

Taylor Swift was already everywhere. She's been clogging up music blogs and magazine covers at grocery stores forever... but this week she released her fourth album and is now completely inescapable. (Nordstrom even has a limited edition Taylor Swift Keds in honor of her new record "Red.") Normally, I would never put that much thought into her since I can't stand her music (and I certainly love myself some mindless pop garbage; Miley, Carly Rae, even Katy), but this week she has sparked a debate: when asked if she considers herself a feminist by Newsweek, she replied:
I don’t really think about things as guys versus girls. I never have. I was raised by parents who brought me up to think if you work as hard as guys, you can go far in life.Sigh. That is certainly not what feminism is all about, and it's a bummer to get that view perpetuated to her 10-18 year old female demographic (a Jezebel writer once labelled her as a "feminist's worst nightmare") However, some are saying she is an ambitious, classy hardworking woman who writes her own songs and has accomplished amazing things for a 22 year old, and it's ridiculous to call her a "feminist's nightmare".
Like I said, I just can't get over how much her music sucks (whenever I hear it I feel like I'm in a department store dressing room waiting for someone I'm dating to finish trying on business casual clothing or something—boring and awful.) But she is undeniably a strong female presence in music whether I like her or not. So I will reduce this question to a cheap online poll:
The 7th annual Home Skillet Festival hath gone down in Sitka, Alaska. Twenty-five some odd bands and DJs over July 13th and 14th including Don't Talk To The Cops!, Kingdom Crumbs, Fresh Espresso, Metal Chocolates, Astronomar, and the first ever performance of Iska Daaf, featuring Buffalo Madonna and Benjamin Verdoes of Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band. On the festival grounds, beer and fried bread flowed. A sloven, inebriated woman in boots ran at and kicked a gigantic beach ball, puncturing it with a cannon shot, and falling on her ass in the mud. She was embarrassed, but a general sense of mirth prevailed. The Alaskans were jacked and happy for music. Kingdom Crumbs were especially on and at home in the spotlight, closing out the first night with the undulating prowess of their heliported Boughinni Fantasia. It had rained, making the stage a puddle of electronics. Puddles of water and electricity don’t mix, doubly so on Friday the 13th. Luckily nothing went awry, except for the sixty-eight-year-old fisherman at 3 AM, who had laid down in the hall of the hotel after a fit of pot smoking. His pants were off and he said he was Moby Dick.
Someone in Sitka is selling jock straps with real fur on them. They’re called The Duke. Whoever came up with this is genius. Also, face painting at the festival included the Mike Tyson design. Handfuls of children (and Rik Rude) bounded around with Mike Tyson face tattoos painted on their face.

Now to the finalists. Derek “The Ox” Erdman and his Ox Nation look furtive, looking to further plow. And P Smoov has been taking the ball to the hole, hitting fade aways, baseline j’s, crossing over through the lane, and stepping back with baby sky-hooks since the start. Erdman VS P now begins. (Polls will close tomorrow, Friday April, 15th at 4 PM.)
P Smoov: Fruity Pebbles is a tough matchup. They have been playing well throughout the championship. But I’ve been on the elliptical. I don't think I've ever actually eaten them. If someone called my balls Fruity Pebbles I'd be mad.
Erdman: I still don't really understand what this contest is. At first it gave me a stomach ache. Eventually that led to anger. Now I just want to win because I'm not really competitive, but that's something I want to work on. I've been sleeping a lot and eating a lot of peanut butter. Also, I haven't changed my clothing but I shower everyday. So, I'm both gross and not gross at the same time. I want to appeal to everybody.
The Sweet 16 looks to see more intense and penetrating competition. Jackie Hell vs. Gucci Mane’s Ice Cream Face Tattoo? Macklemore vs. Derek “The Ox” Erdman? Young Evils vs. Tit Pig? Streaker Fail vs. The Sheen? Let’s get this going. (Polls will be open till 5 PM this Friday, 3/25.)
You vote to decide who wins, and who moves onto the next round. There are 32 competitors, divided into two divisions, seeded 1 through 16. Click bracket for larger view. (Polls for this first round will be open until noon this Friday.) Interesting first round matchups look to be Eddie Vedder vs. Charles Mudede, Jackie Hell vs. Justin Bieber’s Mouth, Robin Pecknold vs. Tit Pig’s Sean Evoy, and Fatal Lucciauno vs. God:
Jackie Hell Division
1. Ishmael Butler: Shabazz Palaces, Palaceer Lazaro
2. Macklemore: Mr. Bigtime
3. Rachel Flotard: Visqueen, amazing hair
4. TJ Cowgill: Actual Pain, Book of Black Earth, Cross
5. Sir Thomas Gray: Champagne Champagne, beard champion
6. Jackie Hell: strong contender, early favorite
7. Rachel Ratner: Partman Parthorse, Butts, Kexp, ‘The Rat’
8. Eddie Vedder: Pearl Jam, Jeremy
9. Charles Mudede: Stranger scribe, shape shifting theologian
10. Derek Erdman: Caperin’, Caperer
11. Justin Bieber’s Mouth: it has been much talked about
12. Brent Amaker: of the Rodeo, cowboy in black
13. Choklate: diva in the making
14. Gucci Mane’s 3 Scoop Ice Cream Face Tattoo
15. Wall of Sound Records: an incredible place
16. Sera Cahoone: mystical folkish singer
Steve Pool Division
1. Lemmy Kilmister: Motorhead, still alive, master of time and space
2. P Smoov: Mad Rad, Fresh Espresso, icy producer steeze, vegan
3. Lisa Dank: lays on cookies, stoner hustler
4. Tyler Swan: Truckasauras, Flexions, Foscil, tight ass mofo
5. Charlie Sheen: TMZ/internet mogul, enjoyer of drugs and prostitutes, winner?
6. Sean Prawn Evoy: Tit Pig, goes hard, real hard
7. Fatal Lucciauno: he is of flow
8. Thomas Hunter: Kay Kay, Wild Orchid Children, solid mustache
9. Fruity Pebbles Breakfast Cereal: it can not be beat
10. God: yes him
11. Robin Pecknold: Fleet Foxes, possessor of angelic voice
12. Marcus Wilson: Ononos, Pony, owns a C3PO mask
13. The Dude Streaking in this video
14. Troy Nelson: The Young Evils, Kexp, Skippy
15. Isaac Brock: Modest Mouse, N/A
16. Steve Pool: Weather Man from Komo News, formidable mustache
And now for the tip off :