Is Gaga the Next David Bowie?

(Gaga sings with her creative piano)

I’m not saying that Lady Gaga is the next David Bowie, but if anyone could have performed this tribute, Gaga would still be the one to get picked. During the 2016 Grammys Lady Gaga paid tribute in song to the beloved Goblin King, David Bowie. Gaga was the perfect person to do this tribute because of her love and appreciation for Bowie as an artist. Gaga’s performance was captivating and memorable.

She first appeared with a close up of her face which displayed the image of David Bowie being projected onto her face as well as Bowies famous lightening bolt. Gaga preformed several songs of Bowies starting with the “Space Oddity.

 Ripping her robe off we saw Gaga wearing a jump suit that resembled a suit that Bowie had once worn; she moved on to the piano singing her way to “Rebel Rebel,” And ending with a choreography for “fashion and Let’s Dance.” The Performance was Beautiful done and quite respectful without any distractions like a meat dress or her alter ego Jo to distract from the tribute. While many people applauded her for the tribute there were a few people who took it offensively and saw it as disrespectful.

 

Bowies son, Duncan Jones, was among those who were displeased with Gaga’s performance. He tweeted a definition of Gaga’s stage name which says “Overexcited or irrational, typically as a result of infatuation or excessive enthusiasm; mentally confused. “Damn it! What is the world coming to!?”

In the end lets face it; no one could have preformed this except Lady Gaga. Kevin Fallon wrote: “There was Bowie’s joy. His exuberant weirdness. There was scale and spectrum and ambition, all of it at once scattershot and meticulous. It was queer and cheesy and 100 percent committed by Gaga. 

Porn VS Council

'When Sex Becomes a Public Event'

A column by: Lexi Clary

Photographer: G.J.McCarthy
(Women dancing in cages)

Recently in Dallas, Texas there has been a lot of hype surrounding the sex porn expo called Exxxotica. The city council of Dallas votes 8-7 against a pornography industry conference to be held in Dallas knowing the decision will result in a lawsuit. While this may be happening in Dallas, Texas, it can easily become a ripple effect across the nation as other cities watch as Dallas City Council takes a stand against making sex public.

Exxxotica is a yearly three-day porno event held 26 times in six cities since 2006 in which a diverse group of people attend. It features big name porn stars such as Alexis Texas and offers sex seminars, and fetish performances. The event made its first appearance in Dallas, Texas in August, 2015; it caused a stir, but no reported issues.

The Dallas City Council is taking the stand that any event or anyone who is degrading to women or children are not welcome in Dallas, Texas.  Dallas is ranked as one of the worst sex trafficking cities in the nation.  More than 400 women a night may be part of the city’s sex trafficking trade. "I read online that there is a place [in the Exxxotica event] called the Dungeon, where women are tied up and whipped," Rawlings said, his voice breaking with emotion. "There's where it crossed the line for me." D Magazine  

Photographer: G.J. McCarthy
(woman being tied up)

The hosts of this event are suing stating it is an unconstitutional ruling and they are being discriminated against. Fox 4 News reports the hosts of this event calls Exxxotica an “educational event” dedicated to love and sex. According to an interview by the Dallas Morning News, a Dallas resident says an event like this is exactly what Dallas needs. “And if it takes porn to bring people together then so be it.” Another person says this is the 21^st century and we should be able to express sexuality freely.

DMN Photo.
("Billboard advertises the comic con of porn")

Having this porn expo encourages people to continue to seek out something that isn’t realistic; after everyone goes home, and the lights are off, there are still bruised and battered women seeking validation through the eyes of onlookers. Katie Pedigo, who works for a non profit organization that helps women who have been trafficked, feels like this would only make matters worse because it encourages men to look at women in a degrading way which causes issues of its own.

Video link:https://youtu.be/F2HwSRUjFbk

Saleh Finds Avila

Saleh Finds Avila

By: Lexi Clary



On Wednesday January, 20^th, I had the pleasure of interviewing Saleh Altaibi.  Saleh is from a small village called Dwodmy near the capital of Saudi Arabia. He came to the United States to further his education. In California he attended a small community college where he was planning to major in criminal justice to become a detective. Saleh had a cousin who attended Avila University and graduated last fall. His cousin told him what a great school Avila is. After listening to his cousin say such great things about the University, he decided to move to Missouri where he is now attending Avila. Soon after arriving he learned his country, Saudi Arabia, would not except a degree in criminal justice from Avila, and decided to change his major to Communications with a concentration in Public Relations and Advertising. Saleh says he is “very happy with the change and is excited to see where this degree will lead him.” I asked Saleh if he was planning to stay in the U.S. after he graduates or if he would return back home; Saleh said “it would depend on where the better job offer is”. Saleh’s favorite thing to do in Missouri is study, which I found crazy, but he thoroughly enjoys. When he is not studying, he can usually be found relaxing at his house or hanging out with his friends or playing cards. The thing thing Saleh misses most about Saudi Arabia is his family. His greatest achievement is graduating from high school, with a 92% GPA, he says his parents were very proud of him and he was also proud of himself for making it in the top 10% of the class. Dogs are his biggest fear in life. He has no particular reason why, but they literally scare him so much, if he is walking on the same side of the street as one he will walk across the street to the other side. One of the qualities Saleh finds important in his friends is the ability for them to hold him accountable, as well as having his best interest at heart. Whenever he might do something that isn’t good for him, he wants them to be able to call him out on it.  He also wants them to have his back through the good and bad times in life. Saleh also values friends who are supportive of him; he wants them to be there for him because they want to be, not because he has to ask them. Saleh says “if we don’t have friends to support us, then we would have a hard time accomplishing anything. Having support in life will help guide you to make the right decision”. Saleh doesn’t like to stay in one place too long; he enjoys seeing new things and meet new people. He has traveled to numerous states and has gotten to experience many different cultures in the U.S.

(Saleh waits patiently for night class to start)

When Saleh graduates he wants to move to the city where everything is closer together. He wants to be able to go to the grocery store or hospital (if need be) without driving 45 minutes to get there. I asked Saleh if he could choose his death, what it would look like for him. He said he wants to die fast, preferably in his sleep. Saleh wants to die before he gets too old and his children have to take care of him. He says if it ever gets to that point he couldn’t live with himself because he doesn’t want his children to see him struggling. 

(Saleh posing by some pictures taken by students in the Viscom department)

Since Valentine’s Day is approaching I decided to ask Saleh some things pertaining to love.

One of the things Saleh loves about himself is he is a very friendly and approachable guy. The thing Saleh loves the most in life is heart. The person he loves the most is himself; he says “I The second person he loves the most is his mom; “mothers are always there for you.” Saleh told me one time, when he was very upset about something going on in his personal life, his mother called him. She asked him if he was okay and of course he said yes to try and not worry her. He says his mother knew just by talking to him he was not okay. Saleh finally told her what was going on and his mother helped him fix it immediately. A quality Saleh likes in a woman is the same thing he loves most in life, which is himself. He wants whoever he is with to value herself above anything else and to take pride in who she is. If you love yourself first then you have the ability to love others; you can’t love someone until you can love yourself.”

(Saleh waiting outside of Convergence Journalism)

Saleh's Live Interview:  https://youtu.be/MJc8tsTjVAA