Movie Review: Ramona and Beezus

This family-friendly comedy about a troublesome young girl, Ramona (played by Joey King), does not miss a beat and is brilliantly adapted from Beverly Cleary's series based off the same character. The author is currently in her nineties and until now had been fighting her series' adaptation into film. Cleary ultimately decided she would like to see it happen before her death on the condition that it remain timeless, meaning no attention was paid to fashion or other current trends or technologies - which only made the film work better. The characters brought to life are hard not to fall in love with and the relationship between Ramona and Beezus (Selena Gomez) is heartwarmingly believable, especially for those sisters out there. Anchored by an amazing performance from the adorable King and rounded out by an excellent cast that includes Ginnifer Goodwin (He's Just Not That Into You), Josh Duhamel (Transformers), Sandra Oh (Grey's Anatomy) and John Corbett (Sex and the City) this is a refreshing and fun trip back to your childhood.
Best on-screen moment: Ramona's heartbreaking and hilarious attempt at taking the perfect school picture.

Should kids be pole dancing for fitness?

There's a really interesting article in the Calgary Herald today about Tantra Fitness, a company that operates in BC, which offers pole dancing classes for kids.



Tammy Morris, owner of Tantra Fitness, says that pole dancing does not have to be erotic. Pole dancing is a great work out that requires fitness and technique. Morris acknowledges that the activity is steeped in sexual history, but nonetheless, thinks any moral panic around its instruction to young people is misplaced. She says that children don't associate the pole as a sexual thing - they see poles at the playground or in the circus, and just see it as something fun to play on.



So, is pole dancing just a fun way for girls to get some exercise, or is there something sinister about sending your daughter to a pole dancing class?



On the one hand, I can totally see Tammy Morris's point. If I was a 9 year old girl, I would probably LOVE to swing around on the pole, hang upside down and learn all kinds of cool tricks. The problem is that pole dancing is inherently sexual... in our society everyone associates it with erotic dancing. So, while it may be perfectly legal to teach pole dancing to kids, our society dictates that it's immoral.



Scanning through the comments on this article, I see that almost everyone is disgusted or outraged by this idea. I am still undecided... what do you think?

Album Review: Save Me, San Francisco

Train has been one of the best presences in music since they stumbled on the scene in 1998 with "Meet Virginia." The band then went on to garner multiple Grammy nods and wins for the album My Private Nation, et cetera et cetera. Their latest effort Save Me, San Francisco continues in the vein of fabulous pop/rock that fans have come to know and love. On the title track (and album opener), lead singer Pat Monahan croons "I've been high/I've been low/I've been yes/And I've been oh, hell no." Genius. Not to mention the first single "Hey, Soul Sister" has been a major anthem for the spring/summer seasons.
Catch Train on tour this summer with John Mayer, wrapping up Aug. 11, or by themselves through September in a city near you! (or you can "travel to Spain where the rain falls mainly on the plain" sound insane?)
Most notable tracks: "I Got You," "If It's Love"

Thirsty? Why Wait?

It's about that time for summer session II midterms and many of us across campus are in need of some quiet study time. Sadly, the weather has also been gorgeous after many nights of rain so it's hard to stay cooped up inside just to do homework. Our proposal then is to get out of your indoor rut and study your brains out at a local cafe or restaurant with outdoor seeting. That way you can study, soak up some Vitamin C and enjoy a delicious, low-calorie beverage all at the same time.

VIM's summer day-drinks of the moment are:


Iced Skinny Vanilla Latte (no whip cream)
For those that enjoy caffeine










Raspberry/Mango Italian Soda
For the non-caffeinated crowd









Quench your thirst at a nearby Espresso Royale location, either 527 E. Grand River Ave. or 1500 W. Lake Lansing Road.

Shine Designs

Shine Designs is a local handmade jewelry and accessory shop begun by a recent MSU graduate, Roxanne Dewyer. Dewyer's collection is very fun, young and adds a pop to most any outfit. Plus, it's original and who doesn't love that!

Check out Shine Designs online at one (or both!) of the following links:
Shine Designs - Home
Facebook

or visit the shop in East Lansing at 129 1/2 E. Grand River Ave.

Red Carpet Chic

Two movies premiered over the weekend, Ramona and Beezus (in NYC) and Charlie St. Cloud (in L.A.). We were blown over by the incredible fashion sense(s) exhibited by the films' starlets Selena Gomez and Amanda Crew, respectively. So here's a little eye candy/fashion inspiration.

Top 7 reasons why American Apparel sucks

1. Internal documents reveal that ugly people shouldn’t bother applying at AA.

2. The company's Guide to Grooming describes in detail how staff should look. No bangs! No gauge earrings! No liquid foundation! No goatees or mustaches! No Uggs, flip flogs, gladiator sandals, vans, converse or winter boots! (Oh, no, we’re not a dictatorship. Whatever would make you think that?)

3. AA won’t make some of their women’s clothing above a size 6.

4. They doesn’t want any of those “trashy Black girls” to work there. Only the ones with the nice hair.

5. Current employees must submit photos to be promoted or receive a raise. Cos, you know, we don't want any uglies being promoted.

6. AA has a Best Bottom Contest to find the sexiest ass. Well, I don’t know about the sexiest ass, but I know who the biggest ass is… Don Charney (CEO of American Apparel).

7. They pretend that they're really progressive cos they don't photoshop their ads and they use "real women" to model their clothes. I guess "real women" only come in a size 4 or smaller and look about 16. And guess what? Sleazy porno-style ads aren't progressive and edgy. It's the same old shit that Calvin Klein has been doing since the 80's. Just admit that your ads are as sleazy as every other shitty clothing company and stop trying to pretend that you're so original and cutting edge.

Well, there is a light at the end of the tunnel... apparently AA is in pretty serious financial trouble.

Feminist issues in the news

Here are links to the feminist news stories we're covering on tonight's show (July 26).

Is cheerleading a sport?
A federal judge in Connecticut ruled that cheerleading is NOT a sport.

Man in Jerusalem convicted of "rape by deception"
An Arab man and a Jewish woman meet randomly and had a fleeting sexual encounter. Later when the woman discovered the man was an Arab, she accused him of rape.

Lesbian teen banned from prom will receive settlement
A lesbian teen who was banned from taking her girlfriend and wearing a tuxedo to prom sued her school earlier this year. In March, a US District Court judge ruled that the school board infringed upon her First Amendment rights.

Obama Administration Announces New Programs and Action for Equal Pay
"Paycheck discrimination hurts families who lose out on badly needed income. And with so many families depending on women's wages, it hurts the American economy as a whole. In difficult economic times like these, we simply cannot afford this discriminatory burden." - Barack Obama

Monday's show: Disabled bodies ignored in mass media

On Monday July 26 we're talking about body ideals in advertisements and media. More specifically, we're discussing how disabled bodies are completely missing from mass media. The "invisibilizing" of disabled bodies serves to make the general public feel that disabled bodies are not or cannot be sexual or beautiful. So we're speaking to a gal who created a photography project that challenges the notion that disabled bodies are asexual or undesirable.



Holly Norris is a women's studies student and a photographer. She and her friend Jes Sache came up with the American Able project as a way to challenge our society's fears and misunderstanding about sexuality and disabilities:

"In a society where sexuality is created and performed over and over within popular culture, the invisibility of women with disabilities in many ways denies them the right to sexuality, particularly within a public context."

Check out Holly's website for more info on this amazing and inspiring project!



Another interesting website to check out is GenderAds.com.



As always, we're on-air from 8:00 to 9:00 pm (MST) on CJSW 90.9 fm in Calgary, but you can listen from anywhere in the world on cjsw.com. You can also download our podcast if you miss our live show!

The American Able project spoofs American Apparel ads





The original American Apparel ad

Girls' Night Movie Guide

After all of the rainy summer days brought our way, we thought we'd offer up a list of our favorite movies to watch on any given girls' night in, so grab some popcorn and start your slumber party.




Funny Face

A true classic starring the wonderful Audrey Hepburn. This musical about modeling goes behind the scenes of the art of fashion and is set in gorgeous Paris, France. If that isn't enough, this film sees Hepburn paired with the infamous Fred Astaire.




A League of Their Own

Baseball played by... women? With an all-star cast, including Madonna and Tom Hanks, and some of the most hilarious lines ever uttered, this is a must see (if you haven't already). Not to mention it is an empowering flick for the female population.
"There's no crying in baseball." Thanks for that one, Mr. Hanks.



Now & Then

Where to even begin with this amazingly underrated movie experience. We like to think of these girls as the original fearless foursome (to be followed by the ladies of SATC, the Sisterhood and countless other four-part friendships). If you've never seen this, or at least haven't in a long while, get the girls together and enjoy!



Clueless

"Uh, as if (!)" you don't already watch this whenever it graces your television. A film that spawned countless stars (Donald Faison, Paul Rudd and Brittany Murphy anyone?) as well as catchphrases. Take a trip back to 1995 and laugh hysterically... even if just at the clothes.



Drop Dead Gorgeous

We chose this cult classic to round out our list because, to be honest, it never gets old. Apart from its stellar cast, this movie takes a serious stab at the world of beauty pageants in a way that is almost a million times better than another female favorite, Miss Congeniality.

**Honorable mention goes to the following flicks: The Breakfast Club, Grease, Mean Girls and Whatever It Takes

Easy Summer Hairstyles

Braided Updo

This style always looks classy and is really easy to do on your own. Simply craft a loose braid that spans from your part across half of your forehead around to the back of your head. Then bobby pin the remainder in whichever fashion you see fit. Ta-da, you're all set for a day in the sun or a night on the town!

As seen on Kristen Stewart (left).



Untamed Half Up, Half Down

This hairdo transitions easily from a day on the job (at your summer internship, perhaps) to late-night drinks with the girls. The slight bump toward the back adds a classic '60s edge to this half up, half down style. The loose way in which it is pulled back won't give you a headache, either.

As seen on Camilla Belle (right).

Album Review: Time To Win, Vol. 1

This "album" (officially released in 2009) is more correctly defined as an EP, as it contains only seven tracks. The seven that are provided, however, give fans exactly what they are looking for. We've chosen to broaden horizons to this group as a result of their recent visit to the Michigan State University campus this past spring semester, opening for the Sparty's Spring Party concert headliner Cobra Starship. A seven-person band with quite an odd name, Down With Webster provides dance/electronic music fans a fabulous blend of party anthems on Time to Win. Lyrics like "It feels like we haven't seen each other in years/Why don't you join me for a couple of beers *clink* cheers/Wow/I seen you on my Facebook profile..." show the group's fit to the new generation of college students. If you like Cobra Starship or similar music, definitely check out this EP.
Most notable tracks: "Whoa Is Me," "Rich Girl$"

Get Their Look!

Fairly recently, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens attended the Get Him to the Greek premiere at the Greek Theatre in Hollywood, Calif. Always the stylin' duo, we've scoured the Internet and found ways for you - guys and girls - to get their look... or at least part of it.

For Vanessa’s look, try:
Faux Leather Jacket – $52.99, Overstock.com
Flower Power Dress – $14.90, Forever21.com
Patent Leather Pump – $69, Fitzwell Carley III, Zappos.com


For Zac’s look, try:
2-Tone Shawl Jacket – $68, UrbanOutfitters.com
Organic Jersey V-Neck [in black] – $19, AmericanApparel.net
Sturdy Straight Jean – $37.90, Forever21.com

Jeffrey Paul Emery Sought by RCMP After Setting Wife on Fire

Jeffrey Paul Emery, 54, is wanted by the RCMP after he disappeared four years ago right before a scheduled court date. His crime? Setting his common-law wife on fire because he believed she took his medication. After dousing his partner's body with hairspray, Emery lit the woman on fire. As a result, she suffered third degree burns, but he tried to treat her injuries himself for a month instead of taking her to a hospital for fear of being caught. A relative alerted police and Emery was caught, charged, and convicted in absentia for aggravated assault. According to an article on msn news (linked through the title of this post), Emery is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant, and "police describe him as Caucasian, six feet three inches tall, weighing about 225 pounds, with grey hair and hazel eyes. He usually has a grey beard. He is known to fix boats for a living and police suspect he may live near a lake, river or ocean" (msn 2010). Although his wife did not wish to be identified, she urges anyone with any information on Emery's whereabouts to come forward and contact police.

Sweat (pant) Success: Stylish sweats for every day of the week

It’s 9 a.m. and your alarm clock didn’t go off. Okay, maybe you hit the snooze button a few times. You don’t have time to get dressed but you’re already wearing those cute sweatpants you bought last week. Why not wear them to class?
Here are a few pairs of sweats that are extra comfy and stylish for sitting in class for hours at a time. Plus, they double as pajamas. What could be better?


Victoria’s Secret Boyfriend Sweats, $39.50


Free City sweat pants, $148.00


Victoria’s Secret MSU Yoga Pants, $39.50


Victoria’s Secret Slim Sweats, $39.50

-Mandilyn Kerr

Fake the Bake

As the summer temperatures continue to soar, many of us are devoted to getting that perfect golden tan. Unfortunately, frying in high UV rays accelerates skin aging (wrinkles, age spots, etc.) and can cause cancer. Mothers urge us to wear high SPF lotion—and while we may not want to admit it, they are right. SPF is vital and should be a part of your daily skincare regimen. Use a daily moisturizer that has SPF 15 or higher to be fully protected from the sun’s dangerous rays. If you are out in the sun, be sure to reapply face and body SPF lotion periodically and after swimming.

For a safe golden glow, here are our top picks for self-tanners and bronzers—whether you want a slightly sun-kissed look or a savagely bronzed tan.

1. Stila Bronzing Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15- $32, stilacosmetics.com This daily face moisturizer—infused with 24kt gold—gives a gleaming, flawless look instantly, in addition to the bronze tint that comes within two days.

2. Maybelline Dream Mousse Bronzer in Copper- $5.99, Walgreens The easy-to-apply air-whipped formula is extremely lightweight and perfect for those smothering humid days. No need for a fancy brush— you can apply with your fingertips!

3. Too Faced Tanning Bed In A Tube for Body- $22.50, Sephora Say goodbye to your tanning goggles! This body lotion gives an instant golden shimmer as well as a gradual tan.

4. Neutrogena Sun Fresh Sunless Foam- $9.99, CVS Pharmacy With a refreshing grapefruit and nectarine scent, this foam formula is ultra-light and absorbs easily into your skin.

5. MAC To The Beach Bronzing Powder in Golden- $22.00, maccosmetics.com This superfine bronzer compact provides glistening, warm highlights for the face and body.

Get your (sunless) tan on!

Album Review: The Bear

Lyrics like "Nobody's perfect/Let's bury the hatchet/'Cause a grudge can be contagious and I don't want to catch it" (see "All Part of the Show") are just one reasons we love this refreshing folk-rock group's newest album, The Bear. From sweet to comical to insightful, Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers, who hail from western Massachusetts, never fail to surprise their listeners. SK6ERS, as they're more affectionately known, can also be counted on to display wonderful vocals and rhythms on all of their tracks and albums. Though not exactly a new release (from Sept. 2009), we recommend broadening your horizons to this wonderful act, best known for their energetic live shows.
Catch SK6ERS at The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor on Oct. 7.
Most notable tracks: "Shady Esperanto and the Young Hearts," "See Yourself"

CoverGirl Smoky ShadowBlast

I'm sure you've seen advertisements for this new CoverGirl product in just about every magazine since spring but we just had to recommend it here; our favorite color combos are orange/green and purple/gray. ShadowBlast is so easy to apply and can really make eyes pop. You can find it, priced around $7.99, at any drugstore (though we're finding that popular colors are often out of stock - so go quick!).

Happy applying :)

Confidence and maturity trumps beauty

Another reason to stop obsessing about age and start loving yourself. According to a recent survey of more than 2,000 British men and women, the "youthful look" was rejected in favor of women in their late 20s and early 30s. Confidence was also found to be more important in defining beauty than good looks. The peak age of beauty was identified as 31.

Almost two-thirds of women questioned agreed that "with age, comes beauty", and more than half said they became more confident in their looks as they grew older.

Style Watch: Celeb Inspiration

Leighton Meester, known to many by her character Blair Waldorf of the popular CW series Gossip Girl, is one of our major style icons. Pictured here on the set of the upcoming GG season, Meester is sporting a skirt from an unlikely department store, JCPenney. The chain has slowly been coming out with affordable "designer" lines, including one from Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. This floral skirt comes from I "Heart" Ronson and will be available in the coming months.

For a similar look from the same collection – if you, like us, can't wait to check it out – priced at just $17.99, click here.

Tonight on the show we'll be joined by Kelly. co-host of CJSW's Film Clips to review the film Precious: Based on the Novel "Push" by Sapphire. We'll be talking about some of the films themes and sharing our general ideas regarding what we thought of the film overall, the performances and it's message.

Join us tonight at 8:00PM (MST) live on CJSW 90.9 FM and www.cjsw.com!

I'm Pro Choice Because...

Our friend Juliet just tweeted about this great website called Prochoice Because. People can submit a few sentences on why they're pro choice, and each time you refresh the web page a new story pops up. Responses range from the hilarious ("I'm pro choice because I don't tell you what to do with your semen") to the serious ("I am pro choice because I have seen a 12 year old incest victim deliver a child and then proceed to have a pulmonary embolism and die. She never had a choice not to have sex. She never had a choice to use birth control. She never had a choice to terminate her pregnancy. She never had a choice to live.")



I am pro choice because... since the dawn of time, women have tried to abort unwanted pregnancies. They'll use coat hangers, drink poison, or do any number of dangerous things to their bodies. Women have always tried to abort fetuses, and they always will. Make it legal, keep it safe, and we'll spare the lives of many women who die attempting to have an abortion.



Why are you pro choice?

Movie Review: Inception

Let's just start with the cast. A film with Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ellen Page, Cillian Murphy and Michael Caine cannot fail to be awesome, right? SO right. Not to mention it was directed by Dark Knight mastermind Christopher Nolan. That aside, this movie is a thinker's dream and is truly fascinating from start to finish (so much so that at times you forget how long - approx. 2 hours and 28 minutes - you have been sitting down). Mind-crime is the game and the script is so well-written, the film so well-directed that viewers become engrossed. It's almost impossible to describe this film without urging everyone to see it for themselves because there's no way to hint at much of the plot without going into a monologue of detail. Each and every actor, including Leonardo DiCaprio himself as Cobb, gives a winning performance and if you don't have a celeb crush on Joseph Gordon-Levitt (ladies) or Ellen Page (gents) yet, after (500) Days of Summer and Whip It! respectively, you're missing out.
Best on-screen moment: The van that takes hours to fall... you'll know what we mean when you see the film & Arthur's (Gordon-Levitt) zero gravity dream.

Argentina legalizes same-sex marriage & adoption

From guardian.co.uk:

Argentina's senate passed a same-sex marriage bill today, clearing the way for the country to become the first in South America to allow gay couples to marry and adopt children.

Following more than 14 hours of charged debate,the upper house voted 33-27 for the proposal.
Argentina's female president, Cristina Fernández, supports same-sex marriage on human rights grounds and is expected to sign the bill into law after her return from a state visit to China.

Not everyone was in support though... tens of thousands of opponents, from children to elderly nuns, braved near-freezing temperatures to protest outside the congress since Tuesday, causing traffic jams in Buenos Aires.

However, opinion polls show a majority of Argentines support same-sex marriage, but there is less backing for same-sex couples to adopt children.

Same-sex marriage currently is legal in Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland and Argentina. In the US, same-sex couples can marry in five states and in the capital, Washington.

Album Review: Recovery

Consistent with popular belief, we think this album rocks! Multiple Grammy Award-winner and Detroit native, Eminem, does no wrong on Recovery, made more exciting by the fact that his last release, Relapse, failed to reach the rapper's caliber. That said, with Recovery, Eminem takes fans back to the reason they fell in love with his music in the first place, offering true insight to unseen, oft avoided, aspects of our culture (note "W.T.P." - classic, in a funny way) - as well as into his dark rehabilitation period. Not to mention, the album sees Eminem collaborating with two of the hottest female pop acts of today (P!nk and Rihanna)... and Lil' Wayne. In the vein of many of today's popular songs, Eminem capitalizes on the opportunity to sample from classic songs on many of the albums tracks. For example, on "Untitled" Slim Shady brilliantly samples the chorus of 1964's "You Don't Own Me." If the lead single "Not Afraid" wasn't enough to intrigue you into purchasing this, we hope our review will be.
Catch Eminem in concert locally at Comerica Park Sept. 2 (with Jay-Z).
Most notable tracks: "Love the Way You Lie," "Talkin' to Myself"