What is it in the GLBTI community re the constant nuisance that are “pink shock-jocks?” This World Wrestling Entertainment style of media i.e. pre-fabricated non-genuine emotion and shock value always seems to rear its ugly head. It’s well known in the wider community, e.g. Alan Jones, Ray Hadley, Steve Price and Derryn Hinch. In the GLBTI community it usually takes the form of anyone who doesn’t fit gay male stereotypes. And interestingly, all the community media examples I can think of ultimately self-identify as gay male.
In the past we’ve seen Lance Spurr (real name Adam Carr) and Kaye Sera (Daren Pope), the latter noted for the infamous 2004 “heel turn” (to keep the WWE analogy going) which was justified by “well, it won me a Rainbow Award.” Interestingly, both these occurred under the editorship of Bill Calder. More recently it’s been JOY’s Tim Newton and Tim Wilson, the latter a well-known Liberal party hack and employee of the Institute of Public Affairs, the well-known right-wing think tank. (Hang on, right-wing think-tank is an oxymoron, but I digress…)
One could possibly rationalize this approach for commercial media. Commercial media need to make profits, if this style brings in the masses that lead to ratings that lead to advertising dollars, so it’s justifiable…possibly. But can GLBTI community media, with its more qualitative aims follow such a line? Respected pink media types, particularly Doug Pollard, think so. But there’s a difference.
The GLBTI and allied community are overall better educated than others – in 2 ways. Sure, there is more formal education re tertiary degrees etc. More importantly, our life experience enables us to see through many falsehoods and cover-ups more often than your average punter. So we are not going to be sucker-punched by pink jocks. More likely, we’ll switch channels because we don’t want to have our intelligence insulted. So this style of media is clearly detrimental re achieving aims, financial or qualitative.
Columnist Cheeky Biscuit wrote a few years back that all the shock-jocks, pink or otherwise were all right wing. Would a left-wing shocker work? I don’t think it’s any different…it’s still lowest common denominator stuff.
So my take is if you can’t present community media without genuine passion, then don’t do it at all. There are enough issues in this community that can move the heart and sway the emotions- positively – without having to resort to cheap and lazy approaches. Unless you’re happy to be known as cheap, lazy...and fake.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Sunday, August 31, 2008
back on deck
Sorry it's been so long between posts - might write as to why at some point. Stuff coming soon.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
a bit of gender fun
Hi all
A bit of fun that happened at the recent "Play Like a Girl" jam session
Yours truly has been mucking around playing drums lately and this is a great way to do it every month.
Anyway, after I'd had a bash, a guy comes up to me and says "I've always wanted to play drums, can I borrow your skirt?"
Love it.
check out http://www.myspace.com/iplaylikeagirl
A bit of fun that happened at the recent "Play Like a Girl" jam session
Yours truly has been mucking around playing drums lately and this is a great way to do it every month.
Anyway, after I'd had a bash, a guy comes up to me and says "I've always wanted to play drums, can I borrow your skirt?"
Love it.
check out http://www.myspace.com/iplaylikeagirl
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Diary of a Confest Virgin
“We’ve both had a stressful start to the year, so we’re going to Confest to chill out.”Sounded like my long time friend Mandy had a good idea re getting away over Easter, but what we doing?
According to http://www.dte.org.au/NextFest.html ConFest was started as an “alternative living' festival in the 1970's by Jim Cairns (then Deputy Prime Minister) and his assistant Junie Morosi and many others.” It’s camping, it’s in the bush and it’s largely primitive, although there was a marketplace selling (amongst other stuff) cooked food and lattes for those needing their morning fix.
Being a first timer was a bit overwhelming. However the spirit of Confest is that anyone can run a workshop/gathering on anything (regardless of expertise). 2 gay guys had the sensible idea of holding a queer “meet and greet” on Friday morning, which for a first time attendee was very helpful in feeling more settled.
Saturday was a much noisier with almost 15 hours of tribal drumming which sent me a bit spare. Even the quiet area (also drug and alcohol free) wasn’t completely quiet. To lift myself on Sunday, I decided to put on 2 workshops myself. Old habits die hard and one was “Transgender 101.” Happily no-one turned up. Happily - yes: maybe that no-one was interested meant that no-one there gave a damn about transgender. Hallelujah.
A lovely Hindu gay guy from the Sunshine Coast facilitated a workshop re gay/queer spirituality, specifically is there a queer spirituality or can we be part of mainstream spirituality – an article in itself.
At Confest, clothing is optional re both style and amount. i.e. people can walk around nude if desired and guys wear dresses. In a “gently challenging” way,seeing the nudity was helpful for me. As a transsexual this brought to the surface the internalised transphobia I’ve swallowed re feeling negative about my body and that I need to let that transphobia go. Something to work on…
Overall queerdom was a non-issue; making Confest a sort of queertopia. One gay guy said he’d received a comment there were “no queers here,” (pretty odd given the signs locating the queer village), but that was it.
Undaunted by the nil response to the trans workshop, I tried again and ran a workshop on the “Highly Sensitive Person.” Being relatively unprepared moved me out of my comfort zone, but the results were worth it. 9 other people turned up, only one of whom who knew of the material. The other 8 were “just curious.” However, on finding out that there were other people like themselves and knowing about relevant resources, they walked away happier and feeling less isolated… the highlight of my weekend.
Which is what Confest is about. Giving. Respect for each other. Which begs a question. If it’s so easy for Confest to be respectful of humanity without a whole lot of rules, how come it’s so hard for society to do it?
PS This article was submitted to a local pink newspaper for possible publication: no response, so blogreaders, you get the exclusive!
According to http://www.dte.org.au/NextFest.html ConFest was started as an “alternative living' festival in the 1970's by Jim Cairns (then Deputy Prime Minister) and his assistant Junie Morosi and many others.” It’s camping, it’s in the bush and it’s largely primitive, although there was a marketplace selling (amongst other stuff) cooked food and lattes for those needing their morning fix.
Being a first timer was a bit overwhelming. However the spirit of Confest is that anyone can run a workshop/gathering on anything (regardless of expertise). 2 gay guys had the sensible idea of holding a queer “meet and greet” on Friday morning, which for a first time attendee was very helpful in feeling more settled.
Saturday was a much noisier with almost 15 hours of tribal drumming which sent me a bit spare. Even the quiet area (also drug and alcohol free) wasn’t completely quiet. To lift myself on Sunday, I decided to put on 2 workshops myself. Old habits die hard and one was “Transgender 101.” Happily no-one turned up. Happily - yes: maybe that no-one was interested meant that no-one there gave a damn about transgender. Hallelujah.
A lovely Hindu gay guy from the Sunshine Coast facilitated a workshop re gay/queer spirituality, specifically is there a queer spirituality or can we be part of mainstream spirituality – an article in itself.
At Confest, clothing is optional re both style and amount. i.e. people can walk around nude if desired and guys wear dresses. In a “gently challenging” way,seeing the nudity was helpful for me. As a transsexual this brought to the surface the internalised transphobia I’ve swallowed re feeling negative about my body and that I need to let that transphobia go. Something to work on…
Overall queerdom was a non-issue; making Confest a sort of queertopia. One gay guy said he’d received a comment there were “no queers here,” (pretty odd given the signs locating the queer village), but that was it.
Undaunted by the nil response to the trans workshop, I tried again and ran a workshop on the “Highly Sensitive Person.” Being relatively unprepared moved me out of my comfort zone, but the results were worth it. 9 other people turned up, only one of whom who knew of the material. The other 8 were “just curious.” However, on finding out that there were other people like themselves and knowing about relevant resources, they walked away happier and feeling less isolated… the highlight of my weekend.
Which is what Confest is about. Giving. Respect for each other. Which begs a question. If it’s so easy for Confest to be respectful of humanity without a whole lot of rules, how come it’s so hard for society to do it?
PS This article was submitted to a local pink newspaper for possible publication: no response, so blogreaders, you get the exclusive!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Customer service winner
Hi all
Now this makes shopping really fun...and I've left the details on because they deserve a plug
Your CD has been gently taken from our CD Baby shelves with
sterilized contamination-free gloves and placed onto a satin pillow.
A team of 50 employees inspected your CD and polished it to make sure
it was in the best possible condition before mailing.
Our packing specialist from Japan lit a candle and a hush fell over the crowd as he put your CD into the finest gold-lined box that money can buy.
We all had a wonderful celebration afterwards and the whole party marched down the street to the post office where the entire town of Portland waved "Bon Voyage!" to your package, on its way to you, in our private CD Baby jet on this day, Friday, March 28th.
I hope you had a wonderful time shopping at CD Baby. We sure did. Your picture is on our wall as "Customer of the Year." We're all exhausted but can't wait for you to come back to CDBABY.COM!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Sigh...
--
Derek Sivers, president, CD Baby
the little store with the best new independent music
http://cdbaby.com cdbaby@cdbaby.com (503)595-3000
Now this makes shopping really fun...and I've left the details on because they deserve a plug
Your CD has been gently taken from our CD Baby shelves with
sterilized contamination-free gloves and placed onto a satin pillow.
A team of 50 employees inspected your CD and polished it to make sure
it was in the best possible condition before mailing.
Our packing specialist from Japan lit a candle and a hush fell over the crowd as he put your CD into the finest gold-lined box that money can buy.
We all had a wonderful celebration afterwards and the whole party marched down the street to the post office where the entire town of Portland waved "Bon Voyage!" to your package, on its way to you, in our private CD Baby jet on this day, Friday, March 28th.
I hope you had a wonderful time shopping at CD Baby. We sure did. Your picture is on our wall as "Customer of the Year." We're all exhausted but can't wait for you to come back to CDBABY.COM!!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Sigh...
--
Derek Sivers, president, CD Baby
the little store with the best new independent music
http://cdbaby.com cdbaby@cdbaby.com (503)595-3000
Monday, March 10, 2008
Drugs (legal ones)
Recently, I've quit both coffee and alcohol. 3 drinks in the last 5 weeks; no coffee for 40 days (and nights) ; no, we're not talking about Lent here!
I find coffee, even 1 decaf per day overly stimulating. I find alcohol to be a depressant that makes me go to sleep. So why was I paying people for this combination of "legal uppers and Alexanders (downers)?" what was the nutritional value in either?
What's pissed me off re the alcohol are the people who say "you don't drink because you have a control issue. You're afraid if you drink too much you won't be in control." Having given my reason, I find their comments rude and insulting. We all have different metabolisms, we're all different.
The third drug is called anti-depressants (ADs). First of all, don't do anything re this without consulting your health professional. But I believe in the idea that ADs are over-prescribed:
1. They are most likely over-advertised to health professionals(as proposed by Healthy Skepticism)
2. They are prescribed too quickly by docs and psychs who are too busy/unable to listen.
3. People are left on them for too long without counselling on what is causing the alleged need for the AD.
4. The difficulty in getting off them is well documented.
I think solutions lie in:
1, Docs and psychs always need to outline an initial counselling program at the same time as prescribing ADs.
2. There needs to be constant checking in re the need for continuing use.
3. There needs to be allowance by docs, psychs and employers to ensure sick leave and medical certificates are available for people to have time to come off ADs.
4. People need to be allowed to have someone attend appointments to advocate for them without question.
Here's to health (that's a toast with a glass of filtered water!)
I find coffee, even 1 decaf per day overly stimulating. I find alcohol to be a depressant that makes me go to sleep. So why was I paying people for this combination of "legal uppers and Alexanders (downers)?" what was the nutritional value in either?
What's pissed me off re the alcohol are the people who say "you don't drink because you have a control issue. You're afraid if you drink too much you won't be in control." Having given my reason, I find their comments rude and insulting. We all have different metabolisms, we're all different.
The third drug is called anti-depressants (ADs). First of all, don't do anything re this without consulting your health professional. But I believe in the idea that ADs are over-prescribed:
1. They are most likely over-advertised to health professionals(as proposed by Healthy Skepticism)
2. They are prescribed too quickly by docs and psychs who are too busy/unable to listen.
3. People are left on them for too long without counselling on what is causing the alleged need for the AD.
4. The difficulty in getting off them is well documented.
I think solutions lie in:
1, Docs and psychs always need to outline an initial counselling program at the same time as prescribing ADs.
2. There needs to be constant checking in re the need for continuing use.
3. There needs to be allowance by docs, psychs and employers to ensure sick leave and medical certificates are available for people to have time to come off ADs.
4. People need to be allowed to have someone attend appointments to advocate for them without question.
Here's to health (that's a toast with a glass of filtered water!)
Monday, March 3, 2008
Ms Manners
Being an old-fashioned gal, I'm into manners.
One thing at the gig that annoyed me on Saturday was people talking through the gig. If you go and see music, stand-up or similar, shut up! Talk before, during the interval or after.
My arts colleague from my JOY days tells the story of a woman in the second row of the audience at a musical who talk a call on her mobile in the middle of a shoqw. Even in spite of the lead beaking out of character saying " do you want us to stop while you take the call" the woman went on talking.
Honestly...
One thing at the gig that annoyed me on Saturday was people talking through the gig. If you go and see music, stand-up or similar, shut up! Talk before, during the interval or after.
My arts colleague from my JOY days tells the story of a woman in the second row of the audience at a musical who talk a call on her mobile in the middle of a shoqw. Even in spite of the lead beaking out of character saying " do you want us to stop while you take the call" the woman went on talking.
Honestly...
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