Breasts have been completely objectified. March 27, 2007

Here are a few pictures that came up when I typed in breasts. I can’t believe how much female anatomy has been objectified. No wonder women are considered objects, in a world that takes their body parts and puts them on display to mock and stare at. I get really irritated when it comes to the objectification of women. Haven’t people figured there is so much more to women than hair and boobs? I just think it sends out some really bad messages to both men and women.

Women are seeing these images and comparing themselves to perfect bodies and objects. And men are constantly viewing women as objects… Objects are easier to subordinate, abuse, hurt and use than women… and yet the media keeps on telling us that is what we are. Just objects.

So basically, anything and everything can be sexualized in today’s society. It seems like everything is about sex in the media, on the street and in our homes… it is everywhere!

Boobs, boobs they’re everywhere. March 26, 2007

Do we all have a little Booberexia?

Well I have to say I don’t usually think about my boobs, until now! But I do think about other things. The things on my body that I feel ‘don’t meet the standards’. Well the standards are freaking everywhere for us to compare ourselves to.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Well it seems that our perfectly fine, milk carrying breasts are okay, but we fix them anyways. They are not medically diseased or damaged, just not big enough or perky enough. They just don’t look like the air-brushed boobs in Maxim, so we have to go get them cut open, stuffed and sewed back up. In hopes that they will reflect an image into the mirror we will be happy with.

But where does it end? So you get the boobs “fixed” will you be happy or just have to buy new bras? I mean honestly it will never stop because we are inundated with pornographic images everywhere in our culture so we will constantly feel inferior.

I am officially stressed… March 18, 2007

Wow! I have been waking up dreaming about introduction paragraphs for all the papers I am writing. School is so busy right now. I just read another blog talking about stress and how good it feels to just let it out. So this is what I am doing…

I am finding that blogging is really like keeping a journal to just let out your emotions. I am have not really had a diary or journal in a long time. In fact I think my last entry was “____ said he liked me today and I got to stay up late to watch Full House tonight”. I have nothing against it, I just never really had the time or motivation.

I am finding my blog is just a place to chill and write and I am really enjoying it. The only thing that’s different is people read this diary and even make comments… I think it is great to go on a rant and have someone give you their perspective. It’s enlightening.

Go Dove. March 11, 2007

I have to note that the Dove Real Beauty ads are a marketing campaign that I actually think are doing some good. They are using real people to represent their products and making real people feel a little better about themselves. They are not setting these unattainable standards with size 4 models airbrushed to be size 2. Go Dove.

I think this is the direction more advertisers need to move towards if we want to start teaching girls that they are beautiful just the way they are and boys need to see that this is what real girls look like. Those gals in Maxim don’t exist anywhere else except on those magazine pages.

Here’s an example of a Dove commercial revealing the truth about advertising:

One more…

PS: When I was at the store, this is the first time I purchased a product solely because of its advertising. Between Dove and all those others – I chose Dove.

We are all gonna sink? March 1, 2007

In response to last nights Titanic talk… First of all, very pessimistic outlook on the world…

I have to say I think class structure and economic arrangements have a huge impact on life chances. The upper class and the people with money are going to have a way higher chance of survival. For example, health care – two people with the same illness but one with money, who has a better chance of getting the doctor, surgery and pills to survive?

Another… HIV in Africa means Aids and death, but HIV in North America (‘people with $$$’) means HIV and proper health care… and usually survival.

However I do agree that if it comes down to pollution, global warming or asteroids (something that affects everyone) then ya, we are all gonna sink. The only difference is that the rich and upper class will be on the ocean floor in much nicer outfits.

So if the world is our Titanic than yes we are all screwed, but everything up until the iceberg means better life chances for the ones with money.

Bloodshed for a diamond? February 10, 2007

If you have not seen the movie BLOOD DIAMOND, you MUST. This move gave me a new perspective on my life, my world and my jewelry. This is one of those movies that are so important for everyone to see. After watching this movie I was able to see the value of mass media again. People in North America need to be made aware of what is happening on a global scale and portraying it in a 2 hour movie seems to reach more of the population than a few minutes of news coverage.

They said it in the movie, “we see it between the sports and weather broadcast” but not enough to do something about it. Now I am not saying that if everyone in North America saw this movie we would band together and stop the atrocities on the continent of Africa, but public awareness is the first step towards a better future.

I think mass media in the form of “Hollywood movies” and some documentaries are more effectively generating awareness than TV news broadcasts or a tiny column in a newspaper.

I know I would think twice about that sparkling rock on my finger after seeing this movie and I hope it does the same for you.

BUT IT MUST BE SAID, my initial thought after the lights came on was, “there are people living in the most unimaginable situations and here we are with our bags of popcorn and jumbo soft drinks watching a movie about it…”

The world of 100 people February 4, 2007

Check out this link for an interesting perspective on the world of 100 people. 7 out of the 100 would have access to the internet and 67 out of the 100 would be illiterate. Talk about unequal distribution of global resources.

Furthermore, I thought it was really interesting that only 5 out of the 100 are Americans/Canadians and our lives in North America seem to be so ignorantly focused on ourselves.

Click here.