparking rage and disappointment from competing athletes.

11. Why, that looks like a T-rex wearing a pair of Vancouver 2010 Red Mittens!


Filed under: Canada   |  3 Comments

September Happenings and Other Things …

02Oct09

Thanks to all of the lovely people who have signed up for my newsletter!!

Unfortunately September has been a slow month for me, writing-wise.  Right now I’m trying to assemble my own website, to which this blog will be linked.

Phew!

Designing and coding and arranging sure is hard work – even with the help of wonderful programs like Gimp.

I’m sad that writing has taken a bit of a back seat but I’m far too poor to hire someone to design my website for me - such is life, right?

My next newsletter is going to be a Sept./Oct. combo but, in case you were wondering, here’s what I scribbled down in the last 30 days (above and beyond what’s been posted to this blog).

Business-Related:
The Importance of a Company Website [Women on Business - 09/04/09]
Clearing Out the Clutter [Jobacle - 09/14/09]
Three books evey businesswoman should read [Women on Business - 09/26/09]
Writing Tips/Musings
Some of my work has been picked up by the lovely people at Peevishpenman.com! This month, I gave tips on how a freelance writer can protect their work and commented on the ethics of freelance writing.
Music
Here’s my interview with Jan Rosenfeld of Yes Giantess [09/18/09].  While September was a slow month on the music front, I was lucky enough to snag some choice assignments.  Aside from being able to interview a great up-and-coming band, I was able to take in the Moby show at Toronto’s Kool Haus on September 28.

Moby sounds great live. He puts on a very ecclectic show – definitely something there for everyone.

Plus, I was able to get a ton of cool photos, like this one:

Not bad, huh?
Actually, I can’t take credit for this.
Thanks for your great camera work, Wil!  Here’s my full review of the Moby concert [09/29/09].  Go see him the next time he’s in town, ok?
Well, that’s about it.  Not an impressive list I know, but it’s something and that’s better than … ah … nothing?
If you’d like to keep up with my goings on, sign up for my mailing list.

Filed under: Shameless Self Promotion   |  2 Comments
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