Sharon R. Cole

Divorce Songs

admin — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 04:03:00 +0000

With a title like Divorce Songs, I expected the music on this album to represent feelings of separation or disunion, and United States did not disappoint. The Brooklyn post-punk band, which is likened to Fugazi, Cursive and Sonic Youth, presents eight jagged anthems about struggling and surviving in the city. Most tracks on the album are hard and rough in a punk kind of way, but the music slows down a bit for "Grand Stand." This song has an extended instrumental intro and softer vocals.

Speaking of vocals, they’re pretty good—strong, masculine and exuding the kind of force one might expect from a dissonant-type group. At the same time, the vocals push just above angst so that they teeter towards maturity. As far as lyrics and any messages the band is trying to send, some are admittedly beyond my comprehension. However, my favorite lines are these: “I want to save the union from this state of disrepair. And I’ll sing it like I mean it until I really care.”

Written by: Sharon R. Cole, March 25th 2007

Grilled Cheese Sandwich:The Revolution of Everyday Lunch

admin — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 03:20:00 +0000

Directed by Jonathan Culp

Satan Macnuggit Popular Arts

It’s everything a good grilled cheese sandwich should be—crunchy around the edges, lightly grilled, completely saturated and, of course, very cheesy. I mean this in a good way when describing this film, written and directed by Jonathan Culp who is co-founder of the Toronto Video Activist Collective.

Chock full of nutritional messages about breaking free from boring lifestyles, promoting choice, bucking the system and awakening consciousness, the film depicts a group of wayward teens who initially indulge in less-than-savory activities to escape the grim reality of being raised in a town called Grimsville.

Things begin to really sizzle, however, when the group bands together to form the grilled cheese sandwich club, which becomes a booming success only after offering sandwiches for free. This puts the club in direct competition with the high school lunchroom ladies (dubbed the Moose Meat Ladies’ union) and the capitalistic Squirrely’s Pizza franchise. After a little lunch revolution and the decapitation of the Squirrely mascot, it seems that at least three of the characters in the film break free from grimness and ride off into the sunset towards big city Toronto.

This is an underground film that does not adhere to standard mainstream film-making formulations. So, for those who like a nice, linear, seamless story, Grilled Cheese Sandwich might be a challenge. However, metaphors are rampant and the message is clear that maybe we all need to take a look at the formulations so many of us buy into and find some way to at least reconstruct them.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich could serve as a public service announcement in some regions seeing as how, even in 2007, there are plenty of people who have yet to break free from boring lifestyles, promote choice, buck the system and awake consciousness.

Written by: Sharon R. Cole, January 31st 2007

Protecting Women and Animals

admin — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 18:53:00 +0000

FemFatalities.com

As we enter into a year-and-a-half or so of political mayhem leading up to the Presidential election, we’re sure to hear a lot about top issues pertaining to women voters. Among them: healthcare. And while the issue of animal rights might not be specifically mentioned at the top of the list, it might as well be. After all, animal rights issues have a lot to do with healthcare—more specifically, women’s healthcare.

If you’re not sure about this, take a look at Fem_Fatalities_.com. A very credible, robust, and thorough site dedicated to protecting women and animals. Its content balances integrity with provocation. By that I mean that the editorial is direct and honest, and may be perceived by some as disturbing. Yet with the directness comes a high level of trust—trust that we can handle the truth and would be angered, disappointed even, by anything less.

On the home page, a spotlight on feminist icon Gloria Steinem who recently charged that the National Institute of Health is putting women’s health at risk by wasting tax dollars and conducting cruel and pointless animal testing.

The site also features various stories and investigations related to animal cruelty, campaign updates, ways to get involved, and a list of companies and charities that do and do not test on animals.

Adding to its credibility is the inclusion of high-grade video. Currently airing, a piece on primate torture at Columbia University as well as a PETA piece that is sure to make you think twice about buying certain brands of mascara. Be forewarned and enter these videos at your own risk. They’re not for the faint of heart. Of course, there’s nothing like a healthy dose of reality to affect change, and that is what Fem_Fatalities_.com is counting on.

It’s also counting on one very feminine trait: compassion. I mean, the thought that women were gaining at the expense of animals’ lives is heartbreaking. And, really, could there be anything more paradoxical?

A visit to this site is well worth the look. Not only is it an eye-opening experience, but it’s a way to stretch those feminist muscles, become active and help stop the cruelty.

Written by: Sharon R. Cole, January 20th 2007