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Thursday, May 17, 2007

I Am Sparta





Glimpsing at a photo of Gerry in "300" and remembering the awkward time I had while viewing the film opening weekend. I thought about one of the themes in the movie in regards to the station of women in Sparta. How they were respected and not relegated as mere housemaids and baby incubators but expected to stand up when the time came and defend their home. Who could forget the one line (that frankly was my favorite in the whole film)

"...because only Spartan women give birth to Real men"

One of the few things aside from the cinematography, battle sequences and manly physiques I found interesting about the film and redeemable (Yes I have many a issue with the movie but I'll digress...it's not important to expand on).

Then I read an interesting theory recently. The idea that the widely passed on mythology of the Amazons in fact maybe true, of course not as literally as the stories we've all heard.

These women may not have been 7 feet tall leggy behemoths but simply free, liberated, cunning and fiercely capable fighters whose legacy possibly extended to the women of Sparta (and possibly beyond). Here's a quote from a Minnesota State University article on ancient civilizations:



Research concerning the Amazons and Spartan women is at best sketchy, however, it is evidenced by many historians that the Amazons did have some elements and influences in common with Sparta. Spartan women had much more political freedom than within other cities such as Athens. A Spartan woman was expected to be fierce and be able to defend her land. This can be exemplified in the goddess Artemis. The patroness of Sparta and of the Amazons, Artemis was the goddess of the wild hunt, protector of animals, protector of women, young girls, and youth, with a connection to adolescence and childbirth (The Amazons in later Hellenistic periods were associated with Dionysus the god of wine, as either his allies of his opponents.). Though the worship of Artemis was common throughout the Greek world, only in Sparta was a warrior spirit and sense of equality allowed to flourish among the upper-class Spartiate men and women.



I found this theory interesting. However, what really struck me is the correlation between the Amazons, Spartans (women) and Black women. The same edge associated with us and sense of independence, free-spirited and most importantly fierce battlers in regards to protecting and defending our own. The philosophies and social structure of an ancient civilization valued and revered those qualities in their women. However these qualities (today) do not garner the equal respect that the women of Sparta may have in those times and instead are same reasons used to disparage black women.

Just another Thursday musing, rolling around in my often capricious thinking that flutters from here to there on any given day.

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Posted by N. Mahana :: 10:49 AM ::
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Saturday, May 12, 2007

Introduction







Well let me first introduce myself, My name is Noel and that's the city (see photo) I've known as my home most of my life, Chicago. A couple of weeks ago I stumbled upon a discussion about an actor (Gerard Butler) whose name didn't ring a bell but out of curiosity I decided to check out the topic of discussion which was a brief video appearance by the actor on a late night talk show.





Now, I usually forgo these types of show's because I've never found to peak my interest and well, you can always get the highlights on the news or in print (if there's anything interesting to know).





Well in this case, I was really taken by this actors refreshing wit and charm in addition to being flabbergasted that he was indeed the lead actor I'd seen in Frank Miller's "300".





Feeling a bit like a dunce that I'd not realized before intrigued by the seemingly charismatic personality of this gentleman I decided to read his biography and peruse a couple of forums and fansites dedicated to him.





I must say, there is a lot of info out there about this man who prefers to be called "Gerry", which was fun to sift through little by little. However I'm not one to gush over celebrities (with one exception *smirks*) but after realizing the heightened fever over Mr. Butler among his solid (and at times rabid) fanbase and those getting acquainted with his work, I realized soon enough, that a casual indulgence in discussion about his career or anything related would be a bit more than I'm prepared to deal with.





It can be overwelming and coming off the tails of a previous celebrity a little foray to help bring attention to a new favorite television series of mine, I didn't want to dive into another project bordering on hollywood fanfare and exaltation. I prefer my stars in the sky and that's about as close to deifying anything that I'd like to get.





However after all the controversy on his forums and fansites, and through the usual gossip and frivolity of fandom, I along with a few other women decided there is indeed a place for us to show our support and appreciation for his work, at the same time share with the world the appreciation of whom we are as women of color. To speak openly and honestly about things that are important to us and still indulge in the mystery of this captivating actor.





A give and take so to speak that we hope will be fun, exciting and interesting. So, no, this is not your typical fan blog, nor will our future fan site be. We are here to join the world of celebrity with the everyday. We want to relate, embrace and share musings with others of open-mindeness and vision.






Underneath it all...

"We are all connected" -GB in Dear Frankie




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Posted by N. Mahana :: 2:06 PM ::
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