Thank you for existing, Secretary Clinton!

With Political Animals premiering on USA yesterday, it seemed the appropriate time for this post. Of course, the series is technically not about Hillary Rodham Clinton - it is about the fictional character Elaine Barrish, former First Lady, unsuccessful presidential candidate, divorced from her affair-prone husband, and currently serving as Secretary of State. But of course there are so many parallels that everybody knows it's really a show about Hillary Clinton. First of, a disclaimer: I have always admired Clinton. In fact, she's one of my all-time role-models, together with (among others) Gloria Steinem, Alice Walker, Madonna, Ellen DeGeneres, and, most recently, Ashley Judd. Quite an eclectic list, I know! Anyway, back to Political Animals, and to Clinton.

I watched it for two reasons, one being the fact that I like Sigourney Weaver, but the other, more important aspect being my interest in how they would choose to portray Clinton. As has been abundantly demonstrated, the gulf between those hat like and admire Clinton, and those that despise her, couldn't be wider. Ever since she appeared on the political scene many years ago, she has been demonized and ridiculed. Descriptions of her alternate between "She's cold, ambitious, robot-like and driven, and all she ever cared about was power" and the (equally flattering) "She's staying with Bill because she's weak, has no self-respect, and is a disgrace for modern women". Of course we've also all heard the "Bill cheated on her because she is old/fat/ugly/bad in bed"-version of the tale. There are countless jokes about her physical attractiveness, her wardrobe, her headbands, her decision (not to) wear make-up, and countless other things. 

I was pleased by the show's willingness and ability to portray Clinton  ... I mean Barrish ... as a complex being, a woman who is not only ambitious (though she clearly is) but also caring, who struggles, who is not perfect ... who is, for lack of a better word, real. It is clear from the start that the audience is supposed to be on her side, to root for her ... and that is, quite frankly, a nice change.

I have spent a lot of time (too much time, frankly) pondering the reasons behind the vitriol and hatred directed against Clinton. It is like she serves as a key, a red flag, opening the gates, so the hidden river of sexism and misogyny can pour out freely, openly exposed for everyone to see. And the saddest thing is, so many don't. They either don't see, or they don't care. It almost seems as if, as long as you claim you're "only" referring to Clinton, you can get away with anything and everything. I have never been able to understand why, and I still don't. I probably never will. I read somewhere once that an acquaintance described her as "100 years ahead of her time". Maybe that's it. Maybe it's the fact that she does not try to "disguise" herself the same way many other powerful women do. She does not try to appear to be "less", in any sense of the word, than she really is. 

I know that many (myself included) were worried, after the outpour of sexism during the 2008 primary season, about the message sent to young women and girls. Would even more be turned away, thinking "If that's how you're treated when you want "too much", reach "too high" and cross "too many" lines and try "too hard" to break that glass ceiling, I don't want to try it. It's not worth it." But then I thought again. That's not at all what Clinton has taught us, despite the fact that she did not secure the nomination (and that was certainly in part due simply to miscalculations and mistakes by her campaign). She has taught us how to be strong and gracious, even in defeat. How to ambitious without putting yourself before everyone and everything else. How to be tough without being hard. How to be self-confident without being full of yourself, still retaining a sense of humor and an ability to not take yourself too seriously. How to be something that still, even in today's world, is very much a rarity: a woman in a position in power. Clinton is quoted to have, at some point, said something like" Whenever I say something, people look at me as if I were a talking dog". That's probably true, even today. But certainly, because of her, fewer women will be looked at that way in the future. 

Thank you, Secretary Clinton, for not giving up. For blazing a trail, for staying your course, for fighting against sexism. Thank you for existing!

What to do with Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi - a Family Recipe


Early summer - the season of this wonderful, unfortunately underestimated vegetable. It has always been one of my favorite foods, and in an attempt to get more people enthusiastic about kohlrabi, here's one of my all-time favorite recipe. This recipe, passed down from my grandmother to my mother to me, is how I was first introduced to kohlrabi - and remains my go-to recipe to this day.


Ingredients (serves 4):
8 medium kohlrabi (with as many greens as possible)
6 Tbsp oil
3 Tbsp flour
vegetable broth
salt 
pepper


Wash the kohlrabi, cut them in half and  peel them. Cut into thin slices (1/8 - 1/6 of an inch).

Wash the greens, cut off the stems and tough parts, and tear into pieces. Cover with vegetable broth and cook approximately 10 - 15 minutes, until tender. 

Put kohlrabi and vegetable broth into a large saucepan and cook for about 7 minutes. Test for doneness with a fork, kohlrabi should be easily pierced by fork, but still somewhat firm. Drain, saving the vegetable broth. Put kohlrabi slices in a large, microwave-safe bowl and set aside. Put cooked greens into a food processor and puree. Heat oil in a large pan and add flour, storing constantly, until mixture is slightly browned. Add some of the saved cooking liquid (vegetable broth from cooking kohlrabi) and the pureed leaves. Do not add too much broth, as sauce will become thinner later on, with the kohlrabi adding additional liquid. 

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add sauce to the kohlrabi slices and finish cooking in the microwave for about 5 minutes. Serve with boiled potatoes. 

"The Power of Madonna"

With her new album out and her current tour drawing in crowds and creating headlines and controversies, it is time to turn back to one of the most famous women in the world, and arguably the most famous woman in entertainment today: Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone. 

Madonna has always been one to cause a lot of controversy, debate, heated feelings. To quote one of my favorite songs of all times, "Like it or not": "Put me op on a pedestal, or drag me down in the dirt" - that seems to sum up most people's reactions to her over the years. Many times has she been declared "dead" career-wise, people have pronounced her "over", "too old" and similar things, but Madonna didn't care. She hasn't gone away, much to her critics' dismay -  and to my delight. I freely admit that I consider myself a fan. I truly enjoy her music. I like what she has to say, I like how she does her own thing, regardless of what others may say or think about her. Is she perfect? Of course not. Does she make mistakes? Most certainly. But that is what Madonna is all about - acceptance of our humanity with all its flaws, combined with a celebration of life and a willingness to confront our own fears, desires, dreams, and weaknesses. This is my tribute to "the power of Madonna".

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Madonna is who she is. That may sound like a trivial thing, but to me, as a teenager, that was immensely important. As I was struggling to figure out who I was, and how I fit into the world, I was incredibly grateful to see someone resist society's demands - or better yet, to figure out that she didn't fit in, and never truly would, and to turn this vice into a virtue. I don't believe that she doesn't care what people say - everybody does. Spitefulness, name-calling and insults usually reach their target, and they always sting. So I don't think she was able to move ahead because she didn't care - I think she did despite the fact that she did care. Ever since she has appeared on the stage of pop music, she has been saying to the world: "This is who I am - you can like it or not" (again a quote from the song "Like it or not") - and I do believe that this is why so many have been attracted to her.


Madonna has a message. Yes, she has been controversial, and I, personally, probably would not have adopted every single one of her strategies, but she always managed to say what she wanted to say, and to make people notice her. She has caused debates, controversies and outcries, but I believe that she has also made some people think, at least once in a while, about society's deeply ingrained hypocrisies - one of them being the different conceptions we have of men and women when it comes to sexuality. Men who are suspected of similar levels of sexual activity as Madonna are not usually called "sluts" - oftentimes, they are even somewhat admired for being so successful with "the ladies". Take the time to look past the controversies and listen to her interviews and the lyrics of her songs, and you'll see find a strong message of empathy, tolerance, kindness, forgiveness, joy, and acceptance of others (and ourselves) how they (and we) really are. This, even more than her in-your-face tactics, has always resonated with me.


Madonna is smart. I know, I know, we all have heard thousands of people who have repeatedly called her stupid. Watch closely, and you'll see that she is anything but. She has a hugely successful career, and she has always remained in control of it, even in the early 80s, when most female performers were anything but in control of their careers - or even their public images. She started her own record label, she took up directing, and she proved to be savvy when it comes to financial affairs in general - as evidenced by the fact that she has not, as so many of her colleagues have done when reaching the zenith of stardom, squandered her money on castles and cars and drugs (which is not to say, of course, that she has not spent more money on luxury items than most of us will ever earn in their entire lives - she just has not gone overboard with it). She hasn't, at least in that respect, gotten carried away by fame. I know, many of you will now point to countless stories of her eccentricities as counter-evidence - apart from the fact that nobody knows how much of this is true, and apart from the fact that stories like that are overwhelmingly written about female celebrities - just look around you and admit it: many people have eccentric tendencies - most of just don't have the money to fully act them out!  


Madonna is a subject, not an object. I know we've all heard people refer to her as a sex object - she isn't. Pay attention to her performances, her songs, her music videos. Madonna is always active, never passive. She "does" instead of "being done to". She confronts her desires, her dreams, her fears. She acts out her fantasies, instead of trying to be a screen for someone else's. 


Madonna is a feminist. She has, simply by being who she is, by shattering so many of our images of what women should be, how they ought to behave, by poking fun at our narrow-mindedness and shining a light onto our hidden prejudices (whether they come in the disguise of racism, sexism, homophobia, or ageism), helped advance openness and tolerance. She has broken so many rules, so that we, following in her footsteps, don't have to break them ourselves - just like an older sister blazing a trail for those to come.


Madonna is funny. Seriously. Take the time to listen to some of her interviews. Her sense of humor is simply awesome.


For all these things, let's show her some respect, and let's join in her celebration of life in all its flawed greatness. I, for one, am eternally grateful to my paternal grandmother who, unintentionally, helped me discover Madonna and her music many years ago.