324. Aside from the ethics of blogging, what about the ontology of the (blogger’s) self, and how does our culture allow us to get away with so much conformity? (and on a darker note: you can ask us anything you want)
May 30th, 2010 § 14 Comments
The same way we’ve taught them [our kids] that a ‘self’ is just something you have. No wonder they cannot appreciate the central Kafka joke–that the horrific struggle to establish a human self results in a self whose humanity is inseparable from that horrific struggle. That our endless and impossible journey toward home is our home. It’s hard to put into words, on the blackboard, believe me. You can’t tell them that maybe it’s good they don’t get Kafka.”
- The always erudite and surprisingly compassionate David Foster Wallace on trying to explain Kafka’s ‘humor’ to high school students.
Did I mention that since forever, I’ve been working on a blog post about Shanghai and another one on Lena Horne and anger and how annoying it is to see women dismiss other women as ‘just jealous,’ or even to see women dismiss their own feelings as just unacceptable jealousy, and also an essay not for this blog about pre-pubescent sexuality and modeling nude and feeling confused because sometimes it’s empowering to do things that set feminism back a hundred years (maybe the reason why there is an uneasy and sometimes combative relationship between feminism, sexuality, sex, and the adult film industry?) like, for example, my simultaneous desire to be seen as cute and sweet and pure and loving and feminine and kind and adorable and attractive and appealing and even non-threatening, while also desiring to be an assertive, scary, radical, militant–wait, no–unapologetically radical, militant, fearless, and proud feminist. Does that make sense?
I sense there’s a lot of twittering (although I mean the audible murmurs here and there of the virtual kind, I suppose I also mean ‘twittering’ or ‘tweeting’ as a patented verb owned by Twitter corporation) about some blogs getting stale because they seem more and more like advertisement outlets for online retailers like Modcloth, or wherever the blogger gets her ‘courtesy of’ items from. I don’t really have anything compelling to add to this discussion, except I do want to repost a question Minh-ha posed in her series of blog posts on Threadbared devoted to the value (and costs) of fashion blogging. I really appreciate that Minh-ha asks us to:
REIMAGINE VALUE OUTSIDE OF CAPITALISM. Are there other ways to valorize quality when it comes to blogs?
I think maybe one reason the discussions around bloggers who frequently feature c/o items seemed stale to me from the minute it began is that most of the debate is still firmly rooted in the assumptions and structures of capitalism. Either it’s ‘Oh, it’s annoying to see too many c/o items, but I’m probably jealous and I would take free shit too if someone offered it to me,’ or ‘It’s okay to get free shit as long the blogger still remains true to herself and her style!’ Nevermind the vastly disproportionate trade in ‘value’ when a company like Modcloth sends a free dress to a blogger. Modcloth sacrifices what? Fifty dollars to give away a free dress? And in return, Modcloth receives a huge boost in sales and traffic to their site. How can we critique this exchange without understanding the inequality in the exchange itself, which is an inequality inherent in the very tenets of capitalism, which is inherent in any situation where there’s an exchange between a corporation and an individual.
I’m not sure I’m terribly interested in where I fit in the odious structures that govern these transactions, exchanges, and gifts, if you will. I am, however, interested in this repeatedly raised notion of a ‘self,’ sometimes more crudely termed as being ‘true to myself/oneself/herself’ or sometimes described as having a ‘distinct voice.’ Which brings me back to David Foster Wallace again, and Kafka, and the essential Kafka joke, as DFW describes it, is “that the horrific struggle to establish a human self results in a self whose humanity is inseparable from that horrific struggle.”
I appreciate that DFW adds, ‘maybe it’s good they don’t get Kafka.’ For a lot of people, and here I guess I’m thinking specifically about bloggers, maybe it’s achingly unpleasant to consider ‘the horrific struggle for a self,’ or to consider maybe that struggle was never undertaken in the first place, even in the humble beginnings of a blog, pre sponsorships and internet fame. Or maybe we need to be protective of that self, because maybe we can’t and won’t allow for that horrific struggle to be visible, to be observed or easily detected by others, and maybe in that way, fashion blogs were primed from the beginning to be nothing more than capitalistic, advertising vehicles. And if that’s true, then it’s all the more important to try to resist and subvert, to try and figure out if there are ways to assess the value of our work outside of capitalism. And all the more important to be in on Kafka’s joke, no?
By the way, this little ruffled chambray skirt I bought last year fell on my head as I was trying to navigate my frightening closet, and I put it on to discover that it’s still too short, and next summer, it’ll probably be even more too short, and the summer after that, I’ll have to chuck it and submit to hegemonic claims on indecency and maturity. I was testing out my parents’ old Olympus ED 35-180 film SLR from over a decade ago. In the last photo, I’m trying to take a photo of an impressive spiderweb. There’s a booty shot in there somewhere, which only proves I can’t get away with this skirt, but then again somehow the US government and BP have ‘gotten away’ with allowing 19,000 barrels of oil to spill into the Gulf daily, for over a month now, with no end in sight despite repeated warnings that this may very well be the worst oil spill in American history and could have damaging, long-term effects on the climate and our environment, so um, I get so show as much booty as I want.
PS: I think we may have gained a few more readers (or maybe I’m deluded?) and we just wanted to say hi, new readers! We’d love to hear from you and invite any of our readers to ask us anything at all in the comments (or email us.) I also made a formspring account for myself (username: unhappybarber, of course!) Why? I don’t know. You can ask me anything there. It can be nice or nasty, polite or intrusive. We’ll answer your questions in a future post–maybe even a video post.
Love, Jenny
323. q&a
May 28th, 2010 § 3 Comments
This is a post of questions and answers, and questions that request answers, and questions about questions that you might have that request answers.
Why does eating a bowl of homemade granola, the best granola I have ever eaten, eaten with a drizzling of almond milk, create a soporific effect so strong that two cups of coffee does not even make a dent? And what will I do if this happens at a job, when I am not permitted to take an hour-long nap to counteract said soporific effects of granola? Or is this pointless, because I will probably never eat that granola again?
Was the necklace in the photograph above a collar or a necklace or both, and what decade is it from?
Is 148 pages a reasonable amount to write in approximately a year, and if so, how long will it take for me to finish this novel? Was 48 pages a reasonable amount to write in the month that I was here? How many more pages will I write here, before I go back to San Francisco on Monday? Will I be able to write on the plane, or will the person in front of me recline his or her seat, therefore forcing my MacBook into my lap, and will I look at the person next to me and roll my eyes, as I usually do?
Are you excited that Jenny is coming to San Francisco in June, although not as excited as I am, and what sorts of ridiculous and absurd photographs would you like for us to take together, or should we just gorge ourselves on Thai food and go dancing like we used to, and forget about blog things for however long she’s here?
What makes The Discomfort Zone an interesting, or non-interesting, memoir?
and
Will someone who knows CSS solve a few minor coding issues for us, like putting comment links on the front page? We will pay $40.
Would you like to ask us some questions? Will you please submit some questions in the comments below, so that we can answer them in a future post? (Sample questions: What is your favorite celebrity hairdo? What is your least favorite literary journal? Is n+1 to be loved or reviled? Have you worked retail?)
xo,
322. Unhappybarber Vintage Etsy store update (sorry for boring, unclever, obvious title)
May 26th, 2010 § 1 Comment
My Etsy shop, Unhappybarber Vintage has been restocked finally! I’m so sorry this post has a bakers dozen of my gross face and the same three facial expressions. Most of these items are under $30, and there’s a hearty mix of inappropriate and ladylike clothing for spring and summer (60′s wiggle dress in the latter and playsuits with 2 inch inseams in the former.) There are a lot more items in my store that are on mega-sale because I’m trying to clear out as much stock as possible by the end of the month.
In addition, readers of FFW can take 20% off their entire purchase (not including shipping,) from now until the end of the month! Just message me on Etsy and I’ll reserve the items for you and update the item price to reflect your discount.
PS- Click on the item description or photo to go directly to the Etsy listing.
Love, Jenny
1940s style sailor playsuit XS – M
1970s terry cloth romper XS- M
1980s black button up romper S
1950s Jonathan Logan rainbow dress XS
1960s green stripe dress with peter pan collar
1950s drop waist lavender spotted dress
Laura Ashley drop waist floral dress with tulle lining (XS – S)
1950s bubblegum pink shirtwaist dress with pocket detail (M – L)
60s wiggle floral dress (M- L)
60s cream wiggle dress with embroidered flowers (M -L)
1950s clamdiggers/ petal pushers/ capri prints in canvas cotton (XS -S)
1940′s pin up bathing suit (XXS- XS)
321. sad sack
May 25th, 2010 § 3 Comments
Dress: Sally Jane Vintage, shoes: vintage bow heels, headphones: UO
I am mired in a moment of extreme materialistic greed, and I hope that by posting the subject of said materialistic greed, I will be purged of the desire to acquire said thing and will not be sad that it is too expensive to be any sort of realistic birthday present. The object in question is a JAS MB Rucksack, “leather,” “fully lined,” and “handmade in England.” Attached to this sad sack is a price tag of $560. I have combed my Totokaelo emails for a hint of a coupon code or discount, to no avail. The rucksack is out of reach.
In an attempt to satisfy my desire for a backpack both classy enough for my new fashion-mag gig, as well as durable enough to handle my habit of stuffing my bags with a laptop, camera and books, Chris has been sending me email upon email of other leather backpacks. I seem to be suffering from rucksack-blindness, however, and am beginning to think that I would rather just have a nice, quiet dinner, plenty of hugs, and a copy of Rainbow Stories.
xo,
320. Things I’m holding onto, a supersweet feature, my favorite blogs, Etsy store update finally!
May 24th, 2010 § 7 Comments
Hello! It’s hot as a high school gymnasium during a dodgeball game all up in this hizzy and it’s not easy to want to wear clothes at all. I worked on a big Etsy store update this weekend, finally, after weeks of neglecting my shop. I’m trying to add as many things that I’ve accumulated from thrift stores and estate sales before I have to move out of here, as well as items from my own closet, and I think I’m going to hold a big blowout spring sale as well. I promise I’ll reveal it all to you soon, but for now, here are a few sneak peaks at some things going into the store later this afternoon.
Pictured above: 1950′s Jonathan Logan rainbow dress, Indian style mustard button up shirt, and awesome green canvas clamdigger trousers!
You can follow me on Twitter if you want to be an eager bunny and be the first to know when I update my Etsy stop, even though I warn you that I use Twitter the way a four year old uses a fork and knife–POORLY. Like all of my internet handles, my Twitter name is Unhappybarber.
Tieka from Selective Potential is such a summer peach, and she was sweet enough to feature Michael and I on her monthly: Guy Behind the Camera Series. I think that girl is amazing, and every time I visit her blog, I’m stunned by all that she manages to accomplish and juggle (and usually it makes me write insane to-do lists and then only get to three of the 15 items, and then I want to pick Tieka’s brain and ask her what her secret is!) If you haven’t visited her blog yet, then 1) where have you been, child? that girl is the tops! 2) you should! and 3) you’ll love posts like this adorable post on visiting Tulip festival with her rock star husband.
I think maybe we don’t do this enough at FFW, but I thought I’d share some of the blogs that I’ve been really loving (in a fangirl-crazed-sycophant way of course!):
1) Eline from A Fluffy Blog knows color like my mama knows Chinese food (which is saying a LOT!) Her outfits are always delightful and bright and adorable and sometimes her outfits remind me of Drew Barrymore when she was all clean and sober and spoke with a cute lisp and wore adorable little mini skirts and dresses with big daisies. Not to mention she’s a kick-ass artist, is culturally dexterous, and her musings on clothing and consumption and feminism and art always stimulate my poor, dead brain.
2) Hannah from Hannah and Landon: I’m sure you’ve all visited her blog before because she’s kind of a sultry-smart superstar, but in case you haven’t visited her blog yet, please do unless you are opposed: breathtaking photography, Edwardian rompers and tea dresses and rag curls worn as sassily and beautifully as possible, anecdotes so charming and witty that you can’t help but develop instant girl-crush!
3) DistrictofChic: I love her refined but always surprising sense of style–one day she’s in a structured blazer with satin wedges (!!) and the next she’s wearing a mini and amazing platform heel slingbacks that make me wish I could rock some fiercer heels. I think what I like best about DistrictofChic is that her style is gloriously free from the awful shackles of trends (and I’m so guilty of following trends…) I love reading style blogs that stay above whatever everyone else in the fashion blogging world is all twitter and agog over.
I think it might be time to update our blogroll list, and maybe learn about some new blogs, too. Do you have a favorite blog to recommend? It can certainly be your own. Please share in comments or email–we’d love to hear from you!
Love, Jenny
(Right, and outfit details: Vintage mustard shirt, Miss Selfridge denim skirt, Cynthia Rowley ankle socks from Gilt, vintage tooled bag, and Swedish Hasbeens)
319. What I’ve been up to (BAD BAD) (Part I)
May 22nd, 2010 § 8 Comments
Planning, encouraging, & attending salacious parties. Wearing my new Mandate of Heaven Kitty romper and loving the little snap closures at the crotch that save me on sangria and mint julep nights when my bladder thinks faster than my brain. Feeling dead happy that my best friends came to visit for a weekend, but wishing I had taken more photos of their beautiful faces to share with you.Taking mini polaroids and not having enough space to write what I want on them (just like Twitter,) and smudging the ink when I scan them for my friends and for this blog.
Baking.
Doing a real bang-up job of making chocolate covered strawberries three nights in a row.
Feeling like a gator without swamp or marsh kind of sad because one of my best friends just moved back to San Francisco.
Going to Chicago to see my cousin graduate from Law school and feeling so proud of her that I ate three red velvet cakes and a chocolate mousse cake in her honor and in honor of Senator Durbin who spoke out against Arizona’s recent immigration legislation in his commencement speech.
This is how short we must look to someone who is six foot five inches.
I really really really miss real Chinese food. A few years ago, my family was visiting Shanghai, and we decided to take a van to the countryside to eat at this farmer’s house–although I’m not talking about some modest abode, it was more like this farmer built a lush fucking mansion and then converted it into a bed and breakfastlunchdinner joint–and we picked the vegetables we wanted to eat (and the chicken we wanted to slaughter, sorry to be flagrantly heartless,) and the farmer’s wife cooked up a feast for us, and no one in my family spoke to each other, we just stuffed our faces with greens and chicken soup.
And afterward, this boy who was like four foot tall tried to sell us his entire cartload of tangerines, but half of them were rotting and smelled terrible. We still bought a good three kilos and gave them away to our acquaintances. This boy tried to tell us he was eighteen but my mom thought he was ten or twelve, and I thought he was sixteen but stopped growing at thirteen.
I also finally managed to not expose a roll of film shot with my little vintage Kodak 35. (See below for the cute little thing.)
And most of the photos came out stupid, but here’s a semi-decent one of me pointing to that same horse sticker I mentioned in my previous post.
Oh and also the best anti-war movie that is still completely applicable in every way to what we’re doing in the Middle East is Hearts and Minds by Peter Davis, a brilliant documentary about the Vietnam War. And that famous moment when General Westmoreland says, “The Oriental doesn’t put the same high price on life as does a Westerner. Life is plentiful. Life is cheap in the Orient,”–uhhh, hold up, HOLD UP. Is that not EXACTLY how American military leaders and pundits and politicians talk about terrorists in the Middle East? Nearly word for word except replace ‘the oriental’ with the ‘jihad terrorist.’
Oh and Network is another movie from the 70s that is also directly applicable to our current socio-political landscape with regards to the media and news. The movie practically serves as an creation myth about the origins and rise of Fox News and scary douchtards like Glenn Beck. Not to mention Faye Dunaway is the kind of fierce crazy that I find really charming, and she’s all decked out in the finest example of power-woman corporate attire–pussy bows and 70′s A-line skirts and stacked boots and THIS INSANE SHEARLING COAT THAT I WISH I COULD TAKE WITH ME TO FRANCE:
(From AC Journal)
And the last thing is that I saw this bird a few days ago in the air, right before Commencement Day over here in Iowa City, and my awareness of the rituals of graduation and celebration, and the feeling that comes over a college town when all the parents and relatives are standing on the parts of the sidewalk that are normally occupied by students in big backpacks, or less sweetly, drunk co-eds faceplanting before the sun has even dropped, seeing a diversity of ages on the streets for the first time, and the sudden appearance of the family unit in my town of the past three years made me feel so strange and even lonesome in the way of not necessarily wanting to be part of this world but also very much wanting just that, and so I said, Hi bird, and took (his) her picture.
Love, Jenny
