“If Male Chauvinist Pigs were men who regarded women as pieces of meat, we would outdo them and be Female Chaunvinst Pigs: women who make sex objects of other women and of ourselves.“

I recently finished reading this book, which was recommended to me by a talented genius girl friend a few years ago. This was back before I fully adopted the “feminist” label, but I had plenty to vent about regarding the the glaring injustices and inequality of life as a female. However, I had SO MUCH to learn about the atrocities still occurring daily in different cultures; in my own culture – such as the sex trafficking epidemic in the US; the vile injustices of the past (comfort stations, insane asylums, etc.); and much, much, much, much, MUCH more.Since then, I’ve obviously made it a point to become far more informed on the extent and prevalence of degradation and abuse in the world (in everyone’s backyard, for that matter), and I’ve delved deeper and deeper into the psychology behind the injustices and attitudes that grated at me.   It wasn’t until somewhat recently that I fully learned and absorbed the definition of the phrase “raunch culture”… I wish I had known it sooner to accurately describe exactly what I’ve observed about our society since youth (and others seemed baffling-ly blind/callous to) which makes me sick and frankly, f*cking angry!

I wish I had read this book sooner to be able to give a more informed & respectable answer to my mother-in-law when I was put on the spot one night at the bar. She basically said to me, ‘Why are you a feminist? That’s old school… We don’t need that anymore… We have been empowered to dress like a slut if we want to, be in porn if we want to, etc.’ But I fumbled and gave a lame answer suggesting my concern was more about insecurity with the threat of competition… I tried to redeem my credibility later, but it’s uncertain whether that impression can be redeemed. Regardless… Would it make a difference? She is one of the very women that the book describes as feeling we are empowered because we are “sexually liberated”… Or are we?

Female Chauvinist Pigs analyzes what has lead up to the “porno-ization” of our culture; the status quo (a bit dated, c.a. 2005… there would only be a larger number and more horrific examples if it were newer); and how it impacts all of us – men, women, transgenders, lesbians, teens… It draws attention to the commercial push of raunch culture and the dumbing-down of ourselves and our sense of sexuality as a result. It outlines what lead to the existence of different types of feminists and why they contradict each other’s goals. It points out the distaste that women convey for  other women; the way they turn themselves into an enemy of their own gender in order to protect themselves. It of course analyzes the psychological reasoning of a female chauvinist in her justification of her lifestyle, in that she is “Uncle Tomming” it to get ahead.  It covers subjects on teen-hood which I was most definitely affected by as one, and which partially defined the course of my life thereafter: The standard expectation of girls to sexually perform without regard for their own satisfaction ; the pressure to be sexually appealing as a girl (whether you actually want sex or not) because it gauges self-worth; the desperation most girls feel to be the “hottest one” with all of the attention, and the confusion they have in defining their own sexual identity (sexy vs sexual) as they are “blitzed with cultural pressure to be hot, to seem sexy” but “have a very difficult time learning to recognize their own sexual desire”.

Here is a particularly interesting topic for Mistress Ravine’s young female audience: “In total, this country has spent nearly $1 billion on abstinence education since 1996… By any measure, the way we educate young people about sexuality is not working. We expect them to dismiss their instinctive desires and curiosities even as we bombard them with images that imply that lust is the most impressive virtue. Somehow, we expect people who are by definition immature to make sense of this contradictory mishmash. Our national approach to the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy is predicated on the assumption that teenagers will want so badly to maintain their purity for marriage – despite the fact that half of their parents’ marriages end in divorce – that they will ignore their own hormones, ignore the porn starts on MTV and all the blogs and blow jobs on the Internet, and do as their teachers tell them. Unsurprisingly, teenagers are not cooperating with this plan.” (Excerpt from Chapter 5, Pigs in Training)

“As of 2005, federal funding was denied to all public schools except for those advocating abstinence until marriage. Consequently, a disturbing percentage of young people are equipped with nothing but G-strings and Jenna Jameson to guide them through the roiling sea of hormones they are entering, and all of the attendant dangers of STDs and pregnancies that are its sharks.” (Excerpt from Conclusion)

There is a LARGE variety of interesting points which remain unmentioned. It presents objective viewpoints from a variety of types of people. Although the author may have her own agenda, she seemed very willing to immerse herself in situations, such which she would disagree with, in order to obtain an informed picture and viewpoints from other types of people themselves.  While the book is not ALL-encompassing, I commend Levy for managing to touch on such a variety of elements contributing to the bigger picture. It would take MANY separate books to really extensively cover the details of every subject presented. I think because this is an “easy read” that gives a well-rounded look at so many areas, it’s a good book for anyone to start with. I think it’s important that people of both genders are exposed to this sort of information; these issues cause problems for EVERYONE.

Now, if my previous articles are any indication, I enjoy being incredibly thorough in my perception on anything I am passionate about and presenting to you. This is because I often find that I focus on points neglected by others. However, I am going to restrain myself and strive to be a little more concise because I have very little time, and insisting on all articles being a vast undertaking has only hindered any updates (my last post being made a year and a half ago… ouch). Besides… why write a novel about why you should read a book?!

If you wish for further specifics on content, Amazon.com has a number of very detailed Customer Reviews that I would recommend having a peek at  (such as the highest rated one titled The Empress Has No Clothes).

Personal note on pole dancing: While I disagree with the book’s repeatedly negative portrayal of the art of pole dancing as equating to stripping and “spinning greasily around a pole”, I understand why it is referred to in this matter within the context. The book was specifically discussing scenarios in which pole dancing was being used in the stripping manner, or as part of women desperately attempting to achieve the pornified ideal by embracing the “stripper-chic” influence that has infested our culture. The majority of us would refer it as a “stripper pole”, and automatically correlate pole dancing to stripping. HOWEVER, I am a pretty conservative feminist, I loathe pornography and stripping, and yet pole is one of the many forms of dance I practice.  The book itself asks, “Why would [a woman] want to be on that pole herself?” I can assure you that while many women follow the less-than-respectable reasons in the book, those are not mine. Pole dance is similar to ballet in technique, it’s acrobatic, requires legitimate training and skill, and while embracing sexuality in it’s style it does not mean the dancer has to be sexualized/objectified. It doesn’t have to be performed as body-selling, onstage, for married men and “loophole” women… It can be reserved for the comfort of a studio or your home simply as a way to meditate, de-stress, tone up, connect with yourself, connect with your sexuality, and perform for friends or a significant other if you’d like … but it should always be primarily for oneself, and not because you’re trying to please another. The book itself discusses how many young women are clueless to their own sexuality; so if someone finds a classy studio that teaches pole dance vs. “cardio striptease”, this could be a way to help them learn to be comfortable with embracing their own body, as well as their sexuality as one of their many facets of themselves as a multi-dimensional person. (I wouldn’t be surprised if such a respectable sort of studio didn’t exist or was extremely rare when this book was written.) Lastly, I do not ‘only express my sexuality by spinning around a pole’; rather it is one of my ways express it; in this case combing two of my pre-established passions: the passion I already have for the art of dance, and my own embraced sexuality. This goes to show that while the ideas the book presents are often correct, you cannot always fit people into a specific category… For I am most definitely NOT a female chauvinist pig.

The entrancing “Hung, Drawn & Quartered” will be released on May 26, 2010, with the launch party being held the same day at The Hanbury Ballroom, Brighton. Facebook Event | Myspace Blog

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Preface

The dark cabaret band named Bitter Ruin was presented in Mistress Ravine’s Artist Spotlight in September of 2009. You may want to read that artist spotlight for an introduction to Bitter Ruin prior to reading this review.

(I’d like to note briefly that Bitter Ruin is, as I write this, opening and performing multiple shows with Amanda Palmer, and because of a volcano of all things! They had been trying to get Amanda’s attention and approval to perform with her for a while! A review of someone’s first exposure to Bitter Ruin is posted here, and it’s right on the nose… especially the part about “gooseflesh”, which they never fail to give me! Also, The Sun reviewed the duo saying that Bitter Ruin ‘stole Amanda Palmer’s thunder’! It’s no doubt that by now, Amanda has noticed them in a big way! Read that review here.)

This is a very personal, opinionated review, and it will likely come across as biased due to the fact that I’m already a fan. However, I want to assure you that my taste in music is wide and I would not exaggerate my praise, I would rate them 3/5 if they deserved it… but they don’t. I hope that you will investigate this band further and find out for yourself that they really are that phenominal.

Analysis

The masterpiece “Hung, Drawn & Quartered” was recorded in just 2-3 weeks while snowed-in with the producer of The Dresden Dolls, Jason Rubal. While credit to his work is certainly due, it is clear based on their previous releases that Bitter Ruin does not need a popular producer to be incredible. If you have listened to them previously, you’ll know that their style and talent were well-founded prior to working with him. It is wonderful that they had the opportunity to work with someone that would “get” them and allow them to remain true to themselves.

It’s almost hard to believe that this album was created in such a short timeframe. Of course, Bitter Ruin was working on the songs prior to recording, and they shared them in video diaries for fans to help in song selection beforehand! And that is one thing that stands out as special about many bands in the dark cabaret and similar genres… they want to involve and be involved with their fans. They embrace the beauty of collaborating on art and follow through with providing the feeling that their music gives, which is “you are not alone”.

While Bitter Ruin obviously enjoys entertaining, I certainly believe that entertainment is far from their only goal. It is obvious that Georgia and Ben of Bitter Ruin are passionately venting, that they have been tortured in some way. This is especially apparent to anyone who is has been hurt, is empathetic to those who have, and/or is dissatisfied with the present state of affairs. It is clear that the album will appeal to such people foremost.

I personally believe that the people who would most greatly appreciate this album are people who 1) have a lot of experience in life (not meaning a certain age necessarily), 2) are passionate, artistic, and open, 3) have musical experience and a keen ear for technique.

Some say this album is not for everyone, and that some people will feel it’s depressing, harsh or weird. Bluntly, some people don’t want to care about issues, and they are lucky enough not to have been through deep pain in life yet. It is understandable that people want to enjoy life and to be happy, but this does not mean they should shut themselves off to depressing things, or only be concerned about what’s popular to be concerned about at the moment. Besides, it is a very simple way of viewing it, as “depressing”. Like I mentioned earlier, the album and the band actually give a feeling of “you are not alone”. The music is actually uplifting to many instead of depressing, because it illustrates issues that are very real, very common, and some that are extremely ignored. Frankly, people really need to give a damn and to appreciate talent.

What I am about to say is similar to what I mentioned in the Bitter Ruin artist spotlight… At the vocal skill of a lot of the most popular music today could be sung by any one of thousands of high school students. It is catchy because of some gimmicky lyrical content, or catchy beat, but quite obviously vocally unimpressive (or even vocally repulsive). I am not so closed-minded as to hate all of this music and shun all of it, and realize that there are some amazing vocalists in popular music as well. However, I complain when people shallowly limit themselves to this, calling anything better and meaningful, “weird” or “depressing”. Also, discarding Georgia and Ben’s obvious skill and unique quality because of this simple view is a huge slap in the face. I feel that not only can these people still enjoy the big talent of these two and be entertained by this theatrical album, but that if they are exposed to this album and listen intently, they may have an epiphany. It’s possible that it will give them a different perspective and cause them to wake up to the issues of the world… be broken out of their box. You can’t ever make everyone care, and be empathetic, but there can at least be many more that do care and are open than there are now.

Anyway.. rant aside… I’ve listened to this album repeatedly, and it’s a powerful one that ran intense emotions through me. Feelings of awe and amazement, esteem for the artists, of intense joy, of agony, of hope, and of inspiration. If you want your music to make you feel, this is the album for you. (If you want your music to be a fad, I pity you, and you may look elsewhere.)

Bitter Ruin’s video below summarizes a lot of what I’ve felt and wanted to tell about them and the album, as well as expands upon some of my comments. What’s important is that I wrote about them before watching this video, and I am happy to know that I perceived them as they were trying to express. Check it out!

Track Dissection

Here, I will offer my first-hand feelings and interpretations of some of the songs for the purpose of self-expression as well as for others to later compare to. It is interesting to see how a song can personally be applied different ways in one’s life. Please do not let my interpretations prevent you from having your own! Also, please keep in mind that these are only my thoughts and feelings, and that the band may have had a completely different idea in mind when they made the song.

Track 1

The album un-apologetically begins with “Chewing Gum“, which was released on their self-titled CD as a live version. With only a brief build up from soft humming, the song quickly expresses tension and frustration with outbursts. During the song, Georgia shouts, “Get it out! Get it out! Get it out!” and the chorus harshly sings, “Mother you’re wrong, that FUCKER’S not gone he’s here in my bed dying, rotting away, just smell that decay, while you’re all asleep I’m crying“.

What I personally take from this track, especially based on the feelings and words of my friends who have these experiences, is that this person in the song is a victim of abuse. Victims often have trouble completely recovering from the mental and emotional effects of any type of abuse. They try to go on with their lives, however the effects of the abuser seem to haunt them. The person in the song sounds to me like they want to escape this haunting, and they are told they’re safe now by their mother (and possibly others), but they are still agonizing the same. They cry while others are asleep because they are expected to be fine when it’s over, and they may experience repercussions if they show otherwise. “Not again, not again, not again, I’m not broken“.

Track 2

I found that the album alternates between faster dramatic songs and slower ballads. The second track, “Soundproof Box” is incredibly beautiful and heartwrenching. If I understand correctly, Bitter Ruin actually borrowed Regina Spektor’s piano for this recording!

A literal meaning of the song can be applied to a ghost that is unable to interact with a loved one. However, an alternative take on the song brings you into the feelings of unrequited love… Imagine loving someone with all of your heart, and yet no matter what you do, there is no response to your touch, your words… possibly because they refuse to be with you, or because they have grown cold and distracted, or because they themselves are actually dead. Truly loving someone and having no control to have them is one of the most painful experiences. That’s the meaning I soak in when I listen to it, and the one that I feel is particularly saddening.

Track 3

“The Dancing Dolls of Porcelain” is my probably favorite song on the album. It is fast and ferocious! Ben and Georgia’s vocals are powerful and beautiful, they harmonize fantastically, and Ben really plays his acoustic on fire!

Anyone who has experienced the financial strain of the economy, and the crying out of the world’s condition, should be able to relate to this song and it’s passionate fury. It presents frustration and a feeling of, “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!” and the ways we are forced to live under such conditions. I fell in love with it ever since I first watched Georgia and Ben perform it on YouTube (below). It wasn’t even the official album recording, but it sounded so fucking great! I think seeing/hearing the unofficial version really helps demonstrate their vocal skills, especially Georgia’s vocal acrobatics. Watching their facial expressions when they sing it also shows the sort of acting and passion that goes into singing such theatrical music. Check out the video below, in which we get to see their silly sides, learn about the song a bit, and watch them doing a live recording of the song:

“A Brand New Me” is another slower song, and it is both desperately sad and yet empowering. I greatly admire a part of the song with Georgia showing off soprano skill and singing very high and soul-piercing notes… it sends pins and needles all over me! The way she sings “a brand new me” lower at the end of the song also sounds beautiful, and at that part I think it sounds like Christina Aguilera’s voice (which I would mean as a compliment).

Taking the song at face value, the story is a victim falsely accused of a crime, imprisoned, and the true felon eventually getting their comeuppance. Taking it this way alone is tragic.

I do not mean to sorely distort the meaning of this song, however, I could not help but apply my own deeply personal experience to the lyrics. Memories and feelings come flooding into me when I listen to this song. What it reminded me of was an anguishing relationship with someone who refuses to tell you the truth about their wrongs, leading to painful confusion and self-doubt. The song does not directly mention confusion, but it does say she “can’t sit still” during this “waiting game”. For me and anyone I’ve known in a situation of wavering trust, it drives you crazy with confusion and anxiety… until you ‘lay defeated and cry repeatedly’.

“And you can claim upon your mother’s life that you are in the clear, the jury will pin the blame on me.” Those particular lyrics really struck me, like my soul created this song, as silly as that sounds. You see, I was with a liar who promised upon his father’s life that he was not lying about doing wrong, though the details of the evidence were undeniable… And who do people like his friends and in general (“the jury”) “pin the blame on“? The “crazy” girl of course, ignoring what she’s driven crazy by. This is a very common treatment to girls in relationships. And in abusive or manipulative relationships, the women in the relationship is often blamed, and that’s what makes it even more difficult to get help. “I know that you know the lie, and I know that you know there’s details you cannot deny. So I’ll lay defeated here, and though it may take many years, you’ll come clean.” Well.. As for my story, it’s been about 5 years and he has yet to come clean as far as I know. However, shortly after that promise he made on his father’s life and his breakup with me, his father did pass away. And I did “come out the other side a brand new me“. I went on with life, and became stronger and better than I ever was. “So hide my little sheep. But do you hear me howling at the moon while you sleep? See I’m a restless soul, and I’ll creep around your house until the stories all fall out of all the closets you’ve been hoarding them in all these years.”

Track 5

“Stand to Attention” – “They are only human like you and I, so who are they to tell us who to be? And why do we follow them and cry when we stand to attention?” This song is fast and another frustration venter… I, for one, yearn burningly for a freedom from many of the responsibilities, obligations, and rules that are controlling my life. Just as Georgia mentions in the EPK video, rules are not always a bad thing. Rules are there for protection many times. However, certain rules can also be bad for you, causing undue stress, physical pain, etc. Kids think that when you become an adult you’ll be free, and while life can drastically change upon adulthood and you gain freedoms, many of us are finding that we’re just bound in another way. There are so many rules that are nitpicky, unnecessary, are there because of someone else’s failings, etc… they make life harder. The lyrics more specifically represent to me the things that we are forced to do by not rebelling, when we really would prefer to escape and hide if we had the courage. “I had a bullet, had a gun, but victimized my courage gone.” Many of us are finding that we’re too scared to try to change these things. But then there’s a part in the song that is very encouraging and sends pins through me again… “And they shot, and I hit, and things I can’t live with, all pushing me harder to grow. But had I not been through this I wouldn’t be witness to a strength many can’t claim to know.” It really is an epic song.

Track 6

Struggling to hold on to love… desperation…”I find myself wanting to scream out loud, and spurt violent outbursts resulting in fear.” When listening to “Deficiency of You” for the first time, I suggest preparing yourself if you listen to it alone, or with headphones on… Ben’s whisper is startling! What I really love about the beginning of this song is that when listening with the ear of a vocalist, I could hear Georgia using her voice in probably 20 different styles! She’s a fucking pro! On top of that, Ben’s vocals really shine in this song, he sings strongly and fluctuates fantastically. Then during the song, it’s like their voices are dancing with each other. It’s not just that they can sing and play the guitar incredibly, but they compose with such expertise as well. When the song builds up to the burst of “Come home to me! Bring back the world! Take hold of me before I am cold!” it’s incredible! I think it really draws out the feeling of desperation in this song of which the meaning is clear.

Track 7

“Limp” is a disturbing tale of suicide, first commencing in a dream, and impending in reality thereafter. I cannot say in itself any particular part of the song stands out to me as a moral of the story. However, looking at the scope of the whole album and it’s focus on various plagues of relationships, especially the negligence in the track prior, one could assume that this painful occurrence could ensue. As with all of their songs, Bitter Ruin does a marvelous job of acting by matching the style of their singing with the story, singing dreamily, softly, viciously, etc. in the appropriate parts.

Track 8

“Outrageous (Rubal Mix)” is the only song included from their last release “We’re Not Dancing”. I reviewed this track in the MR artist spotlight saying, ““Outrageous” has highly skillful and impressive vocal fluctuation from Georgia. Their name seems very fitting with this song as it comes off to me as deliciously bitter. I enjoy the sense of empowerment that she portrays at the end with lyrics such as, “He’s the one that needs to be scared”.” This version of “Outrageous” is slowed, tweaked, and polished to improve upon the already great song. I think it definitely flows better the first two times Georgia sings “Outrageous”, ascending the scales of notes instead of descending them like in the other recording, and later in the song.

This song is more likely about abuse. The lyrics in the beginning seem to emphasize the insanity it would take to understand the abuser and says that they (the presumed abuser) “are alone“. The lyrics of the chorus say “those pretty eyes can be pretty green, and see that pretty mouth can be pretty mean“, showing that as charming as this person may seem, he has issues of jealousy and verbal abuse at the least. The song really speaks for itself from there, but I’d like to share these lyrics more than I had before: “I tiptoed around you like a ballerina cause I was naive, but you made me murderous, viciousness showed itself in me. It drew out a venom I’d not known about cause he was alone. Yeah he took it out on me and I took it readily. While surviving this attack I soon learned how to battle back. And I can’t say that I know myself anymore. And I wont say that I can be repaired. But I know I know I’ve learned from the trials I was made to endure. And now he wont cross me, I’m angry and he’s the one that needs to be scared!”

“Hung, Drawn & Quartered” unfortunately ends there, at 8 tracks total. My only complaint about the album is that it’s not longer, and leaves one longing for more. Hopefully, with the release of this album and their fantastic success with touring with Amanda Palmer, that void will be fulfilled by the opportunity to see them live… only time will tell. It is clear that these are no amateurs, and they should be widely known and understood. Please keep an eye on them on their Twitter or Facebook, which they update very often, to get news as soon as possible about buying this album.

A former Miss Argentina named Solange Magnano tragically passed away in November 2009, leaving behind a husband and twins. Cause of death? Liquid had traveled to her lungs and brain (a pulmonary embolism) while in critical condition for 3 days following cosmetic surgery on her buttocks. According to a fashion designer and her close friend, she received surgery on her breasts the year prior. In 1994, this woman won the Miss Argentina crown without either of these procedures, but that wasn’t enough apparently. Argentina is one of the world’s top cosmetic surgery destinations, more and more foreigners are visiting the country to find cheaper cosmetic “enhancements”.

Then of course there’s the seemingly phony sweet attitude of former Miss California, Carrie Prejean, who “was raised to believe that marriage is between a man and a woman”, took a religious vendetta against gays, and then was revealed to have made a sex tape at 17 20 and be counter-sued by the pageant for the not-so-secret boob job that they helped her pay for. (See CBS News Article.) (I know many wonderful homosexual people who are far more moral than that!) It was also reported that Prejean asked the individual she had sent the sex video to if he would say it was sent three years earlier than it actually was,^[1] though I’m not sure if that’s proven.  Keith Lewis, the executive director of Miss California USA and Miss California Teen USA, also released a statement later regarding her controversial Larry King interview, saying,  “The public is finally getting a glimpse of the real Carrie Prejean who lives in her own delusional world…The childish behavior, her negative attitude, the sarcasm and condescending tone, the disrespect and continual lying she is demonstrating now is only a fraction of what we endured during her reign and after.” ^[2]  Of course… I don’t know what else they expect from a participant of these dog-eat-dog flaunting parades.

The aforementioned article about Venezuela mentioned that ‘ it is said there are as many plastic surgeons as there are dentists’ in the country. It said that the Miss Venezuela Pageant has an official plastic surgeon. He did procedures of half of the finalists and is quoted as saying, “We polish the misses, we don’t change the misses. The beauty is in the girls since the beginning, and my work is only to polish that beauty.” However, the women who have had the procedures done are conditioned and coached not to reveal such. Contestant Adriana Vasini said, “I think the most beautiful thing of a women is the things that she never tells”… but why? Why is it more attractive for a woman to pretend that she has been “perfect” all along?

It is a common idealism for a woman to be mysteriously beautiful. Many people, both male and female, would prefer not to know what has gone into being “beautiful” and are very willing to hold all women to a standard of beauty regardless of how it is attained. They love a celebrity, and then hate her the moment they see her “without her face on”. I’ve seen similar articles to this one on other websites, and people were so threatened by this different way of thinking, they left many hateful comments and accused the writer of being insane.

An ideal of a beautiful woman is preferred regardless of whether it is natural, or if a woman needs to risk her life, inserts dangerous foreign objects into her body, and cuts away at her flesh to do so. A most common response to the issue would be, “She did it to herself, she didn’t have to.” This response is completely insensitive as to just how strong the pressures of the world are, and how unfortunately damaging to a person’s life it can be not to conform to these ideals if they don’t find the right friends/associates. This is not to say that every woman suffers when she gets plastic surgery. Some enjoy it immensely and are very prideful about it. But the psychology behind that still needs to be considered.

I think that because of influences surrounding them through the years, at least some men are subconsciously scared that women will lose their sex appeal if they’re at an equal level with men. Something about women being so different appeals to them, although at the same time they may criticize women for not being more “manly” in some ways …Others are less complicated – they’re just misogynistic bastards!

What is the true purpose of a beauty contest? More pointedly, what is the point of one, if it simply depends on how modified a woman can afford to be? Or on how well she can act and speak exactly the way someone else wants her to?

This is not to say I hate or disapprove of all beauty enhancements whatsoever. I feel that makeup is an artistic expression that can accentuate and increase the aesthetic appearance. Shaving or lazer hair removal, or NOT, a woman should just do what makes her feel comfortable. I am a bit of a fashionista and I know that clothing can be just as artistic and accentuating as makeup. There is more, but my point is that these things are quite insignificant as in respect to modifications. Makeup can be washed off, hair can or cannot grow back, clothes can be taken off… and usually these are not life-endagering.

A former college professor in the Venezuela article said, “The feminist revolution here was very particular, because in no way did we ever get to that point that, in order to win women’s rights, you had to abandon femininity… which happened in some other countries, where women would consider the fact that they put on too much makeup or spent too much time on their hair, that would mean that they’re in some way giving up to the macho side. That was never an issue here — women won their rights and they kept on being very feminine.” As a feminist, I certainly have never felt like I had to be more manly/macho to be strong. And I think that it is true that in some cases women have felt the need to “act like a man” to show their strength, but it is also likely that often what is conceived as expressing manliness is, in some cases, just a woman choosing to be comfortable instead, and possibly prioritizing more substantial things with their time. I recall an article in the past that was talking about the singer Amanda Palmer, which was not trying to be insulting, and it called her “butch” because they knew she’s bisexual and was sitting with her legs spread apart at a play rehearsal. I thought to myself, “She’s not butch! She’s just being comfortable, being herself!”.

Also, if the women in Venezuela really have won their rights, then why is there so much plastic surgery going on? Why are so many of the people that work with the contestants and quoted in that article male? Feminism/women’s rights is a funny thing, because it can go two completely different ways. Either a woman does not have enough freedom to be sexy, or she has plenty of freedom but chooses to express it based on the desires of others. Mistress Ravine tries to find a balance of embracing sexuality, while encouraging to do so with class, style, respect, and caution.

Though this is looking at a much broader scope than the primary subject of this article, and definitely something I’ll need to expand upon in another sometime, one thing I’d like all to consider is this: One of the most evil men to ever live, Adolf Hitler, believed in the superiority of the Aryan race. He believed that everyone in his country should be the same ideal race, and he did not just force out those who didn’t meet that criteria, he brutally murdered them. Now… This is of course on a lesser scale, however: If women are subjected to ideal appearance, which is based on genetics, and are deeply persecuted and underprivileged based on it, , are not the persecutors like Hitler? And in my opinion, and I mean this with no disrespect or insensitivity to Jewish or any other race/religious people,  the atrocities and torture that women have gone through for centuries due to their gender in general must either equal or surpass those crimes. Keep in mind that, no doubt, almost every form of prejudice or the torture, has included women, and therefore those women received a double-dose of persecution.

I digress… It seems to me that if a woman is going to compete about her beauty, cosmetic surgery modifications should not be allowed. It seems silly to even compete about beauty in the first place, considering it depends on genetics, economical status, etc. It’s not like we’re animals or produce that were specially bred/grown to be the best in a county fair! Yes we can be raised and train to be proper, hygienic, stylish… and they can serve a greater purpose of inner satisfaction than just to be beautiful. However, I really question the appropriateness and motivation of these pageants anyway, and of course there are many more contests like this in the world including women than men. Honestly, I believe the whole system and purpose of a contest like this should be changed, with more focus on true talent and intelligence, and more on what can be done with makeup and clothing alone. However, in the end, IF one is to compete with their beauty, it makes more sense to me that they do it naturally, BOTH physically and mentally.

Sometimes it’s easy to lose hope, seeing all of the pain and misery happening regularly to our fellow woman. 1 in 6 women are a victim of either attempted, or completed, rape, according to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN). Read more shocking facts about violence here.

Click here to read an article about Women’s Day and see a heart-moving photo of Indian women rallying. (Frequent horribly violent acts against women in India include: acid throwing, bride burning, eve teasing, female infanticide, and more.) I hope that all of the women pictured are safe!

Peace and stability “can only be achieved with the participation of women as equal partners with men.”, says The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Personally, I feel it would be more accurate to say, “with the worldwide acceptance and treatment of women as an equal part of  humanity with men.”

Women should be respected as human beings, not treated as inferior, weak, stupid, or sex objects! It needs to be acknowledged that women have the right over their own bodies, to decide who does not touch it, and who does.  And I wish that they can be broken free from idealism of submission, or being treated as only child bearers or house cleaners. I wish that they could break free from society’s stereotypes of bitchiness and nagging.  And from the expectancy of a perfect appearance, because it is viewed as the roll of the woman and her body to be beautiful, mysterious, eye candy. (Mistress Ravine strongly believes that if beauty is not treated as a feminine thing, and men take care of their appearance in same way, men and their bodies can be just as beautiful as women.)

Yes, many men are sexually abused too, and their pain should not be discredited because they’re “supposed to be stronger”. Yes, men can be victims of negative stereotypes as well, often relating to stupidity.  Yes, some men are treated unfairly because other men make them look bad, and make it difficult for them to be trusted. Yes, some women are rapists, or use men only for sex.  We know there are horrible people of both genders. Mistress Ravine is not man-hating (with the exception of the criminals and assholes that deserve it)!

HOWEVER… People everywhere need to recognize that prejudice and violence against women IS more prevalent than with men and has been for AGES.

No, men and women are NOT equal in the sense that they are scientifically made up differently. The they they think and feel is different… but each offers something important to the world! There are many great accomplishments in history form both males and females!

Who ever decided that one should dominate the other? It’s ridiculous! It doesn’t make sense! Yes, I know some would attribute it to God’s will, while others would say it’s ingrained in us because we evolved from animals and that’s how they work. But that just sounds like an excuse to me. Wherever humans came from, we all should take pride in being the only creature in the planet like us. As far as we know (and depending on the person), we have more intelligence and emotions combined than any other species in the world. We should feel a sense of responsibility to be the best we can, because we have the consciousness to want and be able to! We have so much potential!

I wish that the treatment of women would finally change, a complete and permanent shift. It seems almost impossible, I know… but I can’t be complacent, I can’t help but care. I know that one day, Women’s Day, is most likely not going to change the entire world (without something unexpected and phenomenal happening). However, it lights a small fire of hope considering it has seemed as though no one has been paying attention to these issues.

(Thank you @acidcherry for making me aware of Women’s Day!)

The “Lolita Tea Party – Victorian Vampires: A Lacy Nightmare” was an RSVP-only event on the last day of the convention. They were so nice to allow me to enter to photograph the party. Thank you! I got a lot of great shots, and the attendees were very kind and all looked fabulous!

If you like the unique styles that these guests expressed, I recommend that you pay attention to the composition of their outfits. There are a lot of ideas that anyone can glean from them in order to coordinate your own ensemble. At the same time, I recommend that you incorporate your own flair into your attire, not just copying, we don’t need more goth-loli clones (or any kind of clones). While you can appreciate aspects of certain fashions, you don’t need to feel like you need to stick to every “rule” of a certain style… you’ll just become a canned stereotype. Choose what you enjoy, feel comfortable with, and know looks good… and lastly, PLEASE recognize the line between “trashy” and “sexy”… have self-respect!

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Lovely lolitas waiting for the party to begin!	Glad I got to shoot them in the sun to capture their vibrance, but not so long as to burn!	These pretty dollies are staying out of the cruel sun, smart plan!	The darker route is taken, most definitely a vampire
	I like this punk/victorian combination, with the plaid and the corset. (Corsets never get old to me, and you’ll see they were quite popular at this event.)	Looking stunning in this loli-maid style outfit, loved it!	The attendees descend the stairwell to check-in
	Ladies Greeting the Guests	Waiting for Tea	Waiting for Fun
		The lovely Miss Deep with Dollfies	Guests Sweetly Admire a Dollfie
			A refined vampire impressively bears his wings and.. claws? Oh my!
Who would suspect? What beautiful fangs!		Sharp and Elegant	A Variety of Styles
Forlorn? Scheming? Such mysterious looks…		Picturesque Maido & Itsuji (maid & butler)	Fashionably Late
	Party crasher???	Volume my hair will simply never obtain	LOVE this beautiful shot! I noticed that the hat is a more elaborate version compared to others I’ve seen, I love the coloring & details… Anyone know where I can get it?!
I love the genuine grin on the left girl’s face, so cute! Also, it’s amazing how much a simple bow can compliment features!	Gackto Adjusts His Hat. Check out his shots in the J-Fashion article!
We took pics of each other taking pics! I have yet to see hers… Take a look at her portrait and her part in the J-Fashion show!	Stunning. The contrast of the hair, eyes, and lips really makes everything pop. See her working at a booth in this article!		Wonderful table of dollfies at the tea party, they’re so beautiful and photograph so perfectly!
Amazing	I love this bold and somewhat androgynous outfit, & the ace of spaces card is a nice touch
For some reason, this young lady reminds me of Nicole Kidman. I hope that’s taken as a compliment!		While not of the highest extravagance, the party did have some rather elegant decore
Gotta love the lace tights, not to mention the black and red colors always work in my book. Vibrant hair! Very pretty completely.	Teal by itself is not that great, but for some reason when it’s combined with black it becomes beautiful	I like the train on the back
The way the design of the sleeves on this dress makes a skull to match the bow is very cool	Admiring this beautiful corset, I hope I didn’t make this girl too uncomfortable. She looks beautiful, and the orange hair looks really good with the black attire.	The Lolita Tea Party Staff	*Applause*
	This is beautiful, the blue butterflies make it look so enchanting.	A male with corset pants, VERY nice!	Contributing to MR’s stand that males can be beautiful too!
		Close-up for a sake of focusing on the beautiful elaborate tapestry-like pattern of the dress.
	Gorgeousness	Aww, my camera kept whiting out her face! ‘Tis a shame!	Another shot that the butterflies makes look incredible, along with these ladies’ beautiful style.
Adorable	Mikoto wears such pretty wigs! See another in the beginning of this article.	Mikoto & Miss Deep. Catch Miss Deep’s stunning cosplay in this article.	Have we seen these two before? Why yes, in the J-Fashion article Pt. 2!
			Made of Candy?
	Calling everyone up, let me games begin!
	Fine Servers
Low quality photo, I know… but I got an artistic mood from it that I liked, so I kept it!		Everybody moving to the games!
Ball passing game? I was paying more attention to getting a photo!	I REALLY like this dress, I haven’t seen one quite like it (keeping in mind I do look at a lot of unique clothes too). I wonder if it was purchase, or if she made it?		His vest had sort of a mini-corset and I thought that was a nice touch for a guy. One may feel a whole corset is too feminine, but this style retains more masculinity to it.
	Love the hair color & complimentary accessories, gloves, & arms of the dress	Puttin on the Charm
Pretty hair! I like the use of a veil as well.		Well-done hair and make-up, as well as a fine choice in attire. See him selling his art in this article!	This one looks ready to feed!
The toliet paper mummy game!	Eeeep!
		Action shot!
LOL…			This was one of my favorite outfits, a nice quality corset and I really like the tights
Another of my favorites, frilly yet sophisticated

Now then, I do apologize for not obtaining the names of all of the artists featured here. It being my first time covering a convention, instead of a concert, there are many bits of information I didn’t think of obtaining. PLEASE comment if you know anyone’s name or more information about the art they create, I’d be more than happy to add it!

This first photo is from a booth selling the art they drew, offering commissions I believe. Despite the fact that this young woman pictured below was surrounded by a huge crowd (and my distracting photography), she was able to immerse herself in her own world of drawing… and she was doing it very well, it was very respectable.

From what I recall, this booth below was a separate booth from the one above. The art you see is by Gladyfaith Abcede, a 20 yr old girl, and I am delighted by the professional quality of her creations. She makes pictures like the ones you see, and I’ve also seen some of her fan fiction manga (which is basically like anime comics, I guess you’d say, for anyone who is not familiar with it) which looked like real manga! Nice work!

Below is a handmade hair bow that I purchased at a booth. I LOVE the colors, as well as the accents, so it was a must-buy. I think it’s beautiful and somewhat unique (compared to what people around me usually wear), and when I wore it I got a LOT of compliments!

Unfortunately I do not have any information on this gorgeous lady below (other than that she attended the Lolita Tea Party – which I’ll be posting photos from soon),  or the kawaii (cute) item she is holding. Sorry! What I can tell you about the gentleman is that is holding one of the stickers that he was selling. He drew original characters, as well as chibis of the J-band The GazettE. Of course my being a fan of male beauty and their visual kei style, I really liked the stickers and hence I know more about his items. More of his sexy art can be found on his DeviantArt account, click here. He is also offering commissions!

The type of dolls you see below are called “Super Dollfies”. They are the larger-sized version of the “Dollfie”, which is a highly-poseable hybrid of a fashion doll and action figure, coming in many variations of height and scale. They are designed in a style which is both realistic and influenced by anime, and most models are anatomically correct. They’re really made more for adults than kids, they are not a toy! I have a beautiful pair myself that I commissioned Cyn Shephard to create based on photos of my husband and I, as an anniversary gift. (Photos from the beginning to end creation of mine can be found here. ADVISORY: Doll nudity, and be  careful with your speaker volume, there is music by the band Skybox on the page!) There is a unique art to custom painting, rooting hair, and designing elaborate outfits for these gorgeous dolls.

The girl that’s cut off on the right side of the picture below had many incredible drawings that she shared with me, & I hope to see them again! (Hey, if you read this and you’re still interested in a web designer, contact me! I’d still love to work with you! Not to mention see that pic that looks like my hubby again. :p)

I know I could have covered more and I apologize to anyone whose hard work isn’t in here, I was just running around and meant no disrespect. However,  I hope this has helped show someone out there who hasn’t been to anything like Saboten-con that there are ways they can start on a path to becoming a professional  artist! J-cons are a fantastic opportunity to “see fruits of your labor”, express your talents, as well as to spread your wings and network with other artists.

As some of you may know, Mistress Ravine is a huge supporter of talent, particularly for art in all forms: music, painting, clothing design, culinary arts, photography, poetry, etc . I want to strongly urge everyone to embrace a passion in having talents and to take pride in your abilities, because it improves life’s quality. It’d be nice if more people could support themselves off of their own creations, take pleasure in their work.

It’s something I am trying to do progressibely, and if I had even known that there were subcultures all around that I could sell my drawings at when I was in high school, I think that maybe I’d have tried a little harder and be living off of my art now. One mistake that I made, a typical one of a teenage girl, was concerning myself far too much with finding my man instead of building up my talents. Girls, don’t make the same mistake I did, because it’s a waste of time and you really need to enjoy your life! I know that’s the kind of thing you usually hear from a mom, but I’m still pretty young (23).  I just really want to help people  see that you’re more important than all of those love games… Love should not be difficult!

Anyway, I digress… I know that this can give some people ideas on how to get their art out there, but I also realize not everyone who reads this necessarily lives in an area that is rich in subcultures… Some of you live in rural areas. Don’t give up if you aspire, because the internet is also a huge network to work with, especially with DeviantArt, Myspace, Twitter, Facebook, Cafepress, Zazzle, etc! Of course, chances are that if you aspire to be an artist and live in a rural area, your intention is probably not to stay there! So, do what you can now online, and expand later on…

As for me, maybe I’ll have a booth one day myself at a Con! Until then, I can’t wait to see what other wondeful creations the talented merchants at the next ones have to offer! Thanks for checking this post out!

Next Article: Gallery of the Lolita Tea Party – Victorian Vampires: A Lacy Nightmare

Anyway, this one is more of a gallery with commentary. In the 3 articles I’ve posted about Saboten-con so far, I’ve gotten points across on some of the subjects that I was passionate about, and I still have 2 more to post: One regarding the many admirable talents that were there, and the other about the Lolita Tea Party.

When I mention “J-Con Fashion” in the title of this post, this is referring to something different than the J-Fashion show. Almost every attendee of Saboten-con dressed up, many cosplaying as characters from anime or video games, and others wearing awesome outfits expressing Japanese-influenced style (which is what “J-Con Fashion” refers to). Many of these people looked amazing and worked very hard on their outfits/costumes. Whether they simply attended, participated in the J-Fashion show, entered in the Masquerade, or dressed for the exclusive Lolita Tea Party, the majority of them were very aesthetically admirable.

Although some average people would consider the attire too outlandish either way, there is a difference between the outfits that ideas can be taken from and used in every day in life, and others that really are only costumes for special occasions (cons, Halloween, etc.). That’s why cosplay pertained more to the Masquerade, and it was not in the J-Fashion show. However, I think it best to assume elements can be taken from almost any attire regardless, for a creative and unique look wherever you want to have one.

Without further ado, I present to you the cosplay & J-con fashion gallery, followed by videos from the Masquerade!

If anyone can provide names/information, please comment! Also, please feel free to grab your pic(s) and post on Myspace, Facebook, or Twitter!

Day 1

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	Mikoto, she designs Lolita clothes, and according to her husband, they’re being sold at the amazing store Cherry Frequency, which sells original handmade art, clothes, and accessories!	Beautiful wig!	Frenchie and Kay (I would think it’s “Kei”, but she spelled it as “Kay” *shrug*)
		Cosplay as Tamaki Suou from Ouran High School Host Club	Cosplay as Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII
		Lovely Lolis
	Cosplay as Honey from Ouran High School Host Club	Cosplay as Kanda from D.Gray-man	Chancis before the Yaoi PJ party that didn’t really happen… Nice use of a wedding dress! I’ve done so myself, you can get them for cheap at places like Savers or Goodwill and wear them somewhere random, it’s fun and head-turning!

Day 2

I love the flourish designs on this dress.	Cosplay as Kanda from D.Gray-man. I was glad she did this again so I could capture the Kanda ponytail :p	Yaya Han cosplaying as Mulan	Miss Deep as Ciel Phantomhive from the manga/anime Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler). This was one of my favorite cosplays, it’s gorgeous!
This girl was mic testing via comedy routine… I now have it ingrained in my head that her family eats ramen and cake all the time, haha		Cosplay as Inuyasha	Frenchie as a zombie, though I think it’d made a good Battle Royale cosplay
			Yaya Han in the judge panel for the Masquerade
Prize winners	Allan is his handmade costume Umehito Nekozawa the Black Magic club President from Ouran High School Host Club	JouninK as Fran from Final Fantasy XII.	I was very impressed by this, as risque as it was. It has a warrior princess/bdsm/victorian feeling to it, I really love the legs especially!
			Susan Giralde as Zero from Code Geass
		Cosplay as Inuyasha
LadyKeelah as Haruko Haruhara from the anime FLCL		Kara as Princess Euphemia of Code Geass	I was impressed with the fact that the person in this costume moved in it very realistically!
	Kick-ass prop!	Cosplay of Howell of Howell’s Moving Castle	Kyle cosplaying as Cross Marian and Kristen as The Grave of Maria from the manga/anime D.Gray-man. This award-winning cosplay was one of my favorites, very beautiful and well-done!
Miss Deep giving an award to Elaina as Joker	Award winners		Cira, MC and lead singer of Kitsune Robot, loving the “light sword”
Kay/Kei?		Cosplay as Axel from Kingdom Hearts II

Day 3

†Itami-Hana† as Lulu from Final Fantasy X and XII			These pigtails are so pretty!
Super80′sDemon as Hizumi, the singer of D’espairsray	This is one of my favorite photos & outfits, very visual kei.		Cosplay as a character from D.Gray-man… who? I do not know…
Mikoto & her husband James the photographer (and their son on the left)		This young lady said she was Misa (from Death Note). I don’t recall Misa having weapons, but she looked great!
Beauties	This was actually an outfit for the lolita tea party, I caught her beforehand.	I really like the Victorian influence, and of course the corset	Cosplay of Near and L from Death Note, munching as usual
Very cute, love the boots	Love the contacts	Cosplay as Lenalee and Lavi from D.Gray-man

Videos from the Masquerade

Miss Deep cosplaying as Ciel Phantomhive from the manga/anime Kuroshitsuji (Black Butler). This was entry number 7 in the Master Division

Mikoto cosplaying as the Four and Twenty Black Birds Spirit from the manga Bizenghast.

Kara cosplaying as Princess Euphemia from the anime Code Geass. This was entry number 16 in the Journeyman Division

Okei (sp?) cosplaying as Yoshi from the Super Mario Bros. This was entry number 19 in the Novice Division, and it was pretty ridiculous, haha.

This a cosplay of the Puppet Doctor from the video game Silent Hill. This was entry number 23 in the Novice Division

Valerie cosplaying as Szayel Aporro Grantz from the manga/anime Bleach. This was entry number 24 in the Novice Division

This was pretty epic… Final Fantasy cosplay, “The Funk of 40,000 Years” with Jeremiah as Loz from Final Fantasy Advent Children, Marissa as Rinoa from Final Fantasy 8, Jamie as Yuna from Final Fantasy 10-2, Anna as Riku from Final Fantasy 10, and Raphael as Cid from Final Fantasy Advent Children. This was entry number 25 in the Novice Division

This a cosplay wedding skit of characters from the anime Code Geass. This was entry number 26 in the Novice Division

Mitchie cosplaying as Sophie and ? (please let me know the name!) cosplaying as Howell in a skit derived from the anime Howell’s Moving Castle in which Howell proposes to Sophie. This was entry number 31 in the Journeyman Division

Kyle cosplaying as Cross Marian and Kristen as The Grave of Maria from the manga/anime D.Gray-man. This was entry number 32 in the Novice Division

Wonderful!! Kuro Censored Tsugi (sp?) presents “The Noah’s Ark Circus” cosplay show with Elaina as Joker, Tori as Dagger, Alden as Peter, Cheryl as Wendy, Mellisa as Doll, Spence as Beast, Alison as Snake, Nikki as Stagehand. This was entry number 35 in the Journeyman Division

Kingdom Cubed cosplay with LynaLee as Demyx, Zetsuluv as Vexen, and LoliZexion as Zexion from the video game Kingdom Hearts II, to the Nightmare Before Christmas’ “Kidnap Mr. Sandy Claws”

Honey Allstars: If anyone has correct names/spelling of names, please let me know! Monica as Kaito, Mariah as Hasunemiko, Candice as Kageminae Len, Tailar as Teto, and Stacy as Akita Neru

The judge panel for the Saboten-con Masquerade awarding the contestants with prizes.

Next Article: The Abounding Talents at Saboten-con 2009

Vic Mignogna is a voice actor and musician who has lent his vocal talents to an impressive number of anime series, movies, and video games. A list of these can be found in his Wiki article and on Anime News Network.

Some of the parts he’s done that I personally enjoy are: Dark Mousy in D.N.Angel, Tamaki Suou in Ouran High School Host Club, Takenaga Oda in The Wallflower, Fai D. Flourite in Tsubasa: RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE; as well as parts in Hell Girl, D.Gray-man, School Rumble, Steel Angel Kurumi, Red Garden, Paradise Kiss, Trinity Blood, etc.

Vic was in multiple panels and autograph sessions at Saboten-con. I had the opportunity to attend his event on Saturday, scheduled for 3pm-5pm.

Vic is a very animated and passionate man, which shouldn’t really be surprising for a voice actor. Something that did surprise me about him is that he is quite religious. As you’ll see in the following videos, he did speak quite a bit about religion. However, what made it rather interesting is what he talked about: the subject of closed-minded church members who discourage other members’ honest-hearted service. I never had the intention of speaking about religion much, if at all, on Mistress Ravine. However, this topic is really about a lot more than faith and a lot of people that like MR’s dark style would often relate to being anti-religious because of these reasons.

Video of Vic discussing church, anime, and Jesus rockin’ off peoples’ socks!

Being treated that way is a problem that I personally dealt with on multiple occasions when I grew up religiously, and it’s one of the major reasons I am no longer active. I tried very hard to do right in my congregation, just like Vic, but I was shunned because of things like my gothic-influenced style and my non-religious father, while the other girly-girl who  had a  father in a high position in the church was treated like a saint, when she was  actually a  phony vapid liar.

While it’s true that there are many animes out there that are disgusting, purely fan serivce, misogynistic, involving demons, violence and gore, etc., there is also a lot of anime doesn’t fall into those categories. I can’t say I have problems with gore, violence, or demons, however I personally hate things like fan service, unashamedly zooming in on boobs and butts, completely disproportionate breasts, ridiculous excessive bouncing of chests, etc… it’s so completely objectifying and unnecessary. Vic says he tries to avoid bad anime and also acknowledges he is not perfect, no one is. I know that Steel Angel Kurumi is pretty fan servicey and he briefly voiced a bully in that show, yet I do have it in my collection because I find the anime amusing. I often have very little to no tolerance for that type of content, and in fact I have watched it just 1 time since I bought it.

Anyway, I hope that by reading this and listening to Vic, others who are in that kind of situation can take some assurance knowing they are not alone and that they are not the problem.  You need to try to be strong and not let them make you believe that you are a bad or lesser person just because they don’t understand you and don’t want to try. The thing is, a lot of people like that are fault-finders, want attention, are often a lot worse in their hearts & head than you are. (Anyone familiar with the Bible may consider them Pharisees, as some overly strict people in a biblical account were labeled.)

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If possible, I would recommend that anyone in that kind of situation either finds another location to go to, or doesn’t go at all and remains religious by themselves. I know the latter is something that many churches would advise against, and a lot of parents wouldn’t allow, because they believe that support is important to remain strong religiously. However, if someone is in that situation, there is no support and they are better off worshiping unhindered! I would think that a God of  perfect understanding and love would not dislike you because of that, especially if you were strong enough to remain religious by yourself. That’s exactly what Vic said he did, gave up “that church, kind of organized setup”. It can especially be a painful, ongoing situation  for a younger person, who really has no way to go somewhere else or not go,  and often is under a lot of control of adults.  I know this myself because that is the situation I used to be in, and I did not leave until I was adult. However,  I was strong enough to endure, to be true to myself and be happy with the person I am, and that’s how you really need to be.

Afterward, things got more exciting and VERY funny. Vic had a box of his CDs to hand out, and while it was once again religious, I kept an open mind and appreciated the fact that he used his talents in an effort to make it an art and more interesting… he did a contemporary translation, voiced the characters, and played the piano for it.

Video of Vic talking about his CDs, Jesus with Dark Mousy’s voice (LOL), reggae Christmas, and more.

Because this next video’s beginning may confuse anyone who wasn’t there, let me explain…The next video starts in the middle of him answering a question about who else he would be alright with voicing his character from Full Metal Alchemist, Edward Elric, if he was not able to. The answer was basically no one, hence the violent explosion noises! Then he receives a princely crown, a rose from his own character from Ouran High School, does a vote for whether there will be autographing or more Q & A, and then discussed the seriousness of piracy of anime.

The way he described the situation of the thievery of anime really brought into light the seriousness of this issue, it’s very sad. The girl in the video asked about ADV Films, a company that despite being seemingly successful with a large catalog, basically sold all of their series’ to Funimation and closed down for now. (This was certainly not fun, since I was not able to finish filling my box set of The Wallflower.)

I know that we’re all in tough economical times right now, but stealing isn’t going to help the economy. If  you don’t support the artists that you appreciate the work of by buying it, some of them may never be dubbed for us at all, or even worse, they wont exist at all.  (I,  for one, am very unhappy with the fact that the last season of Kodocha was not dubbed.) This doesn’t just apply to anime, it applies musicians, video games, all types of art. One artist & musician whom I love supporting and truly respect, Amanda Palmer, posted a blog about how she specifically asked her fans for support, and why it’s not a bad thing. Please read it: Why I Am Not Afraid to Take Your Money

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So… although  I went to see Vic because I thought it would be entertaining, and I frankly wanted to enjoy the novelty of meeting an awesome voice actor who voices pretty boys (which I did!),  this ended up being an experience that really made me consider some important issues, and I wanted to share it with others to encourage evaluation of these subjects. Many people are living life obliviously and taking things at face value… they’re barely living life.  I also hope to, through this website, help others to grow to think deeply about and analyze important subjects… to encourage people, especially young women, to make something of themselves and be substantial.  This also shows that a lot of wisdom can be derived from artists, who are some of the most passionate of people. Instead of viewing them as purely a form of entertainment, we should really get close to them and find out all that they can add to our minds and hearts.

Thank You Vic!

This was the 3rd article posted about Saboten-con 2009. Please check out the others and look for more soon!

Next Article: Cosplay, Masquerade, & J-Con Fashion at Saboten-con 2009

This is my second article covering Saboten-con 2009 in Arizona, click here to check out the first article about J-Fashion!

I KNOW, I know… A lot of attendees are eagerly waiting for their fantastic cosplay to be posted. Rest assured, it will happen… just not yet. It’s time to deviate from the topic of style and fashion and focus on my deepest passion… music.

Before I post the pictures and videos from the shows at Saboten-con, I want to talk a little bit about Japanese music for those who are not familiar with it… If you’re already a fan, you can skip the reading if you want!

Open Up to New Music!

Many of us in the US are completely oblivious to the amazing bands/artists in Japan. I myself definitely lived in a time where all of my musical choices were limited to mainstream American music. I was content with this and thought, “What’s the point of listening to music that I can’t understand?”. I also did not realize just how culturally advanced Japan is. I thought that no other country could have musicians like ours… But I was young and very naive.

I had to learn that, despite lyrics being crucial to my relating to a song, music isn’t always about my life relating to what the lyrics say. Sometimes music is about feeling a certain way, relating to the feeling of the song emotionally… it can serve as a type of therapy. For example, it can be eccentric and make you want to go crazy and party, taking you away from the stresses of life or allowing you to act a certain way that you may feel odd doing otherwise. Or music can rock hard and make you want to headbang, letting out your frustrations or making you feel like you’re not alone in them. Music can be atmospheric and beautiful, inspiring you and giving you hope.

There are many many reasons why music exists, so many moods it applies to, and that is why there are so many different genres to explore. I encourage you to be open and give music in another language a chance. Besides… Isn’t it worth it if you might find more to love in life?

Some of My Recommendations

I’d love to list all of the J-Music I like, but that’s too much, I’m still posting about the bands at Saboten here! The fashion article which came before this one did mention quite a few must-listens, which again were: Maximum The Hormone, Polysics, Dir En Grey, Gackt, Abingdon Boys School, T.M. Revolution, Nightmare, Versailles Philharmonic Quintent, BLOOD, Psycho le Cemu, Malice Mizer, the GazettE, & X Japan. Chances are, if you like Mistress Ravine, you’d like some of these bands. In addition, I recommend Aural Vampire, an industrial/darkwave band.

I definitely encourage you to check my recommendations out, but also to discover more on your own. Admittedly, a lot of the J-Music I love was discovered through watching a lot of anime. (I could get into a whole article on it’s own about why people should give anime a chance… and I’m NOT talking about anything like Naruto and DragonballZ!) One artist I am particularly fond of that I discovered through the anime Vampire Knight is Kanon Wakeshima, who is a truly talented young woman. Hopefully I’m not digging myself a hole for this one, but in my opinion I find it very sad that people are idolizing obnoxious minimum-talent pop “artists” in the US like Miley Cirus, when someone as gifted as Kanon deserves it! She has played the cello from a very young age, her voice is beautiful and she unconventionally sings WHILE playing the cello, she is multi-talented (she also draws), and her style is gorgeous! I just recently discovered that her producer is Mana, the leader of the ultimate goth-art-rock group Moi dix Mois and was the leader of the cutting edge group MALICE MIZER. Mana-sama not only produced Kanon’s album, but also oversees her art, fashion and music videos.

Kanon Wakeshima’s music video for “Still Doll”, the song that I first heard from her in Vampire Knight

Back to Saboten…

The bands that performed at Saboten-con 2009 were Toybox and Kitsune Robot. Although Toybox is a band that is based in Arizona, all three members come from Japan! Kitsune Robot is an Arizona band that plays covers of songs from anime, video games, J-Pop, & J-rock… and they do it VERY well!

I have less pics for Toybox than Kitsune because I arrived at Toybox a bit late, as I was in the masquerade, which I’ll be posting stuff from later!

Toybox

Toybox consists of the following line-up: Yo on vocals and bass guitar, Naoto on guitar, and Celica on drums. They’re a small band that rocks in a big way. They have a lot of energy and when they play they make you want to move!

Keep in mind that this was on Halloween weekend, so we had the pleasure of watching Toybox perform in costume! I am sorry the videos are so dark, the lighting was very low in that room.

Group Pics

Click to Enlarge… OF COURSE!!

Celica, Yo, & Naoto
Passion & Energy	Priceless Yaoi Shot!!! :p	Toybox showed lots of love to the fans, doing lots of hugs, pics, & autographs!
	Yo hugs Katrina, AWW

Video of Toybox performing “Whatever You Need”

Pics of Yo

	Not gonna lie... this one's kinda scary...	... but this one makes up for it!
Due to the constant pleas to "take it off"!			Sexy Lady

Video of Toybox performing “Double-Sided”

Pics of Celica

Bursting with Attitude	This one's adorable!	Very Pretty

Video of Toybox performing “Straight To Your Heart”

Pictures of Naoto

Look of Contempt?			I love this shot!

Kitsune Robot

Kitsune Robot’s members are: Cira on vocals, Pali on lead guitar, Dustin (aka Dastin) on bass, Charles on rhythm guitar, and Jordan on drums. I must apologize up front for not shooting a video of the amazing Final Fantasy medley that the members on instruments performed… they SHREDDED! This is a band full of extremely talented performers!

Regretfully, I don’t have posing pictures of the band like I did for Toybox… I let my tiredness get the best of me, as it was the end of the 3rd day at Saboten-con. I did at least get one of Cira before her fans swarmed in!

This is Cira singing a capella for a microphone when they were setting up for the Masquerade on 10-31-09. Until then I thought she was just some average girl and did not know she was from Kitsune Robot, and I was in awe when she started signing so beautifully! She sang longer than this, but I was too mesmerized to start recording sooner! Something that I recently discovered is that Cira has been performing in theatre and music since she was five. She’s a classically trained musician in voice and on cello! Not only that, she was the Convention Director for Saboten-con and the Costuming Director for Phoenix Comicon. A multi-talented and strong woman, CIRA IS AMAZING!

Group Pics

There some pretty similar pics in here.. Sorry, I have trouble letting go!

Pali, Jordan, Cira, & Charles	Dastin, Pali, Jordan, Cira, & a bit of Charles	Charles, Cira, Pali, Dastin, & a piece of Jordan	Cira & Jordan
Dastin & Pali	Jordan, Cira, & Charles

Kitsune Robot covering “Sorairo Days” from the anime Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann

Pics of Cira

The Stunningly Beautiful Portrait Shot
		LOL, Being attacked by the wind

Kitsune Robot covering “Don’t Say ‘Lazy’” from the anime K-On!

Pictures of Pali

Kitsune Robot covering “You’re Not Here” from the video game Silent Hill 3

Pics of Dustin (Dastin)

Kitsune Robot covering “A Little Pain” from the anime NANA… this was incredibly beautiful and tingle-inducing. Hearing it made me kind of nostalgic because NANA is such an amazing anime that really touches you, it’s one of my favorites and I highly recommend it!

Pics of Charles

Kitsune Robot covering “The Real Folk Blues” from the anime Cowboy Bebop. I prefer their version to the original.

Pics of Jordan

Congratulations and thank you to the bands for putting on fucking awesome performances! I hope that this article will help new people to discover you, and that I will see you perform again soon!

What’s in the next article? Voice actor Vic Mignogna! Check it out!

The J-Fashion Show

I was still getting used to be my camera and the lighting for the show was quite dark, so I apologize in advance for these not being of higher quality. I hope next year I will be bestowed the privilege of media coverage once again, and it’ll work out better! It was a wonderful experience which I’d love to have again. (I would suggest brighter lighting on stage and the crowd standing, instead of being seated.)

A lot of the information I have on styles and names is from the videos I shot… I tried to get photos of a lot of the models, so I do not have their information. PLEASE feel free to comment and let me know any information so that I can add it!

The show started off with Frenchie modeling her fashion “inspired by the anime Chobits
and visual kei”.

Quite honestly, as a critique I feel it would have been more appropriate to have played Japanese music during the fashion show. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed and am a fan of the music that was played… I just feel it would have been more atmospheric, given a more authentic feeling,  and shown appreciation to play J-music, since it was a tribute to their fashion. I think it would have been a great window to the musical talent out there, possibly helping some people here in the US to hear their music and broaden their horizons. There are some bands from Japan that rock just as hard, if not more, than the bands here.

Personally, I would have really enjoyed some Maximum The Hormone, Polysics, Dir En Grey, Gackt, Abingdon Boys School, T.M. Revolution, Nightmare, etc.. There are tons to choose from. Another cool idea would have been for music from the Paradise Kiss anime to be played, since that manga & anime are entirely about fashion design. (I wouldn’t have been too keen on music from any other anime being played for the show in general, because I feel that would detract from a more serious take on fashion… there were separate events for cosplay and skits after all.)

Song Ja aka Chi in her outfit by Cake Shop

I think the models in animal print did quite well. I am not a fan of animal print clothing, however they still managed to impress me despite that. Good job! It didn’t come across as gaudy or trashy like animal print often does, but rather it was fitting and sleek. Therefore, my fashion advice for the Mistress Ravine visitors would be to use animal print with discretion. (I also enjoyed the big intentionally messy and sexy hair on the ladies, a bold attention-grabber.)

Larxy modeling “Guro Lolita” (aka “Grotesque Lolita”)

This young woman has very pretty hair, accented nicely by her béret,  and I love her shoes.

Mikoto and Guernica modeling their version of the clothing brand “Takuya Angel”.

Kym in her outfit by Cake Shop, very nice. I really like her unique makeup.

Leexy’s (aka Bones’) style is a fantastic androgynous style, I wish I had captured the beginning of the description. “Not every girl wants to look like a pretty dolly. Some of us better prefer to remain in a world where gender means nothing, and over-the-top expression means everything.” YES!! FANTASTIC! That’s exactly how I wish more people would live. Then Britney models a “Wa Lolita”  dress with a purple and plaid trim corset. Gackto models his formal attire influenced by Japanese street fashion. Shiro models a Sweet Lolita style. Then Brecca?…Rego?.. (I’m sorry someone please tell me the correct name!) models an impressive edgy combo of visual kei and Japanese street fashion.

These next 3 models wore some of my favorite outfits of the J-Fashion show.

Bloomers are… interesting… but I really like the style of this outfit nonetheless, apart from the shoes.

Angelica wearing her piece-together “Wa Lolita” outfit. Elaina wearing an outfit inspired by “Takuya Angel” clothing brand. Spence wearing a “dizzying” combination of fashion. Larxy portraying visual kei. Mikoto wearing a sophisticated gothic piece inspired by H. Naoto’s couture outfits. Sherese wearing her handmade Lolita outfit.

Annabelle with a Lolita style (which kind? I could not make it out.) & Yusef with Kodona Punk, Kota with a sophisticated butler/Victorian dandy look & Jenny with a Punk J-Rock look, & all J-Fashion Show participants coming out for the closing of the show.

I was hoping they’d do this in the end, and I am glad they did, group shots are beautiful.

Post-Show Photos

This is one of my favorite outfits of the show as well, very complicated and intense… I love the lashes too.

Annabelle and Yusef, they have another of my favorite styles of the show.

This lady was actually in the audience of the J-Fashion show, but she looked so gorgeous and vibrant!

Elaina and Guernica.  I think this style has a very cyber-goth feeling to it… It’s quite possible that style originated in Japan.

Spence

Leexy (aka Bones).  Love it, especially the boots

Stunning intricate Venetian-style mask and jewelry! (Venetian (of Venice, Italy) masks are of course not Japanese fashion but they are very gorgeous.) I should have asked her where she got them…

I’ll always love the lace-up.

I made sure to get frontal shots of the models when I couldn’t during the show.

.. And the lace-up back of this lovely gown.

This is Yaya Han, who I am including in the fashion article because she is reknowned for her incredible art of cosplay and modeling. You can check out her portolio website here: AngelicStar.net (MATURE CONTENT ADVISORY!) A picture of her in Mulan cosplay from the next day will be included in the cosplay article!

And that’s it! It took me all week after Saboten-con to create this article, so I do apologize if my comments are more scarce and lazy in Part 2… I’m exhasted and I’ve been neglecting my family!

I really hope you’ve enjoyed experiencing this tribute to Japanese Fashion at Saboten-con, and that some people new to it will look more into it after seeing these photos and videos. Please leave me comments about whatever you want to say, whether it be feedback, critique, information to add, excitement, etc!

Please stay tuned for the next articles about the music, cosplay, voice actor Vic Mignogna, and talented attendees of Saboten-con!

Check out the next article about Japanese Music & J-Rockin’ at Saboten!