There’s a fine line between mangling one’s own language and being part of its evolution and improvement. Of course, if it’s us (whoever “us” might be), it’s definitely the latter. “I have lost all ability to can.” …. So I… Read More ›
Culture
The milieu through which we swim
Movie Thread — The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (SPOILERS)
Because it appears to have been days since our last media thread, here’s one for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, which opened today in Australia. Spoilers welcome.
Quick, Late Friday-Now-Saturday Hoyden courtesy of my crashing internet connection: Saint Lucy
Saint Lucy’s Day is celebrated throughout Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden, and is a very special marker in the lead-up to Christmas. It is traditionally celebrated by the young girls of the town walking in procession wearing white dresses with red sashes and carrying lighted candles. The eldest wears a crown of candles to represent the saint herself.
Doctor Who 2013 Xmas Special Thread
Australian Whovian tragics don’t get an early (ie only a few hours after the UK) peek this year. We have to wait for 7:30pm on Boxing Day like any old muggle! How on earth will we manage?
Today in White Privilege: Intent, Noticing, Examining
Nothing induces more rage in others than your taking what you do not deserve and not even noticing.
Time to End the Valorisation of Ignorance
The federal government is quite open about its plans to interfere with the independence of academic research, and to shut down according to its whim any research they fancy that falls outside a narrow selection of medicine and technology projects. I hope the only reason that this hasn’t been howled down instantly is that we haven’t yet processed what this really means.
Media Circus: Abbott’s Xmas gifts to the nation edition
If it looks like us pesky citizens might demand a say in what will happen to our country, the Abbott Government’s response is to simply stop the flow of information.
What news story/commentary/analysis has grabbed your attention lately?
The #NotYourAsianSidekick conversation
Watching the white supremacists try to derail the conversation with the #AsianPrivilege hashtag and by coopting the Shoah has been infuriating.
Wendy and Peter Pan and the RSC
Hands up who knew (or at least now remembers that they once knew) that the original play (and subsequent novelisation) by J.M. Barrie was titled “Peter Pan And Wendy” rather than just the “Peter Pan” that current publications and productions favour?
Geena Davis’ Two Simple Steps To Make Hollywood Less Sexist
We all know Hollywood doesn’t give many leading roles to women, or even speaking roles. What I didn’t know, but what Geena Davis’ Institute On Gender In Media has demonstrated through its data analysis, is that Hollywood persistently doesn’t even give women parity in crowd scenes.
Hoyden About Town 