Giulia Rozzi
March 27, 2008 | 4:14 pm EST
Giulia:
Ask Baba Ali, a video blog by Los Angeles web designer Ali Ardekani, seeks to change the perception of Muslims using comedy. Featured in an article in The New York Times, Ardenkani is part of a growing group of young Muslim video bloggers intent on uplifting the public image of their religion.
Baba Ali, a fictional character played by Ardekani, dispenses humorous advice on domestic matters on the blog. The act was created after Arkedani did a search for video blogs about Muslims on the internet and found either depictions of crazed, nihilistic extremists or defensive explanations as to why they weren’t that way. Ardekani sought out to reframe the entire discussion by, rather than letting the subject of Islam revolve around terrorism, instead taking an approach anyone can relate to - domestic, ordinary life. Typical topics range from family to matters of the heart to complaining as seen below:
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The MySpace Impact Awards honors MySpace members that have had a positive impact on our culture. Each month MySpace will choose a winner in one of the following categories: Community-building, Environmentalism, Health and Safety, Social Justice, Poverty Relief and International Development. Winners of the award receive exposure and MySpace promotion.
This month’s winner in the category of Social Justice is Why Tuesday? Watch their video below
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=30972233
The TakePart Top 10 Weekly Roundup is a compilation of the week’s most notable stories from our entertainment-meets-social-action blogging network. This week we celebrated some of our own favorite top 10 bloggers who work night and day to provide us up-to-date info on films, literature, and feminist news. Don’t miss these exciting and informative blogs, as well as some of our most popular stories of the week.
Katie:
“La Misma Luna Under the Same Moon,” Not the Same Old Movie
Top 5 Eco-Friendly Gadgets for Under $50
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Nicole:
Top 10 Literary and Book Blogs
NBC11 First Wind Powered TV Station
Horton: The New Mascot for Pro-Life
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Gina:
Top 10 Films I Would See If I Was At SXSW
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Kerry:
Has the Pope been hanging out with our favorite faux holy roller, the Reverend Billy? “ËœCause the Vatican’s brand new “To Don’t” list seems to take some pages straight from our pompadoured preacher’s playbook. According to the Daily Green, the 7 new sins include:
1. Genetic Modification
2. Experimenting on Humans
3. Polluting the Environment
4. Causing Social Injustice
5. Causing Poverty
6. Becoming Obscenely Wealthy
7. Taking Drugs
How palatable will these newly minted no-no’s be to a society that glorifies self-gratification?
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Roses in honor of Rosa Parks make a great gift because it allows you to give someone something beautiful, support a beautiful cause, and honor the legacy of a beautiful woman. Organic Style, an eco-friendly, socially responsible, Fair Trade on-line boutique, is selling the Freedom: Rosa Parks Rose bouquet, and donating a portion of its proceeds to the Rosa and Raymond Parks Institute for Self Development, which Rosa co-founded. The Institute’s youth leadership “Pathways to Freedom” program teaches students the stories and values of the civil rights movement, and encourages them to engage in social justice and, in turn, encourage social justice in their own communities, as they do in the video above made entirely by students in the Pathways Program.
Being in love with more than one person at the same time is risky business. Yet these 5 couples have it all: they are able to love more than one person without causing the broken hearts and dishes that often accompany polyamorous relationships. What’s their trick? They love each other AND the planet, human rights, and civil rights, and they take action to make the world a better place together. Because these lovebirds bring so much love to each other and the world, because their heart-felt hard work has won my heart, I’d like to give them a Valiant Valentine Award (VVA).
Today’s Valiant Valentine, which kicks off my 5-part Valentine’s week-long series, goes to a couple who has already received a few awards here and there, though none as prestigious as the VVA. She’s a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador who scored Academy Awards, and awards from Amnesty International and The Center for Constitutional Rights. He’s no small potatoes either, having won his own Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and a Best actor “Prix” at Cannes.