Listen to Lupe Fiasco's speech.

Lupe Fiasco discusses thoughts and actions that music can motivate.

Hunter Bridge Magazine

The Hunter Online Magazine
The Hunter Bridge

Skin Deep: Part 1: Beauty as an Industry

Skin Deep: Part 1: Beauty as an Industry

What is beauty? Where do we get our cues as what is and is not beautiful? Are they all engendered by internal factors or have our views of beauty been manipulated and molded?

Skin Deep: Part 1: Beauty as an Industry is a preliminary exploration of the business behind what is considered beautiful. Certain images are consistent and prevalent in many forms of media, many which are not healthy or even realistic.

Musicians who promote healthy, positive ideas are often also-rans, especially in the hip hop genre.

This video will lead us into the next parts in an attempt to get to the root of how and why the commercial industry constantly promotes these distorted images of beauty.

The Aware Feminist Magazine

The Aware Feminist Magazine is an online publication dedicated to raise awareness regarding how images of women are portrayed in many different media outlets and the effects they have on younger female audiences- their participation in an epidemic disease in particular.

Founded by Lenis Lozano, The Aware Feminist Magazine offers different aspects of young females who have become affected by the media and the current actions they take to cope it while assessing their own images. In addition, AF Magazine shares how pop culture as well as other institutions, make their mark to stop this media manipulation.

www.theafmag.com

It's too expensive to love art - A story about a female artist in NYC

My final project is a short documentary film about my friend Monika Sala. She is a dedicated female young photographer.  She was born in Poland where she graduated from Crakow University of Economics. In 2004, she came to the United States. She graduated from Fashion Institute of Technology. She pursues her passion for art in New York City.  At the summer of 2010, Monika shifts her life back to Europe. “Monica” stands for thousands of passionate women who work hard to pursue their careers. She also represents thousands of immigration artists, who leave their family, and struggle in America for their dreams.

New York is a community, which attract a huge group of young people, step out their social cast, and come here from the entire world. They all believe her is the place to make their dream come true. They believe American is a land where they can achieve the freedom of creation. As Monica says in her interview, “I was just a common girl from a little town in Europe…It’s unbelievable that I can be a photographer in NYC…Bt somehow it happens.”  

However, to support an artist life in New York City, their stories are full of love and struggles. As women live in Nyc without family and security job support, no matter what your passion is, you have to be a slave for money.  It’s very common for them to work as babysitter, housekeeper, or any job they can find to pay the rent. Monica, as a woman, she denies to marry a man for security, and she wants to be a strong, independent artist.  However, she feels the pain of been treaded as a object. She always says, “In Most time of my days, I feel like a vegetable… When I am working, I am a back ground furniture in rich people’s house.” It’s not only hard to be recognizing as an artist, but also hard to be recognizing as a human being. She is a true artist in soul, and she has wonderful personalities. She bravely pursues the profession as a living artist.

Art, is her language, is her voice. She is yelling out in her art works to challenge American’ material society. Financial struggles and un-fair society treatments, shape her art journey and changing her point of view about life. I document segments of her daily life for the past three years. The mission to make this documentary is for her to see her braveness, kindness, and encourage her to keep going to be an artist. 

http://monikasala.com/

Women In Video Game Media!

My final project is an extensive researched blog post into the development and portrayal of women in video games.

Within my researched post I've included screenshots and imagery of the heroines from the video games I've chosen. I also found "In the Making Of..(Game)" footage of the game designers and creators of these characters. I delve into the character concepts and interviews and analyze their reasoning on the character design. As I go into researching each character . It seems like the designers and publishers use sex appeal to sell women video game characters for profit. Despite the popularity of characters Lara Croft, Nariko, and Sheva. There have been disappointments such as Ayumi from X-blades. But, there is at least one gem of a video game character that deserves praise despite poor sales, Jade from "Beyond Good and Evil".

I go in depth with these characters in my researched post as well as putting personal input from my own experiences.

Glimpse Into the Development and Portrayal of Women in Video Games

RETOUCHING: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
My final project is a blog that focuses on beauty industry and more specifically on retouching.On the blog I posted my own story, and explained why the topic is special for me. I also posted links to articles and some interviews. My original idea was to write an article but I than decided that a blog might be more influential.Most importantly I can continue posting materials and keep it alive. I hope that you will take a look at my blog and share your opinions on the topic. Here is the link to my blog:
http://desi-about-retouching.blogspot.com