OBJECT: It's How You Say It

Blumesday - September 19, 2008

2008-09-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT’S ME, JUDY BLUME ACOLYTE;
OBJECT PRESENTS BLUMESDAY TRIBUTE TO BELOVED AUTHOR SEPT. 19

Local Performers Gather to Salute Author Who Spoke to Our
Deepest Adolescent Anxieties and Helped Us Weather the Storm

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 26, 2008 — Blumesday, a literary celebration honoring the works of venerated author Judy Blume, will transpire on Sept. 19, 2008, at 8 p.m. at M Bar and Restaurant in Hollywood.

The event is a good-natured spoof of the annual observance of Bloomsday, commemorated annually on June 16, which pays homage to James Joyce by re-enacting the events in his novel, Ulysses, all of which took place on June 16, 1904. The protagonist of Ulysses is named Leopold Bloom, thus Bloomsday. This Blumesday will feature local performers including Melanie Hutsell, Jill Soloway, Carrie Aizley, Maggie Rowe and Ronna & Beverly reading (or otherwise invoking) Blume’s work, notably Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret; Blubber; Forever; Deenie; Tiger Eyes; and It’s Not the End of the World. Music will be provided by Candypants. “Blumesday” is sponsored by OBJECT, a nonprofit neo-feminist forum co-founded by Soloway (writer/producer of “Six Feet Under”) and Lindsay Horvath, president of Hollywood NOW.

Reservations for Blumesday can be made by calling (323) 856-0036. Tickets are $8 (there is a separate $10 food minimum). The M Bar and Restaurant is located at 1253 North Vine St.

Blumesday’s inaugural incarnation was hosted in June 2007 in Portland, Ore., by writers Joanna Miller and Heather Larimer. After receiving an outpouring of emotionally charged feedback on the festivities, Miller determined that Blumesday would become an annual event. “Relocating Blumesday to L.A. has allowed us to involve writers and comedians we’ve admired from afar to join in giving Judy Blume her due,” says Miller. Adds Larimer: “We only wanted people to participate who feel as passionately about Judy as we do. We decided that when we approached someone with the idea, if she didn’t freak out with excitement, we’d move on. But almost everyone was, like, ‘Oh my God! What am I going to read? The scene where Margaret does bust-increasing exercises with her friends in Are You There God? Or the moment that Katherine meets Ralph in Forever? How can I possibly choose?’”

Not only did Blume create compelling contemporary characters to whom her young readers could easily relate; her work in many cases served as the first exposure to subjects like menstruation, masturbation and birth control for her mainly pre-teen and teen audience. Because of her fearless treatment of these nitty-gritty topics, Blume is among the most banned and censored of authors writing for the young-adult audience. As such, she has become a passionate defender of free speech. In 1999 she edited a collection of stories titled Places I Never Meant to Be: Original Stories by Censored Writers.

Perhaps the most widely read of Blume’s books is 1975’s Forever, published after her daughter requested she write about teens who have sex and are spared any grave repercussions. As the author told Jezebel.com: “She had read several novels about teenagers in love. If they had sex, the girl was always punished – an unplanned pregnancy, a hasty trip to a relative in another state, a grisly abortion, sometimes even death. Lies. Secrets. Girls in these books had no sexual feelings and boys had no feelings other than sexual.”

Blume has also written three novels aimed at an adult audience, Wifey, Summer Sisters and Smart Women, all of which have appeared on the New York Times bestsellers list. Her books have sold more than 80 million copies.

“Judy Blume’s words guided so many of us along the rocky road of adolescence,” Miller notes. “By acknowledging that with Blumesday, we hope to say thank you to Judy and hopefully introduce new readers to her wonderful, essential work.”

* * *

www.judyblume.com
www.sayobject.com
www.jillsoloway.com
www.mbarhollywood.com

lady partay

2008-01-31T08:58:00.001-08:00

Lady Party IV, Feb. 23, 2008

2008-01-31T08:55:00.000-08:00

Avant-cabaret performer Nellie McKay and one-woman showstopper Heather Woodbury join forces for thought-provoking, raucously entertaining evening of theater and song.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) January 31, 2008 -- OBJECT, a fresh female forum bent on transcending the dogmatic women's politics of yore, welcomes all to Lady Party IV, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2008, at 8 p.m. at the Bang Theater. The evening will present the final performance of Obie Award-winning playwright Heather Woodbury's one-woman show "The Last Days of Desmond 'Nani' Reese: A Stripper's History of the World" and will be capped off by an after-party featuring acclaimed singer-songwriter-pianist Nellie McKay.

Reservations for Lady Party IV are strongly recommended and can be made by calling (323) 653-6886. Tickets are $15. "Desmond 'Nani' Reese" audience members, who are guaranteed admittance to McKay's after-party performance, are urged to arrive by 7:45 p.m. Admission to the after-party only, at $10, may be available on a very limited basis beginning at 10 p.m. The Bang Theater is located at 436 North Fairfax Ave., in Los Angeles. The Lady Party IV after-party will be sponsored by super-premium V2 Vodka.

"We were thrilled by the turnout for our first three events and are very excited to build on that momentum with Lady Party IV," said OBJECT co-founder Lindsey Horvath (president of the Hollywood chapter of the National Organization for Women). "In the past, we've convened a more literal version of what we call The Conversation on current post-feminist topics, but for our next Lady Party, we're letting the art speak for itself."

In fact, "The Last Days of Desmond 'Nani' Reese: A Stripper's History of the World" is an OBJECT Conversation. The play unfolds as a series of interviews with a 108-year-old stripper conducted by a young, feminist academic in a decrepit Echo Park cottage in the year 2014. Directed by Abigail Deser, it will be performed every Saturday in February at the Bang Theater.

After-party headliner Nellie McKay, meanwhile, is a precocious, genre-bender renowned for the ingenuity of her music and the strength of her convictions, as illustrated by her vocal support for PETA and, most recently, the striking writers of the WGA. Since breaking onto the national scene with her critically lauded 2004 debut album, Get Away From Me (released when she was only 21), McKay has continued to earn raves for her witty compositions, which bear far-reaching influences, among them pop, jazz and show tunes. McKay's 2007 disc, Obligatory Villagers, skewers feminist stereotypes; standout "Mother of Pearl" could serve as OBJECT's theme song.

Remarked OBJECT co-founder Jill Soloway (writer/producer of "Six Feet Under," "Grey's Anatomy" and "Dirty Sexy Money"): "'The Last Days of Desmond "Nani" Reese' is a fantastic way to expand on The OBJECT Conversation; with this piece, Heather Woodbury has turned her poetry to the question at the heart of the organization: How do you say it - OBject or obJECT? We're exploring whether women gain or lose power by embodying our culture's expectations that we be sexually attractive. And we couldn't be more excited to have Nellie McKay's support in helping raise awareness of OBJECT's mission to further this discussion. Given her own work to overthrow gender stereotypes both in her music and her career, Nellie's performance will be the perfect finale for the evening.

OBJECT coalesced in 2007 after its founding members objected to billboards springing up throughout Los Angeles to promote the film "Captivity" that presented graphic depictions of violence against women. The subsequent removal of the offensive images provided a lightbulb moment, reminding OBJECT's initial objectors that they have the power to effect positive change. The next step was the creation of the Lady Party, in which participants are invited to examine the varied meanings of female identity and empowerment via the art of conversation. OBJECT advances the belief that women and girls need not pick sides and can instead enjoy the contemporary feminist debate in all its thorny glory. OBJECT's aim is to create events that allow women to engage, challenge and entertain one another.

www.sayobject.com
www.heatherwoodbury.com
www.bangstudio.com
www.nelliemckay.com
www.v2vodka.com

# # #

VISUALIZING OBJECT

2007-10-03T00:08:00.000-07:00

While we obJECT to being OBjects, I'm finding answers through the conversation. I think it's because this is how we are making it more personal. It sucks to be objectified because it means we are then treated impersonally. While we crawl deeper into this object circle and attempt to figure it all out, why not paint on the walls along the way. What images are evoked for you? Maybe we can then collectively make our group more personal to others through our imagery.

I love those Seonna Hong pictures we've used in the past. They stir emotion in a gentle but very full way and I get excited when I see them on our fliers.

Below are two images or ideas I had in mind. I was trying to think up images that might force others to stop and look; images that would make it more personal for them. Thoughts? How do you visualize OBJECT?

-galeit

Recovering from Lady Party 911

2007-09-25T23:28:00.000-07:00

We've finally recovered enough to sort through the photos. Check out a slideshow and a recap from Lady Party 911.

We're already planning the next Lady Party so let us know what you liked about this one and what you want to see next time.

Pictures from Lady Party 911

2007-09-16T20:16:00.000-07:00

Jessi Klein and Jessica Chaffin host a debate with Nina Hartley, Jen Sincero, and Tracy McMillan on "Punishing the Princesses: The Media’s Obsession With Condemning Paris, Lindsay and Britney."

San Francisco dance-punk queens Von Iva perform.

Yo Majesty gets ready to raise the roof.

Object founders Lindsey and Jill.

I Heart U.S. Americans

2007-09-06T17:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm obsessed with Miss Teen USA. At first I couldn't stop laughing. But now, I'm pissed.

If you're reading this, you have a computer, which means you have surely, by now, seen - or at least heard about - the clip of Caitlin Upton, Miss South Carolina or wherever, answering the question posed to her during the "interview" portion of the Miss Teen USA pageant.

Miss Upton is asked why one-fifth of all Americans can't locate the U.S. on a world map. Her answer, in what is possibly the purest instances of schadenfraude I have ever seen, is incomprehensible. Watch it again, just for fun.

I laughed at the watercooler with all the rest of the U.S. Americans I work with, until I saw clip of Miss Upton on the Today Show the following day, pleading that she just "made a mistake". At the end, when Ann Curry gives Miss Upton a high-five for "having the courage" to show up on the Today Show to regurgitate some more coached answers (I personally believe... I'm an idiot.), I got angry!

Why?

Because Miss Upton placed third in the Miss Teen USA pageant. Third! Like she's an example of bright young womanhood. As if.

Because our cultural response to her (and what is the Today Show and its ilk, but a cultural barometer?), is a laugh and a high-five.

Because I don't believe her answer is a mistake. (U.S. Americans? The Iraq? These are not evidence of a mistake, or even a misheard question. They are evidence of a deep, deep misunderstanding.)

Because she was obviously coached, and even though she may have been nervous (which is forgiveable), she didn't forget her coaching (which is a little less forgiveable)... which is why she "personally believes" gobbledygook. I would rather her BE REAL and just say, "Um, Mario, I didn't hear the question..."

But what makes me maddest?

Is that I know there were undoubtedly some really rad girls in that contest who maybe didn't have Miss Upton's perfect Nancy O'Dell demeanor, her killer bathing suit body, her blonde helmet hair or perfect white teeth who probably could have answered the question with intelligence and grace... qualities that would reflect the young womanhood I'd want my own daughter to go for.

I think my 10-year-old son said it best. "She only cares about being hot."

And so did the judges.

THE CONVERSATION for Tuesday, September 11th...

2007-09-04T10:19:00.000-07:00

At our event on September 11^th, we’re going to get some great women talking LIVE AND IN PERSON about the current divide between feminism and femininity, by questioning how we’re supposed to feel about the media’s obsession with Paris, Lindsey and Britney. Below are some of the questions I’m giving to the speakers and hosts to get them thinking. If you have any other thoughts, add them in to the comments section. Can’t wait to see everyone there….

Twenty years ago, People and Us were filled with tributes to women triumphing over adversity—good girls with stories that enhanced their glow—Marie Osmond, Olivia Newton John, Cheryl Ladd. Now, the tabloids tell stories of bad girls getting their punishment. What has changed in our culture that makes this the story that now sells magazines?

If feminism supports the connection between all women and sex workers, why don’t we support Paris, Britney and Lindsey? Are they not simply the world’s highest paid sex workers?

In her new book, The Female Thing, Laura Kipnis writes of the chasm between feminism and feminity. She posits that women can’t really take hold of their power until they recognize the conflicted female psyche and it’s propensity toward the rape fantasy, which she calls a a sub-textual acknowledgement of women's propensity to masochism. In other words, if privately, women don’t really (or always) want to “be on top,” does this ultimately put us at odds with trying to build a strong power base as activists?

Is Paris Hilton a child of porn?

What part of women’s fulfillment of their sexual wholeness involves enjoying being looked at? Being seen? Being an object? What is the difference between those three?

Is pornography by definition filmed? Is it possible for two people to have sex that is neither filmed nor distributed that is still pornographic?

Do women have much more influence over men than they realize? Do most women have more or less power over their men than they want?

Is it possible that the problem with porn is that, as a performance distributed to many different people, its end use is uncertain, in both sexual and spiritual ways? Could this be said of any media, including a horror movie or High School Musical? Does the involvement of sex behoove its producers to consider the relationship between sex and love? Should sex be sacred? Is it painful for people to engage in sex that’s not sacred?

Is Paris being punished ultimately for her sex tape or her life?

Yo Majesty

2007-08-20T22:32:00.000-07:00

really cool pix of Yo Majesty, who will be headlining at our event, Lady Party 911, on Tuesday, September 11th at the Echoplex in Los Angeles. We can't wait to see you...

The Romantic Comedy Trend

2007-08-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

Don't know if you happened to see this - GREAT article
in the New Yorker from a few weeks back. It's about the
current "romantic comedy" trend and where it is going,
where it's been and where it's at. Very validating. What do you think?

WORLD'S HIGHEST PAID SEX WORKER?

2007-08-09T10:01:00.001-07:00

Modern feminism has evolved to a place where we understand that we must align with ALL women, including working women and stay-at-home-moms and strippers and sex workers-- with the understanding that inside our still-patriarchal culture, our choices are often limited by the very lack of them.

But do we only love sex workers who make less than 25k before taxes a year? If Britney were a single mom who stripped every night and had a hard time getting childcare for her babies, would we have a lot more sympathy for her? Is it only the ginormous amount of money she makes that instead causes us to point to her and her ilk as the DOWNFALL of modern lady power?

Paris NOT an influence on girls?

2007-07-31T11:08:00.000-07:00

Or at least not as strong an influence as we've assumed? Saw this post on another women's forum I subscribe to. Could we be overstating the influence Paris, Lindsey et. al. have on young women?

"Paris. Can we please unofficially put a ban on mentioning that name or anything to do with that name unless it is in reference to the French City. I've been asking young teens and tweens their opinion and none of them like her. Seems to me that it is the adults perpetuating the image. DON'T buy the gossip mags. I can truly say that I have bought only one of these magazines in the past 10 years."

Can we go AROUND Paris or do we have to go through her?

my friend Becky's theory

2007-07-30T09:20:00.001-07:00

My good friend Becky Thyre emailed me this weekend a little epiphany she had and I thought it would make a cool blog topic....

Becky said:

"I just had an idea that explains the whole
male/female sexual thing. Didn't I read somewhere
that clitorises are just like penises, but they're
wound into the body (which explains the G-spot, it's
stimulating a part of the penis/clitoris that is near
the inside of the vaginal wall)?

So, the whole penis-envy thing is really us knowing
what it's like to have a penis, but ours is a little
harder to get to, just like adults reminisce about
childhood and how direct and simple it was.

And THAT'S why I think women can know what turns men
on and focus on it because we're really turning on our
own original penises that are now a little numbed by
their distance from the air so that we have more
motivation to think about things."

thoughts, ya'll? I have my own theories about why arousing and satisfying male sexual pleasure seems to take a precedence in our culture... would love to hear yours...

LANGUAGE, language!

2007-07-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

Tracy McMillain is so brilliant I'm cutting and pasting her words here so maybe we can get some chicks a'talking....

A few of the Object-starting ladies have been having conversations in emails... if we were to rebrand feminism, what would it look like? I think the reason OBJECT happened upon the idea of a somewhat sexuality-focussed conversation is because that's always where feminism seems to slow down-- this side-choosing business about the young n the old, the Paris n the not, the 20 vs. 40, the OBJECT vs. NOW...

She wrote so eloquently about some stuff we might wish to mix into the language of this site... we'd love your feedback, plus your feedbackof the language used anywhere else on tis siteor on myspace.... hence the title, FEEDBACK!

Tracy's brilliant lovely words:

"I'd like to see OBJECT and THE CONVERSATION as a place where we can come together as women - with any set of political beliefs, backgrounds, skin colors, etc. - and connect in a way that affirms the particular power of being female. To me that power is more internal
than external, it is non-competitive, non-hierarchical, cooperative, personal, intimate, truthful, heart-centered, and spiritual - based more on the unseen than the seen.

What the world needs now is women grounded in their own feminine wisdom and values. To me, if women couldn't be cajoled, seduced, talked out, lured out, or put out of their inner truth, you wouldn't HAVE 'Girls Gone Wild', the rape of planet, unwinnable wars or painfully-mothered boys turning into fearful and misogynistic men.

I'm less in interested in becoming a political group per se... than a personal group which supports women in becoming more of who they really are - without all the cultural, racial, economic, and political static. This will necessarily lead to political change.

There are many groups already that focus on specific political issues. And unless we all have exactly the same politics, (or nearly exactly), I think a political focus ultimately excludes more than it includes.

What I really want to be a part of is a community of women who gather for the purpose of transforming what it means to be feminist: From
(blank) to (blank). And each woman gets to fill in the blanks for
herself.

I'd hate to see Republican women, for instance, or women who don't
believe in abortion feel like OBJECT is "not for them", because we've
decided to take an official stand on this or that issue. Every town in
America would benefit from an OBJECT group!!

What would really blow people's minds and move this whole country
forward, is if we could start a movement dedicated to finding and
holding unity among all women. A loose, non-political organization of
this kind would foment all kinds of art, business, scholarship, media,
friendship, parenting, creativity, music... sky's the limit.

The "Captivity" Conversation Continues

2007-07-26T14:54:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite feminist thinkers, Amelia G of BlueBlood.net, recently weighed in on the "Captivity" billboard controversy, and some of what she says suprised us (plus, Girl clearly did her research). Check it out and let us know what you think. http://www.blueblood.net/2007/07/captivitycontroversy/

20 vs. 40

2007-07-26T09:11:00.000-07:00

No, not the Mark Phillipoussis reality catastrophe, but the question about the differences between women in their twenties and women in their forties regarding what feminism means to us. Is it just a question of Sexy, yes, but How Sexy?! Or is it about more? Why are so many women who benefited from the feminist movement of the 70's looking at the young women now and (sometimes) say WTF? So tell us... young chicks... what are we missing?

Lady Party Hangover

2007-07-23T13:53:00.000-07:00

Quite the opposite of the traditional hangover that leaves of-age girls feeling not-so-hot, Lady Party Hangover consists of delving into diverse topics inspired by the evening's events.

I was so excited to see the turnout for the event - a diverse group of women and girls eager to hear and talk about issues most important to them through literature, comedy, and song. I met so many new people - women and girls I hope will participate in upcoming Conversations - which really gave me hope that we can all identify and celebrate our feminist values, even if we don't see ourselves necessarily as activists. Women all over the world may not have the ability - for whatever reason - to dedicate hours of their time to public displays of opinion, but we can all create lives that celebrate what we view as beautifully woman.

Anyone else feel that way?

Lindsey

2007-07-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

Join us at The Echoplex on Tuesday, July 17 at 8 pm for LADY PARTY!!!

When all your friends are talking about it, you'll be in the know...

2007-06-06T18:06:00.000-07:00

Join us on June 14th

SayObject.com Website is Up!

2007-05-29T19:01:00.000-07:00

Say what?

That's right, our colorfully rad website, soon to be made all the more colorful by your participation, is up and ready to say it to an online community!

You can say it here, too, you know. Leave us your comments, on Paris Captured, for instance, and let us know how you are defining your world.

Object on Defamer

2007-05-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

Although we barely started last week, and have but a temp page up at our freshly minted website, sayobject.com is already mentioned on Defamer.

Well, a parody of Paris Hilton on sayobject.com, to be precise.

First Meeting Announced

2007-05-10T22:20:00.000-07:00