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mercredi, avril 19, 2006

"Gray Area"

Bummer.

I quit

Despite my realization that our culture is obsessed with superficial, false signs and symbols - I still fall into the trap. Just a glimpse of Scarlett Johanssen, Jessica Alba, or any of the other "stars" ruins my day...and my boyfriends. Every time I see a "sexy starlet" I get angry. I feel bad about myself in two ways. In one way I feel insecure about my own looks, or sex appeal - and then, right after that, I feel bad for buying into the brainwash.

I could say, "Its all airbrushing, makeup and surgery." And, "Isn't our obsession with "beauty" just another item for us to consume?" Yes, it might all be...but that is not the point. What is important is that we still rely on attractiveness, or sex appeal, to determine some, or all of our self worth. I've had plenty of female friends (and some male's) who have been smart, funny, strong, and "aware" - and others who are a little more superficial, or weak - regardless of our attributes...we all seem to be stuck. Stuck into giving how we look importance.

I've had friends who have said, "I'll never be as hot as him/her." Or, "God, if only I could have a body like that." Most of whom knew very well that they were being shallow. But sometimes, a bad day is all you need to feel disgusting, fat, greasy, wrinkly, or simply plain. I'm tired of having my friends feel like they're not good enough. Because even if they say that they know they're "better" in a lot of ways than these supermodels/actresses/celebrities/heiresses - My friends have starved themselves, started saving for breast implants, gotten nose jobs, suffered from bulimia, or just been depressed.

Niptucked

So I was watching Maury this afternoon. Yep. I'm not one for such a show, but the topic grabbed me.

A woman who got plastic surgery at 19 and has since received 30 surguries. DAMN GINA! 'Tis insane. Now I've heard the stats...30 million American women have had plastic surgery. Yet it still shocks and appauls me to hear something so sick as 30 times. Clearly this woman has a very, very serious problem.

Apparently it all started because of a verbally abusive boyfriend. The show offered a photo of her at 19, before the surgery - she was attractive by even the media's standards. Her boyfriend, however, told her that her nose looked 'swollen' and her eyes were set too close, and of course, that her boobs sagged.

Now I would like to say, "Why didn't she tell him to F*ck off and dump the jerk?" But I know better. I know that the majority of women in our society feel "sub-par" to the likes of Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, and Jennifer Aniston (all of whom this woman wanted to have something of) - yet, I don't know many who want to look like...MICHAEL JACKSON. This woman actually brought a photo of the one-glove wonder to her surgeon so she could get the same, frightening nose.

Her psychologist tells her she has Body Dysmophic Disorder. Her plastic surgeon tells her she needs the surgery. What a bastard. He needs heart surgery.

What does this all boil down to for me?

The wise old saying: Beauty is on the inside.

It doesn’t matter how many times you change the outside - You’ll never be happy until you learn to love what’s on the inside.

Unfortunately, our society doesn’t want us to really believe that truth. But we all know it needs to happen. We all want it to happen. So what’s the problem?

dimanche, avril 09, 2006

Blogging

I actually got a job - as in I get paid - as a blogger. I will be writing about long-term relationships. So unfotunately, my plans of becoming more focused on watercolorlanguage are slowly dissipating. I will try to make this a weekly column. Although I realize - that does very little for readership. However I do want to continue with the 'Down-with-Advertising' project. That being said, if you see any advertisements that are selling clothing, but the female models are barely clad in the product - for example - send them my way.