http://youtu.be/E8rnXMXMfKM

Above is a song, off of Beyonce’s new self-titled album, called “Flawless”. The song is about female empowerment, and includes an excerpt of a Ted Talk by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (a fabulous author and feminist who wrote the beautiful book “Purple Hibiscus”). Critics argue that Beyonce sexualizes herself too much to be considered a feminist. I personally disagree with that statement, and think empowerment shouldn’t come through sacrificing or minimizing the sexual prowess and beauty of women, but rather by showcasing that that is merely one aspect of a woman, and not the defining one. Bellow are some choice lyrics from the song. If you get the chance, take a listen to the song and let me know what you think!

“I know when you were little girls
You dreamt of being in my world…
I took some time to live my life
But don’t think I’m just his little wife
Don’t get it twisted…”

The following is in the song but originally from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Ted Talk:

“We teach girls to shrink themselves, to make themselves smaller
We say to girls: “You can have ambition, but not too much
You should aim to be successful, but not too successful
Otherwise, you will threaten the man”
Because I am female, I am expected to aspire to marriage
I am expected to make my life choices
Always keeping in mind that marriage is most important
Now, marriage can be a source of joy and love and mutual support
But why do we teach girls to aspire to marriage
And we don’t teach boys the same?
We raise girls to see each other as competitors
Not for jobs or for accomplishments, which I think can be a good thing
But for the attention of men
We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are
Feminist: a person who believes in the social
Political, and economic equality of the sexes…”

As of Wednesday, December 18th, I have been phone-less. My iPhone tragically drowned to death, leaving me isolated from most of my friends. I’m embarrassed to admit that these past few days have been nearly unbearable. I didn’t realize how dependent I was — I had become addicted to the immediate gratification of text messages and social media, and was thrown completely off balance when my constant stream of “socializing” was eliminated. I’m starting to slowly enjoy it though. I feel like my mind has slowed down, I’m a little more focused without the constant pressure of my phone wedged inside my back pocket. The truly important people can still reach me, and I have a lot less white noise in my head. Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait until I have my own phone so that I can go back to all the clandestine activities that have been on pause since that fateful Wednesday (That was a joke). I guess I just didn’t expect to enjoy the silence so much.

Hey guys!

Did anyone else think of Catfish when we watched the opera last night? If you aren’t familiar with the movie, its basically about a man, Nev, who meets a woman, Megan, online, and forms a relationship with her without ever having met Megan in person. Like Brian in Two Boys, Nev soon discovers that the girl he fell for isn’t exactly who he thought she was.

Sublime. That’s really all I can say. This song has been one of my favorites for a while, but I am particular to Barenboim’s interpretation; no one else can capture the depth of this sonata with his level of maturity and restraint. That claim may sound strange if this is the first time you have ever encountered this piece, because the work itself is far from restrained. However, I have listened to various pianists play this sonata, and I find that only Barenboim can perform the dramatic, tumultuous parts without his performance sounding harsh or unbridled.

Take a listen and let me know what you think!

The exaggeratedly powder-white skin. The clumpy, excessive lashes. The red, irritated eye. This photograph unsettles me. The eye isn’t looking just anywhere; it’s staring at me, while portraying something that I do almost every day — apply my makeup — as a torturous, unnatural act. I find it to be simply mind-blowing that Penn, with one simple photograph, has managed to make me to rethink what I do on a daily basis. “Mascara Wars” is an eerily resonating piece, and its shocking beauty leaves me breathless.

–Sharon