MJ we hardly knew ye.

We all remember the time... when we fell in love.

Remember The Time - Michael Jackson

I'm at a serious loss... I keep him in rotation, I thumb the leaflets that came with those old CDs. But in my own kind of way I'm glad that Michael Jackson has found a way to renew fascination, renew interest in his amazing life. As someone who truly cares and believes that pop culture can be enriching and powerful instead of bitter and destructive, I remember Michael with the utmost respect and appreciation. He was a Renaissance man in his own peculiar way, aside from the singing and the dancing, he was also a fashion icon. For better or for worse he was an innovator and an inspiration. I really will miss him, it feels like certain chapters of your life turn to vapor with the passing of these people... the ones who've managed to chisel their legacy in collective memory.

The girls and boys today, all these fashion bloggers doing this semi-bondage, retro/vintage 80s thing... I bet they didn't realize til just now that they were always copying Michael. And there really is nothing wrong with that.

perfectly structured shoulders, tailored Givenchy and Balmain

sequins, military details, sashes, belts, stripes, that signature glove.

Bondage, biker, punk, Western, futuristic, d-rings and metallics galore.

the red "Thriller" and "Beat" it jackets,
recalls Rebel Without a Cause, amazing details.

a suit, classic fedora, shortened slacks, armband detail.

Brooks Brothaz

more like "generations of bland white elitism"

I know I like to dig deep for evidence of racism sometimes, but I clicked the link that that image was once attached to, hoping that the Brooks Brothers's people would have some models who weren't white. Why? It might help illustrate that while they may possess the "style" of generations long since passed, they don't possess the same mindset. And as the "oldest surviving men's clothier in the United States [founded in 1818]*" you'd expect or at least hope for some change.

And they've delivered ... sort of. In that post-Obama binary kind of way that says "We may be old and uptight, but we're chummy with a sprinkling of black folk here and there!"

And when I say a sprinkling I really mean three black folks exactly:




So is this a step up or step down from brooks brothers in 2003 (courtesy of the WayBack Machine), when they were just using all the same canvas dummies instead of people? I'm really not sure. Still I am perplexed by how the inclusion of real models changes the entire message or branding of the product and at how there are many, many various caucasian models throughout the site. There is but one non-caucasian model per section (men, women, boys) and all three of those models are black. This goes for the print ads as well, and you have to wonder what they were after (I even checked Brooks Brothers Japan and its the same). I get the general idea of a target audience but when it comes to fashion and clothes I don't believe that there is such a thing. You want your clothes to sell. So don't limit your audience! And for God's sake don't think that you can mask your bias or "target" by chucking in some black people! I don't think that in the history of advertising, a skirt didn't sell because an Asian lady wore it in the catalog.

The same binary-type inclusion of black models as the only spare twinkle of minority presence is all over catalog and ad campaigns. Cases-in-point: abercrombie, target, american eagle.

I could go on but I'm lazy. Clearly, I'm not mad when I see black models get work but we could have more of this (Nordstroms) or this. I just dont think that effing GreatGlam of all places should outshine these people when it comes to projected diversity. But then again sluttiness and objectification is somewhat universal.

*thanks wikipedia!

Cooking with a Conscience

I may have ridiculously lax recycling practices (admittedly, I'm ok with a little littering in mostly man-made places like blacktops and supermarkets), but I do care. Don't get it twisted, I'm not a green freak - I don't give a rat's ass about "organic" produce or "free-range" anything. I mean there's very little from these pretty sticker labels that's well regulated enough to drive me out of apathy. However, this doesn't mean I don't believe in smart consumerism.

Since I cook all the time, and summer is a great time for seafood I just wanted to share this. It's a handy food guide from the Monterrey Bay Aquarium (one of my favorite places on earth). If you care about overfishing and environmental impact it's nice to know what's what.

It seems like small shit but Blue Planet devotees take heed. Overfishing leads to a number of disasterous things but one of my least favorite side effects has been the hundreds-upon-hundreds-fold explosion of Echizen Kurage, aka Nomura's Jellyfish. I mean, I love jellies but these bad motherf***ers average larger than most men are tall... and they roll mad deep, son:

I hate you, Forever 21. I do.

World's simplest DIY ever, am I right? Then why am I tempted to shell out the whole $14.80 for it? Someone shoot me now.