1. Hopeful Hints in Popular Culture
Adventures in Revolution

2. Pop Culture Potpourri
• Today I am going to zip through a few
examples of what I believe are hopeful
messages coming out of popular
culture.
• The goal is to leave you with a sense
of hope, and to inspire you.

3. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
• This track was released in
1974. Gil Scott-Heron (b.
1949) was a poet and
musician whose work was
influential on the
development of both rap
music and slam poetry.
• Focus: Racial resistance
through music

4. Real Women Have Curves
• This film, directed by Patricia Cardoso, was
released in 2002 by HBO films
• The main character, Ana, played by America
Ferrera, is a young Mexican American struggling to
define her own identity against the constraints of
her ethnicity, her gender, her domineering family
(esp. mother), her social class, her educational
aspirations, the beauty myth, and her love life.
• In this scene, Ana’s mother is coming to terms with
the fact that she is going through menopause. She
had misinterpreted the symptoms as an indication
that she was pregnant. After discussing the results,
they return to the clothing factory (owned by Ana’s
sister) where they both work.
• Focus: Gender resistance through film

5. Notorious C.H.O.
• These are 2 clips from comedian
Margaret Cho’s stand-up act.
• These clips are posted online at her
website:
– http://www.margaretcho.com/audio_visual/not
• We will look at “Women’s Magazines” and
“Self-Esteem”
• Focus: Gender resistance through
comedy and film

6. Ugly Betty
• In this scene, Betty has brought her co-
worker Mark home for dinner, along with his
mom, because she and Mark are pretending
to date so that Mark’s mom won’t find out he
is gay. Betty had to leave dinner early—
here’s what happens.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1g1UyrZHEs
• Focus: Sexual resistance through television

7. The Revolution Will Not Be
Euthanised
by Dustin Kidd, with apologies
and gratitude to Gil Scott-Heron
and Sarah Jones

8. The Revolution Will Not Be
Euthanised
The Revolution will not be
euthanised,
It will not die of physician
assisted suicide,
Will not be Dr. Kevorkian
Injecting the syringe of
poison
Into the veins of
resistance.
resistance

9. The Revolution Will Not Be
Euthanised
The Revolution will
not be euthanised,
It will not be Enron-
ized,
Because the
Revolution will not
go bankrupt.
The Revolution will
not go bankrupt.

10. The Revolution Will Not Be
Euthanised
The Revolution will not be
euthanised,
It will not be Britney-
sized,
Will not be amplified by 2
Silicone megaphones,
And no, the Revolution
does not eat scones,
At least, not at Starbucks.

11. The Revolution Will Not Be
Euthanised
The Revolution will not be
digitized,
And so it will not be
pixelized:
Black, white, coffee
brown, mother of pearl.
Surprise! The Revolution
is a girl
And she will not be
euthanised.

12. The Revolution Will Not Be
Euthanised
The Revolution will not be
publicized,
Because the ‘Cosmopolitan’
Revolution
Is a Ms., not a Young Miss;
It’s an action, not a Maxim;
And your FHM is just an
acronym
For FreeHand Masturbation,
What you do in lieu of
PlayStation.
The Revolution will change the
station!

13. The Revolution Will Not Be
Euthanised
The Revolution will not be
euthanised,
It will not be Youth in disguise,
Will not be the boys of
Abercrombie & Fitch
Who frolic and play
But don’t wear a stitch.
No, the Revolution will not be
sexualized.
Will not be Lolita
With 10 fucks on her vita
Come to seduce the world.
The Revolution is a different girl
And she will not be euthanised.

14. The Revolution Will Not Be
Euthanised
The Revolution is a Public
Enemy,
A dropout from the Black
Acting School.
The Revolution is no fool.
Just ask the Oracle, she’ll tell
you,
The Revolution is the one
Who has come to destroy the
Matrix
And rescue you from the
Dreamworld.
To repeat: The Revolution is a
girl
And she will not be euthanised.

15. The Revolution Will Not Be
Euthanised
The Revolution will not be
euthanised,
And though she has been
fetishized,
She has never been
compromised.
The Revolution will be
internalized.
It will stop the clocks
And shock the rocks
That cried out for a Savior
Because you were silent,

16. The Revolution Will Not Be
Euthanised
But soon, you’ll be bent
Because the Revolution has
been sent.
The Revolution is both the
prize and the
Road to the prize,
And when I look up,
I see it in your eyes.
So I ask you, when will you,
When will we, give it life?
The living Revolution is waiting
To be improvised.