Björk explains how DJing and sexism work to critics who don't understand either.

Jon Comulada
12.22.16

Icelandic singer Björk is an artist who refuses to be put in a box.

From her music (a blend of trip-hop, jazz, electronica, and ... just about everything else) to her style and stage presence, which are unapologetically, 100%, pure Björk-ian.

You may know her from this swan dress appearance at the Academy Awards. Photo by Lucy Nicholson/AFP/Getty Images.

The latest act in Björk's career-long mission of breaking the mold is a series of DJ sets she's been doing at clubs and festivals around the U.S.

Lets talk about what exactly a DJ set is.

It's a not-so-little-known secret that musicians love music, and not just their own. They're constantly collecting influences, inspirations, and insights in the music they listen to and admire every day. A DJ set is when an artist plays some of their favorite music for an audience instead of performing it. They can play selections from their own work, but the night usually consists of a personalized mix of other songs from musicians they admire. It's an act of musical appreciation for everyone involved, but it's not a concert.

DJ sets are a pretty common part of the club and music festival scenes, and usually everyone present knows what to expect. They've been hosted by artists of all genres, from Animal Collective to Talib Kweli.

In December 2016, Björk was surprised by some of the reviews she received after a DJ set she hosted in Houston.

In a Facebook post, Björk opened up about the sexist double standard that she felt led to the criticism of her act that night, explaining that while most of the artists "played mostly other peoples music," only she seemed to get dinged for not playing her own music.

She wrote:

"Some media could not get their head around that i was not 'performing' and 'hiding' behind desks . and my male counterparts not . and i think this is sexism . which at the end of this tumultuous year is something im not going to let slide : because we all deserve maximum changes in this revolutionary energy we are currently in the midst of"

dear little miss media!!!! happy winter solstice !!!as you know the majority of my career i havent moaned about...

Posted by Björk on Wednesday, December 21, 2016

In the post, Björk lamented the fact that women in music are often limited to superficial topics, and experimentation outside of that is criticized.

"Women in music are allowed to be singer songwriters singing about their boyfriends," wrote Björk. "If they change the subject matter to atoms , galaxies , activism , nerdy math beat editing, or anything else ... journalists feel there is just something missing."

Photo by Malte Kristiansen/AFP/Getty Images.

Björk also noted that male artists are, in many ways, allowed to jump around in subject and experiment with their art more freely. "If [female artists] dont cut our chest open and bleed about the men and children in our lives we are cheating our audience," Björk explained.

"Eat your bechtel test heart out."

There are endless other examples of sexism in the music industry. As more artists like Björk come forward with their stories, the faster we can fix things.

From the lack of female representation at music festivals to Madonna and Björk herself having to constantly explain that, yes, they produce their own music to the truly horrifying and ongoing lawsuit between Kesha and the producer she alleges raped her.

Recognizing and appreciating the ability of female artists to branch out and experiment might seem like a small battle, but it's a big step in respecting who they are as artists and people — which could have far-reaching effects on the industry.

"Lets make 2017 the year where we fully make the transformation !!!" wrote Björk, clearly excited at the possibility. "The right to variety for all the girls out there !!!"

music sexism feminism performance bjork dj
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Florida city forecloses on man's home after fining him $30,000 for not mowing his lawn.

Youtube

Should a man lose his home because the grass in his yard grew higher than 10 inches? The city of Dunedin, Florida seems to think so.

According to the Institute of Justice, which is representing Jim Ficken, he had a very good reason for not mowing his lawn – and tried to rectify the situation as best he could.

In 2014, Jim's mom became ill and he visited her often in South Carolina to help her out. When he was away, his grass grew too long and he was cited by a code office; he cut the grass and wasn't fined.

France has started forcing supermarkets to donate food instead of throwing it away.

But several years later, this one infraction would come back to haunt him after he left to take care of him's mom's affairs after she died. The arrangements he made to have his grass cut fell through (his friend who he asked to help him out passed away unexpectedly) and that set off a chain reaction that may result in him losing his home.

The 69-year-old retiree now faces a $29,833.50 fine plus interest. Watch the video to find out just what Jim is having to deal with.

Mow Your Lawn or Lose Your House! www.youtube.com

florida dunedin lawn mowing jim ficken
Cities

Michelle Obama named 'most admired woman in the world,' because of course she is.

The world can't get enough Michelle.

Jimmy Kimmel Live/YouTube

The world officially loves Michelle Obama.

The former first lady has overtaken the number one spot in a poll of the world's most admired women. Conducted by online research firm YouGov, the study uses international polling tools to survey people in countries around the world about who they most admire.

In the men's category, Bill Gates took the top spot, followed by Barack Obama and Jackie Chan.

In the women's category, Michelle Obama came first, followed by Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie. Obama pushed Jolie out of the number one spot she claimed last year.

Unsurprising, really, because what's not to love about Michelle Obama? She is smart, kind, funny, accomplished, a great dancer, a devoted wife and mother, and an all-around, genuinely good person.

She has remained dignified and strong in the face of rabid masses of so-called Americans who spent eight years and beyond insisting that she's a man disguised as a woman. She's endured non-stop racist memes and terrifying threats to her family. She has received far more than her fair share of cruelty, and always takes the high road. She's the one who coined, "When they go low, we go high," after all.

She came from humble beginnings and remains down to earth despite becoming a familiar face around the world. She's not much older than me, but I still want to be like Michelle Obama when I grow up.

Her memoir, Becoming, may end up being the best-selling memoir of all time, having already sold 10 million copies—a clear sign that people can't get enough Michelle, because there's no such thing as too much Michelle.

Don't like Michelle Obama? Don't care. Those of us who love her will fly our MO flags high and without apology, paying no mind to folks with cold, dead hearts who don't know a gem of a human being when they see one. There is nothing any hater can say or do to make us admire this undeniably admirable woman any less.

When it seems like the world has lost its mind—which is how it feels most days these days—I'm just going to keep coming back to this study as evidence that hope for humanity is not lost.

Here. Enjoy some real-life Michelle on Jimmy Kimmel. (GAH. WHY IS SHE SO CUTE AND AWESOME. I can't even handle it.)

Michelle & Barack Obama are Boring Now www.youtube.com

michelle obama michelle obama birthday obama barack obama
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France has started forcing supermarkets to donate food instead of throwing it away.

via EarthFix / Flickr

What will future generations never believe that we tolerated in 2019?

Dolphin and orca captivity, for sure. They'll probably shake their heads at how people died because they couldn't afford healthcare. And, they'll be completely mystified at the amount of food some people waste while others go starving.

According to Biological Diversity, "An estimated 40 percent of the food produced in the United States is wasted every year, costing households, businesses and farms about $218 billion annually."

There are so many things wrong with this.

First of all it's a waste of money for the households who throw out good food. Second, it's a waste of all of the resources that went into growing the food, including the animals who gave their lives for the meal. Third, there's something very wrong with throwing out food when one in eight Americans struggle with hunger.

Supermarkets are just as guilty of this unnecessary waste as consumers. About 10% of all food waste are supermarket products thrown out before they've reached their expiration date.

Three years ago, France took big steps to combat food waste by making a law that bans grocery stores from throwing away edible food.According to the new ordinance, stores can be fined for up to $4,500 for each infraction.

Previously, the French threw out 7.1 million tons of food. Sixty-seven percent of which was tossed by consumers, 15% by restaurants, and 11% by grocery stores.

This has created a network of over 5,000 charities that accept the food from supermarkets and donate them to charity. The law also struck down agreements between supermarkets and manufacturers that prohibited the stores from donating food to charities.

"There was one food manufacturer that was not authorized to donate the sandwiches it made for a particular supermarket brand. But now, we get 30,000 sandwiches a month from them — sandwiches that used to be thrown away," Jacques Bailet, head of the French network of food banks known as Banques Alimentaires, told NPR.

It's expected that similar laws may spread through Europe, but people are a lot less confident at it happening in the United States. The USDA believes that the biggest barrier to such a program would be cost to the charities and or supermarkets.

"The logistics of getting safe, wholesome, edible food from anywhere to people that can use it is really difficult," the organization said according to Gizmodo. "If you're having to set up a really expensive system to recover marginal amounts of food, that's not good for anybody."

Plus, the idea may seem a little too "socialist" for the average American's appetite.

"The French version is quite socialist, but I would say in a great way because you're providing a way where they [supermarkets] have to do the beneficial things not only for the environment, but from an ethical standpoint of getting healthy food to those who need it and minimizing some of the harmful greenhouse gas emissions that come when food ends up in a landfill," Jonathan Bloom, the author of American Wasteland, told NPR.

However, just because something may be socialist doesn't mean it's wrong. The greater wrong is the insane waste of money, damage to the environment, and devastation caused by hunger that can easily be avoided.

Planet

Single dad asks his daughters for fashion advice before a date and strangers on social media responded with some helpful suggestions.

The world is dark and full of terrors, but every once in a while it graces us with something to warm our icy-cold hearts. And that is what we have today, with a single dad who went viral on Twitter after his daughter posted the photos he sent her when trying to pick out and outfit for his date. You love to see it.




After seeing these heartwarming pics, people on Twitter started suggesting this adorable man date their moms. It was essentially a mom and date matchmaking frenzy.

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