Emily Dickinson’s relationship with Death

Hi everyone

This is my essay for my American poetry class. I got good reviews on it, and I think I did a good job, but I really want to improve my writing and analytical skills. So if you have any expertise, suggestions or remarks, be generous.

 

 

 

Emily Dickinson had a rather interesting relationship with death itself, and she acknowledged this throughout her life, that she was haunted by the ‘menace of death’.Her poetry has several accounts of her experiencing funerals and death takes on different forms and faces to communicate with her. This alludes to the establishment of a bond of finding solace and companionship with death.

One might suggest that it was the aversion she felt towards the futile existence of real life, that led her to crave death. For, she did make a constant effort to not experience a full life, or lead an existence like the others around her. She spent her life rarely leaving her room, communicating through closed doors, and she didn’t even her own fathers funeral down stairs. She never married, and only wore white. She lived not living a life of the common woman of that time.

She was indeed a prolific writer who expressed herself unlike anyone else in poetry, but even  her poems were a well-kept secret, discovered after her death by her sister. It is also important knowing that her room had a clear vision of a graveyard – and that her family had taken work as caretakers for funerals.

By this outline, one can easily see why the interest in death would develop, as it was all around her.

But death is not ugly,sad, terrifying or distasteful for her. in her narrations and poems, Dickinson is someone who is not a stranger to the face of death and death is often personified as someone she interacts with. She also experiences in full vision her own funeral without a peep of fear, regret or unease and even her descriptions of death are not filled with typical colors of black, purple , green or images of grit but all images come with easy emotions.

One may analyse that because her life was absent of catalysts that engaged her interest. She found activity  and stimulation in these thoughts of dying.

“Because I could not stop for death

He kindly stopped for me “

Death with its many faces is sometimes a friendly companion, a devil-like fly and also a lover. This could be an indication to the repressed feelings within her, as she could not physically digest the reality of those commitments in real life, she decided to have them in her imagination.

It is interesting for death to be her lover, because according to the psychoanalytical theory the desire not to die and to reproduce are what form a persons basic moving factors in all humans, but there is obviously an inversion of this concept  here. She is attached to the desire of dying and in it finds the place to create life. Maybe her poems are one of those creations of her love for death.

There is obviously no denial of death in her poems, as she bluntly mentions it. What one might suggest is that the constant occurrence of death might be an act of ‘sublimation’. Sublimation is a defense mechanism in which bad memories and feelings are  made uplifting and beautiful in order to ease the pain of those memories.  So her ordeal with death in her poetry is a way of dealing with the death of loved ones – a kind of therapy to ride her heart and mind of trauma.

“I could not see to see”

Compared with writers on the same topic, the death of women, or death in general her poems are very sensual, active and through the vivid and watching eyes of the dying soul.

Edgar Allen Poe would often write about the death of his wife, and in his poems, would mention her death body, which in a way objectified her. And the tragedy in his poems does not follow the death of his wife, but follows his loss and depression of the loss of her to him, and everything that he felt and saw.

“For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams

   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes

   Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;

And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side

   Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride,

   In her sepulchre there by the sea—

   In her tomb by the sounding sea.”

And if one sees that through the waiting days of John Keats, one finds a sad man, waiting like a caged animal to meet death as something that he knows is coming, and there is no hope for him. So for Keats there is often that denial or exclusion of the body of death, and a focus on the beauty of what is felt, and an obsession of wanting to freeze time and be immortal through poetry and art.

“Why did I laugh tonight? No voice will tell:

No god, no demon of severe response,

Deigns to reply from heaven or from hell.

Then to my human heart I turn at once-

Heart! thou and I are here sad and alone;

Say, wherefore did I laugh? O mortal pain!”

 

All of which is not there in Emily Dickinson’s words, who is comfortable and at ease with the grim reaper. Her ‘voyeurism’ transcends the simple plot of dying, that one might say that because she an intellectual ahead of her time, she knew her thoughts would not be accepted in her polite, puritanical society.  She therefore exiled herself for her own safety.

And this becomes apparent in her poems ‘ I heard a fly buzz’, in which she is aware of the eyes watching her and how a small fly has blocked her vision. The fly is a symbol for the devil, because the people around her would believe she belonged to  hell. The devil is often called the lord of the flies and this fly denies her clear vision.

Vision, was something of great importance to her. The eyes  were a mirroring symbol for people, death is never watching her, death is becoming to her. In death she found her muse, lover,friend, foe and a canvas to express herself and everything inside her mind.

 

Further reading.

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/emily-dickinson

https://www.learner.org/catalog/extras/vvspot/Dickinson.html

 

On attending a workshop about Trauma and how we must heal ourselves

On the second of April, I drove up to a cafe where ‘She’, an organization led by Zoya Ishaq, was hosting a session on ‘Trauma’. The guest speaker for this would be Lisa Cherry, who has written and researched a lot on the topic, and in her own words continues to learn about it.

Leading the event were members of ‘She’, Anam Bhatti and Sadaf. The group they had amassed was full of psychologists, counselors and other professionals active in training, facilitating and dealing with human development and resources. They were of course silent and reserved intially, as people are when the subject is on them, but eventually became open to have a discussion about how Pakistani society deals with traumatic experiences .

Lisa Cherry proceeded to talk about her work and contributions to the field, and showed it through her presentation and discussed her experiences that caused her stress, she on a lighter note talked about her trip and joked about the traffic.

She explained that ‘trauma’ by experience is an injury to the brain. It is something that crosses all borders and if not treated of healed could with time cause physical ailments and an overall existence tainted with fear, hypervigilence and emptiness.

The participants talked about their own encounters that caused them pain in the long run.

What was and is important to consider is the collective trauma that Pakistani people received in the face of terrorism and how that has injured us. The injury truly something that everyone agreed upon is something that we have to heal from and actively talk about. As a society we have otherwise been desensitized to it’s effects. We have walked into the future with an acceptance of behaviors and wounds which we are unware of their urgency.

Someone even mentioned how in the past we didn’t need all this extra security and we weren’t always afraid of our children’s future, or in stress of not letting them out of our sight. We can’t have huge gatherings as often or as freely because of an instinctive fear that something might happen.

So in conclusion there is entire country and other countries that have millions of people dealing with historical injuries with all of their individual scars.

There was also a discussion about the inability, unawareness or general disregard of parents when is comes to abuse of their children. For a long time children have been silenced when they’ve come forward with news of abuse, harassment or rape. Even with the public out cry of the recent rape cases in Kasur and Sailkot , even in India. People do raise their voices against the injustice, but perhaps when it’s one of their own they don’t know how to help.

It became obvious that parents should not hold a finger on closed lips when their children come to them for help. There are better ways to protect your child without silencing them, just to save face or not cause a scene. It is extremely disheartening for a child or adult to ask for help and to be denied the compassion.

The group further discussed why it was common among women to sabotage each other and make their lives difficult. This was discussed through examples of work area rivals and the pressure that comes from mother-in-laws. Mostly in that they are almost driven to deny their daughter-in-laws to freely move around or visit their family home. One participant who was a trainer phathologized it as ‘ since the mother-in-law did not have those opportunities they are not willing to provide it for their daughter-in-laws’.

I would personally say that in South Asian communicaties there is lack humane treatment when it comes to daughter-in-laws. They for the most part are viewed as commodities and not seen with the human dignity that people deserve. There is no fear in people when it comes to abusing their rights, and perhaps as a defense mechanism the same women have kept the cycle alive because in order to survive they had to be strong without someone to share the burden with.

But even if they don’t want to acknowledge their own pain, we cannot ignore the obvious psychological, spiritual, social and emotional attack that is going on. How can such women live their life to the fullest? How can stressful and broken women raise happy and undamaged children? And how can they not be unhealthy? Why should they be denied the right to a peaceful environment?

These are things that we should address and we should stand up for our own safety and for the safety of others.

There later was a discussion on how men are silenced and denied a space to be able to be emtional and to cry. They talked about this absence of release leads to people full of anger and aggressive tendencies.

One final break through was that despite being a country that a has an obvious high percentage of trauma victims, there are no proper trauma centers. One participant shared her own input on this because she was unable to find the proper kind of treatment for her issues, but who is inform those who think they are being saved?

This is something that should be available for the greater bulk of the community.

There was then a little activity or exercise done to relieve stress and tension in the body. But the discussion ended on the potential of what innovation Pakistan and Pakistani could do for healing trauma in it’s people and be an example for the world.

Because we are a community driven and family based society that values relationships and wants to take care of our relations. And we are also individualistic or are now searching for a more out spoken individual identity outside of family or tribes, which is not like what is there in the Western world, which is extremely individualistic.

We can truly come up with a system or environment that meets the psychological and social needs of our people, and I personally look forward to seeing and serving that vision.

On the Red Radiance of Perfect Blue

 

 

‘Perfect Blue’, is a 1997 psycholgical-thriller, horror,anime film directed by Satoshi Kon. His best and most mesmerizing work, ‘Perfect Blue’ is a movie unlike any other that plays with the viewer’s senses of reality, leaving them undone and shaking. And to think this was his attempt at animation.

The movie starts of on both a slow and up-beat mood, as our protagonist Mima Kirigoe, as she makes her last appearance as a pop idol, as she will soon be making the jump to becoming an actress. From there forward the movie takes a turn so subtle but so striking that one wants to stay till the end, but having done so, might not want to watch it again, only to be pulled in back by the brilliance of the story.

The story and movie if full of layers, so everyone seems to have their own theory and idea about it, but overall everyone agrees that the movie is about losing one’s grip of reality, being overtaken by the public’s opinion, pop culture and it’s effect on humanity, the male gaze and the lines between fact and fiction.

Mima seems to struggle with shifting her career, as many people around her are not happy with her decision, and that displeasure or discord manifests itself in the form of an illusion that taunts and scares Mima. Mima is divided both internally and externally as the the new Mima and the old Mima, and those who prefer the new Mima are being murdered. Mima herself is unsure is unsure of it all, and her distress is not verbally expressed but manifested in the art around her, or how she is framed. She is silent and shy for the most part and allows others to speak for her and about her, as no one really consults her, which is reflective of how icons have no control over their image. The pressure is causing her to loose grip of time and reality which is what the movie focuses on, but the truth is that Mima is not the only one at a loss of sanity. She is but one in the spectrum of society that is unable to fight a concept.

 

What’s unique about this movie is that the use and involvement of  visuals and sounds, it it something that needs to be experienced and not just watched.  It is something that plays with your mind, and like Mima, those watching do not know what to believe and for the most part are afraid and cornered. The color red is a great aid, as it is synonymous with the dissent to the the unknown. The camera movements also create the feeling of uneasiness, and the soundtrack generally is enjoyable and energetic, but the silence is the unnerving catalyst.

I suppose it is a look into the trauma and abuse the female form encounters in a male dominated business and audience, where the wills of the audience and executives is what one has to follow and please. Mima’s pop-idol fans who are mostly men are unhappy that she is leaving, and talk a lot about how she has lost her innocence by becoming an actress, but the directors and writers want to completely change her image, something more sexual is what they want- so she is caught between two male ideals and fantasies and is uneasy about it. By attacking the male gaze, the movie does leave a a mark, and it’s rather interesting that the eyes are almost invisible.

Mima goes through violence, objectification in a wide variety in the movie, which is interesting because in most horror films girls are just body counts and the audience is made to be uncaring of their deaths, and the villain becomes the hero, but Mima is full of humanity, and like the villain in her life, the audience is allowed to live through her and lose track of her humanity. Mima for the most part is fighting to gain back her self from the persona that has been trying to crush and serve other eyes with her as a vessel.

 

But more than the subject ‘Perfect Blue’ is a criticism on the then decadent culture of pop culture, and in the bigger picture on the concept of celebrity. We see that first hand that everyone wants Mima to be what they want her to be, it’s as if they belive they own her, having no shame in what they do to protect that image. She is essentially like a brand and religion, and it only causes her to suffer, and that is the moral horror of the film, that it is all too real.

How many celebrities and politicians are out there selling themselves, only for the masses to wait as the truth comes out after they die, like President Kennedy wasn’t a family man after all. But specifically on Mima , it is prevalent that people are unafraid of hurting her or moving in on her space and sanity, which is not unusual in all of our celebrities and stars. The fact that Saba Qamar got death threats for acting as Qandeel Balouch for an otherwise good and decent drama.

I think that is interesting that we generally defend nudity or provocative actions for our females icons, as a sense of freedom of speech or expression, or that it is a part of their job and that we should just accept it, but ‘Perfect Blue’ clearly shows how these starlets don’t have control over their image, they have managers for that. They all could be essentially being manufactured into an image just to cause shock value. So maybe we should look closer and see how genuine these actions are, and if these women actually enjoy any of it. Even Mima pretends to be okay with the change but we see how she truly feels.

I would like to conclude that, ‘Perfect Blue’ is a masterpiece that will stand the test of time, and it should be respected as a work of part. It is also not appropriate for Desi audiences at least not at this point, so I would prefer them to read articles on it, or watch video essays on it.

 

 

 

 

‘Only Yesterday’ Review: Stuck in Time

Hi everyone, I hope you guys and girls are good, and today we are going to talk about a Studio Ghibli film ‘Only Yesterday’.

Compared to other movies and media directed towards children,’Only Yesterday’, for the most part doesn’t deal with a child or teen protagonist. Instead we see on our screens a woman in her thirties, or late twenties, who is leaving her job to go on a farming trip. Which is an interesting thing, since most Ghibli films normally deal with kids plus some larger than life adventure. But this movie was not directed by Hayao Miyazaki, it was written and directed by Isao  Takahata.

Another film by him that I love is ‘Princess Kaguya’.

The story follows Taeko, as she travels to the country-side away from her life in the city. This is something she enjoys doing, and it sort of become a once in a year thing for her, but in that sequence we learn that the movie shifts from the adult Taeko to the younger Taeko in her memories. The shifts fall into to place really well, and it helps the audience relate and understand Taeko better. She also makes some nice friends in the village, and they mostly help her deal with problems with the past, especially her friend/love interest Toshio.

There may be nothing grand or over the top here, but there is a strong human struggle and dramatic element. The plot could have easily been a novel, or a light-hearted drama for TV. But the mix of real but subtle emotion and animation really propelled the internal struggle that many women go through in their minds. Another cool factor was that different time periods were animated different, which did make it artistically pleasing and nostalgic to watch.

I was impressed by how real everything came of as, the humor is awkward and cute, and the characters are likable since they don’t have great flaws of problems. They just want to be happy, and I guess return to simple farming times, which is why they left the city. We get to see how Taeko and Toshio bond and how she talks to him about the trouble she had as the youngest child, and he helps by giving her a different perspective. I thought their relationship was a breath of fresh air, because everyone likes to see them together, but there is a little distance between and no grand gesture of romance, but more like a supportive friendship that could grow into something more.

 

I also enjoyed all of the scenes in which Taeko is a child, the animators and writers did a good job, at showing how innocent, hurtful and difficult it is to be a child. There are happy moments, and we do  get to see how Taeko was stubborn and did silly kid things, but we also see how she was not given enough attention and was snubbed or shunned by her family. It looks like that Taeko was always made to made to be self-conscious from a young age, and not allowed to express herself or her disappoints that much. Like how she almost got to be a child actress but her father didn’t let that happen, and afterwards her mother advises her not to let anyone know she was offered a good part.  These stories really capture how childhood can be hurtful, because you don’t have any great control over your life, and you’re basically an open book for your family to traumatize.

Nothing extremely bad, but in a way that damages your inner voice.

I think that this is a good movie for both kids and adults, especially girls. I think it’s one of those films that confuse you about how time passes, and makes you want to put your life in perspective. Plus it’s a strong nostalgia bullet. Another thing that the movie does is how very well, how when people are scarred from the past, they are unable to move on from that phase in their lives. We don’t see a lot from Taeko’s life as a teenager, probably because it’s her childhood she has trauma or conflict with. It could also be that now she is getting older, she is going back to time, she felt less responsible at. Her mind however is in a time cage, and I believe this is the adventure that is supposed to help her make peace. Peace that can achieved by talking about her problems, and not bottling them up.

The last couple of scenes are especially deep and dramatic. A woman suggest that Taeko should marry Toshio, which makes her  run out into the rain, where Toshio finds her near a bridge. A heart touching scene follows in which Toshio puts her perception of a past incident in perspective again, and this is probably where she finally decides to let the past go.

The ending was bittersweet, as all the characters from the past, and the younger Taeko escort her away, and the background fades on the Taeko.

So conclude, this was another really emotional Ghibli film, which will make you go to the countryside and cry. It might be too long and kind of slow, but I think it’s worth the watch.

” Paisa pays- Truth Talks”, On Kangana Ranaut and Hrithik Roshan’s issue.

Hi everyone. For this blog post we are going to talk about Kangana Ranaut and Hrithik ( not so bright) Roshan. Both of them are pretty successful and talented Indian actors, but we won’t be talking about any films, instead we will be focusing on a legal issue that has been prevalent for the last three years.

Just to give a little background to the issue, Kangana and Hrithik were once in a secret relationship which nobody really knew about in the media, and they broke up without anyone knowing about it just the same. The frenzy started when Kangana Ranaut mentioned an unnamed ‘silly ex‘. That got Hrithik Roshan angry, and he came out twitter exposing himself and afterwards saying that he never was with her.

 

After that Hrithik sent a bunch of notices to her, and later ‘exposed’ her by leaking thousands of emails, that he alleged that Knagana sent to him, over the past years. Well in that time there was a big legal fallout and Hrithik came out losing the hearing, because there was nothing criminal in those emails, and that impostor he continuously he talked was never found.  Kangana came out clean, and I won’t be showing  or talking about the points that defend her truth or showcase her innocence, because she did that all on her own. And the public loves her for that and we can see truth with the points and logic she put forth.

If you want to see how she did so and hear out you can watch her interview that sparked the recent interest in the issue.

For Urdu and Hindi speakers.

And for English speakers.

 

What we will be talking about the dynamics that were prevalent in the whole situation, self-serving nepotism and how money and influence was used to control the narrative, and if we have time, internal guilt.

Apparently Hrithik was so ashamed of being an ex that he went out to dig his own grave. He and his rich father, went around saying things that they would expose Kangana. During that time her family was threatened and harassed. Knagana was put through all kinds of hurdles and she practically mocked, insulted and defamed and suffered several attacks at her character and her career. They got her old ex to lie about her and call her a witch and they would not let her side of the story on magazines. And at the end of the all the Roshan son father duo, had nothing to stand for and lost the case. But that’s not what they got the media to say, they paid away papers to say that nothing actually happened with the case. And after all this time, Kanagana has finally talked about what she faced, and to the whole exposing comment, she strongly says that ‘It’s been a year I am still waiting for him to expose me’.

This has brought out to the public the terrible face to media politics that hurts people who don’t a rich father to run to clean their own mess or save their careers. If the Roshans are truly innocent why did they have to go through that trouble and buy the words of people to attack a self-made actress who did nothing to them. What were they afraid of? If they are so rich that they can buy narratives and if the industry is so tight-knit that nobody had Kangana’s back, instead they teamed up with them and scared her? What were they afraid of ? She did even take Hrithik’s name, what was he so guilty and scared about. It has been week since Kangana spoke her truth and he has remained silent. There is no point in the Nawab to be silent now, he did this to himself. He opened the issue he made this an issue, he did not care about damaging the girls career or well-being. Why now that he has lost that he decides to stay silent and avoid his mess.

They Hrithik and his father should publicly apologize to her and come out and expose everyone else that they paid to help them defame her. It would be good for the community because it would   empower that boy and girl who are being bullied and used by these big names and families. It would allow girls who are being harassed by ex lovers or husbands that they can get through the injustice and stand in their truth, because in our societies it worse for women to be framed or ‘badnaamed’ then to actually have done anything criminal.

I also had a chance to go through the interviews of other actors  and actresses about this case. They should be ashamed of themselves. None of them could express their true feelings, and instead laughed it of and prayed that it clam down. They were all being diplomatic, which is what we can expect from an army of Stepford wives. They are so caught up in not losing a job that they cannot stand up for someone in a clear-cut case of injustice. I mean I can understand but still, there should be a limit. All those people and they have the exact same no answer answer. Something like this is never going to happen to the Kapoor girls and we all know why.

They did not have to do anything, but they could have at least said something. Is it really that hard for the industry works now?

Lastly, Hrithik is a good example of how harsh men can be. This was a man who was a relationship with this woman, loving or not, there was probably some affection or trust there. What was thinking when he went out to destroy her life, what kind of grown man who has money, fame and comes from a powerful family does that? Why did grown man have to stand behind his father and why can’t he go fight someone who is his equal in society?

And this is  common there are lots of women who felt deeply for their lovers, only to have them go out and damage them. These men can do everything except let a woman go and live in peace, it is as if they have to go out an destroy her and turn society against her before they can sleep at night. This is terrible, frightening and it needs to stop.

We salute Kangana Ranaut for her bravery and for standing up to the system and power structure that steps on the lives and feelings of millions of people everyday, and she get the apology she deserves.

SHE INSPIRES : The Importance Of Empowerment Events

This last Saturday , the 29th to be  exact. I was lucky enough to attend an event  in the early hours of  the day , into the night  at Defence Club .

It was the official launch  of   “She”. Which is the dream child organization of Zoya Isaq, who I met four years ago at a youth conference. She has been organising events for several people, and was a key figure in Kinnaird’s Entrepreneur   club. 

To be brief , I am extremely happy for her. And I know this whole organization and event was born out of hard work, late nights, slick chances , undivided support , heart break and faith. 

It takes a lot to create something wholesome,magical and beautiful like suspended grace. And that is exactly what the event was like ,with a great audience of less than a hundred females and like the cream of Pakistan’s most inspiring women. Alongside new faces who in such a small time, have changed the game. 

And I think the best part of the whole event, that really was the core polish , was that not a second was boring. And that is a big achievement, since I’ve attended several of such events.They tend to get boring after the first four speeches , or maybe lunch ,people begin to leave. I was never bored or tired because the lectures were real and dynamic. The atmosphere was  energetic , the food was good , the participants were comfortable and no big disaster happened with the management. 

Which again is a big fear and problem with hosting such an important event. And if I haven’t said it already,  I’ll say it again . It was a success, with a capital ‘S’. 

It was this magic pill of girl power. 
Now that, that’s  settled I want to talk about the importance of such events. Why we should have them more often,the best thing about them and why more people should make a commitment to attend events like ” She Inspires”. 

We as a nation,society, community or whatever  need to create a culture. A culture is not just text book terms about what people eat or dress in. A culture is the people that made a difference and their stories. 

Events like this allow different people to come together and talk to each other. It allows them to create memories, learn about different people . Be aware of great women and men who are unsung. Like Kiran Khan was there. She is an Olympic swimmer who won gold and did amazing things at such a young age ,but I had never heard of her. Because our media  stations don’t really expose athletes who are not criketer players. No hate towards them but other sports are just as hard and other players just as hard working.So  I took a lot from hearing her talk about her life and  achievements. 

These events are important because they do what we basically have the arts and theater for – Catharsis. We are emotional animals and we need to reminded of humaness. We need to know we are not alone and that we can do great things, be strong and still feel hurt. At ‘She Inspires ‘ , what I noticed was that all the speakers had been doing their work over many years and even a few participants came up and told their story to. They had an experience that was honest,painful,heavy and it changed them in a way and moved those who heard it. I think generally it takes sometime to know someone or sometime to be comfortable enough to share your battle marks . But at these events it’s  like now you have a stage for those very battles and you are brave enough to share what has been in your heart for so long. 

I also think that women have this special bond or understanding between eachother. That it becomes something of a healing process when we can come together and cry. And that is how ‘She Inspires’ was with how women came forward talking about the hard times or abuse they had to live with. Especially Margaret’s  recollection of her acid attack with Miss Mussarat Misbah standing right next to her,holding her. Also what really had the people in tears was when Zoya spoke about Samra on stage , a wonderful woman who we lost to cancer and was the co-founder of She. . She obviously was a very energetic,kind and wonderful young woman who had Zoya’s back when times were hard. She believed in her and knew that this was something that needed to be done. Well what can we say her heart and thoughts were in the right place. 

And Tanzila khan had Zoya’s back in all of this. Tanzila apart from being a trainer and friend,  was always Zoya’s go to person for everything. Tanzila triggered the whole thing and really gave Zoya that base and support to take the plunge. 

It was a celebration of all women and our achievements and just us coming together and being washed away or undermined. 

There should ofcourse be more events like this because it allows all kinds of people to come together. You can have people who have done everything and kids, who are just stepping into the real world. It’s a bittersweet sight almost , but of course a very educational experience for everyone involved. 

Events like these are where people make friends,  socialize and get ideas. I do believe these friendships are unique and stronger compared to others. I know lots of people who attended these get togethers and went on to become CEO’s . They went on to become leaders and even host these events. But they all started somewhere  in the audience , watching, listening ,working and waiting. 

And the last and most important reason why this should happen more is that we need to celebrate our heros. We need to acknowledge the hard work, the commitment, service and contributions of these great women and men. People who cared and did the extra thing to prove how much they did. 

But really it’s enough.  It will be enough when we pay our dues not necessarily in the form of medals or money, but in being there. In listening to them and maybe support their causes and respect the struggle  . 
At the end of the day , People are going to go after their dreams no matter what. Women are going  to save themselves and go against the grain no matter what. They are not even looking for awards , but it doesn’t hurt to show them some love and support. 

Surviving Compton : I know why the caged bird sings ( Review)

​On the 15th of October , Lifetime television,  broadcasted a new biopic about Rnb diva , and soul singer Michel’le. 

Michel’le rose to fame in the early 90s and was instant hit on the radio at the young age of sixteen. She was and still is a puzzle to many due the difference between her high pitched speaking and her deep and dramatic singing voice . Her talent was discovered early in her life and it brought her into a new movement of sound, which would shake the history of music, and bring her into contact with the men  who started it and abused her. 

Before going into review about ‘Surviving Compton’ , lets talk about ‘Straight Outta Compton’ . The  latter movie was released ealier in 2015, and showcasd the struggle that artists like  Ice Tea, Easy E and Dr Dre had to deal with. It was a box office hit and was a very good film overall.

But one complaint that many people had was that none of the N.W.A female artists were in the film . One of them was Michel’le, and she was their first female artist. And she was a big part of the whole movement to , which makes it strange that she wasn’t in ‘Straight Outta Compton’ . But it was that very absence of representation that lead to the inception of ‘Surviving Compton’. 

And so far after a week of its release, the public is calling it the best biopic Lifetime ever put out. 

It is an emotional journey for the protagonist, Michel’le who starts of by telling the audience about her childhood and what society was like then. 

Then it goes on to show us how she was discovered and her relationship first with Dr Dre, the N.W.A and Suge.The domestic violence and abuse she suffered and her growth and strength as a woman who lived through all of it. 

This may have been about Michel’le and her career but it easily and perfectly depicts how many young artists are used by the industry. It shows the difference between what the tv shows,music videos and interviews show us and the disaster behind the scenes. Michel’le was basically being beat around and barely two people ever stood up for her. 

There is a long list of artists who had the simple dream of singing and doing what they love but ended up feeling like nothing was in their control and having had to lie to protect that illusion. 

The movie has a good pace , and there is a nice balance between dramatically charged scenes  and sweet scenes. And there are plenty of high end dramatic moments which show the dark side of fame. Not to forget gang violence which was prevalent at the time. 

The nature of the relationship between Michel’le,Dr Dre and Suge also mirrors perfectly how domestic violence is for many victims. It starts of with a sense of belonging and protection, but it suddenly turns into domination and abuse. It also goes into the psychology of such relationships, since many people wonder why women stay in them for so long. They see being beat up as a sign of love and somehow justify the beatings , until they reach rock bottom and see the truth themselves.  
At most points in the film  you just feel sorry for her and wonder when are things going to get better. 

Michel’le  basically goes from the fire and into the frying pan and I doubt people are going to be looking to buy beats by Dre anymore. 
I think one the best things about the film is it’s honesty and actually involving the person it is about. Lifetime has basically not been very respectable with the legacy of some artists, especially with that Aliyah:Princess of Pop biopic.And also with the Withney Houston biopic for which they could not get permission to use her songs, also the family wasn’t happy with the outcome. But ‘Surviving Compton ‘ is an excellent film , because Michel’le herself is there and the actress that plays her is amazing and like Michel’le is black. And the story is wholesome it shows her career , life ,struggle, rise,fall and redemption and  features her music and voice.
Maybe Hollywood should take notice and of this and not whitewash or blackface every woman of colour they find. 

If there are any flaws with the film , it may be that this version of events was not as funded or visually aesthetic as ‘Straight Outta Compton’ or as politically charged , but it is emotionally compelling and entertaining. 

We don’t get to dwell that into the lives of the artists of the movement but we see many including Tupac who was a good friend of Michel’le.  

Lastly what was very interesting was how the real Michel’le is there narrating the story and popping up from time to time ,breaking the fourth wall . It’s something relatively new to see and it not sit well with many viewers – but the narrations do seem a little forced and heavily scritpted with one liners. But these little set backs don’t take much from the film.
My favorite scene was in the very beginning when Michel’le sings in the studio and stuns everyone with her voice.
And a little speech by Michel’le about how,  

  

” women been singing their pain for as long as theres been music. Womens voices let the world know exactly what hurt them and why, but in rap the women stop singing . And without the voices to echo their  truths women were just bitches to be slapped or just whores to be passed around.  

Rap was about rage not beauty.  Rap hated most women because it had to hurt somebody and it did ” 

Surviving Compton : I know why the caged bird sings ( Review)

​On the 15th of October , Lifetime television,  broadcasted a new biopic about Rnb diva , and soul singer Michel’le. 

Michel’le rose to fame in the early 90s and was instant hit on the radio at the young age of sixteen. She was and still is a puzzle to many due the difference between her high pitched speaking and her deep and dramatic singing voice . Her talent was discovered early in her life and it brought her into a new movement of sound, which would shake the history of music, and bring her into contact with the men  who started it and abused her. 

Before going into review about ‘Surviving Compton’ , lets talk about ‘Straight Outta Compton’ . The  latter movie was released ealier in 2015, and showcasd the struggle that artists like  Ice Tea, Easy E and Dr Dre had to deal with. It was a box office hit and was a very good film overall.

But one complaint that many people had was that none of the N.W.A female artists were in the film . One of them was Michel’le, and she was their first female artist. And she was a big part of the whole movement to , which makes it strange that she wasn’t in ‘Straight Outta Compton’ . But it was that very absence of representation that lead to the inception of ‘Surviving Compton’. 

And so far after a week of its release, the public is calling it the best biopic Lifetime ever put out. 

It is an emotional journey for the protagonist, Michel’le who starts of by telling the audience about her childhood and what society was like then. 

Then it goes on to show us how she was discovered and her relationship first with Dr Dre, the N.W.A and Suge.The domestic violence and abuse she suffered and her growth and strength as a woman who lived through all of it. 

This may have been about Michel’le and her career but it easily and perfectly depicts how many young artists are used by the industry. It shows the difference between what the tv shows,music videos and interviews show us and the disaster behind the scenes. Michel’le was basically being beat around and barely two people ever stood up for her. 

There is a long list of artists who had the simple dream of singing and doing what they love but ended up feeling like nothing was in their control and having had to lie to protect that illusion. 

The movie has a good pace , and there is a nice balance between dramatically charged scenes  and sweet scenes. And there are plenty of high end dramatic moments which show the dark side of fame. Not to forget gang violence which was prevalent at the time. 

The nature of the relationship between Michel’le,Dr Dre and Suge also mirrors perfectly how domestic violence is for many victims. It starts of with a sense of belonging and protection, but it suddenly turns into domination and abuse. It also goes into the psychology of such relationships, since many people wonder why women stay in them for so long. They see being beat up as a sign of love and somehow justify the beatings , until they reach rock bottom and see the truth themselves.  
At most points in the film  you just feel sorry for her and wonder when are things going to get better. 

Michel’le  basically goes from the fire and into the frying pan and I doubt people are going to be looking to buy beats by Dre anymore. 
I think one the best things about the film is it’s honesty and actually involving the person it is about. Lifetime has basically not been very respectable with the legacy of some artists, especially with that Aliyah:Princess of Pop biopic.And also with the Withney Houston biopic for which they could not get permission to use her songs, also the family wasn’t happy with the outcome. But ‘Surviving Compton ‘ is an excellent film , because Michel’le herself is there and the actress that plays her is amazing and like Michel’le is black. And the story is wholesome it shows her career , life ,struggle, rise,fall and redemption and  features her music and voice.
Maybe Hollywood should take notice and of this and not whitewash or blackface every woman of colour they find. 

If there are any flaws with the film , it may be that this version of events was not as funded or visually aesthetic as ‘Straight Outta Compton’ or as politically charged , but it is emotionally compelling and entertaining. 

We don’t get to dwell that into the lives of the artists of the movement but we see many including Tupac who was a good friend of Michel’le.  

Lastly what was very interesting was how the real Michel’le is there narrating the story and popping up from time to time ,breaking the fourth wall . It’s something relatively new to see and it not sit well with many viewers – but the narrations do seem a little forced and heavily scritpted with one liners. But these little set backs don’t take much from the film.
My favorite scene was in the very beginning when Michel’le sings in the studio and stuns everyone with her voice.
And a little speech by Michel’le about how,  

  

” women been singing their pain for as long as theres been music. Womens voices let the world know exactly what hurt them and why, but in rap the women stop singing . And without the voices to echo their  truths women were just bitches to be slapped or just whores to be passed around.  

Rap was about rage not beauty.  Rap hated most women because it had to hurt somebody and it did ” 

To The Golden Girls , Thank you.

Sometime around September 1984, a new tv show was aired, which had some strong and funny leading actresses, who instantly won the hearts and laughs of a dedicated audience. 

That show was The Golden  Girls , with Bea Arthur as the sarcastic Dorothy Zbornak.  Betty White as the simple minded and innocent Rose Nylund , Rue McClanahan as a fiery southern Belle and Estelle Getty in her first tv role and breakthrough act as Sophia Petrillo.

I did not grow up watching this show like a lot of people. I just happened to come across it by chance on the Internet,  and instead watching an episode or some small compilations I found the making of the Golden Girls special. It’s a nice way to be introduced to a series ; having all the writers, directors , actresses and producers remember how they came together to do something and watch it become successful . 

It was very creative; how a small and short stage performance by two senior comedians, later turned into a series that so many people have loved . Especially inspiring is the story and work of the main writer behind the Golden Girls , Susan, who was responsible for writing episodes on women’s issues in the way that really resonated with people. 

Documentaries like that are always entertaining,  but when I actually got to watching episodes I was laughing and loving every second of learning more about the characters despite knowing a lot about them already. I suppose I would have liked the show If I did know about its background, yet it made me appreciate the show more,because I knew about the issues behind its inception .

For one there was a lack of roles and shows which centered older women and talked about their issues and stories, since most prime time television at that time must have dealt with perhaps younger people,  like romantic series , or something like that. And I think that’s what makes The Golden Girls so unique and special – it was something that American television had not tried before. The show follow up basic tv tropes but it does remain relevant for lots of reasons.  But first lets look into the content and plot line .

We have four women sharing a house in Miami, who are very different from eachother . Dorothy our main Golden Girl is perhaps the most realistic but animated  ofcourse, she is intelligent, sarcastic, quick and has some of the best come backs I have heard in a long time , plus she has a  voice that compliments that persona. Blanche is well romantic in a way that is drop to the ground funny,  did she really say that funny , outrageous and probably wrong but grand entertainment funny,  plus the timing and mannerism go all the way to. Rose’s character is one that is funny because she is mostly never in on the joke and she takes grandmother stories to a whole new paradigm of culture and blessings; she’s just wonderful.  Then  ofcourse there is Sophia , Dorothy’s mother , who is blunt funny , and upfront insults you funny , along with old village and historical inaccuracy, funny. 

Basically they are all very distinct and different characters and its the way they interact with eachother that is rather entertaining. They all have something going on so it full of adventure and action , plus life lessons.  With most coming of age series you get invested in the characters because you want to see if they’ll make it , with this show its the same but it gives you insight into what growing old instead of up is like. 

It may have been a comedy show but there was a lot of emotion involved which makes the show so much better. Like when Dorothy confronts her ex husband  on how he made her feel . When Rose tells her daughter the truth about her father’s financial situation and when Blanche dreams about her deceased husband. I think Sophia had the most of these moments and it all gave these ladies depth despite having simple personalities and repetitive behavior. And normally I think tv shows do struggle with balancing between different emotions but it  was written very well and performed well. 

Apart from emotional content The Golden Girls, had many issues  to talk  and deal with to. Which was always good to watch and admire and relate with,  and its very educational and cathartic as well , because it is something many people go through daily. Like when Dorothy confronts her rather cold and insensitive doctor . 

It was also always fun to watch the girls go through relationships especially Blanche,  because it was second nature to her and she really pushed a lot of boundaries . And like I said it was different from other shows where young couples break apart due to their own reasons and here it similar but not the same.

I think it also goes well with how in small ways people can relate to them and ofcourse how over the course of seven seasons you become so emotionally investment,  it  get sad when the show ends . I literally went through the seasons in about a month .

So overall I really liked this show . The end. 

RED LIP LIES

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Sallon heatwave gossip 

Bubblegum cotton lawn 

High healed labour pain 

The feeling wont go away 

God made boys so girls could have some toys to play with 

God made love so they could hate eachother 

Girls are softer, shorter, smaller ,sadder 

That’s why we shift from sweet to snake in a second apart stars 

Boys made up stuff to hurt us 

Girls made the hurt their temple 

With every rock thrown 

Came diamond rings 

Came cheap flings 

Came free wings 

They made photographs for us to see 

And the Internet to teach us something 

Instagram to prove 

That pretty boys come with the motherload 

Waiting for the motherland 

In the language of baby talk 

Red lips filled with plastic fat

Eyes with glitter tears