An Adventure in Youtube Drama

Jenna Marbles has "quit" Youtube due to "bullying".

Or at least that's what all the drama channels are saying. 

Jenna in her video stated that she is going to be stepping back from Youtube in order to reassess her own values. She commented that she has made some videos in the past that have hurt many marginalized groups and apologized for it. 

This is not the same as "I quit because people are mean." Jenna is a grown-ass woman who has taken accountability for things that she has done that were and still are wrong. Also, Jenna Marbles "fans", unproblematic isn't a word. Also a person can't BE problematic, ideas and actions are. Jenna did something bad and she said sorry. I think this is a time for her to do some self reflection because she knew what did was wrong and didn't realize how much it could hurt someone.

The same goes for Logan Paul, who notoriously filmed, edited, and posted a video of a dead person. Logan called out his brother after he was filmed looting a store during a Black Lives Matter protest. Logan addressed the privilege he has as a wealthy white male and how different the world is for him. I honestly thought this was another one of this nonsense videos, but I watched him talking about this. It was the first time I've ever seen a genuine side of Logan Paul.  

I think both of these Youtubers are taking admirable steps. What they need to do now is to show the public that they are in fact trying to find ways of bettering themselves. They need to now use their privilege for good, instead of remaining ignorant. I have faith in both of them and their capabilities at doing better.

Someone who has done this poorly is Shane Dawson. This is a controversial opinion, but Shane Dawson is and always has been trashy. He is the sort of person that will sell out his own grandmother and not think twice about it. Shane made a response video to Jenna and "apologized" for all that he has done. It did not in the least come across as being genuine. Shane Dawson, much like Logan Paul, is a character. The difference here is that Logan has recently shown some genuine self-awareness, where as Shane just sort of fake cried for ten minutes. 

Honestly, I'm really getting sick of Youtube in general. It's all the same trashy nonsense. There is rarely anything meaningful being posted (and I'm realizing this is not something new, just something I'm more aware of). It's all just drama channels that keep spreading misinformation, surprise/prank videos, bad music, and I'm exhausted by it. This will probably be my end of Youtube. Honestly, I have better things to do with my life. (With the exception of Booktube and Witchtube.)

An Adventure in the Ukulele

Before the start of COVID, I had the great idea of learning to play a new instrument. I already know how to play the piano, flute, and oboe. I thought it would be fun to try a string instrument, which led me to the ukulele... because it was less expensive than a cello and more quiet than a violin.

I looked into the history of the ukulele, which explained a lot to me about the type of music I've heard written specifically for playing ukulele. It's from the Pacific Islands and has a strong foundation in their cultural heritage. There are also a few different types. I purchased a soprano one, because I thought it was the best for a starter instrument. I bought a cheap one off Amazon just because I wasn't sure if I would like it.

Turns out, I love it!! It has brought me such solace in COVID. My first song I learned was Aloha Oe and have been using it as my warm up. I did this to honor the traditions of Pacific Islander cultures and to remind myself how culturally important the ukulele is. Since then, I have learned to play some Norah Jones, Dolly Parton, Aly and Aj, and Colbie Caillat. I would like to start working on playing some older jazz, like Ella Fitzgerald. I think it would sound great on the ukulele. I also plan to upgrade in a year or two. My ukulele has plastic strings and is pretty poorly made. I've heard how the more expensive ones sounds and the tone is so much more deep and full sounding.

An Adventure in Hudson, Wisconsin

I was finally able to go on my first adventure for this blog! My family and I took a little trip to Hudson, Wisconsin. 

We decided to begin our adventure by checking out some of the local shops. I was happy to see the high number of COVID precautions each store took. Many of the customers wore masks as well (My family and I did). The stores were all cute and reasonably priced. My first purchase was at Grand Fete. They have a lovely selection of local loose leaf teas. I highly recommend the lime cucumber blend! Perfectly refreshing for summer and just the right amount of caffeine. My other purchase was a jacket from La Rue Marche. The store is a little more on the selective side, but the inventory is so cute! They have some great sales and I could not pass up my new jacked.

After shopping, we checked in at The Phipps Inn. I was in absolute heaven! It's a beautiful B&B and clearly well cared for. The owners had some good COVID precautions put in place, which made us feel safe. There were other guests, but we only saw them briefly. The rooms were nice and clean. Breakfast the following morning was good. My only concern was the rosemary in the egg bake. I'm not a fan of rosemary and there was a lot in the eggs. However, the baked apple was delicious! Over all, it was a great stay at The Phipps Inn. I hope to go back in the the future. 

Hudson is a nice place for a weekend get away. I was a little disappointed by the lack of social distancing at some of the restaurants and bars. There were a lot of staff not wearing masks. I didn't like this because they were handling food. Gross!

An Adventure in the Vintage Aesthetic

Vintage aficionado, Rachel Maksy, made a lovely video about the Vintage Community. The video is about the progressive side of the Vintage Community. It was lovely, but something rubbed me the wrong way. Then I realized it was two somethings or rather two someones; Bernadette Banner and Karolina Zebrowska.

Banner and Zebrowska have been a large part of the Vintage Community. They are both intelligent professionals and are highly knowledgable about vintage topics. I think this is why I am writing this post.

A few years ago Zebrowska made a video about how "real women" dressed in the early 20th century, for which she received a lot of black lash. I don't have the words as to why her particular video upset me. I think it was in the ignorance that she could speak for all working class women in a single video. I have watched many of her videos and Banner's videos, but have never heard either of them address any diverse topics. They are working class white women and they only address working class white women. There is on way that in the amount of research they have done on historical fashion that they have not come across any topics or ideas about someone unlike themselves in culture and appearance; someone non-western, non-white, non-straight, or (gasp) even non-traditionally feminine. 

I am a person who is Western, half white, straight, and very cisgendered feminine. I want to hear about more diverse topics. People might say back to me, well why don't you do the research. Honestly, because I shouldn't have to. I am not a fashion historian. Zebrowska and Banner are. That is what they make videos about. I am an English teacher and I make sure I provide diverse materials for ALL my students. Why? Not only for representation's sake, but because diverse voices are have been historically underrepresented and I owe it to them.  

I hold no ill will towards Masky, Banner, or Zebrowska. I'm just disappointed with how casually they take on a vintage identity. I don't need or even want them to say in every video how privileged they are when it comes to race. I would like them to be more aware of it. I see colorblindness in them and I recognize that is something personal to me. 

Please let me know if you know of any more progressive vintage  icons in the comments below!

-The Lady Adventurer 

Rachel Maksy's Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5GAJl_vXxI

An Adventure In American Blackness

Evolution is the concept in which a being, large or small, adapts in order to survive a new or changing environment. A black bird in Antartica will do its best to survive, but at some point the harsh conditions will break it. A black bird is not meant to survive in a frozen wasteland and has no hope of survival, even after four hundred years. Its experiences of Antartica will be different than that of a penguin, a being that has had hundreds of thousands of years to adapt. Now what if the penguins had created Antartica and then blamed the black birds for not being able to adapt?

Hi. I'm Black. It's nice to meet you.

I know I don't look, or talk, or act "Black", or so I have been told by the White people around me. I live in the Twin Cities, but was raised in a rural area. I was one of three Black students in my graduating class. I was in the top eight of my graduating class. I don't know where they ranked. 

In college, I was friends with the other two half race girls at my university. We lived together at the "mixed girl house." My senior year, I took a DNA test and found out that I'm only a quarter Black. I haven't spoken to them lately.

As a teacher, I thought being Black would be an asset. 

I was told not to see color, because I could pray by dark skin away. I was told I was racist against White people, because I wasn't allowed to teach To Kill A Mockingbird. I was told that it's ok for students to use racially charged language, because they have a disability. This sounds crazy. I must be lying.

There are two Americas, one a subversive doppelgänger, with her picket fences and independence; the other a broken trueself, brutalized, rejected, and set ablaze. I know they are both there. I live in the plane of America II as a second class citizen and I have been able to see into America I my whole life. I see it in my White sister, my mother, my stepfather. They see glimpses of me, a shadow in a mirror, a reflection in a puddle. 

And they ask me why I want to leave.