Hello, Sunshine.

shameful confession: I love top 40 music and I listen to it all the time. I was completely surprised though when on two separate occasions the DJs said offensive things that I keep forgetting to write about. Here goes.

offense 1:

The DJ is talking about giving away tickets for a Jordan Sparks concert, and he says, “So y’all know that Jordan Sparks is a big woman, I mean, really big. So if you want to win these tickets give me a call and guess what she weighs.”

Then DJ 2 jumps in with a guess that is over 25o+ pounds.

DJ 1 responds with, “Yeah, maybe when she was 13.”

offense 2:

The DJ is talking about giving away Sara Bareilles tickets. He says, “…I like Sara Bareilles, she’s ok. Not as attractive as she should be, but she’s ok…”

I feel so gross about both of those comments, I’m not going to say anything further.

Popularity: 92% [?]

I honestly have a certain love for fashion magazines. I like to look at them… really, really closely. What are they saying to me? what are they telling me to feel? How are they portraying women? Here is a peek at Glamour, April 2008:

138 fashion models are featured in ads throughout the 362 page magazine

1 is Asian

7 are Hispanic

6 are African American

124 are Caucasian

(In defense of Glamour, there is significantly more diversity in the models used for the spreads and articles)

The cover promises “Major Beauty Miracles”

(… how many women are honestly in need of a miracle in their appearance?)

The magazine offers articles on how to learn to:

-mix prints like a pro

-make vests more feminine

-wear the seasons HOTTEST COLORS

-find your perfect bra

-find your best haircolor

…..(tres original i say)

1 advertisement featuring plus-sized models

1 genuinely interesting article with Eve Ensler interviewing Salma Hayek. I liked this.

1 advertisement featuring a white picket fence, all American, white mom, white dad, 2 children image

at least 1 ad for prescription birth control; 1 for std control

2 ads for cosmetic surgery

Popularity: 97% [?]

When I travel, I like to buy a magazine. I don’t read them often but it’s a long standing tradition I have with myself, and it always proves to amuse and enlighten, particularly by looking at the ads. On my most recent trip, I picked the Marie Claire with a pregnant Cristina Aguilara on the cover. No reason except that I find MC to be less offensive than some of the others.

I didn’t think much of the photos at first. I thought that she looks beautiful, despite it being an odd juxtaposition to see a very pregnant woman in such a sexual glamorous pose. Tonight my friend picked it up from the bookshelf, and remarked on how airbrushed the photos look, and how she doesn’t look pregnant at all if not for the baby mound. I looked at the photos again and imagined them from a different angle — how about that of a real pregnant woman, looking at this magazine and having thoughts that SHE should look more like THAT. That perhaps SHE had gained too much weight, that she should look different, that she was doing something wrong. In a time when a woman’s body is changing and vulnerable, it seems unfair that a magazine print images with such unrealistic and sexual connotations of pregnancy.

I don’t think I would find such fault with the MC photos if they weren’t so air brushed. Seeing a thin and beautiful pregnant woman isn’t necessarily going to breed negative self-esteem. I found Demi Moore’s nude pregnant cover on Vanity Fair to be beautiful and authentic.

So is it just me, or what is it about these Christina Aguilara photos that just seem off?

[p.s. this is way old, i forgot to post it…]

Popularity: 98% [?]

Somewhere along the line, it became common knowledge that Marilyn Monroe wore a size 16, and since she is a beauty icon, that notion is dropped to make women feel better about their curvy figures. “If Marilyn Monroe wore it, then I should feel good about my size!” Now I don’t disagree with that statement, I think it’s wonderful that she was not a lollipop head icon. However I also find it disempowering to compare myself to Marilyn Monroe because 1) I do not look like her, 2) She had ungodly hourglass proportions.

Additionally, if you use your eyes and look at her, she clearly would not have worn a modern day size 16.

Now it is possible that she wore a size 16. Taking vanity sizing into account, it a size 16 then would probably be a six or an eight today.

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So I’m not really a fan or follower of Ms. JLove, but I have found this little controversy interesting. Jennifer Love Hewitt, former Party of Five actress and always known for her tiny and toned figure, was recently photographed in Hawaii looking “fatter”. Big deal? I don’t think so. But the media did. This past week there has been an overwhelming amount of humor and negativity along the celebrity blogs regarding these photos.

Anyway, Hewitt responded to the negative comments on her myspace blog, and I like what she had to say. (Though I’m a bit on the fence as to whether she is being 100% authentic, or jumping on the ‘love your body’ bandwagon.) Regardless, she is NOT APOLOGIZING for her body.

And why should she?

She writes:

“This is the last time I will address this subject.

I’ve sat by in silence for a long time now about the way women’s bodies are constantly scrutinized. To set the record straight, I’m not upset for me, but for all of the girls out there that are struggling with their body image.

A size 2 is not fat! Nor will it ever be. And being a size 0 doesn’t make you beautiful.

What I should be doing is celebrating some of the best days of my life and my engagement to the man of my dreams, instead of having to deal with photographers taking invasive pictures from bad angles. I know what I look like, and so do my friends and family. And like all women out there should, I love my body.

To all girls with butts, boobs, hips and a waist, put on a bikini — put it on and stay strong.

Xoxo

JLH”

Rock on.

Popularity: 95% [?]

A few months ago I was flipping channels and I came across a marathon of the old show Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Do you remember this classic? Melissa Joan Hart plays Sabrina Spellman, an average girl who discovers that she is a witch! It was one of my absolute favorites when I was a kid, and coming across it I was of course shocked to discover how bad it really is. Words really cannot describe the corniness of this show.

However what I was most struck by how utterly normal Melissa Joan Hart looked on the show (I couldn’t find any good full body pics!). She wasn’t a skinny lollipop head, or decked out in designer clothes. She looked like a girl I could relate to, in both weight and clothing (granted much older looking than an actual 16 year old). I didn’t realize how conditioned I had become to seeing twenty-somethings playing hyped up teenagers.

Her body looked average, and she had actual body fat! I remember watching this show as a kid and thinking she was so cool (since she’s a witch) and wanting to be like her (so I could do magic). I don’t ever remember thinking she was skinny or fat, because she simply looked like any other woman. I didn’t realize how much TV has really changed, even in the last five to ten years.

I don’t know what kids watch today, but from the blurbs I see in the news it seems to feature very attractive and very skinny girls, who are perfectly primped and always wearing fashionable clothes. I would like to see more relateable young women on TV. Girls DO look up to the women that they see in the media, so I think the media needs to tone it down. Even if sex does sell, do we need to be selling it to 11 year old girls?

Popularity: 90% [?]

Have you seen Crazy Sexy Cancer? It was running on TLC for a while. If you haven’t, the creator and star of the documentary has been on Oprah and is even writing a great blog! Kris Carr is a vibrant young woman, who has taken her own health and enjoyment of life into her own hands, despite being diagnosed with a rare and incurable cancer. I absolutely loved her film, and when I read her blog it makes me want to jump around and accomplish all of my dreams, and includes hours of educational, entertaining, and inspiring information.

Dhrumil of We Like it Raw also did a great interview with Ms. Carr, and has audio footage of her visit on Oprah.

Check it out!

Popularity: 89% [?]

This is absolutely hilarious. It’s crazy that J.K. Rowling revealing that Dumbledore is gay would create such a media frenzy. Since you know… he isn’t real.

[image via Best Week Ever]

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Let’s discuss this controversial PETA ad featuring a naked Alicia Silverstone. There’s also a video PSA to match. This debuted several weeks ago, and initially I was more or less apathetic to it. I didn’t get why Alicia had to be naked and all, but I generally like her and I like when celebrities use their status to promote vegetarianism.

However upon recent consideration, I realized that if the image were tagged with any other headline for a different company, I would be appalled at how the media had once again put a female into a subjective and sexual position looking like a piece of meat. Hmm… is that the point? I think the point is that this is a spawn of their “I’d rather go naked than wear fur” campaign. While I appreciate what PETA has done for animal rights, their objectification of women is disgusting. Perhaps it is all for the shock effect since “sex sells” and everyone else is doing it. But, had this read: GAP or Victoria’s Secret or Prada, I would think it was ridiculous. Why is promoting vegetarianism any different? I suppose my mind rationalizes that this is for a good cause. But regardless of the cause, it’s still the message “If you do/take/try/eat/drink THIS magic product, you will be thin/smart/popular/rich/fit/hilarious.”

So I’m totally torn. I’m biased too, since I already am a vegetarian. Despite my reservations, I’m glad this is out there and gaining attention. It makes people think.

I would rather though if it showed a really vibrant Alicia Silverstone outside animals and some catchy music, still looking great and probably getting the message across even louder and clearer. (And I would leave it to the media experts to make it not as corny as my idea may sound)

What do you think?

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I am so sad about my recent discovery that Queen Latifah has become the next face of none other than Jenny Craig. I absolutely love Queen Latifah. Every time I see her on TV or in a film she’s a breath of fresh air. She is such a great role model for real women — strong, beautiful, and always about BEING REAL. She is pushing the weight loss from the perspective of cutting the risk of type II diabetes, but Jenny Craig isn’t my idea of a “health plan” it’s all weight loss.

*sigh*

Popularity: 89% [?]