May Day was first celebrated in the U.S. when, in 1886, 300,000 workers walked off their jobs to demand an eight hour workday.You may not know that because while many countries officially recognize the holiday, and almost all countries celebrate it, the U.S. spends May first celebrating Loyalty Day, and National Day of Prayer. Church State non-separation and blind patriotism are a lot more palatable than workers’ rights, humane working conditions, an eight hour work day and other radical notions.

So I say, viewers of the world, UNITE! Celebrate May Day by watching great movies about the workers’ movement. Here are the top 10 May Day movies.

1. Bread and Roses (2000) directed by Ken Loach and starring Pilar Padilla, Adrien Brody, Elpidia Carrillo, Jack McGee, is the story about an undocumented woman from Mexico who becomes involved in a campaign to unionize the janitors in a sleek Los Angeles high-rise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqkTZg9St5Y

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Always on the pulse of dumb crap said about women, Feministing blogged about this annoying review of the movie Baby Mama in The New Yorker:

Kate [Fey] stalks around bare-legged in skirts that lurch to a halt two inches above the knee, which is a length that Christy Turlington would struggle to carry off. It’s possible that Fey, like other television stars, is unused to being framed in full length, and, though in complete

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Dolly Parton is mentoring the kids on American Idol and will be on the show Wednesday. But Dolly has been working 9 to 5 on another exciting project: 9 to 5 the Broadway musical for which Dolly has written a score. The play, which will be directed by Joe Mantello of Wicked, is based on the hit 1980 film 9 to 5, starring Dolly, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, which featured Dolly’s hit 9 to 5 song. The classic comedy is hilarious! But, at the same time, the film is serious in its portrayal of sexism, double standards, and pay inequity. In fact, there is even an organization called 9to5, which is dedicated to the rights, raises and respect of working women and works to build a movement of low-wage women to achieve economic justice. Luckily the real life Dolly knows how to deal with sexist jokes: “I’m not offended by dumb blonde jokes because I know that I’m not dumb. I also know I’m not blonde.” And with her own Dolly Parton Enterprises, a $100 million media empire, Dolly doesn’t have to worry about putting money in the pocket of any man. The message is in the music, and the movie, so check them out below.

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The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. Several topics really stood out this week, including the Oscars as social advocacy inspiration, civil rights and Black History Month, and lots of hot news on entertainment going Green. Check out our most popular posts of the week on these subjects, as well as a few TakePart blogger favorites.

Katie:

Happy Belated “Freedom to Marry” Week!

Rosa and Raymond Parks: Valiant Valentine #5

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Nicole:

Top 10 Oscar Picks to Inspire Social Action

Cornel West: Black Thoughts On Black History Month

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Giulia:

H&M’s “Fashion Against AIDS”

Ed Begley Jr. Goes Green

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Gina:

Top 10 Best Picture Winners That Inspire

Remixing “Chicago 10″

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Kerry:

How To Set the World On Fire Without Burning Out

Eco-Brokers Cater to Green Homebuyers

I was so busy celebrating Valentine’s Day, finding guilt-free Valentine’s Day Gifts, and awarding Valiant Valentines to social action-taking couples, I didn’t have enough time to blog about Freedom To Marry Week, the great week-long holiday that celebrates marriage for all people. Freedom To Marry is an inclusive non profit organization dedicated to ending the exclusion of same-sex couples and their families from marriage.

Do you believe that people who love each other and are committed to each other also deserve to be able to marry each other? Then ! Sign the Marriage Resolution! And watch Julie Goldman and Kate McKinnon in the music video for Julie’s song Commitment Ceremony, which is both hilarious, and inspiring. Not to apply an peer pressure, but FYI, when you sign the pledge you’ll be in good company, joining fellow pledgers like Gillian Anderson, Matthew Broderick, Bea Arthur, Beck, Neve Campbell, Alan Cumming, Ted Danson & Mary Steenburgen, Ellen DeGeneres, Laura Dern, David Duchovny, Nora Ephron & Nick Pileggi, Melissa Etheridge, Al Franken, Whoopi Goldberg,

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