01 Sep
Arts & Culture

Singing a New Song

By Steven Philp It goes without saying that these are trying times. Yet it is in the face of crisis that humankind produces its best music, art, and literature; while grappling with adversity, men and women exercise their creative abilities to express anger, sadness, and—above all—hope that is both genuine and deeply felt. Perhaps it is the celebration of this latter sentiment that prompted MTV to add a new category to its annual Video Music Awards: “Best Video With A Message.” According to Reuters this award was created to “honor artists and music videos that featured a positive message or raised awareness of key social issues facing today’s youth.” Despite chart-topping performances by Pink, Katy Perry, Eminem, Rise Against, and Taylor Swift—whose songs addressed issues ranging from social isolation to domestic violence—it was Lady Gaga’s pro-diversity...

Continue reading

06 May
Arts & Culture

For Glee's Lea Michele, A Nose is a Nose is a Nose is a Nose

by Amanda Walgrove Last week's episode of Glee preached the self-acceptance of mother monster Lady Gaga's single, "Born This Way." Creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk used the hour-and-a-half special to cram in as many subplots as possible, advocating various avenues of self-love in coming to terms with sexuality, OCD, and physical imperfections. Revisiting a recurring reference of the show, Rachel Berry (played by Lea Michele) finds herself struggling with the option of rhinoplasty, even though her idol, Barbra Streisand, refused to go under the knife. The bossy, ambitious, and charmingly vulnerable Rachel gets served her own "Marsha Marsha Marsha" moment when she receives an accidental blow to the nose during a dance practice. Considering her deviated septum, a doctor suggests that it would be a good time for a "vanity adjustment." Donning an impressive schnoz of...

Continue reading

06 May
Arts & Culture

For Glee’s Lea Michele, A Nose is a Nose is a Nose is a Nose

by Amanda Walgrove Last week's episode of Glee preached the self-acceptance of mother monster Lady Gaga's single, "Born This Way." Creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk used the hour-and-a-half special to cram in as many subplots as possible, advocating various avenues of self-love in coming to terms with sexuality, OCD, and physical imperfections. Revisiting a recurring reference of the show, Rachel Berry (played by Lea Michele) finds herself struggling with the option of rhinoplasty, even though her idol, Barbra Streisand, refused to go under the knife. The bossy, ambitious, and charmingly vulnerable Rachel gets served her own "Marsha Marsha Marsha" moment when she receives an accidental blow to the nose during a dance practice. Considering her deviated septum, a doctor suggests that it would be a good time for a "vanity adjustment." Donning an impressive schnoz of...

Continue reading