This Sunday I'm watching Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock (1960) while painting my nails pastel cream and green with sparkly french manicure & reverse french manicure action going on.
My Colors
(from left to right) Avery by Zoya, Happy Birthday by Deborah Lippmann, Mint Candy Apple by Essie & Shake Your Groove Thing by Deborah Lippmann
So before the movie started I painted the pastel colors.
Nails & The Monstrous-Feminine by Barbara Creed.
PS Barbara Creed is such a goddess. She used the word "phallocentric ideology". You go girl! Did you go to Bryn Mawr?
After reading some Babsie Creed, I started watching Psycho.
So Barbara Creed discussed how she thinks Psycho shows fear of the castrated mother. For some of the texts we have read, the film critics' claims are completely outlandish and just such a stretch. Example: two weeks ago we watched Cat People (It's about a woman who has the power to turn into a cat... so basically me) and a film critic made an argument that the fact that Irena turns into a cat when she is sexually aroused represents the male fear of castration. haha WHAT?? She's just a hot lady who turns into a cat sometimes and then creepily follows her husband's secret lover around. How can kitty = castration fears? Another article about Cat People claimed that Irena was probs a lesbian because she made eye contact with this other cat lady at a restaurant (PS I'm using cat lady to describe a young woman who looks like a cat, not an old lady who owns 5+ cats, meow). I read this article before I watched the movie so I was expecting something weird to go down in the restaurant, but no. Here's what happened: Irena made eye contact with cat lady in the restaurant. Then cat lady said "sister" to Irena in Slovenian and walked away. Where did film critic man get lesbian out of this? Overall, many of the film critics we have read for class have made some ridiculous claims, but I was all for Barbara Creed. I actually saw where she was coming from.
Barbara Creed is an observant lady. So there's a painting that Norman places over the spy hole that he uses to watch Marion. The painting is of Susanna and the Elders which is a story of these two old guys who watch a woman named Susanna while she's bathing in a garden. She's like, "No I'm not going to have sex with you, two old guys." Then the old guys are like, "But you laid with this young dude a few days ago." (wtf?) Then the old guys punish her for being sinful/an overall terrible woman. Anyway, it's interesting that a painting depicting voyeurism while bathing covers a hole that Norman uses to watch Marion undressing for the shower.
Susanna and the Elders over the peep hole
There was symbolism in the birds. So Norman Bates was super into taxidermy. Like, Norman's #1 hobby = stuffin animals. When he was talking to Marion about his fave pastime, he said that birds were his favorite animal to stuff because they are passive. So Norman has issues with feeling powerless. His mother was very controlling and made him feel powerless when he was young. I think he likes stuffing animals because it gives him power. (PS Growing up, Norman never left his house and says that the best friend a man can have is his mother. So Norman is bffs with Mom in a weird way.) Furthermore, the bird represents the female because the female is thought of as naturally passive. Therefore, stuffing the bird represents Norman's desire to have complete control over the female (and Mom). He sees beauty in gaining total power over the passive. Similarly Norman kills his mother but preserves her body (taxidermy mom?) giving him control over his mother too.
Norman Bates standing with his birds. He's a pretty handsome insane murderer... bummer
After the Movie Finished...
French manicure time! I'm way too unskilled to do a french manicure without the help of some scotch tape.
Okay so first I'm going to do a french manicure with Deborah Lippmann's Shake Your Groove Thing on ma toes.
To make sure the gold is only going on the tips of my nails I use Scotch tape.
Oof my toes are weird.
Really push the tape down so that they are no bumps. Your nails will be fine with tape on them. Just make sure your nails are really dry (like have dried for 2 hours) or else the tape will pull off all the nail polish.
Then really glob on the gold. Like almost scrape it off the brush and onto your nail.
Then wait for it to dry and do some top coat action. I like Essie's No Chips Ahead. I know it's $8 for just a clear polish but honestly it's just better than the cheap ones.
Dunzo!
Next up, reverse french manicure on ma nails. That just means that I'm only putting the glitter on the bottom of the nail. For my nails I'm using Deborah Lippmann's Happy Birthday.
Scotch Tape Time!
Dunzo!
