CHICAGO

- Roxie's song: pay attention to what she's saying: I always wanted to have my own show (just like Louise), but someone always said 'no'
click to watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVm3UbymZ18&feature=related
dancing begins around 2 min 30s

- Roxie & Velma: "Nowadays/Hot Honey Rag" - closing number of Chicago
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHiUwgdXIj8&feature=related

- "All That Jazz" sexy dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq_GWisRbr8
and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKcOBYcjG7k

Inga Inspiration

1. Catwalk

- tutorial
- Naomi Campbell medley

2. Beyoncé:

- "Single Ladies" moves explained by dance teacher
- Beyoncé dance-move medley

3. Kylie:

- slow-motion group dance in "Slow"
- Kylie in "Chocolate" - sensual slow-motion

The Un-Funny German

Germans try to be funny, but fail. This Volkswagen commercial pokes fun at exactly that.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv157ZIInUk

The German Man (cont'd)

Character:

- methodical
- self-absorbed
- very serious
- rationalizes conversation (never speaks more or uses more words than it's needed)
- lacks humor, even when he tries to be funny
- loves cleanliness, appropriateness, normality, because any disturbance of that balance causes emotion, which is unnecessary in the eyes of Germans.


Appearance: (*think Schwarzenegger; he's Austrian, but Germans are very similar)

- well-bound, muscular
- usually blond, blue-eyed
- emanates an aura of massiveness - a German man simply is, is self-sufficient and assured, as Ellie said tonight
- think Terminator: the German ideal is perfection, precision. If you have a liquid steel body and super-intelligent micro-chipped computer, you deliver exactly that. Any German man would love to be this precise - it's what they all strive for.

The Sickly, Intelligent Jewish Boy

Check out this great stereotype sketch in the South Park episode "The Entity." The character's name is Kyle Schwartz, he has asthma and digestion problems, is being ripped on for being weak and Jewish, and is a stock-market prodigy.

http://www.xepisodes.com/southpark/episodes/511/The-Entity.html

Underpants. A History.

Ladies' panties only started being worn in mid-19^th century in Germany; before that, men had thought them inappropriate for women, because of:

1) Medical views such as this: In 1757, a German doctor wrote women should not wear pants or closed underwear, because "their genitals need air to allow moisture to evaporate, which could otherwise cause them to decay” and "stink." Women could only wear undies in cold weather and to protect themselves against insects
2) Pants were (and are) associated with freedom of movement and authority (see the phrase, “to wear the pants in one’s family”), so it was generally thought only men should wear them in any form
3) Underpants were considered lewd and masculine, so ladies only wore skirts and petticoats (a kind of underskirt)


However, in the 1840s they start being generally worn:

• they're made of two cylindrical legs with the inside seams open in the upper half, the two legs only linked by the waistband; legs end well below the knees
• 1870s: length is shortened to the knees
• 1880s: legs are seamed together and an opening at the sides is used to fasten together; they are also gathered into a band with a frill below, instead of being straight (see pic: original 1910 bloomers!)
• the term for them was “Bloomers” in America, and "Directoire Knickers” in Britain
• the American name came from Mrs. Amelia Jenks Bloomer (1818-1984), an advocate of "rational dress" for women, who is reputed to have first worn them.

Why Do Men Look Up Skirts?

Compiled from several blogs on the topic, here are some answers:

• they want "the excitement," arousal of seeing "something forbidden"
• gives them the illusion they can have sex with the woman in question; even if it may never come true, it's enough to "fuel their fantasies" - and they'll take it from there
• they claim it happened often in grade-school; reminds them of innocent, incipient sexuality
  
• gives them something they don’t get to see (often)
• simply think they can look because “it's part of the public domain;” “if you went to an art gallery, wouldn’t you look at the paintings?”
  
• their rule: “as long as you don’t touch, it’s ok”
• they're curious about the color of women's panties (the artists, I gather), as well as the type: “Most guys are taking a survey. There is a large thirst in the scientific community to know how many women wear GRANNIES, how many wear plain cotton whites, how many wear thongs. Of particular interest are determining the percentage of women who wear crotchless panties and the percentage who do not contribute to the industry at all by going COMMANDO. This last category is actually our second employer. The scientists want all the data up to the last. We sell that information to the panty manufacturer's industry.”)
• “A young lady's panties aren't the greatest thing in the world, but they are next to it.”

What women say:

• "generally ok" with an "innocent peek;" opposed to looking at schoolgirls/teens however
• “My great aunt used to tell me about how men would perv on her ankles as she stepped off the train and her ankles could be seen for a moment before once more being covered by her long skirt. Guys want to see the good stuff, and the good stuff is defined by anything you don't let everyone see.”