Big or Small?

After last night I didn’t realize how common it was in our own society of how often women are getting ‘boob jobs’.   I always thought this was an occurrance for the elite, but it seems it is as easy to get like a Birthday Present.  I kid around with a certain co-worker and tell her if I ever won the lottery, I would buy her a set of boobs.  Poor girl, I don’t even think  a ‘push-up’ would help.  I just thought this as an expensive thing to get done.  When the girls in class last night mentioned the friends they new who where getting ‘jobs’ done you wouldn’t believe my surprise.    I couldn’t help thinking you’re so young!  Wait till you have children at least, they grow, not alot, but a bit that makes a difference. 

It does seem that women are becoming more and more ‘booborexic’  We’re not satisfied with what we got!  We want the melons!! But I don’t think we want them like this:

or like this

 Media makes it harder to be a woman, how can us real women compare to something like this?

The bottom line is we all like to look good but at what measures will we take to look good?  Some of us will do the healthy thing and committ to diet and exercise, but for others more extreme measures will  be taken, like extreme diets, boob jobs, libo, and blah, blah, blah.  What about just being and accepting yourself as a beautiful woman, or is that just taboo?

To Boldly Go…..

In preparing for our papers, it is important to stay away from split infinitives.  I’ve never heard of a split infinitive before so I can’t say I have ever used one.  If anyone has ever watched Star Trek it provides the perfect example of a split infinitive:  to boldly go where no one has gone before.  I’m sure now this must all give you an idea of what a split infinitive is, right?  As if,  I still don’t know what it means.  So I decided to research what it means and share it all with you.  A split infinitive is an infinitive that has an adverb between the to and the verb.  (the American Heritage Book of English Usage: a Practical and Authoritative Guide to Contemporary English, 1996 obtained from bartleby.com)

 I hope this makes sense for you all!

Cindy

Ross Horsely’s article was interesting.  Yes, I agree that there is a Gay culture.  But I don’t think it consists of the stereotypes that media portrays this culture to be.  Not all gay people are drag queens or butches.  They may have a certain sexual preference (we all do) which is a preference for the same sex, but each is different.  Not all gay male relationships are like the ones portrayed in “Birdcage” with Robin Williams.   I know of gay men, and their relationships are no way like the ones we see on TV, nor are they the same as heterosexual couples, however they do have certain roles in their relationships, one more probably masculine than the other. 

It frustrates me a little bit about the negative portrayals of gay people in the media, especially in the late 80’s and early 90’s.  It’s difficult enough for these individuals to come out and say they are gay to their families and friends, but it makes it even more difficult when ‘being gay’ is negatively expressed in the media (Saturday Night Live). 

I agree with Gross’s theory of ’symbolic annihilation’ where Gay culture is underpresented by media and where they have little say or control of what is being produced.  I also agree with his solution that minority groups should become the creators of what they want to portray to society.  This would be one way to do away with the negative stereotypes and images of the gay culture.

A prime example is Ellen Degeneres, she doesn’t come out on her show and act like a lesbian by hitting on all the women in her audience.  She’s like Opera, she treats everyone with respect, but only funnier!!  I remember when she first came out in her show, Ellen.  I hated the fact that everyone stopped watching her show because of that, and the mere fact that the network didn’t air her show anymore.  Did everyone forget why they first started watching it?  It was FUNNY!!  That’s why I watched it, I loved the humor and that is probably why I love her new talk show which is #1.  CONGRATS TO ELLEN!!!

The bottome line is, I think every sub-culture or culture should be respected for its own uniqueness.  Isn’t that what makes us a society?

Here is a clip from the Ellen Show that I thought you all might like.  ENJOY!

Happy Blogging!

Cindy

Her, I AM NOT!

I ‘m going to get a better body by buying this magazine!  NOT! 

It’s amazing how much we are influence by advertisements.  I remember when I was in Junior High I would buy all the teen magazines, look at the ads, and then I would go out to the mall in search of those items.  How dumb!  All that money I wasted by trying to copy those girls in those ads.  I never ever looked like them.  I might have dressed like them or tried to be like them but being a teenager and not very skilled in the make-up and hair department, I could never look like them. 

 You’d think as women we would know better to avoid advertisements that influence us to be something or someone that we are not.  Today’s teen girls are still doing what I did in Junior high.  It’s definitely something that is intergenerational. 

Now that I am older, I admit that I am still influenced by ads or commercials that promote “youngness”.  Being in my thirties I am more aware of the wrinkles that creep up on me in the night.  So when I see wrinkle creams in commericials and in magazines I get a little PO’d when they use younger women like the following in this ad for Avotone Anti-wrinkle cream.

 

This girl doesn’t need wrinkle cream, she needs Baby Oil!  To keep her shin soft like a baby!!  (Sorry for the sarcasm, but as if she has one little wrinkle on her body!)

It’s not just that we as women are influenced by these type of ads, its how women are depicted in them and the message that it sends out to the public that is more frustrating!  I by no means am a feminist but I do believe we should all be promoted in a way that is not demeaning to us.  A prime example is the following ad by GUCCI that places the woman below a man.  It gives the depiction that the woman should be down on her knees and be ready to give into all his demands. 

 

I mean women are not all sex objects nor do they want to be.  They do however want to feel sexy and desireable but not in a negative sense, they want to be respected and know that they can buy things or do things that is not going to be damaging to their character. 

The follwing ad shows a group of women that is not at all sexist or demeaning, but promotes healthy images of various types of women.  It also shows that women come in all shapes and sizes and ages.  Sure the picture is touched up a bit (what picture isn’t in magazines) but it does kind of give you the general idea of how positive messages about women can be displayed in advertisements. 

Happy Blogging!

 Cindy

After reading the article by Dave Itzkok, the ‘Pitchfork Effect’  I never really took into consideration of how I select to listen or buy or download music.  I’ve never heard of Pitchfork, and I have never gone on line or had to read an article of different music ratings to decide what music to listen to.

 If  I heard a song on the radio that got my attention I would try to remember it so I could download it from Lime Wire.  So after reading this article I realized there are influential sources that could make or break new comers into the music scene.  However, I have to admit I could care less about Pitchfork or any other music review critics that are out there to inform me of who is good or who is bad. 

I realize there are some people out there who rely on these sources to provide with information of what to download or what CD to buy,  what happened to our personal opinions or judgements of what to listend to?

It just frustrates me that people can manipulate others by influening them to listen to or not listen to certain types of artists because they say so.  It’s like saying we are weak little people who have no say on what is good music anymore.  Or like we are puppets on a string being led to supposedly ‘good music’. 

I feel for these new bands who are trying to make it big, but are quickly shut down by  sources like ‘Pitchfork’ who are just bloggers or new journalists out of school.  What happened to valuing the ‘artist’s’ individuality and creativity.  Sources like these can really dampen what could possibly be really great bands.   Who knows?  Obviously, they do.

 I may have gone on a tangent here, but I value any type of creativity, especially those who are brave enough to share it with the rest of us.  I will continue to go on to pick and chose what I want, I’ll be the judge to decide if I like it or not.  We all have different tastes in music, what I don’t like someone else will and visa versa. 

Here’s to creativity!!

Happy Blogging!

Cindy