a certain je ne sais pas

That’s the feeling I get from assigning a scholarly article authored by the (mostly) secret identity one of the blogosphere’s most famous superheros.

we say ‘thug’ and ‘hood’ because we don’t like to say ‘poverty’

Last Thursday, my university’s Center for Women’s Studies sponsored a screening of the incredible new documentary “Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes” about, in director Byron Hurt’s words, “representations of manhood in hip hop culture.” The doc will be shown on PBS February 20 at 10 p.m. Check, as they say, local listings.

The turnout was great: about eighty students at a school typically thought of as attended mostly by commuters. And the conversation afterwards was as electrifying as anything I ever experienced in grad school, much less as an undergrad. The title of this blog entry comes from one of the many insightful observations made by students during the discussion.

In short, I was blown away.

We need more mainstream film and video projects like this one that bring together the voices of scholars, popular artists, fans, and activists to engage in conversations about popular culture–its creation, distribution, and consumption–and its impact. The New Yorks Times reports that “the documentary is being shown now at high schools, colleges and Boy’s Clubs, and in other forums, as part of an unusual public campaign sponsored by the Independent Television Service,” which has a webpage explaining the campaign. Amazing.

You know who also needs to see this documentary? People like this.

stencils

On June 5, 2005, I uploaded this photo (from London, England).

On February 2, 2007, I uploaded this photo (from Asheville, North Carolina).

Your thoughts?

This just in: The London piece appears to be the work of the artist known as Banksy. His balloon girl crops up in a handful of Google Image results. So who’s the Asheville imitator?

thank you

Many thanks to those who left birthday wishes here on the blog, who sent ecards and paper cards, and to those in my face-to-face life who did such nice things for me on my birthday. In short:

  • I was surprised at a local coffee house by the students from the U’s gay-straight alliance. “Those balloons are beautiful! So tasteful.” “Well, we are gay.”
  • I received several thoughtful gifts from friends and loved ones.
  • I had a lovely evening with a few friends involving whiskey and Thai food.
  • I enjoyed a long, good night’s sleep.
  • February 1 was a snow day at school.