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I was just reading the Age today, and under the Lifestyle and Beauty sections, I spotted the new Miss World, Russian 20-year-old Kseniya Sukhinova. Blond, blue eyed, slim and tall, she is just the person many would expect to be crowned as the most beautiful in this world. With her long hair falling down her back in artificial curls, and her tanned legs going on for years, the new Miss World is, in fact, yet another clichéd example of how our culture rewards those born with good genes above those born with other less, er, obvious talents.
Reading on, I noticed that the article made specific mention of her budding career in science and engineering, also focusing on the contestant's stint with wildlife, that is, donning T-shirts and sneakers instead of embellished gowns and glittering high heels, and bravely trampling into Africa's 'unknown' to view lions and tigers and other dangers. Oh, and they also slept in huts and cooked traditional Zulu meals. How wonderful, talented and at one with nature.
What gets to me the most with these pageants is not that they're about beauty as such; it is the fact that the organisers have long since realised that to display female beauty so blatantly in this day and age is sexual objectification, and in order to mask that faux pas, they have decided to include aspects of environmental awareness, 'special' talents and the contestant's educational background, making the contest thus far more all rounded. Naturally, this is all mostly a facade, engineered to veer off criticism while still continuing to indulge in showing women off in tiny bikinis, all the while pledging to rid the world of hunger and single handedly give every child a chance at a decent life. Please.
So really, it is this hypocricy surrounding Miss World/ Universe that's most annoying, because deep down, we all know that the audience nor the producers really care about the deeds, interests and educational/ professional aspirations of these women. All anyone cares about is whether they have a pert bottom, toned stomach and killer legs, paired with big (insert colour) eyes, a pouting lip and long, glossy hair. As long as they're youthful and beautiful, everything else is irrelevant; and thus, the world goes on in much the same way as always.
Aaaah, the new generation of children who are not yet teenagers, but certainly act like them.
These 8- 12 year old boys and girls, heavily influenced by the media and popualr culture in general, are developing much faster than they should be. Girls especially are now interested in shopping, makeup, fashion and celebrities far more than they are in reading and playing with their Barbies, while boys no longer desire the company of the great outdoors, instead choosing to spend time playing one violent video game after another, learning how fight, swear and be aggressive from not only thse games, but Television and lack of proper sleep.
One thing I've both noticed and read about is that the defining characteristic of most tweens' lives are brands and logos. From about 18 months, babies can recognise logos, and by the ages of 2, they are able to ask for and after specific brands. Then, by the age of 6 or 7, little girls are already following the likes of Paris Hilton and her minions, asking for the latest and flashiest fashions, coveting g-strings, skinny leg jeans and high heels.
Just today, I saw two girls, about 11, sitting down in my local shopping centre's food court, dressed up to the nines and eating, all 'grown up like', their very own purchase of KFC. Both wearing tight black leggings, tight, long singlet tops, (one purple, one yellow), belted at the waist, with a 3/4 cardie, I realised just how true all the studies about tweens actually are. They had little imitation Guess handbags and wallets, were flashing their $5 notes as if they were 100s, and tried to elegantly position themselves on the plastic red chairs while watching teenage boys with pierced lips and noses slouch around in groups of 10. I couldn't stop laughing.
Admitedly, having read about girls more than boys, as well as being a girl myself, I have a greater knowledge of what tween girls are feeling and doing. But it's spo sad to realise that little 9 year olds are worrying about being too fat, about eating chocolate and going out in public without dressing up. This commercialisation of childhood via branding and constant emphasis on money and the superficial is infiltrating those who are most innocent, and turning them into mini versions of many miserable and depressed people who feel that they need money to obtain happiness.
And as for role models? For tweens, there is no such thing as Jane Austen or Bill Gates; there are no interests in much aside from celebrities and their diets, clothes and hairstyles, or the sports stars every young boy wishes to imitate. It seems that life for our little generation Z is becoming one ego- centric, technologically advanced and commercially enhanced bubble of superficiality and conformity, and while its best to let the kids make their own mistakes, sometimes, a little interference into the world of realism is a good idea.
Ok, so the other night, I was over at a friend's house. Nothing interesting there. However, as I got talking to her, I realised that she is not only totally in awe of celebrities, but that she is so in love with them that no normal person can compare.
Now, this got me thinking. What IS it that's so fascinating about celebs, (who are essentially quite average people who are just famous, really) that inspires such extreme love and reactions from us 'mere' mortals? Reading up about it, Celebrity Worship is actually a psychological disease, which has many degrees. Beginning from an 'entertainment based' interest to the development of an intense personal attachment to the celebrity in question, celeb worship can eventually end up taking over the star struck person's life. Some even believe wholeheartedly that they are destined to be with a particular celebrity!! Or spend thousands of dollars turning themselves into the clone of their beloved, taking the concept of imitation being the sincerest form of flattery into a new dimension.
Personally, I have never been one to fall in love with celebrities. Well, apart from my crush on Keanu Reeves back when I was 14, I have never been particularly interested in the going ons of Brangelina or Paris Hilton, preferring to instead read books and articles of a little more relevance and value to my own life.
But this friend of mine, whose sole goal in life is to become an actress and meet rich, handsome celebrity men such as Jude Law, who, according to her, is the epitome of male beauty, has all but given up on real life to pursue fruitless dreams of a life that 99 per cent of us will never have.
I mean, seriously. Who CARES about Suri and Shiloh's food habits, or Britney's new hair replacement? And what about Julia Roberts walking her dog...WITHOUT MAKEUP. Ok, that's great, but honestly, does it really MATTER? Do any of these things actually deserve a place within the pages of a magazine??
I think not.
Ah, the eagerly anticipated movie about out four favourite gals has finally been released! yes, I do realise that this has happened some time ago, but as a recent viewer, for me, it's still a fresh and wonderful addition to my memory.
Ah, to see Carrie and co. on the big screen, to revel in their wonderful array of clothing, shoes and jewellery...it was NOT a disappointing effort. Patricia Field, as always, has pulled of an amazing look for every single character, managing to perfectly portray their unique personalities through a stylishly cut blouse, kneww high socks and even shoulder pads
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As many of you have no doubt heard, the recent controversy regarding Bill Henson and his art has sparked heaps of heated debates about child pornography, paedophilia and the decline of marality within art as well as society.
The PM has declared the pics 'revolting', whereas Cate Blanchett is fully in support of the artists and free expression
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Recently, the government has granted gay couples many about 100 new 'rights', such as being able to see your dying partner, getting your dead partner's superannuation fund or pension, or simply being recoginsed as a ligitmate de-facto couple in our so called forward society.
However, despite the federal government's 'open mindness' to finally acknowledge homosexuals as actual loving people, who simply wish to be accepted into society and not discriminated against on the bases of their sexuality, I find it interesting that marriage, even civil, still remains out of the question
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In the 21st Century, many believe that we have reached an era of ‘post feminism’, where both sexes have equal opportunities in terms of their careers, sexualities and personal lifestyles. There is talk of women becoming ‘freemales’, who are basically females strongly opposed to commitment and settling down with a husband, the two kids and a white picket fence. We also often hear about the metro-sexual man, who is savvy, fashionable yet masculine, or the sensitive, arty boys who are rebelling against the stereotypical macho- alpha male prototype. Yet it is the rising trend of the stay-at- home dad, a pioneer of equality between men and women who is happy with the role reversal which so many have scorned before him that is propagating public debate.
The concept of a traditional household has always relied on the man as the breadwinner and the woman as the stay-at-home partner and domestic/ child carer. Even with the increasing number of women entering the workforce in the mid 20th Century to our modern time, women are still the ones who usually give up their jobs either temporarily, or change to a part-time working environment. A recent article cited that for every 12,000 men who stay at home to look after the kids, about 230,000 women do the same: that comes down to 1 men for every 20 women. Now, that does not sound like equal division of gender roles to me
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For my current assignments in Gender studies, one of the sources I'm analysing is Zoo magazine. Now, I don't know about you other gals, but to me, that magazine is one of the most stupid and pathetic excuse for a modern publication of all time
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Is it really that much of a scary concept? In Western society, yes.
In every single issue of every single women's/ health magazine, there is some article written that is a direct link to fat, and how to either lose it or accept it. Or rather lose just a 'little' bit of it so that you can remain 'healthy' and 'fit' (and 'attractive', but of course, that is no allowed to be said loud anymore, so shhhhhhhhhhhhhh
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. But she does know my view, and doesn't care, so I guess I wish her all the luck in getting Jude Law. 
, you too.
Comment by Caroline Zielinski
on What IS child abuse?
Pop Culturer
And I believe I did read a little bit more extensively about and into this issue than you think, so I'd thank you not to make assumptions. Since you didn't particularly offer any opinions or information of your own, I don't really consider you an authority on this debate. But thanks for commenting anyway.