Top Ten

The end of the year is upon us, which means it is time for zillions of top 10 lists.  I always put one together for my radio show on UMFM:  the top ten albums by or featuring female artists in 2009. Without further ado, the winners are:


Fantasies- Metric

Lungs- Florence + The Machine

Sainthood- Tegan and Sara

Two Suns- Bat for Lashes

It’s Blitz- Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Some Are Lakes- Land of Talk

Music for Men- Gossip

Abnormally Attracted to Sin- Tori Amos

Middle Cyclone -Neko Case

Baby Darling Doll Face Honey- Band of Skulls

If you'd like to hear tracks from these albums, (prepare yourself for some shameless self promotion) tune in to Venus Envy on Thursday, January 7 at 8 pm on 101.5 FM in Winnipeg or http://www.umfm.com/

Follow Friday

I did a blog post about Twitter not too long ago, so I figured I would expand on that posting by recommending 10 people on Twitter that you should follow.  If you have interests similar to mine of course.

1.  @bookninja A Canadian site all about books, from an alternative perspective.
2.  @mashable Everything you need to know about social media.  Ever.
3.  @whedonesque All about the universe of Joss Whedon, otherwise known as the genius behind Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, Dollhouse and more.
4.  @EW  My favourite weekly magazine for entertainment news.
5.  @bust_magazine  As mentioned in a previous post, I love this unconventional women's magazine.
6.  @theteganandsara  Because I'm obsessed and you should be too.
7.  @TheEllenShow Who doesn't want a little Ellen in their lives?
8.  @CBCRadio3 All about indie music in Canada according to the CBC.
9.  @iTunesCanada Now you can download that music and find out all about new releases.
10. @diablocody aka Brook Busey, cultural commentary with a little bit of sass.

Who do you like to follow on Twitter??

Did You Know

Creative Communications, the program I'm taking at Red River College, is quite intense and there isn't a lot of leisure time.  I'm usually a big reader, and I enjoy reading a variety of things, but I find that during school, I don't read for pleasure a whole lot. At least not entire novels. But, I'm a trivia geek, so little gems like this book that I found in the discount section of McNally Robinson seem to be the perfect prescription for reading during the school term.

This book is put out by the Useless Information Society in Britain and contains all sorts of facts on a variety of subjects. A few of my favourite little tidbits:

• The human brain continues to send out electrical signals for up to thirty-seven hours following death.
• Large doses of coffee can be fatal. 10 grams, or 100 cups over 4 hours can kill the average human.
• Cleopatra tested the efficacy of her poisons by trying them out on her slaves
• A human can detect one drop of perfume diffused throughout a 3 bedroom apartment
• A female mouse is called a doe
• Astronauts get taller when they are in space

I do have a skeptical mind, so I do question the legitimacy of some of the facts.  After all, there isn't exactly a works cited page. But the book is a lot of fun, and at the very least, there is probably a factoid in there that you can use to create conversation at your next holiday cocktail party.

The F Word

People seem to be afraid of the F word:  FEMINISM.  It's funny how many times someone has said to me, "I'm not a Feminist but..." and then made a very Feminist statement.  Why are so many people afraid of labeling themselves Feminists?  I think that it is in part because Feminism needs a little good PR...

Like many labels we put on ourselves or others, the term "Feminist" in popular culture has become a stereotype.  Feminists are activists.  They don't shave their armpits.  They have strong opinions and they're not afraid to share them.  They HATE men.  Most of these things are true of some feminists, but it's that last one that really irks me.  Most feminists DON'T hate men.  Some do, and if you asked them about it, you'd probably get a quite legitimate reason for why they think that way.  But many feminists love men, they support men and they believe that gender discrimination and rigid gender expectations hurt men too. For example, men aren't supposed to cry right?  In the words of Mr. Duncan McMonagle- sez who?  Men have just as many emotions as women, but they are taught to bottle them up, and that is just not healthy in the long term.  I believe men can and should be Feminists, and the Feminism movement should be recruiting more XY members because really, how can you ever hope to get anywhere if half the population isn't on your side?

Speaking of getting the population on your side:  I do believe activism has a place in this world, but I find that sometimes, really hardcore activism doesn't effectively communicate with the general public; it only speaks to people who are already activists.  If you're trying to get your message out there and want to persuade people to agree with you, it's probably a better strategy to approach people with a tempered message - one that, in PR speak, highlights the what's in it for me.

Why should we as women consider ourselves Feminists?  I think we owe it to ourselves to celebrate ourselves as women and I don't think it's too much to ask that the world treat us with respect.  There are so many places on this planet where women are still treated as second-class citizens.

We need to reclaim the word ladies (and gentlemen).  Take the word away from people like Rush Limbaugh who equated Feminists to Femi-Nazis.  Feminism comes in all sorts of different forms.  Want to learn more?  Check out these fabulous links.  They show the many faces of Feminism that I think are pretty accessible to anyone.

1)  http://www.bust.com/  is Bust Magazine, which has the tagline "for women who need to get something off their chest" is one of my favourite magazines.  It looks at pop culture and contemporary issues with a critical eye.  The tone is sassy and fun, and it's really approachable for all readers.

2) http://www.bitchmagazine.org/  is the site for Bitch Magazine and Bitch Media.  The tagline for these is "a Feminist response to pop culture." The magazine itself tends to be a little more academic than Bust, but the website also features blogs, on all sorts of great subjects.

3) Feministing.com is an online community devoted to giving women a voice and a platform to express their opinions.  Lots of social commentary, events listings, news etc.  from a wide variety of Feminist sources.

4) http://www.guerillagirls.com/  The Guerilla Girls are a group of Feminist activists whose identities remain unknown because they're always wearing Gorilla masks.  Their book Bitches, Bimbos and Ballbreakers: The Illustrated Guide to Female Stereotypes is just awesome.  I have a copy if you ever want to take a peak.

5) Looking to network with Winnipeg Feminists?  Check out the FemRev Collective on Facebook.  They're an organization of Feminists of various backgrounds around the city and are the organizing committee for the Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Conference to be held in Winnipeg in 2011.  They are always promoting relevant events around the city, so join their Facebook group and find out what's going on in the city.

All Atwitter

I joined Twitter last April after learning about it in PR class.  Since then, the Twittersphere has exploded and Twitter is now a household name.  You know Twitter has gone mainstream when people who barely use email Tweet.

Personally, I like Twitter.  I mostly use it to follow other people, to learn about new things and to keep up with what's going on in different industries I'm interested in.  Books, Entertainment, Arts, Culture and Communications.

I'm nearing 100 followers on Twitter.  Most people are strangers, but many are associated with my interests.  The best moment of my personal Twitter experience: having my tweet about Folk Fest picked up by the festival and reprinted in their e-newsletter.  That was fun!

If you haven't jumped on the Twitter bandwagon, it can be a great tool for getting the word out about a whole bunch of things.  Events you're having or attending.  Interesting blog posts you want your "followers" to read. Random commentary on random subjects...

Sure there are nay-sayers.  Do you really need to know what so and so had for breakfast?  Probably not, but think of it this way- our lives are made up of many mundane moments, sharing those moments with others is a way to reach out and connect with other people. You like Froot Loops?  Me to!  (Actually, I hate Froot Loops)  The internet no longer isolates people, it brings people together.  Where else can you talk to someone in Japan and realize that you both have an obsession with Buffy the Vampire Slayer?

When I told a friend of mine I'd joined Twitter, she mocked me.  But she also sent me this video, which is hilarious, no matter what side of the Twitter debate you happen to be on.

Real Life Twitter - College Humor Original @ Yahoo! Video

Prayer, Politics and Palin

I'm not a huge fan of Sarah Palin or her politics, but I was intrigued about her recent interview on Oprah.  This clip is regarding her interview with Katie Couric.



She definitely seems more comfortable with Oprah than she did with Couric. Possibly because with Oprah she only had her own agenda to worry about.  Some hilarious Palin-izms as well.  "The perky one"  Tee hee.

I open up the floor to you dear reader.  What are your thoughts?

Something like a Pandemic

I'm suffering from H1N1 fatigue. It seems like we've been talking about nothing but since the first wave hit. Now, I know that it's a serious disease and that some people have gotten quite sick and died from it. I get that it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to disease prevention. But man, haven't we heard about it enough already?

I think that part of the problem has been in the communication and the messaging around this whole pandemic thing. I'm not actually sure that we can even call it a pandemic at this point. To me it seems like so far, the number of people sick with H1N1 has to be similar to the number of people who usually get sick from the seasonal flu. Is that a pandemic? Maybe, maybe not –I'm not a scientist. But if it's not a true pandemic, why call it a pandemic and just freak everyone out. Why call it SWINE flu? There has been so much misinformation out there. So much fear and paranoia. Way too many communicators making conflicting statements. H1N1 is in your face all the time. The information is overwhelming and it's confusing.


Granted, this hasn't been easy. The situation continues to change almost moment to moment with this thing. While I think the people in charge of health in this country have messed up when it comes to the pandemic plan and their H1N1 communication, I get that this is pretty much a nightmare for a PR person. Yet, I'm not even really sure there have been PR people involved. Maybe if there had, this whole thing would have gone a lot more smoothly.

There is no simple answer, but I really think that we would have benefitted from one person being appointed on a federal level to head a pandemic communication committee. That person would be the source of all the official messaging and would pass that message on to a representative in each province. Each province should have had the same priority list and the same vaccination rules. Maybe this kind of set up would be impossible given how governments tend to be set up, but a little bit of organization when it comes to communication would have been beneficial. Because isn't the point in a situation like this to keep people calm? The best way to keep people calm is to keep them informed.

One silver lining of this whole thing: many medical professionals are saying this pandemic is not going to be as bad as originally thought. Part of that may be that many high risk individuals have been vaccinated, which is great.  Hopefully, at the end of the day, most people don't get seriously ill and this circus becomes a valuable test run. Hopefully everyone involved learns from the mistakes they made this time around, and applies that knowledge to a plan for a future pandemic that might be far more serious.

As a side note: I do have to credit our nurses, who have been volunteering and working long hours at these vaccine clinics. When I got the shot a few weeks ago before the shortages hit, I was impressed with the organization and the speed at which they moved people through. So to those on the front lines: kudos for a difficult job well done.

Update:  Here's a great article out of the UK that delves into the "is it a pandemic" issue.

Women in Music

As someone who hosts a music show on UMFM called Venus Envy that focuses exclusively on music by female artists, I want to share two items of interest with you.  The first is a list of 50 essential women in music albums.  I personally think there are albums missing, but it's a pretty great list of must- hear albums.  Check it out here.  

Another item of interest is a radio documentary produced by CBC journalism intern Amanda Ash.  It inspired a special podcast on Women in indie music for CBC Radio 3.  Check it out here on Amanda Ash's personal blog.

METRIC System

I have a crush on the band Metric. I saw them in concert again a couple of weeks ago, and that was probably the fifth or sixth time I've seen them, if not more. As usual, they were fabulous. Emily Haines inhabits the stage like a Mexican jumping bean. How she manages to have so much energy, show after show, is beyond me. Just watching her dance and jump and strut across the stage is exhausting. Metric is definitely a band that entertains.

Their most recent album Fantasies came out last April and was promptly nominated for the Polaris Music Prize, an award presented for a full-length album from a Canadian artist based on artistic merit rather than album sales. They didn't win, but they made the short list, and they continue to do well for themselves. I dare you to turn on a show like Grey's Anatomy and not hear their music.
One of my favourite videos to come out of this album is for Gimme Sympathy. It's one continuous shot, which is quite a feat. The band is playing in a theatre in Toronto and while they all start in their usual positions, they rotate throughout the video. It seems to happen almost magically and I'm sure it was choreographed like crazy to do the whole song in ONE shot. The band has posted a behind the scenes video, split screened with the original video. It allows you to see how they did it. Mostly, a lot of running around and changing costumes quickly off camera. I've posted both the original video and the behind the scenes shoot below for your viewing pleasure.  Enjoy!

Random Musings

This post isn't really about arts, culture or communication.  It's about moving.  Why?  Because I spent the weekend hauling boxes and sorting through all my possessions.  Well, some of them.  The rest are stacked behind me in the den.  When you move, you really realize just how much stuff you have and how much of it is probably unnecessary.  It's a time to start fresh, to reinvent your life by reinventing your space.  Talk about pressure.  Never has the placement of a table held so much meaning.   The options are endless...

In other news, and news that is arts & culture related - Tegan and Sara's new album Sainthood comes out on Tuesday.  I'm taking a first listen on their MySpace right this minute, and I love it. Of course, that's pretty much a given as I've been a fan of T&S since '99 or '00.  They constantly reinvent themselves and push their musical boundaries.  And then there's the fact that they have this really authentic connection with their fans that starts with their on-stage banter during live shows.  Check out the album.  I ordered the deluxe version online that comes with three books they've penned as well as an autographed piece of art.  That's going to be a happy mail day.  Their official website is here.

Must-See TV

I love my television, and now that I own a PVR, I love it even more. It seems like everyone around me is watching TV in new and different ways.  Even my parents have watched shows online. 

Before tonight, it had been a while since I'd streamed a show online.   I'm very happy that television networks have gotten with the program and starting streaming shows on their sites.  If I forget to record an episode, I no longer have to wait for it to come out on DVD.

Tonight, I was catching up on a show on the Space website. Space has 30 second commercials that run where commercial breaks would regularly run on TV.  The problem is, every commercial was for the Save Local TV campaign.  Definitely an important issue that everyone should look into (especially since now, Shaw is  running counter ads that spin the issue in a completely different way), but I really started to get annoyed after seeing the same two commercials cycle on a loop for eternity.  Hyperbole... isn't it grand? I'm not sure if Space regularly sells this space to advertisers, but if I have to sit through a 30 second commercial, some variety would be nice.  Perhaps it sounds crazy that I'm advocating for more commercials, but really - advertising is what pays for shows, and I'm a fan of creative advertising. Which is exactly the type of advertising that belongs online- commercials that are cutting edge and bursting with creativity. Give me something I'm going to remember because it's unique - not because you're repeating it over and over again.  The alternative?  Product placement. Which I think we can all admit is just lame.

Ways of Seeing

A couple of years ago, my aunt asked me if I thought I was a good problem-solver.  I think the implication was that she didn't think I was.  I didn't know how to answer that at the time, and though I couldn't say I was a good problem-solver I knew I didn't think I was a bad problem solver.

It's become clear to me now, as I've gotten to know myself better in the years since, that I actually am a good problem solver, it just might not appear that way from the outside.  Why not?  Well, it really comes down to the fact that when I'm attempting to solve a problem, I'm looking at the problem from every possible angle.  Sometimes, when you can see all the sides of something, it's a bit tough to make a decision. At least, make a decision quickly. Of course, if it's your job to consider all these things, that way of seeing the world is actually a good thing.  In fact, I've recently discovered that this aspect of the way my brain works actually suits me to work in PR because PR is all about thinking about things strategically from a bunch of different angles.  Who knew?

Plays by Women for Everyone

In the next 10 days, if you live in or around the Winnipeg area, you should try to check out a very special theatre festival – FEMFEST – which is running from September 25th to October 4th at the University of Winnipeg. Why is it special, you ask? Well, it's one of the few theatre festivals in Canada (if not the only) that exclusively features plays by female playwrights. It's a sad fact that while women make up over half the population of the world, studies have shown that women account for less than a third of professional theatre directors and playwrights across Canada. FemFest is all about showcasing the work of up and coming female theatre artists and bringing attention to the fact that women deserve more stage time. The reason they don't get it is a complex issue, and while it's a problem that's not going to be solved with one festival, FemFest is a great step forward for women-kind. Oh, and it's also hella entertaining.

I'm in the unique position that I've read all the plays that are playing at this year's festival. (I spent my summer working for Sarasvàti Productions, the theatre company behind FemFest, as their Marketing and Development Assistant.) As such, I can say with certainty that the plays are must-see. There's the little known story of Judy Holliday, a 40's film starlet who was known for playing dumb blondes, but was actually a genius. There is the heroic tale of Unruly, a women studies prof by day, superhero by night. There's the true story of the first female mortician in Canada, who lived and worked in The Pas. Motherhood, monogamy, eating disorders, sexuality, heartbreak, cancer, poverty and plastic surgery- they're all themes explored at this year's FemFest.

Support local theatre and female artists. Check out FemFest! For more info, visit www.sarasvati.ca

10 Reasons I Love Glee!

1) It's subversive. The show comments on everything that's wrong with high school while at the same time, creates this utopian school and makes you wish you'd gone there.

2) It breaks stereotypes. Jocks can be in the glee club, glee club members can be on the football team. The gay kid comes out to his tough, football loving dad, and the dad's perfectly ok with it! Awesome!

3) The adults are just as interesting as the teenagers. When does that ever happen?

4) It's just a little bit absurdist. Terri is absolutely ridiculous, and yet I'm riveted to see how her schemes turn out.

5) Two words: Jane Lynch. Awesome to see her in a major role.

6) It's inclusive. Black, white, brown, gay, straight, fat, thin. People with disabilities and people who struggle with mental issues. Everyone's represented and everyone gets a voice.

7) Kristin Chenoweth is on next week's show. Yeah!

8) The cast is stacked with Broadway talent. What's not to love?

9) They took a risk in the way that they introduced the show and it totally paid off. They aired a 'sneak peak' in the spring, and then let the hype build all summer before the season premiere. Brilliant. (Of course, in order for that to pay off, the product had to be good, which thankfully it is.)

10) The writing. Those snappy one-liners (Often delivered by Ms. Jane Lynch) are very quotable. Lady justice wept today!

Great Films that Fly Under the Radar

I like weird movies.  You know, the ones that make you go hmmm.  Misfits and outcasts, those are my people.  Characters who constantly make the wrong choice for the right reason are fascinating to watch.  I also like my movies to be pretty.   You might even call them art.

They are often indie films from small studios, helmed by directors that are relatively unknown.  These people are allowed to reflect their perspectives of the world without a ton of studio interference, and the realties they create are at once surreal and completely familiar.

I often have to wait until these films are released on DVD.  They don't seem to show in Winnipeg, although occasionally they will pop up at Cinematheque or The Globe. All of the films in the following list are available for rent.  I could probably list 20 great indie films, but I'm going to start with seven.  If you find yourself bored some evening or weekend and want some brain candy, check these out. In no particular order:

1) Laurel Canyon, written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, starring Frances McDormand, Christian Bale and Kate Beckinsale.

I love Frances McDormand, and Lisa Cholodenko's first film, High Art, is also great.  In Laurel Canyon, McDormand stars as Jane, a "hard-living, free-thinking, rock-and-roll record producer."  Her son and his fiancée get stuck living with her in her Laurel Canyon home, and friction arises as the young couple's conservative values don't exactly mesh with Jane's party-loving ways. Throw in a few love triangles, and suddenly everyone begins to question the rules she or he has decided to live by.

2) Prey for Rock & Roll, directed by Alex Steyermark, written by Cheri Lovedog. Starring Gina Gershon and Drea DeMatteo.

This one is pure guilty pleasure.  I found it in a discount bin and was intrigued by the story.  Four dollars well spent, as this one is a lot of fun.  It's about an all-girl band who's been at the business for years, and are struggling just as much now as they were when they first started.  On her 40th birthday, Gershon's character starts to wonder if it's all really worth it.  It's a portrait of the music biz from a female perspective, with a rad soundtrack.

3) Hedwig and the Angry Inch, written, directed and starring John Cameron Mitchell

I can't talk movie musicals without mentioning my favourite cult film of all time!  Hedwig is a "girly-boy from East Germany " who becomes a woman to immigrate to the United States.  After a botched sex-change operation, she dreams of becoming a rock star, until love for the boy who broke her heart gets in her way. Beautiful music, beautiful make-up and costumes, great story.  It will make you laugh and it will break your heart.  Make it a double-hitter and also pick up Mitchell's Short Bus, the film that almost got Sook-Yin Lee fired from the CBC.

4) Possible Worlds, written and directed by Robert LePage, starring Tom McCamus and Tilda Swinton.

Robert LePage is a Canadian theatre artist, actor and director who is well-known for his quirky and often bizarre pieces.  This film is what you would consider post-modern... to a higher power.  It begins with a shocking murder that involves a corpse with a missing brain.  As the mystery evolves, we slip into the victim's dreamscape, and follow him through the various possible worlds/scenes/outcomes that might or could have been.

5) The Princess and the Warrior, written and directed by Tom Tykwer, starring Franka Potente.

From the writer/director of Run Lola Run, The Princess and the Warrior is one of the most beautifully shot films I have ever seen.  It focuses on Sissi, a rather shy individual who works as a nurse in a mental hospital.  One day, while out for a walk with a patient, Sissy is struck and pinned by a car.  Bodo, an enigmatic former soldier, crawls under the car and saves her life.   In that moment, Sissi's entire life changes and she and Bodo begin an odd relationship.  Bodo has demons he just can't shake.  Sissi was once asleep, but now she is wide awake.  In German with English subtitles.


6) Saved!  Written by Brian Dannelly and Michael Urban, Directed by Brian Dannelly.  Starring Jena Malone, Macaulay Culkin, Mandy Moore and Patrick Fugit.

Saved!  is a clever satire that masquerades as a teen movie.  After watching this film, I have a new-found respect for Mandy Moore, because she is willing to satirize herself.   Jena Malone plays a good Christian girl who has always done everything right.  For her, it's perfectly logical that when her best friend tells her he's gay, she should try to save his soul by having sex with him. (Also, Jesus told her to.) The ensemble as a whole is really strong.  Believe the hype: it is "wickedly funny."

That's my top-six.  Feel free to share your own favourite indie films (or not so indie films) in the comments below.

Alternative Perspective

I'm going into my second (and final) year as a communications student.  I've found that one major side-effect of the program I'm in is looking at the world from a different point of view.  I pay attention to media in different ways than before.  This is especially true when it comes to public relations.

PR is everywhere.  It is present in how someone makes an announcement, how governments deal with criticism, and how a company deals with crisis.  I constantly see the PR behind the news, and it's kind of fun! (This is how I know that I'm a PR geek... and proud of it!)  It's especially obvious when a company/individual does PR badly.  I could draw on examples, but I won't right now because they will probably appear on this blog in the future.

I decided to name this blog "The Slant Perspective" because a slant veers off of the expected path.  It doesn't follow a straight line.  My ways of thinking tend to do that.  I've long considered myself an arts & culture junkie.  I love music, film and television that are off-beat and fly under the radar.  Lately, I've become a communications junkie as well.  I'm fascinated by words and communication; how an idea is put into a message and the message is then received. 

Lots of people take things at face value.  I've never been able to do that.  This blog is all about looking at things from multiple perspectives - whether you're looking at communication, arts, or culture.  I hope you enjoy it!