The Paley Center for Media, with locations in New York and Los Angeles, leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of television, radio, and emerging platforms for the professional community and media-interested public.Tune into conversations online with experts on topics such as models for investigative journalism, new tools for digital media, demonstrations in cloud technology, engaging communities through social media, reflections of genres and genders through television history, and more. It’s a fantastic resource and collection for all those interested in media.
At the Paley Center is now airing their second season of their series “She’s Making Media” on PBS stations.Hosted by Pat Mitchell, the president and CEO of The Paley Center for Media, the series spotlights women’s role in media and highlights through their stories the new and innovative ways that they have used media to teach and inspire.
At the Paley Center: Marlo Thomas
Marlo Thomas has been affecting media for over 40 years.In That Girl, her character represented a generation of women that did not want to solely be in typical female roles of the 40s and 50s like their mothers. Ann Marie, in That Girl, reflected a trend in society of female empowerment and independence. Through her career, Thomas selected roles that she felt would be right for women, selective to not play characters that went against her own sense of morality. She can be credited with helping to change the way women looked at their own lives with her roles in the media. And, with the transformational change at the onset of new media, she continues to evolve women’s issues. You can check out marlothomas.com for news, entertainment, and dialogue on topics affecting women. Through her works, Marlo Thomas sends the message that women “can have it all.”
Jane Fonda has used the media to promote to women the idea of knowing yourself. She has gone on a journey of self-discovery reflecting on the stages of her life and shares her insights and findings to help and inspire other women. Even at a very young age in an interview clip in 1960, she had the insight to acknowledge that she wished that she could enjoy more of what she was doing in the moment. Her advice to reflect on the experience of your full life in order to know what direction to take in your future is valuable. Through her dialogue, she makes women conscious of the journey to get to the end of the “third act” with no regrets.
Just as Arianna Huffington learned courage and strength from her mother, she teaches women by way of her example to have the strength and courage to pursue our dreams and aspirations.In her book Becoming Fearless and through other media vehicles, she encourages women to not be afraid of failure because it will only hold us back from realizing our potential.It is important for her to speak her mind and her truth, as she has exhibited through top news site, the Huffington Post.She also advocates “unplugging and recharging,” to promote health and wellness. She has not only affected the content of political and business messages in the media, she has affected how those messages are disseminated through the media with the improvement and elevation of new media.
Eve Ensler has an incredible story that she shared on, At the Paley Center.She is a writer, an activist, and a cancer survivor.Through her play, The Vagina Monologues, she provided her perspective on her own womanhood and opened a forum for other women that allowed them to express themselves and the joys and pains of being a woman. She considers the performances as a way to transform social consciousness and has empowered women around the world to develop their own productions to support the commitment to end violence against women.Eve Ensler gives of herself because she realizes that these causes are greater than she alone. She shares the message that “if we find that thing in our lives that is beyond us, we can always find a way to keep going” and uses art to inspire women and help them realize their own strength.
I found the discussions to be thought-provoking and inspirational. In addition to the programs that I featured in this blog posting, you can also enjoy videos with Glenn Close and Maria Elena Salinas this season on At the Paley Center.
Over 111 million Americans watched Super Bowl XLVI this month.That’s more than a third of the country’s entire population.And, in between touchdowns and tackles, those same football fans tuned in to the highly anticipated Super Bowl commercials.Some usual suspects who have traditionally aired Super Bowl commercials veered away from previous strategies of objectifying women to promote interest in their product.Remember last year’s Sketcher commercial?It featured Kim Kardashian coquettishly leading viewers to believe that she had just concluded a sex session with her handsome trainer, telling him “you were the best I ever had,” then leaving him for Sketchers’ new Shape-Ups shoes.This year, Sketchers shifted its communications strategy, sending the sexual overtones to the dogs – literally. Their spot featured a Greyhound race with a bulldog “underdog” winning while sporting Sketchers on his little moon-walking doggy feet.The spot caught the attention of viewers and garnered favorable reviews from both men and women.
And although several auto manufactures and snack companies made us laugh this year, not all advertisers shifted messaging strategies from sexual innuendo to comedic blatancy.Super Bowl viewers were hit with a huge dose of sex-charged commercials.A crop of advertisers surfaced exposing onlookers to sexy commercials that had some men salivating, some women offended, and some pre-teens blushing.One spot that caused a stir was brought to us by online flower company, Teleflora. The spot stars Victoria’s Secret super model, Adriana Lima.After slowly pulling her stocking up her extended leg, zipping her sleeveless black dress, and touching up her lipstick, she looks into the camera and speaks directly to the male audience saying, “Guys, Valentine’s Day is not that complicated. Give and you shall receive.”
Women voiced reactions from mild annoyance to outrage for what they called an overtly sexist commercial. Twitter accounts buzzed and social media comments rang out comparing the character in the commercial to a hooker and clarifying – for the record – that flowers will not equate to sex.But, plenty of men had opinions about the commercial too and were not shy about sharing them.Here are some interesting ones from YouTube.
In response to the “haters,” one post read, “All hot women cause the normal red-blooded male to think about sex… hell even desire it.That’s like blaming GM, Chrysler, and Ford for car crashes.” Another entry read, “Yeah I’ll be buying my wife flowers for Valentine’s Day.Hopefully by giving I’ll receive something too.”Yet another comment read, “Don’t watch the commercial if it bothers you. The rest of us real men will continue to enjoy the commercial, probably buy their woman some flowers, and then enjoy the rest of the evening getting laid!”And, I don’t want to leave out this infamous comment, “If watching the commercial makes you feel bad about yourself, then do something about it!”
No matter how much the comments make the mildly feminist cringe, these attitudes do exist.Teleflora tapped into it.The originators of these YouTube messages did not pay $3.5 million for a 30-second spot to broadcast their views, but they were able to transmit their messages to the masses.You can bet that Teleflora is tuned in, observing with satisfaction the ongoing comments and chatter as their online flower orders increase.Buzz did not just result from the message delivery via purchased airtime and social media, but also from the news coverage that followed.For days after the Super Bowl, we saw headlines like “The Smoldering Hot Super Bowl Teleflora Ad” and “Sexy Ad Stirs Controversy.”Conversations ensued on news and lifestyle programs.Politics, health, the economy, natural disasters, and crime stories were trumped by Teleflora’s Adriana Lima and her sexy suggestion to the men of America.
Gender influence in media was evident in the commercials, news coverage, and online chatter.Through the visual medium of television, the spot apparently elicited a physical reaction for some.The message became not only what was enacted in the commercial, but the reaction of those seeing it.
Could these commercials be working to condition women into believing what their role as women should be? Could they be attempting to condition men into believing what they should be getting from women?Some say that it’s all a form of audience manipulation.Yet others say that the commercials simply reflect real attitudes and desires of the audience that is watching.Whether the former is true or latter, the Teleflora commercial tapped into an emotional place for both men and women. And, isn’t that what a commercial is supposed to do?
Iraqi-born British architect, Zaha Hadid, is the first female recipient of the renowned Pritzker Architecture Prize.She has advanced contemporary architecture and design through her exploration of fluid geometries and the use of her own representational technique of drawing and painting to depict building elevation plans and design.
Influenced by the Russian avant-garde movement of the twenties, influenced by Kazimir Malevich, Hadid infuses the idea of motion and energy into her designs to “smoothly harness form to natural processes.”
I actually find it interesting to view Zaha Hadid’s work side by side, column by column – as each image displays her unique style of flowing curves and the compilation becoming an entirely new visual art set.
The images appear to have come from the mind of an artist projecting a world in the future.But the radically innovative building designs are tangible and functional today.
I recently visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art to see Zaha Hadid’s exhibition, Form in Motion.A room in the Perelman Building had been incredibly transformed from blank slate to functional space with perspective flow.Walking into the room, I was immersed into her style of movement with curving sofas, tables, chandeliers, jewelry, and even shoes.
Here are some of my favorite pieces from the Zaha Hadid: Form in Motion exhibit...
These abstract, irregularly shaped seats are additions to the original Z-Scape furniture program of eleven pieces designed by Hadid for Sawaya & Moroni in 2000, when her designs were realized in exact detail with new digital design and manufacturing technologies.Having researched and found inspiration in the “morphology” of geological forms and stratifications, Hadid was able to transfer original drawings directly from the three-dimensional computer models into the CNC milling machine where the polyurethane foam seats were cut and shaped.Conceived as fragments of dynamic landscape formation, the seats offer multiple possibilities for use and configuration.
Vortexx Chandelier | 2005
Made by Zumtobel Lighting GmbH in collaboration with Sawaya & Moroni
Fiberglass, car paint, acrylic, LED; H 60” (152.4 cm)
Whirling around a vertical axis, as its name aptly describes, Hadid’s Vortexx chandelier, made by Zumtobel and produced in collaboration with Sawaya & Moroni, was awarded a prize in the Lights of the Future design competition established by the European Commission to promote energy-efficient residential lighting.Concealed within two spiraling translucent acrylic diffusers cased in fiberglass, colored LED modules are combined with white LEDs that emit light only on the underside.Lower in energy consumption, cooler, smaller, and more durable than incandescent lights, the color-changing LEDs realize Hadid’s vision of seamless continuity.The color of the chandelier changes continuously and almost imperceptibly, flowing though the helical tubes in what appears to be perpetual motion.Vortexx is fitted with a programmable management system that allows the user to control the intensity and color of the light.
Crater Table | 2007
Designed for David Gill Galleries
Aluminum with polished finish, L 104 ¾” (266 cm)
Its sleek surface deformed with the volcano-like projections and bowl-shaped depressions that give the piece its name, Crater table has no precedent in the history of furniture.Two of the crater rims overhang the table’s edge and extend toward the floor, providing the piece with support and balance.Varied in appearance, the craters reflect Hadid’s interest in geomorphology and the tectonic forces that shape landforms into circular basins or conical summits, as well as her early and ongoing adoption of Russian Suprematist and Constructivist ideas, among them Kazimir Malevich’s principle that motion is central to the treatment of form.Its curving supports hidden underneath, the tabletop appears to be suspended in space.
L (sofa) 113 3/8” (288 cm), L (ottoman) 59 7/16” (151 cm)
B&B Italia was challenged by Hadid’s complex, curvilinear geometries, which give the Moon System sofa and ottoman their unusual boomerang shape and thin profile.Circumscribed by a single, continuous dynamic line, the Moon System sofa required B&B Italia to use a CNC milling machine, which shaped and cut the polyurethane foam as a single block continuing the sofa’s back, seat, and armrests according to the exact specifications of Hadid’s three-dimensional computer model.This direct-to-production manufacturing technique allowed Hadid’s original design concept – an assemblage of parts conceived as a singular production unit – to be fabricated with precision and economy of resource.
Glace Collection Jewelry | 2009
Made by Swarovski AG
Colored resin, Swarovski crystals in jet and crystal; L (cuff 1) 4 1/8” (10.5 cm), L (cuff 2) 4 5/16” (11 cm)
Devoid of clasps and closures, the Glace bracelets form asymmetrical, continuous loops that can be interlocked by means of embedded magnets.They are designed by three-dimensional computer-generated modeling wherein digitized ribbons are combined and manipulated into directional flows through advanced mathematical calculation.Swarovski then uses the computer model file to produce detailed molds into which the resin is poured; as the poured resin gradually hardens, crystals and stones are selectively suspended in it.
Celeste Necklace | 2008
Made by Swarovski AG
Made with Swarovski gemstones in topaz white, smoky quartz, and black spinel; blackened silver; L 16 15/16” (43 cm)
The silver Celeste necklace is similarly designed and cast according to curvilinear geometries that follow the form of the individual wearing it; the necklace rises from the wearer’s torso, wraps around her neck, and comes to rest on her shoulder.Its accompanying cuff extends along the length of the forearm, continuing the formal movement of the composition.
Crevasse Vases | 2005
Stainless steel, PVD coating; H 16 9/16” (42 cm)
Silver: Philadelphia Museum of Art. Gift of Lisa S. Roberts, 2008-58-3 (left)
Crevasse is a direct offspring of Hadid’s City of Towers design representing visionary study models of skyscrapers for ground zero.Conceived as twinned towers, the Crevasse vases are cut like the fissure the name suggests from a single block of stainless steel and scored along two diagonal lines at differing angles, creating a warped, inverted surface that appears to twist away from and merge with its twin at various points along the vertical axis.
This Zaha Hadid exhibition provided not only an opportunity for me to appreciate her innovative design objects, but to also immerse myself in an all-encompassing environment that reflects her exploration of architectural fluidity and form.
Zaha Hadid: Form in Motion will be at the Philadelphia Museum of Art until March 25, 2012.
I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas yesterday.Family, food, and “A Christmas Story” marathon on TBS!!What could be better?
In my last blog, I wrote about my last trip to Cleveland, Ohio and my visit to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.With the holidays upon us, I am compelled to mention that while on that trip, I also visited a museum dedicated to the 1983 film, A Christmas Story,which is a classic tale about a boy eagerly pining for a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas. It’s an all-time holiday favorite.
The museum, on Cleveland's west side, showcases original props and memorabilia from the film, like Randy’s snow suite and Ralphie’s bunny pajamas.
Across the street from the museum, is the actual Christmas Story house fully restored to the 1940s vintage appeal that you see in the movie.
You can walk through the house and see the kitchen cupboard that little Randy hid in when he thought his dad was going to kill Ralphie, the bathroom in which Ralphie got a mouth full of Lava soap for saying a bad word that was not "fudge," and the desk where Ralphie wrote his theme paper on what he wanted for Christmas.
Mr. Parker’s infamous leg lamp is even there, perched right in front of the living room window.
I couldn’t help but check out this museum, and if you’re a fan, then you’ll get a kick out of the Christmas Story House and Museum too.
The last time I was in Cleveland, I visited the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame and Museum. Downtown on the shores of Lake Erie, the building is an architectural specter, with cantilevered spaces, exterior white reflective cylinders, and an anchoring rectangular tower.
Beams and glass form a dual-triangular form providing for a breathtaking entryway into the museum.And, the reason why the front view of the building resembles the expansion structure of the Louvre in Paris is because internationally renowned architect, I.M. Pei designed it.
The 150,000 square-foot space holds the most prized music treasures in the world. Exhibits include costumes, lyrics, instruments, stage props, posters, and concert handbills.You can see the outfits that stars like Steven Tyler, Madonna, and Mick Jagger performed in and then walk down another hall to see Jim Morrison's hand-written music notes.Janis Joplin’s 1965 Porsche 356C Cabriolet is there and even a few pieces from Elvis’ gun collection. On the day that I visited, the museum was featuring in its theater a video of Michael Jackson’s induction ceremony.
Music is energy and passion and rock and roll has affected each and every one of us – with joy, tears, exhilaration, or simply the desire to sway, shimmy, or rave.Seeing the costume or the car or the piano of our music idols provides us with an exclusive entry into their lives.
But, I do understand that most of us do not have a general motive to venture out to Cleveland, Ohio. So, I’ll bring a bit of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to you.
From now through February 26, 2012, the Rock and Roll Museum is featuring the exhibit, Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power. The exhibit, featuring more than 70 artists, illustrates the important roles women have played in rock and roll from the beginning.
For this post, I selected one artist to represent each of the eras in the exhibit.Each remarkable woman has had a profound impact on music through the ages and has touched me personally through her words, energy, passion, and song.
Suffragettes to Juke-Joint Mamas: The Foremothers / Roots of Rock
The 1920s and 1930s were a time when women struggled for social justice and equality. Through their strength and perseverance, American women were able to make great strides in the pursuit of equality, attaining the right to vote and pursuing personal and professional interests outside of the home.
The woman that stands out to me from this era is Billie Holiday.Holiday was the pre-eminent jazz singer of her day and remains one of the most revered vocalists. Born Eleanora Fagan Gough, Billie chose her stage name after silent movie star, Billie Dove.
In 1933, a few months after being discovered performing in a Harlem club, Billie Holiday recorded “Strange Fruit” and “God Bless the Child.”
From the pain of poverty and abuse rose a soulful voice that is unquestionably, Billie. I've been humming her songs for most of my life.
I jumped out of the frying pan
And into the fire
When I lost me a cheatin’ man
And got a no count liar
Swipe the old one for the new one
Now the new one’s breakin’ my heart
Jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire
Yes, right into the fire!
Here is the beautiful Billie Holiday, accompanied by Louis Armstrong, singing “The Blues are Brewin.”
Though her brief life was fraught with tragedy, Holiday left a transcendent legacy of recorded work.
Get Outta that Kitchen, Rattle Those Pots and Pans: Rock and Roll Emerges
The exhibit showcases songwriters, singers, and musicians of the 1950s who were the roots of rock and roll.
Brenda Lee, also known as “Little Miss Dynamite,” was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.This little lady, standing four feet, nine inches could belt out tunes at an early age.Born Brenda Mae Tarpley in Atlanta, she won her first talent contest by age five and performed on a local radio show by age seven.
Here is the incredible Brenda Lee performing “Dynamite” at age 12 on the Missouri-based country music TV show, Ozark Jubilee.
Brenda Lee is best known for her 1960 breakthrough hit, “I’m Sorry” and 1958’s “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” which is ensconced as Number 4 on the all-time list of popular seasonal records.
She has sold more than 100 million records worldwide and charted in more categories – including pop, rhythm & blues, rock, easy listening, and country – than any other women in the history of recorded music.
Will You Love Me Tomorrow: The Early 1960s / Girl Groups
Teenagers in early 1960s girl groups pushed through the limits and defined the sound of an era.
Three girls from Spanish Harlem, Veronica Bennett, her sister Estelle and their cousin Nedra Talley, became one of the most popular girl groups of the 1960s as The Ronettes.
From 1963 through 1964, The Ronettes placed five singles in the Top 40 including “Be My Baby,” “Baby I Love You,” and “Walking in the Rain.”
Here they are singing their 1963 hit, “Be My Little Baby.”
The Ronettes broke up in 1966, but not before touring with the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, and recording the songs that we love to this day.
Revolution, the Counterculture and the Pill: The Late 1960s
Aretha Franklin is the “Queen of Soul” and the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. She is a singer with great passion and control whose finest recordings define the termsoul musicin all its deep and expressive glory.
Aretha was born in Memphis and grew up in Detroit. Her father, Reverend C.L. Franklin, was the charismatic pastor of the New Bethel Baptist Church, where Aretha sang from an early age.Her first recordings are on an album called Spirituals, recorded at her father’s church when she was just 14 years old.
Aretha’s musical style of church rhythms and pure soul spoke to the Sixties generation, with her greatest song triumph being “Respect.” “Respect,” which was the opening track on her classic first album, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Loved You, represented her assertion of selfhood and became an anthem for the women’s movement. Other tracks from this pivotal release are “Do Right Woman - Do Right Man,” “Dr. Feelgood” and “A Change Is Gonna Come.”
Enjoy Aretha Franklin’s 1968 performance of “I Never Loved A Man.”
Aretha’s soulful talent is unmistakable.She has charted more Top Forty singles – forty-five in all since 1961 – than any other female performer. To date she has made the R&B singles chart ninety-eight times, including twenty Number Ones. Franklin has also earned eighteen Grammy Awards, the most recent in 2007. In addition, she has sung at the inaugurations of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama and received the Presidential Medal of Honor from another George W. Bush.
And who can forget the 1998 Grammy Awards?
When program organizers found out that Luciano Pavarotti would not be able to perform under his doctor’s recommendation to rest his sore throat, asked Aretha to fill in. She accepted the challenge literally minutes before the performance was scheduled to begin and sang Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma” in place of Pavarotti. She even adjusted to sing the tenor arias in his key – which is no easy feat.
It was an extraordinary musical moment.
I Will Survive: The 1970s – Rockers to Disco Divas
The eras represented thus far in Women Who Rock, came before my time.But because they include women of such exceptional musical talent and passion, their music endures and is part of my life and the lives of many others.And, whether these women are not with us anymore or continue to gift us with their voices, they have made a distinctive impact not only reflecting generations, but shaping them.
Stevie Nicks exploded onto the music scene with wide acclaim and attention in the 1970s.Her smooth style, raspy voice, and poetic words contributed to the success of Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 album Rumours, which produced four U.S. Top 10 singles.
Stevie Nick’s song “Dreams” remained Number 1 on the American albums chart for 31 weeks and reached the top spot in various countries around the world.
Here is a live recording of "Dreams."
Rumours has sold over 17 million copies in the United States putting it in the top three best-selling U.S. albums and over 40 million copies worldwide which puts it in the Top Ten highest-selling albums of all time.
Dance this Mess Around: Punk and Post Punk Lower East Side band, Blondie, seemed more accessible for the music industry than some of their radical colleagues.They mixed a vibrant New Wave style with other genres creating a fusion with disco, pop, reggae, and even rap.
Here is Blondie’s 1979 hit single “Heart of Glass.”
Lead singer, Debbie Harry, used her strikingly good looks and two-toned punk appeal to attract and hold a following of fans that were ready for her retro-chic tunes.During the late Seventies and early Eighties, Blondie had eight Top Forty hits, including four that went to Number 1: “Heart of Glass,” “Call Me,” “The Tide Is High,” and “Rapture.”No other New Wave group had that many chart-topping singles.
Causing a Commotion: Madonna and the Pop Explosion
Madonna has paved the way for female performers to explore roles and take control of their careers.She was one of the biggest stars of the Eighties, selling over 60 million records worldwide, and continued to excel musically over the next several decades, transforming her image and propelling her music through time and trends.
This visually arresting video for Madonna’s “Get Together” was not widely distributed, but is definitely worth checking out.
Notice in the video that Madonna poignantly asks, “Do you believe that we can change the future?”
I must also make a shout out to Gwen Stefani for being a major force in this era and representing the Pop Explosion.California rock band, No Doubt, formed in 1986 with Gwen Stefani on lead vocals. Gwen hit the music scene hard with originality, sheer energy, and a punk-funk fusion style.
Here is a live performance of “Spiderweb” on MTV’s 1996 Spring Break.
Gwen’s blend of punk, reggae, and ska created an infectious, high-energy lady-rock vibe.Her unique style, refined through the years, remains fresh.I went to the MTV Music Awards in Miami in 2005 and was thrilled to see her there in all her leopard-print glory.
Ladies First: The ‘90s and the New Millennium
The British singer/songwriter’s early R&B influences of Aaliyah and Mary J. Blige shine through in Adele’s powerful, velvet voice.In 2009, Adele won two Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, for 19, the debut album that introduced her new and authentic voice to the world. Her much anticipated CD, 21, was released to critical acclaim this year.
I will always remember my summer on the lake listening to Adele’s CD, 19, titled for the age she was when she began recording it.I’m sure that everyone that was around me that summer will remember her music as well, although they may try to forget my theatrical rendition of "Chasing Pavements."
I got choked up watching this video.I'm not sure if it is a reflection of memories that I associate with the song, or just admiration for her effortless presentation. Her music makes me feel - and that's a powerful thing.
Some croon tones soft and flowing.
Others belt out lyrics with fierce intensity.
All bring fire to the stage and joy to our hearts, while shaping contemporary music and changing the world.
Through their music, they not only share their talent, but demonstrate their strength and prompt women around the world to recognize their own. Their passion is contagious and their impact unquestionable.
Before I sign off, I dedicate this post to Lady T and Amy.Thank you for your everlasting gift of song.
