Nichelle Nichols

Today in class we briefly talked about the ways in which popular media can influence cultural politics. I wanted to give a bit more background to the history of Lt. Uhura's character on Star Trek: The Original Series. According to the National Names Database, as a communications officer on the Enterprise, Nichols' character was the first black female to not be "stereotypically black -- a housekeeper or a nanny."

The NNDB also offers a thorough description of her interaction with Martin Luther King:

She considered quitting Star Trek midway through its first season, when her character had been given little to do beyond perpetually opening hailing frequencies. In one interview, she famously described Uhura as "a glorified telephone operator in space." Then, at a civil rights protest, she met Martin Luther King Jr. -- who told her that he was a big fan of Star Trek. According to Nichols, when she told King she was thinking of quitting the show, he was shocked. "Don't you know you have the first non-stereotypical role in television?" she recalls King saying. "For the first time the world will see us as we should be seen -- people of quality in the future. You created a role with dignity and beauty and grace and intelligence. You're not just a role model for our children, but for people who don't look like us to see us for the first time as equals."

Lady Gaga & Gay Women

Many of us know that Lady Gaga has been an incredible advocate for gay rights, but she has often been associated with gay male culture. I just found an article in B*itch magazine, however, that reads Gaga as an important figure for lesbian/bisexual/queer women. You can check out the article here.

Gwen Verdon, Bob Fosse, and Beyoncé Knowles

Today we discussed citation in class, and we examined Beyoncé's music video "Single Ladies" as an example of a commonly cited text. However, in my discussion of the history of the music video's citation, I forgot to mention something very important.

Knowles' dance isn't original. I don't mean to claim that Beyoncé is plagiarizing her moves, or that her choreographers Frank Gaston and JaQuel Knight ripped off someone else. The director and choreographers of "Single Ladies" are citing Bob Fosse's "Mexican Breakfast" in the video.

Fosse is a notable American choreographer who worked on musicals such as Chicago, Damn Yankees, and Cabaret. Fosse composed the dance routine for "Mexican Breakfast" in the '60s, and invited his wife Gwen Verdon (pictured above) to dance lead. The people behind "Single Ladies" are paying homage to (or, citing) Fosse's routine in their video.

Watch the original video here. Compare/contrast. Get excited about citation.

Who is Jo Calderone?

Since Lady Gaga's meat-kini cover of Vogue Hommes Japan is making headlines, especially after Gaga's meat dress and assorted accessories debuted at the VMAs, I thought I would post her opposite cover for the magazine. On this cover, we see her in drag... or perhaps I should say as her male alter ego, Jo Calderone. Lady Gaga hasn't entirely come out and said, "I am Jo Calderone." But there's enough evidence out there to see that it has to be the one and only Lady Gaga.

On top of the photoshoot, Jo Calderone did an interview with Jo-Ann Furniss, which can be found on Nicola Formichetti's (Gaga's stylist) blog. In the small interview, we can see that Jo is a simple Italian boy who has a passion for cars... and Lady Gaga as well!

Anyways, I just wanted to post this because I thought it was interesting. It got a few sites on the web buzzing for a while, but it didn't really spark a wildfire like the meat dresses, which surprised me since the main rumor that has been dogging Lady Gaga since 2008 is the "Is Lady Gaga a man?" rumor. Hell, even Barbara Walters asked Gaga if she was one on her "10 Most Fascinating People of 2009" special. I thought the drag cover would've made those skeptics freak out. But they didn't... So I'm left to wonder why Jo Calderone didn't make the headlines since, to me, it's a meatier (no pun intended) story than wearing meat.

Rachel Zoe & Motherhood

Whether or not you're a fan of the Rachel Zoe Project, there's been a very interesting plot about motherhood on the show this season.

For those of you who don't follow the show, Rachel seems uninterested in having a baby, while her partner Roger really wants to have children. In a recent episode, Rachel confesses that she's afraid of what might happen if she were to miscarry, and she doubts she'd be physically strong enough to carry a baby to term.

You can watch a part of the episode on Jezebel.

More from the Haus of Gaga

Lady Gaga's VMA outfit last night topped many of her previous clothing stunts. During the festivities, she wore a dress made out of raw meat.

Asked by Ellen DeGeneres, a vegetarian, about her choice, she responded: "It's certainly no disrespect to anyone that's vegan or vegetarian. As you know, I'm the most judgment-free human being on the Earth. It has many interpretations, but for me this evening it's [saying] if we don't stand up for what we believe in, if we don't fight for our rights, pretty soon we're going to have as much rights as the meat on our bones."

Bitch Is The New Black

I am, to put it lightly, a bit obsessed with Tina Fey. I was searching for Tina Fey, since I'm using her as my feminist text, and found an article/video on Jezebel. If you've never seen her "Women's News" segments on SNL's Weekend Update then you definitely need to watch this video.

Check it out here.