Sex Sells! Oohhh yes it does and to women

I love sexy provocative ads just as much as the next fashion loving girl but when you think about the messages behind the beauty it can ruin the high of the dream it creates. Right now I'm trying to look through a few new fashion mags, past the new fall trend and simply with an objective eye at the ads. In particular the ads that demonstrate one of twenty categories such as


"example of breast/cleavage revealing-any skin exposed between breasts from posture, neckline dip, unbuttoned clothing." (Sherry Messer)

"example of low-status position- model kneeling with both knees touching floor, crawling, slithering, on all fours, sitting on something other than furniture/surface to be sat on- may be floor, rocks, toys, cars, laps- not chair, sofa, bench, bleacher, stool, bed." (Sherry Messer)


Those are just two of the categories I am looking for and I'm having fun. The worst by far is an ad for Bebe this fall. It is a beautiful woman wearing just a blazer, no panties and holding her crotch. I showed it to my mom and she was surprised, my little sister too. The funniest part is that it appeared in Elle mag this month but when looking for it on Bebe's website it is censored! I love Bebe though, and I like the blazer and the clothing in the fall line. I understand that Bebe is not the classiest line, I knew a stripper turned porn star that named her small dog Bebe so- the ad is no surprise.

Journal Assignment # 3

This morning in my Diversity and The Media class we watched the documentary Tough Guise narrated by Jackson Katz and I enjoyed it. I like to learn about different thought provoking topics. I do not like being a contributor to some of the wrongs in this world and one of the best ways I can see to prevent being a part of the problem is to be informed on different issues such as this one.


I think that because I am a woman I have done some personal reading about sexism, the sexism toward women, similar to what Chapter 17 talks about, and used to get really angry about objectification of women. One of my favorite books is titled The Pornography of Meat by Carol J. Adams. Not only am I a woman but I am also a vegetarian so this book really interested me and I have thought about rereading it due to its relevancy to this class. A simple quote from the book is,

"Before someone can be consumed or used, she has to be seen as consumable, as usable, as a something instead of a someone."

This video made me think about how not only women but about how men are also harmed by the images the media communicates a particular sex should conform to. Before seeing this video I did not have much sympathy for men. I guess I was playing into that expectation of men needing to be strong and powerful, and from that expectation I did not have much if any sympathy for the typical white heterosexual male. I even had a bit of anger toward males due to the very common objectification of women.


A few years ago, around the time when there was first a lot of criticism in the media about men in major league taking steroids I got to thinking some pretty radical thoughts. I was insulted by the popular thought that the taking of steroids was wrong because baseball was a sacred male sport. There was that idea that taking an unnatural substance was sacrilege since the male body and sports were some how holy. It made me think of the images of women in the media. If male sports celebrities were the male version of perfection then were the Pamela Andersons and thin blond artificial Playboy models then the perfect mate and partner to these men? Why was it OK, and even expected, for these women to alter their bodies with breast implants, Botox, lip injections, chemicals and extensions for their hair and of course layers of makeup? For these women to keep up and be successful in their chosen industry, to keep up with the times they had to artificially enhance their physical bodies, why then was it not expected for the men to do the same? I do not approve of steroid use but wondered what the real difference was. I felt that there was a different standard for men. Men’s bodies are special and perfect but women’s are objects to be altered like dolls?


After watching this video I did begin to understand that men too are hurt by the nearly impossible to attain images in the media. Women starve themselves and men are expected to me he-man monsters. What I wonder about is why men act out and harm others? I am not sure how to solve this problem. I do like to learn about issues and politics but I can never really come up with the solutions to right all of the wrongs in the world. So I guess like I said earlier I will just continue to read and educate my self. I will try to be more sympathetic to men and not be blind when I notice a media type in film, news or any type of media.

Tonight I've been painting

Sometimes I am very uninspired. Other times I have something in me but I have no idea how to express it. Tonight was not one of those nights. The above painting is six months or so old but I recently became inspired to revamp it, make it look frame able. Then after being done with that I have moved on to three more paintings and want to keep going but am making myself go to bed at 11:30. I have not posted them because they are still wet.

These past few days I have been very impatient, am having trouble focusing yet when it comes to my artistic side it is flourishing. I guess you can't have it all. I think I really need this upcoming weekend of vacay or who knows what? I need some balance, too much work makes me want too much freedom and too much freedom makes me lazy. . . so keep it in the middle.

Getting Into my "Diversity and the Media" class

So I am liking this class already. Below I will post one of my journal entries that is an assignment I am still working on for class.

Journal 1, News Video Clip from Gossip Blog Perez Hilton titled “When Crazy Bitches Attack”

http://perezhilton.com/2009-08-27-when-crazy-bitches-attack-with-gardening-tools

I am somewhat ashamed to admit that reading Perez Hilton’s website has become a daily work week guilty pleasure of mine. My co-worker and I joke around by asking each other, “Hey, have you checked the pH levels today?”

This website was something I got into when I was taking a PR class because it fascinated me to try and figure out if these particular celebrities being covered were doing whatever insane stunt for media attention or simply for uncontrolled psychological reasons. Now, two years later my interest in the website is less than scholarly and just an addiction. It has become a way to entertain me in the office or at home.

This website has lots of material for this class. One would hope that Mr. Hilton would be a bit more sympathetic to other minority groups as he is a gay, Latin, and once an over weight man. No such luck. Today when browsing the site I came upon a clip that I could hardly believe. Was it real? Was it a joke? And if so would that make it worse?

The 33 second clip depicted a poor black woman attacking a news crew. The anchor woman commenting in the news room seemed amused as if this were some funny crazy black woman, what more can you expect from her type? I felt bad for thinking it was funny at first glance but then when I got to thinking it seemed wrong, it was an obvious laugh at the stereo type of a poor loud black woman. I began looking at the comments below the video to see if anyone felt the same way and no one seemed upset from this video.

One person even commented

“LOL is that the guard dog?”

Another commented,

“SEE, THIS IS WUT A GUILTY GHETTO PERSON LOOKS LIKE. EVERYONE ELSE CAN FIGHT IT OUT ON SPRINGER. NUFF SAID.”

The worst part of this is not Mr. Hilton himself for posting the video, his website is trash and I take it for what it is. The worst part about this is that this video clip was a part of a local news broadcast. This segment of the media is supposed to be respectable and respectful. It becomes mockery with comments by the female news anchor, “Grandma and a ho . . . . You see what I’m talking about. She’s angry at camera crews for taking her picture when she told them not to. . . She’s mad.” Then the male news anchor chimes in, “Boy! I would run for my life there.” There was no true value to this news segment.

This woman in the clip was not the initial story but rather her granddaughter was the first news maker. It was wrong of the grandmother to attack the news crew; I’m not defending her actions, I’m just questioning the news coverage. I did some looking around the Internet and found coverage of the attack but in a less mocking way.

http://boston.barstoolsports.com/random-thoughts/grandma-attacks-news-crew-with-garden-ho/ ( Note. Just take into account the video and not the blog it is posted on).

In the end I think the news anchors from Fox made this clip more offensive than needed and had they not acted like amused teens and more like professionals the stereotype would have been less obvious.

What is this? Why do you have it? Can I have it? Why not?

I am about to go on a bike ride. After I am done with that I will practice some yoga in my bedroom. I do not currently teach any classes so I am on my own. I like teaching to others but when I am on my own I feel more comfortable to flow with my practice and do the poses that I intuitively think my body needs and wants. At home and not at a chain gym I can light my incense and put on my Kirtan chanting music.

Today I was reminded that I need to be more patient.

It was at work I realized this. I had to deal with two particular children that are endless streams of questions. Each week I dread, and then feel guilty about dreading, having them come to their pottery hour.

I used to associate this type of behavior they exhibit with a three year old and the constant questions of whys. Now I have come to know that this is also a type of adolescent. The mind constantly going, seeing and worst of all wanting wanting, wanting even before they are finished with their previous want they are on to the next.

They walk around the pottery room digging though boxes of art supplies asking what they are used for, are they new, are they old, who made them, etc. They ask if they can have things they know they cannot have. Each week they return and ask the same questions and then some. They repeat the same questions over and over seemingly not aware of the response. The entire hour is filled with asking seemingly useless questions, the sort of things you keep to yourself and do not say out loud.

I suppose it helps me develop my patience by not blowing up and screaming, "No more questions!" and then throwing myself into the firing kiln.

It also helps me to become more aware of my wants and wandering mind. I'm not that bad but when you are given the example of an extreme it can scare you straight.

So some goals I can take with me for today are to continue to be kind and deal patiently with the questions. Next time when the questions have gone past a socially acceptable level I should take the child aside and explain how, "People sometimes keep some questions to themselves for the sake of others. It can be overwhelming to be asked so many questions. Maybe set a limit for yourself in a time period. But wow, I really appreciate your inquisitive mind."

Old Notebook Entry

So I'll begin by saying I think I have acid reflux. Googled it and am pretty sure I need to lay off tomatoes for that reason. Also quinoa and beans for other reasons that make me less lady like.

So I felt like looking through an old notebook and found the below passage. It is from when I was attending Columbia College. Nestled in with notes from the Philosophy and Italian classes I failed there it was. Me, depressed? Ha! On a lighter note, right now, in this era I am very happy.

The End Of An Era

The end of an era. It is near impossible I've come to find that one can knowingly watch the beginning of an end. So often the new era is middle aged before the obit of the last is read by the cast. I try to pretend to have learned something, when really I want- have wanted to simply breakdown. But life and more importantly time keep going so I jog breathlessly behind.

My New Car

I found the energy to jog today. I only had to work around eight hours and had a hair appointment to look forward to. I jogged down Belle Street and onto the bike trail, crossing the road construction and narrowly missing being run over by some truck with chunks of old concrete in it.

I decided to cross the walking bridge over the river rather than taking my usual path along the river's south side and up the steep, grueling hill that comes out by the park next to the beautiful haunted mansion.

As I jogged, at first very slowly, over the bridge I was amazed by the beauty of the day. I felt like I could keep jogging forever. I was so enthused by the beauty around me that I did not even feel like I was apart of my body rather I felt like I was in a vehicle or a bubble and looking out. I was kinda reminded of that eye of London contraption and that I was looking out from a glass bubble onto a beautiful view.

I kept jogging faster and faster feeling completely at ease. The sky was a light calm blue, the shone but not too harshly and the sky was dotted with puffy white clouds. Down far below me was the slowly flowing brown river and all around me were the green trees, grasses and plants. In front of me where the bridge was to end and meet with a curve in the path thus creating a wall of greenery it appeared a spot light shone, guiding me there almost even though I knew it was just a simple play of light.

It was a perfect moment, and I felt completely relaxed. That is one of the reasons I enjoy my time walking, jogging or riding my bike on the trails, it allows me to completely relax, slow my mind and forget everything, just become a passenger with no needs.

The Good and the Bad Today

Today was a long day at work but I am happy I had enough energy to come home and jog for what my pedometer says was 4.4 miles but I guess was more like 2.5. I don't think I can figure out how to set it for my stride length, oh well.

Work today was fun at times and disappointing at others.

I created a fit club for the summer program for the at risk youth at my work. I meet with groups of kids once a week for an hour and teach them a different fitness lesson and then we practice the lesson. At the beginning of the summer I helped them set goals and find ways to help them reach their goals.

This week was the second month of fit club so I re-checked their BMIs and body fat percentages. It was little surprise that no one had improved. Sometimes it really gets me down when I seem to be accomplishing nothing with them. I have had about half drop out of fit club and the few that remain mostly do not even seem to want to exercise. There is really only one kid that seems to really want to improve his wellness.

I guess that if my co-worker and I (she deserves some credit too) can make the difference in one life it is worth it. Cheesy, cliche, blah, blah blah- the people at my work would puke to hear that but true. Like she said at lunch the other day that we may not see it now but maybe that kid will in the future remember something we taught them in fit club and will then have the confidence to go to a gym or a on a run then our work won't be in vain. We are planting the seeds, and when the kids are ready only then can they grow.

Now to end positively, during the time I work teaching and creating pottery. One of the naughtier kids is very good at drawing and has taken a liking to my sketches of people doing yoga. This kids asks for everything so it was not a surprise when he asked for my drawings but I gave them to him so he could as he said "finish them." Even if the kid wants and asks for everything I'm still happy that my drawings could make someone happy if just for one moment.

New Love

I am in the process of starting what might actually be my own small business. I'm naming it Golden Beet Yoga and it will basically be me offering private yoga lessons. I am putting up a website, having an artist create a logo from my description, I'm even going to have t-shirts made and give them to friends. Well, the odd thing is whenever I think of Golden Beet I get that infatuated feeling. I keep thinking about Golden Beet like I used to think about a guy I had a crush on or thought I was falling in love with. This is new, who knew I would enjoy this? So I'm in love and this time my crush is good for me. I have trouble falling asleep because I'm so excited and keep coming up with ideas.

www.goldenbeetyoga.com

Monday and Eggplant

I had a long day. I woke up at five am and drove from Iowa City straight to work in Waverly. Tonight is the first Monday since December that I am not teaching my Gentle Yoga class at Gold's gym. Gyms slow down in the summer, people go outside and currently I am not teaching a yoga class anywhere regularly. I am going to enjoy the new free time but I will miss my regular group of ladies from Gold's.

My mom made eggplant parmigiana for dinner. One of the perks of being 25 and living at home, free food and home made meals. I have been living at home now for a year and a half. I was hired for a job with AmeriCorps and moved back to Iowa from Chicago in three days notice. If you would have told the teenage me that was dying to get out of Iowa this was what the future held I would have grimaced. I'm happy here but I'll admit I am starting to have fantasies about moving back to the big city, being a young professional and going out for trendy drinks at the trendy after work spots I no longer know.

I know I must be patient though. I have goals, and plans for my future written out in my Hello Kitty notebook- some things never change. I start school again this fall. While I look forward to that I am also scared. Have I forgotten how to write a proper paper? Will I be in classes with high schoolers? Will I be the old lady the young kids laugh at?

Getting Ready For Work

I am enjoying the time before I teach yoga at noon and then go into my "day job". I'm drinking mate and reading about Ayurveda. I found the below quote on an Ayurvedic website and enjoyed it.

I am trying to add something more to my yoga classes and thought maybe different quotes that are related to the philosophy of yoga would be a nice way to end my classes. Whenever I get into a funk and do not want to go into teach a yoga class, after getting down to the root of why, I realize it is fear. I get afraid that I am not that good, that I need to all of a sudden change what I have been doing in class. I really enjoy teaching yoga but my mind sometimes needs more, I want to keep learning. I do read and keep my self growing in that sense but feel I want the guidance of an actual person. I really want to take ATTC but must wait until my contract with my day job is done in November.

"Sometimes we need to take a few steps back in order to get a running start. We make mistakes, and as long as we learn from those mistakes, we progress, we grow. Eventually we get to a point where we can look back and see how far we’ve come. Then we can turn back around and see how far we have to go!"
-Lissa Coffey

Waking Up

Today is Easter Sunday. I napped after a large meal of Tofurkey and chocolate cake, oh and there was also warm sauerkraut. Finally I enjoy sauerkraut, a sign I think of my maturity and the deepening wrinkle below my left eye.

It has been years since I have felt like writing. For some that may not seem strange but to me it is. I used to want to be a writer. Not only had I lost my inspiration for writing but also for creating art. Both are coming back. I think that the life I was living had drained that creative energy out of me, and this return of it, along with the spring weather, is invigorating.

I'm ready for life again. Somehow that innocent hope I thought was lost forever has returned and the future is no longer out of my control.

Maybe I have put on a few pounds, my life is no longer as plentiful, I'm older, not blond but the "new" me is happier.