P.S. Models who look so hungry...

While procrastinating on writing a paper for school tonight, I watched 'America's Next Top Model'...Many of the girls on there look very hungry...
I think it's so weird how many facets that promote or display the modelling industry do not acknowledge the fact that, I'm going to say many of the models shown have eating disorders or body dismorphia (I think I'll look up some stats or research on that because I can't be sure, but the imagery is powerful...)...Sometimes it's actually uncomfortable to watch because it's like a giant elephant in the room...Skinny, sad, hungry girl being critiqued on how to stand better to look leaner and how to look more appealing to viewers...eeeeek. Makes me feel akward and bummered to watch...
I can only imagine if I were 12 again, how I would percieve this...Double Eeeeeek to that thought.
Luckily and happily, I was still able to enjoy a nice bowl of delicious pasta while watching the hungry girls. I feel thankful for that...I do not look hungry and could have therefore let my mind go to dark places liiiike, calorie counting, when I will workout next, and how I'd really like to fit into jeans from when I was 18 years old...But I didn't.
Knowledge is power sooo I think I'll look for skinny gal model stats on eating disorders. Point will be further proved re; lots of models are unnaturally thin because of mental health issues (eating disorders...).

Name Change...

Changed the name of the blog...Two reasons really.
Firstly, the name was misleading. I am not a girl and so shouldn't misrepresent...Secondly, toooo close to the title of the awesome movie 'Girl Interrupted' with Angelina Jolie. Great movie, however I don't want to confuse people into thinking this is anything about that movie...Okay,okay, it's about women and stereotypes etc, but still...Not exactly what I am looking for here.
Lastly, some of my fabulous friends and I refer to each other as 'Lady'. It's endearing and lovely and more reflective of who I am/want to be...And makes me think of my fab friends so it's all good.

So Lady Interrupting it is...

Okay. That's all for now.

To Join this Blog...

Just thought it would be helpful to post how you can join this blog, if you choose...

If you look to the left of your screen, click the tab that reads 'Followers', near the top of the page. It will guide you from there, but basically if you do not have a recognized account with any of the three carriers it shows, you create one. For example, I created a 'Google' account to sign into this blog by using my Yahoo email account info.

Either way, you just create an accout and then use that email address and password to sign in and...leave comments if you want! Comments, opinions, alternate opinions, challenges are ALL so welcome here.

Cheers!

Hugh Hefner as a feminist???

I haven't forgotten about my blog...I have more so been neglecting it, due to busyness, which is really a lame excuse. A devoted follower mentioned I hadn't been on for a while, and I thank him for this!...

Sooo, about Hugh Hefner...While watching tv tonight, I stumbled upon his show 'Girls Next Door', where his 'girlfriends' who live in the Playboy Mansion talk about their lives there and all the glamour that accompanies that...

With that, I remember a friend fairly recently talking about a documentary of Hugh Hefner that played at TIFF this year. I have been reading up on it, as well as the many reviews...I have no opinion, yet, but am extremely intrigued...

Reviews have been everywhere from women saying that they find Hugh Hefner and his Playboy enterprise as 'empowering and liberating for women's expression of sexuality', and to others stating it is a weak attempt at trying to showcase Hefner for what he is not-an activist, rebel and humanitarian. But the MOST intriguing of reviews is from Hugh Hefner himself. In one article, he is quoted as saying, 'I was a feminist before feminism was created'. Huh????...

Obviously, this has me very intrigued! Bringing me to some blogging research...I am going to watch this documentary and write my review. It makes me think of the age old question, who and to what extenxt can one be defined as a feminist...

Can you be a feminist if you think Barbie is liberating?...Can you be a feminist if you have implants, orange skin, and white bleached blonde hair? Can you be a feminist if you are a white, powerful man who created one of the most largely recognized pornographic magazines in the world?...Hmmmm...

I have always been a person who has a very open mind regarding this; you can be a feminist if you say you are one and identify with what the theory stands for, and if the theory and movement does something for you. Plain and simple...But Hugh Hefner???

Comments sooo welcome and of course, my review of his documentary will follow.

Media that is interrupting the dominant views...

Snuggled up at home last night, I was pleased to see the show 'How to look good naked' on tv. For those of you who haven't checked it out, please do...http://www.wnetwork.com/Shows/How-to-Look-Good-Naked.aspx The premise is to take women with incredibly low body image to transform them into women who love themselves and their body more. I appreciate it so much because it really reminds women the importance of loving themselves most and taking care of themselves first...The women on the show go from depressed, sad, a-sexual (as a result from their depression...) women, to confident, vibrant, sexual beings again! It feeds into everything I believe in...When women have confidence from that begins from the inside, it undoubetedly affects how they care for their mind, body and soul, and this is the cycle I wish was the dominant.

Anyhow, sooo, following this fabulous show, another came on by the same producers! Miss.Naked Beauty...Here's the link. http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/M/missnakedbeauty/about.html. Now I have only watched one episode but thoroughly enjoyed it. It has the same ideas behind it but is aimed at interrupting bigger, societal level stereotypical views of beauty and perfection. I LOVE that too because it is uniting women to help other women to stop being so freakin' self depricating! And again...to work on changing the dominant norm of beauty by showing the real awesomeness of beauty and women...that being that we're all different and how that is true beauty.

One more to highlight...The infamous Dove Campaign for Real Beauty. My heart breaks and then swells a little everytime I see the commercial with the little girl on the couch watching tv with pig tails...a voice comes on and says "Girls are under more pressure than ever"...and then it goes to the Self-Esteem Workshops they are running for girls world wide. Seriously, I would just LOVE to run these types of workshops...Before I was in social work, at the age of 16, I dreamed of creating a program, like this, and taking it around to schools all over the province, with the eventual goal of it becoming a part of actual school curriculum for girls and boys...I still believe this should happen.

Anyhow, going on and on already but check it out. So awesome and makes me feel like this message and idea is slowly becoming a little more mainstream. I have hope anyhow!

Here's the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHqzlxGGJFo...If it doesn't work, for whatever reason, it's the 'Evolution of Beauty' through the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty...

It really speaks for itself.

Ohhh, I could have taken so many quotes!

I could have taken soooo many quotes from a fabulous and radical book called 'Succulent Wild Woman' by Sark. Yes, it's true, a lot of it is very radical and not for all audiences, but I encourage all women to still give this book a spin!!! Amongst the bold statements are hugely inspiring and honest quotes!...

My boss brought this book in and left it on the table...Very cool move, in my opinion. With that, I stumbled upon it and found this quote that I love. It's about women supporting women and being kind to themselves...We don't hear these types of messages enough in our world! So here it is...

"Drench your self in self-kindness!...Women are very good at shining kindness outward, yet if you ask how kind they are to themselves, they often cry...Turn the kindness spotlight inward...Before we can move to healthier ways, we must be where we actually are...Radical self-acceptance is a connecting, soft, slow, and compassionate way of being. We can help each other...When you see your "sister" beating up on herself, take her weapons away..."

(the ... denote paragraph changes)

I love this message...Women supporting each otherto be empowered, self aware, and most importantly, kind to themselves and others. Who can argue the power in that!

The Power of TV...Check out this study link.

In my Social Work Masters class on Saturday, our professor talked about a study on Fijian adolescent girls...Researchers tracked young Fijian girls attitudes about body image and eating after being exposed to tv for the first time ever. They tracked them over a long period of time. The results showed that eating behaviours and attitudes changed to being disordered and worriesome about body image following the exposure (go figure!).

I thought about how incredibly sad and also how powerful this study was. It makes me feel sombre about our culture and how far into the glorification of screwed up ideas of beauty we are into...When I think of my generation being exposed since birth, to all sorts of different media outlets, it doesn't surprise nor shock me that we're so consumed with body image crap.

With that being said, on a positive note, I am going to contiue to blog and hopefully inspire other women to join me in being critical and clear on what beauty really means and how to support eachother from allowing our brains to program artifical imagery...

Anyhow, this study is very interesting and very powerful. Check it out.

http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/reprint/180/6/509.pdf

Welcome to this blog! Introduction...

Hello to whomever decides to hop on my very first blog!...My name is Christina and I have decided to start a blog based on a recent conversation I had with a fabulous girlfriend...and based on thousands of other conversations I've had about women's bodies, dieting, calorie counts, big thighs, soft tummies, self doubt, body worries, etc, etc...The list goes on and on.

In a quest to change this, I have started a blog...The title speaks to what I hope to do...Interrupt dialogue of food portions, interrupt self criticism, interrupt worrying about having a chubby butt, interrupt considering a slew of fad diets, interrupt judgement towards what doesn't fit in the norm (whatever that is), interrupt the unreasonable standard set for women via hollywood, interrupt the dark thoughts that lead too many to eating disorders, and interrupt the intergenerational problem our society is undoubtedly passing along to little girls and boys everywhere. I feel very concerned about kids growing up in a Society that values such self-debilitating, mindless, and soulless ethics.

I am committed to being on here weekly, gabbing about interesting/upsetting/odd conversations I've had about the topics at hand, adding intriguing and/or empowering articles and challenging myself and any other women and men who want to do that with me to think outside the scary box that is ingrained in our society.

I feel excited about this blog and what it stands for! I hope at least some people will join me/challenge me/enrich me...or whatever the case may be.

That's all for now.

Cheers,
Christina :)