Fat Talk, revisited

Apparently now size 12 is “too big” for plus size models.  Read more at the Guardian.  I am going now to hang my head in shame and spam the St. Louis area with Operation Beautiful notes.

I’m back, yo!

It’s been awhile since my last post, but not for lack of material.  Tonight, I’m bringing two separate topics: feminism in Hollywood, and “Fat Talk.”

Let’s begin at the beginning, with Katherine Heigl.  I’m sure y’all have heard about her calling the movie Knocked Up sexist.  She said it “paints the women as shrews, as humourless and uptight,” which, if you have seen Knocked Up, you KNOW is just WRONG since Leslie Mann’s character is one of the most hilarious.  But this is the point that my homegirl Hadley Freeman is making in the article I linked above – Heigl insists that Knocked Up is sexist, and then goes on to make 27 Dresses and PRODUCE The Ugly Truth, two romantic comedies wherein you are not a Whole and Complete Woman without Your Man.  (Don’t get me started on that “Grey’s Anatomy” bullshit).  Um, what!??!  KH, please explain!  I am ALL FOR calling Hollywood out on it’s shit, but I’m not entirely sure that you know what ‘sexist’ means..!?  Or maybe we just need the definition of ‘hypocrisy’ for you.

I would like to move on to happier topics before I fall into a dark hole of anger, and discuss something wonderful, called Operation Beautiful.  Homegirl Caitlin wants y’all to post these positive messages wherever possible in public, letting people know they look great.  At first I thought this was a little bit hokey, but I thought about how reading randomly nice shit like that in public makes me smile.  And I read Caitlin’s page about Fat Talk and it was some serious business.  SRSLY.  Homegirl has some HTML issues going on, but the page is still read-able (at least for Firefox on my MacBook).  It’s pretty much mind blowing to me to think about re-framing these negative feelings – Caitlin says “We can deal with ugliness, we cannot deal with weakness.“  To admit that we’re ashamed of eating too many cookies in one day (w/e, they were rly good) is MUCH harder than to admit that we’re fat, especially in an increasingly obese society.  And while I think it’s extremely important that we work on this change within ourselves, I want to encourage y’all to participate in Operation Beautiful by writing a message and posting it somewhere.  You can email Caitlin a picture of your message at seebriderun@gmail.com or leave your work anonymously, but most of us need all the love we can get.  Your messages have the potential to change someone’s entire day (if you wanna get crazy, maybe even their WEEK or MONTH!), plus – doing good is good for you!

You look fantastic, by the way.

Media Bias

How much faith do y’alls put in what the media tells you?  If this question is too abstract, I’ll give you some context: in the Gates arrest, whose side are you on?  Do you believe the police, or Professor Gates?  (Or maybe you agree with Obama’s “neutral” side?)  Personally, I have trouble believing either side.  We weren’t there, we’ll never know what actually happened (LIKE WITH CHRIS BROWN & RHI RHI), and I think that both the police department and Mr. Gates are going to try to paint the events in a light that will make them look better.

But I don’t want to get into the Gates arrest (because I’ve already gotten into a Twitter fight about it, and 140 characters is NOT ENOUGH SPACE to make my points, hoooolordy!).  What I really what you guys to talk to me about, is how the media presents information to us.  I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve increased my media intake recently (when I was a housewife for 2 months, I got to watch as much television as I wanted and this is my Smug Face), but I’m becoming kind of paranoid about believing what they tell me.  And I mean ALL information – even when I’m looking at apartments on craigslist, I think things like, “You can make ANYTHING look good on the Internet, honey, what does it REALLY look like?”

Obviously FOX News doesn’t do a very good job of hiding their bias, and we all know that The New York Times are bleeding-heart liberals.  Outside of these apparent leanings, do you ever wonder what kinds of spin goes on behind the scenes, in the mazes and wires of the news?  What kinds of conversations producers and writers have, deciding HOW they want to tell us a story and WHY – is there a financial benefit?  A political one?  Does it just mean a bigger audience?  Is there ANY media outlet out there that DOESN’T have this complicated filter on it?  Any more “pure” news source?  And if there were, HOW WOULD WE KNOW?

Am I just getting suspicious and cynical in my old age, friends?  Am I asking too many questions?

Good Morning, Upper East Siders

I would like to interrupt my angst to discuss a few things very close to my heart: TARGET and GOSSIP GIRL.  Mah homegirl Anna Sui is COMBINING them as a part of Target’s Designer Collaboration series (certainly you remember Alexander McQueen’s line..?  It sold out in hours, friends), and I was SOMEHOW oblivious to this until today.  Let us take a peek at the GLORIOUS dresses Anna has waiting for us, come September 13th:

This is a "Blair" outfit - and oooh, don't I LOVE it!!

The majority of Little J's outfits failed to impress, but this dress is HOT!

All of Vanessa's stuff is orange & brown.. not sure why?

I would apologize to Serena lovers for not posting her shit, but honestly – I just don’t like her, and clearly, Anna Sui doesn’t either.  THAT’S WHY BLAIR GOT THE BEST FASHIONS.  Ohhh sick burn!  No but seriously.  I have to go now.  I need all the time I have to siphon quarters out of the piggy bank and map routes to Target in preparation for September 13th.  Oh mah lorrrrrrrd – it’s gonna be like Christmas.

Woman Hating is Socially Acceptable

Y’all.  My EX-homeboy Chris Brown posted a two-minute long apology to “his public” on his website yesterday and I, for one, am NOT buying it.  Please have a look and tell me what you think.

My initial reaction is that this is too little, too late – as someone who has been in the spotlight for a few years, he has a RESPONSIBILITY.  And not just to BEHAVE, but to be aware of the impact that his actions have on others.  This is a responsibility that we all have, and that celebrities have to be MORE midful of.  If you don’t want that pressure, then gtfo!!

Um, but this is besides the point, since Chris wouldn’t have anything to apologize FOR if he were a Real Man.  Don’t give me those excuses – “He grew up in an environment with domestic abuse!” WhatEVER.  All I WANT is for SOMEONE to be RESPONSIBLE for themselves!!!  I yell (from my car, windows up) at people who cross the street on the Don’t Walk, or who throw trash out of their cars so that I don’t hit Boyfriend when I am frustrated.  Yoga.  Running.  Intereptive dance.  Abstract art.  LET YOUR RAGE OUT, FRIENDS.  But not on other living beings, please, unless you are in a safe and controlled environment.

But seriously.  I feel like America is ready to forgive Chris Brown and I AM NOT.  I will NEVER forgive Chris Brown because he is a DANGEROUS WOMAN HATER (if you didn’t read the search warrant & affadavit, you’re missing the truly terrifying details).  Maybe he is sincere in his efforts to change and become better, and I wish him all the best, but something in him SNAPPED that night and ladies – I am scared for you!    Please tell me if I’m overreacting or if you’re out there, friends.

Does it literally take SEX to sell these days?

Right now I am having one of my increasingly frequent moments of lady-rage.  I stumbled across this video today (with an accompanying Huffington Post article) and could not WAIT to show my boyfriend – he’s a geek, and I knew he would be excited to ~post it on the forums~ and tell me how fake it was, and then I could rant about how demeaning and awful it is.

“Haha!” he said.  “That’s AWESOME!”  And then he watched it again.  And, I’m sure, posted it on “the forums” for all his friends to pee their pants in delight over as well.  AM I THE ONLY ONE OUTRAGED BY THIS??  I KNOW sex sells and I KNOW this is fake, but ARE YOU SERIOUS?  Baxter?  Can you hear me?  Bark twice if you’re in Wisconsin..

My sister lets herself think so much about things like this that she upsets and depresses herself.  I don’t want to go that far, but “advertisements” like this HAVE to upset you on some level (if you are not a caveman, like said boyfriend is tonight) – I am ASHAMED to be a woman, when we are portrayed like that.  When Hillary Clinton nutcrackers are sold at Urban Outfitters because she’s an outspoken woman who doesn’t take shit (a “nut cracker”… get it, guys?).
This is supposed to be “funny” and “ironic.”  I just feel sick.

‘But the woman in the video had all the POWER!’ you are arguing.  Maybe.  Mayyyyyybe.  Let’s assume that giving someone else pleasure gives us “power.”  Let’s just assume.  Even then, is your body and your sexuality being sold for soda REALLY giving you any POWER?  I will answer this one for you, friends: no.

I think I am getting close to The Line, so that’s all for my Very First Real Blog Post.