Cazzie David, daughter of the comedy king Larry David, has started her own comedic venture. And it’s going to speak to your Gen Z soul all while making your Gen Z bladder explode due to extreme laughter. Her new web series, Eighty-Sixed, is a short form comedy that follows, the monotone yet somehow always distressed, Remi (Cazzie David) as she navigates that freshly single girl life.
The series is written by Cazzie and her college roommate, writing partner and director Elisa Kalani. The two have written previous screenplays together, but this twisted millennial love letter is the duo’s first project that has come to fruition.
The show centers on Remi, who is a bit narcissistic, neurotic and hella insecure when it comes to her post break up existence. Throughout the series Remi is putting too much effort into winning her breakup.
We’ve been waiting for someone to accurately encapsulate our generation’s engrossment with social media, and the subsequent problems it creates, like the imaginary pressure to post jealousy inducing party pictures with hot strangers after getting dumped.
And this is a story that had to be told by one of us to be truly funny. A middle-aged comedy writer’s jokes about our internet obsessed generation don’t typically work for us because they’re based on stereotypes rather than lived out awkward experiences.
As of this moment, no one has captured this generation’s lifestyle as authentic and candidly as Cazzie herself. The show hilariously drags us all for putting too much effort into winning a breakup, for thinking of our social presences far too often, and for fighting 20-something stereotypes while simultaneously being the problem.
For instance, in one scene Remi instructs her two friends to put their phones away at brunch– not because she wants to have a normal face to face conversation. But because she doesn’t want to perpetuate the stereotype of young people being glued to their devices. It’s all too real.
The show breezes past the overdone narrative that says young people are always on their phones, and goes into the why. It shows why we are obsessed and the social intricacies that go along with maintaining our social media personalities. What better way to showcase our neuroses than after a breakup?
Like when Remi insists on taking a group picture at the party, but has trouble locating someone who will post the photo. Most decline because they either aren’t even in the photo, or don’t want to disrupt their carefully curated social media feeds. Of course, Remi couldn’t post it herself or her ex would see as her as desperate. Soc meeds probs.
The brand of comedy is reminiscent of Larry David’s observational comedy, but rest assured the series is its own brand of edgy. It’s deadpan comedy that is somehow so absurd and relatable at the same time. It’s you, it’s your best friend, it’s your Saturday night, it’s your life — and it’s funny as hell.
Watch all six episodes of Eighty-Sixed on YouTube right now!
Our political climate is challenging and unpredictable these days.
For many of us, our rights as humans are on the chopping block which can make simple things – like picking up medications from the pharmacy or turning on the television – unnerving and unsettling. Political activism is something I’ve been involved with for many years, but the last year has been especially draining.
The truth is, our fight against the Trump circus is far from over, so it’s important that we are taking care of ourselves along the way. As important as political action is, self-care is just as important. Here’s to the long fight, and to our self-preservation.
These are important questions to ask yourself when living in a world that glorifies overworking. Whether you’re working for a cause or just trying to stay abreast of current events, it’s easy to get lost in the madness of it all and forget the little things. Eating good food – food that comforts and nourishes – is the foundation to fighting the good fight. Full bellies help our minds and bodies work the way they are supposed to. Let’s not forget that.
2. Social media is a troll cesspool & you don’t have to engage.
Immediately following the election, I felt the need to get back on Facebook so that I could stay involved and up-to-date on grassroots political organizing in my city. Unfortunately, even if you put up a bunch of privacy settings, the trolls will find a way to infiltrate. Whether it’s someone’s awful uncle commenting on a status update or just me finding out some of my “friends” don’t actually give a shit about my rights or the rights of other marginalized people, they pop up like pimples and the urge to squeeze them into oblivion through online engagement is tempting. Look, what I’m trying to say is being an activist doesn’t mean it’s your job to debate or argue with every red-hat wearing Trump supporter. Delete that account. Block that jerk. Log off and recharge.
The anxiety that comes from an uncertain future is real, people. We aren’t meant to live in isolation. As a species, we’re wired to connect to others. When things seem out of control or hopeless, the best way to recharge is by connecting with someone you trust. We can and should lean on each other during this hellish time in our country’s history, in the world’s history. Connecting with a friend or friends is an excellent way to unwind. Consider instituting a “no-politics” rule if you have to. Or unpack these feelings in a safe-space.
4. Go outside where the sunshine is.
I am not really an outdoors kind of girl. In fact, I prefer the comfort of my home when things get tough. But I force myself to go outside on a walk to recharge. Sometimes that means leaving the city for a day, sometimes it means walking through my neighborhood, but there is something cathartic about going outside that allows me to unwind and find my equilibrium again. Vitamin D, y’all!
5. Remind yourself of what you’re great at!
In a world such as ours, we can sometimes feel compelled to do more and be better. I am constantly challenging myself with new reading material, articles, blogs, etc. I forget that I’m already pretty great and it’s not a race to know the most or even be the best. I have a compliments folder that I keep in my desk full of letters of recommendation, thank you notes, or other things that remind me of my strengths.
6. Journal through the madness.
I find that reflecting in my journal every night before bed helps me sleep better. I just simply write down all the things that are taking up space in my head. It helps me to brain-dump so that my mind is settled and I can fall asleep more quickly and sleep more soundly. I can and do revisit some of what I write the following day, sometimes I can act on those things, sometimes I just let them go. I find that having a bedtime ritual that allows me to decompress is super helpful. Writing is the foundation for this. It might work for you too.
And never let it go. Upworthy.com is a great place to find traditionally inspiring stories, but you can find inspiration to keep going in lots of places. Libraries, record stores, art galleries, nature, kitchens. Just find what you love and hold onto it. Let that be the fire underneath you to keep going when you feel exhausted. Revisit that thing often.
8. Find something that makes you laugh.
Though it might sound a little like #8, I think it’s important to distinguish between what inspires you and what makes you laugh. Sometimes they are the same thing and sometimes they are different. For me, when things seem out of control, I binge-watch The Office. Something about Michael Scott’s ridiculous antics takes me out of my head and puts me back in my body. I’m very thankful for that series.
9. Show love and gratitude.
It’s important no matter what your beliefs are to show gratitude and love for who you are and what you have. When things seem awful and hopeless, I remind myself that I am smart, funny, educated and strong. I remind myself of the things I am most thankful for. I am thankful for my partner, I am thankful for my friends, I am thankful for my bulldog. I have a roof over my head and food in my fridge. I am in a privileged position, and I am thankful for that too. I am thankful for this computer on my lap, that I can contribute to a greater cause through it. I am thankful for the platform for which this will be published and the readers who might take something positive from it.
Tayla Parx is a three time Grammy nominated singer and songwriter who just dropped her first solo project called TaylaMade – and she’s only 23.
Apart from her love of music, she’s also made it to the big screen as Little Inez in the 2007 film Hairspray. As an actress, Tayla has also appeared in the television series Gilmore Girls, Everybody Hates Chris, Carpoolers, Bones, and Victorious.
Tayla finally decided it was her time to go out and make a name for herself as a solo artist, and that’s just what she did. We talked to her about her new mixtape, plus how she’s balances working for other artists while staying true to herself.
Today I’m gonna be kicking it and talking about my new mixtape “TaylaMade.” It’s 20 tracks of songs and interludes that tie in the story I’m telling. I’m a pretty private person, so this is a different mindset for me and it’s equally as scary as it is exciting.
Why is it important to you?
TaylaMade is my little brain baby from the past two years or so. It explains a lot of different sides of me that most people would never know without listening to or having a real conversation with me. Details like the car I drive, where I hang, who I was with and what we did. It’s my first solo project, so there was a lot to catch people up on!
What’s been your favorite part of the process so far?
My favorite part of the process so far has been the feeling of freedom when I step into the studio and know that all I have to do is be myself. I’m always myself, but when I work with other artists, it’s filtered through me.
Have there been any times when you doubted or had second thoughts about this project? How’d you overcome that?
There’s been plenty of times where I thought about the pressure from within the industry because of my track-record as a writer. And then there’s the other side of needing to re-introduce myself as an artist and kind of start my career over again; similar to when I went from hopping from acting roles like Hairspray and Gilmore Girls and had to prove myself as a musician. I haven’t thought about it enough to doubt myself though, I always think people should bet on themselves and go all in every time. Being scared only means there’s more to prove, and that’s an exciting feeling.
What song would you want on repeat at your funeral?
That’s a hard one. It’s a tie between “Butterfly” by Bilal ft. Robert Glasper or something feel good like “Lite Spots” by Kaytranada.
What’s one question you’re sick of getting?
There’s so many since I’ve been so private until now, but definitely the Hairspray questions. I wouldn’t say I’m sick of them, but I’ve been answering them for about ten years!
What would your circle of hell look like?
Hell looks like a few of my interludes. “Amnesiacs Anonymous” – that feeling when you can’t stop thinking about someone you’re trying to get over, and you’re only remembering the best parts instead of the full truth. Also “Forever Under 21”…Imagine trying to convince people forever that you can legally drink! Plus, they’re always so condescending when they ask because they totally think I’m lying.
What is your most treasured possession?
My custom lion necklace is my favorite possession. I thought I lost it in Norway one time and had to cancel everything to find it.
If you could be the baby of a celebrity couple, which couple would it be?
I’m currently working on the album! I’ll be traveling to some of my favorite places with some of my favorite people getting inspired. Also working on a few other creative ideas with my merch line “Trailer Parx” and you’ll also see me hopping back to acting in 2018. I think I’ve caught the bug again.
Photography by Niko the Ikon, TaylaMade Artwork & TK Anderson
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Created by the Modern Mystic Devany Litha Wolfe, this deck is one of my favorites because of its colors and use of trippy, futuristic imagery. I feel like I’m drawn intuitively to decks with non-traditional symbols and aesthetic. This deck is super authentic and cool.
This is the deck I use. The artist is Kim Krans and her work with watercolor is dreamy which gives the deck a warm and inviting feel, like the cards are just waiting to be worked. This is a great deck to learn with.
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Alejandra León Wolfe Rocha, creator of the Lioness Oracle Deck, is a brilliant and creative force. This is the deck I’m saving up for. She uses popular idols like Buddha and David Bowie as symbols in her collection against backdrops of constellations, fire, and flowers. I love her use of color. This deck packs a punch and I cannot wait to get my hands on it!
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Misha H Dumois makes lots of tools for divination, but her oracle deck is by far my favorite. She uses simple illustrations on black cards, made up of bones, animal skulls, and bugs, perfect for those who connect through animal symbology. For all my super-goth mystics out there, this is a great deck to have. Sometimes the simplicity of black and white can be just the right way to connect with the cards.
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Holly Simple is an artist, cartoonist, and illustrator. Her tarot deck is full of unusual and brightly colored cartoons that remind me of Keith Haring’s contributions to the pop art of the 1960’s. I love when artists can take something ancient and recreate the symbols in ways that haven’t been done before. All her work is wonderful, from fashion, jewelry and comics to tarot. Each card is better than the next.
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And yesterday Bella Hadid wore these contrast fly jeans.
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Personally, I say why draw more attention to your crotch than you need to, but I guess I’m just not crotch-positive enough.
But if you’re not ready to roll yourself into the senior citizens’ home, here are some statement flies you might be interested in adopting as your very own fashion statement.
Yes, do not adjust your screens, these are the same pants Kendall was spotted wearing. Well, not the *same* pair but you know what we mean. The only downside is you’d probably have to chose between paying your rent and buying them.
OK even I have to admit these shorts are super cute. And very sensualidad. In another lifetime, Beyonce might have worn them in the “Blow” music video as she instructed the masses on how she couldn’t wait til he got home so he could turn her cherry out. TMI but also get it, girl.
Years before she was the most-followed person on Instagram, Selena Gomez’s Instagram was filled with pictures she would never ever post today.
Mostly because that’s how all Instagrams looked at the time. Nobody cared about looking perfect and goals and posting their content at specific times to maximize their engagement, they just posted whatever they felt like posting whenever they felt like posting.
Because Instagram wasn’t Instagram yet. It was just an app that maybe half of your friends used.
Still, while Selena could have paid somebody to go back and delete every unflattering gram she’s ever posted, or at least hidden them from view, thankfully for all of us Selena kept them up for our TBT viewing pleasure.
These days, if Selena wanted to send a message to her fans, she wouldn’t comment to one fan individually, take a screenshot of a small portion of it, and then put that screenshot through a shitty looking filter before she posted it to her main feed. That’s crazy talk! Now she’d just open up the Notes app on her iPhone and post a screenshot of that.
Although there’s no chance she’d pull the Notes app trick for something as trivial as telling her fans she’s paying attention to them. The Notes app is for damage control only.
If anything, if Selena wanted to let her fans know she was thinking of them today, she’d probably just post a selfie where she’s blowing a kiss and write a short but sweet caption to go along with it.
Unless it’s a collection of your most-liked pictures of the year, people don’t really do collages anymore. It’s too much content per frame and it always looks like you’re taking a page out of your high school yearbook.
Today you will see celebs like Selena occasionally post side-by-side split screen posts, but those are usually reserved for birthdays, polaroid party pics, or sappy “OMG can you believe so and so is getting married, it makes me feel some typa way” posts.
And even then celebs will usually just opt for a picture of their friend and them together where the celeb in question still looks undeniably better than the other person. Instagram is an inherently selfish medium.
PS before you even say anything, yes Selena did post a fan collage as recently as last year, but that was before she returned to Instagram with a whole new posting strategy. Plus she was fighting with Justin about who loved their fans more at the time, so you can see how she got a little carried away.
While celebs LOVE posting pictures of themselves eating food, especially if it’s from a fast food company that may or may not have paid them to take the picture, they don’t post a lot of pictures of their meal prep.
Even though Selena is many years older than she was when this photo was taken, today this picture would be considered just a little too escandalo for a celebrity who’s the public face for so many public companies.
7. Any booze photo that doesn’t look at least kinda classy
Yes, Selena will still post pictures with booze in the frame, but if she actually drinking from the glass it would have to look as brand safe as possible.
Being a fan of music is one thing. I’m always jamming to my records, or going to shows and consuming it at every possible moment. Being a fan is easy. The electricity in the audience while watching your favorite band or singer kill it on stage is a feeling like nothing else on this planet.
But have you ever thought about possibly picking it up for yourself? If you’re like me, you’ve often imagined how it might feel to be on the other end of the experience but have never actually pursued it for various reasons.
I’d been circling around the idea of picking up the guitar for a bit, but every time I got the nerve to vocalize my growing interest to someone, I would remember all those times my little sister would make up excuses to get out of her guitar lessons growing up. I figured obviously learning guitar must suck, and it was intimidating af!
This was my rationale until this year when I turned 21 and had an epiphany (READ: existential crisis): I can do anything I set my mind to. What did I have to lose? The only person keeping me from being able to play like the gods of rock n’ roll I’ve always worshipped was myself. So I resolved to do it. I wasn’t just going to learn a couple of sing-songy chords either — I was going to shred.
After telling my sister and mom about my plans to become a guitar goddess, I panicked. How in the hell do I even go about teaching myself? My sister recommended that I take classes, doubting my ability to do it on my own, so I reminded her of how many times she quit them and that shut her up real fast.
Truthfully, I wanted to do it on my own, on my own time and for as cheap as possible.
Well thanks to our friends over at Fender, there’s a solution for teaching yourself how to play. They’ve just created a new online learning program called Fender Play that’s ridiculously easy and simple to use, and you’ll see the results instantly.
Before even starting, Fender Play asks you a few questions about your music preferences so your learning path is more customized. For example, if you’ve got an acoustic guitar and are planning on becoming the next Taylor Swift, you might want to pick the country or pop paths.
Or if you’re like me and bought an electric guitar with the hopes of becoming a shredding qwine, spin kicks and all, you can pick the metal or rock or paths.
First they teach you a few basics, like proper techniques for fretting or strumming. Then you can jump right into learning chord shapes and all the other fun things like how to do a hammer-on or a bend which are used for soloing.
Within minutes of using the program, I was already playing the opening riff from Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock N’ Roll” like a pro!
And that’s not even the best part. You can stick to the curriculum they build for you, or you can browse the song library and learn the iconic riffs from some of the greatest rock n’ roll tracks in history, like ZZ Top’s “La Grange” or the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction.”
They have pop music too, like songs from Shawn Mendes and Meghan Trainor if that’s your cup of tea. And they are continually adding new songs to the library, so you can learn more songs and riffs that are popular.
I’ve been using the program for a few weeks now, and I’m already a much stronger player. I’ve got the majority of the chord shapes memorized, and once you know them, you can basically play anything. Just google your favorite song + chords and voila! I can play all my favorite songs, and when you know what a certain chord sounds like, you’ll start picking apart all the songs you listen to on the radio to figure out what chords they’re using.
When you sign up, you get a free 30-day trial, and then after that, it’s only $20 a month which is MUCH cheaper than lessons with an instructor which can run for hundreds of dollars.
So what do you have to lose? The world always needs more music, and rock goddesses to play it. Get shreddin’.
People often find themselves in awkward situations, but when you add weed into the mix it’s a new level of catastrophe. And whether you smoke or not, tales of weed woe are going to be a joy ride for you.
If you’ve ever indulged in pot you know that it mellows you out — and makes you kind of forgetful. You just can’t remember what you did with something, but instead of worrying about it you just go to sleep and pretend it never existed.
If America’s Funniest Videos taught us anything, it’s that we find other people’s misfortune to be hilarious. I searched far and wide to get you the absolutely most mind-boggling and gut wrenching confessions. This is a story time you don’t want to miss.
Best mom award
“I was walking into court for my hearing, I was just about to walk through the metal detectors when I looked down and saw my freshly bought 1/8 just chilling at the top of my purse along with my bowl. I immediately dart outside to the car to hide and rid my purse of all illegal nonsense, when my mom all of a sudden follows me out to the car and starts asking me what I’m doing. I explain the situation to her, she gets straight in the car, drives home, comes back and gives me a thumbs up across the courtroom.” – Taylor
“I got through airport security with ease, that’s what makes this crazy for me. It’s when I sat down in my seat on my flight and went into my sweatshirt pocket that I realized I still had my G-pen. I could have sworn I left it in the car when I parked. We end up taking off and I couldn’t fall asleep so I went into the bathroom and ripped my pen a few times because at this point I might as well get away with murder. I slept like a baby and woke up in paradise.” – Amy
Wrong graduation
“My brother was graduating from the Police Academy, my whole family was there, after the ceremony ended we were all taking pictures. My brother wanted a picture with one of his higher ups, I go to take the picture and the man goes ‘that’s an odd perfume you’re wearing,’ to me. At this point I was just offended thinking I smelt bad wearing my Marc Jacobs perfume, I really didn’t think anything of it I just thought he had awful taste. We all piled into the car to drive home, and I go to put my camera in my bag when I see three blunts staring me in the face. I almost MELTED.” – Jess
“The morning of the SATs is a nightmare on its own. I’m feeling rushed to eat food, but I just woke up five minutes ago and I’m nauseous. My mom is already in the car honking and I don’t even have underwear on yet. I ended up just grabbing my backpack and throwing everything in there before running out the door. I get dropped off at the school and I’m in my assigned classroom. I go to open my backpack and eat the lunch my mom packed for me when a gust of weed legit fills the classroom when I open it up. I forgot that I keep my stash in this little bag in the hidden zipper part of my bag. I was mortified people started sniffing the air, they had no idea where it came from though thank god. I ended up having to go to the bathroom and force myself to puke all over the floor so it looked like I was uncontrollably ill and needed to be sent home ASAP. My mom finally came to pick me up and the entire rest of the day she felt bad for packing deviled eggs as my lunch.” – Ingrid
The toilet is your best friend
“I was admitted into the ER the other week. I was in so much pain that I had to go straight there I couldn’t go home first. My friend drops me off and eventually I find out I have appendicitis. I had to go in for surgery and get it removed, I was there for a few days just to recover and rest. On the second day post surgery there was a herd of policemen going down the hallways. I would say at least five had dogs with them, I had no idea what was going on or why they were there but for some reason they were checking every room. I saw them go to the room two doors down directly across the hall and make their way to the next one. I couldn’t tell why I was so on edge, but I started beading sweat. Out of thin air I remembered that I had just picked up a half and it was in my bag on the floor. It was my best friend/dealer who had dropped me off. With everything I have, which was not a lot post-surgery, I force myself up, grab my bag and lock myself in the bathroom. I rip it open and start throwing it all in the toilet. I flush and it all goes down. I sit there and sigh some relief until a knock comes on the door. It’s one of the policemen saying they’re going room to room looking for a bomb because there was a threat and that I need to come out. As soon as he left my room I told the nurse I was out of there.” – Jasmine
“I was on my way to an awesome vacation, me and all my friends were tackling the airport together, we were quickly approaching TSA when I took my hat off and a joint was sitting there at the bottom of it. I quickly thought on my feet and ditched the joint into this fake potted tree that was close to line. I was super discreet but kind of hid it. Anyways, I come back from the trip a week later and saw the tree on my way out of the airport, I look and see that the joint is still there. I grabbed that puppy and had home welcoming gift.” – Mollie
Online shopping can be tricky. It’s fun to browse through pages and place your favorite items in the cart so you can later decide if it’s worth buying or emptying the cart. It can be risky when you want to get something for a special event and you never bought from *insert brand name.*
You need a large window to take that risk, so that if it doesn’t work out, you send it back for an exchange or just a full-blown return.
How do you shop online? What makes you decide to make that purchase? Here are some tips for those of you who still question if you want to buy those vintage jeans you’ve been eyeing, that dress that is unlike any you have seen in stores, or those sunglasses you’re not sure will work for your face shape.
Reading site reviews are a good way to gauge size and fit. Many times I have made the choice to go a size up or down because reviewers said something fit too tight or loose. Especially when it comes to shoes, I appreciate an honest review that says they sent them back because they were too narrow.
Beware of the fake reviews though. A ton of positive reviews with multiple exclamation points and adjectives has me guessing the legitimacy almost every time, and it isn’t uncommon for a new (or known to be sketchy) site to employ fake reviews.
This is actually a big deal. You might find a dress you really want, but it’s from an online shop that you never shopped with before. If the return policy says “store credit only” and doesn’t really offer anything else you would want, you may want to opt out of making that purchase. An even exchange or simple return with your money back are your best deals. You also want to watch out for sites that do not provide free shipping, because you still lose out on money when returning a purchase.
3) Pay attention to size options
Labels that offer XXS and above may lead you to purchase a smaller than usual size because there is a greater range of sizes. And if you’re shopping at a site that’s based in another country, you want to make sure that the sizes are the same. For example, a UK size 6 is the same as a US size 2, so watch out and keep your eye out for a conversion chart.
4) Check what size the model is wearing in the photo
Similar to checking size options, this may also be helpful. Many sites, such as Urban Outfitters, provide the model’s height and size of the product he or she wears. Your height and size in comparison can help you gauge if the size medium will work on your 5’3″ stature versus the model who is 5’8″. Keep in mind most models wear a US size 4.
For buying sunglasses, this also works similarly. Look at the model’s head shape (or in the case of celebs wearing the brand, see who wears it and look at their shape), to decide if the sunglass shape may work for your face. It sounds strange, but this has worked for me!
5) When in serious doubt, stick to the stores you know!
This is a no-brainer. If you shop at Free People all the time and know your size, ordering a piece online because you don’t feel like going to the store should pose little to no risk. Sometimes I go to the store to try on things, and I’m not sure if I want it right now. Or, the lines are too long (NYC problems), and I decide to just leave and order online! In these cases you might have to pay for shipping, so keep that in mind.
If you didn’t know any better, you’d think being the only girl in an otherwise all-male band would be kind of lit. You’d never have to fight for the bathroom mirror, nobody would “borrow” your clothes, and if you ever wanted to hook-up with one of the dudes who was around, you probs wouldn’t have to compete with anyone.
But it also comes with a lot of assumptions and negative stigmas – not to mention dealing with your own female friends saying shit like, “I just don’t like bands with female singers.”
Laila Khan, the lead singer of Sonic Boom Six, has dealt with it all – including female stans threatening to “give her AIDS” if she went near their favorite band dudes – in her 15 years since founding the band.
We caught up with Laila in her few moments of downtime at Warped Tour to talk double standards in the music industry, creepy band dudes, and how to say “F U” to critics.
So how did you get started with music in the first place?
I was into music from a very early age. It was kind of my outlet because I didn’t have any friends, and I hated the world, I was very alone. So music was like my escapism.
Do you find you were always drawn to the same style of music?
I always was, metal and rock. I was one of those annoying teenagers where [I didn’t want other people to like metal], which is ironic because metal is every musical style under the sun. Barney and me put a band together. It was very much ours. I had to sing, but I was typically really shy, [so I] would have to get drunk to be able to do it. Awful, but I just didn’t have the confidence. I was told at a very young age, “you have a weird voice, you look weird, it’s not gonna work.” I just never had any support. It’s easy when you’re older because if you don’t have support you’re just like, “F you I’m gonna do what I want.” But at that age, from 11 to 16, it can really be debilitating for a long time in your life, unless you are lucky enough like me to address it and sort it out.
So do you still get nervous when you have to get on stage?
Every single gig. I have to go to the toilet about 50 times and nothing comes out. I get this weird thing where I yawn – it looks like I’m bored, but I’m not. I just get [anxiety] and all at once because you’re playing in front of someone else’s audience [at Warped Tour]. Today we played for Andy Black’s audience and they were the friendliest people ever. I was like, “how is everyone doing?” And they were like, “Hey!” Normally when I do it [the crowd is] like, “Get off.” No they’re not, but that’s my favorite, playing for people who don’t know us. I love it. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love playing for the people that know us. I just love the challenge of doing that.
Going back to when you said you got a lot of criticism, do you think it’s harder to be a female singer?
One hundred million percent, especially because we’ve been going for 15 years. So you’ve got to think, 15 years ago, the sexism debate was still there, but not like it is now. It existed, but there was a small community but now everyone can be involved, which is a great thing. We toured with a band called Black Out they were all men and they asked for us to play. Weird combination, but anyway they asked us to play and every single night we’d go on stage and it was like all women [in the crowd]. The girls would say [about me] “If these girls go near Black Out I’ll give them AIDS.”
Oh my God.
Unless you stab me with a dirty syringe, good luck because you’re not getting near me. It used to be a lot worse, every single review we would have would be concentrated on my performance, and my voice. It’s a little bit better for us now. On Warped Tour it’s easy, everyone’s open-minded and accepting, so all the reviews have been great. I’m happy for you to tell me you think my band is shit. That’s fine, but you don’t have to tell me I’m shit just because I’m a woman, and my voice doesn’t sound like X Factor. Yeah, it doesn’t, I’m not a singer, I’m a performer. No one sounds like me, and I’m proud of that.
That’s awesome, and I feel like there are so many male singers in the scene that have shit voices, but nobody ever says anything to them.
You’re right, because it’s easier to criticize [women]. One of my best friends is a woman and she’s 46 years old and even now – every time she says it I wanna punch her in the face – she goes, “I just don’t like bands with girl singers,” and I’m like, “Are you an idiot?” So I ask her if she ever liked Blondie. And she’s like, “Of course I love Blondie,” and I’m just like, “So you are an actual idiot.” We blame the sexism on men, because it mostly is men, but it’s also internal misogyny.
I’ve had it 50% men and 50% women. People regardless of gender don’t want to be told the way they’re thinking and acting all their lives is wrong. Because you know, if someone came up to you and went, “you know, that’s offensive, that’s wrong,” you’d be like, “fuck off.” The way we do it is we have some daft tunes and we incorporate some kind of social message into it. It’s the most daft song ever. It gets everyone moving and it gets everyone happy. It’s a song about feminism, it’s a song about not being told what to do by anyone, it’s as simple as that.
So do you think being in a band with all guys you’ve taught them some things about feminism that they might not have been aware of before?
Honestly, I don’t even have to work on them, it’s more the women. They just see a guy and they’re like, “ugh he’s so fit I need to have him,” but the guys they would never do that. But whenever they call me out, they go, “you say that’s sexist, but then you’re drooling at that guy.” I’m like, “We’ve had it for hundreds of years, give us a break.”
I don’t mind you chatting about a girl or whatever. The other day we played, I can’t remember where it was, somebody’s guests were three young girls, maybe 15 [years old], and [a band mate] starts taking pictures of their ass in shorts. And I was like, “What? That is offensive.” I wouldn’t ever do that, if a hot guy ever walked past I wouldn’t be taking pictures of a 15-year-old boy. Like, think about a 15-year-old boy in shorts! You would instantly think I’m a pedophile, wouldn’t ya? But when an older man does it to 15-year-old girls, I bet pedophile didn’t go through your head.
Besides fans being jealous of you being around their favorite musicians, what are some other common misconceptions or negative stereotypes you have to deal with being a woman in a male-dominated scene?
I guess it’s assuming you can’t do the job as well as someone else. I do a lot of the PR, the digital work and digital media, and there’s always this assumption that the male counterpart can do it better, and not even do it better but they will be taken more seriously. So my attitude is I do not put up with any shit, it’s the only way for me to get through. And if I know I’m right I will just stick to my opinion and I’ll say “You’ve given me this job to do, I’m telling you this is right.” You’ve just got to work that extra bit harder, which is shit, but it is what it is.
And then you get called a bitch for the doing same thing a guy would do.
I’ve been called worse, so it’s absolutely fine.
Who are some female musicians that you look up to?
There’s so many. I love Lissie, she’s kind of American/country. But then I’m a cheese ball, I love Beyonce, J-Lo. It isn’t even from a feminist point of view, it’s more I like them and I think they’re really nice people. And then there’s women like Tina Turner and you think about what she had to put up with. And you look back, like the first Warped Tour who did you have? You had Gwen Stefani, that was pre Sonic Boom Six. The level of sexism there… you’re talking people in reviews saying someone’s fat. They would never do that now. And going back to the battling thing, like Katy Perry and Taylor Swift, the press always goes around something bitchy that one of them said and we buy into it because we’re primitive and I don’t know how to stop that. But also, I just love lots of women artists. But for some reason I can’t think of any right now.
How do you have to adjust your routine on Warped Tour?
This is more routine than I have in my life. You get here at 8 am – we’re doing completely DIY because we like that. This is our first Warped Tour, we could’ve gotten us someone to come and wake us up, sort everything out, and we were like, “no, we can do it.” We’re self-driving, there’s six of us and we have our designated jobs. Two people get to the stage to unload the gear, the other two people we’ve got drive the band and go and get us breakfast. It’s like so great that we all have jobs and work as a unit. It’s the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life and I love it. When I am home I work out, I go to work and even my work I can work from home so I don’t really have a routine, all I really do is just work, like all the time.
How are crowds different in the UK from the US if they are?
In the US people are a lot more welcoming, in the UK people are quite weird. The UK is unlike anywhere else. The UK has always had a hard time to understand [Sonic Boom Six], because you can’t pinhole us. The UK press in particular. In the US I feel like we’re quite refreshing, we’re not like anyone else, we have a lot to say, we’re positive. I mean the last few days the crowds have been bigger, we’re that weird band.
It might as well be a national holiday, because while “Lust For Life” reveals a much more honest and raw Lana, the record also is unexpectedly conscientious of the current events and world around her. She literally asks, “Is this is end of America?” on “When the World Was At War We Kept Dancing.”
This is the album 2017 needs.
When combined with this modernity, the tone of this new record make it feel happier and genuine. Maybe because Lana is actually happier. Last night, she hosted a small listening party to celebrate the release of the album with fans, and between hopping on the mic to sing along with the new tracks, she paraded and sashayed around the stage in Adidas sweatpants and flats, clearly not giving a f*ck about anything and relishing in the lightness that is her new existence.
I mean, who tf else sings, “I’m crying while I’m coming/Making love while I’m making that money,” as she does on “In My Feelings”?
That’s exactly the attitude she’s taken on this record as well. Instead of giving into the themes of darkness that simultaneously plagued and charmed her previous records, which totally would have been appropriate given the abysmal state of things, Lana’s “Lust for Life” turns both inward and towards the future.
It’s not just about the direction though: the whole record sounds different. Sonically, “Lust For Life” walks between contemporary R&B bass lines and dreamy 70s melodies which take Lana’s lyrical content to the next level. The 70s vibe is really honed in on tracks like “Beautiful People, Beautiful Problems” which features none other than the queen of retro vibes, Stevie Nicks.
It is also heavily felt on “Tomorrow Never Came” which features John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s son, Sean Ono Lennon.
Despite the 70s vibes, the songs feel present and relevant.
And this is true for nearly all the tracks on this record. While they each have their vibe, the record still manages to feel cohesive and the songs work together to reflect the world rather than creating the gloomy parallel universe of Lana’s where her previous records existed.
What this means to me is that somewhere between the chaos and turmoil we’ve endured since the 2015 release of her last record, “Honeymoon,” Lana has found herself. This isn’t to say that she wasn’t self-assured or aware while making the previous records. But, when we look at how little we knew about who the actual Lana Del Rey was, especially when compared to how much we knew about the Lana Del Rey persona that at times felt almost too ethereal to be real, all of her emotions had been filtered through some sort of external relationship, be it with violent men or drugs.
But now, she’s telling like it is. “It’s just the way I feel/And I’d be lying/If I kept hiding/The fact that I can’t deal,” she sings on one of my favorite tracks “13 Beaches.” At first listen, it seems like it’d obviously fit right in with Lana’s discography, complete with lyrics like “it hurts to love you,” but the honesty shines through when she says, “Finally I’m fine.”
Mature and solid, like this is the album Lana Del Rey was destined to make. And of course a lot of Lana’s evolution of sorts owes itself to the political climate, but she definitely put in the effort.
In case you’re either social media deprived or out of the loop, there was a major trend of celebs hopping on the “woke liberal” bandwagon this past year. Especially after the election, we saw an awakening of sorts — and right there on the front lines: Lana Del Rey.
Unlike so many other white women in the spotlight who seemed to go through an idealogical overhaul this year, Lana did it subversively.
Even though she made some rather questionable comments about not identifying as a feminist a few years ago, Lana corrected herself and really made social consciousness her goal. Unless you were paying attention, Lana’s awakening totally might have slipped through grates of your social media feeds (which is a welcome method when compared to a MET Ball performance with Migos to prove your wokeness). She quietly began taking up certain issues via social media. It really started with awareness during the past election cycle when she tweeted out asking where fans were watching the presidential debates.
Then she released the protest-esque track “Coachella (Woodstock in My Mind),” which if I’m being honest, casted some doubt in my mind about Lana being able to accomplish this transformation. The track was VERY on the nose, almost to the point of discomfort and led me to wonder if Lana really thought that Coachella could be the equivalent of Woodstock.
But then this record came out, and proved to everyone that Lana is here, awake, and she’s not playing. “Who’s tougher than this bitch?/Who’s freer than me?” Lana sings on “In My Feelings.”
On the last track, “Get Free,” she seems to make the resolve to acknowledge her inner power to have control over her emotions: “Finally I’m crossing the threshold… And now I do, I wanna move/Out of the black/Into the blue.” The track ends with a nearly minute long sonic landscape which include birds chirping, that feels as though she has reached the summit of whatever struggles she’s faced.
This record is the best of Lana’s yet, and she’s apparently already working another. “God Bless America — And All the Beautiful Women In It,” goes another one of her song titles. Thank you Lana, God bless you too girly.
We’re right in the middle of those lazy, hazy days of summer, which means you’re probably at that point where you’ve decided you hate everything you own.
Luckily for you, Nordstrom just started its Anniversary Sale. And just in case you have another week to wait until pay day, don’t worry because the sale is going on until August 6th.
Rather than comb through the sales yourself, we took the liberty of cherry-picking the best deals you’re gonna find whether you need a new bag or a shady gift to give to that girl you hate.
1. This excellent Proenza Schouler knockoff sweater
OK so yes it’s not very summer and yes it looks like something a modesty blogger would happily wear, but if I passed you in the streets, I wouldn’t point and laugh at you, I’d point and say, “OMG, look at that girl’s Proenza Schouler sweater. I love it. She’s so fashun.”
Wear it to your next job interview. Wear it to meet your bf’s rich old money parents. Wear it to a fancy restaurant and have everybody think you’re rolling in dough.
Even if you’re not 21 yet, as long as you have access to a pool, you should buy this cute little guy and make him spend all day holding your drink. I mean just look at how cute he is! He was BORN to be your bitch. You’re honestly doing him a favor.
And think of how cute the two of you will look in photos together!
Or if you don’t have a pool, buy it as a cheap gift for your friend who does have a pool instead of spending more money on something thoughtful she’ll end up returning anyway.
Do you really need this much nail polish remover? Probably not. But c’mon, it’s called “The Stripper.” That’s hilariously good branding that it deserves to be rewarded.
Plus it’ll probably last you a good year and a half. Maybe two.
Every time you use it, you’ll see its label and LOL your yoga pants off. And when you think about it, can you really put a price on an everlasting LOL?
I’ve had a velvet mini backpack for the last two years and let me tell you, it was worth it!
Sure, you can’t fit a lot of stuff in them, but that’s kind of the point.
We walk around all frickin day long carrying so much weight around. It hurts our necks, our backs, and maybe some other things it doesn’t seem appropriate to mention right now.
And if we’re really being honest with ourselves, most of the stuff we carry around all day aren’t things we really need. Yes, it seems like a great idea to bring our laptop out with us to the coffee shop in the off chance we get a burst of inspiration to finally write a chapter in the novel we promised our teenage selves we’d have published by the time we were 30, but let’s be real, that’s not what’s gonna happen.
You’ll just end up reading stuff you saw on Facebook and putzing around for an hour. And you can do that on your phone.
Plus, mini backpacks, unlike regular backpacks, actually look cute, which means if you show up to a party wearing one, you won’t look like a total scrub.
Living with roommates can be tough, especially when you’re kind of a neat freak and they’re walking dumpster fires.
So instead of committing the ultimate party foul and writing a note or calling a “family meeting,” just buy these towels which do all the work for you.
And make sure to take a picture to send to your friends on the group text so they can all compliment your act of savagery.
If you haven’t already stumbled across @diorinthe2000s on Instagram, are you really even into fashion? I mean, no hate if you aren’t a Dior fan, but the archive of images curated by Rodrigo Valderrama is truly resplendent.
Rodrigo is a student from Chile who created an Instagram compiling archives of images from Dior shows from the early 2000s to now, and he opened up to us about the process.
The 2000’s were a very influential time for all fashion designers, why is it that Dior caught your attention the most?
Even when a lot of designers were doing iconic things on different fashion houses, Galliano did something that I think is unique. EVERY fashion show is unforgettable! Clothes, models, hair, music, the shows had everything!
Are you into fashion, and if you are, how would you describe your sense of style?
I’m happy because I decided to follow a career in fashion, I’m getting into art direction and I couldn’t be happier. It makes me feel like I’m doing the right thing instead of getting into an “out-of-fashion” career that won’t make me happy and feel complete. My sense of fashion is very simple, I mean, I think about glamour and big things on other people but for me, I’m okay with “normal” clothes on.
Has John Galliano influenced your personal style?
John Galliano has inspired to me to follow a career in fashion. I can’t tell you that Galliano has influenced my personal style because as I said before, I’m very simple. What I can tell you is that when I imagine the direction I would like to follow when I have my career, I would love to give a little Galliano touch to everything. He made and is still making things that are out of this world, I don’t even know if this man knows how much he has influenced and inspired other people.
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Whats your favorite runway collection from the 2000’s, and why?
The show that takes my breath away, the show that I watch at least four times per month since it’s in high definition on YouTube (yeah, all that is a little bit dramatic but totally true), is Dior fall 2003 ready to wear. The music, the models, the make up, the styling, the poses, the everything! Some people love it, some people hate it, but for me it’s perfect.
What do you hope to achieve by creating a 2000’s Dior archive on Instagram?
I started this account because I never found the images from the shows that I wanted to find. I wanted to share my obsession for Dior in the 2000’s, so if you ask me what I hope to achieve, I would tell you that I hope to keep achieving what I’m already getting: comments, opinions, people sharing the same love that I have for these collections, sending me messages showing the Dior items that they own, telling me that they’re just as obsessed as me, basically to keep bringing fashionistas to the page.
If you had to choose one word to describe the aesthetic of Dior fashion throughout the 2000’s, what would it be?
If I could define Dior in the 2000’s… I couldn’t choose one word. Extravaganza, art, beauty, glamour, maximalism, fun, magic! If you ask me to define their aesthetic I would use the word DIVERSE. The great thing about Galliano’s vision of Dior was that he never was stuck in only one concept, he could give you a South American-inspired collection with chullos and Shakira playing in the background and four months later he could be giving us a urban street inspired collection with big parkas and fur dresses, he never stops creating and bringing beauty to the runway.
It’s 2017, and the era of lingerie worn as outerwear is not only upon us but slaying. It’s one of the most trendy styles for this summer, and everyone is rocking the hell out of it. Just last night Charlize Theron took to the red carpet in a Christian Dior bra with a matching high-waisted mini skirt, and it was phenomenal.
But what I’ve come to notice is that instead of embracing what we’re given, and standing tall supporting others for their individuality, people are shaming women for flaunting.
How is slut shaming a woman for what she’s wearing ever going to have a positive impact on you or our society? If anything I feel it’s just perpetuating the chains of the highly conservative standards women have been fighting to end. Hate to make a High School Musical reference but we’re all in this together ladies, whether you’re about it or not!
One instance that comes to my mind is when I was in Puerto Rico, I was wearing one of those adorable slip dresses that cuts up on the left thigh and has a lil’ lace. The basic ass one every girl that shops at Urban has!
I was walking down the street with boyfriend at the time, and I started noticing women in their late 20’s, maybe 30’s, eyeing me up and down giving me the DIRTIEST looks. I for one am not bothered by glares, it’s a form of flattery.
But what really got to me is when I was outside by myself a woman passing by screamed “cover up” at me. In what fucking world do you have any authority over me to mandate what I can wear? I looked this woman dead in her crow’s-feet and said, “never, girl,” and threw her a nice wink followed by a glowing smile. That’ll be the highest level of flirtation she’ll get for the next five years.
TBH I was feeling myself, I looked great and my boyfriend loved it, so who gives a fuck about your grumpy ass opinion?
Another absurd experience that comes to mind is when one of my best friends was put on blast in a private military wives Facebook group. The user who posted the message went the anonymous angle.
A quick synopsis of the situation: my friend posted a picture of her torso on Facebook. She was wearing a deep cut black, lacy teddy, but the real highlight of the post itself was the showcase of her tattoos. You’d hardly notice what she was wearing because of her awe-inspiring ink, and the craziest part about it is there’s really nothing scandalous about the photo, it just looks like she’s wearing a v-neck tank top.
Now that you have some context, the anonymous wife posted in the group that she saw a “provocative photo” on her husband’s Facebook feed that night. When the woman asked her husband if my friend’s husband knew she was posting those pictures, he said, “Yes he knows, you should be jealous of her.”
Because of this woman’s jackass husband’s response she slut-shamed my friend, saying, “I like southern modesty while in public and not shorts where my ass hangs out while I’m bending over like I’m taking it up the ass for the world to see,” referring to another photo my friend had posted.
Instead of recognizing her husband’s douchey behavior, she decided to shame my friend. But if something similar ever happens to you, here’s what to do.
Steps to combat haters
1. Make direct eye contact with them
2. Have your most dazzling smile present
3. Either of the following:
Take it as the most genuine compliment. Act like they just said, “You are the most gorgeous human to walk this earth,” and follow it with an “Omg thank you so much for that!”
Be a clever and sarcastic bitch. Someone tells you to put your tits away? You say, “Aww cute! you’ve never seen a pair before?”
Give the finger — a classique.
4. Continue your life and forget the speck of dust that was just in your peripherals!
If you’re trying to prove to future one night stand’s that you’re well versed in the art of poetry or want to enrich your mind during your summer vacay instead of just guzzling margaritas, we’ve got you. Here are some awesome poetry anthologies that you should check out stat!
This collection is raw. At times it is uplifting, and at other times, quite dark. Her ability to tell a story is stunning and fierce. She walks us uncompromisingly through a stay at a mental health facility, leaving the reader unsettled. She uses minutia to explore beauty in damaged things. This is a great collection for those of us who have or do battle mental health conditions. It gives language to things we sometimes can’t explain.
If you’ve lost a loved one, you know that your identity changes from that point forward. Shelly Wagner’s work chronicles her journey through grief following the tragic death of her five-year-old son, Andrew. This collection is so powerful. She tears open the cookie-cutter myth of the stages of grief and shows the reader the vast and messy imperfections of loss and healing. Even if you haven’t lost someone or something close to you, I encourage everyone to read this one.
This work was created in response to Hurricane Katrina and its impact on New Orleans. It is outstanding. The way Ms. Smith personifies Katrina is haunting. It is brutal, beautiful and tragic. We hear or read things on the news about natural disasters and their impact, but Ms. Smith takes you there. She’s a powerhouse poet whose visceral work pulls you in and then spits you back out.
It’s possible that you have heard Warsan’s poetry before, as she contributed to Queen Beyonce’s outstanding album, Lemonade. She is one of those writers who write life into the things I wish I could say. In this work, she addresses identity, family, abuse, and intimate relationships. Her words are eloquent and sharp, so sharp that you can feel it in your gut.
The genre “Gurlesque” was coined by Arielle Greenburg between 1960 and 1982, comprised of Generation X and Riot Grrl poets. This collection is comprised of a variety of queer, female, feminist poets whose work is unorthodox and challenging but also intense and powerful. Through their work, we are allowed a glimpse into feminist punk rock culture, street life, and sex. Challenging? Yes. Worth it? Also Yes.
Alright, before you scroll down, this isn’t going to be an article bashing greek life, but it’s also not gonna be super sweet, because let’s be honest, greek life isn’t all glitter and dancing.
When I first came to college, I wasn’t exactly aware of the greek life. It wasn’t until I got there that I realized it was pretty much 90 percent of the social life if you weren’t an athlete, an artist, or just a regular person.
I made amazing friends my first semester, and becoming a part of greek life really was never on my agenda. I had nothing against it, but the idea of meeting girls I barely knew and them becoming my sisters because we all belong to the same name kind of freaked me out. It seemed extremely surface level and fake, and that’s not what I’m about. It isn’t always like that, but regardless, it’s kind of weird to think about joining an organization to meet other girls you barely know and having to pay to do that.
Obviously some girls join houses not only to meet girls, but to help out with philanthropies and give to the community by events and fundraising. Unfortunately, I had a different experience, and realized it wasn’t really about that at all.
I was urged by my close friends to rush, so without any idea what I was really getting into, I said fuck it and did it. It was a few weeks of constant girl flirting, which felt so fake. I did meet some really awesome girls that I hit it off with, but the whole idea of going to different houses where girls basically are judging you on your ability to be able to girl flirt/seem cool/look pretty kind of grossed me out.
I got into a great house, and I chose that house for a reason. The girl who talked to me in my last round of rushing ended up becoming one of my best friends and still is. But, I’m not here to talk about my house, I’m here to talk about what i’ve experienced in all aspects of Greek life.
Greek life is merely social, in my opinion. You get girls that are really excited to throw and be apart of philanthropies, and you get girls who are forced to be a part of them or else they will get in trouble. If you don’t do this or don’t help out with that, you will be fined. I get it, being part of an organization is a big commitment, and you should join a house in order to meet girls with your similar interests and help the community through philanthropies. It’s about sisterhood. But most girls aren’t involved to help out, they’re involved so they can party. Would Greek life even be a thing if there wasn’t the social aspect? Probably not.
I’m not going to get into hazing, and I’m sure from recent headlines most people can see that hazing is very much still a thing. Hierarchy is also a huge thing in Greek life. Older girls coming up to you and asking you if you know their name is a huge thing. If you don’t know it, you are passive aggressively called out later on, or sometimes they’ll just just give you a really disgusted and disappointed look and walk away. Joining a house means knowing everyone in it and gaining their respect, it is a privilege to be in that house. F0r some girls, hierarchy is what they’ve been waiting for, because they’ve earned it. Being able to scream at you for not doing things is what they enjoy. That’s not going to bring people together, that’s going to drive them further apart.
For schools that are pretty big on Greek life, people don’t ask you, “Hey, whats your name?” They ask you what house you’re in. Like hi, my name is Delta Kappa Alpha Sig whatever the fuck.
When it comes to partying, it’s the same old shit. Different events at different frat houses, where girls will all dress in costumes that are either the same exact thing or slightly different. For example, most girls were sexy cats for halloween, I was a hippie stoner with long flare pants and a tie dye shirt with a weed garland. I remember people laughing at me, and not in a mean way, but because it was so out of the ordinary to not dress in a “slutty” costume. Girls go to frats to drink and have fun, they also go to frats to potentially hook up with a guy or guys, and sometimes if they don’t hook up with someone they feel awful at the end of the night, which is really sad because your worth shouldn’t be based on whether or not you hooked up with a guy.
Not everyone in Greek life is considered hot, but if you are, then you’ll thrive! Because that’s a big thing people care about. Any hot girl you see has a reputation that could be completely true or completely false, and people are super quick to judge. In my experience, Greek life is utterly and completely shallow as fuck.
I never partied a lot or was super involved to begin with, but it got to a point where I needed to take a break because I was confused and felt like being in a house was only adding negativity to my life. I wasn’t allowed to post certain photos, I wasn’t allowed to have my private Instagram, it felt like being out of the ordinary at all was a bad thing, like it wasn’t cool to be your own person. And then I was like, fuck that shit, and pretty much stopped caring.
Being in a house made me realize that some people literally have absolutely no clue what’s going on in the world. It is a bubble filled with the names of frat boys girls have previously fucked and how they hurt them. It’s a bubble filled with drugs and alcohol so you don’t really remember the night and can laugh about it in the morning. It’s a bubble filled with Xanax and “she’s not that pretty in person.” It’s a bubble filled with EDM music and beer. What I’m getting to is that there is literally no substance to what goes on in greek life. If you don’t have someone you are super close to, it can be hard to find someone who is constantly looking out for you because they are in their own world as well.
I felt so separated from the girls I knew, and like nobody wanted to know me for me. I couldn’t sit down with anyone I knew and talk about music or artists or current events. Being in this bubble made me realize how lucky I am to have been born in raised in LA and that I’m able to appreciate things some people in Greek life don’t even think about. I started embracing that I wasn’t like anyone else or super involved because of my hobbies and my own personal struggles. I started focusing more on my art and less on being social and going out. Don’t get me wrong, there are some really awesome people you will meet in Greek life, and I’m sure there are some valuable lessons about sisterhood you will learn, but it takes a lot of getting used to and it isn’t easy.
Basically, I’m thankful for Greek life for showing me that I’m not going to conform to what people think is cool and for showing me how awesome it is to embrace that I’m my own person. Also, hierarchy isn’t cool and it never has been, and that really hit me once I realized how sad it is to see girls screaming at other girls just because they are younger. I’ve never been one to put myself on a pedestal but this really showed me how important and beautiful it is to treat everyone and anyone as your equal.
This is what I’ve experienced, and everyone’s experience is pretty different. For some people, Greek life is the best thing thats ever happened to them. It’s not black or white, but depending on where you go to school, the possibilities are endless. It’s not all bad, but its definitely not that great.
Rihanna wore a cream silk Prada robe adorned with pretty pink marabou feather sleeve cuffs — and now we all want to wear Prada feather robes to the club. You may not be hittin’ up a Met Gala after party in yours, but you can still wear it dancing or poolside or even on your couch so your lazy Sunday has a touch of baddie elegance.
It’s only been a couple of months since we saw Rihanna rocking the lewk on the streets of New York, but now the style is becoming available for all the broke bbs who want to channel that signature Ri-Ri slayage all while looking like a vintage Hollywood darling.
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Rihanna’s robe, which also comes in blue, will cost you your soul and $1560. Luckily, the internet has swooped in and saved the day by bringing you cheaper and thottier options.
This robe gives serious RiRi Bitch Better Have My Money vibes. Sure she’s wearing a fur coat in the video, but feather and (faux) fur are in the same family. Both are fuego and have that too-glam-to-give-a-damn vibe. In this robe, you will feel confident enough to send that long time coming Venmo request to your friend who has never paid you back a day in their life.
It’s not floor length and theres no bright pink marabou feather, but it’s minimal feather design and black color is what makes it perfect for when you want to be low key, but the most extra version of low key you can be. It’s sheer, but it could be paired with high waisted underwear and a strappy bra top and BAM, you’re ready to party with celebrities or meet your friends at the sketchy after-hours happy hour — whichever.
This is the epitome of functional elegance. It’s a rift off the over the top, big sleeved, long trained robes Hollywood starlets would wear while crying into their big bulb vanity mirrors. The difference is you can actually walk in this one — and you can eat late night Chinese food without worrying about dropping your ridic sleeves in the chow mein.
You can also find some actual vintage style robes similar to Ri-Ri’s and these on Etsy.
Salma Slims is a female rapper who proves that a diva is a female version of a hu$tla. She’s letting the world know that you can look the part of a goodie-goodie but still rap harder than a guy can. Her newest project, 100 Racks, just released, and Salma tells all about what her music is all about.
Where did you get your inspiration for your music?
Well for my first project, Ghetto Girl Dream, I became inspired because I went from 0 to 100 by working a 9-5 job and eventually making it to where I am now. I used to live in Atlanta but wasn’t really pursuing my dreams. I moved to LA six months later, and now I’m going on tour with crowds of thousands of people watching me perform. I wanna prove that you can do anything you want, and I’m not gonna stop until I reach my goal of people everywhere knowing my name.
What is 100 Racks about?
100 Racks is about me living paycheck to paycheck back before all of this happened. You know, people get paid every two weeks on a Friday, and there’s two types of people. Some people save their money, and other people spend all of it the next day. And repeat it all over again. I was always the type of person to wild out and spend my money and have fun. Paychecks will always be there, but life is about doing what you want and enjoying it.
Do you feel any intimidation from the music industry for being a female rapper?
It’s a male dominated industry, so when they see a female come out and she can go hard, it’s unbelievable for them. I haven’t necessarily received any backlash, but I do get a lot of shocked reactions. They’re always like, “Salma, you look so sweet! I didn’t know you could rap like that.” You know, as a female, you shouldn’t have to look or act like a guy in order to be taken seriously as someone solid in the industry. You just gotta have your style and people will love it.
Who are your inspirations in terms of female artists?
Female empowerment is so important in hip hop. When a female is stepping onto the picture, she always blows up because she most likely has something new to bring to the scene. Think about artists like Lil Kim, Eve, Foxy. They inspire me because they always have groups of men behind them trying to steal the spotlight, but they work hard to make sure nothing gets taken from them.
Who are your biggest style inspirations?
I love TLC and Aaliyah. Oh and Da Brat. I met her a few years ago at a studio in Atlanta. She really inspired me because right after she got out of jail, she worked hard to become who she is now. She told me I was so young, so dope, so refreshing. She told me to keep going and to never stop. She said my time is gonna come and that she saw a lot of potential in me. More than just being a style icon, she is an overall inspiration for me.
What was it like growing up in your household?
Surprisingly, I wasn’t allowed to listen to a lot of music growing up. I started liking music when I was in school, and I would hope to listen to the next hot song that came out while being around other kids. My mom didn’t take my music career too seriously until she saw things happening for me in a girl group that I was in. My family eventually became more supportive of my career, and I now have lots of support from them. Now I just feel driven to keep putting out the best stuff possible.
What do you want people to think of when they hear your name?
I want people, young girls especially, to feel inspired. I want them to be inspired to follow their dreams and to go after what they want. I want them to think that I’m dope!
Take a look at Salma’s newest project, 100 Racks, here:
The light bulb went off in my head over a year ago, when I was reading in Daily Mail that Kendall Jenner got a small white dot tattooed on the inside of her finger. That was it — tattoos became mainstream.
Now, we know the famous girls who have been adorned, but what about the badass female artists behind the designs on their skin?
Meet Michelle Santana, one of the most prominent female tattoo artists in New York, which means anywhere, basically. I had the pleasure of sitting down with her to talk about the ways in which it hasn’t always been easy to climb to the top of the tattoo game. It turns out the world of tattooing isn’t so different in presenting obstacles than the rest of the many male-dominated industries of today.
Michelle Santana knows first hand what it feels like to experience sexism in the tattoo industry. While badass artists like Kat Von D have def brought female tattooers to the forefront, girls like Michelle have for sure had their fair share of battles to get to where they want to be.
It all started when the owner of a shop that hired Michelle told her he hired her for personal reasons.
“He basically told me that he had only hired me because he wanted to be with me,” Michelle said. She quit the next day.
This was in Amsterdam, where Michelle moved after growing up in the country of Colombia (despite being born in America). Contrary to her powerful philosophy that having the same arms and hands as any male tattoo artist should never hold her back just because those appendages belonged to a woman, she slowly realized that even though she knew she was as skilled as any man, the dudes coming in to get tribal tats would probably still look at her funny.
Being raised by a powerful woman, her grandmother, she grew up knowing she could succeed as a woman, not even thinking twice about rising to the top even though she knew the industry she wanted to be in had a scarcity of female icons. Other than Kat Von D, how many female tattoo artists can YOU name?
Despite being set back, Michelle did what any power babe would do: she let her talent speak for itself. This even includes rising to the top floor of the tattoo shop she works at, West 4th Tattoo. Before Michelle, there were no female tattoo artists on the top floor of the studio, or even female artists for that matter. Now, Michelle’s station is next to that of her mentor, JonBoy. You may have heard of him because he’s tattooed, well, basically every celebrity you follow on Snapchat or Instagram.
Michelle’s drive has taken her from Colombia, to Spain, to Amsterdam and then New York. Speaking of which, New York is still a city that Michelle admits doesn’t have a plethora of female tattoo artists like her. But after interviewing Michelle, I think it’s safe to say this is definitely not the reason she shines so brightly. That glow comes from her willpower, passion, talent, and her insanely chic hoop earrings.
Whether you’re tired, hungover, or just introverted, sometimes when there are people in your lair you just don’t want to deal with them.
One way to cope with this is to stack your apartment, dorm or house with coffee table books. Not only are they pretty, you could even learn something! And the true beauty of a coffee table book is that it can start a conversation or even inspire ideas and projects.
May these inspire you to start your own collection!
First of all, this book is a must-have for everyone who is having any type of sex. It’s a sex-positive, inclusive, accurate guide to the human body and sexuality. It’s so good that it’s even used as a guide in college health and sexuality courses throughout the country. It has loads of illustrations, short passages for a quick-read and debunks a TON of tragic myths we’ve been taught about sex. It will definitely start some interesting conversation. Pick up the most recent edition (yes they update their material yearly).
Straight from the amazon page itself: “Anonymous Halloween photographs from c.1875–1955—truly haunting Americana” this collection is bizarre, to say the least. Halloween costumes used to be really fucking scary and obscure. It’s the stuff of nightmares. I mean, they’re so weird that David Lynch contributed the forward. So there. Pick it up here.
Just a few weeks ago I visited his exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Denver, CO. He primarily shot 35mm film and polaroid, and let me tell, this shit is raw. He has this way of capturing punk rock, sex, life, queer culture, and all the messiness in between. Others try to replicate but few even come close. In this collection of work, the photos are taken from the 1998 – 2003 in downtown New York City.
Get it here y’all.
Marilyn Minter’s collection is fantastic, colorful, grimy, glossy, and at times, gross. Her ability to work with her subjects in such a unique way is why I love this book. Whether it’s a photo of poprocks on glossed lips, eyelashes dripping with orange soda, or sequined toes, Minter uses her subjects in a way that leaves the viewer uneasy but wanting more. I love it.
Pick it up here, babes.
Okay so this one is hella dark and not for the weak-minded. This book gives us a brief look through the eyes of a master criminal investigator by the name of Frances Glessner Lee. She (yes, she) founded the Department of Legal Medicine at Harvard in the 1930’s and set the bar for detective training with visual evidence that is still used today. She then created a dollhouse with scenes (to be interpreted by detectives-in-training) which was shot by photographer Corinne May Botz and published as a collection. The photos are eerie, dark, and surreal. If you’re not careful, you can forget for a moment, that the scenes are just rooms in a dollhouse, and not real life.
Get it here.
always
flo’s Santa ❤
#HoHo
allofme
J’ADORE DIOR
