This talk back is for the Scandal fans (and FAANS)! We explore why we love (and sometimes hate) the popular tv drama, Scandal. *Spoiler Alert*

FAAN Mail (Fostering Activism and Alternatives Now!) is a media literacy/activist project formed by women of color and based in Philadelphia. Together with our allies, we critique and create media with social change in mind.

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On December 8, 2012, Somali born Canadian hip hop artist K'naan wrote an Op Ed in the New York Times about how is record label (A&M/Octone Records) has pressured him to censor his message. In his powerful and honest essay, K'Naan questions the meaning of success. FAAN Mail responds to his words in this talk back. "I now suspect that packaging me as an idolized star to the pop market in America cannot work; while one can dumb down his lyrics, what one cannot do without being found out is hide his historical baggage." - K'NAAN Music credit: "People Like Me" by K'Naan. 2010 A&M/Octone. Check out K'Naan here: http://www.knaanmusic.com/ FAAN Mail (Fostering Activism and Alternatives Now!) is a media literacy/activist project formed by women of color and based in Philadelphia. Together with our allies, we critique and create media with social change in mind. http://faanmail.wordpress.com/ https://www.facebook.com/FAANMail https://twitter.com/faanmail

A feminist analytical review of Halo 3: ODST. The first part looks at Sadie's Story, the audio drama backstory hidden in the terminals found throughout the game. Sadie Endesha fights against a world going to hell to rescue her father in a tragedy based loosely on Dante's Inferno. While the character is pretty cool, the story (like the main game) suffers from the Smurfette Principle trope.

In this Talk back FAAN Mail responds to the radio hit "Birthday Song" by 2 Chainz and Kanye West (owned and distributed by Universal Music Group). Topics explored include consumerism, capitalism, colorism, misogyny, corporate accountability and popular media & children. Share your thoughts in the comments or join @faanmail, @UMG, @2Chainz & @KanyeWest for dialogue on twitter using the hash-tag #BirthdaySong. FAAN Mail (Fostering Activism and Alternatives Now!) is a media literacy/activist project formed by women of color and based in Philadelphia. Together with our allies, we critique and create media with social change in mind. http://faanmail.wordpress.com/ https://www.facebook.com/FAANMail https://twitter.com/faanmail FAIR USE NOTIFICATION: Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners.

A feminist analytical review of Dollhouse season two episode seven, "Meet Jane Doe". Rossum is so obviously evil that I compare it to the villains of The Pet, Ballard makes a responsible (feminist) choice regarding his romance with Echo, and Adelle's masculine mode of dress being used to signal her evil is problematic, among other things.

Name It. Change It. Award For Most Sexist Insult goes to Greg Gutfeld and Kimberly Guilfoyle, two co-hosts of Fox News's "The Five" repeatedly call DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz "Frizzilla". Name It.Change It. is a program of the Women's Media Center and She Should Run. Find out more here: http://www.nameitchangeit.org/blog/entry/another-sexist-cable-news-host-fox-news-greg-gutfeld and here: http://www.nameitchangeit.org/blog/entry/fox-news-once-again-with-the-hair-put-downs

Name It. Change It. Award For Creating Sexist Standards For Women in Politics goes to Lauren Rothman and Christina Wilkie from The Huffington Post. After Michele Bachmann dropped out of the presidential race, Huffington Post felt the need to add a pointless fashion commentary with a truly inane, and mean-­‐spirited, video by Lauren Rothman and Christina Wilkie. It's Rothman who says this sexist gem with a smile, "When her [Bachmann's] numbers went down, she should have brought down her neckline. Might have helped." Name It.Change It. is a program of the Women's Media Center and She Should Run. Find out more here: http://www.nameitchangeit.org/blog/entry/huffpo-style-crosses-the-line-bachmann-isnt-barbie

Name It. Change It. Award For Most Sexist Debate Question goes to Liz Benjamin of Capital Tonight. During the only televised debate for the New York Senate seat, moderator Liz Benjamin, the host of Capital Tonight on YNN, asked candidates Kirsten Gillibrand and Wendy Long whether they had read the sexually graphic novel "Fifty Shades of Grey" by British author E.L. James. Name It.Change It. is a program of the Women's Media Center and She Should Run. Find out more here: http://www.nameitchangeit.org/blog/entry/name-it.-change-it.-condemns-50-shades-of-grey-question-posed-to-women-runn

A feminist analytical review of Dollhouse season two episode six, "The Left Hand". Discussed items include Adelle offering sex to get her way, Dollhouse's lack of violence double standards, and disability issues with regard to the villainous Bennett such as her disability signalling her evil and Topher's apparent fetishistic attraction, among others. I don't describe all of the events in order, focusing on character sections.

For a Halloween video, I elaborate on my issues with female villains treated as non-psychopaths as well as my issues with the larger trope of authors treating psychopathy as if it doesn't properly exist. Psychopathy is frequently treated like vampirism or lycanthropy, to be defined by individual authors with homages to previous fiction, instead of as a real world mental condition. This leads to trouble.

Also, I dress as Katniss Everdeen just for fun.

This video is a response to "Birthday Song" and all other "hits" that dehumanize our people. We advocate for collective responsibility and urge one another to speak up, to talk back and support media that values our humanity and diversity. FAAN Mail (Fostering Activism and Alternatives Now!) is a media literacy/activist project formed by women of color and based in Philadelphia. Together with our allies, we critique and create media with social change in mind. http://faanmail.wordpress.com/ https://www.facebook.com/FAANMail https://twitter.com/faanmail Music credit: "Love Coming" by Rimar. Creative Commons.

Winner of Women's Media Center's The Girls' State of the Union video contest, Adora Svitak speaks at the National Press Club on the "Day of the Girl." The Girls' State of the Union video contest shines a light on girls as problem solvers and media leaders. Like the President's State of the Union address, the Girls' State of the Union allows girls discuss what the country's priorities should be.

"This contest is part of Women's Media Center's commitment to making sure that women and girls are visible and powerful in the media." - Julie Burton, President of The Women's Media Center

A feminist analytical review of Dollhouse episode "The Public Eye", fifth of the second season and first in a two-parter. Perrin opposes the Dollhouse with many observations feminists have used to criticize the show as if Joss were unaware of its evil nature. Echo finds the strength to defend a man from an evil woman in a feminist struggle for liberation that is not at all lessened by her taking blows, remembering taking blows, or the fact that the opponent is also female. There is a problematic part where Echo rapes Perrin (maybe?) without the female-against-male rape ever acknowledged, though. Also, Topher disrespects the character played by a female Dollhouse writer, but there's nothing to indicate this implies the male writers disrespected her.

A mission statement of sorts as I explain why I use review formats for most of my videos described as feminist analyses, especially the Dollhouse and Halo videos.

Also, I experiment with color effects.