Halloween!

Halloween is just around the corner, and you know what that means: dressing up for fun as something/someone you aren't and go trick-or-treating! Wait a minute... college students don't go treat-or-treating anymore. Halloween used to seem so innocent when we were younger. All the little kiddies in elementary get excited to go house to house, dressed up all cute or scary, and receive bundles of candy. But it's different for the college aged folks.

Now that it's 2010 and we are all in college, Halloween seems to have a different meaning. College students all over are now excited to go to house parties and the bars to drink, and well, get drunk. I have seen so many Facebook statuses about how people are so excited to get wasted and trashed this weekend. Also, Halloween seems to be a competition for some girls with how sexy they look or how skanky their costume is. When did the part of innocence for Halloween disappear? I know we're older and more "mature," but it's sad to see the way some girls flaunt themselves. It's like Halloween is an excuse to do so.

I recently discussed this topic with my mom, and asked her about Halloween when she was in college. She said she never dressed up, but some of her friends did and they'd go trick-or-treating. She also added that she never noticed girls dressing scandalous. She said the sexy costume change didn't hit until I was in high school. Also, the drinking was a big thing, like it is now.

Anyway, I guess I just miss the feeling of excitement that I felt when I was a little girl around the time of Halloween. Here's a short video clip of some artists who talk about Halloween when they were younger. Watching this video and hearing what they said reminds me of how I was when I was younger. Enjoy! :)

ShockHound Halloween Tales

P.S. - Have a fun and SAFE Halloween!! :)

In Search Of...

I really enjoyed reading this selection because of how the author wrote. She was honest with her life experiences, but she wrote in a way that was hilarious and showed that she was confident with who she has become. This reading also made me think of how I grew up...

My mom never owned any Harlequin books, nor has she ever read one. The first time I noticed them was when I was in elementary school and went to the public library in my hometown. I probably picked a few up before just because I was curious as to what they were about because, well... the front covers are definitely "out there." I just never had an interest in actually reading them. I mean, let's be real... I was still reading Sweet Valley Jr. High books when I was in 9th grade.

For the author of In Search of the Elusive Orgasm, it was Harlequin books that made her fantasize about love, sex, and relationships. For me, it was the movies. In elementary and middle school, I watched Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen movies. Their characters had no problem getting dates with guys, and of course there I was, the viewer, fantasizing about a hopeful relationship I would have with a gorgeous guy. It caused me to go all "gaga" over the jocks and preps in my class. By the time high school rolled around, I grew up quite a bit. I was no longer attracted to the jocks/preps, and I stopped watching movies that the Olsen twins were in. Instead, I moved on to movies more fit for the high school age group. However, the fantasizing wasn't over. The chick flicks I would watch made me daydream about the guy I would fall in love with... which of course was a guy I made up in my mind and came to realize when I got older that there is no such thing as a "perfect" guy. It has taken me thousands of chick flicks and a few years of my life to realize reality, and I'm okay with that. I am proud to say that I can sit through a girly movie and not fully believe in the fiction of it, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy them. They give me a small glimmer of hope that there is a guy out there for each of us girls.

Dove

I really liked all four Dove ads that we watched, but two in particular stood out to me: The Evolution of Beauty and Onslaught Ad. 

With The Evolution of Beauty, they prove to viewers that ads you see on billboards and in magazines are just airbrushed; and in reality, those models do not have the perfect skin that is being portrayed. When I was in high school, I wanted those flawless features. Deep down I knew that the pictures had been touched up, but I still wished to look like those girls. Now that I'm older, I look at pictures like those and have the reaction of "Yep, they're airbrushed." The quote at the very end of the ad sums up the media's actions with perfecting models in pictures: "No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted." So true.

On to the Onslaught Ad... this one was probably my favorite, mostly because of their quote at the very end. The images were somewhat disturbing and gross, but the makers of this ad really tried to get you to see the reality of how some people want to alter their bodies to look perfect. The word "perfect" seems to be used over and over when talking about the media. I feel as if every family needs to be aware of what the beauty industry is after... which is why this ad ends with, "Talk to your daughter before the beauty industry does." It seems like such a simple quote, but to me it means so much more than simple.

"Broken Girl" + Take Back The Night

I went to Take Back The Night a couple weeks ago, and I plan on using this event to write my 3-4 page summary. This past weekend I purchased Matthew West's new CD The Story of Your Life. For this record, Matthew West asked people to send him their stories... and he turned them into a record. Every song on the album is inspired by the stories that he read.

There is a song that has relevance to Take Back The Night, which is Broken Girl. In the pamphlet that I got with the CD, Matthew West includes the lyrics to each song as well as an explanation. Here is his explanation for his song Broken Girl:


"I received a thousand stories in the first two days at the cabin. One out of every four dealt with a topic I wasn't expecting. I sat in there in shock as I read one story after another from women who had been the victims of sexual abuse in their childhood. This is the kind of thing that I knew existed in the world, but my heart broke as I read each story of innocence lost, guilt carried, and trust betrayed. I've never written a song out of the emotion of anger until now. This song is for all the broken girls who wrote to me. You know who you are, and I want you to know that it's not your fault! God loves you and you don't have to stay the Broken Girl." -Matthew West


I have never heard a song so powerful that spoke of the topic of sexual assault. This song really popped out to me because Take Back The Night took place only a couple weeks ago, so I thought it'd be good to share. The message in this song is uplifting and also a good reminder that no one is worthless!

Here's the link to the song on YouTube. It also includes the lyrics.
"Broken Girl" by Matthew West

"You're not the worthless they made you feel. There is a love they can never steal away... and you don't have to stay the broken girl."

Hold That Nose

After reading Hold That Nose, it really got me thinking about insecurities that I currently have or have had in the past, as well as plastic surgery. In my previous post, you would find that I've been very insecure about my breast size... but I just couldn't imagine going through with getting plastic surgery for that. I fractured my nose a few years ago, and ended up getting surgery on it over a year ago (no, not a nose job).

For this surgery, they broke my nose back into place so I would be able to breathe out of both nostrils. Let me tell you, only being able to breathe out of one nostril is pretty difficult, especially when you're active with sports and such. After the surgery, I had splints up my nose for a week to hold the septum in place. My face also swelled up, causing me to resemble a type of alien in a way. That was one of the most physically painful experiences I have ever gone through, and it just baffles me that there are people (specifically celebrities) out there who choose to go through surgeries to alter the way they look so they can be more attractive. For example, after Heidi Montag underwent multiple plastic surgeries, and she now looks like a completely different person... not to mention a bit fake.

It made me happy that the author of this reading came to accept the size of her nose. I don't have a large nose, but I do have big feet for how short I am. I'm 5'4" and wear a size 9 shoe. It's been an insecurity of mine since elementary school, but I kind of grew out of it... that is, until someone made a comment about it recently. I ran into a girl that I know a few weeks ago at Target. I'm not very good friends with her, but we talk when we see each other. As we were chatting, she looked down at my feet and told me, "You have big feet." It just kind of came out of no where and threw me for a loop because I haven't heard a comment like that since high school. Afterwards, I thought about it more and didn't understand why she thought it'd be okay to say that. I don't know if she was just jealous of the gold sandals I was wearing that she had to make a negative comment or what! Haha.

Everyones bodies are different. If we all looked the same, how boring would that be?
Embrace your differences... because you are beautiful :)

Breast Buds

Breast Buds and the Training Bra was a reading that really stuck out to me because, well... I have definitely struggled with that area of my body since I was probably ten years old. This reading really got me to think back to my middle school years since it talked about girls in junior high. Those years were when girls started puberty, and I was one of those girls who didn't notice any miraculous change in my body until I hit high school. Even in high school, it looked like my body didn't grow much.

I believe I got my first bra when I was in 6th grade, and to be honest, I really didn't need one because I wasn't even starting to develop at that time. I only got one because all the other girls in my grade were already wearing one, and I felt as if I needed to as well. I also wanted to feel a little more grown up. At that age, I dreamed of the day that I would be able to fit into the bras I saw at Victoria's Secret. Thinking back to my middle school days, I realize that I focused a lot on my breasts instead of other areas of my body such as my teeth, legs, butt, stomach, etc...

Thinking I would finally grow to be more womanly in the breast area by the time I was done with high school, I only came to find that I would be disappointed. I am still smaller than the average breast size, and it's difficult to accept this at times... especially when the media portrays that bigger boobs are better, and when people around me are critical. I will admit that I have thought about how wonderful it would be to be able to get a boob job. But then I think about the complications that could take place and the amount of money it would cost. all of which turns me away from that surgery. It would just be nice to have a more womanly figure.

However, I try to focus on parts of my body that I do love, such as the straight teeth I have from wearing braces for three years! It's also important to surround yourself with people who see the beauty you have, instead of those people who continue to be critical toward you or poke fun at you without realizing your feelings. I consider people to be beautiful when they have a loving personality... it really is all about the attitude! :)

Cinderella, the song :)

One of my favorite songs is "Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman. This portrays how dads consider their daughters their own little princesses. The lyrics combine the Cinderella fairy tale and real life...  it goes through the little girl's life, bringing her through prom and to her wedding. It's a neat song, and definitely positive!

Here is the song, and it has an advertisement before it starts.

"Cinderella" by Steven Curtis Chapman

"The Cinderella Effect"

Here is an article I found that relates to my previous post and my views about fairy tales. I like how it points out that parents don't need to take their children away from reading fairy tales or watching Disney movies, but they do need to teach them the difference between imaginations and reality. This article focuses on the story of Cinderella, and starts out by discussing the "all stepmothers are evil" myth. To be honest, I would always tell my parents that if they ever remarried, I wouldn't treat my stepparents very well. Keep in mind that I was very young when I said that, and I have grown out of that stage. I never did have to worry about it though since my parents are still together.

Here's the article!

The Cinderella Effect

When did the idea of "princess" change?

After reading the articles for Tuesday's class, it's simple to see that the image/idea of a princess has changed since Disney days.

Growing up, I watched a lot of Disney movies and princesses had the image of being fair, beautiful, good singers, and took life as it was. They went through a lot of trials, but they got through them. They showed compassion and love for others, even when they wouldn't get the same thing in return. A positive attitude seems to be a key asset for Disney princesses. Along with their attitudes, princesses have always been viewed as having the perfect body: thin, clear skin, and beautiful. Although when I was younger, I never paid much attention to their bodies since they were just animation... and I still don't compare my body to animated characters.

Nowadays, I've noticed people calling other girls "princesses" when they act snooty, prissy, and expect things to go their way. Why do we do that when Disney princesses are portrayed as being kind-hearted and unselfish? On the other hand, when we say someone looks like a princess, we are usually saying that she looks gorgeous (in a good way). At least, that's how I look at it. Everyone has their own opinion though, and I'm curious to know other people's thoughts on this.

Some households restrict their children from watching Disney movies for reasons of their own. I've been watching Disney movies my whole life and haven't been affected negatively by them. I really believe it's how parents raise their children and what they teach them. I grew up in a home where I wasn't given a false image of a princess. Even at a young age, I knew the difference between real and imaginative.