LelliKelly: the 'world's worst commercial'... Ever?

My very discerning and opinionated digital native Generation Z niece, Jazzie, posted this message to her facebook page:

I found the world's worst commercial in Japanese or Chinese or Korean or something! (No clue what the language is. But apparently this is the WORLD's worst commercial. Ever.)

She goes on to say: I really, really love this.

So we are back in the PINK with LelliKelly, makers of crappy-but-sparkly stuff for young girls. (Check out all the grammatical errors at that website). There are so many problems with the LelliKelly commercials along every axis of race, class and gender (not to mention eco-awareness) that it's hard to know just where to begin. 

The girls in the ads certainly display an irrational exuberance, though, and their LelliKelly objects appear to give them access to an annoying-but-potent form of Girl Power. I can imagine their appeal, and the way it sets girls en route to those pink-striped Victoria's Secret bags. (The preteens want to be older, and the big girls want to be children again: it's an interesting tension that leaves them all back in those pink baby clothes – or does it? They do exude body confidence, but maybe it's the confidence that comes most easily when you are a spoiled babe?)

There's even a LelliKelly cookery book "with lots of suggestions and simple recipes made with seasonal produce plus invaluable nutritional information for a healthy, natural diet for all the family." Hmmm. What, no glitter or sparkles in those food items? Where's the fun in that?

Here is the video ad that Jazzie posted, and another in a German version. 

Following those, my own favorite LelliKelly ad, a parodic critique, perhaps the best kind. I have to say:
I really, really love this. 

But I also really, really love these boots. Your thoughts?

 

Santa Fe New Music presents "Pahayokee: A Plea for Life"

I would love to hear this concert on Thursday, February 25th, when Santa Fe New Music presents Pahayokee: A Plea for Life. The music is a dramatic environmental oratorio describing the current plight of the "River of Grass," the Florida Everglades. Composed by Jack Tamul, the work is a fervent plea to save one of the Earth's most unique environments. It combines traditional and sacred sound forms, the singing of baritone John Boehr, and ambient recordings of birds, frogs, and insects. The natural sounds are an integral part of the structure and impact of the piece, with the vocalist singing in and with the soundscapes of the Everglades.

You can hear some of the music at this link, learning more about efforts to save the "Foreverglades." .

John Boehr has sung leading baritone roles with many opera companies, including Austin Lyric Opera, the Minnesota Opera, and the Santa Fe Opera, where he sang a lead role in the 2007 Opera Trinity, written by SFNM's John Kennedy (my brother).

In 2008 Boehr performed Dandini in La Cenerentola with both Austin Lyric Opera and Opera Fairbanks. He  is currently working with the New York City Opera, covering the title role in Don Giovanni, and in 2010 will be performing the role of Tapioca in the Austin Lyric Opera production of L'Étoile.



Pahayokee: A Plea for Life is presented in association with the Santa Fe Art Institute; it is a benefit for the Santa Fe Conservation Trust. I know that my young nieces Jasmine and Jade (lovers of toads, frogs, and all forms of wildlife) will enjoy this; I'll look forward to hearing their impressions.


Pahayokee: A Plea for Life
An Environmental Oratorio
A Benefit for the Santa Fe Conservation Trust
Thursday, February 25, 7 pm
Tipton Hall, Santa Fe Art Institute
Santa Fe Art Institute on the campus of the College of Santa Fe
1600 St. Michael's Drive. Tickets: $25 at the door or through the Santa Fe Conservation Trust

On a Boat

Sav and her friends have been out on a boat, enjoying the spring weather. I especially liked these two images, of Sav navigating, and Mary with their canine companion. These photos go out to Jazzie and Jade!

Happy Birthday, Jazzie!

Today is the birthday of our niece Jasmine, áká Jazzie, daughter of John and Rozie, older sister of Jade. I remember vividly when Jazzie was born, as she had severe meconium poisoning in her lungs and the situation was very frightening. Luckily, she was in New York City, where she was transported to the neonatal intensive care unit at Columbia Hospital; her life was saved by a remarkable Chinese doctor and the team of specialists there.

Today, Jazzie is a dynamic young person, extremely self aware and tuned in to her surroundings. She is very poised, but has a wonderful wacky side, too. Jazzie is loyal, verbal, observant, has strong opinions and is not afraid of voicing them. One of her many passions is a fervent appreciation of animals (especially DOGS!) and I would not be surprised if she accomplished great things in her lifetime as an advocate for their welfare.

Jazzie began to read at a very early age, and has already written several novels. She plays the clarinet, has a beautiful singing voice, and was in The Language of Birds, the childrens' opera written by her father. She's a remarkable speller and takes her education very seriously – up next is a new school in late summer, a very exciting change.

Much love to you, dear Jazzie, from your relatives in Indiana. We're so proud of you, and hope this is the start of a fantastic year! (I think 11 is a wonderful age.) Here are some photos: the ones of Jazzie writing and walking on the rocks are almost a couple of years old already; the others are more recent and show how much she has grown.

The Outer Reaches of New Mexico...and Outer Space

My brother John and his family finished the Santa Fe New Music production of The Language of Birds, to standing ovations (here is a pre-show report from the Santa Fe Reporter's John Stege). Then they traveled to one of the more remote parts of New Mexico, near Datil, on the edge of the Cibola National Forest, near the Very Large Array.

Before I looked that up, I was imagining a very large array of rock formations: instead, this is a radio astronomy observatory that studies radio galaxies, hydrogen gas, quasars, pulsars, supernova remnants, gamma ray bursts, radio-emitting stars, the sun and planets, astrophysical masers, and black holes. Oh.

Our friends Cheryl Walsh Bellville and Don Hastings are building a house there. Cheryl is a photographer with a studio in nearby Magdalena. For years they've lived in western Wisconsin, where Don still maintains a business hauling hay and Cheryl documents life in the midwest and beyond (from a studio in St. Paul), often creating remarkable photographic children's books.

Cheryl just send me these wonderful photos of my family. She says "Your dad is looking through binoculars at the small mountain that rises behind our house. John and his girls have climbed to the top. They'd just walked out of range when I took this picture."

Santa Fe New Music Presents "The Language of Birds"

Rehearsals are in high gear for the Santa Fe youth opera The Language of Birds, written by my brother, composer John Kennedy, artistic director of Santa Fe New Music.

This two-act opera premiered in 2004 with the Sarasota Opera in Florida; it was showcased at the 2004 “Opera America” convention.

The Santa Fe production features a cast of some 70 young people from pre-kindergarten to age 19, working with a production and artistic team of international quality, and supported musically by a professional chamber orchestra. The cast is culturally, economically, and developmentally diverse, representing 17 schools and some homeschooled youth from seven New Mexico cities and towns, within four counties.

There are three performances this March 27 and 28 at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe. I so wish I was there! I'm grateful that my parents, Joyce and Wally, are going to see the show. Jasmine and Jade, my nieces, are among the cast members: that's Jasmine, above, with the gold headband, in the blue sweater; and Jade in turquoise. Their mom, Rozella Kennedy, is general manager of Santa Fe New Music.

The team effort, discipline, excitement, and validation offered to young people by an experience like this one are so valuable, with many potential ripple effects for their futures. The fact that their voices are taken seriously, that they work across a range of ages, and that they anticipate the ephemeral thrill of real theater is something they won't soon forget. It helps them integrate and coordinate many skills, from song and dance to memorization, presentation, set design and production values. And it's so much better than just watching endless reruns of High School Musical, in its various incarnations! Here, the kids are up off the couch and in their own opera. How often do they have an opportunity like that?

Election Day Morning

Good morning! I'm up early, and want to post a few things as a morning almanac, marking this huge day. We'll be going from the ridiculous to the sublime here, with some good stuff to help you pass the hours before hitting the streets with whoops and hollers tonight.

Here's a fun arts and crafts project: fold your own finger puppets of the candidates. The projected winner is here.

My brother John sent over this relevant old Onion piece: think about how far we've come.

Hey, WTF? Sarah Palin as herself on Saturday Night Live last night, talking about how she'll need to shut down the comedians after January 20th, as part of the "Palin Doctrine". Hmmm...not so funny? I think they got her there! Here are a few more places where Sarah takes the fall: this video of Palin as copywriter of her own media demise, and the wonderful Palin-as-President (God Forbid) Oval Office Interactive Playspace. (Thank you, Jean!) And here's a link to the Neiman Marxist Sarah site: what would YOU buy with all that wardrobe money?

What about that global electoral college? Jean also sent me to this nifty website, If the World Could Vote, now making the rounds of countless personal blogs. Gallup also explores this topic.

Here's a recommendation from Michel, in Berlin: "an essay by the political scientist James Fowler about why people vote (in the context of a longer discussion about why they vote Republican). It thinks of the vote not as something discrete that works additively but as a dynamic social act. Really interesting and relevant today more than on any other day."

I really liked the message I got from Barack directing me to the video at his site today. It made me teary-eyed. I traveled from that to the Huffington Post, where you can see other tears marking the path to this day, and also watch a beautiful video of an elderly volunteer who was able to meet Barack Obama. There's a lot of other good stuff at the Huff Post today, including this insightful piece about the quality of the campaigns by Mitchell Bard.

I have to put out a shout of thanks to David Blackwell, who played Billy Bigalow in the first cast of Carousel at Bloomington South. As a sailor in the second cast last Saturday, he tore off his shirt in the song "June..", to bust out an Obama Change logo as tattoo on his back. It was a great moment on stage in the tipping point state of Indiana! Let's hope we tip it today.

Best of all, here are photos from my niece Jade, she of the hearty YAY! This is her bedroom door, with homemade Obama signs. I'm including a sweet picture of Jade, as well as one on the rocks at the North Shore in Minnesota, with her sister Jasmine and cousin Savannah. Jade and Jazzie are the same ages as Malia and Sasha, daughters of Michelle and Barack Obama.

Okay, off to the polls! Please write a comment today about your own trip to the voting booth; I'd love be able to host a little archive.

P.S. I'm back from the polls – it only took 54 minutes: YAY!