Wicked & Illumi

http://the2aunties.blogspot.com

And please check out our FIRST blogspot post,

En Philosophia: Boys of Our Lives, or The Philosophizers We’ve Loved.

http://the2aunties.blogspot.com/2011/03/en-philosophia-boys-of-our-lives-or.html

Welcome to Man Heroes! This is going to be a slight break from our grrrl power moments. We felt the need to lavish man-kind with some love, by listing our top man-heros.  We decided to start out with our most favorite modern Actor-men.

Welcome to Wicked & Illumi’s MAN HEROS!

Wicked’s Number One Man-Hero is :

Colin Firth !!!

At First, I thought that I would write about one of his extraordinary characters, but much like my perennial favorite Alan Rickman, it’s nearly impossible to separate that one little sparkle of the man from his characters. Not so deeply buried is he ,as to ever lose the charming self, in the  characters brought to the the screen. And though each of his fictional characters is brimming with charm, I found myself even more caught up in the life of the man.

His life reads like an adventure. His Parents were raised in India (as his Grandfather was a Missionary). He spent part of his childhood in Nigeria, some in the USA, and good chunks back in Jolly Old England. As an adult, he shared stage and screen with the likes of Rupert Everett & Sir Lawrence Oliver, breaking out and stealing hearts with those sparkling ever-dark eyes as Lord Darcy in the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice.

Rupert Everette on first meeting Colin Firth.

Beyond his acting lies an extraordinary person. For instance, he put his writing skills to work with the piece “The Department of Nothing”, which was included in a series of stories, “Speaking with the Angel” in 2000. The sales benefited Autistic Children. He is also rather fierce campaigner for the defender of Tribal Peoples though “Survival International”, as well as a strong supporter of Oxfam’s “Make Trade Fair”, which of course encourages Fair Trade practices, and ecologically sound consuming-habits.

WOW! Fetch me a julep Ladies and Gentleman, Colin Firth gives me the vaporous! Here’s to smart, funny, gorgeous man crushes who have exceptionally admirable passions! Colin Andrew Firth, if you where just my Hero for being an incredibly talented Actor before, you are SO much more now!

Much like Illumi’s Man-Hero, Colin Firth doesn’t seem in visage to be a beautiful man, lacking sculptural beauty, he makes up for his looks in the observable emotions that glitter from inside his eyes, a tiny quirk of a smile, and that little indescribable something. So if you are really curious, go to these linx of the man himself. (Apparently youtube saw fit to forbid embedding on 90% of Colin Firth video’s that weren’t those insipid ones with Celine Dion Playing behind a montage of scenes from Pride and Prejudice.)

Aformentioned shimmery eyes
Colin Firth on SNL
The Color of the Clouds : Girl with a Pearl Earring (my favorite)
The Importance of Being Earnest (Oscar Wilde banter, ftw)
Doing a little dance in What a Girl Wants

Charming in movies, Charming in altruistic habit, and Charming turns of phrase – Colin Firth Welcome to the Aunie Wicked Man Hero Hall of Fame you saucy Devil!

“In a 2006 interview with French magazine Madame Figaro,[34] Firth was asked “Quelles sont les femmes de votre vie?” (Who are the women of your life?). Firth replied: “Ma mère, ma femme et Jane Austen” (My mother, my wife and Jane Austen). ” (Colin Firth @ Wikipedia)

“Actors are basically drag queens. People will tell you they act because they want to heal mankind or, you know, explore the nature of the human psyche. Yes, maybe. But basically we just want to put on a frock and dance.” (Colin Firth Bio @ IMDB)

Read more about Colin Firth A Singular Man @ Firth.com Bio @ the New York Times.com

Bruce Willis is Lumi’s #1 MAN-Hero

(but you can borrow him, if you say please!)

:a blog of appreciation and adoration for the man and his character(s), by a.illumi

Originally, we Aunties, thought we would make a list of our TEN favorite man heroes, then we realized just how MUCH there was to say about even ONE of them. So rather than type our fingers to the nub, Wicked wisely decided that we would only do one man-hero each for now and save the others for another time, possibly when we also feel like the Sanctuary is in danger of getting to feminist-ranty… Not that we are not feminists cause we totally are – but you know not THOSE feminists! Without further politically inciteful labels: Lumi, would like you to meet her number one man hero

I’m Bruce Willis from wreckandsalvage on Vimeo.

Don’t you love that video? If Lumi was a man she would want to be just like Bruce Willis in real life but with all the hard ass bombacity of his characters!

The Real Bruce:

Mr. Walter Bruce Willus(which incidentally, is part of the name of Lumi-son but actually not intentionally in honor of Mr. Willus). What is there not to j’adore about him? Did you know he was born in Germany on a military base? Lumi did not know that. Or that he has worked nuclear power plant security, secure transport, and as a private investigator! Lumi loves also that he has had many jobs, one likes to have something in common with one’s seemingly untouchable heroes! Of course later,he became a bartender and was discovered – now he is a hugely paid actor who also produces, plays music(mostly in an honorary fashion to jazz), and is apparently the world’s most progressive man when it comes to blended families and shared custody.

Less literally, Bruce Willis is to be loved for being the working man’s hero story in his actual life and for maintaining this role throughout most of his career. He represents something of what Lumi feels is an endangered species also: a tough man who knows how to handle things and also call his mother or ,in this case, his kids and ex-wife. To celebrate Bruce Willis, is to celebrate an absolute testament to unbridled manli-ness and that could be boring if he didn’t also have some interesting political views, the kids, and an insatiable compassion for men and women of the armed forces.

insatiably adorable compassion that is:

“In 2002, Willis’s youngest daughter, Tallulah, suggested that Willis purchase Girl Scout cookies to send to the military. Willis purchased 12,000 boxes of cookies, distributed to sailors aboard USS John F. Kennedy and other troops stationed throughout the Middle East.”

As if all that were not enough to make him Lumi’s hero #1 hero, he also became the national spokesperson for children in foster homes across the country in 2002. His blunt, get real, words about what foster care is really like are exactly what the system needs – if it ever has hope of reform.

Lastly, but not at all leastly, he has become a very vocal and open person in regards to moving on and dealing with your issues whatever they are…and then 100% showing what it’s like to live it, when you can get past yourself and start again. Human Hero and Action hero…Lumi had forgotten actually how great was this guy!! In fact, I haven’t seen like four of his latest movies? Sorry Bruce. I am going to be a better fan this year! I never miss the interviews though…if you haven’t seen Bruce Willis interviewed – you have missed so very much, here’s a sample:

One of many legendary Letterman appearances

(he has a history of going on Letterman and being

outrageously interesting):

With Zack Galifianakis:
http://player.ordienetworks.com/flash/fodplayer.swf

That is but a sample of the goodness that is Bruce Willis interviewed – you tube it you won’t be sorry!

While beating herself over not being a better fan these last few years, Lumi found out that Red was hitting stores this week on DVD and is personally looking forward to catching it on Amazon on demand rental. If you have no idea what it is, because maybe like Lumi you don’t watch much television…here is the trailer:

If you don’t know his characters here is a list of some of the most important ones.. And who cares? and what does it matter because he is following a script anyway? Well, Lumi believes that what is special about SUPAH stars is that no matter what character they are playing they bring something of themselves as a person; a sparkly intriguing thing to the role. Whether the situation is dire, or laughable, or sad there is always a sense of reality that is brought to the movies.   No matter how terrible some of the actual parts may be Mr. Willis…who is actually amazing in his for-real life, brings a much needed grace to the screen. You might think it is strange to use the word “grace” in reference to someone so gruffy but think modern-day Humphrey Bogart and you can understand why Lumi went there. Now Lumi will show you her favorite pictures of Graceful Unbreakable Fantastical Bruce Willis…OR NOT…

Lumi Searched high and low for pictures that portrayed Bruce Willis – there are none. The man is told in his facial expression,his twinkling wit, his constant motion and his incredible characters. So rather than punctuate with pictures, this little Auntie leaves you with these gems of Lumi’s manliest man hero Mr. Bruce Willis.

and okay I do like this picture:

Thank you readers and thank you Bruce Willis adn Colin for being awesome! Auntie Wicked and Lumi want to hear always what you have to say about heroes, this blog, or anything – so comment us kay(facebook, formspring, comment on wordpress, myspace, tumblr, or e-mail: the2aunties@gmail.com).  As for this Auntie off to watch Red! You should too!

Also, it seems VERY sad to Lumi that brucewillis.com is broken! Someone please help him fix it – even superheroes need a little tech support now and then!

Court-ing the Disney Princesses:

a cross-examination

by the Aunties Duex.

Love them or hate them, you know who they are.  And no doubt you have heard rumors(chatter, chatter, chatter):  That’s right, Disney has decided to call off any further princess productions!  These Aunties are perplexed by this strange announcement from Disney.  Why stop making Princess Stories? The creation of “Princess and the Frog”, and “Tangled”, and the afore-mentioned Strange Announcement, have brought about many a discussion of the Princesses between these Aunties.  What DO these characteresses mean to little girls?  Why are the princess movies not making enough money? Are they losing fans, as Disney claims?

As we began to answer these questions, we realized there was a lot to say about Princesses. In fact, there were so MANY things to say, that  Lumi decided to convene a court on the subject.

What follows is the trial of three of the Disney Princesses – who were basically picked randomly.  We avoid the obvious issues of Pocahontas, Mulan, and ,Tiana  because we are mostly white and when white people talk about race related issues they always get alotta bunch of hell that the Aunties are just not interested in.

We are here to put  the behavior of princesses on trial.  Why?  Because we understand how important female heroines are in stories for girls.  In understanding the importance of girls having their own stories , we also understand the power that a figure in that position, even a cartoon one, has over a young mind.  We don’t want politically correct or boring Princesses…We, in fact, are not always sure what we want, except that the Princesses be not only diverse in color but also in personality and interest. There could be, as Wicked says, “…great value in a little snap back to a more realistic presentation of girls and women!”

We are exploring  the issue of the Princess Stories because they seem fairly, if not totally, single-minded in their plot lines – that is the pursuit of a romance that becomes the defining factor for their entire lives.   The Aunties urge you to put away your pistols for a moment because we are not mean old codgers!  We are not ,in any way, against romance or romantic story elements!   We , instead call for a diversity in the story telling about princesses for girls.  As you will see in the following riveting trial transcripts:

The Judge Jane C. Narrator Presiding

Jane C: We call this court to order to pursue the case brought by one A.Wicked against Princesses Cinderella, Ariel, and Aurora.  Additionally, some few charges will be heard against the Corporation of Disney itself.

The prosecution will be One A. Wicked, who is also bringing these charges, which though unconventional, is understandable considering the grave urgency of these charges.   There also seems a  lack of lawyers willing to take on a case against some of the worlds most favored characteresses. In the Princesses’ defense, will be one Auntie Illumination… may Wicked have mercy on her glittery soul. We will now hear the opening arguments of the prosecution.

Wicked: Ladies and Gentleman, today, you and I will have the chance to right many decades of wrong.  Today, we are going to convict Disney’s Princesses of the crimes they have committed.  Today, we will begin a new era of movies for kids and role models for young children.  With your help, we will begin to unravel the stories these Princesses have told and find within them the crimes which must be righted! Take for instance, one Ms. Cinderella.

Cinderella should be a very smart girl. We girls and boys that have lived in abusive households know that it often causes you to have an old soul before your time. You may not know everything about how to feel, or be independent but functionally you become a wise-man while sweeping up after a demanding, narcissistic, and  abusive person, as seen clearly in Cinderella’s Wicked Stepmother.

Why then does Cinderella seem to be the dumb, Debbie- Cheerleader type? Cinderella seems to be capable of nothing but hallucinating about talking mice-friends, Singing songs, and Delusional Escapism!  I ask you – are we not better than this?

Furthermore, Her moments of clear, teenage-like distaste for her work are always overwhelmed by a saccharine sweetness that belies the darkness of which a girl like her would have, given the situation of her mother’s death, then her father’s death and finally her stepmother’s evil-tude. She begs, mewls, and seems to be waiting in gentle, fainting faith that somehow just being good is going to work out for her.

It also begins two of the most pet-peevy of my pet peeves in Disney-esqe fairytales : Firstly, the Girl who flat refuses to use her resources to find her own strength (unless you count the strength to weep to a fairy godmother).   Secondly, the sub-plot of the aristocrat just waiting around for the right girl to stop being a bored little man. This is equally unfair to boys, as it teaches THEM to find their soul purpose in the perfect, fainting, victim partner.

It is with all these thoughts and with great solemnity, that I declare Princess Cinderella, accused of the most heinous crime of Premeditated Stupidity.  This can be the only explanation for her sad, thoughtless, Nay!  Lifeless portrayal of a young woman.  She has hidden the thinking and planning that would motivate and escape from household as cold and cruel as her own.  She has presented, deliberately so, an image so irrelevant to girls (especially those in an unfortunate position, let alone a normal one), that this Auntie can barely look upon her without shaking her head in resignation.  For these crimes, I ask of you, dear jury, to condemn this Princess to a lengthy alternate story, at the very least.

Auntie Illumination of the Defense stands and shouts, “I object”

Judge Jane responds, “On what grounds?”

Auntie Illumination makes what is known as a ‘Beavis Laugh‘and says, “coffee grounds?”

The Judge Jane C. Narrator overrules, and motions, after swatting A. Lumination with a rolled newspaper, for the Prosecution to continue.

A. Wicked: Where was I? Oh Yes.  Ms. Ariel.  As with the first Princess’s charges, I believe Ariel’s story falls in with the unintentionally misogynistic teaching that a virgin who desires adventure will fall upon misfortune every time.  I have two problems with Ariel personally, first that her natural curiosity is squashed by her father, who is trying keep her a child as long as he possibly can, presumably until he can have her married to someone he picks out.  Not only is this a kind-of creepy, “your sexuality-belongs-to-me dynamic”, but it also forces Ariel to explore her curiosity n a way that actually is dubious and dangerous.

The second, and saddest point is that “The Little Mermaid” has the potential to be a learning experience for Adolescent girls, like “Labyrinth”, instead it becomes a story about how if you seek Knowledge, you risk turning into seafoam – that is unless you have the help of a crab and a handsome, boring Prince (who suddenly turns un-stupid just on time to save you!).  This is why I, Auntie Wicked, charge you Princess Ariel  with Felony Misrepresentation of the ramifications of girls seeking knowledge, freedom, and romance.

Auntie Illumination begins blowing bubbles in the courtroom. Judge Jane C. Narrator reprimands her, and admits the hello kitty bubble set into evidence.

Judge jane c: “Please Continue with your opening arguments Ms. Wicked. But rapidly…clear?”

wicked; ” Not to worry I am practically done.  Ladies and gentleman, do you even remember this last princess?  Princess Aurora…you know? of Sleeping Beauty?

Aurora, I can’t even rant here. You where so boring I can’t even remember anything but the fact that you had blonde hair, you sang something, and then you sat around like a corpse. Sorry ladies, but the Disneyfied Sleeping Beauty story takes away everything from historical versions of the story, including the adolescent sexual lessons, and true, bittersweet romance. Please consider this prosecutor’s statement to be a desperate question:  Why the HELL do you have to be boring, and nearly a corpse to make a good Princess? I think most of us latched on to Maleficent ,because an allegedly evil Sorceress is a 900% improvement on a Princess Character that’s practically a blow-up-doll.

In accusatory closing, the conglomerate known as Disney, is also named in this suit.

How many grown woman do you think waste YEARS waiting for Daddy, or Prince, or someone externally to save them precisely because of the stories ? What kind of pressure to be some formless shapeless ‘Real Man’ without knowing what the Lady Fair even wants of you? I say fie! Surely there must be a better way.

And with that dearies, I complete my opening speech – do not forget when all the pink tafetta and glitter of Lumi’s words begin to fly, what you have heard here.  The Princesses must be convicted and roundly reformed for their very own good, for little girls everywhere and for ours”

The Defense, Auntie Lumination,Stands to present her opening argument.  She insists we include she is wearing an L.E.D tiarra - though we don’t know what purpose that information will have in the legal record.

Auntie Lumination: All that we, the prissy girls of the defense, ask is that the court be lenient on the Princesses, and remember that though each one has fallen into female lead stereotype traps…they have at least popularized the idea of a young female cartoon leads.  Sometimes, we have to be thankful for something.

As for Disney, I ask that you slam them to the wall – both because of their failure to evolve their presentations of princesses, in keeping step with the continued evolution of ideas surrounding gender expectations for boys and girls alike, as well as for saying they are just going to stop making princess movies.  What kind of answer is that I ask you?  Oh we are having problems with girls wanting to see princess movies…well that must mean we should totally stop making them?  Lumi says nay, Lumi says maybe if Disney modernized it’s princess girls, then, we all, young an old could continue to enjoy new additions to the princess family!

Judge C. narrator: We will now proceed to the questioning of the accused.  A. Wicked will begin followed by cross-examination by Aunti Lumination. The jury is instructed to hear out all arguments before coming to a decision on the accused’s crimes.

A. Wicked begins her questioning of the first accused defendant, a one Princess Cinderella. It seems that contrary to the fashion in most courtrooms, that for the questioning part of this trial,  the prosecution and defense will take turns interrogating the clients in the same session and then proceed with their closing arguments.

A. Wicked’s Question to Cinderella:  What’s it like to marry a man you have just met?

Cinderella: *whispers to the judge*, “Can she ask me that?”

Judge C. Narrator responds: I am afraid so.  Please answer the prosecution’s question Madame Cinderella.

Cinderella: Awkward.  Very awkward.

A. Lumination’s Questions to Cinderella:  If you had a little girl, which parts of your life would you want her to repeat?

Cinderella’s response:  Well, I…I hadn’t thought about it? You see I have lived in suspended time.  Unlike our dear Fiona – most us Disney Princesses have never been allowed to go beyond our marriage kiss moment.  It would probably be easier for me to answer you in a song?

Wicked: Objection, unfair use of sappy songs in a courtroom setting!

Judge Jane C. narrator sustains the objection and the prosecution proceeds to their next question.

A. Wicked continues her questioning with Princess Aeriel – former mermaid.

Wicked: So from the sea to the castle walls…Made any non-ocean ecosystem friends yet?

Aeriel’s response:  Well…the castle has many visitors and there is my daughter.

A. Lumination’s question to Aeriel:  If you could, would you invent a way to go back and forth between the world of your family and friends and your new marriage?

Aeriel’s response:  Well, I do know this seawitch?

Auntie Lumination objects to Aeriel’s response.  Judge Jane C. Narrator explains to A. Illumination that one cannot object to their own client’s response.

A. Wicked then completes her questioning with the final defendant – Princess Aurora.

Princess Aurora doesn’t respond – appears to be sleeping.

A. Lumination objects to questioning a sleeping defendant.

Judge Jane C. Narrator, grants the motion and Princess Aurora is carried out of the courtroom in a conveniently available and rose decorated glass coffin.

Judge C. Narrator explained to the courtroom that “you can never have too many glass coffins around when dealing with Princesses.”  She then motioned for A. Wicked to begin her closing arguments.

A. Wicked’s closing argument: Frankly, all I can think is that Disney is basically upholding very biblical idioms of Sin, Faith, and Knowledge.  Yes I do know, a good chunk of the jury here identifies with the Bible as an idiom, and would check the Christian box on a questionnaire.  Never fear, this is no vile attack on your religion.  However, in this modern world, full of many cultures, isn’t it time to reconsider the old roles of Womanhood?  Woman can lead among the men, work among them, and not just “in there own way.”  The balance of power is changing, for instance women are practically OWN marketing, we account for all 85% of all consumer purchases as of the year 2010!  In knowing this, it is hard for me to imagine why we seem to need to perpetuate this box for ourselves?  I say, we prosecute Disney to the fullest extent of our distaste, and pronounce them guilty of perpetuating negative stereotypes of women, limiting them to archaic and genuinely un-traditional roles of Stupid, Empty Headed Child Women.  As for the Princesses, they can save themselves if given the proper tools.  Convict them dear jury, for their own damn good.

A. Luminations Closing Argument:

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself?  Four score and no wait a minute.  Princesses.  Right.  We all deserve a time to be young and silly and anyone who wants to be adventurous or girly or romantic should be – and most everyone should try those things at least once.  This Auntie, believes strongly that the Princesses must be allowed to go on – not just in our memories but in newer better movies that reflect all the most amazing aspects of women and girls!  I beg of you, kind jury and judge, slap Disney’s bottoms and make them act right.  Please to pardon the girls with probation and make the promise to do better in the future and become grown up Queens that any girl would be proud to turn into!

Judge Jane C. Narrator:  The Jury will now meet.  Please remember, ladies and gentleman of the jury,  you hold the fate of a most beloved institution and some of their most famous players in your hands.  Deliberate carefully and equitably.

After four sleepless nights, where the jury subjected themselves to endless Princess movie marathons.  They finally came to an agreement.

Head Juror: We the Jury, find the princesses and Disney guilty of selling girls and women short on all counts.

The head juror hands Judge Jane C. Narrator the verdicts and she reads the juries sentencing:

Ariel ,We sentence you to  a Summer backpacking in Europe.   We are sure your rich Daddy can afford it.  We insist you try more surface world foods and activities before settling into married royal life. You will also be sent to Belle’s castle to learn how to read and be friends with members of your own gender and species.  After five years on Princess Probation, you may reapply to seek Queen of the Kingdom status and your freedom from this court.  We appeal to you as well, to  please record these new adventures and your struggle shedding one life as a child and becoming a grown up woman.  Girls and the grown women in their lives everywhere will benefit from your film, as will  your salty smelling friends.

Cinderella, We think you need to forget being some bored Prince’s flavor of the week.  Maybe that Fairy Godmother of yours could help you into something more than a ballgown, and blip you into an Internship. You are creative, pretty, and young. Maybe a Hip Artist, or a Fashion Designer? Either way, We sentence you to school. You can stay in the dorms (which means no more evil stepmother!) and nobody will care if you talk to your little mice.  Your roommate will be another Disney girl, who could teach you a thing or to, Ms. Kim Possible.  You will also be sentenced to writing a book about your new adventures that will be made into a movie – your new movie on the subject of , as Oprah would say, “Your next chapter.”

Aurora, (zzzzz) What? OH! Hello. Sleeping Beauty! After your experiences with Maleficent, Poison, and Dragons, we sentence you to turn Wiccan, start wearing lots of black, and try doing performance art at the local community college. That is how boring people make themselves interesting, So we hear.

As for you Disney: We sentence you to a course in bravery.  WE demand you not shirk away from the issue of movies that might be associated with GIRLS.  You will be unallowed to merely focus on your line of movies labeled for boys (because we are quite sure you will screw that up too!).  We command that you make good movies for all children and let both girls and boys play the leads.

Judge Jane: These verdicts may seem harsh but I believe the jury has done their best to dole out punishments that will result in an overall increased interestingness in these princesses and ultimately prepare them to be better Queens.  I would like to thank the bailiffs and courtroom reporters.  And the janitor in advance for cleaning up that sparkly mess on the defenses side.  As for you princesses, we will be watching you…Disney or no Disney… to see just how you change or whether you do indeed prefer imprisonment.  Court is adjourned, bailiff get me a cappuccino and a cookie.

The Aunties blog conclusion:

Wicked: Ladies, Do not rid the world of Princess, but demand MORE of them. Yes! I can wear a pink dress and kick ass all the way. Yes I can be married but still make my own choices about my life. I can also never be married and be none the less a woman for it.  I could be a Princess, Wife, Mother, Queen and/or still be more than all of those combined. Do not box ourselves OR our Princes into boxes, demands, or roles that don’t suit either of us.

Lumi: Instead, let us all embrace some new things; new ways, attitudes, outfits, and roles.  I for one ,am holding out for a a sisterhood of princesses movie!   One where smart savvy girls work together perhaps the Twelve Dancing ones?

Final disclaimer:

This blog has been written with the best of intentions and hope for an open dialogue on the perception of woman and girls in the media, by your Aunties Wicked and Lumi. We would love to hear your thoughts, feelings, or recriminations! Leave us a comment here

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or ask us anything on formspring

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and join in sharing images of women in the media and everything on tumblr

Making Food the Enemy:

An Investigation by: Aunties Wicked and Lumi

..This blog has taken about a month to write. When I told wicked I was frozen in terror and mixed up hateful and confused emotions about this article she was so kind as to have a google wave with me about it…I learned something…

Sometimes, you need a friend to face something that used to be and still could be such a big scary huge enemy...So without further adieu here is our long winding and searching conversation about food and eating and everything!

Auntie Wicked: What and where is the line between self-discipline and self-abuse? What is eating healthy? What are the different body types? Genetics? Why don’t my doctors seem to account for this when even THEY are calling me fat?

Auntie illumi: and Why does eating – automatically conjure up ideas about eating DISORDERS? Why has something that could be so simple become a major mental preoccupation of our young adult lives?

Auntie Wicked: Eating is funny stuff isn’t? And like, Funny painful like watching Youtube video’s of ppl falling down the stairs. Some have a decent relationship with eating, but I think most of us have perpetual issues with it – so how to do it right? How should I not over do? Most women get left with the wrong impression… that UNDEREATING is the way they should go, which for the most part, is wrong wrong,

Auntie Illumination: And our we clear on what our goal is? And for whom or what we are trying to achieve? prove? Most women I know are like curvy and roundish…what is all  this? Some feminism gone awry? Are we trying to prove our equality to men by looking like them? is it the old everything that is deemed feminine is inferior? is it part of our absolute death/health failure paranoia? Is it part of exerting CONTROL in a world where most of us cannot just CHOOSE to change most things about our life? Is it a way to STAY relevant and ward off the prejudiced ideas about AGING WOMEN? Is it lack of knowledge about our own bodies and nutrition? As with all things concerning humans and especially women – we are all different and each women is going to have a different prevailing reason for their eating issue(s) but if we look closely there may be some larger themes we all have in common.

- anti-rape task force

For some people bad eating habits started as children – others bad self image as a teen triggered a whole new complicated relationship with food – Wicked and I both stumbled on that road.


wicked: And although we speak of this as a ‘teenage’ issue, it’s really something that continued to be an issue, and peaked in my early 20′s, where I had my worst relationship with food and taking care of myself. Perhaps because of my personality, I seemed to think that exercise all had to be over done, and diets had to be under 900 calories a day. This is all ballz ladies and gentleman… My bad relationship with food left me with no Gal-Bladder, and a life full of health issues that I have to cope with as a result of my passionate pursuit to try and be something I’m not.
This is by NO means an encouragement to sit on your ass and do nothing if you feel there is a needed transformation for your body…

lumi: But that’s just it – isn’t it? We have to do that new age actually old age thing and have sit-down/meditate/whatever you want to call it with ourselves about our bodies. We have to try and be OBJECTIVE about the effect of food on our bodies and whether we are pleased with the results. Lumi too has struggled through the twenties with not so much anorexia anymore but various high protein low carb – concoctions and like Wicked has suffered some not so great consequences of the extreme diet yo-yo – things like thin teeth, quick exhaustion, and intermittent swelling of my feet and hands. I would love to say that all gets better? and maybe one day it does after you eat sensibly for as long as you eat by way of urban legend and mad science!



- beauty guru

How exactly food became wicked’s enemy:

My adolescence was rough. When it hit me, I turned curvy, stocky, overnight from a little girl to a c-cup. Busted out of mom’s bra’s by the time I was 12. She was always lost, what to do with someone who’s so different than you?

Interestingly and sadly Lumi’s Food War started over the SAME THING:

The mess – oh yes the mess – that was puberty – and a new house a new school – a step dad left behind having lost his ever loving mind…the curves – the boobs – the shaving…The PERCEPTION. It felt Instant really – I went from a stocky d-list girl to people staring-whispering – assuming I was SEXUAL
The teasing and name calling and ostracism from their peers became and overwhelming issue for both aunties. That in itself would have been enough but what followed for Wicked was a terrible betrayal of trust in adults:

– population report

Wicked: There was a man who married my mother. Who’d spent his life following his libido. He was a womanizer, he diddled and flirted. I swear every time we moved (which was many times in those years) it was because he’d gotten a bit too involved with some local girl. At nine he offered to ‘show me’ how sex was done. By 12 he would call us his ’12 pack of wild women’ and eyeball me inappropriately in front of other males, as though intimating he had sexual possession of my mother and I both. The peak was sometime in my 13th year. He’d decided he wanted to be a masseuse when he grew up, and I had chronic panic attacks at night. Mom would send him in my room to rub my head so I could go to sleep easier.
Head rubs became back-rubs. Back-Rubs became body rubs. The next thing I knew he was brushing places by accident that where not his to brush. One night he came in and kneeled by my bed, and said, “Can I kiss your breasts and yoni?” I said no, and he lingered. I told him no, wrapped myself up, and asked him to leave.My bedroom door remained locked in all the remaining years I lived with him.
The story is an old one, in the morning he denied anything, claiming my ‘dream lover’ had come in and my hormones where to blame… he’d been fast asleep. Mom wanted to believe him, so she did.

For Lumi:
My grandmother and stepfather both made issue of my weight – that was hard…but the kick down the cliff came when the first boyfriend – became sexually forceful…and emotionally and psychologically strange and abusive. This photographer captured it perfectly…
He would pressure me saying he wanted me – he would threaten and cut saying I didn’t want him. Sex and Violence and Food quickly became a knotted same-same to me. It was this boyfriend’s violent strange supposed attraction to me that led me to finally and fully reject this woman body and stick food in my sites as girl enemy number one.

The aftermath of abuse:

Wicked: Within a few months I went from a solid 140 pound stocky farm girl to a 190 pound jelly-ball. I wore huge shapeless clothing. It had somehow been my attractiveness that had done it, and I fixed that.

-kristen nicole

Lumi: Went from my 135 all the way down to about 100? I was weak and cold all the time. I wore lots of makeup to hide my face and huge ugly clothing or tiny all black ensembles. anything as Wicked said to fix that whole attractiveness thing – because when u have that it seemed – people have the right to hurt you.

And now?

Wicked: It started a struggle that I didn’t clear out of until I was in my very early 30′s… which as some of you know, is quite recently. It took work, and the need to dissociate pleasures from wrongness. Even further, I had to stop using food as a way to torment myself, and change my own mind about how to feel about myself, my shape, and my past.
: Gaia’s Doorstep:

Lumi’s first conclusion:   Food is a power source.  This power can be accepted, rejected, abused, manipulated,  or fully embraced.  throughout these Aunties lives we have drifted in and out of many of those choices.  More recently we have tried on acceptance and maybe even  a little embracing of the power and potential non-obsessive or dangerous enjoyment of eating and food itself.  During the desperate running around trying  to find a way to end this blog other than write four hundred pages I came across ideas I should have assimilated a long time go.  Lumi likes to think herself very very original – and she is…as is Wicked as well… but the idea of eating and not eating as a powerful tool or protest has a long history in humanity and literature – even animals at times overeat or choose to forgo food.  Fasting for instances has been long associated with closeness to spiritual guides.  Yet, even the gods themselves have been said to feast and get really mad when humans feast and do not offer to share!  Monsters, weaklings, and witches have insatiable appetites.  We learn that self control and discipline around food is necessary – it is a temptation – we need to resist or like the little girl from Pan’s Labryinth risk death by monster!  Alternately we learn that not eating is holy – a way to make a point – a way to reject filthy corporal human ways – a way especially to reject the very unlinear lines of the female body.  During these rompings and searchings for a way out of the maze that was this blog I ran across this symposium at Harvard.  To think Food, Sex, and gender was the entire topic of the night – lends some no punz intended weight to the idea that eating is no simple bodily function – it is a mind body heart action – it is as one woman said at the symposium – a voice.    We need, as a society, of people to actively listen to that voice – and discover what secrets it has about food and body image.  This voice  is telling a story – a long complicated story that points to a great number of issues we might otherwise deem impossibly old fashioned topics of talk!   Things long ago labeled solved but left unfinished have a way of coming around again and again – the Victorians starving girls are back – maybe they never even went – maybe we just stopped noticing?  This is not about big bodies or small bodies being in vogue – it’s about stopping the crazy train of bodies being so objectified that teenagers reject and abuse them to try and free themselves of it all.  This is about refusing to allow body types to be a fad.    It’s about acceptance of whatever form a healthy body takes.  It is about desexualizing bodies – so that we might make the choice to make a sexual statement rather than have our bodies perceived firstly and foremostly as sexual objects.  If that could be done…if women and men could make friends with their bodies – their human-ness and become sovereign over when it becomes a sexual statement…then then Lumi would feel like she could stop staying up all night worrying about people eating and not eating and dieting and puking and all of these things…
photo by cybersnot

Lumi’s second conclusion: For those of you who didn’t catch all that or fell asleep – food doesn’t have to be the enemy – we can detangle the emotions and the hurt and the everything from food and enjoy it while dealing with the world and it’s issues. Wicked and I would like to see a day were eating disorders of all kinds are not the most common girl experience…We would like to see a day where it’s not socially accepted and expected for girls to get the tremors about eating…This blog and those planned to come after it are the first of tiny contributions we hope to make in ending women’s war with food.


Lumi’s third conclusion:  We hope this blog reaches people…we have pained much to choose what to include and what to leave out and how to say it all…this issue makes up at least half of our two sizes too big hearts. In taking out and putting in we ended up with about three articles – we decided to break them up and will be presenting them to you in the coming months. The meaning of food in media and culture as well as some simple guidelines will be on their way – but we felt this first bit on food needed to be very personal…in hopes that our absolute confessional might spurn others to openly discuss and confess their own wars with food.


As always but especially this month…We want to hear from you especially about this topic because it is so very very close to our hearts.
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tell us your story – fight with us about our eating whining – correct us – ask us anything – we spend almost all of our time online anyway so u may get a very quick response indeed!
* frustrated woman picture at title snagged from ifood

FIVE MOST AWESOME ASIAN WOMEN OF ANCIENT History

by: A. Illumi

For this Auntie, the Asian female experience holds both curious and personal interest.  At first, I was terrified to start looking into Asian women’s history – I did not want to read page after page of quiet foot-bound women.  I did not want to read another geisha story.  These women did what they could with the world they lived in and excelled at many things but it just wasn’t enough for me – not to represent an entire body of women – that come from some of the oldest civilizations in the world.
Thanks be to the truth - because after some reassuring from Auntie Wicked I decided to dig deeper and low and behold even in the most ancient times in China, Japan, Taiwan,Mongolia, and Korea amazing women were doing amazing things.
In order to be amazing and not just mentionable a woman must have accomplished things normally considered impossible for women to do – she must not have become tragic of her own choice and ideally escaped tragedy forced from the outside world.  She must not have only excelled in one skill but also been an interesting and varied person.  Also before I begin, I think it is essential to take a moment in honor of the many nameless women who have given their time, service, and love for occupations and professions that kept no records and usually provided no pay.  In any country – in any time – all over the world; The Unknown Woman is supporting, raising, relieving, educating,cleaning, cooking, and organizing.  Someday, this Auntie, will see to it that a monument is erected to all of them – something beautiful and alabaster like atlas holding up the world only it is the Unknown Woman.  That said – of the Asian women who made into the written records of ancient times – these are my top 5.
First, we travel to China 409 B.c. and meet   a 16 year old who was, if not the first female deep cover spy, she was certainly the most awesome.  King Goujian of Yu chose her and another girl to be gifts to King Fuchai who had usurped Gouijan and humiliated him.  Xi Shi’s mission was to beguile the King with her beauty, talent, and charm so that he would forget his kingdom duties.  This she did as well as use her influence to have him rid himself of his most trusted adviser.  Ultimately, he would even take his own life and King Goujian would reclaim his former position. It is said that Xi Shi ,in her free time from covert operations ,was also having an intense love affair with the very minister who brought her to Fuchai.  When all was over, some stupid people say she was drowned by the angry loyalists of Gouijan but this Auntie refuses to give any credence to such tales.  There are many other stories about Xi Shi’s exit from the scene.  It is said in some stories that Xi Shi and Fan Li(the retired minister) ran off to live their lives on a fishing boat “roaming like fairies in the misty wilderness.”  There are other stories more mundane about how they settled and did very well for themselves but this Auntie prefers to support the ascent of this great women to the mythological status of  a neverending story.  Lady Xi is remembered in many ways – one being the
temple dedicated to her that is erected by the river she is said to have washed silks at as a young girl.  She is also remembered in the traditional dance she is said to have invented, “Xiangi”.  This is a clog dance with bells that is the predecessor to all modern tap dance!!  She is celebrated in an opera by her name, a slang term for “beautiful women”, and has the honor of having a spa named after her as well!
Xi Shi resources:  wiki – Xi Shi, blog on xi shi, more, Xi Shi name sake spa, Xi Shi opera/dance, xi shi-slang, Xi Shi temple
Note on pronouncing Xi Shi: looking at various sites it seems like the closest thing is zeeshuh – here’s a link to someone saying it:zeeshuh?

Next we go to Japan,  to a women who was almost a b.c.(248 a.d.) No one really knows what she looked like but this artist makes a beautiful guess:

Her name is Queen Himiko or was it?  There are many theories abound about just who this woman was:  from another empress by other name who lived around the same time, to being the inspiration behind stories of Amasterasu – the sun goddess herself.  Like Madonna, this woman obviously knew how to play her cards close and fascinate people through her mystery. Himiko’s very name means something like Princess Priestess – Lady Shaman – and Sun Child.  I don’t know about you but I am certainly interested in the position of “Princess Priestess.” But just a princess she was not – she was Queen of Wa(Japan) and at the very minimum a powerful figure-head and spiritual leader for her people. At maximum, she may have been our first best female foreign relations expert – as she had the sense to send gifts and people to see the important people of all the important countries around her.  I say “at best” because her brother was also around running things – or was it her son?  It is said Ms. Himiko never married - thus if she had a son she was in addition to a shaman and a leader also a working single mother!  As to her rule, it seems she came to be ruler by choice of the people and brought relative peace and calm after years of crappy war. The kingdom was large – like 70,000 households large and had organized laws and systems of taxation as well as healthy trade relations(heritage of japan).  Apparently, she also had 1,000 female attendants and one male - who fed her – hopefully grapes;P  She served long and died shortly after a battle with a neighboring kingdom began – but not terribly young and not defeated!  Her people built her a big funeral mound and sacrificed 1,000 slaves in her honor(both male and female – I wonder if it was 999 female and one male?).    The exact location of her kingdom, who she was, what she died of, and even where she was buried all remain a mystery which makes this Auntie love her all the more!
links for info on Himiko: Heritage of Japan, sun goddess, her tomb?, wiki-Himiko,
In the number three spot comes an entire group of women from the Korean Island of Jeju- The Haenyo. These amazing women have been diving deep sea for about 1,000 years!  These women dove to collect abalone, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, octopus, seaweed, and many other wonderful things!  Through this trade they became the bread winners of the family while the men assumed the role of home caretaker.  The divers went amazing depths without any modern gear – like 20 feet and stayed down for up to three minutes.  They weathered the cold of like 46 degree water even back then- with no sexy black diving suit!  And they do not give it up for anything – the Haenyo continue to dive into their 50s and as of 2006 at least one 80 something woman was still doing the damn thing!! It is a rare occasion when we can honor women for something they have done that they still get to do – these women were no momentary exception – no single notable but an entire economy – and way of life.  Today they still dive though their trade is in danger – so girls – if your looking for something to be – think about going and asking a grandma age Haenyo diver how to live – how to dive – and just how possible a matriarchal society can be – before it’s too late!!  Oh and one more thing – they are also fantastic because they and other ancient female divers may have been the very real inspiration for mermaids!! OMG I wannabe a real mermaid!!

Just look at that statue and all it’s fantastic mermaid-ness!

Haenyo Ladies Rock!

from: blog about a trip there

more on haenyo

Number Four Queen Jamdevi of Harphunchai(now lamphun) in Thailand: 
Very first ruler of Hariphunchai ever! She was into the arts, Lana culture(her home town), and expanding her kingdom. She raised two sons who both were capable leaders: one to follow her and the other to reign over newly acquired extension to the kingdom. Like most amazing women in history the paragraphs get really short when it comes to who this woman really was and what she accomplished.  We know she was the daughter of a king in what was then a very powerful and culturally advanced part of Thailand known as Lampang.  It is strange – I have to look up women in history to get much about her – or exactly the history of Harphunchai…the story of the girl who grew up in Lampang is totally missing.  There is apparently a movie that ventured to imagine what such an amazing women was like – here is what their trailer teases us with:
“One thousand years ago during the Dwaravadi Era, a baby girl was born with magical powers and grew up a fine lady of great wit and charm. Her profound beauty drew suitors from distant lands to Lavo, a kingdom most desired for the greatness and allure of its ruler’s daughter, Jamadevi herself. Brave at heart and firm in spirit, Jamadevi led vast armies into the battle. With intelligence and cunning no man could ever rival, she triumphed over many invaders. Appointed to reign over Hariphunchai, she roamed far and wide across the kingdom, leading forces of warriors, monks, pundits and craftsmen in brave attempts to expand her territory. However, before Queen Jamadevi could achieve her greatest desire, the storm of a great war erupted. With her beloved land and freedom at stake, the revered Queen Jamadevi and her loyal warriors were about to encounter the most mighty and terrifying army ever, knowing that if they lost, all would be lost.”

Sorghaghtani Beki: Number Five:  We go to Mongolia where Sorghaghtani Beki(1198-1252 a.d.)  began a princess who grew up in what was to become a very controversial religious movement “Nestorian.”  It seems she grew up with great respect for trade and culture.  This would serve her well as she was to become the wife of Ghengis Kahn’s youngest son.  She was seventeen when married – her husband Tului – about 22 (if my math in calculating years is even close to correct.)  While he was away fighting wars she was at home raising four highly educated sons who would each assume positions of powerful leadership.  Her husband drank himself to death in his early forties.  Jamadevi did not do the expected.  She refused to remarry! She raised her sons and ruled all by herself! As Queen, she was known to support trading relations of both goods and intellectual ideas.  She was thought to be a strict but loving mother, a “consumate politician”, and general wise woman.  During her reign,  she  financed an educational institution and gave charity to people of opposing faiths. She also turned one town into a religious non-profit association – or the ancient equivalent thereof anyhow! After her sons became great leaders she kept a hand in politics, battles, and intrigues.  She did so until the age of 54 when she died from illness.  She is spoken of very highly by those who recorded history.  One scholar said, “If I were to see among the race of women another woman like this, I should say that the race of women was far superior to that of men.” —Syriac scholar Bar Hebraeus (1226-1286)[2][4] In fact, more modern scholars still muse about her greatness:  Sorghanti Beki”was determined to see her sons and her family assume the reigns of imperial power, and her ruthless determination would countenance no hinderance or opposition”
Lastly, It seems most fantastic women of times past – as they are now -were surrounded with a little magic and mystery – for Beki this would have been the association with Prestor John through the Nestorian beliefs she held:  daughters of prestor john
Does that mean like the nuns of prestor john or literally insinuating that Beki was a long ancestral daughter of the magical kingdom? hmmm

The Fantastic Sorghaghtani  with Tului:

And there they are: Xi Shi, Queen Himiko, The Heanyo, Queen Jamdevi, and Sorghaghtani.  Amazing – strong – independent women from places we often mistakenly assume don’t have them.  This Auntie cannot wait to look into Amazing Asian Women of Modern Times but first The Electric Lipstick Kool-Aid Test will be coming to you!!

Where Does Glitter Come From?
by: your friendly neighborhood Auntie Illumi

Chant with me

“Oh glitra, glitenian, gleissen, ghleid, glitterati”.

Asking Where Glitter comes from is an essential question in the practice of happiness, love, and light! It is in fact THE question!

It is as essential as the question, “Why are We here?”  and this Auntie has found it almost as difficult to answer!!

As with most investigations, even with the brightest LED Wand there is, some things remain in the dark, uncovered, and buried.

So it is with the history of glitter, especially the more modern version of the species! Never fear, I will continue to commune with the divas to uncover more about the truths of glitter and keep everyone abreast of new developments!

But what I know so far is this :GLITTER is older than your great great grand mammy and came from the earth itself. Rocks people. Glitter is as old as ROCKS!

Or minerals as the case may be:

INTRODUCING RED HEMATITE: THE FIRST BODY GLITTER

This Mysterious glitter finding is POWDERED HEMATITE.  It was found in a a substance that used to be smearable.  How long ago was it made? Think upper paleolithic cave people! Professor Zilhao’s page here states pretty firmly in this that the pigments found in shells at Cuava Anton were for ornamental and decorative use.  And this Auntie goes so far as to say:  here lies your first body glitter! Wow those cave girls were so fashion forward!

While spinning around and around and throwing historical notes in the air, the next one to land on my face, where all glitter things, even glitter notes should be, was the this tidbit from India.   From 3000 BC to 1500 BC women  went topless with just their glitter jewels to adorn them.  Glitter bra much? katy perry had no idea she was wearing traditional garb!

found somewhere at the  www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html

Now if that’s not enough to rock your socks check out Ovid in 43 BC!   He give a recipe made of eggs barley, stag horn, and narcissus. For what purpose you ask? “for a face that glitters more brightly than the sun”(Ovid)

Stag Horn?

Or Stag Horn? Not Sure. :P

Then there is China 420 BC- 589 BC . Cut out awesome shapes and stick them to the forehead. These shapes were usually flowers in reference to and imitation of Princess Shouyang.

Shapes like these were called sunglows.

They were shiny and beautiful because they were made of glittering gold foil, shells, isinglass(read what that is here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isinglass – sick I know, and green bird feathers!

Picture of Isinglass for those who didn’t read about it:

Much Later(mid 1700s) Europeans used  black silk patches:  initially to cover moles or disease scars but then became a trend and even had their own symbolism. The most common shapes were moons, stars, suns, and comets!  Cut out decorative shapes for the body definitely belong in our history of glitter!

They kept the patches in these fantastic boxes:

This one was QUEEN MARY”S!

In India there is and has been since  maybe 300 b.c,  a festival of colors called the Holi festival.   Color powders of all sorts were and are made to be smeared on each others faces. Homemade natural powders are encouraged but  abeer(one of the color powders) has been made with mica and other small crystals. (holifestival.org)

The next stop is Egypt where green malachite called Udju was used :

– it’s more of a shimmer than a true glitter but it still gets a honorary nod here. As does the fact that Egyptians, Roman, and Greeks all loved to used perfumed oils on their bodies. It’s just a guess but I am thinking that the oils caused a bit of a gleam? There are even rumors every which way about gold dust being used as glitter by Egyptian queens but no hard facts. I know if I was an Egyptian queen I would have used it but who knows?

More concretely in the glimmer family are Europeans of1300 AD Who used Egg Whites to achieve a white beaming face egg white info and more. There are even recipes out their named “edible glitter” made of dried and busted up egg whites – fancy that!    You can do that or buy edible glitters made of gum arabic like these:

For sure, forever, people in many countries wanted gleaming faces. In fact, they were using lead based paint stuff in China, England, Italy, France, and really anywhere they could get it! Anything to cause a glitter,a glimmer, or a bounce of light!   Why?   it was supposed that a pale white but gleaming face with bright led lips made one look interesting .  Of course, it also made many look like they were suffering from Tuberculosis! To each her own then!

Even at times when makeup was feared and banned and bitched about the gleaming face was still approved – gleam is glitter’s step-cousin so we approve.

Queen Elizabeth: Perhaps the founding member of the fake red-head club wearing “Venetian Ceruse”
the stuff that made you look like a beaming angel…and was made with white lead.

from:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venetian_ceruse

Glitter has always been everywhere – as you have learned on faces, smeared on bodies, in jewels and in clothes.  It has also been with us In our decorations and buildings! Especially  in those things reflecting a spiritual connection we have used glittering gold,Gorgeous tinted glittering glass, gems, and all sorts of shining and sparkling minerals. Mica is on of those!

Everyone Meet Mica: Mica Meet Everyone!  Chances are some makeup in your bathroom still used this!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mica

Researchers now know it was used by Mayans in the 6^th Century AD on the Rosalila Temple in Honduras. It is suspected that the mica paint was used on special occasions to make the temple glitter in celebration!(National Geographic News)

ROSALILA TEMPLE REPLICA: more info on museum here: www.peabody.harvard.edu/node/554

There is some talk of fish scales even being used as glitter – possibly during the above times.  This assertion is not to hard to believe when you take a look at what Julia Lundesten has done with fish scales – just look at those glittering shoes!

And I bet smooshed fireflies were used to get the sparkle out of their butt – but alas I have not found the proof – no pudding for me!

Out of desperation, I turned the light of inquiry onto my grandmother to at least answer the question of the 1910-1929 time…she says, “It wasn’t even called glitter in the 1920s” but rather“flitter” and no one decent would have used it then!  ” Maybe stage people or Europeans”…and she says they would have used flecks of mica to pull off the effect!  Cool,  just like ancient people. Not even craft glitter was readily available !  She says there was no such think as craft stores,  not even in New York. Scary times. There was a theatrical specialty store that glitter may have been available at but she can’t remember if they carried it or not.

After weeks of finding nothing on this word “flitter” – I finally found a place that sells it: www.craftflocking.com/index.php.  They define “flitter” as a mixture of flocking and glitter.  And what is flocking you ask? Well listen to this :  “Flocking” is a decoration process that enhances the way a wide variety of products are experienced by making ordinary surfaces seem far more magical and special. “Flocking” is the process of depositing millions of little individual cut fiber particles (called “flock”) onto the surface of an article for the purpose of increasing the tactile sensation, aesthetics, color and appearance.” Wow glitter+flock=flitter= flock gets added to our little family history tree!

Blue Flocked x-mas tree!

greayer.com/studiog/

I need to make a note here.  Germany has a long history of glass glitter about 100 years according to most sites.  It goes along with their history of glass making in general.  I need to do more e-search on this aspect but here is a site to buy German Glass Glitter – which is not for face or body and not for use by kidlets but is highly prized craft material for those who are seriously into sparkle! www.gertrudesgiftsandfriends.com/page/page/5560992.htm

And here it is – gorgeous – dangerous – have to wear gloves to touch it – German Glass Glitter!

cgi.ebay.com/Real-German-GLASS-GLITTER-Sapphire-Silver-Shards-4-oz_W0QQitemZ180465252673QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20100205

Now, back to the 1920s-1930s: The fashion in makeup became darker and more dramatic in Europe and America. Matte White face, bright and bursting red lips – dark smokey eyes. The sparkle and glitter moved into gowns and in fabrics and occasionally in painting whole persons to shine like gold. I can say without a doubt that by 1935 Glittery Eyeshadows were abound and exciting. One poetic journalist wrote, “soft silvery powder puts glitter on the soul windows”(Helen Follet). I have no doubt flappers were using these liberally – but again the information on who used what makeup and what was in it is sparse so I have to keep digging on that one!

Max Factor Applying eyeshadow on Josephine Dunn in 1930
www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/5452744/Max-Factor-goodbye-America.html

So why did the United States feel the need to start producing it’s own mass amounts of glitter? Much of glitter was bought from Germany until say about 1939…Auntie illumi will give you a special treat if you can guess why the glitter flow stopped!!
Here’s a clue:

Did you guess? – World War II – that’s right!

Now it is said, over and over, all over the net that “Henry Ruschmann” was the “father of glitter”,, of course we know that’s not true because glitter has been around since our great cave parents decided to to do the rain dance!  That aside, Henry Rushmann did do something.  He made a modernized glitter cutting machine(the first confetti cutting machines were around in the 1890s) – the company “Meadowbrook Industries” claims that it all began in 1936.  I have the seen the patent for a cutting  machine in the 1950s by this Henry Ruschmann.  Here’s a blog with a little peep inside glitter life at that time and mentions Henry Ruschmann’ story though not by his name:

glitterworksstudio.blogspot.com/2007/05/glitter-fairy-takes-field-trip.html

The man himself is a mystery! I have sent to Meadowbrook industries to ask about the founder and got no response!  And biographical information is not to be had…not even a picture!! Interesting and more interestinger!

The importance of the glitter cutting machine of course was, now glitter could be mass produced but out of what?  Again – brick wall.  This time I went to my mother…Could they have been cutting plastic glitter in 1936?  She says firmly “no” – she remembers when she was a kid it being a huge deal for the first plastics to be around – a jug – plastic baggies…So we conjecture that it was tin.  The same stuff so popular in cans and tinsel.  Interesting note , Germans are also credited with the first making of tinsel – out of real shredded silver!  My mother also says that even when she was little – you were not supposed to put glitter near your face or “breathe it in” – so most likely metals!

Did you know that today each piece of glitter is cut individually? So it seems…there are these machines that seem like industrial paper shredders but they are really industrial surgical instruments and they cut out all these prefect pieces! But alas here is one of amazing machines that make glitter – shown sadly in a very boring youtube  www.youtube.com/watch showing someone using it – wait till the end though – the glitter comes piling out – YAY!

Today Glitter Cutting Machines Look like Sci-Fi Robots!

According to “Glitter as Forensic Evidence” by Bob Blackledge(Blackledge) the most common shapes are hexagons, squares, and then rectangles in that order. They are measured in things called microns which is equal is like a thousandth of a millimeter! Glitter ranges from 50-6,250 microns! These teeny tiny shapes are made of polymers and mylars that are often coated with titanium dioxide, ironoxide, and or bismuth oxychloride. Most familiar members of the makeup and glitter family past!  Here’s an ehow that tells much more about the polymers and such: www.ehow.com/about_5435103_glitter-made.html. There you will read things like “a coplymer is a type of plastic that is formed when multiple types of monomer are linked in the same chain.” Now, who says science isn’t a girl’s best friend?

Here they are the stars of todays glitter:

titanium dioxide

This is a coplymer of vinyl:

and this is bismuth:

Mylar Sheets:

By the 1960s-1970s glitter was totally out of the closet…It began with the flash and dash of go-go dancer costumes and her brighter bolder makeup.With disco and glam rock the deal was sealed – glitter was out sparkling all over faces and in lipsticks and nail polishes!  An article from 1979 let’s us know that glittering products were widely available and desirable – the authoress article says, “Today’s Disco Darlings and anyone else who likes the idea, can stop at a cosmetic counter and buy products to add glitter and sparkle to the face and body.” (Jaqueline Mitchell). And of course by the 80′s,  people had glitter in their hairspray and on their faces.  That glitter was much more like the plastic relatively safe glitter we use today.

So is that it?  Is that all?  This is where glitter comes from? cave people?
Well the urban dictionary has a theory worth mentioning – that is comes from the quiet dainty farts of pretty girls!!  Ahhh – perhaps so;)

Lastly, there is the best answer of all, that glitter comes from Magic and Fairies! Which this glitter-for- kids site explains:

“Let your imagination take you to an enchanted place where fairies fly and fairy dust makes magic happen.  Fairy Dust(glitter) is the trail of sparkling material  that follows pixies and fairies.  This enchanted dust is said to have magical powers of it’s own.  Fairy dust is a precious thing that can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary and make your fairy tale dream come true.”  This auntie bows to and blesses this explanation as just as true as her own research or perhaps just a eensey but even truer.  Thank you for reading and may the love and light and luster and bismuth oxide of glitter always be with you!

Last Gasps – OMG I can’t get ever get enough of Glitter!

The glitter makeup I bought just now contains( and this is the cheapest of the cheap stuff – forgive us we are on a budget):

1. NYC Nail Glitter Polish= COPOLYMERS!
   

2. Wet N’ Wild Body Glitter= acrylates and copolymers!

3. NYC Kiss Gloss: MICA, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxide, Bismuth, Tin Oxide.

   Here’s a picture of some acrylic copolymer glitter from GlitterGaloreandMore
   

Oh yes – almost forgot!!!

Where does Glitter Go?

Now that we use high-fi safe for the eye plastic glitter instead of sometimes toxic and dangerous for the eye minerals… there is some out there concern (oh god I am going to say it)  some speculate that glitter contaminates nature(but I love nature!) see Umbra on Glitter for a not so scathing version of the opinion. (Umbra) This article and a few others state that glitter may get into animals and waterways and ughh I am not giving up glitter – no I need it! That said, paper glitter and biodegradable glitters are becoming available: paper glitter!I suppose we could go back to using rocks! .

And to put the cherry on it:

Here’s a fun thing to do with glitter:
Glitter tatoos:

Here’s another nod to katy perry for using glitter in a song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7YFAP4myMw

Some Citations:

Pretty girl with pink hair picture came from: allwomenstalk.com/best-beauty-pick-urban-decay-heavy-metal-glitter-liner/

Helen Follet: “Eyeshadow for Mystery”, The Daily Times, June 28,1940

Article here

Jacqueline Mitchell: “Body Glitter for the Discos”, Palm Beach Daily News, May 9, 1979 Article here

Blackledge, Bob GLITTER as Forensic Evidence

National Geographic News, Dave Hansford “Ancient Maya Used Glitter Paint to Make Nature Gleam” February 7,2008 article here

holifestival.org www.holifestival.org/festival-of-colours.html

ICOA: Institute of ORGANIC and Analytical Chemistry”Short Statement of Cosmetic Use”, Professor Luigi A. Agrofoglio Nov. 2007