Superman or supermensch?

The reason I pursued journalism in university is the same reason I always have a book on the go: I love a good story. 

Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon, a documentary directed by Mike Myers (or Wayne), is THE go-to documentary for anyone who loves a good story because a) it tells a great story about b) a guy who probably has more stories to tell than anyone else in the world.

Shep Gordon, for those of you who haven't heard of him (like me, three days ago), is a legendary music manager, agent and producer who also happens to be friends with everyone in Hollywood... and His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.   

In case you're wondering what a mensch is (like me, three days ago), it's a Yiddish word used to describe "a person of integrity and honour."

I was lucky enough to be turned on to Supermensch by a good friend of mine (previously mentioned here and here) the other night (you guessed it, three days ago). 

I want you to watch the trailer for the film, but more than that, I want you to watch Johnny Depp introducing the trailer for the film (because it includes the trailer and, frankly, Johnny Depp making a fool of himself).

According to the documentary, Gordon was pretty much a "nobody" when he first met Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix one night at a party at a Los Angeles motel. Hendrix asked Gordon what he did for a living and Gordon replied "nothing." Hendrix went on to ask him if he was Jewish. The answer was yes. This is what Hendrix said next: "You should be a manager," to which Gordon replied "who would I manage?" "Alice Cooper," said Hendrix.

So he did. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Gordon didn't much like Alice Cooper's music (even though they became lifelong BFF's) but he definitely knew, instinctively, how to make him famous.

BFF's then

 BFF's now

Live chicken + blood + Alice Cooper = famous.

Other than Alice, Gordon managed a long list of musicians including Pink Floyd (for nine days), Anne Murray, Blondie, Teddy Pendergrass, Luther Vandross and many, many more. In addition to his music management duties (more on these below), Gordon is credited with putting the business affairs of Groucho Marx in order, pro bono, producing Kiss of the Spider Woman, turning the chef into the celebrity chef (he also managed Roger Vergé, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse and Paul Prudhomme) and kick-starting the Food Network.

My bae Anthony Bourdain even had something nice to say about him, which was, and I quote "before Gordon, chefs were not allowed to eat in the dining room because they were considered 'the help.'"

As for Gordon's music management duties, this is what he had to say about them: "The three most important things a manager does: get the money, always remember to get the money, never forget to always remember to get the money."

ka-ching!

    

Much ado about Miley

“To live in a culture in which women are routinely naked where men aren't is to learn inequality in little ways all day long. So even if we agree that sexual imagery is in fact a language, it is clearly one that is already heavily edited to protect men's sexual--and hence social--confidence while undermining that of women.”  

The above quote is from Naomi Wolf's (in my opinion) brilliant book The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty are Used Against Women.

Here's another one: Women could probably be trained quite easily to see men first as sexual things.

But they aren't. 

And therein lies the Great Double Standard. 

The battle around the GDS has recently resurfaced, thanks in large part to Miley Cyrus' VMA performance. I say "thanks" as opposed to "due" because I think Miley has done us all a great service, as opposed to a disservice, by showing  that we've not, in fact, "come a long way, baby."

If anybody seriously thinks we've really come a long way... I have just one thing to ask: where the hellz are we going, yo?

The GDS is glaring when you examine the reaction to Robin Thicke's VMA performance and unrated Blurred Lines video.  He was the "victim" and everyone like boobs, respectively.

Double ick for Robin Thicke.

Miley's co-conspirator quickly sold her out on Oprah by the way, which is just one more reason he's a huge douche kabob.

Here's another one.

the very married mr. ick giving a young fan a colonoscopy

But I digress.

I am honestly surprised, nay shocked, at the amount of controversy stirred up by Miley's twerking, latex outfit, foam finger, Wrecking Ball video, Rolling Stone cover, movement. 

I mean... I can't walk down St. Catherine Street, open a magazine or watch a movie without having 10,000 tits rammed down my throat.

And that includes so-called feminists'. 

That's right, I'm talking to you Femen...

If supposed feminists think the only way to have their voices heard (ha!) is by putting on red lipstick, wearing a vinok and going topless then... let me repeat... where the hellz are we going, yo??

Femen was actually founded, and is controlled by, a man (big surprise right?) who thought young, pretty, topless blondes (that he personally "hand-picked," kind of like mr. ick) would be a good way for him to get his point across.

So Femen's point, just like pop culture's, pornography's, etc's, is to capture the male gaze. 

Excellent.

Does ojectification really equal empowerment? I don't think so. Even though Britney and Rihanna clearly disagree.
 

Strip clubs and dollar bills... double excellent! I feel so... empowered! 

The GDS debate is even more relevant in Quebec, where a new Charter of Values is threatening to disrupt the delicate (pH) balance reestablished since the last... ummm... incident.

Some Quebecers are saying the charter is being enacted to protect "oppressed women" who are being forced to wear religious garb such as the hijab and burqa. What they don't realize is that these same women will now have to choose between their faith and the economic independence provided by their jobs. 

The underlying message is that women who cover up are oppressed and woman who let it all hang out are empowered.

Good one male gazers! I see what you did there! 

Mathangi Arulpragasam, Maya, or MIA sees it a little differently.

Even though she's covered up, she's expressing herself. And that's as opposed to empowering oppressing herself. You see what she did there?

A recent spoof entitled HBO Should Show Dongs is a great comeback to the male gaze because feminists (such as myself... loud and proud) aren't saying we shouldn't show boobs. We're just saying the "dumb double standard," the one that purports that different moral structures should be applied to men and women, is as antiquated as the people who believe in it.

So "don't give us the shaft, show it to us!" We demand genital equality and the end of the GDS. For those of you who disagree with me, I hear Carl's Jr. just came out with a great new ad...

Triple ick. Covered in cheese.

One last word about Miley and the surrounding controversy.  I promise.

If Sinead O'Connor really wanted to do something in the spirit of "motherliness" and "love" she wouldn't have written an open letter with the word "prostitute" smattered all over it. She would have made a private phone call and shown a little respect, woman to woman. 

But I guess that's too much to ask from a famewhore.