Sunday, November 26, 2006
THE YOUNG DIVAS


This weekend has been I've been so lazy. I've taken advantage of my housemates being away to hijack the tv and the couch - something I don’t usually do. Maybe there is a good reason that I have housemates - they make sure I don’t become such a couch potato!

Anyway, I've had the tv on the 24 hour music channel all day waiting for Beyonce's new song to come on. It's come on like 15 times so far. Hopefully I'll get sick of it soon so I won't have to fork out $5 for the single. Or steal it off limewire, which I'll probably do anyway. I'm also beginning to form a bit of an opinion on Australian Idol and the whole 'get famous in five minutes' brand of music. I actually think it's a good idea.

I was reading an article in the Age the other day about how Australian music is losing it's voice - it's becoming just a load of transparent artists singing the same rubbish after becoming famous through reality tv or soap operas. We no longer have great political bands like Midnight Oil or Yothu Yindi. But although I like giving to the Australian music industry. I can't comment much on Neighbours cause these bands – I have to appreciate the benefits shows like Australian Idol are the quality of their exports are still rubbish.

Anyway, take the example of the Young Divas (pictured) – four young ladies who all made it to the top ten on Idol – Kate DeAraugo, Ricki-Lee Coulter, Emily Williams and Paulini Curuenavuli. They all are highly talented and they do reflect their age group. How many people their age are really political? They may not write their own songs but neither did Jackson 5 and they are considered as one of the defining bands of Motown. Australian Idol is creating role models for Australian youth. The Young Divas aren't skinny and they're not completely white. Sometimes I think the Australian music industry, and entertainment industry in general, is completely whitewashed and blind to the fact that an Australian doesn't have to be blonde and blue eyed. Our top singers in the past have been people like Kylie Minogue, Delta Goodrem, Savage Garden and John Farnhem. They're great (with the exception of Kylie) but where are the talented Islanders, Asians and Africans???


On Australian Idol we have people from different backgrounds progress to the top. Guy Sebastian, the first winner, is Malaysian. Casey Donovan is an Aboriginal girl. Anthony Callea is Italian. Emily Williams is a New Zealander. Paulini Curuenavuli is Fijian. And the top two in Australian Idol this year is Jessica Mauboy – an Aboriginal/Indonesian girl and Damien Leithe a true blue Irish man who is a first generation Australian. They are all Australian. They are all talented. But until now they have not been adequately represented in the Australian music industry.

Soap Operas are different though. Neighbours and Home and Away all produce the same batch of mediocre blonde bimbos singing melodies of having their hearts broken. The latest is Stephanie McIntosh. Kylie, Bec, Holly, Delta, Tasmin, Stephanie….they all start to blend into one faceless void of crap music after awhile.

Ok, I should spare Delta cause I actually do think she’s talented. The rest are just Australian Hilary Duffs.

Anyway, back to my favourite subject (me!)

There are only 18 more sleeps til I go home!

Here a homage to my old home!

This is the mango tree in the middle of the road outside my (old) house. It's so distinctive and it's been there forever. Everyone likes driving down the street with the tree in the middle of the road!



I had a huge talk to Melissa on the phone yesterday. It was great.
She has a new flat mate - our friend Kumar. It's so weird to think that he is living with her. It was really weird cause he is almost homophobic. Kumar got freaked out abit when Melissa showed him one of our gay friend's boyfriend. He's just like - don't invite him over because he'll try and hit on me!! And Melissa said, "I don't think so, i don't think your his type" and Kumar said, "Every man is a gay guys type!" WE laughed about the ignorance of that comment. It's like saying I would hit on every guy i meet cause i'm straight. It just doesn't make sense. Kumar also told Melissa that there was no use being friends with our friend cause we wouldn't get anything out of it cause he's gay. I don't even understand that. How can someone being gay come in the way of friendship?? Confusing... So I'm looking forward to having heaps of arguements with Kumar when i get back although i'll try to not make him mad cause he makes really good chicken curry :)

ANyway, gotta go!
Luv Amy
posted by Lidia @ 6:38 PM  
13 Comments:
  • At 12:47 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    political Amy! somebody is getting even more outspoken:)
    cool dude! I have never even heard all those names except savage garden and kylie.
    I Just loooove savage Garden... those two (and perhaps more) people are cool!!

    Chimp on a couch... Ha ha! :)

    Just one question would explain a lot:
    is kumar a first generation Indian born Australian? If so, he he will have a lot adjusting to do. I have had one or two bad encounters myself. Things are a little different here. Nothing much is out in the open.
    And Amy, i don't think tagging him a homophobic will help... general psychology ;).

    Cheers chimp!

     
  • At 6:04 PM, Blogger Finbarpurpleton said…

    Oh Amy I know exactly what you mean. Also I don't think Kumar will be inviting me to eat his cooking anymore. We had a bit of spat. Its a long story.

    I agree with you on the Australian Idol thing. I in Canada ti me anyways, Canadian Idol repesents what Canadians like to see in music. Although come to think of it all of the winners have been white and there has only been one French person. But the top 10 have been multicultural.

    Melissa.

     
  • At 7:07 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    hey which science fiction movie was the answer??!

     
  • At 8:26 PM, Blogger Lidia said…

    Oh - there was multiple answers- like you had to match up Captain Kirk with Star Trek and Luke Skywalker with star wars - crazy stuff like that! I didn't have a clue so i guessed!

    Oh - and Kumar is over in Oz studying! Yes i knew it was different over in India and i think it's ok to have your own views about things but i don't think you should stop being friends with somebody over it - and i said he was 'almost' homophobic - i didn't label him that definately! :)

     
  • At 8:32 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    oops my bad (i missed the all important 'almost' :)... gosh, i am losing my touch for details :(
    I agree, it is not a good reason not to be friends. I was emphasizing the fact that people don't even talk about it at all... so much so that you might think that it does not happen here!! - I am just trying to say "how different" it is :). but i believe its not the case.

    I myself got to know about it only by watching all those sitcoms on TV :)

     
  • At 8:34 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    now that is a crazy subject! I did not know they teach that! we should also have it here!!!

     
  • At 9:55 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    planning on taking Kumar there?? poor guy.. i don't think he will talk to you guys ever again...

    hmmm... i think the trick is that we just need to let others be and not worry what it means to us... after all: "free will" :)

     
  • At 1:42 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    now that mango tree is ... just neat! I love all that green out there!!

     
  • At 6:02 PM, Blogger Alex said…

    Well your house sure is a GREEN place. Pretty. I like places like these immensely. And the kind of green you have there is more lighter than what i have seen here.

    Every cannot be straight. ;)
    Friends are friends.

     
  • At 9:28 PM, Blogger GuNs said…

    Wow, I love the tree. Its so well kept too.

    The incident with Kumar being freaked out with the gay person is really funny. Its just that most people have not come in contact with gays and they hence dont know what to expect of them. Maybe you CAN teach Kumar a few things when you meet him.

    Keep writing (and posting more photos of the beautiful Aussie countryside).

    -PeAcE
    --WiTh
    ---GuNs

     
  • At 9:59 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    hey you understood:) cool! thanks for the comment chimp.

    Black Nash is a lot of things :) - techie, artist & blogger (i think). I know him through devianart.com when i went searching for images there :)
    you can see more of his work here.
    He has a blog in spanish (i think) here.
    Cool way to make friends huh :). I just love his work. great job!!

     
  • At 10:12 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I have a question though,
    of course what we do cant measure up to this universe... but, if we are able to create, then why compare it with God's? Comparison is a bad thing isn't it? ;)

     
  • At 8:07 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    everything has both some good and bad attached to it... some less, some more...
    but there is a paradox or duality in everything...even God's creations... you know why? because we think some of it (or some part of it is good) and the other is not? and it is we who classify things... like... lets say there is an earth quake... or... storm.. or... rabid dog biting, lets say,me..... these things are not good or bad... they just ARE... I mean its we who add the tags "GOOD", "BAD", "BEAUTIFUL"..
    of course man has not created anything as complex as nature.. but, how long has man been around? But that is not the point. The point is, we were given creative brains, so that we can create... why else would we have that capacity? and of course, as u say, we may compar and challenge and try to better(that is positive:)... perhaps, just like everything in nature, we ourselves as a species are in the process of natural selection... whether our creations are worthwhile to exist in the world, time will answer and natural selection will answer :).. and so, if man has not created anything as beautiful, it is because he is not "nature itself" or "God Himeself"... he is learning and at the same time being "selected" - all at once... also, if God's creations are perfect its because (assuming you believe in evolution) natural selection has left things that are inherently efficient...and what is more: we were given brains to think that those creations are "beautiful:)"... its like creating the work and creating the audience too to like them :)... its inevitable...
    what am i trying to say? I don't know.. but sounds good as an argument/discussion! :)
    oh yeah... I like nature's creations better than man's ;) (barring a few - I just cant remember what ;)
    God! what a point less rambling! :)

     
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Genuine politics -- even politics worthy of the name -- the only politics I am willing to devote myself to -- is simply a matter of serving those around us: serving the community and serving those who will come after us. Its deepest roots are moral because it is a responsibility expressed through action, to and for the whole. - Vaclav Havel

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