I continue to do a great job writing final papers

La dee da, I should be working, but instead I'm drinking one of the Rock Star Juiced (Guava) 24 oz. cans that Thrift Store Champion bought a flat of at Big Lots! and playing on the internet. I am working on which direction to take my paper on Walter Benjamin and the democratization of the means of cultural production. I wanted to do something with that awesome Pin-Up Grrrls book I read this summer, and got a bunch of books about feminism and art blah blah blah. But I was rereading The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction last night and all I could think about was YouTube. And I said to myself, "I do not want to write a YouTube paper. Also, I'd have to restart all my research. And it would have to be like recent journal articles, etc., which are harder to find than books in a cursory search." So here I am trying to figure out where to go with it and just fucking around on the internet instead of reading more. Annnyway, enough about my working block. I just have to have, like, an outline for tomorrow or whatevs. So, links! -Amanda talks about an Evangelical Christian who realizes that maybe morality doesn't have to be based on specific belief in one specific version of god. This is a minister who traces his spiritual journey in a segment of the always-awesome This American Life. Amanda says:

What made the whole thing even more fascinating was that Pearson got all these letters from people who conceded outright that the existence of a hell where the majority of people go was a moral outrage, but who nonetheless suggested that he best comply with god’s wishes. God, in other words, is a terrorist holding a gun to people’s heads. And, more importantly, if you’re moral you do everything in your power to save other people from the wrath of this evil, torturous being by spreading the, um, Good News. Their entire system relies on the belief that people are more, not less, moral than god. Jesus’ role in this is that he became a man, and thus basically adopted some of man’s morality, and he pleads with the vicious, nasty, vindictive god to show a little mercy to his creation.

Obviously, most Christians would deny that this is what they really believe, but thinking about it in these terms is intriguing and ultimately kind of revealing about how much of religion is based on fear. Christian minister finds morality doesn't come from god. (Pandagon) -There's a buzz going around the feministernets (yes, I just made that up) about some bullshit article that I am too lazy to find and actually read and link to that basically blames third-wave feminism for increases in binge drinking among young women. Blah blah blah, women having equal rights and feeling freer to do shit that guys have always done is BAD. I'm not going to pretend that my frequent excessive drinking is healthy or something, I know it's not, but I also know that I can get away with it right now (I'm young, a grad student, live in a small town and have nothing better to do, etc.). I also won't claim that I don't enjoy feeling like somewhat of a badass when I down straight liquor or can match guys twice my size drink-for-drink. I also won't pretend that I don't also use alcohol to lower inhibitions and enjoy casual hook-ups. I realize mixing sex and alcohol can be problematic, but I think the fact that it is so common is largely due to restrictive cultural conceptions of female sexuality that are at odds with physical reality. Getting drunk is fun. Having sex is fun. Often hooking up is far easier when you're both drunk. So what? I'm in my fucking twenties. Is this not the time to sow my wild oats? Why has no one in the past been concerned about young (or old, or any) men and their oats, but get all pearl-clutchy when it comes to girls doing it to? I WANT MY FUCKING WILD OATS AND I WILL SOW THEM ALL I WANT. I'm a feminist. I also drink a lot. I have no bullshit ideas that drunkenness is somehow a "feminist" state. Duh. Just because feminism has allowed for women to "behave badly" without the same kind of social consequences that would have come with them in the past doesn't mean everything I do makes some sort of feminist statement. I'm fucking sick of fucking pseudo-feminist or anti-feminist or just generally "concerned" journalists and pundits blaming feminism for anything they believe is wrong with society, without actually examining the roots of certain phenomena. As if just because our coping strategies have changed means that we live in a fucking post-patriarchy. Assholes. Anyway, there are a lot of good posts out there (see Jezebel, Feministing, etc.), but I particularly enjoyed Jill's discussion: Chicks Drink. Blame Feminism. (Feministe) -This has been bouncing around the 'webs, and if you haven't seen it yet, it's fucking awesome. Jack Black as Jesus as the best idea ever. Also, perennial faves Allison Janney, Andy Richter, Margaret Cho, and that guy who plays Darrell on The Office, as well as NPH!

"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... by Jack Black