Archive

Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever. (April 30, 2010)

TWEETS OF THE WEEK

Going into production, 50 Cent and clueless co-workers – all of these topics and more were Tweeted about by queer women in entertainment this week.

If you come across tweets that you think we should feature in “Tweets of the Week” or if you find (verified) Twitter accounts for out lesbian/bi women in entertainment who you think we should follow, please send us that info at [email protected].

THIS JUST IN: NICKI MINAJ RAISES QUESTIONS OF SEXISM, EXPLOITATION, AND HER RESPONSIBILITY TO WOMEN

As many of us unwavering feminists know, it’s an incessant moral struggle to listen to most mainstream music these days, and hip-hop in particular: If I listen to Young Money rap about wanting to “f–k” every girl in the world, can I still stand by my pro-women convictions? How about if I just don’t pay for the music, but rap along to Drake in the car?

Regardless of political beliefs, for a vast majority of us, simply being a female makes it hard to stomach the blatant images of violence, exploitation, and pseudo prostitution propelled by, but not limited to, a large number of hip-hop and rap artists.

Furthermore, in the male-dominated hip-hop industry, female MCs must work extra hard to break through the metaphorical glass ceiling of hip-hop, often overcompensating with an ultra-sexualized image and close ties to prominent male rappers. Foxy Brown and Lil’ Kim are famous not necessarily for their freestyling abilities, but as explicit sexual icons.

Our feminist radar, not by any means sexist, has been sounding off like crazy at the newest female entrant to the rap game, Nicki Minaj. Presumably the only out rapper in the industry, Minaj has emerged as a household name of hip-hop, receiving stamps of approval from the likes of Jay-Z and comparisons to Lil’ Wayne. Her first official single “Massive Attack” has gone viral and its international flavor is undeniably infectious, not to mention the hot video with Amber Rose.

But while there’s no questioning Minaj’s sick flow and fresh perspective of creativity and femininity to the genre, I question her decisions while being the current pre-eminent female rapper.

Though it’s not the Jamaica, Queens native’s sole responsibility to bear the burden of changing the misogynistic tendencies of rap music, that she often perpetuates them is deeply troubling. Her verse on Usher’s latest single “Lil’ Freak” has been mistaken as sexy lesbian subtext, when in reality Minaj discusses pimping out women for Usher:

Excuse me little mama / But you could say I’m on duty / I’m lookin’ for a cutie / A real big ol’ ghetto booty / I really like your kitty cat and if you let me touch her / I know you’re not a bluffer / I’ll take you to go see Usher / I keep a couple hos / like Santa I keep a vixen / Got that Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Dixon, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen

That Minaj is “on duty” to find Usher the finest “hos” around assists in engendering prostitution and the exploitation of women, which, I hope, is not something she supports. Minaj has declared the importance of consumers getting “accustomed to seeing a female rapper again,” but if her method of visibility is to pander to patriarchy and produce anti-women lyrics, I’m not buying.

Female MC veteran Salt, one half of the rap duo Salt-N-Pepa, has also taken notice of the “message” of Minaj’s lyrics, and blames it on her “male camp dictating how [she] should be” by pressuring her to assume an image that spews sexuality and often sexism. Though “not everyone’s role model material,” she says, “we do have a sense of responsibility,” especially as Minaj is the only mainstream female MC in a world of Young Money and machismo. However, Salt, a fan of Minaj’s talent and style, credits Minaj’s inability to “enlighten” and misguided persona to youth and naiveté.

Presumably, the rapper, who refers to her fans as “barbz” (short for “Barbies”) is still in the process of developing her identity and crafting a name for herself, and associating herself with other sexist songs such as “My Chick Bad” and “BedRock,” helps to gain notoriety and airplay. Moreover, her presence as an out bisexual black woman has huge implications for visibility within the community.

I don’t expect her to start quoting Audre Lorde in her lyrics (although that would be awesome), but I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt and hope that she’ll up the pro-women sentiment and leave the exploitation behind. Nicki can keep signing your “tig ol’ bitties” the next time she’s in the neighborhood, but she should re-think the deeper meaning of her presence in the mainstream music industry and make smarter, conscientious choices to disassociate herself from misogyny.

– by drummerdeeds

WORKING THE POLL: FAVE TEEN TV COUPLES

It has been a busy couple of weeks for our favorite fictional teen couples. Sophia and Sian finally got together on Coronation Street, Adrianna and Gia fell appart on 90210, and thanks to the power of streaming video, we can watch Ashley and Spencer fall in love over and over and over on South of Nowhere.

All the hullabaloo reminded us that some of the very best fictional lesbian couples have been teenagers. Which couple is your favorite?

In our poll last week, we asked you to weigh in on the story that a big celeb is going to publicly come out on May 5. We asked if you thought it would be a woman, a man, or someone that will make us roll our collective eyes and say, “Duh!” in unison. The verdict? A big, fat, resounding “Duh!”

LESBIAN VIDEO CLIP OF THE WEEK

AfterEllen.com writer Hornito (aka Mia Jones) is a real complainer. Don’t believe me? Check out this trailer for the new documentary, Complaints Choir, in which she (and many others) make beautiful music out some random gripes.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!

Sophie and Sian sealed weeks of angst with a (second) kiss on the British sudser Coronation Street on Friday, and Heather Hogan has a full run down on the new developments for you.

Speaking of British TV, our Great LezBritain columnists Sarah and Lee have kindly provided us with an Overview of Lesbians in British Soap Opera.

Melissa Etheridge stopped by The Oprah Winfrey Show this week to talk about her recent breakup with Tammy Lynn Michaels and to promote her new album (number 10!), Fearless Love.

You will finally be able to get your hands on the Lady Gaga comic book from Female Force on May 1.

Philip Gambone will be publishing a new book on June 15, Travels in a Gay Nation: Portraits of LGBTQ Americans. The book is a collection of interviews with queer activists and artists, ranging from Alison Bechdel to Kate Clinton to David Sedaris to George Takei.

Portia de Rossi caused cute overload when she dropped by her wife Ellen’s show to talk about the mystery animal she spotted in their backyard.

Crystal Chappell was the keynote speaker at the HRC’s “One Voice Can Change the World” Mile High Gala in Denver over the weekend. Before the event, she spoke to OutFront Colorado about Otalia and Venice, who asked her how she prepared for playing gay. She told them, “I did not have to do much to prepare. I am equally attracted to men and women and I like both genders, so it is not an issue for me. You are attracted to who you are attracted to and fall in love with who you fall in love with. This is who my character is – a gay woman. It wasn’t difficult to understand or portray her.” Interesting!

Thanks to AfterEllen.com reader jo_schmo, we’ve discovered that MasterChef Australia has a lesbian contestant this season. Courtney Roulston from Sydney is a “fresh, healthy food” chef who talks about her long-term girlfriend in her MasterChef profile.

We talked to Sarah McLachlan this week about Lilith Fair and her new album Laws of Illusion. We also asked her if she identifies as gay, bi or straight, but you’ll have to read the interview to find out what she told us.

Salon.com has a great piece on lesbian athletes and homophobia in women’s sports. It’s an unfortunate trend that we’ve been documenting for a while, and can’t wait to see come to an end.

Naya Rivera and Heather Morris (aka Brittana) have been promoted to series regulars on Glee, so does this mean that show is going to get even gayer?

We are now streaming South of Nowhere episodes in their entirety, starting with Season One. We’ll be posting a new one each weekday until we get all the way through Season Three. Warning: reader comments indicate that these episodes are causing a massive outbreak of nostalgia!

Rachel Maddow tops David Mixner’s list of the most powerful lesbians in politics (ranking above mayors, activists and a House Representative).

AE reader Joan tipped us off about Growing up Gay, a two-part documentary by the Irish state TV channel about what it’s like to be one of the many young Irish LBGT people born since laws persecuting homosexuality were repealed in 1993. You can try your luck with this link to a clip, though it looks like it may not be viewable in the U.S.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network has launched a new campaign called “Stories from the Frontlines: Letters to President Barack Obama” to help build momentum for a repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. Each day, they will be posting a new open letter to President Obama from gay military servicemen and women who have been affected by DADT. On the “Stories from the Frontlines” website, you’ll find information about how to lobby your own senators to support the cause.

Out musician Jennifer Knapp appeared on Larry King Live along with evangelical minister “Pastor Bob” Botsford and minister-caught-in-the-act-of-gay Ted Haggard. And no, she didn’t even slap anyone!

This week, right after Nurse Jackie and The United States of Tara, Showtime gave us a first look at Ilene Chaiken‘s new reality show, The Real L Word. bad machine watched for us and gave us a taste of the recaps we can look forward to when it premieres in June (her post also includes a video clip, so you can see it for yourself).

The lesbian storyline on Nurse Jackie heated up this week. Read the linster’s recap if you want all the details.

Don’t forget to vote in our annual Hot 100 poll, which closes on May 7. Check back next week, when we’ll be sharing the Hot 100 picks of some of our favorite women in entertainment.

That’s it for this week! Got the inside scoop on a hot new lesbian/bi actor/musician/TV show/film? Tell us at [email protected]. Check back next Friday for another edition of Best. Lesbian. Week. Ever.

– by Karman Kregloe

Lesbian Apparel and Accessories Gay All Day sweatshirt -- AE exclusive

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Back to top button