Video killed the radio star

Written to: Kanye West and Estelle - American Boy

Liz Jones' article in today's Daily Mail is one I have mixed feelings about. Entitled How pop became PORN, she goes on about her disgust at music videos and their objectification of women.

I can completely understand what she means. Most hip-hop videos make me feel awkward and it's unnecesary. At the moment that Iyaz song comes to mind, where most of the focus is on some girl whose bikini is too small. Since trying to search it for you all to see, I've since found out that there is a milder version posted on his YouTube channel with a girl who is much more covered up. Whether that is to meet Virgin Islands culture I do not know, but it certainly suggests the video was changed for the British (and American) audience.

As much as I believe that showing women in this light is not 'right', we have to remember that this is a man's world and, to be frank, it sells. Iyaz's Replay went straight to number one. I'm sure Rihanna's Rude Boy will too this week, which is also mentioned in the article. It's the most blatent sexual video and song she's released and to be honest has some of the most hilarious lyrics I've heard. I wonder how literal the girls who listen to this would actually take it.



It's difficult to say how kids will react to this kind of thing, but they do have a choice. It's the sort of thing they will only go looking for anyway and is almost unavoidable now.

Annoying moral conservatveness aside, what really bugs me about the Mail is their insentivity and need to limit everything into a sweeping sentence. When mentioning Rihanna, Jones says this: " an American popstar most famous for having been beaten up by her boyfriend". Excuse me, but how does this empower women exactly? Not only was Rihanna hugely successful before that scumbag, but that was a serious issue in her life and many other women's lives that should not be used in such a cutting way.

This contradiction shows just how meaningless feminism and half the crap the Daily Mail churns out is.

My Plug-in Baby

Written to: Whurring of London buses

Shameless plug today my friends. I'm currently working for these people, give them a few more page hits :P

http://www.traveldaily.co.uk/

Trains, Center Parcs, Devon website, Kingfisher, SITA and BA stories are mine. Also I wrote the Madeira story on the newsletter (second 'top headline', page 2)

Peace.

Music is my life you see

Written to: I Turn To You - Melanie C

My commutes to and from London have resulted in me listening to my iPod alot. Out of laziness and convenience I usually just go straight to my recently played list and let the last 152 songs roll on. And on. And on. A few days later and I've become incredibly bored of these songs. Not wanting to go 'oh look I have an iPod, and Blackberry, and god knows what' I try to keep it in my bag, so just switched to a general shuffle setting.

But this did not feed what I wanted either, as I ended up skipping most of them. What is it that is making me keep all these random songs, half of which I've never listened to? Well, partly because I'll pick up anything that's free. Partly because 'you never know'. Partly because I love different music. Partly to try and fill up the 80GB iPod (I'm currently only at 15 anyway!).

Nevertheless even when I've come to make a playlist in the last week, there's nothing jumping out to say 'listen to me'. I've been turning back to my old favourites and actually listening to whole albums: Songs About Jane, From Under the Cork Tree, Northern Star, Inside In/Inside Out.

I'm quite worried that there is nothing I'm particularly enthralled by, even a listen to The Fame seemed quite tame today. Perhaps I've just not been listening to the right thing for the mood I'm in. But God, I even spent a train journey home with no music today and that is very unlike me.

What doesn't help is the fact that my earphones have broken, so only the left ear works. Having the right one in but no sound coming out is actually a bit strange.

If you have any recommendations of bands or artists with melodic songs that have a bit of attitude, let me know. Doesn't matter if it's rock, dance or pop, although I'd like to know what they're saying so I can sing along. For now I'll resist buying the tonnes of albums I could buy...

I hope you had the time of your life

Written to: 22 - Lily Allen

Sorry I haven't updated in forever but now that I'm having to do the work experience circuit there's just no time after hour commutes (God, they are horrible).

I'm on my second week at Oxygen 10 working on their Celebrity Angels and Seasons magazines. It's going really well, I've written about 6 web stories that I uploaded myself as well, been doing bits of research and have written a four page feature!

The editor called me in Wednesday to ask if I would record a wine tasting session, prompting the conversation, between Michel Roux Jnr, David Ginola and a sommelier. Yes please! We headed to Le Gavroche in the Marble Arch area and I basically had to just record their conversation. When I got in the office the next day they asked if I wanted to write the 2,000 word feature, which of course I jumped at the chance to do!

So overall it's been pretty amazing. And there's still a few days to go!

Meanwhile I spent my weekend working so haven't had a day off in 9 days. Oh the joys of living the dream. I'm a walking cliche!