Charcoal Ink

(image found here)

The title of this post is a reference to a comment by Santogold where she says in an online interview, of her and M.I.A, “She’s cool, she’s my friend. We’ve worked with some of the same people and both are brown girls who aren’t just doing and R‘n’B or rap, but have similar influences. What I find so illuminating about this comment is the fact that Santogold is maybe one of the first black artists I have heard, besides James Spooner, who is openly talking about the fact that black people do not just make “black” music. By grouping herself with M.I.A in saying that they are “brown girls” who are essentially going against the grain, is Santogold making a cultural point about how general mainstream society sees black & asian women ? Continue reading ‘“Brown Girls”’

My mum is a professor by trade even though she does not teach anymore. Nonetheless, she is so incredibly smart. She was so happy when I decided to do Politics at university in 2004(even though she was not thrilled about me doing French as a joint subject lol). Now, as I am winding up my degree, I do go to my mum for advice about writing essays and formulating arguments. My mum reckons I have become more sociological in my approach. It made me think: is sociology really that bad, is it really the silly relation to politics and history ? And can sociology truly *help* the diaspora ?

Continue reading ‘Politics or Sociology: Which one holds the key for Africa ?’

NB: No scans of Naomi C in this post!

**Naomi C is in the new issue of i-D magazine. Some readers of the blog may or may not remember that in fact i-D did a controversial fashion spread where a black model looks basically like Aunt Jemima so this magazine is suspect anyway. Continue reading ‘Magazine Commentary: Naomi in i-D magazine’

All the contributor and pre-orders should have received their copies by now. If not, pleas e-mail me so I can find out what is going on with the post office. Here is a sneak preview of what the magazine cover looks like below!

Please feel free to order a free copy of the zine. Just send me an e-mail to aulelia_2(at)hotmail.co.uk

I am very eager to hear feedback from people about the zine. The zine is free but I do not have many copies left and I am interested in spreading the word of Kerosene far and wide.

I will be making a second issue. I haven’t got a clue how I will secure the funding. The difference with the second issue is I will only print for subscribers so please, if you liked the mag, please e-mail me and confirm that you would like to subscribe. Don’t forget subscribing is free.

Okay, my attempts at PR is over…for now LOL.

For as long as I can remember since I came to England to go to school, the All Saints were my group. They were just heavy. No ifs or butts. Who can forget I Know Where it’s at ? and Take that Key. The All Saints were an extremely successful girl group in the UK and Europe, I believe. At the heart of the All Saints as the chief songwriter who masterminded a great deal of the songs was Shaznay Lewis.

Continue reading ‘Shaznay Lewis & the Digitisation of the Music Industry’

Just as a finished writing the Blended Thoughts post, I went on Youtube to listen to the Maroon 5 & Rihanna track. So imagine my horror (expected of course) when I read this comment:

I wish more black women looked like this, the real dark ones should be forced to marry white men. at least their children will have fathers.

Stop the colourism! Stop the hate! This is such an inflammatory statement. Unfortunately, still the norm. The worst part of this comment is the assumption that the ‘real dark ones’ are automatically ugly & the myth that black men are absent fathers.

Jesus. What the hell is wrong with some people ? This is such a horrible thing to think. I am convinced that these people need to be reprogrammed like robots to stop spreading their complexes to other black people.

I give up on them as of now.

In today’s blender

**That Maroon 5 and Rihanna song is very catchy! This blog is Beyonce fan territory but the song is good. Check out this link for the video. Really, the only good factor about the song is in the actual music in the background as opposed to Levine & Rhi-Bot’s vocals. Has anyone seen the video ? I agree with people who say that her sex appeal is too much now. I mean, really how many videos can you do the same old “I am sexy because I frown” rubbish ? Nonetheless, the song is good. She can’t sing of course but music is not about singing  as we all know. Does anyone think that she has movie-star looks ? I do. I think that is why she has gotten where she is today. Simply because she is pretty. Now, at least Beyonce can actually sing and has attempted acting. Team Beyonce!

**Dexter! Ah, watched the season finale of the first series on ITV1 yesterday! Do any UK heads know when the second series is coming to England ??? I need to know. I love this program to death. Dexter & Doakes are by far the best character.

**The Apprentice (UK): WOW, how is michael still in there ? Raef to win for sure. Raef is a mixture between a new age Beau Brummell and a posh schoolboy. He is fabulous hands down.

**First Politics exam next Tuesday! But at least I handed in my French dissertation on masculinity in this week. I don’t even want to think about writing dissertations anymore!

My friend and I were in town today in Bristol after we went to Mass at the University Catholic Chaplaincy. It felt good going to mass. Anyroad, we then decided to go random pub/bar for coffe/hot chocolate. On our way there, we walked past the Waterfront. The Waterfront in Bristol is this street filled with bars and clubs by this river. We were literally minding out own business, catching jokes etc when this group of men start heckling at us.

One of the men said (and I paraphrase as he sounded drunk), “if you are mother and daughter, I’d shag you both”

We just ignored it of course.

What possesses some men to literally heckle and gawk at women they don’t fucking know as if they are in the bloody zoo ? How dare you talk in such an inappropriate manner ?

It does not make any sense to me or my friend. I was thinking if one of them had attempted to touch us, then it would have gotten very bad because I don’t give a fuck who you are, if you touch me or my friend and you are NOT my boyfriend, I will take matters into my own hands and that includes involving any authorities who deal with men who harrass women.

What happened today is one of the worst examples of verbal harrassment directed to me from men. I know a lot worse can happen especially since many women are sexually assaulted but I am not comparing sexual assault to verbal harrassment.

All women have the inherent right to walk around in a town/city without being heckled and having to endure hearing lewd sexual innuendos. That boys will be boys rubbish does not wash with me, quite frankly.

Why does sexual harassment seem to take place in the workplace? I suppose this is the question whose answer would help many people. My take on it is the workplace is essentially a forum where power hierarchies are created, regardless of what job you do. Every job has a foodchain and within that foodchain, there will always be people who bully and harrass others to keep them down. What are your thoughts ?

Please read the link to the following story about sexual harassment in a law firm in Florida. It is shocking and deeply disturbing. Here are a few excerpts of what was experienced by some of the women:

I called (a male associate at the firm) … to see if he could help me find a roommate. He offered me a room in his 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom house … Doug Wright became merciless in teasing me about it. He would ask or say things like: “Did you know (he) has a camera in your shower? Did you know (he) lays in your bed? Did you know (he) puts your panties on his head? … What does (he) look like in boxers? …

Doug Wright probably asked me to feel his “guns” about 4 or 5 times. Recently … Doug Wright ordered me to fix his tie in front of (another male lawyer). … … By July of 2002, I became desperate to move (my office) …

I am beyond appalled at how these women have been harassed by this evil, hurtful man. Unfortunately, this story is not isolated. What are all your thoughts ? The fact that one of the accusers wanted to move into a different office to get away from this horrible man is proof that he was a malicious sexual harasser.

The head of the law firm then noted:

Therefore, I accept and will implement each of the (committee’s) recommended sanctions as set forth in the Report, except the two that would bar (Wright) from participation in summer associate and associate hiring …

WHAT THE HELL ? The man who harassed those women still gets to be involved in hiring associates, some of whom would be women. Would he harass them in the bloody interviews ? What a scandal. The women thus replied:

The message that you have sent us by your memorandum is that cruel behavior is tolerated, so long as the perpetrator is in a position of power. Despite the “hell” that we have all been through, we have received no apology, no words of sympathy, only repeated orders of “keep quiet,” “don’t talk about this with anyone” and “this process is confidential.” … The system protects Doug, not us.

The man thus responded as saying that he was not friends with Doug Wright and was not biased against him. This man should have gotten the fucking sack, not be left alone. This is ridiculous.

-Waitress awarded £124,000 in compensation after chef sexually harrasses her - The Indy

-Dealing with Sexual Harrassment - Monster.co.uk

There are no words to describe how fucking awful this documentary is. I was working on my French dissertation last night whilst watching Jools Holland on the BBC (yay for Santogold!) and then this documentary came on. Initially, I was intrigued to see that it was about the Roc-a-fella tour that Beyonce’s husband was on with a host of other rap artists. Unfortunately, not even Beyonce’s husband (now known as BH in this post) could save this. Continue reading ‘Worst.Documentary.Ever.’

This comment (about Rihanna and Chris Brown’s supposed relationship) is hilarious (in my silly opinion):

Wow! I bet they have great sex..I did hear Chris was packin. Maybe thats why she is all over him like that. Go Chrianna..f*ck the haters!

The reason I find this so funny is the huge assumption that Chris Brown’s body is…um, ”packin”. Lol, I don’t know what that means! Does it mean he is buff or does it mean that he is supposedly good in bed ? Lol this comment has me confused. Is it because I don’t understand US English ?

This comment has provided some much needed respite from a difficult French cinema dissertation I have to hand in. If anyone knows what ”packin” means, please tell me in the comment section! Gwen, byrd parker  & Marco, I am formulating my answers for the signifer/signifed post and Aisha and Caspar, I will reply to your comments tomorrow too.