I havn't tried an Epilady since the late 80's. I remember it as a vibrating metal coil that left my adolescent legs bloody and spotted. I hated it. BUT, I'm excited about this new Epilady campaign. My friend/ acquaintance Karis is the new spokesperson. I met Karis when i was doing a video on Lucha Va Voom a few years ago. He's a phenomenal hula hoop performer. And she's one of those people who's graceful sensuality and beauty strikes you before anything else.
In the alternative world of couture, ever quivering for the next glittered teetering diva, trans-celebrity models such as Jeffree Star seem to be all the rage these days. But, this is EPILADY, not Tarina Tarentino. This is a product for the general masses, not the hipster elite. The ad actually does a little bio on Karis, which adresses him playing with gender ambiguity and being a female identified man. I think this is a big deal! They are putting this really dynamic gender representation out there to sell a product, and they are doing it in a way, that doesn't seem to greatly underestimate the viewer's intelligence.
To check out the whole flash ad, click HERE.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Epilady
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Transgenderd People are the Bomb: Get Over It
I keep having these 'conversations' with people who express to me their trans-phobia. Sometimes it's strangers who read my blog, but sometimes its close friends of mine whom I know are lesbian or gay, into gender bending & open minded about things in general. So it feels weird to me, that they would be SO uncomfortable around the issue of Transgenderism. I'm not saying it isn't complicated. Maybe that is why we as a culture are so threatened by Trans people, as brought to light by the recent murder of 15 year old, Lawrence King. He wasn't killed for simply being gay, he probably wasn't even having sex yet. SHE was killed for her gender expression, for not moving, dressing, or speaking the agreed upon role of masculinity. Trans people are a physical reminder of how complicated and unruly we humans truly are, how nebulous our inner landscape, how easily we might 'loose our way' from the rock steady institutions of all that is 'normal' and 'stable' and 'right' in the world. Heaven forbid!
For some people no amount of Feminist Critical Theory or Queer Theory or Gender Theory, queer fucking or Madonna Videos will make a difference in their bigotry. And for these people, I say... here, watch these Barbara Walters videos on Transgender Children...its a start.