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You Bitch!: An Examination of What We Choose to Accept

November 10, 2010 By Ashley Nuñez 2 Comments
[caption id="attachment_6210" align="alignright" width="320" caption="Photo Courtesy Comestiblog.com"][/caption]

“You Bitch!” Excuse me what did my TV just call me? Freezing at the words that came blaring through my TV during a prime time broadcast, I was left with my mouth agape. Since when can you say Bitch on TV? This wasn’t HBO or Showtime, this is was regular cable. And I found myself laughing as I saw a commercial for (BLEEP) My Dad Says. Ok wait, just give me one second to process this. You can’t say Shit on TV but a word that degrades women can be thrown about casually?

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) can restrict but not censor broadcasts from using profane language. If the FCC would censor broadcast material, this would infringe on the First Amendment. So instead the FCC imposes fines for obscene, indecent, or profane material. According to the FCC website, “Profane speech is prohibited on broadcast radio and television between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.” Any material that is “so highly offensive that their mere utterance in the context presented may, in legal terms, amount to a ‘nuisance’” is considered profane.

Ask any woman: if you were approached by someone and as a conversation starter, you were addressed as Bitch, would you deem the word as a “nuisance?” The word bitch has mutated from its original meaning. Merriam-Webster defines bitch as:

1: the female of the dog or some other carnivorous mammals,

2: a) a lewd or immoral woman b) a malicious, spiteful, or overbearing woman —sometimes used as a generalized term of abuse,

3: something that is extremely difficult, objectionable, or unpleasant,

4: complaint.

Somewhere in between its first usage and now, Bitch shape shifted to meaning an immoral woman, a man of low effeminate character, difficult circumstances, or a grievance. Which brings me back to why would the FCC allow the word Bitch, a word that obviously denigrates women, to be uncensored and not a word like Shit. Calling someone a piece of Shit does not equate to calling someone a Bitch. So when did we as a society take such a misogynistic view of the word?

For starters, Bitch is found in more places than just Male Studies (See Molly Knefel’s argument towards Manhood101) and TV/Film. With headphones dangling from the ears of subway riders, fast walking New Yorkers, and the locusts that commute in and out of the city, Bitch is in ears of many. I cringe when others discuss music misogyny and use Hip-Hop and Rap as a primary example. However, being that I am not an avid listener to Country or Pop-Elektronica, I will continue with a quote from Ice Cube, “A bitch is a bitch. So ladies, we ain’t just talkin’ bout you, cause some of y’all niggas is bitches too!” Aside from showing that Bitch not only is disrespectful towards women, Ice Cube points out that the word is insulting to a man when used to call him out on being less than a man, and therefore a Bitch.

The word’s usage has infiltrated music just as it is now being used more casually in conversations. Examples of Bitch in music spread from the 1980’s band called Bitch, Akon and David Guetta’s song “Sexy Bitch,” to Meredith Brooks embracing the word bitch in her 90’s hit “Bitch.” Of course I am leaving out the obvious overuse and many meanings of the word Bitch littered throughout Hip-Hop and Rap, but even though Bitch has become common in music, it doesn’t support or give reason to making it anymore socially acceptable.

Shit has many definitions. Merriam-Webster starts every definition of shit with “usually vulgar.” Meaning anything from “an act of defecation” to “a detestable person.” Used in such phrases as “I don’t give a shit, Don’t tell me that shit, We’re in this shit together, You’re nothing but a piece of shit, SHIT!!” None however demean the person’s being to the extreme derogatory usage that Bitch has been equated to.

In 1968, Jo Freeman published The BITCH Manifesto, a feminist article. She has this to say about Bitch: Bitches are aggressive, assertive, domineering, overbearing, strong-minded, spiteful, hostile, direct, blunt, candid, obnoxious, thick-skinned, hard-headed, vicious, dogmatic, competent, competitive, pushy, loud-mouthed, independent, stubborn, demanding, manipulative, egoistic, driven, achieving, overwhelming, threatening, scary, ambitious, tough, brassy, masculine, boisterous and turbulent. A Bitch takes shit from no one. You may not like her, but you cannot ignore her.

In following suit, the coined phrase H.B.I.C. or Head Bitch In Charge is taking the profane word and using it as a title of power. I respect those who can take adverse circumstances and use it to their advantage. But still, the take-charge approach to Bitch does not make me anymore comfortable with the word. Oprah recently announced that her new channel will refrain from using the word altogether. I am not one of those Oprah disciples that carve her beliefs into my arm, but I do think she is onto something.

Which brings me to this: it is not the use or integration of a word that should make it ok but the meaning. Shit is more commonly used across all platforms of media, entertainment, and social interactions, yet the FCC justifies the imposition of fines for it. So why not Bitch? My fight is not with the FCC entirely or with our society’s use of profanity. My fight is with the type of thinking that accepts the word Bitch over Shit. Condoning a word that is emphatically anti-women shouldn’t be socially acceptable.

Sources:

http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/obscene.html
http://trueslant.com/mollyknefel/2010/04/26/finally-men-tell-women-what-the-word-bitch-really-means/
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shit
http://www.uic.edu/orgs/cwluherstory/jofreeman/joreen/bitch.htm
http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/tv/oprah_no_bitches_allowed_w5MafyabZMIHYW2Eiz4UiM#ixzz13lq3Onkl
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bitch

YNY Netpix – November 9

November 9, 2010 By Colin George Leave a Comment

Curating the best and the bizarre in Netflix’s ever-growing ‘Watch Instantly’ library.
Each week we’ll select worthy titles: sometimes old, sometimes new, sometimes popular, sometimes not.

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New York City Live!: A Variety Show Comeback

November 7, 2010 By Joanna Zwickel Leave a Comment

Sick of all the bickering on reality TV? Well, here’s a show to save the day, New York City Live!, a brand new Variety show that will be aired once a month via a LIVE webcast. While most shows are jam-packed with advertisements, New York City Live! will be broadcast with limited commercial interruptions. There will only be 15-16 minutes of commercials in the 90 minute show, featuring 8-12 performers per episode. These will include singers, musicians, dancers, circus performers, comedians, magicians and a wide variety of other specialty acts. They will also feature an in-house band, The New York City Live! Orchestra. New York City Live! will differ from shows like American Idol or America’s Got Talent in that they will feature only established as well as up and coming professional acts. This is a performance, not a competition.

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The show will be streamed live from The Grand Ballroom in the Manhattan Center at the heart of Midtown, an incredible venue that seats 1,200 people. The Grand Ballroom has hosted fashion shows, concerts, music recordings, trade shows and more. It is 10,000 square feet and has 40 foot ceilings, an unusually large sized space for a show but it’ll be needed to handle the size of the entertainment. Audience members will be granted entry to the show free of charge. The show is geared to appeal to anyone from teens on up. Some of the content may not be appropriate for younger children.

Fred Gefen will be the host of New York City Live! and his co-host will be Ginger Stanley. They are the “new” Fred and Ginger. The host makes you feel so comfortable that when I first met him he told me to sit down and take off my shoes and before I realized he was joking, I was already barefoot. Fred will be the main host but he will not be delivering a formal monologue. Instead, his goal is to introduce the acts and showcase their skills. It’s all about the Talent. Ginger, a drop dead gorgeous actress/model will be assisting in the hosting duties. She will be helping Fred by introducing commercials, doing promotions and being there for whatever else is needed. Fred and Ginger are also hosting another upcoming show called “Not Just Golf.”  It is a lifestyle/travel show geared towards Baby Boomers where each hour-long episode will feature the hosts visiting attractions in world-class vacation spots all around the United States where they will be focusing on, you guessed it, “Not Just Golf.”

Gefen says that he always wanted to put on a variety show like New York City Live! He is a seasoned actor, comic, host and writer. Fred doesn’t get nervous before a performance; he gets excited.  He feels that there is too much misery in the world, so his goal is simply to make people smile.  Fred has performed stand-up comedy at many of the classic clubs in Manhattan. He says he realized that if he can get up in front of an unhappy crowd who are glaring at him and make them laugh, he’s capable of doing anything. When asked who he would most like to have on the show he named a whole slew of performers, but at the top of his list were Tony Bennett and Barbra Streisand. The host is hoping that people will tune in to watch the show live “if for no other reason than to see if I fall off the stage.”

New York City Live! was inspired by a charity organization Gefen founded called Restart A Heart Association. Restart A Heart offers free American Heart Association CPR training and portable Automated External Defibrillators to Community Centers, Houses of Worship and other qualified organizations that couldn’t otherwise afford them. Gefen is also Restart’s Executive Director and has currently earned the title of “World’s Funniest CPR Instructor” and “CPR Man,” a title he actually has on a business card.  Fred decided to create a Variety show so that he could help Restart A Heart fulfill its mission.

[caption id="attachment_6115" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Ginger Stanley"][/caption]

While New York City Live! is already far along in pre-production, the show is more than happy to accept any and all sponsors who appreciate what they’re doing and would like to become involved with the show on a long term basis. They are looking for sponsors that would be interested in investing in the show for at least 6 months in order to allow the production staff to focus their time in making the show the best it can possibly be. Fred says they are looking for sponsors with “a couple of bucks and a lot of vision.” Any interested parties should call (212) 802-7677.

New York City Live! has chosen to use the webcast format over traditional broadcast media because the web is the wave of the future. The host feels that it is no longer necessary to be on “TV” in this day and age.  If a show is good enough, people will find it. The Internet also allows for a huge worldwide audience to have instant access to the show. They will honor the Variety shows of the past but will update the content to incorporate current trends in the entertainment industry. While they will certainly be doing publicity, they are confident that the show’s content will help its popularity spread by word of mouth.

Variety shows are long overdue for a comeback and webcasts are rapidly gaining in popularity. New York City Live! plans on being the first to ride that wave and is hoping to premiere sometime around the spring of 2011. It will air live at NewYorkCityLive.net and will also be available for unlimited replays. The premiere of New York City Live! is an eagerly anticipated event and I suggest you tune in.

1-2-3 Go: Ashley Nunez

October 22, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Random video of our intern Ashley Nunez at the office.

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Is TV The Source Of A Rotten Brain, Or Are Your Parents In Denial?

October 20, 2010 By Joanna Zwickel Leave a Comment
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Growing up, my mother always tried to limit the number of hours of T.V. that my sister and I watched.  She wanted us to get some exercise playing outside, to take an interest in reading books, and to expand our imaginations by entertaining ourselves.  While I give her a lot of credit for encouraging us to broaden our horizons, I do feel that she, along with many other parents, was too quick to write television off as a waste of time.  While it may seem to many that television serves little educational purpose, contributes to laziness and obesity, removes the need for healthy conversation and socialization, and– some extremists would even say– contributes to the downfall of society, I believe all of these generalizations are incorrect.

While the many soap operas and sitcoms may seem to be lacking in substance, they keep us updated on current trends in popular culture, trends that are often very relevant in the business world and in social situations. Television can also serve as a way to introduce education in an enjoyable, non-threatening way.  Shows such as The Magic School Bus, The Big Bang Theory, The West Wing, and virtually anything on the discovery or history channels teach us without putting us to sleep.  While many believe films are on a different wavelength than TV shows, a lot of what we watch on TV are movies.  Many of the movies we watch are remakes of classic novels and plays.  She’s The Man, a modern retelling of “Twelfth Night,” Ten Things I Hate About You, a modern “Taming of the Shrew,” Clueless- a retelling of Jane Austin’s “Emma;” the list goes on. Furthermore, television encourages a love of the arts.  It promotes music through music videos, storytelling through T.V. shows, and theater through reenactments of plays.  Television encourages learning without making the viewer feel that it’s necessary to take notes.

As many parents might not have noticed, television helps to strengthen democracy.  News and talk shows discuss and interpret the latest national and world events, and 72% of the country learns about elections and candidates from watching T.V. and the news.  Political debates, conventions, and the candidate’s speeches are all widely televised events.  Indeed, this is the way that most people form their opinions on candidates and make their decisions on who to vote for.  In the event of a national crisis, the president’s first words to the nation are usually through a television address.  How can we criticize television’s effect on society when it is the main way we choose to get feedback from our leaders?

Television is also often criticized for its contribution to inactivity.  Yet T.V. can serve as an inspiration to get off our butts. In the morning, many channels show workout videos, teaching us new exercises and techniques to stay fit.  Also, the most widely watched programs are sporting events:  the Superbowl, the Olympics, etc.  The more we enjoy watching sports, the more likely we are to participate in them.  There are also many shows teaching us skills such as crafts, recipes for cooking, music, dance, etc.  Most of our society’s idols come from T.V., so if we see them in action, why wouldn’t we want to do the same?

And finally, in response to the accusation that television hinders conversation and socialization, television often serves as a way of bringing families together.  Many parents have a hard time relating to their children when they reach their teenage years, but watching their favorite shows together gives parents a way to bond with their children.  Many of the more thought provoking, controversial shows are meant to incite discussion. My favorite thing to do after seeing an interesting episode of a show with my friends is to take it apart and debate the issues that it brings up.  Once you’ve exhausted a conversation about your day, a show can give you new topics to discuss.

I was surprised to discover that while so many parents rage against the evils of T.V., a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 33% of children have T.V.s in their bedrooms and another 33% live in a home where the T.V. is on most of the time.  While I certainly don’t advocate watching television all day, I do find it interesting that parents claim to be against the effects of T.V. but a third of them allow their children nearly unlimited access to them in their homes.  While it is important to venture out of your home and explore the opportunities that the real world has to offer, in small doses television can be an enriching part of life.

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Review: Eastbound & Down Resets

September 27, 2010 By Colin George Leave a Comment

Kenny Powers is back in Eastbound & Down, but is he better than ever? This past Sunday’s premiere, the start of a seven-episode second season, is about as different from its progenitor as imaginable; a new setting necessitates a mostly different cast, a fresh set of challenges, and an even uglier hairdo for America’s most hilarious antihero. There’s definitely going to be an adjustment period.

But then, my relationship with Eastbound & Down has always been one of gradual reward. Last year I dismissed the brilliant series after all of 10 minutes, only to be hooked a month later when the buzz started to build. I’ve since watched and fallen in love with those first six episodes, the cliffhanger ending to which had me both excited and nervous about the future direction of the show.

So long North Carolina, hello Mexico. “Chapter 7” has two difficult tasks to accomplish right off the bat. One, it needs to account for time passed; Kenny has since fled the states and is now a successful cockfighter in a depressed city south of the border. The people and events that shaped his life during the first season obviously still carry weight in his mind, and the character spends time meditating on their absence. It’s hard not to miss them too.

Secondly, the episode needs to establish a trajectory for what will follow, and if I had a complaint, it’s that I can’t yet see the target. Season one had a clear narrative arc and a simple premise; by comparison, season two already feels busy. I suppose it’s tough to come out swinging when you have so much exposition to unload, but the Eastbound & Down premiere didn’t dispel my fears, it merely procrastinated them. I’ve yet to be convinced Powers’ southern excursion will live up to his suburban one.

Probably the most troubling aspect of Eastbound & Down Sunday’s episode, however, was the scarcity of its laughs, which could likewise be attributed to its writers’ struggle for traction in their new environment. Let’s hope so. After all, they’re reinventing a show they only did six episodes of to begin with. As a viewer, the shock of their defiant changeup alone is enough to warrant a second viewing before issuing any hasty condemnations.

Like it or not, you have to respect the team’s creative decision to innovate. If my experience with the series last year has taught me anything, it’s that Eastbound & Down is a show that transcends the importance of first impressions. It is ever the acquired taste, and even diehard fans will have to cleanse their palette going into the new season.

“Chapter 7” isn’t even bad; it just doesn’t seem to have decided on a destination yet. This year, though, I owe Eastbound & Down the benefit of the doubt.