Is Heidi Montag a robot?! A rant about plastic surgery...

Whoa, it's been too long since I've gotten myself on my blog...The busyness of school and work and then squeezing in a social life has made me neglectful!...Back on the blogging train.

A good friend of mine mentioned that blogging about Heidi Montag would be fitting; and I couldn't agree more. It saddened and totally creeped me out to hear of her latest plastic-surgery antics; 10 surgeries in one shot?!...She almost died. I read in an interview that her that he heart nearly stopped.

What is most scary to me is how young she is; 23 years old and she has had over 15 surgeries done AND plans to get more!...On a shallow note, I wonder what she'll look like in twenty years?!...On a deeper note, I wonder how her mental state will be in twenty years. It's seriously concerning. If not her brain, her soul...

I have had many a debate with friends about plastic surgery; when is it appropriate? who should be able to get it done? how bad is it really for youth everywhere to see these fake images of people?...When I was 19 years old, I was fiery and madly against it. I felt scared and worried for girls everywhere (even myself), growing up with a growing trend of women  having their bodies cut, poked and pradded at to look youthful forever...I also believed that women have an obligation to be true to themselves (i.e. accepting themselves for who they are and not giving into the unrealistic standard of beauty we are set up to be smothered by...), for the future of girls everywhere.

As an adult, and meeting many women with different stories of why plastic surgery was good for them, I am not quite as radical in my thinking. Do I still hold true the belief that society is royal-y screwing up women all over; yes. Do I believe they do this by promoting, expanding, and pushing the plastic surgery industry on everyone; yes. But do I judge women who get plastic surgery done as harshly; a big NO. I realize that isn't my place...When I have a family one day, I will bring up my children to fight normative bullshit standards in life...but for women who have been so tortured by the constant push to be 'hot', well, all I can do is talk about why I think it's BS to give into that, and respect the right to choose.

Whoa, talk about a rant. I do get passionate about plastic surgery; maybe even more so than dieting...Ahh, actually, the two are under the same intense umbrella, but if I can say anything; bring up your daughters loving who they are and nurturing their brains as much as they do their health; bring up your boys respecting women including their uniqueness, feminity and intelligence. And please feel sad for Heidi Montag!!! That is not a normal/good/ positive/ or even okay situation. It is terribly unhealthy and scary.

That is all. Until next time!

P.S. Still waiting for tips on how to jazz up this blog!!! I'll work on it, in the meantime...

In celebration of our bums and hips...

What better way to start off the New Year than on an empowering and positive note! A good friend on mine passed this along, and it couldn't be more appropriate for my blog. Please see attached article.

Again, just something to remind us that all fat on women's bodies is not bad and that fat can actually have positive health benefits! Check it out. Interesting stuff.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/100113/health/women_health_britain

I'll be posting soon again!

P.S. Does anyone know how I can add pictures and jazz this page up?!...I find it a lil blaaah on the eyes. I've seen others with lots of pics, etc. If anyone knows, please, do tell!

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.