A forever advocate for the gay community, an icon for drag queens, a gentle soul: Ms. Dolly Parton.
Here's a great video of her singing "Jolene" in 1974:
Dolly's introduction by Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen for her recent Commencement Address at the University of Tennessee (see her speech below that):
First, do your research: 1. NOM ad about "the gathering storm" of gay marriage. And, the rainbow coalition of people gathering to "protect us from gay marriage:"
2. The audition videos for hilarious NOM video above:
And now, the main event: 3. Amazing. Thank you thank you gay actors, and straight actors. Thank you for your comedic literacy and perfect wit:
I just saw this clip from Britain's Got Talent and joyfully started crying at work.
Susan Boyle is a 48-year old Scottish woman who aspires to be a singer. After her performance on Britain's Got Talent it's clear that goal will become a reality soon. Enormous congratulations to her today.
I watched two interviews with CocoRosie and was struck by their disconnected behavior, as if somehow in their connection to each other and their art-music, they are unable/disinterested in connecting with the rest of the world. As a being who is interested in connecting to as many others in the world as possible, and doing so intentionally, I was disappointed to feel this disconnect from them. I love many of their songs, but did not love this. Watch them here, in order:
They speak of their desire to insulate themselves from the world, create a private space, to make their music from. And this "artists as isolationists" belief is a thread that runs through all time and into the current moment. But I disagree with it heavily now. I do not see it as responsible to create art out of that space. I see it as intentional obliviousness. Willful ignorance of the scope of events going on in the world today. To me, artists, musicians, cultural creators, have an obligation to inform themselves of the contemporary world and history, of philosophy and realities, and then make their new works to further the dialogue or illuminate a problem, or even the best, solve one!
Art, music, culture, is our gift to the world and if we use it only to distance ourselves, or mock the present world as is, we are mis-using our gifts. We are taking advantage of capitalism to support our selfishness. We are feeding our egos.
A very bright article in the New York Times today, by Holland Cotter, has inspired me to think with optimism on how the art world can become. How this economic upheaval can create a whole new way of thinking and making. It's beyond inspiring. Read his absolutely articulate, wise article, "The Boom Is Over. Long Live The Art!" here.
As usual, Anthony Hegarty, of Anthony & the Johnsons, has a smoke-filled haunt of a beautiful voice. Worthwhile, albeit a bit cheesy, video to watch below:
Jodie Harsh, recently featured as one of Out's 100 most influential people in 2008, made this dryly hilarious video of herself and friend Scottee interviewing a zookeeper at the London Zoo.
Oh my god, the Snuggie. I am definitely barfing in my mouth, but more than that, it's the sur-reality (as in, less than reality) of American culture present in the Snuggie promotional video that amazes. With the vast array of real life dilemmas, interpersonal conflicts, religious warfare, hunger, homelessness, greed, that are prevalent in this world, one would think the focus would be on fixing those, rather than making sure mom's arms don't get briefly cold from reaching for the portable phone while watching TV on the couch under a blanket.
We should not be this comfortable!
Don't watch this parody until you've first watched the real thing (above), and barfed a little in your mouth too, but then watch this parody.
And then after watching that parody, watch this parody:
Cult robes aside, the Snuggie is cheap and supposedly you'll then turn your thermostat down and just wear your blanket around. Perhaps there is some spend-thriftyness with an eye towards the economic downturn and awareness of global climate change in this product and its marketing?
This man can do everything with masterful grace. I'm not saying his banjo playing is incredible, but you try being an acclaimed comedian then actor, then writer/director and now musician? I can't even remember to water my garden. Let's all get to work. If everyone worked like Steve Martin, our culture would be a bustling boom of perpetual learning and joy. Go get to work!
D-dang. Sometimes there is a thing that at first you wish would hurry up and get over with, but then it drags you in slowly, submerges you in its soupy washing machine brand of lovemaking and suddenly you're like, "I like this!" in a way that surprises even you.
As we watch the Inauguration with joy today, a re-post of my poem celebrating Obama's victory, the beauty of our collective connected humanity, and the conscious evolution we are undertaking.
A compilation of videos from the post Obama victory melee in downtown Austin, outside the Driskill on November 4th, 2008. My poem (posted above), "Above the Streetlights; The Night Obama Won," is a rumination on that night, what it meant for all of us, and what it will mean in our futures.
I'm glad for the bottom up media that documented that night and got these videos onto YouTube. It was a beautiful street party that night in Austin; jubilant beings finally feeling empowered and inspired by their government. Look at the people in the crowd laughing, dancing, hugging each other. And I've never seen radical young people sing the national anthem or wave a flag before!
"To make people free is the aim of art. Therefore, art for me is the science of freedom."
-Joseph Beuys
German artist Joseph Beuys's performances, sculptures and drawings, remain contemporary and relevant to me. I feel deep appreciation for his art: his felt wrappings, "discussions with dead hares," his "actions" (happenings), use of fat, use of honey, and disquieting, though noble, performance with a live coyote in an enclosed space. I saw a drawing of his at MoMA once (the link takes you to a different one, can't find the one I saw) that reminded me of the quiet radicalism and simple beauty of his work. Beuys's line is both gentle and direct. It speaks to his own shamanic presence. Here's another piece from the MoMA collection that I feel affinity towards: Eurasia Siberian Symphony 1963.
Too, Joseph Beuys's radical political fervency was grand, his teaching was devoted and his life an amalgam of intriguing chosen experiences. His time spent in the military created a mythic history of being rescued by Tartars in Crimea in a plane crash and rubbed in fat, then wrapped in felt to heal. That mythology was a loving assistant for his material choices. As I remember it, later in life he became a political activist and even assisted in the founding of the Green Party.
Dave Pokorney was also filming my poem at the Vets for Peace Concert. Here's his video, from Vimeo. Diane Delange is the incredible ASL interpreter next to me. Thank you Diane.
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