Added: 3 years ago
From: TEDtalksDirector
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  • lol "Manhood 101"

    I've been to that class.

    It looks a lot like Swordfighting 101.

  • dear Ms. Nellie. you are fabulous. don't ever change.

  • Of course, perhaps if it's made legal, they WILL be treated better. But what I'm on is how 'What's wrong with prostituion,it's a valid service?' generates a bunch of ethical arguments which Completely overlooks the fact that prostitution in its origins and current state especially, is steeped in a patriarchal-consumerist setup which never gave it the chance to be an authentic/independence choice in the first place. I join you in asking others not to look down on them but it doesn't stop there.

  • @variablast And as I've said this elsewhere but don't see the comment I'll repeat: in some cultural/economic conditions, the horror and seediness of these prostitutes' lives FAR overshadow the question of their illegal status. I'm Indian. My mum who belongs to an NGO has worked with retired prostitues here. None of them wanted to be in it, or were treated well and some were forced to sell off their children. Often people ignore the urgency of these issues in proving that prostitution is ok.

  • @variablast That is where I'm with you, completely with you! As I've already mentioned. I'm not here to counter you aggressively. But I do see a certain amount of breeziness and naivety in the way you assume that there's a lot of choice and regulation involved. And also, how in the exuberance of defending and exonerating prostitutes, their lack of choice gets completely sidelined and their profession takes on a pseudo-emancipated status instead.

  • After all, 'service' as it may be, they're often treated like slaves by pimps. Many (and most, in poor society) don't belong to an official, observable 'house'. There IS an anxiety that legal prostitution would make it easier for men to feel privileged and treat women like objects that can be 'enjoyed' with money. And that it would get difficult to prove whether a woman wanted it or not. Like how marital rape is tough to prove. You must have empathy for this if you want to be taken seriously.

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  • Only then can we get heard when we prove our points in favour of making it legal. That way, it'll be obvious that the dangers of the profession are not glibly passed over in favour of the rights alone. Denying rights to sell your body is oppression, but it's not oppression on the same scale as contributing to a system where most of these women don't have solid alternatives. Nor is it the same as denying rights to drive/vote/drink which most women want. We must see the uniqueness in it.

  • AND. Last reply to you I promise. I'll be old fashioned and say: Today, when service provider-user relationships are so clinical, aggressive, privilege based and infiltrate upon most things, it's good to have some spheres of life which are preferred to be outside consumerism. Sex is one. It has WAY more to do with mutual gratification than with mechanised systems of livelihood based on skill/aid/infrastructure/gain. Sure, ALL have the right to make it a profession. But that has drawbacks.

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  • @variablast Their rights are very limited, there're few ways of checking if 'customers' treat them right. There's nothing wrong with PROMISCUITY, but there's no point pretending that when women make money from it all their lives, they're mostly strong/free/independent. OR that systematic commodification of something essentially based on spontaneous desire is to be celebrated. One wants a world where it isn't oppressively necessary. Which can be ignored in the frenzy of defending prostitution.

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  • To criticise prostitution in the way Nellie does it is not to look down upon prostitutes, but to realise the ugly, thoughtless, commodifying way in which it takes place. I too think that making it illegal incriminates the woman and that isn't fair. But it's really important not to see too much subversive or emancipating potential for liberty and sexual awareness in prostitution. A lot of them ARE asked why they're in it, and the answer is a RESOUNDING 'I was compelled to.'

  • @variablast 'Maybe she just wanted to be a prostitute.' That may be possible but we know that it's VERY rarely the case, and the point of criticising a certain system/mode of values is not to point out the exceptions, that gets too tedious and diverts attention from the real issues. The point remains, that in a world where no one cares about prostitutes, and certainly not enough to regulate proper conditions of treatment in a whorehosue/trafficking, choice recedes to the background.

  • Absolutely incredible. Love this lady

  • Saw her last night opening for Madeleine Peyroux at Tarrytown. Absolutely fabulous! Amazing talent! Loved her! Last night, it was "This message was approved by Michelle Bachmann." Hysterical! Thanks for posting!

  • Is that a Martin Uke? I love Nellie!

  • 25 people don't have a sense of humour.

  • she's opening for Madeleine Peyroux and I've got tix !!

  • More than winning the lotto, I would want to spend an afternoon with Nellie having lunch (Big Mac perhaps) and playing some songs. This is the most intelligent musician to come from the US in decades, and a simply amazing mind that radiates great ideas. Bless you Nellie in every way you might be blessed.

  • @fretsbie you know she is a vegetarian. :P

  • @capedchameleon Yes, I do understand she is vegetarian and a big PETA supporter. I realize at your level you feel there is some benefit to going around criticizing and correcting people, and all I can say to that is there but for the grace of God go I. My comments are in the context of her song and are entirely appropriate to everyone who visits this posting, except you. For what it is worth, I am also vegetarian. I think you are missing the point entirely.

  • @fretsbie tell me, what is the point?

  • I'm a feminist and this offends me ;)

  • sexiest voice ever.

  • Where can I get her version of this song!?!?!?! i need it.

  • Her voice is amazing...

  • If you dislike this you shouldn't be watching

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  • I am scared to share this video cause my friends are not all too bright.

  • @lucasboden haha. i know the feeling... lol

  • @lucasboden get new friends then.

  • 666 likes, ha!

  • sweet and funny - and crunchy.

  • "If I Had You" just makes me smile and feel at ease.

  • What is that annoying thing in the beginning of all her videoes?!

  • this is hilarious. 

  • @SazzyIsSnazzy this makes me very sad, but I agree you're right

    @uprockbiddy you're a dumbass

  • Whoa, she did TED??! No wonder I love her.

  • hands down the best version of If I had you ever!! For my taste then : )

    Total class act!

  • Lighten up ladies

  • 24 feminists didn't get the satire...

  • @sillysillyface feminists and vegetarians too : )

  • 24 feminists so far arround here

  • @pocketsnatcher just so you know there is NO ONE in the WORLD who doesn't realize this is satire and the fact that you even thought it was a possibility is very sad.

    And yes to answer your question you did just get owned.

  • @deadninga There are definitely people who don't get it's a satire. Take "uprockbiddy" who commented on here, for example.

  • Nellie McKay is a FABULOUS feminist. The ones in the media obviously don't say enough about feminists like her. They just show the dramatic, "unknowingly" sexist ones. Just like the tired old gay stereotype is overused in the media, so is the feminist one. :D

  • yah this is a satire. nellie is a vegan and a feminist! so don't worry guyz

  • LOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooove!!!­!!!

  • Someone needs to make her the Latisse spokes model 0.50

  • masculist don't have one either..

  • very creepy!!

  • Nellie McKay is the main romaine woman.....man.

  • She's saying people that don't understand feminists are ignorant. =p Pretty much.

  • Hilarious!

  • Nellie McKay is accually a feminist:) she's being satirical:)

  • @Whereismymind1987 funny as fuck how many people dont get it : )

  • just awesome and hilarous (first part)

  • why its on katy perry mix ?

  • My new favorite.  Love her!

  • What a performer!

  • this is simply amazing! this is what should be apreciated and popular. Bravo for those that make a difference..

  • /watch?v=uIbYGPjvY2M&feature=r­elated

  • why is this in Katy Perry mix?

  • @SugarLoveForever why would you watch/listen to a Katy Perry mix?

  • @robcunn Well, for me, I had to choose a Katy Perry song to sing at a concert. For other people, I have no clue.

  • im a feminist and a vegetarian :(

  • @SugarLoveForever this song is satirical. I'm pretty sure Nellie McKay doesn't think that feminists and vegetarions don't have a sense of humor.

    But maybe you didn't get it because you don't have a sense of humor.

  • @FMota91 I was being sarcastic. I don't normal use 'emoticons' either.

  • @SugarLoveForever lets start a club :)

  • everyone that disliked this is a feminist.

  • @realm042 I'm a feminist and I thought it was amazing. :)

  • LOL so funny:)

  • She's a true artist.

  • lol

  • Song only proves that feminists don't have a sense of humor - even a joke song has to have a sneering seriousness to them

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  • Her voice with that ukulele sounds like it is from another era... it is so light and wonderful in "If I Had You"... sigh...

  • wow every single fucking comment is advertising some site.....

  • I LOVE YOU NELLIE MARRY ME JOHNNY T

  • I can only say that this song is very fair. It is pro feminism (obvious to those who understand satire) but only refers to the valid points in feminism. Not to the radical, testicle crushing femiNAZIs. I would also describe her as oddly attractive.

  • i wanna marry this woman

  • As long as Americans think that being serious is a liability and that everyone must constantly have a sense of humor, there is no hope for that country. What if anti-slavery activists, civil rights activists, anti-war activists had been told over and over that they shouldn't be so "serious", that they were turning people off? Before around 1980, people were motivated by seriousness and didn't expect every person to act like they were on a sitcom.

  • why not use whatever weapon carries your message across the ramparts?

  • You have got to be kidding me.

    The song is making a comment on the stereotyping of the feminist movement, as well as the usual response from the public.

    This song in its humour manages to bring to light the current culture in America and its shortfalls.

    Unless you just don't get satire, you'll understand what is really going on in this song.

    Learn to satire.

  • LOLZ. This gal is too funny.

  • There's no one like Nellie and never shall there be.

  • @Daztents Simply but very well put.

  • great song

  • F - Weird A then?

  • to me the problem is not with the freedom of providing a service. the problem is under what circumstances is the service of prostitution available. what brought the woman to prostitution? years of abuse, neglect, not knowing better? it's not like prostitution is some college major that normal healthy women choose. it's more likely that they went through some shit and supporting prostitution might be like supporting the ends but not the means. like a country built on slavery.

  • This is lovely - thank you for sharing!

  • ooooh i love her voice!!!

  • Wow! What a beautiful singers. What a grand sense of humor. We're her fans forever. Eric And Victor

  • Brilliant!

  • Gorgeous! Love her

  • I'm Dennis Kucinich and I approve this message

  • "If I had you" is one of the best love songs I've ever heard

  • Shes got a awsome voice :o

  • the laugh track is part of the song (the studio version)

  • she has incredible personality :)

  • Thus you conclude that everyone would have reached the same consensus?

  • I enjoyed this dry humor. Thanks

    Miriam

  • This is the first time I have heard of her. She's great ! She plays a mean piano also. 5 stars

  • ta ta ta ta -tataa -ta ta- ta -ta YEAH take it off :3

  • so clever, so adorable, so talented. finally, some music worth paying for...

  • @fartsygloss or braying for, depending on your species.

  • absolutamente hermosa nellie!!!! ademas del piano toka perfecto el ukulele!!! perfecto cover de if i had you! perfect!

  • i love both songs she played

    especially If I Had You....its so soothing when we play it in jazz band

    bravo to her

    shes so cute too lol

  • Aww those were both great.

  • I love her she is the cutest thing--heard her on NPR great sense of humor.

  • It is re-donk-u-lous how good she is! Absolute perfection!

  • aw, she's got such a cute voice~! :]

  • Witty, biting satire delivered with an endearingly sweet voice. She's fabulous!

  • I like her style.

  • haha I love this song!

    she is brilliant!

  • What makes Nellie so great is that she is fullly aware of how radical liberalism is effecting the causes she belives in (note her comment about her mother). Sure, she's a feminist and a vegan, but she's bright enough to see that the way she's going to get her message heard is by making fun and showing just how full of shit "the established norm" is. This is also make very clear in another great piece of her's "Identity Theft."

  • she sang p.s. i love you on Fresh Air with that ukaleele...really sweet

  • She is funny, intelligent, very cute, and very talented.

    I want to marry her... :)

  • This song is awesome in so many ways!

  • that's a really nice ukulele!

  • A Martin ukulele no less!

  • Aha--I WONdered why it sounded like no uke I'd ever heard before!

  • Indeed. A vintage style 0 ukulele from the 1920's.

  • Mother of pearl is absolutely great! :D

  • Yeah!!! It's too awesome!

  • feminists don't have a sense of humor.

  • @newtokyoterror poor Hilary...

  • are you a feminist? XD lol yes its all sarcasm im sure.

  • (to WNcube06)

    yes, of course! Nellie makes a lot of sarcastic humour in her songs. i actually think she's a feminist herself. but you could tell she's using some sarcasm in that song from when she says "Feminists don't have a sense of humour / feminists and vegetarians" because she herself is a vegan!

  • She has a really lovely voice...:-)

  • madd skillz on this one

  • This girl has got a head on her. Bravo!

  • She's fantastically adorable. :)

  • I love how she's saying "thank you, thank you."

  • i thought the same thing!

  • Sweet. She's brilliant!

  • a white Billy holliday.superb.

  • This should get you started:

    G-chord: 2nd fret C-string; 3rd fret E-string; 2nd fret A-string.

    Am-chord: only 2nd fret G-string

    D (actually D7): index on 2nd fret over all 4 strings and another finger on 3rd fret of A-string.

  • I just started playing ukulele because of this video. Does anyone know the chords of Mother of Pearl?

  • It definitely starts with a G chord. The first part seems to go like

    |:G G A D:|

    I will look at it again tonight, but I will not be able to decipher the middle part completely. I can tell you that already.

  • I was to hasty. It must be A-minor instead of A, of course. So,

    |: G G Am D :|

  • I have written the chords down and sent them to you separately.

  • i love her.. she's so witty and funny.. would marry her, no doubt!

  • I'm 56 years old, but if I could find one like you my age I wouldn't be single any longer. It takes a special sense of humor to make me laugh...kind of sick on the funny side. Keep up he good work!

  • a genius! xD

  • chick be hilarious

  • i was ready to hate. but that was awesome

  • Nellie McKay is amazing!

  • She is so brilliant. I love her facetiousness.

  • She is so amazing

    And I am seeing her on the 8th of August WHOO