A Decade

I purposefully wrote nothing today.

Something Old, Something New

This is officially the first blog post from my new apartment! It's been a hectic week (I got back to campus a week ago tonight, moved into the apartment the next day) filled with new furniture and lots of cleaning. Moving in was a lot more work than I ever imagined it would be, and we still aren't completely done yet, but what we have is more than livable. This year is already shaping up to be awesome.

Every year around this time, I re-read To Kill a Mockingbird. It is easily my favorite book of all time and I enjoy returning to Maycomb once a year. I am not the closest reader so I often make new discoveries that I missed in previous readings. For example, there is a lovely description of the Radley house in the first couple of pages that I completely missed the last five times I read the book. I'm not very far into it, but I am already loving being back in that world.

Not much more than that to report. I helped some friends out with a kitchen fire the other day. Our sink is leaking. It feels good to be home.

The Empire Builder

This is a journal I took on my train ride from Seattle to Chicago. I apologize for typos, I didn't edit this! Also, a warning, it's long. I didn't have Internet on the train so I couldn't do it bit by bit.

Tuesday August 30th, 2011 9:10 AM (Mountain Time) : Whitefish, MT

I have, for a long time now, hated flying. Why I try to avoid airplanes is mostly an emotional reasoning, but unimportant now. To send me back to school, my parents respected my dislike of air travel and offered to buy me a train ticket instead. This post will be a journal of my trip from Everett to Chicago via train. I don’t have internet on the train, so I will have to post it all at once as soon as I get into Chicago.

I guess I should start at the beginning. The train I was supposed to catch in Everett had a bad derailment (is that kind of thing common?) in Montana and was unable to meet us. So Amtrak provided a bus to Spokane instead of the expected train. In my experience, the emptiness of a bus relates directly to the comfort of the trip. This bus was fairly empty (I had no one sitting next to me the whole trip) and thus the ride wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, except for a malfunctioning cooling system. We got to Spokane and rather easily boarded the train around midnight.

I have no memory of the train leaving Spokane; I presume because I conked out once I sat down on the train. When I awoke, it was around five in the morning. I slept for another hour and then proceeded to just look out the window. The sun was just beginning to rise, and the world was painted in shades of grey. The tracks followed a slow moving river in a gorge. I’m sitting at the back of the train and every now and then I would see the front of the train curve in front of me. 

My hatred for air travel is mirrored by my love for train travel. I adore the feeling that I am actually moving across the country. I can see the scenery pass me by. I feel each mile recede behind me. Montana has so far lived up to it’s name as Big Sky Country. For most of the trip we have been surrounded by evergreen forests with a clear blue sky blanket keeping us warm. Right now, we are at our first major stop and it is bizarre to see cars passing over us. Or even buildings that weren’t built by hand. 

A handful of months ago I read the first 350 pages of War and Peace for a class. I had to drop the class and thus stopped reading the novel. On the bus ride over, I picked it up again. I hope to finish, but life has a way of ruining our best intentions. It was nice to return to the world of Natasha and Boris again, even if I thought Rostov and Andrei were the same person.

I also watched the final episode of the fourth season of The West Wing. It was a mistake to do so in public; I never should have expected to hold back my tears. I can’t think of a better made episode of television. For almost the entire second half tears were streaming down my face. My friend once sent me the “Babies come with hats speech” in a YouTube clip to use a reminder that the world is a fundamentally good place whenever I need some reminding. To see that clip in context was beyond beautiful. Then there was the moment when Abby wanted to speak to the press. And then there is the line, “I think it is an extraordinary act of patriotism and an ordinary act of fatherhood.” This episodes is just full of gems like that. This finale is made even more poignant by knowing that it was Aaron Sorkin’s last episode. The series changes in the next season, and it’s always a bizarre shift for me. Not a detrimental one, but off-putting for a few episodes.

That’s it for now. I’ll try and check back pretty regularly today and tomorrow (my train gets in at 3:55 on Wednesday). 

Tuesday August 30th, 2011 11:08 AM (Mountain Time) : Somewhere in Montana

We haven’t stopped in a while, which is odd because there are numerous stops listed on the pamphlet I picked up at the station. Perhaps if there is no one boarding or disembarking they simply ignore the stop. It’s a shame, I was really looking forward to getting to spend some time in Essex, MT. We are in the mountains now. I’m glad I’m sitting on the left, because it looks like there is a sharp drop off on the right. Maybe I will investigate a little.

Watched another West Wing. That’s two today, three for the whole trip. I wonder how many I will get through.

Just passed the Continental Divide. Now if I spit, my saliva will end up in the Atlantic. How comforting.

Tuesday August 30th, 2011 12:34 PM (Mountain Time) : Cut Bank, MT

I am going to do my best to keep this post from sounding trite or maudlin, but I may fail. Just giving you fair warning. I just got back from having lunch. I decided to do a sit down lunch in the dining car. Since there is limited space, they do communal seating. I was sat with a man traveling with his mother and a someone around my age traveling by himself (I didn’t learn their names until the end of lunch, but for ease they are Paul, Joy and Chris respectively). We got to talking surprisingly easy (I have never been the best at small talk). Paul and Joy were on their way back from Seattle after having seen Joy’s son off. Joy’s son (I assume Paul’s brother) was heading off to Iraq today. They both lived in Montana. Chris had just completed about two or three years at an outdoor leadership college and was returning to his home in Maine. I am of course coming from my home near Seattle to return to school in Chicago.

Our destinations and goals were widespread and different, but I don’t think I’ve ever had a more agreeable lunch. Joy and I talked about Seattle; it was interesting to hear a tourist’s perspective (she loved it!). Chris talked a lot about his school and the things had learned to do. He talked about white water rafting and rock climbing, but more interestingly he discussed how important it was to take the lessons one may learn from these activities and apply them to every day life. He told the story of a camper whom he took rock climbing with the group. The camper was on the ground giving instructions to someone climbing. The camper on the group pointed out a foothold to the climber and was frustrated that the climber wasn’t taking his instructions. When the guy on the ground got to climbing, however, he discovered the foothold wasn’t much help at all. Chris was able to turn this into a lesson on perspective.

We passed through the Blackfoot Indian Reservation and I learned from Joy and Paul that they are an exceedingly nice people, Joy said her mother would rather be helped by a Blackfoot than a white man if she was stuck on the side of the road, but Native Americans live a depressingly pathetic life. Paul was quick to point out that they deliberately lived a slower paced life, one with more focus on family.

All in all, it was an enlightening lunch. One full of heart-warming small moments. Paul paid for both Chris and I at the end. Chris called everyone by sir, even our waiter. Joy told us about the time she went white water wafting. Paul taught me a little bit about Angus beef. I left the table with a smile, knowing that I had made three new friends, even if I never see them again.

Paul and Joy were also helpful with some geography. They told me that we had just passed through the Rockies and would be seeing mostly plains from her until Chicago (I’m beginning to see what they mean.) It seems like the ridges and mountains are done for, but you should see these farms. Talk about amber waves of grain. They also had some more information on the derailment that had prompted the bus at the beginning of the trip. A freight train came off the rails, 24 boxcars total, carrying lumber and lentils. Two people were sent to the hospital but they were both released soon with only minor injuries. Thank God no one was hurt. I should be able to see a couple of boxcars on the ground after our next stop.

Tuesday August 30th, 2011 5:19 PM (Mountain Time) : Just west of Glasgow, MT

The conductor just told us that the tracks aren’t as good out here in spots, which explains the frequent slowing down and speeding up of the train. It is hard to tell if we are on time. Like our train, time seems to slow down and spurt forward uncontrobally. I’ll close my eyes and open them an hour later. I’ll try and take a nap and only see twenty minutes go by.

The land is flat beyond belief. I am starting to realize just how much space it must take to feed a country.

I’m off to scrounge up some dinner. All my meals come early on this train.

West Wing episode count: 4 (I’m gonna watch a fifth one as I eat)

War and Peace page count: 55

Tuesday August 30th, 2011 7:23 PM (Mountain Time) : Near the Montana-North Dakota Border

We are about to pass into the great state of North Dakota, as well as the central time zone (I assume the two borders are the same). The gently rolling plans continue to surround us, except now the sun is setting behind the train and everything is a faded glow to it. I don’t think I could ever live in a place like this, but a few months in a land where serenity and open spaces are the norm probably wouldn’t do me any harm. I look out over the farmland and see houses that must have been put there generations ago and I think of all the hard workers that live within their, and of all the different kinds of people that compose this country (The West Wing always puts me in a patriotic mood.)

Speaking of different kinds of people, it’s interesting to pass by the passengers on this train. The mean age is easily 50, if not higher. Many elderly couples. Do they too take a train because they dislike air travel. Or do planes not fly to where they want to go? Also, I am not the only young adult male traveling by myself. I mentioned Chris already, and there is another guy sitting behind me. There are a not insignificant number of young kids, but they are surprising well behaved. Most passengers are white. I passed a young woman doing leather work earlier, as well as a woman wearing an outfit that suggested she was Amish to me, but there is subtlety there lost on me. 

The general mood of the train is definitely sleepy. Every time I get up to walk to the lounge car I pass at least three people taking a nap, no matter the time. I wonder at what time I will fall asleep tonight. Until then, I have Tolstoy and Bartlett to keep me company. I also had a King size bag of Skittles, but my will-power is low (especially when it comes to things in brightly colored bags and episodes of TWW), and they are already gone. But the lounge car is just two doors down.

TWW episode count: 6

War and Peace page count: 55

Tuesday August 30th, 2011 11:04 PM (Central Time) : Somewhere in North Dakota

I think it’s just about bed time for me on the train. It turns out they have quiet hours starting at ten which is also when they turn off the overhead lights. When I wake up I should be in Minnesota. I would be sad about missing North Dakota, but it’s really too dark to see anything. At lunch today Joy talked about how in the Montana plains the darkness comes so slowly. With no mountains to disappear behind the sun really takes its time setting. It was a sight to behold. Before it set entirely I got a good look at some awesome rock formations. The layers are fun to examine from afar. Talk about the big picture.

The fact that I am going to be back in Evanston tomorrow makes me giddy with excitement. I can feel the anticipation building in my veins. I have plans to eat dinner with close friends I haven’t seen in months. My heart can barely believe it.

Until tomorrow dear blog. I leave you to enjoy the night in scenic North Dakota.

TWW episode count: 7

War and Peace page count: 65

Wednesday August 31st, 2011 8:36 AM (Central Time) : Staples, MN

I think my favorite part about trains is that when you wake up you are in some place entirely new. The travel continues even while the passengers sleep. I can see the land travel by me and imagine all the ground we covered in the night. When you wake up in a plane, you’re still just in a plain. There is no concept of where you are or how far you’ve traveled.

Like I predicted, I woke up in Minnesota today. It looked like it was foggy out, but in fact it was raining. It’s hard to tell because the rain doesn’t fall against the windows. The couple across the aisle from me was gone, they must have disembarked in the night. We still seem to be in farmland, except now we are passing small towns at a more regular rate. I had anticipated getting breakfast right when the dining car opened at 6:30, but, to my delight, I slept until 7:30. Breakfast was a quieter affair then lunch yesterday, but my table mates were more than pleasant.

I overheard a waitress telling another table that the type of people that travel by train are not often Type A people. They are not in hurry and don’t mind the slow pace of train life. I could believe that. The waitress mentioned that yesterday the crew had worked 36 on 3 hours of sleep. She also said we are four hours behind, which is troubling. But I guess I too have to embrace the slow movement of train life.

Wednesday August 31st, 2011 11:17 AM (Central Time) : Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN

This station is what is called a service stop, meaning the train is basically off. I just went to go use the bathroom and when I tried to flush nothing happened. Soon after the conductor came on over the intercom and asked passengers to not use the bathroom while we are at the stop because there is no way to flush the toilet. Oops, I’ll go down when the train starts again and flush.

Without the rattling and breaking the train is eerily quiet. I can actually hear people having conversations down the car. Some folks just got on from the station, they are telling tales of the train being late. I can hear a little boy’s GameBoy playing in the middle of the car. It’s almost as if the world has stopped. I hope it starts up again soon. I’m beginning to get hungry for lunch!

TWW episode count: 8

War and Peace page count: 65

Wednesday August 31st, 2011 1:28 AM (Central Time) : Winona, MN

We’ve been traveling alongside the Mississippi River for some time now. I think this might be the first time I have seen the country’s largest river. And it is indeed large. Our conductor has informed us that between St. Paul and St. Louis there are 29 locks, we have passed 5 of them. These are the only controls that Engineer Corps have on the Mississippi. It’s nice to be out of the plains, seeing some new scenery. The River is exactly as I imagined it when I was reading Huck Finn. Wide as the eye can see with exciting islands in the middle. There doesn’t seem to be any current at all. There are trees everywhere for young boys to climb and fall out of. I can see how the river got it’s nickname, the Big Muddy. The river is magnificent, but no where near to blue. 

We are passing several nice looking houses now, many of them complete with corn fields. I think I would add this to my list of places to live at one point in my life. Near the Mississippi, feeling the life blood of the country flow past.

TWW Episode Count: 10

War and Peace page count: 77

Wednesday August 31st, 2011 7:14 PM (Central Time) : Glenville, IL

My journey draws to a close. No longer am I in the Rocky Mountains or the rolling hill of Montana. Nor is the Mississippi snaking along beside us. We travel next to an interstate now, the Chicago skyline just barely visible out the train window. Buildings surround us; we have surely returned to the urban life. I will not easily forget the sights I have seen on this trip. Some of them I had seen before, some were new to my eyes. But each and every passing vista reminded me that my way of life is simply a cog in a greater machine. The red barns and wide open fields of corn are just as important as the academia and skyscrapers to which I subscribe. It took me seeing them, to be physically near them, to reaffirm this in mind.

As I draw closer to my second home, I feel the nameless excitement that has been growing in me all summer start to burst through every part of my body. It is impossible to articulate, but just as hard to ignore. My friends will be picking me up from Union Station, and god only knows how I will crush them with my hugs. The Sears Tower (or whatever it is called now) rises in the distance to greet me. The city draws nearer, Evanston is ever so close. I feel my soul reach out to it.

Also getting off at Chicago will be Chris. He will continue on, by train I assume, to Maine. He goes to be the camp counselor that changes lives without campers realizing it. My train journey ends here and I could not have asked for a better way to return to school. My summer has drawn to a close with a most reflective and fulfilling journey. I hope to return to the Empire Builder soon, and many other trains in my life. I have heard America sing, and she sounds beautiful.

Thank you all for reading, congrats if you made it to the end!

TWW episode count: 12

War and Peace page count: 86

Reigning Pop Diva Week Day 6: Lady GaGa

(In pop music these days, the reigning trend seems to be female solo acts. Why this is, I don't know. Music goes through trends, whether it be harpsichords or boy bands. In honor of this, I have decided to do a week long in-depth look at these pop divas. From artists I find inspiring to women I wish would never open their mouths again. Welcome to Reigning Pop Diva Week!)

(makeupdict.com)

And so we come to the end of Reigning Diva Week with probably one of the most ubiquitous artists of the generation. Let me make it clear, I love Lady GaGa to death. I think she is innovative, courageous and fascinating. I have been a Little Monster for some time now. Here's why; I think GaGa is so much more than a singer. She is an artist at so many levels; a visual level, an emotional level and an aural level. She doesn't just make music, she makes statements also. Listening to her songs is an experience (not to mention watching her videos). In theatre we walk a lot about stage presence and how it is an intangible variable in someone's performance. It is impossible to teach but easy to spot. Lady GaGa has it in mounds and heaps. She is entrancing and impossible to look away from. Her detractors (of which there are a dwindling number, I believe) claim that her music videos and songs are just random collections of images that we are made to believe have a deeper meaning but don't actually. I strongly disagree. I believe her art is something that is to be pondered at and explored, not disregarded.

In my opinion, the best aspect of Lady GaGa is just how downright weird she is. I once was saying how much she flaunting stereotypes to a female friend and they corrected me. My friend pointed out that GaGa is blonde and skinny and thus is perpetuating this stereotype. She had a good point and forced me to come to this conclusion. Yes, GaGa is blonde and skinny, like, say, Taylor Swift. But GaGa is subverting this stereotype. She is blonde and skinny AND WEIRD! While Swift is the cheerleader, GaGa is the art freak that makes it big. GaGa tells us we were born this way, and who gives a fuck if we get a guy or go to college or conform. Her message of all-inclusiveness may seem a little heavy-handed, but I think she believes every word of it. It seems to me that Katy Perry made "Firework" because some marketing executive told her about how "in" it was to be nice to gay kids. GaGa recorded "Born This Way" because she wanted to send a message. Fuck the cheerleaders. Be who you are. Be blonde. Be skinny. Be you.

Not only does GaGa believe this; she uses her considerable public exposure to speak out. Most people don't take her seriously, and I'm not saying her opinion should be weighted more strongly than any other person's, but the fact that one of the most famous people in the world routinely speaks up for gay rights, especially at critical moments makes GaGa that much more powerful as a person.

I mentioned earlier that I consider Lady GaGa to be an artist on many levels. I think this is especially clear in her music videos. She creates such strong images with her words that she then translates powerfully to a visual medium. Her newest video "Yoü and I" is one of the best examples of this. The song talks about a lover that she has just left or broken up with and her realization of that mistake and her attempts to get this lover back. She talks about a couch where they made love and other potent images. Then her video adds a whole other womp. The most impactful image is an all dressed up GaGa in the middle of a cornfield on her way to her lover. She has wounds where her shoelaces have cut into her skin and grass in the wounds from all the walking she has done. It's image that just multiplies the song's punch. I love it to pieces. That's not to mention the damage we see done to her by her lover, who practically tortures her, representing the damage someone close to us can do.

I think Lady GaGa has a lot in common with Beyoncé in that they both have loads of natural talent but both put a lot of effort into their work. Whenever I read an interview with Lady GaGa I am amazed at how much reverence she has for her art. Producers talk about how much time she puts into every track. She cares about the music, not so much the image. Or rather, the image is part of the music. GaGa wouldn't be GaGa without the meat dress or the weird rhetoric. Her music wouldn't mean the same thing to all her fans without all of that. Just like Elvis wouldn't have Elvis without the prison years. The image supports the music.

But above all of this, GaGa produces good music. Great music. The very epitome of what pop/dance music should be. Hook on top of hook. Easy but not repetitive lyrics. Catchy beats. And tuneful! With GaGa's voice leading the way in every song, it's hard not to get lost in the music. And I hope I can get lost in it for many years to come.

That's the end of Reigning Pop Diva Week! I hope you enjoyed it! I know I did! Keep on reading!

Reigning Pop Diva Week Day 5: Taylor Swift

(In pop music these days, the reigning trend seems to be female solo acts. Why this is, I don't know. Music goes through trends, whether it be harpsichords or boy bands. In honor of this, I have decided to do a week long in-depth look at these pop divas. From artists I find inspiring to women I wish would never open their mouths again. Welcome to Reigning Pop Diva Week!)

(songslover.com)

I have one HUGE pet peeve in pop culture: when artists make an allusion to Romeo and Juliet as if that play stood for true love. And boy does Taylor Swift commit that crime hard in her song "Love Story." Here is the plot of Romeo and Juliet: Two attractive teenagers see each other (meet is too strong of a word), they decide that they want to fuck each other, there are some obstacles, they have sex, a lot of people die after they have sex, they kill themselves. Sure, the play deals with a lot of other issues like fate and how families can affect children, but I'm not going too deep here.  I'm not saying it's a bad play either (overrated, sure, but not bad). I just can't stand it when Romeo and his new obsession are used to represent anything but teenage irrationality. But here it is in "Love Story," as an ideal for love. As more than ideal; it's something for which to strive. It makes me sick. Strike one for Ms. Swift.

I have another pet peeve when it comes to pop culture: when a perfectly attractive woman (or man some of the time) is rendered "unattractive" when she dons a pair of glasses. Observe Swift in "You Belong With Me." Despite the fact that she is gorgeous, has perfect skin, radiant blond locks and eyes that remind you there is a God, she's the one the boy doesn't want. She's not the popular girl. Because she is wearing glasses. But when she goes to the dance everyone is like, "ZOH MY GAWD! She's so pretty! Because she took off her glasses! Finally we can see her perfect skin, radiant blond locks and eyes that remind us there is a God!" Taylor Swift is one of the most conventionally pretty woman in music, but she seems to be determined to cast herself as a normal-looking girl. Her dorky, one-of-you schlock can only get her so far. Like it or not, she was probably the cheerleader to a whole lot of band geeks in her day. Strike two for Ms. Swift. 

Finally, all of Taylor Swift's songs are about boys. And how much she needs them. And how she can't function without them. And how they are more important to her than anything. In "The Story of Us" she can't even study after she breaks up with a boy. She is beyond man-crazy. When she worries about her boy ignoring her in "Love Story" in the last verse, she forgets all about it by the last chorus. She lets herself surrender to him. Because the most important thing is that she has a boyfriend. The saddest part about this is that Taylor Swift is the Pop Diva that parents are willing to let their little girls listen to. She isn't weird or overtly sexual. Her love songs are about cuddling and being together forever, not how much you need a one night stand. Her music videos play like bad teen romance movies. This is the model that millions of young girls look up to. Talk about a step back for feminism. Talk about a step back for man-kind. It's well known that Swift writes songs about her personal life; they are her diary. You're telling me that a world-famous country music singer can't write songs about anything more interesting than her most recent relationship? Strike three for Ms. Swift.

I'm not saying Taylor Swift is untalented. She has a perfectly pretty voice and writes a lean and catchy song. But she is a bad role model. Her message to girls seems to be "You need a boyfriend. And you will get one. As long as you aren't at all weird and don't wear glasses. And by the way, you don't need to understand Shakespeare, the boys can do that for you." I can't think of a more toxic or idiotic message to be sending to a new generation of young women. Shame Ms. Swift, shame.

Tomorrow in Reinging Pop Diva Week: Mother Monster makes her appearance

Reigning Pop Diva Week Day 4: Beyoncé

(In pop music these days, the reigning trend seems to be female solo acts. Why this is, I don't know. Music goes through trends, whether it be harpsichords or boy bands. In honor of this, I have decided to do a week long in-depth look at these pop divas. From artists I find inspiring to women I wish would never open their mouths again. Welcome to Reigning Pop Diva Week!)

(people.com)

I know this is kind of an unpopular opinion, but I agree with Kanye West. At least when he said that Beyoncé made the best music video of the year. Knowles is probably the Pop Diva I am least familiar with, but damn is the "Single Ladies" video an impressive achievement. It's a catchy, well-put together song with kickass choreography. Its simplicity is what really sells it. It's just three women dancing their asses off, and boy does it look good. Give me Beyoncé in a black and white leotard doing her thing over Katy Perry in Candyland any day. I don't really have anything deep or profound to say about it, I just really love this video.

Okay, now that I've gotten that out of the way, I can actually talk about Beyoncé as an artist. Of all the Pop Divas, I think Knowles might have the most raw talent. She is a sexy and talented dancer and has pipes of steel. Plus, she has charisma in spades (not mention how gorgeous she is, without even trying it seems like). Like I said, I am not familiar with her work, but what I have seen of her is beyond impressive. She is also, interestingly enough, the only Pop Diva to have started out not as a solo artist. Destiny's Child may seem years behind Beyoncé, but it was scarcely a half decade ago that she was performing as the centerpiece of that girl group.

To have gone from that to the successful, and powerful, solo artist we see her as today is truly impressive. Especially considering she is the same age as Britney Spears and hasn't been performing for as long. Like I said, I think a lot of it can be attributed to raw talent. She just has the stuff, and some lucky agent picked up on it and marketed her like hell and now look where she is. Beyoncé always seems in control of her image, in fact I would probably call her the least "weird" of the pop divas (with maybe the exception of tomorrow's entry). She is just a normal woman...who happens to be rich beyond anyone's wildest dreams and famous as Pepsi Cola.

She is also the only Pop Diva to really break into acting. I'm not saying she's the next Meryl Streep or anything, but I thought her performance in Dreamgirls was more than adaquate. Again, I see the talent there I just think she needs a little coaching and the right role and she really pops. The thing is, she's willing to try. Knowles doesn't want to try being in movies, she wants to act and be good. That determination easily sets her apart from her peers.

Beyoncé's attempts at women-power may fall flat some of the time, and "Single Ladies" can be seen as pretty degrading when looked at in the right light, but all of this falls to the wayside when you are watching her. Beyoncé is a force of nature. And she works hard. The panting at the end of "Single Ladies" captures he essence perfectly. She has the talent, but doesn't coast by. Just look at her face when she's singing "Listen," hear the soul pouring from her mouth. That's something that you can't teach, and hopefully Knowles is around for a long time so we can keep on listening.

Tomorrow in Reigning Pop Diva Week: She belongs with me

Reigning Pop Diva Week Day 3: Katy Perry

(In pop music these days, the reigning trend seems to be female solo acts. Why this is, I don't know. Music goes through phases, whether it be harpsichords or boy bands. In honor of this, I have decided to do a week long in-depth look at these pop divas. From artists I find inspiring to women I wish would never open their mouths again. Welcome to Reigning Pop Diva Week!)

(ficdn.fashionindie.com)

While researching Katy Perry, I discovered something quite interesting: She grew up the daughter of two pastors and initially pursued a gospel music career. If you take into account her poor singing voice and explicit lyrics, this is jaw-dropping. I have always considered gospel singers to be excellent vocalists (I don't care for the music, but I can still appreciate the talent), so how could the toneless, perpetually flat Katy Perry ever hope to join their ranks? Another interesting thing I learned is that Perry is younger than Britney Spears.

Perhaps I should back-track a little. Out of all the Pop Divas I'm featuring this week, Katy Perry is easily my least favorite. I find her boring, exploitative and not that fun to listen to. Her lyrics are uninspired (don't even get me started on her rhyming skills) and her music dull and repetitive. Most of all, she is just untalented. Her voice is breathy and most the time she doesn't even seem to attempt any semblance of tone. She, like Britney Spears, tries to occupy both a family friendly and sex kitten persona, but unlike Spears she has been unable to balance the two ideas. Instead, she is the artist that got cut from Sesame Street because she was showing too much cleavage.

Perry uses her sexuality like the lead pipe in Clue. She bashes her audience over the head with it. "I kissed a girl and I liked it," isn't exactly the most subtle statement. Other lyrics of hers reference menage a trois (what is the plural of that?) and melting popsicles. Not to mention an entire song she wrote about how much she wants to see a guys penis (or peacock, if we wanna use the term she does). Now, I'm not saying I have anything against sex in music. Quite the opposite actually. But Katy Perry is using sex to market herself, not because she has anything interesting to say about it. She isn't creating discussion; she's creating revenue. And I have a problem with that. 

It is interesting to note that Katy Perry is one of the few Pop Divas that frequently collaborates with men, the best example being "California Gurls" and "E.T." She always places herself in relation to these men, allows them to comment on her and her actions. She thinks that she cannot be a woman if there are not men around. Her sexuality depends entirely on the male perspective of her. Not only does she have nothing interesting to add to the discussion on sexuality, she is knowingly perpetuating ancient stereotypes to make a buck.

The most infuriating part of Katy Perry is that I don't believe she really wants to be the sex kitten. She criticized Lady GaGa for mixing sexuality and spirituality. Perry's mother said she didn't really like her daughter's music (and then quickly retracted the statement). All in all, I think it's obvious that Perry's persona is completely false. Katy Perry just wants to be a gospel singer, but somewhere along the way someone told her the money was in songs that bemoaned hangovers, not gospel music. And Perry, being the untalented, uninspired and thoughtless artist that she is, just followed the dollar signs.

I do have to add a caveat to the soup of Katy Perry hate that I have just brewed up. I absolutely adore the song "Firework." However, my love for that song has absolutely nothing to do with Katy Perry. In fact, Katy Perry does not deserve this song (except for the laughable lyric writing). She can't sing it, her voice sounds strained on almost every note, and the message of staying true to yourself is ridiculous coming from someone so unnaturally packaged as Perry. But the song still contains a strong message and is was dedicated to the It Gets Better Project, which is very near and dear to my heart. Most of all though, I was part of Dance Marathon at school this year and at the end (after 30 hours dancing) the total amount of money raised was announced, and for the first time it broke the million dollar mark. After the announcement, this was the first song they played. And I was bawling, tears streaming down my cheeks. That's the real reason I love this song.

Tomorrow in Reigning Pop Diva Week: I get a little bootylicious!