This is probably something that’s best left in my personal journal but whatever. I could care less at this point. I write this article with a specific scholar in mind but am refraining from using their name because I want to be respectful. Despite this scholar showing disrespect and doing it under the guise of someone whose looking out for…
Category: Aesthetics
Saying “No. Just no.” to online arguments
Recently, I’ve opened myself up for arguments on Facebook or Instagram, and I realize they’re futile, but for some reason, I can’t help but want to fix people. But as a friend once told me, “it’s not my job to educate them.” In other words, I’ve finally learned to walk away from a fight. It’s hard though, to just let…
Re:Awakened: Russell Brand’s Re:Birth Review
For those that know me quite well, Russell Brand is one of my personal heroes. It’s a long story, but you can kind of find it here, in an essay I wrote three years ago. A lot has changed since then i.e., I have more people I look up to, but the sentiments remain the same. I’ve done my best…
My Strange Relationship with Indian Movies
Author’s note: I use the term Hindi films, in the place of Bollywood films for personal reasons. For more information, check out Margaret Redlich’s blog and her book, that touches on why we should no longer call Hindi films, Bollywood movies. Also, for my non-Desi readers, the term Desi (THEY-SEE) is an umbrella term to describe people of South Asian…
Sleepless in Seattle: Technological Innovations & Existentialism
Around the end of June, I was able to go to Seattle with my fiance. I hadn’t flown in a plane since I was about 11 or 12, so this was an exciting time for me. Also, because the last time I “travelled” was when I was 16 and went to Atlanta. The lights from the downtown skyscrapers illuminated the…
Obscuring Testimonies: Review of Thomas Jefferson & Sally Hemings by Annette Gordon-Reed
This is a late post and is pretty irrelevant. It’s just shameless self-promotion of my work as a scholar. This was a reaction paper for my Theories & Methods class I took in the Fall Semester of 2017. My professor praised the paper so much and I think it was also a pretty good start to a successful semester (shukarAllah)…
What You Know ’bout Green Eggs and [Happiness]?!
Dedicated to the great friends I’ve made this year: Tarik, Yusuf C., Moadh, Maaz, Yusuf B., Ola, Denise and Stephanie, Brian, Dylan, Kensi, Delilah, Kuba, Teri, Grant, and Jessica Thank you guys for your generosity and making this semester so memorable. Also special thanks to Asad, Ashley, Ahmad, Krystle, Nathalie, Kyle, Vincent, and Zenoor for their close friendship and timeless…
Does History ACTUALLY Repeat Itself?
This essay was inspired by my beautiful and supportive fiancé, Emily. A couple days ago, my lady was in town and she told me she heard this quote on NPR and was curious what my response on it would be. In all honesty, I tried looking for the quote albeit not very vigorously so you’ll have to bear with the…
Having What It Takes: A Critique On The Aesthetics of Sexy Bodies
A few years ago I attempted to give a response on the concept of Sexism in Art. I was 20 years old, had never read a book on Feminism or Aesthetics so in retrospect, I probably should not have written what I wrote. Nevertheless, I write this essay as a revision because with the knowledge I have now, I most…
Lazy Aesthetics: Examining Nature at Rest
For Dr. Cynthia Freeland. In January, I had a short assignment for my Aesthetics’ class where I had to talk about a photo I took that I considered beautiful in Nature. I posted the essay on my blog because I loved the picture that much and wanted to share what I wrote with my readers. For my mid-term assignment, I…