Katie Beluga
perpetually a little behind with updates.
Idols Gone Viral: How Hololive VTubers both subvert and reinforce expectations of idol femininity
"At least in this regard, this is one avenue where real world idols have an advantage over their virtual counterparts: they’re not at the mercy of an ever-changing, often nebulous set of community guidelines enforced by error-prone bots instead of human judgment. While VTubers have some degree of expressive freedom compared to other kinds of idols, they still operate under a strict code of what is “acceptable” if they want to continue to draw an audience and make money."
Breland ft. Sam Hunt – My Truck (Remix)
"There’s nothing serious in the DNA of “My Truck,” it is just goofball through and through. But it’s a remarkably well put together and annoyingly catchy goofball song that I’m sure will get these men plenty of money when Ford inevitably plays it behind a F-150 ad, awkwardly leaving out the “smoke my blunt” verse in the process."
Something Inside, So Strong
"Though targeted towards a middle grade or young adult audience, the prose is never ‘kiddie’ and never talks down to the readers. Much like her children’s books, Walter understands that children can understand tough subjects, as long as they are explained properly. Walter deals with heavy concepts ranging from the slave trade to her crisis of faith in a mature yet accessible manner, perfect to help the young reader understand the tough subject matter."
Idina Menzel, »Let it Go« (Frozen OST)
"There have already been so many articles written about the appeal of “Let it Go.” It’s an anthem of self-discovery. A song about accepting yourself. It’s a Rorschach test, an inkblot that you look at and piece out your trauma from the lyrics. The song is downright amazing in it’s way to convey so many different sentiments in downright precise ways. But it’s that idea of shrugging off perceived responsibility to fully be your true self that’s haunted me through the last decade."
“Boys Can Be Princesses Too”: Challenging gendered stereotypes in Hugtto! PreCure
"If Hugtto! PreCure’s pushback against gender stereotypes helps any child feel more comfortable in their own skin or helps someone feel more comfortable with their gender-non-conforming friend, then that’s worthy of admiration. Like the Precures themself, here’s hoping that Hugtto! Precure will serve as a role model for its audience and inspire more series, especially more children’s series, to challenge outdated gender norms in the future."
Album Review: Rick Springfield - "The Snake King"
"Listening to The Snake King was an exercise in someone trying very hard to tell a story and sell a mood, without thinking through the foundations of the mood and the basic steps to tell a story in the first place."
Here's The Buzz About The Unstoppable Wasp
"The Unstoppable Wasp never talks down to its audience either, and never gets bogged down in confusing technobabble; science is an important aspect of the book, but understanding science is just as important."
From The Record Crate: Duran Duran - "Rio"
"The bit before the final chorus, where Simon le Bon whispers “hungry like the wolf” over the sound of heavy breathing is also hilariously silly–and that’s the point. Duran Duran knows it sounds silly, why else would they do this? This is a beautifully silly song that they play 100% straight and that makes it all the better."
A Sea of Songs - "Second Hand News"
"“Rhiannon” is a lyrical wonder. “Landslide” is downright beautiful. But “Second Hand News” is pure fun, which kicks it up a few notches in my book."
One Week, One Band - The Dixie Chicks
"Not only is it a brief nod that the Dixie Chicks HAVE been a long time gone from country music, but they specifically chose the lyrics that I quoted in my earlier post in the snippet performed: “they sound tired but they don’t sound Haggard, they got money but they don’t have Cash.” Could this be read as another attack against the country music industry, an industry that enforced a years long boycott against the Dixie Chicks for exercising free speech, as well as an industry that still runs rampant with racism and misogyny? An industry that, even at the 2016 CMA awards, shut out female, queer, and poc performers from the nominations and wins? God, I hope so."
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