Kinky Boots

The movie Kinky Boots apparently focuses on fashion. As the title suggests, it is of special concern to the style of footwear, one of the components of fashion. For fashion trend enthusiasts, it is not only the dress or the suit that counts; the footwear is also of equal value. To many, the brand is the top consideration. Some are on the go for the comfy ones. Still, others search for the cheapest of the cheapest. But one thing’s for sure though: there are no shoes exclusively designed for gays and lesbians. The movie, you see, is no doubt a breakthrough, the first of its kind. At first, it involves a traditional shoe factory manufacturing shoes intended to fit both the conventional sexes, that is, for males and females. When Charlie, however, in his desperate attempt to save the factory, meets Lola, a surprisingly avant-garde line of footwear is launched: sexy boots designed for drag queens. Well, this is pretty justifiable considering the fact that chanteuses are forced to wear women’s footwear, shoes not too sturdy to bear the weight of a man and, of course, prone to breakage at bad times. As the main source of entertainment, music is also apparently shown in the movie. Lola, with his enticing voice and moves, not only impresses his live audience in the bar but also us, who merely watched him on TV. Although not totally manifested, the television and advertising aspects of pop culture can also be seen in the movie. Some shoe brands, whose exact names I can’t recall, were mentioned, and the fashion show towards the end undoubtedly advertises shoe products. Needless to say, the aim of advertising couldn’t be better achieved without the help of the television.

The fact that the boots are custom-designed for transvestites is one aspect of the movie that could potentially be unpopular to the general public. Although gradually gaining the acceptance of some conservatives, cross-dressing and unusual sex behaviors have long and still been considered taboos, especially in some societies where the rule and dominance are still based on a narrow patriarchal mindset. When Charlie seemed to accept Lola’s gender wholeheartedly in the workplace and in front of his employees, it was quite astonishing to see him demean Lola before his townsmen at a restaurant in Northampton. This is, in fact, the perfect circumstance of homophobia still in command today. But despite the fact that transvestites appear to have no place in the social realm, Lola establishes that sans his character, the film would never have been an ultimate crowd-pleaser. Another aspect that may not be too popular is the profession of making shoes. Seldom can we find youngsters in the 21^st century aspiring to become a shoe-maker. (Well, designing could be a better term, of course) Many, especially Filipinos, would rather seek to land “high brow” occupations like law and medicine.

Does the movie have the makings of a classic? I think it has. The formulaic but unique story, the interesting characters and the perfect blend of drama and humor are more than enough for it to stand the test of time. Lola is the picture perfect embodiment of a cross-dressing archetype, but his innate skill to elicit laughter and smiles is just as excellent as any humorist could have. Besides, the film has the subject that is something really new, and it might just be the pioneer for some more films whose main goal is to bring about acknowledgement, if not total recognition to gender types not fit to the conventional men and women.

Courtesy of our gender class last year, I’ve realized that gender is a mere social construct and that it has nothing to do with the person’s whole package and dignity. Kinky Boots further reminds me of the same idea...

Papa Don't Preach

Papa Don’t Preach

Madonna

Papa I know youre going to be upset
cause I was always your little girl
But you should know by now
Im not a baby

You always taught me right from wrong
I need your help, daddy please be strong
I may be young at heart
But I know what Im saying

The one you warned me all about
The one you said I could do without
Were in an awful mess, and I dont mean maybe - please

Chorus:

Papa dont preach, Im in trouble deep
Papa dont preach, Ive been losing sleep
But I made up my mind, Im keeping my baby, oh
Im gonna keep my baby, mmm...

He says that hes going to marry me
We can raise a little family
Maybe well be all right
Its a sacrifice

But my friends keep telling me to give it up
Saying Im too young, I ought to live it up
What I need right now is some good advice, please

(chorus)

Daddy, daddy if you could only see
Just how good hes been treating me
Youd give us your blessing right now
cause we are in love, we are in love, so please

(chorus)

Papa dont preach, Im in trouble deep
Papa dont preach, Ive been losing sleep
(repeat)

Oh, Im gonna keep my baby, ooh
Dont you stop loving me daddy
I know, Im keeping my baby

At the peak of her career in the late 1980s, Madonna brought quite a stir in the music industry with a BANG, topping the U.S. Album charts with hit after hit. After the huge success of “Like a Virgin,” her exceptional songs exploring religious and sexual themes were relentless. “Papa Don’t Preach”, for one, became another top international hit but caused a big hullabaloo for its taboo subject. Released in 1986 by Sire Records, it portrays a pregnant teenager, who decides to keep and raise her child.

The popularity of the artist and the song itself might have negative or positive repercussions on the viewers depending on how it is looked at. Being a pop icon, Madonna has tended to influence, if not, dictate her followers’ set of actions and beliefs. As it seemed to tolerate or even exalt teenage pregnancy, fans would think it is no longer deplorable to get pregnant even at a very young age or without getting hitched. No wonder it was attacked with belligerent criticisms by women’s orgs and associations, parents and, needless to say, conservative religious groups. Even the Vatican condemned her, with Pope John Paul II himself urging Italian fans not to attend her concerts. On the contrary, it’s interesting to note that the song has somehow a positive characteristic in that it illustrates the inevitable real-life experience of young girls who fall in love. Not only is it relevant for its depiction of a timely social issue, but it is also quite laudable for its anti-abortion message. Madonna has chosen to keep her unborn child rather than terminating it, as the lines “But I made up my mind…I’m keeping my baby” suggest.

Madonna is conceivably the best example of a typical or, perhaps, stereotyped Westerner. She has everything what it takes to become a pop icon – her liberal views, her avant-garde and quirky style, and of course, her innate charm and appeal. Since I was too young then to learn how she ruled the world’s hit charts by her songs like this one, I had to ask a couple of queries to my elder sister, who happens to be a diehard Madonna devotee herself. Ate recounted how sensational the “Madonna fever” was back then. From her fashion style to her dance and music, Madonna was no question the center of enticement… and thus a subject of impersonation (I could imagine the hilarious pseudo mole worn by the impersonators). Her look and manner of dress and performances greatly influenced young girls and women. I bet her outfit in the video became a female fashion trend in the 1980s, didn’t it?

In the music video found in youtube, comments about a split-second “nipple slip” are conspicuously of a great number. Curious, I checked it out and found out that at 1:12, while Madonna was dancing, her left nipple actually slips out from her top a split second before the scene cuts away. Well, all I can say is “Oh, that’s something (LOL).” Of course, not to be taken for granted is the dancing itself. I’ve seen Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera and Beyonce Knowles doing tempting dance moves, but this one is especially out of the ordinary. You could really feel the adrenalin kicking with Madonna’s pulsating and seductive steps!

Truly, I hadn’t really been a self-proclaimed fanatic of Madonna. Her hits in the late 90s like Ray of Light, Frozen, and Music as well as her recent Four Minutes, which features Justin Timberlake, weren’t really hits for me. It was only when I chanced to view this video that all of a sudden, I became an instant Madonna aficionado. Does it have something to do with age? I don’t know.

Nevertheless, there is no surprise Guinness Book of World Records lists her as the world's most successful female recording artist of all time and the top-earning female singer in the world. After all, the facts, records, and statistics say it all.

ben

Ben

Ben, the two of us need look no more
We both found what we were looking for
With a friend to call my own
I'll never be alone
And you, my friend, will see
You've got a friend in me
(you've got a friend in me)

Ben, you're always running here and there
You feel you're not wanted anywhere
If you ever look behind
And don't like what you find
There's something you should know
You've got a place to go
(you've got a place to go)

I used to say "I" and "me"
Now it's "us", now it's "we"
I used to say "I" and "me"
Now it's "us", now it's "we"
Ben, most people would turn you away
I don't listen to a word they say
They don't see you as I do
I wish they would try to
I'm sure they'd think again
If they had a friend like Ben
(a friend) Like Ben
(like Ben) Like Ben

Co-written by Don Black and Walter Scharf , “Ben” is the theme song of the 1972 film of the same name (the sequel to the 1971 killer rat movie Willard). While “Willard” was a huge success, “Ben” was a huge flop but certainly not the song. Recorded then by fourteen year-old Michael Jackson, the song was a number-one single pop hit. It spent one week at the top of the U.S. charts and a total of eight weeks in Australia. It became the first of thirteen number-one pop hits for Jackson in the United States and his first number-one as a solo artist. "Ben" won a Golden Globe for Best Song and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

I wouldn’t have got the opportunity to know all these hadn’t I heard my dad crooning the song in one of our videoke sprees; I wouldn’t have realized that it ever has existed. It was even a startling discovery he could actually give justice to songs other than the Beatles’. (Shhhhh. It’s just between us. Well, he’s cyberphobic anyway. LOL.) But what surprised me more was that I suddenly got smitten with it, and the next thing I knew was that I already caught myself humming and literally enjoying its beat. Unlike other songs that usually just come and go, “Ben” came and would definitely stay with me for good because it has become one of my all-time favorites.

The song has got it all – a profound and catchy lyrics, a superb classic beat, a legendary artist. What more can you ask for? No wonder Shaggy considers it as his most wanted Michael Jackson song as revealed in an interview: “I like the fast records of M. J.; they’re all great. But I love the balanced one. It’s just the way he sings “Ben” that is a bang to me.” I couldn’t agree more. Sounding more like a mellow music, it’s definitely a rare deviation to Jackson’s trademark fast song beats accompanied by pulsating dance moves. But it’s that pleasantly smooth sound that makes it a better variation.

Without any background of the song, one would surely get freaked out if he learns that it is actually dedicated to a rat. Waaah! A romantic song for a rat? That has to be an outright joke! But one has got to believe it since the movie’s plot revolves around a loner mama’s boy who befriends a rat, a swarm leader, that keeps his spirits up in the face of bullying and to some extent kills those who mistreat him. The story is kind of weird; however, in a cluster of kids, there has to be at least one who’s a recluse, the object of bullying, or the outcast of the group. And usually, this child finds refuge in whatever pet he/she has. With this in mind, the lyrics therefore leave a message that some children could readily relate to. It gives them hope that no matter how rejected they’d seem to be, there must be this ‘someone’ that he can always turn to, a friend that he can always count on. Moreover, it could also be simply relevant to ordinary friends; it’s a celebration of the sense of satisfaction and delight that one finds in friendship.

Perhaps, the best thing about the song is that it is sung by no other than the legend himself, Michael Jackson. When asked about why she is fascinated by M. J., singer-poet Jill Scott said, “The choice that he makes is glorious. When singing the song, he emotes; that’s a gift.” I could really attest to everybody's remark that every time he performs, one could really spot parallel emotions from his visage as found in the song. When he does his craft, it seems the stage is his, without appearing arrogant like most singers do. In this particular song, he’s utterly at his best; not many singers could put over a love song to a rat. With his first-class moves, excellent voice, and terrific charm, he’s the prodigy that everyone is envious of. But in spite of this, he ostensibly does not feel any satisfaction. He seemed to have a body-dysmorphic disorder that he had undergone all those ridiculous plastic surgeries that, in fact, only made him look hideous. It’s a shame that we can no longer see the captivating charm that Michael Jackson used to have as apparent in the video. One comment reads “He used to be so pleasant to look at. Now, he totally freaks me out.” Again, human inanity is at work here. How could he do those mutations to such a fine appearance! Not only did he engage in that idiocy, he also has been involved in dreadful scandals with his being a pedophile on top of the list. But somehow, I think the best thing we could do as fans (past or present) is to sympathize him as he fell prey to his own father when he was just a little kid. “Bubi” comments “This goes to show what abuse can do to the mind of a child. He has always blamed his dad for what he has become today.”

Despite everything that he's been going through today, he still deserves all the credit. No one can ever match his genuis; he still is the king of pop!

You're the Voice

The practice of analyzing and evaluating a text through the major literary criticism approaches has got to be kept alive if you happen to belong to the English Society. After all, what’s the sense of being an English major without embracing the hell out of it? (Pardon the language) Amidst our busy schedule, the seemingly unending phenomenon strikes once more but only a little better this time as we no longer have to deal with lengthy and sometimes utterly profound literary texts. Now, we tackle a much interesting one as it comes in the form of a song.

First released in 1987, the song, “You’re the Song,” was originally sung by John Farnham, an Australian pop singer. It has become a hit not only down under but also in many countries, but it flopped in the US. The lyrics was composed in the collaborative efforts of Andy Qunta, Mitchel Reid, Maggie Ryder and Chris Thompson. The likes of Australian Idol first season winner, Guy Sebastian; the rock band Heart; and the recent American Idol finalist, David Archuleta are among those who have the song’s cover versions.

Here goes the lyrics:

You’re the Voice

John Farnham

We have the chance to
turn the pages over
We can write what we wanna write
We gotta make ends meet
before we get much older
We're all someone's daughter
We're all someone's son
How long can we look at each other
Down the barrel of a gun?

[ Chorus: ]
You're the voice, try and understand it
Make a noise and make it clear
(Oh Oh Oh Ohooooh)
(Oh Oh Oh Oh Ohooooh)
We're not gonna sit in silence
We're not gonna live with fear

This time, you know that we
all can stand together
With the power to be powerful
Believing, we can make it better
We're all someone's daughter
We're all someone's son
How long can we look at each other
Down the barrel of a gun?

[ Chorus: ]

We're all someone's daughter
We're all someone's son
How long can we look at each other
Down the barrel of a gun?

[ Chorus ]

MARIO:

With regard to its inherent features, it is conspicuous that the lyrics employ simple and straightforward wordings that juveniles and adults alike can easily grapple with. Except for the following lines: “How long… down the barrel of a gun” and “We have… to turn the pages over; …write what we wanna write, it doesn’t use sundry literary tropes that usually confuse and make listeners delve into what a word or phrase actually means. The former simply means that the war and violence the persona and the people (depending on who it is addressed to) are suffering from must now come to an end. The latter two, which support the idea of the first one, imply that it is about time for the people to make a difference to the situation they are in as the power to change it is within their hands. Moreover, the tone is pretty much personal considering the fact that it is directly addressed to the ones listening it, with the use of the pronouns “we” and “you”. Like any other songs and being basically a poem, ‘You’re the Voice’ makes use of the elements of a traditional poem such as rhyme and meter.

AMOS:

I just like the lyrics of this song. especially I really like the lyrics in the second passage. "We're all someone's daughter. We're all someone's son. How long can we look at each other. Down the barrel of a gun." it is really realistic and idealistic expression. how long could people look at each other down the barrel of a gun? perhaps a couple of minutes? anyway I like the point of this passage.

MARIO:

Considering the milieu of the text, some research would be of great help for its analysis, and so I dug deeper to the matter and found out some interesting notes. The song was recorded in 1985, so I looked into some topics relevant to wars that might have happened in Australia back in the mid or late 80’s, but I failed to find one. With this in mind, it should probably be particularly related to the so-called Persian Gulf War between the armed forces of Iran and Iraq, which lasted eight long years from 1980 to 1988. Perhaps, the composers were deeply moved by the horrifying effects of the war as it resulted in thousands of casualties, including not only soldiers but innocent civilians as well. The scenes of war and hostilities are also depicted in the music videos of Farnham and Heart, with the latter making it appear like a documentary.

AMOS:

I think this song's general point is to prevent the war or I may say the chaotic reactions that coming from the disagreement, human's vanity and their selfishness because i saw the phrase, ' Say No To War ' in the performance of the group heart. In the performance of john Farnham and Heart I could catch these things out bacause there is a scene that showing the war or an argument of the people.

MARIO:

The song undoubtedly delivers a powerful message of freedom, hope, and human sensitivity. It portrays the people’s desire and optimism to achieve a peaceful and serene atmosphere. Though the song was at its peak two decades ago, it is still timely and relevant to our contemporary time. Although we do not experience the ill effects of wars first hand, we can feel and even share the excruciating pain felt by mothers, children and many other innocent individuals as lives have been taken instantaneously in Iraq for a couple of years now. Certainly, now is the right time to divert our attention from petty things to the really crucial ones. We have to work not for the attainment of our own selfish ends but for the realization of the ever-elusive world PEACE.

Much to its substantial point and significance, I now come to the even more interesting part --- the comparison among a few versions including the original singer John Farnham, Heart, Guy Sebastian, and David Archuleta. Of the four, Guy Sebastian is the best, vocal-wise. He has this one of a kind voice that’s simply great to listen. However, I have an aversion to the way he does his thing on the stage; he seems too arrogant that I’d rather choose listening to him singing on the radio than watching him on tv. (To Guy’s aficionados, I’m sorry.) David Archie’s version, on the other hand, is not bad but I prefer that of Farnham’s. Ever since I’ve become an American Idol freak, David has never been my bet. Why? Well, his voice quality, for me, reeks of mediocrity. I was even startled when he made it to the top three, even more when he placed second to David Cook. Perhaps, David Archuleta’s edge to the other contestants is that he has the charisma, the charm and appeal that inspire admiration in the audience. David Cook, by the way, deserves his victory. (His version of Mariah Carey’s Always Be My Baby was unreservedly superb!) John Farnham’s overall performance in the video is quite awesome but a little funny. The all-black-background video showing a television set passing by behind him is pretty odd, giving us an idea about how poor the special effects were back then. (See it yourself, and you’ll realize.) I find Heart’s video an excellent and more appealing one because it uses videos and photographs of agonizing scenes, providing us a sort of factual account of what actually has been happening.

AMOS:

I like this song very much!! At first, when I saw the video clips of John Farnham and Heart, I just thought “What kind of song is this?” Isn't this to old and weird? And what kind of genre is this song? But I really liked the melody of the song. When I saw the performance of David Archuleta and Guy Sebastian, I just realized that I was already following it and singing it.
Guy Sebastian's performance was the mostly liked one for me. I could really feel the power and I think he had expressed the feelings of that song very well.

blog novice

As a novice, I've had second thoughts of writing my first blog entry; it might just be a whole mess. But everything, I guess, goes through a shaky start, and so I thought "why not give it a try".
But then again, the duende, muse and other stuff seem to elude me right now. Hence, I have to cut this short; wish I could make a better one next time. Xenxa...