Pop Goes the Culture - AprillBrandon's Blog - Victoria Advocate

Pop Goes the Culture - AprillBrandon's Blog - Victoria Advocate http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon Shoulder pads, slap bracelets, Sinead O'Connor, streakers, sideburns, Sex and the City, string art, sea monkeys, SUVs, the Slinky. The best part about trends and passing fads (besides blackmailing your friend with the picture you have of her in that 1986 poodle perm) is the insight it can give us about our world. Sure, at the time a rat tail and listening to New Kids on the Block may have just seemed like harmless fun, but trends are more than just being able to say "Yes, I too tried the Adkins diet." And so this blog is devoted to finding all the latest trends and passing fads our culture can come up with and trying to figure out what they say about us other than at one point, we too thought the Emo look was cool. Shoulder pads, slap bracelets, Sinead O'Connor, streakers, sideburns, Sex and the City, string art, sea monkeys, SUVs, the Slinky. The best part about trends and passing fads (besides blackmailing your friend with the picture you have of her in that 1986 poodle perm) is the insight it can give us about our world. Sure, at the time a rat tail and listening to New Kids on the Block may have just seemed like harmless fun, but trends are more than just being able to say "Yes, I too tried the Adkins diet." And so this blog is devoted to finding all the latest trends and passing fads our culture can come up with and trying to figure out what they say about us other than at one point, we too thought the Emo look was cool. en-us Toddlers with guns, drunken breastfeeding and cat-tossing criminals http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9917 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9917 <p>Man, those New Year's resolutions must be making everyone a bit crazy this week. When scouring the Internet for a blog topic, I came across so many, I just simply couldn't choose. </p> <p>So instead I decided to round 'em all up for your pleasure and for a nice self-esteem bolster. Your life may suck but at least you ain't these people. </p> <p><a href="http://www.wfsb.com/news/18420988/detail.html">A Connecticut woman is accused</a> of taking her 3-week-old baby to a bar and then later breastfeeding the child while intoxicated. (Note to self: Call mom later and thank her for bottle feeding me). </p> <p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090106/ap_on_re_us/young_shooter">A 4-year-old boy in Ohio</a> grabbed a gun from the closet and shot his babysitter (Woo! Go Buckeyes!). Apparently the little rascal was angry when the babysitter, Nathan Beavers (seriously, that's his name) stepped on his foot. </p> <p><a href="http://www.wmtw.com/cnn-news/18417928/detail.html">A small town in Maine</a> is currently weighing the pros and cons of opening up a topless coffee shop in town. Ah, man, can you imagine the scars from accidental spills? (Shudder). </p> <p><a href="http://www.wsbtv.com/news/18414904/detail.html">A cat-tossing burglar was finally arrested</a> in Georgia after he was caught on tape literally tossing a cat 20 feet in the air while robbing the Forestry Commission. And see this is why watch-cats will never be able to compete with watchdogs. </p> <p>Now see, don't you feel better about yourself?</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> Celebrity sighting at Hastings...again http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9900 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9900 <p>OK, so I'm not a celebrity in even the broadest sense of the word (unless you count my wanted posters in Indiana, but that's a blog for another time), but that didn't stop Hastings Hardback Cafe from calling me up again and asking me to be one of their celebrity baristas this month. </p> <p>January is Coffee Month and the cafe will be celebrating it in style, with drink specials, open mic nights, poetry readings and live music. And just as they did last year, each Wednesday they will feature a local "celeb" to come and play barista.</p> <p>So if you aren't busy this Wednesday (Jan. 7), come on over to the Hardback Cafe and say hi. I'll be there from 6-8 p.m., taking orders, mingling and stealing sips of coffee until I'm so caffeinated, even hummingbirds are stunned. </p> <p> </p>  The new cultural war over nipples...seriously http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9877 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9877 <p>Well, the age-old argument over breast feeding in public (Natural or Creepy?) has taken on a whole new spin thanks to Facebook.</p> <p><a href="http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1869128,00.html">According to TIME magazine</a>, when the popular social networking site announced a new policy banning any photos it deems obscene, including, you guessed it, fully exposed breasts, it riled up thousands of breastfeeding moms across the country. </p> <p>Their beef with the policy? Specifically, photos cannot show a woman's nipple or areola. Starting last summer, the site began getting rid of people's "obscene" photos, throwing out the girls gone wild shots, as well as photos of moms' breastfeeding. </p> <p>Well, hell hath no fury like a woman with tender breasts scorned and some 11,000 protesters held a virtual nurse-in by uploading breastfeeding photos onto their Facebook profiles. According to the story, by Dec. 30, more than 85,000 members had joined a Facebook group called "Hey, Facebook, breastfeeding is not obscene!" </p> <p>This new take on the breast feeding debate has stirred up several issues, including:</p> <p>Why are people so freaked out by breastfeeding? </p> <p>Why is a breast not "obscene" until you see the nipple? Essentially you can put two tiny stickers over your nipples and leave the rest out there in the open, and apparently it's perfectly acceptable. But take those stickers off...scandalous!</p> <p>Who decides what is obscene in a photo over at Facebook?</p> <p>Why aren't dude's nips considered offensive?</p> <p>Oh Facebook, you have opened up a whole new can of worms with this one. Good luck. </p>

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Breastfeeding_cafe_2_Jan06_WEB[1].jpg Revenge of the Red Light Cameras http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9866 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9866 <p>Just when you thought American teens were becoming robotic products of a flawed education system, along comes a story like this that reminds us all that they can think creatively...if illegally. </p> <p>According <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=3361929&referralPlaylistId=undefined">to this story on Fox News</a>, some high school students in Maryland are using red light cameras to get revenge on teachers, parents and that annoying head cheerleader Muffy. </p> <p>It's called speed pimping (true story) and this is how it works: Teens download the font of the Maryland license plates, print out the license number on glossy paper, paste them over their own license and then proceed to speed through, you guessed it, red lights. </p> <p>The result is that a lot of people end up getting a $40 ticket in the mail and consequently have no idea why. </p> <p>As much as I know this is wrong, I couldn't help but chuckle a little when I heard this. It's rather ingenious and how many of us out there wouldn't love to stick it to The Man every once in awhile. Yes, yes, I know as an adult, I should not think this is funny. But still...what I would give if speed pimping had been around when I was in high school. Mr. Abbott would have gone bankrupt (give me a Saturday detention, will ya?). </p> <p>So look out Port Lavaca parents, teachers and Muffy. If you start receiving mysterious speeding tickets via mail, you may want to find out what little Johnny is up to after school. </p> Top 10 Christmas songs of all time http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9831 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9831 <p>Yes, people, I'll admit it. I am a card-carrying member of the Overzealous Christmas Lovers Club. Beginning Dec. 1, the Christmas tunes are playing non-stop (much to the chagrin of anyone riding shotgun or who happens to be a house guest). </p> <p>So I decided to use my expertise in this area to compile my picks for the best 10 Christmas songs. And yes, I realize that some people will get their Santa hats all in a twist because I left some great songs off this list, but come on, folks. It's Christmas. Be nice. Santa's watching. </p> <p>And just to get it out of the way so you won't be searching for them, ditties concerning Rudolph, Frosty or jingling bells were left off. They are overplayed and if it wasn't for the context of Christmas, would probably be considered crappy songs. </p> <p>And now, onto the list (in no particular order):</p> <p><strong>Santa Baby:</strong> Grrr...baby. Eartha Kitt puts some sass into the holiday season with this one. Suddenly, Christmas seems much more glamorous and swigging from a martini glass seems totally in place as your slaving away baking those gingerbread cookies. Who says Christmas has to be all about the kids? </p> <p><strong>Silver Bells:</strong> Call me a sucker for Johnny Mathis but to me, the Christmas season doesn't officially start until I hear this song. </p> <p><strong>Baby It's Cold Outside</strong>: How any woman can even hesitate for a second when Dean Martin is begging you in his silky, sexy voice to stay is beyond me. Yes, baby it is cold outside and yes, baby, I will stay. In fact, I'll stay as long as you want me to, Deano. </p> <p> <strong>Happy Christmas (War Is Over</strong>): It's an unlikely Christmas hit but it's a classic with substance. And tell me you don't feeling something stirring in your heart that is three sizes too small when you hear that chorus of children's voices. </p> <p> <strong>All I Want for Christmas</strong>: Okay, let me preface this choice with my feelings on Mariah Carey. I hate her. Deeply. Truly. PASSIONATELY. But somehow in between her diva antics and skanky outfits, she created a true contemporary Christmas classic. </p> <p> <strong>Do You Hear What I Hear?:</strong> For everyone, there is that one Christmas song they hear that almost brings tears to your eyes every holiday season. For me, it's this song, especially if it's a pre-crackhead Whitney Houston belting it out. I do hear what you hear, Whit, and it's freakin' beautiful.</p> <p> <strong>The Chipmunk Song:</strong> Maybe I'm nostalgic for the days when my cousins and I would suck the air out of helium balloons and sing this song much to the delight of our parents, but either way, this song is a definite Christmas classic. </p> <p><strong>I'll Be Home for Christmas:</strong> It may not be as cheery as other songs, but what makes this song so great is it reminds those of us who are home for Christmas just how lucky we are to be there. Not everyone gets to be. </p> <p><strong>O Holy Night:</strong> There are usually two kinds of people when it comes to Christmas music: Those that prefer "Silent Night" and those that prefer "O Holy Night." As you can see, I'm in the latter. It's a far superior song, especially if sung right by a huge choir. And if you don't get goosebumps when the explosive "Fall on your knees" part begins...well, then you're probably going to hell, my friend (DISCLAIMER: Aprill is not a religious scholar in any way, or an expert in any field really, and as such, everything she says should be taken tongue-in-cheek). </p> <p><strong>Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer:</strong> I'll probably get run out of town by this choice, but what can I say? It cracks me up every time. Plus, I have a feeling someday I'm going to be that grandma who drank too much eggnog and forgot her medication, so I can sympathize with her plight. </p> <p>Honorable Mention: <strong>Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas</strong></p> There's no one as Irish as Barack O'Bama http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9822 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9822 <p>Ay, it's a good day, lads, for all of us out there with Irish blood pumping through our veins. As it turns out, our president-elect, Barack Obama, has roots that dig deep into the Emerald Isle. Heck, he practically bleeds green, folks. </p> <p>His great-great-great-grandfather came from Moneygall in County Offaly.</p> <p>Being a good portion Irish meself, I for one, am thrilled. And I'm not the only one. A lovely band by the name of Hardy Drew and the Nancy Boys (which also gets my vote for best band name ever) has even written a song about this wonderful development. </p> <p>Called "There's No One as Irish as Barack O'Bama," it has become a huge hit on YouTube, getting over half a million hits. Click the video to the left to watch.  </p> <p>And for those of you not savvy with the heavy Irish tongue, here's a glimpse at some of the lyrics:</p> <p>"O'Leary, O'Reilly, O'Hare and O'Hara <br /> There's no one as Irish as Barack O'Bama<br /> <br /> You don't believe me, I hear you say <br /> But Barack's as Irish, as was JFK <br /> His granddaddy's daddy came from Moneygall <br /> A small Irish village, well known to you all<br /> <br /> Toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a loo, toor a lama <br /> There's no one as Irish As Barack O'Bama"</p> <p>So let's all have a pint and celebrate. I know I will be (just as soon as the boss isn't looking).</p> <p>To find out more about Hardy Drew, <a href="http://www.hardydrew.com/">click here</a>. <br /> </p> <p>Update: Sadly, Hardy Drew and the Nancy Boys have changed their name to the much less fun Corrigan Brothers. Boo. Their new website is <a href="http://www.corriganbrothers.com">www.corriganbrothers.com</a>. <br /> </p>

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303134[1].jpg Sorry I stole your credit card, honey, but I had a good reason... http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9796 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9796 <p>W00t! Clear out the aisles, boys. Momma now has a psychological reason to go shoe shopping. </p> <p>Yes, in simply fan-freakin-tastic news today, it seems that women who love shoes (ahem...such as, oh-I-don't-know...ME!) have a good reason for spending way too much money on 500 pairs of stilettos. Deep down, we are drawn to shoes and the meanings behind them. </p> <p>In a <a href="http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=4226712&cl=11163066&src=news">news video on Yahoo</a>, a reporter delves into the psychological reasonings behind women's love for shoes (giving women everywhere more ammo against their husband's arguments of "But don't you already own enough shoes?"...The answer? NEVER!). </p> <p>Call it the Cinderella complex, but putting on a fabulous pair of shoes actually seems to change the way women not only walk (or limp if it's for too many blocks) but also how we see ourselves. </p> <p>So, honey, for the sake of my self esteem, I had to steal your credit card and head out to the mall, you see? Don't be angry. It's for my mental health. A doctor on TV said so. </p> <p>Now if I could only get a psychologist to legitimize my love of expensive cocktails, my life would be completely justified. </p>

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shoes.jpg And the word of the year is... http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9786 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9786 <p>Overshare? </p> <p>Man, I must be getting old. Hadn't even heard of that one. But plenty of other people must have considering Webster (you know, the dictionary folks) chose it as their <a href="http://newworldword.com/overshare/">Word of the Year</a>. </p> <p>Still scratching your head? Luckily, they also provided a definition:</p> <p><span style="TEXT-DECORATION: underline">overshare</span> (verb): to divulge excessive personal information, as in a blog or broadcast interview, prompting reactions ranging from alarmed discomfort to approval.</p> <p>And here's the word being used in context:</p> <p>“<span style="COLOR: #ff0000">Oversharing</span> is the latest indulgence embraced by one generation and worrying another. Teens and twentysomethings raised by the Internet have no locks on their hearts and bedrooms. This drives baby boomers, who’d previously owned the market on narcissism, into a fitful frenzy. Kids dropping their own names instead of dropping acid? How wrong.”<br /> —Los Angeles Times</p> <p>“...Emily Gould popularized the word in a May 25 article in the New York Times Magazine. That column sparked a massive public debate, with a small army of bloggers trying to judge the value of intimate personal blogging. Call it “The <span style="COLOR: #ff0000">Overshare</span> War’ — the battle between fans of artistic personal disclosure and the people who hate it.’”<br /> —Geekcentric, <font color="#000066">The Overshare War</font></p> <p>Personally, I think the word of the year should have more chutzpah but what can you do? </p> <p>So which words lost out to overshare?</p> <p><a href="http://newworldword.com/leisure-sickness/">leisure sickness</a></p> <p><a href="http://newworldword.com/cyberchondriac/">cyberchondriac</a></p> <p><a href="http://newworldword.com/selective-ignorance/">selective ignorance</a> (my personal fave)</p> <p><a href="http://newworldword.com/youthanasia/">youthanasia</a></p> <p>Any other votes for Word of the Year?</p> <p> </p> Underage and have nude photos of yourself? http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9756 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9756 <p>Well, it could have you registering as a sex offender for the next 20 years. </p> <p>True story. A <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/10/08/teen_charged_for_cell_phone_pics/">15-year-old Ohio girl has been arrested</a> on felony child pornography charges for allegedly sending nude cell phone pictures of herself to classmates. According to the story, charges include illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material and possession of criminal tools (re: cell phone camera). If convicted, the girl could be forced to register as a sexual offender for 20 years.</p> <p>Now, I will concede that this girl doesn't seem to be the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree, if you catch my drift. Sending nekkid photos of yourself to people, even if they are people you know, is idiotic, especially at 15. Did she learn nothing from the <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20055380,00.html">Vanessa Hudgens scandal</a>?</p> <p>But charging her with child pornography? For nude photos of herself, that she took herself? Does not compute. </p> <p>Maybe I'm missing something here. I do realize authorities are trying to "save" this girl from herself, and I agree something needs to be done, but branding her a sexual offender seems way over the top. </p> <p>It's true that girls are growing up much faster and becoming sexualized way too early these days but I don't think throwing every teen who has ever taken a nude photo of herself into juvie is the answer. Plus, I think if authorities are looking for someone to blame, they may want to start with ad campaigns using teenaged girls in sexualized poses or the entertainment industry that puts pre-18 young singers/actors/models in sexy poses on the cover of Rolling Stone and Vanity Fair. </p> <p>But ruining the life of a young girl for a mistake she made as a teen to me is cruel and unusual punishment. I would think therapy would be a better solution than making this young lady explain every time she got a job or moved to a new neighborhood why she is a "sexual offender." </p>

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miley-cyrus-vanity-fair[1].jpg Is that a liberal arts degree, or you just happy to see me? http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9700 http://community.victoriaadvocate.com/home/Blog/AprillBrandon/9700 <p>Today is a good day, people. I finally have scientific proof that Alice, the art student in my dorm whom I suspected of sleeping with my college boyfriend, is easy. </p> <p>It seems <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Females_studying_arts_sexually_active/rssarticleshow/3793501.cms">a study conducted at the University of Sydney has discovered</a> that arts students are...ahem...to put it in a family-friendly newspaper way, mucho sexually active. </p> <p>True story. According to the Australian, the study found that female arts students were "younger, more likely to be sexually active and to report having little or no knowledge of chlamydia."</p> <p>On the other side of the coin (and in the "No duh" scientific category), male science majors are likely to be virgins. </p> <p>Now as for why the university felt such a need as to conduct this study, that's the real head-scratcher. </p> <p>Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go call my ex and tear him a new one. The lousy, no good, cheating, son of...<br /> </p>