Three pieces of pop culture I can't stop talking about
Have you encountered me on the street recently? Or had basically any communication with me online or off? Then, you've probably had me harass you about Kacey Musgraves's sophomore album Pageant Material.
Her songwriting is clever and insightful and vulnerable and catchy as hell. She is why I fell in love with country music and is everything that is great about the genre (think Dixie Chicks not the abomination that is bro-country).
I've fallen so hard for this album I went and bought her FIRST album Same Trailer Different Park AND tickets to see her at The Pageant in September!
So, I'm going to tell you I'm obsessed with UnREAL, a new drama on Lifetime, and you're going to start to roll your eyes but DON'T. I am a TV snob to end all TV snob. I don't watch trash. I don't watch reality television.
However, I WILL watch a smart, expertly written drama about the inner workings of a reality television show modeled on The Bachelor. The show follows Rachel Goldberg, one of the show's producers, as she manipulates the show's contestants while attempting to maintain her humanity. Did I mention the show's creator worked on the actual Bachelor for NINE seasons?
So. Good.
Do you have kids? Wait, scratch that. Do you eat? Occasionally when you eat, do you consume sugar?
Then, watch. this. movie. It's free on Netflix or you can rent it on Amazon. Either way.
Here's the deal. In the 1970's, my high school had a smoke shack... FOR STUDENTS.
Appalling, right? Insane, right?
Well, there's a reason Mad Men began with advertising cigarettes and ended with advertising soda. In 20 years (hopefully, sooner), we will look back and recognize the lunacy of our current situation. We allow multi-billion dollar industries poison us and our children. We allow them to PAY schools to sell their poisonous products. We allow them to advertise directly to our children. We allow them to pay off our government so they can continue to lie to us.
It is unethical. It is immoral. It is insanity.
If I wasn't fed up before this movie, I sure as heck am now.
Why I’m saying goodbye to Gone with the Wind
In 2nd grade, I developed an obsession with Gone with the Wind. I don’t remember the first time I saw the movie, but I do remember watching it compulsively. I could recite every dress Scarlett wore in the order she wore them. I knew all the details of her life and started collecting Gone with the Wind memorabilia.
I dressed up as Scarlett for Halloween. I named the little black gerbil I received for Christmas Prissy, an incredibly embarrassing personal factoid I have only told a handful of people up until this post.
In high school, I finally read the book. I remember loving the novel even more than the movie and reading the 1000+ pages in a couple of days.
What I don’t remember at any point during my love affair with Gone with the Wind was racism.
In 2nd grade, I developed an obsession with Gone with the Wind. I don’t remember the first time I saw the movie, but I do remember watching it compulsively. I could recite every dress Scarlett wore in the order she wore them. I knew all the details of her life and started collecting Gone with the Wind memorabilia.
I dressed up as Scarlett for Halloween. I named the little gerbil I received for Christmas Prissy, an incredibly embarrassing personal factoid I have only told a handful of people up until this post.
In high school, I finally read the book. I remember loving the novel even more than the movie and reading the 1000+ pages in a couple of days.
What I don’t remember at any point during my love affair with Gone with the Wind was racism.
I am a white female and the only perspective that mattered was that of the white female heroine, followed closely by her white male love interest. It never occurred to me that slavery was more than a historical backdrop. I never wondered how Mammy or Pork or Prissy felt. I never questioned the revision of Confederate motives.
To my young white Southern mind, the antebellum South was exactly as the opening text describes it “a pretty world” that was to be glamorized and remembered as something beautiful that was gone forever.
Only in college did I begin to see Gone with the Wind with more critical eyes. My college has a complicated relationship with the Civil War and its history, but it was there I first learned about The Wind Done Gone and began to fully understand for the first time that Margaret Mitchell’s depiction of the antebellum South was neither accurate nor instructive in any real way.
I learned that Gone with the Wind was racist. I learned that writing about beautiful dresses and a passionate love affair can’t hide the whitewashing of slavery and the devastation slavery itself caused.
And yet, I am ashamed to say – even after realizing all of this – I kept Gone with the Wind. I kept my dolls and my coffee mugs. I kept a small model of Tara on my bookshelf.
In truth, Gone with the Wind had become more than the text and film to me. It represented a piece of my childhood. It held as a bond between me and the female members of my family. In particular, a beloved family friend had given me pieces of her own collection. I love this woman and I would never do anything to hurt her. How can I look at her and tell her something that brings her joy – something that used to bring me joy – only brings me shame?
However, after the deaths in Charleston and the surrounding discussion of Confederate symbols, I’ve decided saying goodbye to Gone with the Wind is a very small – but important – thing I can do.
I have heard the arguments for maintaining Confederate symbols. I know people see it as a part of history and no one is arguing that history is unimportant. However, the careful study and understanding of history is very different than the glamorization of our painful past. We don’t need Gone with the Wind or the Confederate flag to remember that the Civil War happened. Enough ink has been spilled on that period in our history to fill the Mississippi and anyone truly arguing that we’re at risk of forgetting hasn’t ever googled “The Civil War” and gotten 214,000,000 search results.
Conversely, the other argument I hear is that removing Confederate symbols is so small it won’t matter. Is taking down the Confederate flag or getting rid of Gone with the Wind memorabilia really going to make a difference to race relations in this country?
To that I say, it’s worth a shot.
Gone with the Wind was special to me at one time. However, it’s just not WORTH it. It’s not worth holding on to something – no matter how much pride or happiness or fondness it might still evoke – if it hurts other people.
For too long, we have ignored the gaping wound that slavery left in this country. We turned the other way as gangrene set in and the infection spread. The fact that it took the slaying of nine innocent black people in a church for us to finally decide to take down a flag that has symbolized nothing but pain and oppression to FORTY FOUR MILLION Americans for 150 years is depressing.
However, the state of race relations in this country is so bad that any movement at all is cause for hope.
We have to start somewhere. We have to start saying we’re sorry for the pain our ancestors caused. We have to acknowledge that our own privilege was built on the backs of other’s oppression.
As an eighth generation Kentuckian, my history is important to me. However, I have found that acknowledging the truth of that history – including the fact that my ancestors were slave owners and Confederates and deeply flawed human beings alive during a dark period in our past – is more empowering than any trite speech falling out Scarlett O’Hara’s mouth.
We have to let go of the past in order to step forward into the future.
As a mother, the future is now my focus. I’m not merely raising Kentuckians or Southerners. My three sons are Americans and I want them to grow up in a thriving forward-looking country that makes room at the table for everyone. That can’t happen if the table is buckling under the weight of old symbols and prejudices.
It’s time. It’s PAST time to say goodbye to these symbols. There is nothing disrespectful about burying something long dead so that something better can grow in its place.
So, I’m saying goodbye to Scarlett and all she symbolizes. I will not show my children the movie. The book and memorabilia are gone from my home. I’m saying sorry to those who were hurt by that story and the praise it has received. I’m apologizing for my own ignorance and pledging to do better and teach my children to do better.
It’s not enough but it’s a start.
The Marshmallow Test: The Amos Version
In the late 1960's, psychologist Walter Mischel led several experiments on delayed gratification involving four year olds and a bunch of marshmallows. The premise is simple and I explain at the beginning of the video.
The characteristic these experiments test - basically self-control - has been to be a fundamental predictor of success in life. I've always said I'm going to test all my children in when they reach four years old - not because I want to see how successful they will be as adults, after all to think one can truly predict that is hopeful at best and ridiculous at worst.
Basically, I just wanted to see which children I might want to keep a close eye on. I tested Griffin at four and now it's Amos's turn!
Would you ever perform the marshmallow test on your child? Or do you already know what they will do? How important do you believe self-control to success?
A Paducah Summer List for ADULTS
Today I'm on HerKentucky with a brand new section called HerPaducah! We've already talked about the fact that Paducah is having a MOMENT and we decided it was time to highlight all the fabulous things happening in our town. So, look forward to posts highlighting new businesses, delicious foods, and exciting art and music events. To kick it off, I have a summer list for ADULTS. I've talked about fun things for families to do but sometimes a summer evening just needs an adult beverage or grown up fun!
Summer is a perfect time of year to go exploring so we're going to kick things off with a summer list for ADULTS. We've made a list with lots for little ones. Inspired by You Are My Fave's "How to summer" categories, this list is for the big kid inside us all. Click here to download a copy!
GO
- To the Paducah Farmers' Market and stock up on homegrown food, handmade crafts, and pickled everything.
- On a tour and stop for a tasting at the Purple Toad Winery.
- Hear music at the river, MAC, the Coke Plant ... you've got options.
To see the rest of the list including things to MAKE, DO, and EAT visit the new herPaducah!
Celebrating #PaducahProud for my blogiversary
When I launched bluegrass redhead two years ago, I knew writing about my small town life in Paducah, Kentucky, would be a huge part of the blog. We gave up so much six years ago to leave our life in Washington, D.C., and move back to my hometown. Since that time, my passion for Paducah has never wavered.
I knew Paducah was something special, but it was always hard to explain to other people. Maybe I only loved Paducah because she was my home?
Since moving home, however, I have watched Paducah change and grow and I am now confident proclaiming.
Y'all, Paducah is having a MOMENT.
Photo Credit: autumn_boh via Compfight cc
When I launched bluegrass redhead two years ago, I knew writing about my small town life in Paducah, Kentucky, would be a huge part of the blog. We gave up so much six years ago to leave our life in Washington, D.C., and move back to my hometown. Since that time, my passion for Paducah has never wavered.
I knew Paducah was something special, but it was always hard to explain to other people. Maybe I only loved Paducah because she was my home?
Since moving home, however, I have watched Paducah change and grow and I am now confident proclaiming.
Y'all, Paducah is having a MOMENT.
The next generation of Paducahans are staking their claim and transforming our town and it is a sight to behold. Andy Carloss moved home and opened Midtown Market. Sara Falder transformed floral with Flower + Furbish. Erin Hendley opened f.a.c.e. Makeup Aristry. Paducah's music scene built with the hard work of Solid Rock'it Boosters and J.D. Wilkes and The Wheelhouse Rousters began to flourish.
And Paducah's arts community - began with the incredible foresight of city leaders decades ago - became a truly powerful force inside our community.
Then, Ed and Meagan Musselman announced The Coke Plant, a historical architectural gem that sat empty MY ENTIRE LIFE, was being refurbished, reinvented, and reinvigorated. It became the home of Dry Ground Brewing Company, where I have learned I actually LIKE beer, and Piper's Tea and Coffee, where Peter and Amber Barnett treat coffee and tea as an art form.
Italian Grill on Broadway. MAKE. The soon-to-open Freight House. Ephemera. SHARE Paducah.
It's all happening... and I couldn't be prouder AND I thought what a great way to celebrate the two-year anniversary of bluegrass redhead by celebrating the place that inspires me more than any other - Paducah.
So, if you live ANYWHERE near Paducah, then you need to make a visit. I'll show you around. It'll be awesome. If you don't (and by that I mean you live overseas), then I've got a fun giveaway to give everyone a little taste of why we're all feeling so #PaducahProud.
I've partnered up with Bricolage Art Collective for the giveaway. Bricolage is a GREAT place to see all the amazing art coming out of Paducah right now. It's owned by Sara Falder and Landee Bryant-Greene. I'm going to go ahead and proclaim Landee, a founding mother of the current Paducah moment. As the Executive Director of Maiden Alley Cinema, Landee has been doing the back-breaking groundwork involved in creating the moment we're currently having.
It might seem like it's coming out of nowhere, but truthfully it's because of the hard work of people like Landee and many, many others.
Now, on to the awesome stuff. Everything you see here you can get at Bricolage.
Photo by Imagine Create Play.
A couple of weeks ago I posted a photo of my necklace by Heather of The Copper Thread and y'all plain ole freaked out. Heather is doing some AMAZING things with copper and enamel AND giving away one necklace to a lucky bluegrass redhead reader.
Photo by Glenn Hall.
Piper's Tea and Coffee is giving away the winner's choice of one pot of tea. Can we even talk about these adorable pots? I would want to win one even if it wasn't filled with delicious tea. Peter and Amber take what they do very seriously (despite being ridiculously fun people). Let's say you stop in and they just happened to have mixed up fresh strawberry lemonade on a whim. It will still be the most delicious lemonade you've ever tasted and then you will steal it from your 4-year-old and make him cry and NOT. CARE.
Not that I would know...
Photo by Imagine Create Play.
Photo by Joshua Black Wilkins.
Jessica Lee Wilkes has been instrumental in the Paducah music scene for years as a member of J.D. Wilkes and the Dirt Daubers. Now, she's released her solo debut Lone Wolf and y'all...
Here. Listen to this. Sit still while doing it... I DARE YOU.
See. Jessica is giving away a copy of Lone Wolf.
Photo by Imagine Create Play.
Char Downs opened Pinecone Studio in the Lower Town Arts District in 2005 and has been creating imaginative, gorgeous art ever since. Char is giving away one piece of art to a lucky reader.
Enter by using the Rafflecopter widget below!
Pictli: My NEW way to give the perfect present
Since I started blogging professionally in 2011, I have gotten A LOT of emails. Emails asking me to try out this great new product ... or app ... or book ... or all the things. I rarely open them. I VERY rarely reply.
Lucky for all of us, I just happened to open an email I received from Frank, the founder of Pictli.
Since I started blogging professionally in 2011, I have gotten A LOT of emails. Emails asking me to try out this great new product ... or app ... or book ... or all the things. I rarely open them. I VERY rarely reply.
Lucky for all of us, I just happened to open an email I received from Frank, the founder of Pictli.
Pictli is an online photo gift service and app that prints, frames, wraps, and sends photos and Frank offered to let me try it out for free.
I said yes but I was skeptical. Photo printing services are notoriously clunky. Photo framing services are notoriously expensive. However, I was willing to give it a try.
Y'all.
I sat down and less than FIVE MINUTES and TWENTY DOLLARS later a beautifully framed gift was on the way to my friend.
A photo of my friend's beloved basset hound I had been wanting to send FOREVER.
Let's just take a moment and talk about what would have been involved had I tried to send my friend a framed photo the old fashioned way.
1. I forget for weeks to sit down and upload the photo to a printing service. 2. I finally upload photo. 3. I forget for weeks to pick up said photo. 4. I finally pick up photo. 5. I go to a separate place to find a frame. 6. I forget about framed photo for weeks. 7. I either remember to give the photo to my friend next time I see her (never going to happen) OR I take a trip to the post office and maybe wrap the frame (probably not) and then send it.
Let's also remember I have three small children SO for every errand I have to decide whether or not I want to run the errand with children in tow OR use valuable child-free time to run the errand.
Do you see why this service is a game changer? Even if I buy the cheapest frame know to man I'm only saving a MAXIMUM of $5 or so - probably not even that if you add in shipping costs and wrapping.
PLUS, Pictli prints square Instagram photos and has square frames. I take almost all my iPhone pictures in square mode which is a real pain to print when most printing services only give you 4x6 as an option.
It's a game changer is what I'm saying.
In case you needed a little additional push to try it out, Pictli is offering bluegrass redhead readers 20% off through the end of June with the code SSH1506.
#SeedlingSummer - the Paducah Way
As you know from my summer list, we take summer seriously around these parts. Simply put -summer days are in short supply and I want to make the most of them.
Recently, The Other Sarah from Salt & Nectar joined the awesome team at Seedling, where they also take the fun of the summer season pretty seriously. TOS sent the boys a sampling of Seedling's all-in-one activity kits and asked me to share what summer looks like in our neck of the woods.
As you know from my summer list, we take summer seriously around these parts. Simply put -summer days are in short supply and I want to make the most of them.
Recently, The Other Sarah from Salt & Nectar joined the awesome team at Seedling, where they also take the fun of the summer season pretty seriously. TOS sent the boys a sampling of Seedling's all-in-one activity kits and asked me to share what summer looks like in our neck of the woods.
If you follow me on Instagram, you know that our summer is BUSY. I purposefully keep our school year low key so I can ramp it up in the summer. I'm happy to schlepp all over town when I have all day long to do it (and it doesn't interfere with dinner time).
Paducah is a great place to be a kid all year around, but summer is particularly wonderful. Of course, we're in the South so summer wouldn't be complete without Vacation Bible School. We've already had a full week of Vacation Bible School at Immanuel Baptist Church and weekend Harry Potter themed VBS at Grace Episcopal Church.
Even though the boys are very close in age, each has their own summer adventures lined up. Amos had a blast Monsterific Preschool Playshop at the Market House Theater last week and will be attending another LEGO© themed play shop in July. Market House is an unbelievable resource to parents in Paducah. In fact, my cousin from Nashville traveled up every year to participate in the Musical Performance Camps. Griffin is finally old enough to participate this year and I can't wait!
Paducah is also lucky enough to have West Kentucky Community and Technical College, which hosts a variety of week-long summer camps AND The Challenger Learning Center, which is one of 40 space science education centers in the U.S.
Add in Wednesdays on the Waterfront at the River Discovery Center and the Kids Summer Reading Program at McCracken County Library and our days seem pretty full.
However, there are A LOT of hours to fill in the summer and - though it might not seem like it - I do like to leave many of them free for fun at the pool or fun summer crafts. That's where awesome companies like Seedling come in.
This week Griffin is attending a week-long full-day Extreme LEGO© Camp at WKCTC by Paducah's resident Science guy Jason Lindsey, which leaves a sad little brother at home by himself. Yesterday I told Amos to go play in his room to which he responded, "But there's no Griffin!"
Not surprisingly, the Seeding Create Your Own Dragon kit turned that frown upside down.
Truthfully, even in the summer, I still hand over a Leap Pad or iPad for convenience sake when little ones get bored. However, having an all-in-one kit made a big difference. I didn't have to search Pinterest for a fun idea and then round up all the supplies. I pulled the kit off the shelf and BAM! we were on our way!
No matter where you live, Seedling wants to help y'all build, imagine, play — and enjoy summer “camp” your way!
Seedling helps bring kids' ideas to life with kid-tested, parent-approved activity kits that encourage children to follow their own creative initiative. Enjoy 25% off at seedling.com when you choose your own adventure using the code KYSEEDLING25. (Offer valid one per customer; discount does not apply to past purchases, packaging, applicable taxes, or shipping and handling. Expires June 30, 2015 at 11:59 pm PST.)
Unique birth announcements for boys
When Griffin was born six years ago (SIX!??!), beautiful photo birth announcements had only recently become available to the masses. I spent a half an hour getting the perfect shot while he napped and ordered my sweet little birth announcement from Tiny Prints.
By the time Amos arrived two years later, I wanted something a little more unique. I fell hard for the "Hi, I'm...." design on WestWillow and had my friend Emilee take the beautiful shot of Amos.
Fast forward three and a half years later and the Hi/Hello motif is EVERYWHERE. I wanted something unique and something that spoke to Felix's third brother status. After months of searching, I finally decided to design it myself! So, the beautiful photo was taken by Brad Rankin and the announcement designed by your's truly!
Did you send birth announcements? Got a great source for unique designs?
My podcasts
Subscribe to my weekly email
- August 2017
- March 2017
- January 2017
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
I grew up watching A LOT of television and going to A LOT of movies. I was an only child so I had time to fill and no siblings to help fill it. Some of my most vivid childhood memories revolve around media and popular culture.