Opinions
Hey all! How's it going? : )
My dad, my brother, and I drove downtown yesterday to buy a ping-pong table for our garage. It was SOOO hot in the city! I know other areas of the country are subject to far higher temperatures. But I've lived in the mountains for most of my life, and I just couldn't believe how scorching the air was on the open plains. As we made our way to the northeast part of town, we noticed some smoke near Uintah Street, so we drove towards it to investigate (it seemed like a stupid thing to do, but hey). Firefighters were converging on a brush fire. The flames and the heat both reminded me of the lovely Hayman Fire of summer 2002. Then as now, it felt like we were living in a giant tinderbox.
On Saturday we hiked a trail in Victor (a few miles from Cripple Creek). I sure didn't expect suffocating heat there, either-- the elevation is even higher than Woodland Park's. But sweat was dripping off my back, and it felt as if my blood was about to boil. Global warming, I tell ya! I say that every time somebody remarks on unusual weather. It almost always evokes a laugh. But I'm serious! : )
Well, I also want to write about another opinion I've formed. Is anybody else sick of celebrity culture? Every time I check MSN's homepage, the most visible headlines are all focused on some celebrity romance, mishap, or--most often-- arrest. Celebrities seem to get in trouble a lot for drunkenness and shoplifting. How depressing. Also, it is very nice that Britney Spears is pregnant…along with thousands of other women. I'll admit that it's strangely interesting to read celebrity gossip, but I sure wish it wasn't so readily available and widely discussed.
And the pictures are really beginning to irritate me. The women are invariably dressed in trashy, tiny, risqué outfits and flaunting boobs so huge they look hard to hold up. Honestly, it seems impossible that many of these stick-thin ladies could have such ample assets-- quite a few of them must have paid the price of a house for implants. Call me jealous. But in any case, why is it considered fashionable and attractive to bear so much cleavage? I think it adds a certain tackiness to one's appearance-- and it also seems quite demeaning. Wouldn't it be preferable to draw eyes to the face instead? And what happens when somebody bends over or even sits down in one of those "microskirts"? Good grief. I don't want to see it, girl. I'm more interested in your real character and your life goals.
I don't know much about men, and I'm not accusing them of being lusty and unappreciative. But maybe all these scantily-clad celebrities make it hard for modest women to win their attention. Whether in commercials, on the big screen, or smiling narcissistically in a "candid" portrait, celebrities contribute to an unrealistic and poisonous vision of life. I'm thinking of that disgusting Paris Hilton ad. It's hardly possible to maintain a perfect figure while eating 800-calorie burgers. How are provocative, offensive gestures appropriate for such a commercial? If I were a mother, I would NOT allow my children to view that kind of dehumanizing and sickening portrayal.
In reality, many stars starve themselves, compelled towards self-punishment by unrealistic pressures of appearance and unforgiving criticism. After losing an alarming amount of weight, they dispel concern by claiming to eat voraciously. What does this do to the young American woman? In the most dramatic cases, it helps write her a one-way ticket to the hospital. It renders her hateful of her own body, perhaps motivating her to alter her very persona. Perhaps she decides to partake in the rampant materialism, promiscuity, and "party hearty" attitude that often defines celebrity life. And for the sake of what?
I conclude that most of us would benefit immensely from the rejection of celebrity culture. Go back to your homes, people. For that's what you are: people. Cover up your legs and put a decent shirt on. Don't alleviate your boredom by creating a scandal. Earn your money the hard way.
Yet I do admire those celebrities who use their fame to promote and take part in worldwide causes. Why isn't activism more widespread in the realm of celebrity? Man, if I were Paris Hilton or Britney Spears, I swear to you I'd be giving speeches about child hunger or women's issues.
That statement might cause some people to wonder how much of this I really mean. Do I truly care about global warming? Would I sacrifice my lifestyle to prevent it? Do I live by my own lofty rules? I try. I really try. I'll admit that it sometimes seems impossible.
My dad, my brother, and I drove downtown yesterday to buy a ping-pong table for our garage. It was SOOO hot in the city! I know other areas of the country are subject to far higher temperatures. But I've lived in the mountains for most of my life, and I just couldn't believe how scorching the air was on the open plains. As we made our way to the northeast part of town, we noticed some smoke near Uintah Street, so we drove towards it to investigate (it seemed like a stupid thing to do, but hey). Firefighters were converging on a brush fire. The flames and the heat both reminded me of the lovely Hayman Fire of summer 2002. Then as now, it felt like we were living in a giant tinderbox.
On Saturday we hiked a trail in Victor (a few miles from Cripple Creek). I sure didn't expect suffocating heat there, either-- the elevation is even higher than Woodland Park's. But sweat was dripping off my back, and it felt as if my blood was about to boil. Global warming, I tell ya! I say that every time somebody remarks on unusual weather. It almost always evokes a laugh. But I'm serious! : )
Well, I also want to write about another opinion I've formed. Is anybody else sick of celebrity culture? Every time I check MSN's homepage, the most visible headlines are all focused on some celebrity romance, mishap, or--most often-- arrest. Celebrities seem to get in trouble a lot for drunkenness and shoplifting. How depressing. Also, it is very nice that Britney Spears is pregnant…along with thousands of other women. I'll admit that it's strangely interesting to read celebrity gossip, but I sure wish it wasn't so readily available and widely discussed.
And the pictures are really beginning to irritate me. The women are invariably dressed in trashy, tiny, risqué outfits and flaunting boobs so huge they look hard to hold up. Honestly, it seems impossible that many of these stick-thin ladies could have such ample assets-- quite a few of them must have paid the price of a house for implants. Call me jealous. But in any case, why is it considered fashionable and attractive to bear so much cleavage? I think it adds a certain tackiness to one's appearance-- and it also seems quite demeaning. Wouldn't it be preferable to draw eyes to the face instead? And what happens when somebody bends over or even sits down in one of those "microskirts"? Good grief. I don't want to see it, girl. I'm more interested in your real character and your life goals.
I don't know much about men, and I'm not accusing them of being lusty and unappreciative. But maybe all these scantily-clad celebrities make it hard for modest women to win their attention. Whether in commercials, on the big screen, or smiling narcissistically in a "candid" portrait, celebrities contribute to an unrealistic and poisonous vision of life. I'm thinking of that disgusting Paris Hilton ad. It's hardly possible to maintain a perfect figure while eating 800-calorie burgers. How are provocative, offensive gestures appropriate for such a commercial? If I were a mother, I would NOT allow my children to view that kind of dehumanizing and sickening portrayal.
In reality, many stars starve themselves, compelled towards self-punishment by unrealistic pressures of appearance and unforgiving criticism. After losing an alarming amount of weight, they dispel concern by claiming to eat voraciously. What does this do to the young American woman? In the most dramatic cases, it helps write her a one-way ticket to the hospital. It renders her hateful of her own body, perhaps motivating her to alter her very persona. Perhaps she decides to partake in the rampant materialism, promiscuity, and "party hearty" attitude that often defines celebrity life. And for the sake of what?
I conclude that most of us would benefit immensely from the rejection of celebrity culture. Go back to your homes, people. For that's what you are: people. Cover up your legs and put a decent shirt on. Don't alleviate your boredom by creating a scandal. Earn your money the hard way.
Yet I do admire those celebrities who use their fame to promote and take part in worldwide causes. Why isn't activism more widespread in the realm of celebrity? Man, if I were Paris Hilton or Britney Spears, I swear to you I'd be giving speeches about child hunger or women's issues.
That statement might cause some people to wonder how much of this I really mean. Do I truly care about global warming? Would I sacrifice my lifestyle to prevent it? Do I live by my own lofty rules? I try. I really try. I'll admit that it sometimes seems impossible.