The one where culturegeek has a meltdown of EPIC proportions
Poor
gimlisgloin had to listen to me rant at her for 20 minutes about how I basically want to shoot myself in the head. I don't actually want to shoot myself in the head, but I do wish the world was a very different place... and I wish I could run away from here. (Hence the new icon *points.*)
I wish we lived in a world where you were valued purely on your skills, talents, abilities, actions and intentions, instead of on the size of your waist, nose or breasts. I wish that we celebrated all types of success equally. I wish that statements like "It's better to be sexy than not sexy"* were totally false. Foolishly, I've always thought it was better to actually be a good, caring person than just look like one.
Everyday I seem to find more proof that; looks do matter, size does count, money can buy happiness (or enough therapy and drugs to come close), it doesn't always even out in the end, and people don't always get what's coming to the them. Yeah, yeah. Life isn't fair. When did faking it 'til you make it become more important than keeping it real?
To me, being respected for looking good naked is not the same as being respected because you are good at what you do. Using your sexuality to gain something is not the same as earning it on your own merit. It's good to want things, we all do. If you do manage to get what you want, don't pretend you didn't want it, and please, don't lie about it. Surely I'm not the only one that notices when people do this?
I also don't understand the willingness to automatically respect a person, never questioning their integrity, simply because said person is cute/rich/famous? We are all capable of lying, being hurtful, manipulative, sexist, irresponsible or ignorant, regardless of our outward appearance. Celebrity and Sainthood are not the same thing.
I wish I could say I'm above judgement for shallow things. I wish I could say that I don't let the media and others influence how I feel about myself. However, I'd be lying if I did.
*My two university degrees and one year salary, compared to the speaker's high school diploma and 5% of his income? About equal.