I've Been Thinking... - Women Are Not Prizes, Girlfriends Are Not Career Highlights.

Hi!!!

Today's post comes from my Thursday brain, which was intercepted by an article I read on Billboard yesterday morning, and that was whirring all day. My Friday brain hopes, I'll be able to do this topic justice and you'll find it interesting.

This morning, I clicked onto the Billboard website while I waited to get started with work. I was scrolling through the headlines, when one grabbed my attention. It read, 'Harry Styles Career Highlights (So Far), From Taylor Swift to SNL'. I wouldn't normally read an article about Harry Styles, I wouldn't normally read anything about any member of One Direction to be perfectly honest, but I couldn't help but read this particular one. I had an idea that the mention of Taylor Swift would be to do with their relationship but I hoped not. I clicked it partly to see if I was right, and partly because I wanted to find out why else she was mentioned if I was wrong.

As it happens, I was right. Harry Styles and Taylor Swift's relationship is classed by Billboard magazine as one of Harry's career highlights. If that wasn't bad enough, the next highlight of Harry's career is that there were rumours last year that he was dating Kendall Jenner.

In case you were wondering, other highlights are actual career highlights - his first Battle of the Bands win, securing his place in One Direction, launching his solo career. You can read the whole article here if you'd like to.

I must say, I was so very disappointed when I read the article, not least because I'm now running out of music magazines that I actually like - NME is off the list, find out why here. Of course that wasn't the main reason I was disappointed. I was disappointed because normally, traditional media outlets like newspapers, are the places I find this kind of sexism and while it still hurts my heart to see, I have sadly come to understand that that is their game. However, magazines like Billboard are supposed to be, I should think, more progressive, more aware of the voices of a wide range of people. Alas, no. Apparently, there are only a handful of media outlets that are not sexist, and I would therefore suggest against equality in other areas. That is ultimately what it boils down to - being against equality. Sexism, racism, homophobia and other such destructive societal viewpoints are evidence of someone being against equality.

There is a long standing view in society, that I would argue is diminishing as the years go on, that women are prizes, and winning over a woman is the same as winning an award. From the day dot, right up to the recently coined trophy wives, our patriarchal societies have propagated a belief that kissing girls, or having a girlfriend, or getting married are achievements for those of the male gender.

It is of course highly ironic that one of Harry Styles' career achievements, as written by Billboard, is his relationship with Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift, who is constantly torn down by the media for her romances, and has been since her career launched as a teenager. I have never heard, and can guarantee I will never hear, any of Taylor's relationships being described as a career achievements. When the relationships are discussed with Taylor in mind, they are failures, they are mistakes, they are yet another example of Taylor being something bad, like a jinx or a bore or a woman obsessed. This only emphasises the feminist issues surrounding this article. Why are their photographically documented matching necklaces and walks through Central Park the height of romance, and a win for Harry, when for Taylor they are signs that they were taking things to fast, and yet another relationship that she couldn't make work.

Then of course is the never confirmed romance with Kendall Jenner. I can see why people were interested in it at the time - one the most successful models in the world, from a highly influential family, potentially finding love with a hugely successful boy band member who also starred on a reality show. However, they never confirmed this romance, no matter how desperately some fans hoped they would. If it wasn't already awful that Billboard class one of Harry's relationships as an achievement, they also class his mere association with another beautiful girl to be one too, as if, even though it didn't quite match up, it was still a win that he managed to get close enough for the speculation to arise.

I obviously don't know the ins and outs of these relationships, and neither does the media, despite what they might like to think. However, the very notion if what may have been highly meaningful relationships being reduced to a success is, I think, rather hurtful, whether one takes into account the feminist issues that go along with it or not.

But of course, this behaviour is learnt from as early as school - the boys kiss multiple girls and are praised by their friends, but the girls get called names for similar behaviour. Males are not targeted in this aspect of life in the same way females are, and that is just how it is. Of course, males aren't free from scrutiny and criticism in this area, but I'd argue it is to a lesser extent than for their female counterparts.

Not only is this article destructive in its presentation of women, it also takes away from Harry Styles' actual career achievements. I'm not a One Direction fan, but even I don't mind saying that the band has been hugely popular, and that its members have achieved great things. According to Nick Gatfield, the chairman and chief executive of Sony Music Entertainment UK, One Direction represented a $50 million business empire by June 2012, just two years after their formation. Their solo careers are already flourishing - Harry's debut solo single was only released a few days ago and has already been viewed by millions of people. In the same way that Taylor and Kendall are talented and successful in their own right, Harry is too. I'm sure he has plenty of actual career achievements that could have been listed rather than the women he has been involved with.

That Billboard article is negative overall for everyone involved. If it had been an article documenting Harry Styles' life in the public eye in all aspects, or it had been, despite my dislike of such articles, about his relationship history, I think I could have understood the inclusion of Taylor Swift and Kendall Jenner. Standing the way it does now, the article is problematic in relation to the feminist cause, it reflects badly on Harry Styles (who I imagine knew nothing of the creation of this article before its publication) and it makes Billboard look foolish and insensitive to the causes that people

are involved with and want to stand up for.

Our perceptions are coloured by what we read and hear, and to put an article like this out there is to suggest that speaking of women as though they are prizes is acceptable - it is not.

This kind of content, no matter where it comes from, is destructive. Whether it is in a magazine, a newspaper, of out of the mouth of someone you know, don't be afraid to call it out for what it is, in this case sexism. Make your voice heard, and involve yourself in the on going battle for equality. Pull no punches and let everyone know, whether they are as influential as Billboard, or as unheard of as your next-door neighbour, that equality is important, and the way we communicate is one of the first and easiest steps we should take to get there.

And that brings this post to an end. I hope you enjoyed it.

Want to discuss this or similar issues with me? Drop a comment below and start a debate. I'd love to hear from you.

I'm off to the cinema this evening to watch new episodes of Peter Kay's Car Share as part of a Comic Relief event - you can find tickets for your local VUE cinema here if you want to see those and help a great cause, too.

Thank you for reading.

Have a fabulous day!

GingerSnaps xxx

Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do - Music - The NME Awards, 'Worst Bands' and Why It Doesn't Make You Cooler to Drag Others Down.

Hi!!!



Aloha. I'm feeling so inspired to write this post, which will hopefully make it a good one. This is a few parts music, a few parts social commentary and I am so passionate about this particular topic. I hope that you find this an interesting read.

I was reading NME online on my break the other day and I stumbled across the list of nominees for this year's NME Awards which are sponsored by VO5. I was scrolling through the lists for Best Band, Best Female Solo Artist and so on and then I hit upon the following,
 

a worst band category.

I was shocked. A Worst Band Category - are you kidding? And it got me thinking.

 

Most of the nominees in this category are hugely successful and widely loved - I think Clean Bandit's 6 Top Ten hits and The (Grammy Nominated) Chainsmokers 5 Top Forty hits are evidence of this. It seems so odd to try and downplay these significant achievements in this way.

Aside from the numbers is the point I feel I am always going back to - music is subjective. What you love, I may not and my favourite song might not be yours. It doesn't mean that what I like is the worst or that you are wrong, it means that we have different likes and dislikes.

Some of these groups, like Five Seconds of Summer, have a predominantly teenage fan base. It can be difficult when you're thirteen or fourteen to feel like your opinions are appreciated or respected, and by shoving the groups that teens love into this category, it may make them feel as though they aren't cool enough, or don't have mature enough opinions, or don't know enough - the last things most teenagers want to feel.

 

In my eyes, this whole thing seems like an attempt to be more controversial, more edgy and therefore, somehow, more cool. Maybe, in writing this, I'm buying into a notion that this might stir up conversation or maintain relevance. But I don't want to stand by quietly, watching hard working musicians and performers with a passion for what they do having their reputations damaged by somebody's idea of 'banter'.

Having done a bit of research for this post, I've discovered this is nothing new at the NME awards, and if anything, only having one 'worst' category might be progress for them. That's a shame. I don't closely follow award shows and so I hadn't realised how normal this was.

I don't have a problem with awarding the acts that the majority of people on a panel or participating in a poll like most - these people have made their decisions about their preferences in a subjective field, and rewarding success is good. But I don't think it's necessary to add into that an option to 'award' people that they dislike because it doesn't make sense. What purpose doesn't it serve? For a winning act of a positive category - Best Solo Male, for example - new opportunities and positive press arise.
So, following this idea, doesn't that mean that the 'winning' act of a negative category will lose out on opportunities and get caught up in negative press? Who does that help? I don't think it does the real winners any more favours than winning already gives them. It just seems pointless and unkind.

When it comes to subjective things, like music, I think it is definitely more than alright to celebrate what you and others like, and award shows are a means of doing that. But I personally think it's unnecessary to publicly make a scene of what people dislike in the same way.

We do not need to add any more condescension and frankly hate into this world. It is ridiculous. Tearing other people down does not make you seem cooler. I think it makes you seem idiotic. I don't want to be told by somebody else what I should or shouldn't like, be that in relation to people, music or beliefs. And I won't stand by and watch others spread negativity about certain people or things to this effect.
 

Ultimately, I think it comes down to this. You have a right to an opinion. Of course you do, you're human. But that does not mean that you have the right to be nasty.

Thanks so much for reading.

What do you think of all this? I'd love to hear your thoughts, so do leave a comment.

Hope you enjoyed the post.

I hope your day is amazing!

GingerSnaps xxx

Recent Reads - Books - Why It's OK Not To Finish Books.

Hi!!!

I've been wanting to write this post for quite a while but this is the first time I have actually sat down at my laptop to do it. I haven't written about books for some time and this is a bit different so hopefully you'll enjoy it.

I talk about books a lot. Lots of my friends and family like reading, and so its a natural topic of conversation. Sometimes, people tell me that they are ten chapters into a book and when I ask them about it they tell me they aren't all that keen on it but they don't want to stop reading it in case it gets better.

I personally see no point in persisting and powering through, reading books that honestly, you don't even like whether its Pride and Prejudice or Gok Wan's autobiography. Chances are it won't get any better if you really haven't been all that enamoured by it from the start. Its a waste of time. Its a waste of your energy. You could spend those things on something else, be it reading a different book that you actually like or something completely removed from literature.

If you don't like a book, that's up to you. It doesn't mean that you aren't intelligent enough to understand it. It doesn't mean that you don't have good taste in books. Books are subjective things. Just because the world and his wife think that a book is great, doesn't mean you have to. You are allowed to enjoy whatever you want to and so in turn are allowed to dislike whatever it is you dislike.

I've listed some examples of books that received critical acclaim and huge popularity that I didn't finish. I haven't listed them to bash them or turn you against them or discredit the authors or the views of those who enjoyed them. I just wanted to show you that just because hundreds of other people love them, it's fine to walk away from books.

Some Examples Of Books I Didn't Finish:

The Trouble With Goats and Sheep by Joanna Cannon

Look Who's Back by Timur Vermes

Curtain Call by Anthony Quinn

 Just like with anything in life, you are allowed to make your own opinions. Just because others like a book or anything else doesn't make it definitively good and likewise just because you or others dislike something, it doesn't mean it is 100% bad. It means that you have your own mind and that's a wonderful thing. So don't suffer through to the end of books or films or anything else that bores you or bothers you or makes you angry and so on. You are an individual with a life to lead - take the responsibility of filtering out the less wonderful things in all aspects of life into your own hands.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the post.

What are your thoughts like this? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts. Let me know in the comments.

Speak soon.

Have a spectacular day!

GingerSnaps xxx





Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do - Music - Let's Discuss People's Obession With Owning Music (And Bands And Singers).

Hi!!!

How are things, guys? I hope you're all having a nice week. I've had the idea to write a post like this one for ages but today I found a little spark of inspiration to sit down and type this (always a nice feeling). So, without further ado, let's talk about people, music and their ideas of ownership.

 



The little spark of inspiration came from scrolling through the comments on a YouTube video. I like to consume my music in various ways - I like listening to CDs and I like watching music videos, sometimes on MTV, and sometimes, when I want to listen to something particular or new, I like using YouTube. The majority of the videos in my YouTube history and recomendations are music related.

 

Today I clicked onto Sam Tsui's channel - if you're not subscribed then oh my goodness, go and listen to his amazing mashups please - and saw a cover of 'Stressed Out' by Twenty One Pilots. I decided to watch it because I really like Twenty One Pilots and I love Sam's covers. And, as I often do, I had a little scroll through the comments while I was listening.

 

It was in the comments sections that I saw things like, and I am paraphrasing here, "It's weird that this song has become mainstream" and "I miss when I could say Twenty One Pilots and no one knew who they were". This kind of thing bothers me.

I understand it, I really do. As someone who listens to and loves indie music and as someone who likes to hunt out new bands and music, I understand that sense of "wait, what?" when you first hear some of those acts being played on the radio. But my "wait, what?" is out of excitement. I want the bands and singers that I love to be able to continue making music and that is made a whole lot easier by more radio play. When I listen to things, especially new bands, its likely that I'll share their songs with at least one person, but if it don't then that isn't because I want to hold an exclusive listening right to them. It's because I listen to a lot of music and I might forget or I mightn't know anyone that I think would particularly love it.

 

However, it isn't necessarily those people or those comments that bother me, so much as the comments such as, and I quote, "...they're not ours anymore...". Excuse me, what? They were never yours. But I find this happens all the time. People think that because they own the albums, know the words to the songs, maybe because they've seen a gig or two, that the music and the artist is theirs. What people seem to fail to grasp, is that they own the songs and the CDs and the gig tickets and the merchandise. They don't own the people. They might feel connected to their favourite musicians - I certainly do - but that doesn't mean that they are yours and yours alone to keep in a little bubble of 'lesser-known-ness'.

These people are ultimately trying to make a living. They love what they do and they love the people that support them and they are lucky to have such great opportunities but they have bills to pay. They want to be able, as I think many of us do, to be able to make a career out of what they love doing and you can't make a career if your fans are trapping you inside a little bubble of 'lesser-known-ness'.

 

I remember when The Arctic Monkeys released 'AM' a few years ago and people kept telling me how long they'd been listening to The Arctic Monkeys and how they had specifically been the ones to get me into their music and so on and so forth. Some people treated the new album and the band like a book they were letting me borrow - like it was theirs and they'd want it back when I was done, like they'd have bought the sequel before me. Here's the thing though, I'm a huge Arctics fan, I like so many of their songs. I'm an Alex Turner fan, for that matter - his soundtrack for Submarine was just incredible. But they are not 'my' band as they are not anyone's band, no matter how they feel about it, and I wouldn't want it to be like that.

 

A song by Circa Waves was featured in a TV advert last year. I think it was 'My Love' but I only saw it a few times so I couldn't be sure. And when I first saw it, I was a felt a little bit weird - but not because 'my music' was going to end up in the 'mainstream', just because I wanted more for them than advert music. That's a different thing.

 

I love feeling like I'm in on the start of something great or I'm in a little club of people who also own all three albums and dance around their house to the songs I like best. But at the same time, I like to see artists grow. I like the micro-communities that bands and singers are capable of forming. And most of all, I'm in it for the music. It doesn't matter to me whether things are cool or mainstream or new or old. It matters to me that I enjoy the songs, that the guitars are played well, that the violins are in tune and that whoever is singing has a voice I love.

 

And with that, I'm off to listen to some Van Morrison. And you can too, if you so wish, I don't mind sharing.

 

Thank you for reading this post, I know its a bit different but hopefully you enjoyed it.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you agree with me or do you think I'm way off base? Do you have any music recomendations for me? Lets all discuss this stuff in the comments below.

Speak soon, my lovelies.

 

Go forth and listen to your favourite songs!

 

GingerSnaps xxx

 

I've Been Thinking... - My Thoughts On The New Ghostbusters Film and The Public Response.

Hi!!!

If you've a movie fan, you've probably heard about the new 'Ghostbusters' film, a reboot of the classic from the 80s. The trailer for this film is one of the most disliked videos in all of YouTube's history. Its cast is lead by four women. Here are my views.



I am a huge fan of the original 'Ghostbusters' film, just for your information. I enjoy it, it's staple viewing at Halloween and it always makes me laugh.

 

I love the new 'Ghostbusters' movie.
It's funny, it's spooky, it features some great characters and it has a very strong plot. My favourite characters are Patty Tolan (Leslie Jones) and Jillian Holtzmann (Kate McKinnon). They're interesting, unique, funny and smart. I mean, the other lead characters are, too, but Patty and Holtzmann are far more up my street.
 All the actresses are great with comedy and work as a group really well. The film kept me engaged throughout - sometimes at the cinema, I do have a sneaky look at my watch... - and it made me jump at times, too.
It shows the strength of female friendships like the original showed the strength of male friendships, which is so good to see.
I loved that the costumes for the film are like clothes that actual women wear - not everything is on show, not everything is ridiculously glamorous and they don't fight ghosts while wearing high heeled shoes.
 I think the character Kevin (Chris Hemsworth) could be improved, especially given the all-female group of Ghostbusters. I think its a shame that, in a film that makes a lot of progress in terms of casting and characterisation of female characters, Kevin is 'the stupid cute guy' who is 'hired because he's cute'.
Other than that, I personally think the film is great and would recommend it to you.

I'm sure at least some of you know about the criticism this movie faced before it was even released. The trailer is one of the most disliked videos on YouTube.
I appreciate that some people are not keen on the idea of the new film because they love the old one so much and don't want to see a film of less quality become part of its legacy. That, to me, is fine - I understand your worry (but I don't think you don't need to feel that way because it isn't a scene by scene remake and it is good).
However, there are some people who are totally against the film because of the all female cast, although these people often try to suggest that it is more to do with their love for the original. I think it's disgraceful.
  Let's get a few things straight, shall we? Women can be amazing actresses. Women can be hilarious. Women can inspire other women. Women deserve the opportunity to showcase their abilities and encourage others to do the same. Women have worth. Women deserve respect.

Another awfully shocking response to the film has been the racism Leslie Jones has had to face. Black actresses can be amazing and hilarious. They deserve the chance to show off their abilities and inspire people. Black people have worth. Black people deserve respect.

One thing I can say, is that the four women in this film have handled all of this so well, even though they should never have had to. I respect them all so much.
I don't mind at all if you don't like the film because you think it has a weak plot or poor characterisation or lacks development of key themes. I don't share those views but that's alright because you are entitled to an informed opinion. But for people to dislike a film, simply because the cast are mostly female and feature more than one ethnicity is absurd to me. That's just unfair to everyone involved.
Everyone has rights and talents, and I look forward to the day that everyone recognises this.

Thank you so much for reading.

Have you seen the new Ghostbusters film? What did you think? What are your thoughts on the public response? Do you have any other comments or suggestions for future posts? Be sure to tell me in the comments.

I hope you have a great weekend. I'll be celebrating my birthday on Sunday, so I'll speak to you after that.

Have a totally marvellous day!

GingerSnaps xxx



I've Been Thinking - Why We Should All Be Kinder To Each Other

Hi!!!

Today's post is a serious one but one I make no apologies for because I believe its essential. I've been hearing so many things recently that make me worried for others and I want to do what I can to fix it. Let's talk about Brexit, hate crimes, the international community and everything else in between.

 

"The best thing to hold onto in life is each other" - Audrey Hepburn.



 In the aftermath of Brexit, there has been a fair amount of animosity to immigrant communities - I've read articles about Polish families and Asian families, amongst others, who have experienced this. Families in this country right now who are establishing themselves, living with a unique identity, a mix of where they come from and where they live. I can't imagine that it is easy for anyone to make such a big decision and leave the country they know to start a new life in another. Surely we cannot treat people so terribly, just because they are from somewhere different than us.

It's not just Brexit, either. We live in a world where people have been shot because of their sexuality, where people aren't treated with the respect they deserve because of their gender, where they experience police brutality or hate crimes because of the colour of their skin, where people attack each other just because they don't share the same religious beliefs.

I want to put my arms around the world and fix it all but I can't reach everyone. What I can do, and what you can do, too, is be kind. Smile at people, hold the door for them, say thank you to the bus driver. Text friends to see how their week has been, let that pedestrian cross the road, say bless you when people sneeze. Call family in spare moments. Let people in the community know that it is OK for them to be themselves, no matter what that means. Speak kindly to people from all around the world - let neighbours know they have your support. Little things really do go such a long way. And, of course, if you are witness to hateful situations, then report it (some helpful tips on that here).

 

We may not all agree on everything, be it Brexit or religion or other people's life choices, but that shouldn't mean the doors are open for hate. It doesn't matter to me how you voted (I am more than aware that the large majority of Leave voters are kind, good people), or how you choose to live your life so long as you try your best to be kind and accepting to others. We can and we should all try and live together as a tolerant global society. You are not defined by your gender, your race, your age, your immigrant status, your religion or your sexuality or a disability or anything else like that. You are more than that. Everyone is worth something and everyone has the potential to give something really great back to the world. We all want to be able to be our true selves, and we'd all be worried about people trying to threaten our right to do that. If we strive to let everyone live a life that is true to them, we'll be one step closer to living the dream. The actual dream that people have had for generations. We've come a long way but that doesn't mean the journey is over.

Thanks you for reading. I hope that you've all had a great week so far.
What are your thoughts on today's post? Do you have any comments or suggestions for future posts? Be sure to let me know in the comments.
I'll speak to you all soon.

I hope your day is full of love!

GingerSnaps xxx

Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do - Music - Copyright, The Value of Celebrity and Amazing-Photograph Gate.

Hi!!!

You may well be aware of the current lawsuit over copyright infringement - Ed Sheeran (and crew) have been accused of copying Matt Cardle's song Amazing for the song Photograph. Here are my thoughts, having heard both songs played side by side. 

First things first, Photograph is incredibly similar to Amazing and it does seem very likely that the claim that the chorus of Photograph shares 39 identical notes with Amazing is accurate. I just wanted to open with that because that is the key point in all this.

I've seen a lot of people online make comments about how Matt is 'only suing Ed because he wants to be back in the public eye' or 'because he didn't have any success after the X Factor'. This doesn't sit well with me, not least because Matt Cardle is not suing Ed, Martin Harrington and Thomas Leonard are. Cardle did not write the song, nor has he ever claimed to but he did record and release it. But even if Cardle was the one suing Sheeran, why should that matter? Matt Cardle didn't go on to become a global chart sensation and most people are unfamiliar with the song Amazing. That doesn't mean that the rights and interests of the creative team behind the song don't matter, nor does it take away Matt's value as a performer. Photograph has sold more than 3.5 million copies. Ed and his team have earned a fair whack from the song. From a song that infringes the copyright of another. But people are willing to defend the plagiarism, intended or not, because its a big celebrity and his team? Something about that just doesn't seem right.

Some people have also tried to suggest that it isn't a real problem because 'Ed made a mediocre song better'. Now, I like Ed's music, I'd consider him one of my favourite 'pop stars'. But that doesn't mean that he gets a fast pass through lawsuits. Just because songs like 'A Team' or 'Thinking Out Loud' are nice to listen to doesn't mean I agree with what has happened here, whether it was intentional or not. I'm not, however, putting the sole blame on Ed's shoulders because, despite how 'organic' some people think his music is, he didn't write Photograph alone - he shares credit with Johnny McDaid and beyond that, of course, he has a team of professionals (managers, producers, and so on). His team should have done their research. They should have known better. Because they are jeopardising their artist and their own credibility within the industry.

Some people have been trying to draw parallels with the situation between Sam Smith and Tom Petty but it doesn't seem all that similar. Tom and co noticed the similarities and Sam's team came to an agreement with them to give them credit. Tom has said publicly that he believes "Sam did the right thing". He said that "Most times you catch it before it gets out the studio door but in this case it got by". It was not, according to Petty, a lawsuit. It was acknowledged and resolved. The settlement reportedly included a 12.5% writing credit to both Petty and singer-composer Jeff Lynne and the song’s credit on ASCAP lists Smith, Petty, Lynne, and Jimmy Napes as the chief songwriters. And that is why it is different.

As far as I'm concerned, it doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter if you're Ed Sheeran and you're a global success story. To have such similarities with another song and get away with it, whether you were aware of the issue or not, is not fair. But, in my opinion, the similarities are not the biggest problem, they could easily be resolved like in the case of Smith and Petty and co. The biggest problem with all this is that the general public are totally cool with valuing celebrity status over the standard rights and interests of songwriters and musicians. People need to get their priorities straight because these are peoples livelihoods, not just the music on their playlists.

Thanks for reading today guys. I know this is a bit different than what I normally do but I felt that I had to comment.

What are your thoughts on the issue? Do you agree or disagree with me? Any suggestions for future posts? Please share your thoughts with me in the comments.

I'll speak to you all soon.

I hope you have a wonderful day!

GingerSnaps xxx