The best (on-line) friends a homegirl could have

I have something wonderful to share from Jezebel this week. As you may know, Jezebel.com my on-line community. I’ve been a reader and commenter there for years. In January, I earned my star, which is a big deal in the jezzie universe.  It’s hard to explain Jezebel.com to someone who spends little time on-line.  It’s a feminist blog, but that sounds so dull and angry. It’s not.

It’s a rambunctious, lively place with whip-smart women reading and responding to current news and media. There are informed opinions, coupled with humor and a refusal to take any of it too seriously. This community is highly educated with students, writers, lawyers, stay at home moms, techies, and everyone in between. And slowly, over time, it has evolved into the coolest group of friends I have ever known.

After the jump, the nicest compliment I have ever received and a whole lot of ass shakers, because it’s a jezzy celebration. And we likes to shake our moneymakers, don’t we jezebels and jezebeaus?

Jezebel, like hip hop, is a way of life

I found Jezebel.com when I was looking for the feminist debate on-line. I’ve stayed with Jezebel because it keeps me informed of pretty much anything I could ever need to know. Over time, I became a regular on the weekend open threads, where we could exchange music, videos, links to blogs and websites, shopping, irreverent opinions and just plain silliness.

Courtesy of Ninja Robot Pirate:

The Hive Mind

Thanks to Groupthink, there is now an open thread all the time. Jezebel has evolved yet again and has now formed a giant female collective able to dispense advice, problem solve or comfort anyone at anytime. I’m being light, but it is an amazing resource. You can get work advice, music and movie recommendations, and/or  pictures of cute animals on demand. There’s such  intimacy and support between women, it’s truly personal connections in a digital medium.  What it looks like from the outside is very different from the experience within. From the inside, it feels like the best support network I’ve ever had.

Here’s a dedication from one of my hip hop sisters, The beat goes on:

The new face of feminism

The next generation of feminists are informed,  inclusive and practically underground, compared to the confrontational nature of the old school feminists. On Jezebel, feminism is not about victimization or hating on men, it’s about changing hearts and minds by being smart, informed women in action making positive change. Picture Michelle Obama, Erykah Badu or Drew Barrymore. And we know our minds and what we like. We like Mark Ronson and Rhymefest, don’t we Purple Life?!

Dancing is rejoicing

My favorite part of jezzie has been connecting with the music lovers, including other feminist hip hop heads, just like myself. I get schooled on the daily by fellow jezzies, we have dance parties constantly. They have got me into all sorts of new stuff, hip hop and otherwise. They have also helped me gain a new appreciation for older artists as well. So in honor of the dancing diva series on jezebel, let’s dance it out with Ms. Aaliyah herself.

You better know a jezzie

I asked the jezebels to help me describe my on-line persona. This was the first response from  Turtle Speaks:

Compassionate, intelligent, helpful, personable, charismatic, well-spoken, articulate, innovative, creative, charitable, with wicked dance moves.

This made my heart smile! It feels wonderful to be well-regarded. What’s more, that is exactly the person I strive to be. It’s nice to see others perceptions of you, nicer still when they are what you aspire to be.  So here’s a big ups to Turtle Speaks, Georgia May Fayne, Hermione Danger, Jellybish, Bren Browing and Rosie Lives on a Boat. Thanks for knowing a woman’s heart! xo

Other great posts to shake your applebum:

Santa Fe House Party

All about Eve – I do what they can’t do, I just do me

You gotta let them know, you ain’t a bitch or a ho

But like a brick wall, I’m too hard to break