Links & Bits for 3/4/11

Vapor Girls: Puro Instinct, Image Control, and Music Writing (Visitation Rites)

I have to say that my initial reaction to this image was not entirely positive. I mean, I’m far from a prude, but my gut reaction was that this was not a smart move. My logic was that with the press already so focused on their gender and attractiveness, why not go for something a little bit less sexy? As third (or even ninth) wave as I usually am, I wasn’t feeling the lying down in lingerie motif. I guess it struck me as being a bit passive.

Melissa McEwen from Shakesville's thoughts on this season's American Idol

It really seems like the top 12 "boys" were explicitly encouraged to be as individual and quirky as possible, while the top 12 "girls" were encouraged to conform both in style and song choice to some weird amalgam of a high school talent show contestant and a pageant entrant. Which is not to say that none of the girls were quirky or talented or whatever, but only that the spectrum of acceptable quirkiness for the girls seems a lot narrower than it is for the boys.

For Girls Who Love Themselves Enough to Talk Back to Lil Wayne (Colorlines)

Rapper Lil Wayne has certainly had his fair share of critics, but probably none quite like this. Two girls, ages 9 and 10-year-old, recently took to YouTube to rap an official letter to Weezy about his disparaging lyrics about women. They're going by the name Watoto From the Nile, and in a professionally produced video and song, both rap over the beat to Wayne's song "I'm Single." And you know what? It's good. Really good.