Sunday, December 11, 2016

The Ideology of Baby It's Cold Outside & What to do About it



Listen, a song is a song, and that’s about that: except when it’s not. 

I’m sure you have all heard that my generation has decided that the song Baby its Cold Outside has too much “Rape Terminology” in it for them to handle so they have rewritten the song. My response is, “don’t like it? Don’t listen to it.” For the unpracticed, this is how you do that: 

This song has been circulating for quite some time now and I always find myself fumbling through my presets whenever it comes across my speakers. It demonstrates inequality between the sexes, and a chauvinistic male ideal for female behavior. That’s right you guessed it. I HATE this song. I just can’t bring myself to accept what Dierks Bentley is selling in his song “Different for girls.” That’s right I have an ideological problem with a country music smash hit, but I think the “Rapey Baby it’s Cold Outside” argument is not based in reality. Hypocrisy, I embrace thee.  

The thesis of Dierks Bentley’s song is that girls have a more sensitive reaction to heartbreak, while men can easily get over it all with a few drinks and a one night stand. Here’s the problem: Women have always been branded the more “emotional” sex because we are biologically forced to display it. Therefore men, who have not been blessed with the estrogen dragon, must be emotionally “stronger” because they rarely physically display emotional responses to stimuli.  

Why do we continue to perpetuate this idea in our culture? Do not be confused this is NOT a feminist argument, it is a human one. When we buy this idea we are destroying the emotional health of both men and women. By presupposing an expected emotional response we rob people of the gift of grief. Yes, the GIFT. 

I once stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon, my breath taken away by its stunning beauty, but after about 60 seconds I wasn’t all that impressed anymore, “So….How long are we supposed to look at it?” I thought to myself, there must be some kind of respectful amount of awe-time for a landmark of this size. “I’m from the Pacific Northwest! I live in the shadow of jagged ice-capped volcanoes! This is a big ditch, I mean cool?” My emotional response to that landmark ended as appropriately as it should have, because it was MINE. Several years ago I lost a dear friend to a brutal car accident and while weeping on my bedroom floor I remember asking myself “So how long am I supposed to cry? There must be an appropriate amount of time for such a thing.” It took me until I was much older and in my third year of college to realize that emotional experiences just are, and their existence is sufficient for the cause in which they respond. 

Our culture has lobotomized our men from the anguish of their souls. How long has our community been shouting “it’s ok for men to cry!” and here we are again singing about the emotional fragility of women and the resilience of men! *face-keyboard* kjghsdljhv,kj!@#$% 

I don’t like this song, so I don’t listen to it. I dearly love people who adore this song, so I am pretty silent on my exegesis of it “yeah I don’t really like it, sorry.” People have brains and they can figure things out on their own. We should trust them with that responsibility. I have just vocalized my objection to the song “Different for Girls” but I have not re-written it nor do I promote a rewrite or a boycott, because like emotions, art exists for the purpose that it does and that is sufficient.
It is funny to me that a generation so vehemently passionate about art, and opposed to censorship, needs to rewrite a piece of art because they don't like it.    

Saturday, January 2, 2016

Multnomah: Jocks V. Nerds



The age old jocks v. nerds debate...

Anna Babcox. 20. Junior year at Multnomah University. Bible & Theology and Pastoral Ministry. 5’ 8”, 160 lbs, dead-eye from 20 feet, black belt, published poet, 1.5 miles in 12.5 mins, 3.6 GPA.
I throw in my hat. 

I remember a couple of years ago I was in the cafeteria navigating the vegetarian obstacle course, when I overheard a fascinating little discussion between two of our professors.
The one with the hat: Well what do you think, should we accept non-believers as students?
The other one: Well it depends on what we are trying to do here. Are we evangelizing or are we making leaders?
I took the discussion back to my table and it became pretty thick, as most impromptu debates do. “Well is this boot camp or youth camp people? I know why I’m here.” I interjected-- I was here for boot camp.
Another deep cafeteria discussion popped up this year that was just about as noteworthy. I was sitting with some friends and new students for lunch and one of them wanted a professor recommendation. Two different profs taught the same class and they wanted the inside scoop. “Oh don’t take him he is so hard!” someone advised, “Take the easy guy.” I piped up for a moment as the ranking student at the table (yeah a sophomore was the upperclassmen in this group). “In any situation where there is a “hard” professor and an “easy” professor, I know this sucks, but go for the hard one. You will cry, and almost die, but you will always be glad you did it.” And I meant it. This school has almost killed me--every semester, and it has always been worth it. They didn’t agree. I got more fries.

I have seen a few things during my time here. My observations are thus: 

-There are men and women of God on this campus that I am honored to be acquainted with and humbled to have the privilege to learn from.
-This school was created by one of those spiritual giants whose vision was to build a bible school for Christians who wanted to know how to read their Bibles and be spiritually whole, Christ-centered, missional people.
-We aren’t that school anymore.
-It’s not the athletes fault. 

There is a culture clash here at Multnomah that has nothing to do with our respective cultures. The rift between students has nothing to do with our majors, sexuality, or friend groups—it’s a heart clash. We aren’t all playing for the same team. Sports didn’t do this, hearts did.
The answer to this observation of course comes in the form of the other prof’s question. “What are we trying to do here?”
As a follower of Christ and a student of Biblical Theology my longing and desire is to grow into a well-educated spiritually mature Christian. I am not taking my classes for the sake of my academic plan or the completion of a required credit load. I am here for the Bible--but we just aren’t all here for that.
This may be a harsh indictment for my fellow students, but I implore you: the attitude that leads to a class hour spent on YouTube doesn’t spiritually enrich you, your backrow neighbor, your family, your church or your world as much as the truth coming out of your professor’s mouth.
Call me old school, a military brat, a prude, self-righteous, or a nerd but I just think that the issue at hand is not about what we do here but why we are here.
Multnomah has long had sports teams and their teams were known for something special. They didn’t play for stats, championships, or fame they played for fun and they played because they were missionaries.
That team brought people to Jesus at half time.

 “The society that separates its scholars from its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting by fools.”
--Thucydides

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Jordan Page - "The Light of R3VOLUTION" Lyrics


Have you heard the people calling
who are hungry in the night
Have you heard the prayers of soldiers
who are weary from the fight
Have you heard the voice of wisdom
in a time of pure deceit
Have you heard the path to freedom
is a road you rise to meet
Have you heard the bonds of slavery
are forged with paper chains
And the red sun that is rising
sets on all of us the same
Unless we stand together now
we all will surely fall
 And I’ve heard the call
in the words of Dr. Paul

Have you ever seen a country
bent and broken on its knees
Or a line ten miles long of hungry
homeless begging please
Or a banking institution
funding both sides of a war
Or it’s chairmen spreading lies
upon the house committee flour
Have you ever seen a talking
head on television sway
The people through deception
telling lies to earn his pay
Oh can’t you feel the ground shake
his institutions warns
But I watch them fall
When I stand with Dr. Paul

Now let the people learn to reason
and now let them stand up on their own
Now let the light of revolution
bring it home
Now let the rights of men come shine in
Bright and self evident and true
And let each one of you be counted
As you stand for the one
who stands for you

They say that truth is treason
in the empire of lies
And the enemies of freedom
are all cleverly disguised
In temples made of marble
where the corporations reign
and the only ones who benefit
stand far above the pain
As the people battle poverty
depression and disease
And a crisis turns to meltdown and
the liquid starts to freeze
But the printing press is roaring
leaving trillions in its wake
And history won’t forgive those
who don’t learn from their mistakes
As the rights of individuals
are stripped down more and more
And we all can finally see the hidden face
behind the war
Unless we stand together now
this fate will touch us all
we stand free and tall
As we march for Dr. Paul
We march for Dr. Paul
We march for Dr. Paul


 
(As played in Iowa “The Light of REVOLUTION”) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lvfhr88zns&NR=1








Friday, June 17, 2011

Sweet Sixteen







My 16th Birthday

Greetings one and all. Rejoice and be gald! If you are receiving this email (or being tagged in this Facebook note, or being handed this piece of paper, or opening this letter, or are viewing this campaign) it means you are either important enough or rich enough for me to have expected you to be thinking about my inevitable upcoming 16th birthday.
But this year, it being a special year, I wish to make an announcement.
DRUMROLL
This year I will be donating 100% of my birthday to Charity. A special Charity in fact, known as
 Charity: Water. This Charity’s sole purpose is to provide clean drinking water and sanitation to impoverished people across Africa. As most of you know I have been to Africa and have seen this desperate need for water with my own eyes. Nothing would please me more than to be able to change a small piece of the world on this upcoming July 8th. Now here are the rules:
1.      Please read the paper I wrote about this wonderful organization attached/linked bellow
and view the add here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEnlrE4iMBU
2. If you were only going to send a card, ecard, or facebook note for my birthday (which is fine) then I ask instead that you donate 16 dollars, since I will be Turing 16 to Charity Water.
There is an account set up right now for the entire campaign, the website is linked here:
http://mycharitywater.org/p/campaign?campaign_id=16808


3. If you did plan to buy me a gift, round up the average cost of the gift or gifts that were planned and donate that instead. Or whatever you feel is appropriate. 

BONUS!!
This year I will be giving you a gift in return!!
 If we raise $5,000 or more (the cost of a well that supplies water to an entire Village) than I will complete a challenge as chosen by you, from the list below.
If $10,000 (or more than the gift for the $5,000 level) ADD a gift chose from the list below for the 10,000 level. 
Reply as to which Challenge Gifts you favor per level and the ones with the most votes will be your gifts from me.

1. A book about some of my life experiences, lessons, and laugh at myself moments (length to be determined)
2. A Social Project centered on my friends and family, the relationships we have, and the ways to make it stronger
3. A Youtube video at least 10 min long narrated by myself about my trip to Africa in 2009
4. A photo project, subject to be decided

This is the paper I wrote about Charity: Water. I would love for you to take a chance to read it, Charity: Water is a project I am very excited about.  
My 16th Birthday

Greetings one and all. Rejoice and be glad! If you are receiving this email (or being tagged in this Facebook note, or being handed this piece of paper, or opening this letter, or are viewing this campaign) it means you are either important enough or rich enough for me to have expected you to be thinking about my inevitable upcoming 16th birthday.
But this year, it being a special year, I wish to make an announcement.
DRUMROLL
This year I will be donating 100% of my birthday to Charity. A special Charity in fact, known as
 Charity: Water. This Charity’s sole purpose is to provide clean drinking water and sanitation to impoverished people across Africa. As most of you know I have been to Africa and have seen this desperate need for water with my own eyes. Nothing would please me more than to be able to change a small piece of the world on this upcoming July 8th. Now here are the rules:
1.      Please read the paper I wrote about this wonderful organization attached/linked bellow
and view the add here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEnlrE4iMBU
2. If you were only going to send a card, ecard, or facebook note for my birthday (which is fine) then I ask instead that you donate 16 dollars, since I will be Turing 16 to Charity Water.
There is an account set up right now for the entire campaign, the website is linked here:
http://mycharitywater.org/p/campaign?campaign_id=16808


3. If you did plan to buy me a gift, round up the average cost of the gift or gifts that were planned and donate that instead. Or whatever you feel is appropriate. 

BONUS!!
This year I will be giving you a gift in return!!
 If we raise $5,000 or more (the cost of a well that supplies water to an entire Village) than I will complete a challenge as chosen by you, from the list below.
If $10,000 (or more than the gift for the $5,000 level) ADD a gift chose from the list below for the 10,000 level. 
Reply as to which Challenge Gifts you favor per level and the ones with the most votes will be your gifts from me.

1. A book about some of my life experiences, lessons, and laugh at myself moments (length to be determined)
2. A Social Project centered on my friends and family, the relationships we have, and the ways to make it stronger
3. A Youtube video at least 10 min long narrated by myself about my trip to Africa in 2009
4. A photo project, subject to be decided

This is the paper I wrote about Charity: Water. I would love for you to take a chance to read it, Charity: Water is a project I am very excited about. 

http://northwestborn.blogspot.com/2011/06/chairty-water-paper.html