A bunch of Shakers have recently sent me the link to what appears to be an extremely misogynist Guinness advertisement (viewable here, if you are so inclined, until it's taken down, too, though it may be NSFW). It's been circulated with the label "Banned Guinness Ad," among others, and has rightfully pissed off anyone with a modicum of respect for women who's seen it.
Thing is, the ad struck me as rather fishy, given that Guinness has generally been putting out more progressive and/or thoughtful advertising recently (like the evolution ad, viewable here, or the Rube Goldberg ad), so I had a look and, sure enough, the ad is a fake.
Now, here's where it gets interesting: Diageo, which owns the Guinness label, got wind of the sham commercial and immediately left a comment in the YouTube thread denouncing and disassociating itself from it, petitioned YouTube to take it down, and released a statement to Brand Republic saying in no uncertain terms it wanted nothing to do with any viral campaign that relies on such irresponsible imagery.
Guinness is in no way associated with this video, and approached YouTube to have it removed. We are proud of our brands, and our commitment to responsible marketing, and this is not how we want our brand portrayed.
So there you go. It would have been easy, and expected, once Diageo put out a statement denying the authenticity of the ad to let it keep circulating nonetheless. But that's not the avenue they took. They not only have insisted that all copies be removed from YouTube; they used the opportunity to assert a commitment to responsible marketing.
If you're questioning how notable that really is, consider that tons of people saw a video of a woman being used as a drink holder while she's being gangbanged and thought it was a real beer ad.
Given the quality of the adverts that serve as the basis for this series, I'm not sure I would have been suspicious if it had been another beer brand. It was only because Diageo has made an effort not to use misogyny to sell Guinness that my antennae went up. That's how notable a commitment to responsible marketing really is.
Cheers, Diageo. I'm glad I had an opportunity to share some good news on a Friday. And your principles will pay off; we'll be drinking Guinness at Shakes Manor tonight.
This bitch lives in St. Louis city and we have a back-to-school-after-summer-break public school attendance problem.
Blink. When I first moved back home to St. Louis I was appalled at the low attendance. I don’t have chil’ren and just couldn’t wrap my mind around any of my friends with kids delaying their kids return to class.
If memory serves a bitch, my mother would have camped out for 24 hours in front of school so that we could be the first kids in line on opening day, she was so tired of our shit.
Cough.
Anyhoo, when I became a mentor to a young woman enrolled in St. Louis public schools a harsh light was cast upon the why behind some of that low attendance.
My mentee spent the entire month of July trying to get her uniform together with no money. Her family had moved three times over the summer and she didn’t have all the forms she needed. And she didn’t have shoes…or money for shoes…or anyone in her world that had money for shoes.
I bought her the first pair of new shoes she had been given since babyhood…and then tried to assist her and her mother through the process of paperwork and uniform vouchers and so on and so on.
My mentee’s mother is in-and-out as far as involvement. Her father was recently released from jail and he’s still trying to settle into some sort of routine. So, my mentee’s supports are her friends in the 'hood and me.
And she’s not alone.
When I read that the St. Louis Public School folks have asked fathers to take their child to school the first day it kind of pissed me off.
Oh, I wasn't pissed off by the value of a father angle…that’s the new “it” solution in black America. My father was an amazing dad (rest his soul)…a lousy husband but a really great father…so I’m the last person to dismiss the benefits of a cool as hell dad.
But really, can’t we just this once acknowledge that a complex situation is complex?
The issues I’ve witnessed require action from the community, not just the reintroduction of a father into the picture. Now is not the time for this Cosby-esque shit!
I guess it is easier to propose more paternal involvement as you toss out some half assed thank you to sistahs raising kids on their own than to address the impact women's pay inequality has on their ability to provide for their children, the role that the lack of investment in the hood has on their ability to proved a safe home for their family or to investigate the many reasons why every mother or father isn’t always the kind of person we want involved in a child's life.
But hot damn, those bureaucrats sure do love the smell of a new initiative in the morning…
"Now look, everybody says, 'I hate ABBA. Oh ABBA, how terrible! Blah blah blah.' How come everybody goes to 'Mamma Mia?' Huh? I mean really, seriously, huh? 'I hate ABBA, they're no good, you know.' Well, everybody goes. They've been selling out for years."—Presumed Republican nominee John McCain, vociferously defending his favorite band.
I'm struck with two interestingly related thoughts: 1) I don't think I've ever been in a room where "everyone" would deny they dig ABBA, but then I'm usually in rooms filled with girls and gays; and 2) John McCain believes that ABBA's reputation is more deserving of his passionate defense than women's autonomy and gays' equality.
My friends, we have reached a crisis, the first probably serious crisis internationally since the end of the Cold War. This is an act of aggression.
So the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq in 1990 (and the subsequent Gulf War), the break-up of Yugoslavia and the civil wars in Bosnia and Kosovo, the genocides in Rwanda and the Sudan, and I'm sure I'm forgetting something... oh, right, the invasion of Iraq by America in 2003... those were not as serious?
And as Evelyn reminded me in the comments, there was that event on September 11, 2001. It was in all the papers.
I've got a new piece up at The Guardian's Comment is free America, "The Trashiest of Tabloids," about a truly grim example of why the international media is in serious crisis. It's not just that tabloid journalism sucks; it's that (allegedly respectable) mainstream journalism treats it like it doesn't:
Psst - did you hear? Barack Obama is having a torrid affair with George Clooney. It's true. I know this because one of Clooney's publicists offhandedly told me that the actor has indeed stayed at a hotel in Chicago in the past, and, in my mind, that counts as "a confirmation" from Clooney that he has engage in hot, steamy man-on-man action with the candidate and that the two are in constant contact.
I mean, what other details could I possibly need to know? Obama lives in Chicago, Clooney's stayed in a hotel in Chicago… Come on. It's right in front of our faces, people!
If only this were an exaggeration, but it is, instead, barely a satire of precisely what happened Tuesday…
Blah blah blah, blah blah blah, blah blah Joe Biden—zuh?!
The two senators widely believed to be at the top of Barack Obama's shortlist for VP have been given prime-time speaking slots at the Democratic convention Wednesday night — the very same night the vice presidential candidate is slated to speak.
According to the Democratic National Convention Committee, both Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh and Delaware Sen. Joe Biden will deliver speeches on national security during the marquee night.
Okay, this has got to be a joke, right? The DNC is just fucking with the press, who's dumb enough to fall for the suggestion that Joe Fookin' Biden is "believed to be at the top of" Obama's veep shortlist. Because there's no way in blue hell that Obama could be foolish enough to be seriously considering for one blinking second putting on his ticket the speech plagiarizing, bankruptcy bill voting, Bush-coddling, racist, sexist asshat Biden, a consummate gaffe machine who launched his own '08 presidential bid with a screeching dog whistle that declared Obama "the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy."
Then again, Obama has also reportedly considered Jim Webb and Tim Kaine, who distinguish themselves from Biden only by a comparative lack of bravado about their deplorable bigotry.
My senator Bayh is an improvement, but he's got his own problems. Namely, prevarication on reproductive rights and LGBTQI issues. Actually, those aren't "his own" problems at all. They appear to be the same problems that everyone on Obama's shortlist seems to have. Huh.
Well, at least he doesn't regularly make a spectacular ass of himself. Which is more than one can say for Biden.
Following up on Petulant's note below: a federal judge in California strikes a blow for science.
A federal judge says the University of California can deny course credit to applicants from Christian high schools whose textbooks declare the Bible infallible and reject evolution.
Rejecting claims of religious discrimination and stifling of free expression, U.S. District Judge James Otero of Los Angeles said UC’s review committees cited legitimate reasons for rejecting the texts – not because they contained religious viewpoints, but because they omitted important topics in science and history and failed to teach critical thinking.
Otero’s ruling Friday, which focused on specific courses and texts, followed his decision in March that found no anti-religious bias in the university’s system of reviewing high school classes. Now that the lawsuit has been dismissed, a group of Christian schools has appealed Otero’s rulings to the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.
The Religious Reich will go nuts -- I know, that's redundant -- but it's nice to see that someone with a modicum of sense and a position of authority says that you can't teach mythology and superstition as fact and expect the non-believers to accept it. It's isn't anti-religious; the court is not saying you can't believe that the world started out with two naked people and a talking snake. It's saying that you can't expect secular colleges and universities to accept it as the basis of an applicant's education.
I'm sure there are people who are thinking, what's the big deal? Who cares if these kids don't get a well-rounded education that includes subjects and viewpoints that are contrary to what is labeled as fact in their religion? Well, not only does it violate just about every theory of good education, as the court notes, it fails to teach them about critical thinking. I can't imagine what the world would be like without that capability. Well, yes I can; it was called the Dark Ages.
On another level, this mentality has ramifications beyond the close-mindedness of strict religious doctrine. The students at these Christian schools end up going to colleges and universities like Bob Jones University, Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, and Pat Robertson's Regent law school and emerge as working members of society, including landing jobs at the Department of Justice; i.e. Monica Goodling. She was the person who turned away well-qualified candidates for non-political positions in the DOJ such as immigration judges because they had a whiff of liberalism about them and instead hired less-qualified but hard-core right wingers instead. These people will have an affect on our lives. Yes, the ruling covered only science and history, but to me, as an educator, it's all a part of the package. And there are hundreds of religion-affiliated high schools that send their students to secular colleges and universities, and some of the finest colleges and universities that view critical thinking as a core of their curriculum are affiliated with religions. In fact, one of my best friends wouldn't have a job if Notre Dame didn't demand a well-rounded view of theology, including Protestantism.
So expect a lot of hysteria and wailing from the Torquemada set about "activist judges" ... as they prepare their appeal to the Ninth Circuit.
So, Melissa and I were just on the phone while looking at stuff on ebay, and drooling. Of course, Melissa was looking at shoes, and I was looking at tiki mugs. And of course, because we were looking at shoes, we had to say "OMG, SHOEZ," which prompted "OMG, TIKI MUGS." (Some of you may remember when I posted my collection a while ago for another QOTD.)
So, Melissa's ebay OMG is shoez, my ebay OMG is tiki mugs. What's your ebay OMG? (Or elsewhere, if you don't do ebay?)
I must admit I immediately thought of my stepsons who laughed at any reference to poop or farting.
Renewable fuel from poop...well, bacteria poop, but poop nonetheless. It's fascinating! So how does it work?
A special type of genetically altered bacteria are fed plant material: basically, any type of sugar. They digest it and excrete the equivalent of diesel fuel.
The bacteria used are a harmless form of E. coli. And the feedstock, or food for the microbes, can be any type of agricultural product, from sugar cane to waste such as wheat straw and wood chips. Choosing plants with no food value sidesteps one of the biggest criticisms of another synthetic fuel, corn ethanol, because critics say that corn should be used as food, not fuel.
It takes a lot of microbe poop to fill a gas tank, however. Biofuel experts say that processes like those used at LS9 are scientifically viable but that there's still a long way to go before they can address global energy needs.
Besides the reuse of poop, what I thought was very cool about this article is that the LS9 guys did this is their garage. Yep! Just like the Apple boys. Let's hope they are just as successful.
"We started in my garage two years ago, and we're producing barrels today, so things are moving pretty quickly," said biochemist Stephen del Cardayre, LS9 vice president of research and development.
With so much shit in the world, it is refreshing *cough* uh...good to know, that some shit can be recycled and used for a greater purpose.
Here's hoping that more poop can be recycled in the future.
Jackson Browne got a tad pissed off when he saw his song, "Running on Empty", being used in a McCain television ad without his permission. So, he's taking the fight right to McCain and the Republican Party:
The suit alleges that Senator McCain and the Republican Party failed to obtain a license for the use of Mr. Browne's song in the television commercial. In the commercial, Senator McCain and the Republicans mock Democratic candidate for President Barack Obama for suggesting that the country conserve gas through proper tire inflation.
In addition to a claim for copyright infringement, the suit alleges that by using a song famously associated with Mr. Browne, Senator McCain and the Republican Party violated the United States Lanham Act by falsely suggesting that Mr. Browne is associated with and endorses Senator McCain's candidacy. The suit also alleges that the use of Mr. Browne's voice in the commercial violates Mr. Browne's right of publicity under California law. The suit seeks a permanent injunction prohibiting the use of Running On Empty and any other Jackson Browne composition, as well as damages.
Republicans FTW! From now on, I guess they'll be using a different song in their campaign ads.
Who's That Girl? Edition: See if you can figure out who it is gracing this month's cover of Allure?
Lauren Conrad? Try again. Kate Hudson, maybe? Nope. Possibly Ali Larter? No, not her, either. Answer is below the fold…
It's Carrie Underwood! Looking absolutely nothing like herself—wheeeeeee!
In the center is the closest image I could find to the actual cover pose. It looked like it may have been a couple of years old, so I also included, on the right, a candid shot from April's Country Music Awards. Possibly, Underwood has had a chin implant IRL, but her mouth, nose, and browline look pretty much the same as the old picture—and none of them resemble the Allure cover photo. She's has a digital browlift, has been given a nosejob, and had her lips both plumped and magically reshaped.
Oh, and had all trace of character removed from her face.
Why to the why? Ya know, it's not exactly like Carrie Underwood is an ugly girl, by any definition. You know, I hate with a red hot passion when women are "thinned" or "youthified" for these covers, but at least I understand it. Despite the loathing, I get why it's done; I comprehend, even as I strenuously disagree, that thinness and youth are privileged, while anyone fat or old is considered axiomatically "ugly."
But Carrie Underwood is already the fooking pinnacle of the beauty standard—she's young, she's thin, she's white, she's blond, she's got a face that most people would consider empirically attractive. So the fact that even she has to be digitally altered until she's functionally unrecognizable just blows me right the fuck over.
And that's why this series is called Impossibly Beautiful. Because no matter how beautiful you are, you're never beautiful enough.
We just had a little tornado go through Miami Springs. Or at least that's what the people who were outside watching it said it was.
(The radar image is from Key West; click on it to see it in action. The local radar was "down for maintenance" at the time. For those of you unfamiliar with the Miami area, Miami Springs is next to Hialeah.)
All I saw was a lot of paper and leaves blowing by my office windows accompanied by lots of lightning and thunder. But they swear they saw a funnel cloud.
Tornadoes in South Florida aren't usually that severe; compared to the ones they get in the Midwest, all they do is blow a lot of stuff against the fence and knock over a few trash cans.
When I joined my colleagues out in the parking lot to wonder at this bit of full-force nature, I said, "Look! There's a dead witch under the house and everything's in color!"
I love referential humor.
Update: Yep, it was a tornado, all right, and it did a little more than knock over a few trash cans.
"When you're part of [something extraordinary and wonderful like that], you think, 'Ah, this is maybe why I went into the movies, in the beginning. I thought it would be full of wonderful people.' And in our case, we've got a movie full of wonderful people, who did extraordinary things to help."—Director Terry Gilliam (click "Interviews" to locate the video), on the decision of Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, and Jude Law to donate their salaries from Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus to Ledger's daughter Matilda, who was not included in Ledger's will. When Ledger died during the filming of TIODP, Depp, Farrell, and Law stepped in to complete the work, each playing Ledger's character in a different dimension.
Welcome to Shakesville, a progressive feminist blog about politics, culture, social justice, cute things, and all that is in between. Please note that the commenting policy and the Feminism 101 section, conveniently linked at the top of the page, are required reading before commenting.
A bunch of Shakers have recently sent me the link to what appears to be an extremely misogynist Guinness advertisement (viewable here, if you are so inclined, until it's taken down, too, though it may be NSFW). It's been circulated with the label "Banned Guinness Ad," among others, and has rightfully pissed off anyone with a modicum of respect for women who's seen it.
