Too young to whip

If 2010 taught us any lessons about the music industry it was that there is no such thing as too young. Justin Bieber soared to pop super-stardom while resembling a tween, and there are so many things wrong with nine year old Willow Smith's meteoric rise to fame that I don't know where to start.

Willow undoubtedly has the skills but as the child of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith her big break was not a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The ability to act like a child while she still is a child is something which has probably already been eradicated since the release of Whip My Hair.

To perform a thumping dance floor anthem requires a maturity which doesn't sit comfortably on a preteen. The lyrics 'I whip my hair back and forth' are debatably nonsexual, but in the video clip she snarls and sings about partying. I hate to sound conservative, but it all just seems a bit inappropriate. Anyone else foresee a coke-fueled burn out in a year or two?

On a side note, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith named their children Jaden and Willow. If that isn't narcissism then I don't know what is.

Kitsune vol. 9

Here's a cute little track from the latest Kitsune Maison compilation.

More teen angst

Meet my new friend Gregg Araki.

Gregg is a visionary director who created the cult classic Mysterious Skin as well as lesser known, self-titled 'homo films'. An atmosphere of hostility and sexual depravity pervades his films from the close-up to the background. The shampoo bottle rape scene in Mysterious Skin is burnt into the mind of anyone who has seen the heartbreaking story of a mid-Western hustler...

Araki is no lightweight in getting his message across. His films are heavy, often depicting sadistic gay bashings, but this violence is not simply for shock value. He uses violence to recreate the hostility - real or imagined - which his characters feel from the rest of society due to their deviation from the norm. Totally F**cked Up, The Doomed Generation and Nowhere are Araki's self-titled 'homo films' starring James Duval (best known as the rabbit guy from Donnie Darko). Each installment of the mid '90s triology are about a completely different type of gayness, threaded together by the theme of teenage angst and alienation.

The trilogy features teens sleeping around, high on meth binges, generally acting out and trying to make sense of their lives. These are exactly the type of films that queer youths should watch to understand that there are gay guys and girls out who feel alienated from mainstream society, and sometimes, even from the gay community. The power is cinema lies in the fact that we define ourselves from the films we watch in our formative years, so I hope Araki's films have helped some  homo kids feel less alone.

Cinematic salivation

Okay, this one is going to be good. Black Swan looks like a psychological thriller of impeccable quality as it is directed by the superb Darren Arofonksy, the man responsible for Requiem For a Dream and The Wrestler. Think Single White Female crossed with Fight Club crossed with Centre Stage.

I believe Natalie Portman is the actress of her generation. She intelligently chooses her roles based on both public appeal and artistic merit and there are rumours that Black Swan could bring her some Oscars glory. And Portman is supported by a superb cast - Winona Ryder makes an appearance and Mila Kunis has finally been given a challenging role.

You're awlright, Brighton, you're awlright

Last week a few friends and I ventured down to Brighton. The peaceful little seaside city was a literal and metaphorical breath of fresh air after three months of congested London living.

 You'd pay 10 quid to rent of these if London had a beach.

 

The artsy Northern lanes.

The Royal Pavilion, a gift from India (how they sent it over, I do not know).

 Me and this guy bonded over the fact that we were both wearing silver jackets.