IT'S MADDOW TIME, BABY!

There is one question that is asked each week night in my house, usually by me;
"When are we going to watch Rachel Maddow?"

You know, the smartest/wittiest/cutest openly gay political commentator and host on MSNBC?

You know, the woman that takes her gin & tonic with four limes just like myself?

(so excited when I found THAT out!)

PLEASE TELL ME YOU KNOW.

This started just over a few weeks ago. My counterpart stated something about how he was a fan of Rachel Maddow, but I had never seen the show air in our house. I believe the first time I had my eyes glued on Ms. Maddow was during the coverage of the earthquake that had taken place in Japan in March. This was probably the most exhilarating coverage that I saw of the quake and perhaps the least sad while being the most informative. I was hooked from the start when she showed us pictures of the most adorable little uranium pellets and shiny fuel rods. Finally! An inside look at what every news reporter had been talking about, but not showing to us. Before this aired, I kept stating to Eric how I wanted to go in one of these plants ASAP to look around, I'm a visual learner, gotta give me the visuals! I was quite fond of how I actually took notes on nuclear energy while watching her show. I loved it. I loved her (seriously messing with my straight vibes, Maddow). She reminded me of the new 2011 Tessa or I remind myself of her is probably best put. It's like how I've been putting it to everyone, I've acquired this thirst that I cannot seem to quench when it comes to learning. I feel so many people have become complacent in being ignorant and that does not necessarily pertain to a specific age bracket. I feel the only way to truly keep yourself alive is to keep filling yourself with new insight and knowledge. I feel that we are truly vessels, we need to be continuously filled because we're constantly (if you're doing it right) releasing information, and as more gets dispersed, more needs to be absorbed. I think the two best things you can share are music and opinions. Without them, I'd be destitute. I feel she has same spark to her. Actually, I KNOW she's got that same spark to her. She is a whip. There is no other way to put it. You can watch the video of her presenting the process of a nuclear reactor and you can see the visuals! Put on your thinking cap, yo!

I have no idea what it is about her. It's driving me crazy in the best way ever. As my friend Brooke said it (so glad I know another avid Maddow fan) "I don't know if she's brainwashing me or if she's the smartest person ever because I seriously agree with EVERYTHING she says." Oh hey, Liberal Brooke! That's exactly how I feel when I watch her show. I love that I go over the range of emotions during the course of the program. Lately, watching more of Michigan's industrial towns collapse & crumble while simultaneous school closings loom on the horizon in other parts of the state as they try to push them off to private charter companies just makes me angry. Is this the beginning of the end for public education in America? Watching this particular segment got me all fired up. I felt like marching-no, no RUNNING to Michigan to help those girls protest to KEEP THEIR SCHOOL OPEN. When did that become an arrest-able offense?

I was talking to a girl about this at work the other day and found myself shouting by the end of it. It's kind of how I end up reporting all my news to people. So less about what I see on the air, and more about the real focus of this entry (...?)

So it gets me thinking; (wait, do you smell a girl power story coming?)

I've been watching this show avidly for the past few weeks and it got me thinking; what makes THIS show different? She definitely holds an allure. Today kind of put it all in perspective as I saw this article pop up on the tweet deck. It goes on to say how she feels that people that are gay and closeted have a responsibility to come out, especially as an anchor and especially to strengthen the community. Seeing how much respectable intelligence she has oozing from her (sorry, bad imagery?) it makes me wonder, could someone else pull this off? Say a bleach blonde? I wonder if the appeal is in the fact that a). She's gay and b). she has a bit of masculine appearance (although, she's adorable)- but does this make facts ring more true? It just kind of gets me down on women again. HA HA HA HA. No but for real, it just makes me sad. Think of all the adorable little news anchors out there;

Seriously. You're not going to go into work talking about what any of these women were newsing about.

It's sad and it's true.

I feel that Maddow is where she is because she goes about it in a whole different way. I feel that blonde/attractive/straight laced anchors typically reduce themselves to entertainment reporting or views that are so in-your-face to the right or left that it just becomes hilarious. It's not because they are not smart, it's probably more the case of no one is letting them run with it. You lose the focus when the news is there, because the style of reporting is exceptionally "air-y". There are some amazing women journalists and opinion contributors, but will the bleach blonde ever be explaining fission and nuclear meltdowns on her own show?The only answer here is, hopefully. Perhaps, I'm being too harsh, or not really informed on the spectrum of reporting that blondes do, but I feel like based on what I see, it holds a bit of truth. I feel like does not occur commonly because because they don't allow themselves to be put in that position. It's kind of like when I was in a meteorology class and my teacher said "You should definitely look into broadcast, you know enough about weather and you've definitely got the look for it." Totally flattering, but I'll take the painstaking science over the bubbly anchor position.It wasn't that I was rejecting being on a news program and giving the weather report, it was irritating because that is what I was being reduced to. I don't want to just know about the basics and report on dew points and strong winds, I want to know the embedded purpose for it happening. I want to be out there chasing the storm, learning more about the new emerges that come from it all.

 For some news anchors, hardcore journalism doesn't come with the job, simply reporting it, does. This kind of goes back to my last post about dying your hair from blonde to brunette in order to be taken more seriously. I get it, I really do. I feel like if I did have a show I would have to wear my glasses in order to get a point across but at the end of the day I thought Legally Blonde would have done more for us. I remember hearing a tid-bit somewhere about how women news anchors struggle immensely with trying to fit in the "serious" bubble, while also maintaining attractiveness to rope in viewers. Women anchors will be taken more seriously if less attractive or if they have hair of a darker colour, however, if they are not as attractive as their competitors, they may lose viewers...? This sounds ass backwards, but it's the fire that female broadcasters have to juggle. I kind of feel like Rachel Maddow was given all allocations to skip over all of this. Like perhaps this time being gay worked out big on the advantages here, while I'm sure it may have hindered her in other ways.

If you haven't seen, Rachel Maddow has a male twin. I am so glad others are buzzing about this on the interwebs, because it's a good spectacle. Chris Hayes or Brother Maddow?

First glance you're like..."wait...what?!"

I remember last Friday she was out and he covered for her and I was in the kitchen bopping around and I hear the same Maddow inflections, but it's a male. Definitely a male. It was hilarious because I almost cannot watch it. I know- you would THINK them being the same would make it easy for me to watch, but I just find it too odd. I feel like when he covers for her show Rachel is at home watching going "Uh huh, thatttt's right, very good."

You can watch him cover for her

At the end of the day, she completely inspires me. It is SO great to have smart females have such strong voices in the media. I love trying to sway republican males in their 50's to get hooked on the show. It's always a hoot. I can only hope for more females to hold these hard hitting journalistic positions. I wonder if she needs any interns?? (I will write in artichoke juice) PICK ME! PICK ME!

Tune into MSNBC weeknights @ 8/9pm

looks like I fell in the "no inspiration" tunnel.

i n s p i r a t i o n   sslllummmppp.

I have a little (a very little) desire to write up a few words. My mind has been going over a particular tidbit for the past week or so I thought I'd finally put it out there. Awhile back, my friend Laura and I were talking about Tron/Olivia Wilde. I know very little about both, but she went on to tell me more about the star and she said that she is actually a natural blonde but dyes her hair lighter so that people will think she is smarter. For the more direct quote;

"... I'm a natural blonde, but I feel like a brunette. I feel like people treat me now how I should be treated. People used to be shocked, when I was blond, that I wasn't stupid. I used to get these comments that I swear people thought were compliments. Like, 'Oh! You're smart!' - like they couldn't believe it."

Here are my thoughts on this. Did you ask? No. Do you care? Maybe.

Okay, Olivia so you're a natural blonde. You're in the low percentile when it comes to being born with what others vie over. Here you are dying it because you're concerned that people will treat you like you're stupid or think you are less intelligent upon meeting them? GOOD. LET THEM. The advantage is all yours here. I get it, I understand you need the darker hair to feel like you come off in a more intelligent light and I get that having dark hair maybe makes you feel more "sultry" and "jaded", but learn how to play the cards.

I would much rather have people constantly underestimating me while I turn around and refute what they have to say or strike up a more riveting conversation. I would love for people to think that I was inept while really I'm in a state of perpetual competence. This can only work to your benefit. I would love it to constantly blow people out of the water while they were teaching me how to swim along the shore. I'm not trying to say that my capacity for knowledge is "blowing you out of the water" worthy, I'm just trying to make a point. Blondes don't have to be desirable because of reasons that might dumb them down a bit, but hopefully they will become more desirable for the "secret wisdom" they've obtained and concealed.

So today, I met with Laura and had lunch. I have been wearing my thick rimmed glasses lately, sporting a change, and adding some character. Which to me, is just that; adding character. I have always loved wearing fake glasses and everyone has always thought they are real (obviously, who doubts poor vision?) I told her about what I was writing about and I said, can I refute this? She said, "Yes." So I did. Glasses have always given off that smart, nerdy vibe. I can dig that, but wearing them doesn't make me smarter. Neither does dying your hair. Although, sure I guess it's fun to pretend.

So on the topic of hair colour. I was watching something that was aired on CBS and during the commercial break, a commercial for the 10pm news came on. The words that came from his mouth were something along the lines of  "How more women are going grey and can you do it right?" WHAT? Oh, looks like the women of the suburbs have had a radical change in their view towards grey hair. Why does this have to be a trend? Why couldn't we embrace this like...forever ago? And who inspired this all of a sudden? Glenn Close? Helen Mirren? The Queen? Seriously. So I didn't have to watch the news story to muster up an opinion about this. So normally, when one dyes their hair, they do it to accomplish what nature could never and will never be able to give them. Like me for instance, I can dye my hair black (Oh, I'm never doing that again) because I know that a single black hair will never sprout from my little head. It make sense. However, I know that if I put in a good 25 more years of living (or find a career where I stress myself out immensely), I will sprout Grey hairs atop my cabeza (head in espanol, yo!). So why would you go about dying it instead of just letting the natural phenomenon streak on in naturally? I am so amped on the idea of grey hair. Although, this may view may change when I'm that age, but I can't see further damaging my hair for something that will come in due time. Wait it out ladies, let those silver fox strands grow in on their own.

The Rock Island girl that rocked the house.

I'm still wearing my cloak of excitement from last night and it look it looks fabulous!

I cannot believe it happened. Did it? Yeah. There are pictures. No pinching necessary here.

My girl, Brooke, told me about a FREE Lissie show going down at Reggie's. Um...FREE? Hell, I paid for tickets to see her at Lincoln Hall back in January and didn't end up making it. I didn't really mind that I lost money on this one, I don't mind contributing to Lissie's music one bit. So I scooped up the offer for this gem, made the trek to her casa, and hopped in the car to go nice and early. We arrived to meet her friend, Dana, around 4:30 or so. The place was still pretty empty, so we were able to snag a huge booth right off the side of the stage. Appetizers are half off on Wednesdays and my Margarita was $5. I felt like the money-saving gods where whispering my name and pouring my drinks.

So I go out to snag a cigarette and of course Lissie was out front being her cool rock star self chatting nicely (ABOUT XRT! duh HUGE ear perk) with people. I genuinely wanted to smoke, but I genuinely wanted to tell her that I'd been waiting for her to be played on XRT since I've heard music escape her mouth sometime early last year. So I puff, puff, put that shit out, and made my way over. I stood behind friends she knew when she diverted the attention to me. Opps. So I said "Hey, I'm a huge fan, you'd be perfect on XRT, I tweet both of you guys all the time, so I hope you get played soon!" I'm telling you, this girl is so freaking adorable and genuine and totally tubular.

So back inside, the crowd and excitement were growing and my sobriety was somewhere in the mix when these three older women sat down at the table in front of us. My first thought was "Hell yeah! I knew I should have told my mom about this artist...teehee hipsters".

Sound check came and went. Why do they never say "Check Check Czechoslovakia"? or "Check Check Checkmate"? I've been wondering that for too many years now. This was an XRT show. I'm sure you know what that means to me. I knew there would be a DJ in the house somewhere. AH HA! I saw Marty Lennartz from a mile away. I wanted to go up to him so badly, ask him about what it was like to work there, ask him to get me a job and then just stick with that topic for 30 minutes, but I didn't. Why? I don't know at all ::kicking myself:: I am so revved that Lissie is trying to get her stuff out on such an amazing station. Lissie reminds me of a really early Melissa Etheridge (no...not that kind, Brooke). I love that. Some of her pictures even confirm that...

 

So Marty Lennartz announced her on stage and a wonderful hour and a half ensued. She played an 11 song show I believe; Wedding Bells, Worried About, When I'm Alone, Bully, Little Lovin', Record Collector, In Sleep, Cuckoo, Everywhere I Go, Oh Mississippi, and Kid Cudi's Pursuit Of Happiness. This was an amazing set. I love all of her songs, especially her Lady Gaga cover of Bad Romance.  I had never heard Kid Cudi's song or heard Lissie's cover of it somehow. I ABSOLUTELY fell in love with it and upon hearing it last night. You better believe I got it today. I've decided a skating routine needs to get choreographed to this song immediately. I just love the way she sings this. It's a perfect cover, especially because I feel like she would heavily relate to this song. I want to tell the world about this song. The way she went into it below is very similar to the clip below and that was thanks to Brooke. I want to tell the world about how awesome Lissie is. She gives off this exuberance.You can tell she loves what she does and that she worked her ass off to get where she is. She is so real and you can definitely tell she's from the Midwest. Poor girl's bus driver took off in Finland with her equipment, they had to rent her gear. She rocked it and there were no need for apologies, but I loved the guitar tuning session where she went into the end of "part of "Little Lovin" and I belted out the "WOAH OH OH OH OH OHHHH!" to go along with it. Sorry crowd, couldn't resist! And yeah, I'll consider that a duet!

I also thought it was vital to shout at the crowd for being stiff as boards. This was a dancing show, my friends. Start acting like it.

Listen to how rad this chick is live:

"Pursuit of Happiness"

Kid Cudi Cover

So back to those three older women that were seated in front of us. Well, before Lissie played Bully, I believe that is when she announced her mom was in the audience. Two of the women pointed at one of them and I was so stoked! I couldn't believe it. I (like a huge creep) put my hand on her back and said "You must be so proud!" and she was like "We are!" One of her two best girlfriends was dancing around with us and was so excited we were such big fans. Before Lissie performed Pursuit of Happiness, Brooke bought her a shot of tequila because that her thang.

I got a few pictures, but since I have a temp phone, they aren't really worth posting in the slightest. However, I did snag this-

Okay. So let it be noted that when I get excited, it tends to show in my gums.

She looks adorable here! I look frightening, but what are ya gonna do?

please please please go buy "Catching A Tiger" and then go on a long drive on a country road with your best girlfriend. You will not regret it!

I cannot even believe that all happened. Then after the concert they hosted karaoke. The cool part was that it featured a live band, the unfortunate part was that you had to read the lyrics off a sheet, but it's worth it to have the band behind you. I had never done karaoke before and their selection was really limited, but I ended up doing "Me and Bobby McGee". I really, really enjoyed myself! I love performing, but have never sang in front of people before. Hopefully there were no bleeding ears! Ew, that grosses me out. I don't know why I wrote that.

Gosh. What a fantastic night! Now Common XRT! Play her!

-Tessa

Thank god! The seduction is back!

The other day, a miraculous little tweet left my fingers and jet-setted its way through the webs. I had shared that my first subscribed issue of POP magazine came. As I pulled the twice a year mag from the mailbox in all my glory, I stared longingly at the cover, and then wished I had gotten the Elton John cover shot.

I kind of view magazines as an experience. I like to flip through the whole thing in one setting. I hate skipping ahead to articles, although skipping ahead to spreads is always so alluring, but I rarely let it happen. I made a rare exception when I received the Vogue with Natalie Portman on the cover and I had to see what she was saying about her experiences with Black Swan. Oh and I also skipped ahead to see the Lady Gaga spread (although I still haven't read that article yet...) in the March power issue. Whoops!

So when I got this magazine, I set it aside and whispered sweet nothings to the paper publication about how I would soon flip through the pages to reveal all of its glory. So it eventually happened and about 10 pages in (precisely) you find yourself staring at Tom Ford's brilliance. I'm so glad these ads are back. If you're not familiar, Tom Ford immerses his ads in sexuality and power. His newest ones happens to be one of my favorites, where you can see my latest inspiration;

I love this ad. It oozes with sexuality and seduction. It also makes me super stoked that I snagged a pair of huge thick rimmed glasses in Japan in November and I just knew I was doing the right thing. I can't even believe that women allow themselves to bitch about these ads. Tom Ford is a genius. He also typically portrays women with curves and the woman always appears confident as hell. The problem here is...? Sure these ads are racy, but that's good. We need that in fashion. Something to push the envelope and make people remember that women with bodies are doing way better than those without. I'd rather have full figured women, portrayed sexually but still exuding extreme confidence than an ad that inspires nothing.

Is anyone familiar with the show "Arrested Development"? Well, if you're not, you're crazy, and if you are well let's delve in; So you know how Lindsay is always whining about how she's being objectified? But then the moment that she's not she makes sure she goes out of her way to become objectified? Well I feel a lot of women are like that. I feel that women go out of their way to complain about ads like these;

don't worry, ladies. Men get to take it all off too!

okay, okay. I'll stop.

I'll leave you with this last one;

So what's the problem here? It's all properly being modeled. No falsies here, it's just...if these ads don't make you excited to be a woman...then...I don't know--THAT'S CRAZY! heh. You can just feel the power of seduction here and I can dig it. If these women are being objectified, SO WHAT. That's what they're getting paid for. These ads are hot and I'm so glad they are back. I remember reading about Tom Ford's comeback, I can't remember if it was in Vogue or not, but some woman commented about how she was disappointed and said something along the lines of "Tom Ford is back? What's the problem, he didn't make enough money off of women the first time around?" WHAT!? He is a fashion designer for both parties. So yeah, somewhere along the line he's going to be making money off of women, his ads just provoke people to do it. Clearly, it worked. Women feel sexy in Tom Fords clothing mostly likely because the women in his ads are sexy. It makes sense. I feel that owning a piece by Tom Ford would be very much like owning a pair of jet black Louboutin's. Right?

So again, thank you, Tom.

I feel like he is saying..."Why thank you."

You can pick up that vibe here, can't you?