Everlasting Problem

I have to admit politics is not my forte nor is it something that sparks my interest, I really did not pay any attention to it.
That was until women began running for higher political roles. It was then that I learned their names & the issues they were fighting for.
Once the media got into it they completely changed the role & bigger picture of women in politics. They chose to write about style as opposed to real
problems the women were trying to address. It was then that I saw that the media is very powerful & influential! They were able to make a person seem bad just
for wearing something unfashionable. I don't think fashion should be an issue when dealing with politics. As long as the job is getting done or
at least being addressed should be all that matters. As a girl if I were to choose to pursue politics I would be worried about my appearance but, then again I think nowadays
anything a person does their appearance will be heavily looked upon. Appearance is very important now if it is not pleasing then it will be put on blast. I think people just need to be
very confident & never forget what their purpose is because it is very easy to quit! I commend the women who are in politics because they put themselves out there & make their voice be heard. They should be
the type of role models little girls look up to as opposed to the ones that are deemed to be famous for nothing!

The Music Industry is DIRTY!

As an artist myself, i have always enjoyed writing music and singing. Never did i think it would appear to be a hobby and actually end up doing it to pursue as a career. At 16 i started recording music trying to get people to listen, and see where it takes me. At the age of 18 i almost got a deal, but the people i was surrounded by were trying to change everything about me. Seems that they liked the way i sang, but wanted to change me as an artist. From the way i looked and from the music i was singing. They wanted me to sing songs i did not approve of. It felt like everyone was against me instead of helping me. Unfortunately, i did not pursue my career with the deal i was offered. Because i believe as an artist, i will not let anyone take my artistic ways and change me in any way.

Hasta Lavista

Dear Readers,
I wanted to take a few minutes to tell you about how much I am going to miss blogging on a weekly basis about the way women are portrayed in the tabloids. This experience has definitely opened up my eyes and helped me to realize how cruel and inconsiderate the gossip sites really are, especially to women. It is never acceptable for people to be put women down and it's truly unfortunate that the celebrities endure so much of this horrible criticism. While one might argue that they do not pay attention to the offensive comments that are made about them because they are too busy spending their money like it is water, that is completely not the case! They are people too and definitely listen to the comments. In many cases when they see or hear the negative press they receive, it motivates them to be even harder on themselves in order to avoid being called fat, ugly without make-up, or un-skilled at posing because no one likes to be put down. Although I will no longer be blogging I will still keep on advocating for women and taking into consideration the way in which women are represented on websites like x17online.com. It can take a platform even as anonymous as a blog to enact change so I know that this blog has the potential the help create it!
With much gratitude and appreciation and until next time,
Andrea

We WIll Rock YOU?

I clearly remember seeing this video when it first aired a couple of years back. I was a young gay teen who was in LOVE with the three featured artists on this commercial so INSTANTLY I was drawn to it and loved every second of it. As a young teen who loved these pop stars, I immediately thought that this commercial was GENUIS in the sense that PEPSI gathered 3 of thee biggest stars in the industry, made an endorsement deal to sell a product. What smart people do PEPSI have on their team.

Now looking at it from a Media Literate point of view, I beg to differ. I still LOVE all three of these artists, and yes I will refer to them as artists, not CELEBRITIES, because I do appreciate them for their art and their work, but I must say that these three women were all used in backlash. These women take the roles of strong, independent gladiators preparing to go out and fight against one another. However, the outfits that they wear are ALL turned into sexy, almost lingerie looking Armour. Yes, they play the role as strong gladiators, yet they are still shifted to fit the stereotype that the media imposes on women. SEXY AND FUCKABLE. To be quite frank, the video only showcases the PEPSI bottles in only a couple of seconds, versus the vast amount of time that Beyonce, Pink and Britney Spears are shown. The question then becomes...WHAT ARE THESE ADVERTISERS REALLY TRYING TO SELL?

By: ANTONIO

How "freaky" are you!

Finally back from An amazing thanksgiving break! Hope everyone's was amazing!

So i ended my break monday to engage in some "real housewives of Atlanta" and oh boy, what a show.. Of coarse. All the standards set in this episode NON STOP! There was so much ranking when it came to class, money, sex, and more. Everyone is this show expects nothing less then perfect. The women are more needy then ever. What else would you expect. They way they talked about sex and penis size really astonished me. I have to say it was a lot more intense then i was ecpecting for a television show.

The women ranked themselves for how "freaky" they were in bed. They did this on there internet show. They then went into depth about why this was how they were ranked and what theyre sex lives consisted of. Next, they had a male stripper come in and dance for them. This stripper got completely naked and slowly pulled a sock off of his..... you know what... While all the girls jaw dropped in awe! they discussed his size and how flattering it was. It was quite suprising to me.

So, through out the show the women continually talked about sex and sexual actions. It was non stop comments. Also, the women often were compring themselves to eachother and theyre sex lives. What does this show the world regarding women... That we pay most attention to our sex lives, that we are expected to be as sexy and "crazy" as possible, that sex is our main focus. I mean that is what men want. For women to be extremely interested in sex and to be as Freaky as possible. Its something i am personally not comfortable being displayed on television, it makes me feel insecure and like i dont fit the standards.

By: CHELCIE

Ohhh Hip-Hop what are you doing to these kids?

Kids in our society seems to be picking up quick with the music that is playing on the radio. As you can see some of them start really early, from 9 years old and up, their already talking about "jiggalo" and "diamonds and cars." Why is this even going on? These kids should be worried about school and playing with dolls and cars, etc,. It is definitely true and proven that "what monkey see, monkey do." One of the main reasons are letting kids watch videos, or listen to any type of music. Kids do not know the difference between right and wrong, so when they see these videos or hear the music on the radio, they will automatically assume that "it's okay." Therefore they start acting like the things they see.

Brooke Eats.. What??!!

In this Hollywood.tv video, we catch Brooke Muller leaving a Subway restaurant after finishing up a quick bite of lunch. As she walked out and proceeded towards her car she used her hand to wipe off her mouth in order to ensure that she didn’t have any food in her teeth. While that is normal, what really irked me was the caption that accompanied the video, which reads: “A hungry Brooke Miller* stops by the local Subway Sandwich for some lunch action." In fact, we catch her with food in her mouth. Well that's - um, err...nothing.” I find it extremely frustrating that whoever wrote that was trying to make more of an issue out of what was in her mouth! Get a life buddy, just because she is a good person doesn’t mean that you need to start making stuff up in order to create more buzz about this uneventful clip. Let the girl eat in peace for heavens sakes without you intimating that she was wiping something else off of her face that wasn’t food!


*** They messed up her last name... This is really Brooke Mueller, not Brook Miller

By: ANDREA

So What's Victorias Secret?

While watching and analyzing these videos, I realized that this is a PRIME example of women being sexualized towards men. What else would a straight, average football playing jock want to look at? A WOMAN IN SEXY LINGERIE PLAYING WITH A FOOTBALL. The commercial has nothing to do with the sport of football, but it has everything to do with what men find attractive. Any man who watches this beauty commercial with their wife, would want them to buy sexy lingerie and seduce them in the way the superstar Adriana Lima does.

The text in this commercial is CRUCIAL seeing that Lima has no say throughout the whole commercial. The first time is "Victoria's Secret would like to remind you..." as if the store were to be a real human being who gives advice that women around the world should follow.

"This game will be over soon" is played on the screen as she seductively plays with a football in her hand, making a reference to a woman's husband watching a weekly football game on TV. Lima throws the football to the side and puts her whole focus to the camera. she seductively smiles at the camera and another phrase comes on stating "LET THE REAL GAMES BEGIN" this can be taken in many different ways. Seeing that this is a lingerie and she has this very very very seductive look in her eyes and wind blowing through her hair, it is made evident that it is referring to the ever so over rated SEX.

Sex sure does sell, and it is clearly seen in this commercial that sex is the prominent theme. As sexy as Adriana Lima may look, she is still being set up with a sexy look geared towards men.

By: ANTONIO

The Palins

Bristol Palin you may or may not know who she is but if you don't know who she is you probably recognize her last name from somewhere?? Huh? What? Yes! Sarah Palin! Bristol Palin is obviously Sarah Palin's daughter. Bristol made headline news when she announced she was pregnant at age 17.  The media then questioned Sarah Palin's parenting skills calling her "a bad mom." They made it seem as if Bristol was the first and only pregnant teenager when the present generation has shows like "16 and Pregnant" and " Teen Mom" where girls who are younger than Bristol are also expecting.  Sarah Palin being in the position she was in which is Republican Vice President, was critiqued and teared down due to the pregnancy.

Bristol as seen above obviously did keep the baby and she also was in the campaign advocating abstinence as the answer.  Sarah Palin and her family supported Bristol throughout her pregnancy and through her tumultuous relationship, so I don't see where the "bad mom" side of her comes from. Mom's can not control what their daughters ultimate decide to do with their lives all they can do is support them and be there when no one else is.

By: JEN

Riot Grrrrrrrls!

Riot Grrrl's are a punk band who created themselves to spread the word about feminism. They expressed their feelings and thoughts about the movement by using music, punk music to be exact. I believe that this is a great way of trying to get a message out to people, because music is something a lot of people can listen and relate to. It was a great idea to be expressive. They wanted the freedom of speech to be able to speak about women in the mainstream media and also in a regular basis. I admire them for speaking about personal issues such as; rape and sexual abuse by family members etc,. I salute them for speaking the truth, and the fact that they don't live in a fantasy world, where we all pretend everything is perfect. Not a lot of people are capable of writing and singing about women who are being sexually abused, and arguing the fact that someone has to put a stop to it.

"There is nothing you can buy today that will make you into the kind of person you want to be; only you can do that. Don't let a label define you, let your actions and your truths define you instead. At RGI our passion is helping to make art that is community-driven, politically-mindful, and radically-beautiful. We hope to redefine what a label is, not just to a community but also to an industry. Together we are creating a rEvolution." http://www.riotgrrrlink.com/

Also known for making their homemade zines such as "Girl Germs" and "Bikini Kill," they spoke the truth and things that needed to be discussed. They also wanted to stay away from the mainstream because they did not want people to think otherwise. They wanted the freedom to be able to say what they want without anyone judging or assuming that they are against men, when overall their simply "feminist" who believes that equal rights for both and men and women are needed. they are free spirited who believes that the media is corrupt, especially the music industry. I salute Riot Grrrl for such belief and the fact that they actually took actions for the matter is definitely what we need in order to fight against women rights.

By: CHESCA

Thanksgiving on Wisteria Lane, Sorry Grateful

Thanksgiving on Wisteria Lane, eventful none the less! What are these greedy housewives thankful for exactly? Maybr Gabbys grateful for her long lost daughter who she just came in contact with, maybe Lanette is thankful for her 5 kids and her housewive like lifestyle. I know one thing Susans no thankful for, and thats her husband being gone for 3 months and her childs longing for his daddy to be home and tucking him in bed. Im sure shes not thankful for the many tears her son cries at night while laying in bed trying to fall asleep. But the one thing she is thankful for, her family, and the fact that she has one. What is Bri thankful for? maybe her young hot boyfriend, her son and her long lasting cooking company and successful book. One thing shes not thankful for, her lingering drinking problem, her never ending divorce issues and perhaps her inlaws to be, that she was just introduced to.
These never ending issues dwelling apon these 4 women never seem to end. They all have things to be thankful for and things to not be as grateful for. But the fact is, each women has something ideal about them. Something that every women "should" intail in their lives. Whether it be the stay at home mom and housewive, the greedy gold digger who doesnt appreciate anything and spoils her kids, the perfect rich cook who makes a living from a cook book she wrote, or the struggling women just trying to make ends meet and take care of her son while her husband is away trying to make money for the family. Each women is their own example of the ideal women of today. They all portray a different type of woman that we are "suppose" to be but most of us dont fall under those categories in reality. Instead, we l ook up these women and try to become the woman that they are.
 These expectations just keep growing each week. We think subconciously that this is how we are suppose to be, and we tune in every week to be filled in on the new juicy drama that goes on in these womens lives. We strive off of it! We love it. Because to us, this is what reality looks like. Even though we know inside that its just t.v, somehow to doesnt matter and we look past it and try to reach these unreachable standards set for us. What do we do next? become media literate and pay attention to these things when consuming all this drama! Stay tuneddddd


By: CHELCIE

Momsen Gone Mad

Well guys, this week I decided to expand my horizons and search for more degrading content on women in the media by not reverting back to X17, but instead to thesuperficial.com. This site is quite gold mine for finding stories that pertain specifically to my topic, hence the title. Although it is my first time perusing the website, which is strange for a walking issue of People magazine like myself, I was instantly compelled to write a post on none other than the famous bad girl, Taylor Momsen because I feel like it is extremely important to address a person who can never seem to catch a break.

When Taylor first came on the television scene as the innocent Brooklyite, Jenny Humphrey, in Gossip Girl, she lived a rather normal, sheltered life across the bridge from the coveted Upper Eastside. As her character started to climb the social ladder at her preppy private school and she learned what it took to be the queen bee, her image began to do a 180 and she turned from sweet to sour at the drop of a metro card. Even though Momsen’s actions on the show were scripted, her non- Gossip Girl life began to mirror her on-screen one.

When she wasn’t smoking cigarettes at the age of sixteen or wearing skirts so short you could almost see her cootch, Taylor was attempting to make a life for herself not only as an actress on the popular television show, but also as a singer. This rebellious caked on so much eyeliner she looked like a raccoon and belted out what sounded like a horrible mix of punk rock and rock and roll. Once she emerged on the music seen, the teen began to be associated with her bad girl antics and lost a great deal of respect from her Gossip Girl fans who initially could relate to her on and off-screen.

Recently, Momsen attempted to justify her racy behavior by blaming her parents for brining her up in the fast paced world of modeling at the age of two. While that might slightly justify her “mature” behavior, it is still no reason for her to be posing like a stripper on the cover of Revolver Magazine and smoking cancer sticks two years before she was even legal. Mary-Kate and Ashley started on Full House when they were practically born and while they did have their share of issues, none can compare to the severity of Momsen’s.

Even though I do not agree with Taylor’s actions, I do think the media should take a step back and give the girl a chance to breathe. While I know that stocking celebrities is their job, I still can’t help but think about how much added stress Taylor must endure by being chased around by these creepy shutterbugs on a daily basis and having her every action scrutinized by the public. Although she will never be able to catch a break until she cleans up her life, the fact that she is subjected to their scrutiny only adds salt to her already deep wounds. Let her be, media!! Let her get her life back in order without you being there to wait for her to mess it up. She’s already done that, so what more are you waiting to see her do?

By: ANDREA

Plump Princesses

As a young girl, would you have imagined these women to be looked upon as beautiful? Would you want to dress up like them for halloween? Would these images make you dream about being a princess and finding a prince charming?

As I came across this picture on a blogging website (TUMBLR.COM),at first,  I couldn't help but laugh. I found it to be pretty funny on how someone can create something so different from an imagine that a lot of us have ingrained as children in regards to what Disney Princesses should look like.

The more I looked at this picture, I began to think of how terrible some of these Disney persona's can be. What they do is they teach little girls and well some boys, that being a Disney Princess is all about being SKINNY AND RICH. When in reality, majority of the people in this world don't live and or look that way.

Princess Jasmine up top clearly looks insecure about her weight, with a sad look on her face along with depression. Princess Belle is holding a rose but has a very serious and stern look on her face, not one of happiness. Cinderella has her leg lifted up high attempting to be sexy, but clearly the artist behind the act did not want her to be perceived as sexy. And last but not least Snow White is seen with some food on her hands.

These images are so exaggerated and make it seem as if bigger girls cant be happy, when in reality...any shape, any size, any color can be seen as happy and beautiful it is just sad that we have these ideas and perceptions of beauty ingrained in us at such a young and vulnerable age.

By: ANTONIO

Take a bite of my Bad Girl MEAT!

The world famous Meat Dress that Lady Gaga wore at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards was an outfit that cause much of a ruckus in the main stream media. Majority of the people who don't understand her, or high fashion couture, judged instantly and thought she was crazy for wearing real meat.  People didn't find it to be "beautiful," but I think that "beautiful" can be subjective. At an event where many celebrities where designer gowns, expensive dresses and jewelry,  Lady Gaga was looked down on for simply wearing meat.

Many thought that her wearing of meat was to piss off the people from PETA, but in reality it had a much deeper meaning than anyone could ever imagine and she explained it in her interview with Ellen DeGeneres.
 "Well, it is certainly no disrespect to anyone that is vegan or vegetarian. As you know, I am the most judgement-free human being on the earth. However, it has many interpretations. For me this evening, if we don’t stand up for what we believe in and if we don’t fight for our rights pretty soon, we’re going to have as much rights as the meat on own bones. And, I am not a piece of meat."

Something that people judged to be weird, out of the ordinary, crazy, disgusting and ugly, had such beautiful meaning behind it.  What mainstream America thinks is beautiful is pretty ridiculous. In London, Paris, Milan and other high fashion capitals of the world, the couture industry is seen as beautiful and it is more appreciated by their media than it is here. That goes to show that wearing something that majority of ignorant and judgmental people find ugly, can really have a beautiful meaning behind it.

By: ANTONIO

Michelle OhDrama

Wow! I can't believe this is already the third post on women in politics.  I feel that I should have talked about the person I am going to talk about in this post a long time ago! After all she is almost the almighty one! No, I'm not talking about Oprah! Michelle Obama people! As all of you know and if you didn't know then you should probably go outside more often ehh? Well she's the first lady her husband is Barack Obama and he is the President of the United States.  A huge telescope is figuratively always being held over the White House which is where the couple resides.

One would think that problems that actually have to do with something relevant to what is really important to the world would be brought into concern,however, this is not the case with Michelle Obama.  Instead, the media chooses to write and complain about the color of Michelle Obama's dress.  Saying that the white dress she wore should be, " Reserved for weddings and debutantes."  Not only did the media pinpoint her color of choice when it came to dresses but, they also critiqued her for taking a vacation to Spain.  "Material girl Michelle Obama is a modern day Marie-Antoinette on a glitzy Spanish vacation," whom she took her daughter with.  People forget she is a mom, behind the title as first lady she is a human being.  Michelle Obama shouldn't be bashed for taking her kids on a trip. Its ridiculous to say she is doing wrong by taking the opportunity to expose her kids to a new place.

By: JEN

Is it your birthday or your daughters?

http://www.bravotv.com/the-real-housewives-of-beverly-hills/season-1/photos/show-shots/episode-4-its-my-party-and-ill-spend

So This Dramatic episode entailed many interesting things! It was mainly about the extravegant birthday that Camille threw supposidly for her four year old daughter. Take a second to look at the pictures posted on the link above to get a full idea of what "extravegant" looks like. From Pink Glasses, table clothes, cakes, to The pink "mad hatter" hats all over and tea pot shaped plants. This birthday party cost about four thousand dollars. That much money for a 4 year old little girl who really doesnt care about anything but the cake and presents. The party also contained fancy wines, cocktails and appetizers. Again, a little unrealistic for a 4 year olds birthday. This party leaned a little more to INSANE then anything else. This was not about Camilles daughter, it was about Camille. Of course... what isnt about Camille and her crave for attention. She spent unnecisary money on a birthday party which was basically thrown for her and her guiltly pleasures.
Camille asked her little daughter if she wanted to take some pictures, as she hired a photographer... and her shy self, said no mommy! camille insisted. Her daughter dug her head into her moms shoulders causing it be impossible to photograph her. So instead Camille set her daughter down who ran away frantically, and decided to enjoy the camera a little bit. She decided to get herself photographed. She posed on all the figurines that were brought in for the birthday. It was rediculous.
Camille is a needy, money driven, self centered women whose extremely materialistic. She definetely does not make women look good. She acts like a complete gold digger who is only focused on her money, or should i say, her husbands money. Her husband spoils her drastically and she LOVES every minute of it. She loves the fame and the attention always being on her. That is what she's about, its who she is. Shes self centered and not a good example of a mother, wife, or friend really... I mean shes nice none the less.. she's just so focused on her fortune and fame that it seems as though nothing else matters.
Stay TUNED!

By: CHELCIE

Not so Gaga for Muu Muus

Not only has Lady Gaga made a name for herself in the music world, but she has also become as well known or even more well known for her outfits. She is a fashion icon. Period. End of discussion. Every time Gaga makes a public appearance or is caught by the shutterbugs, you can always be ensured that whatever ensemble she is sporting that it will push boundaries, make a statement, and set a trend.

Her fashion influence is rather ubiquitous at this point. Take Halloween for instance, the question seemed to be who isn’t dressing up in a Lady Gaga costume? With thousands of dresses, unitards, and lingerie to choose from, everyone could be their own unique version of their music and fashion muse. Because the public knows what to expect when it comes to her outrageous wardrobe choices, they always keep their eyes peeled whenever she arrives at the many awards shows she attends. Who doesn’t want to see her make raw meat look hot or her wear a dress with millions of crystals on it that looks like the rings of Saturn? To make a long story short, you can’t say the word fashion without Gaga.

While perusing one of the most amusing celebrity gossip sites last night, I came across this picture of the one and only.

While a majority of her fans and the fashion world think that she can do no wrong, x17online.com was there to step in and let everyone know that that is not the case. Some might think that the frock Gaga is sporting is a lovely hue of fuchsia, that her sunglasses are very futuristic, and that her bangs might be an homage to the similar ones she sported in her Poker Face video. X17 however, thought that her reason behind her decision to wear this specific dress was to “cover up those extra five to ten pounds she’s gained over the past few months…” While I am not a fan of how loose the dress is, because I do think it is reminiscent of a muu muu, I am completely against the statement they made about her gaining a few pounds.

Gaga is one of the hardest working musicians in the industry and is not ashamed to show off her killer body. The gossip site should know this by now since they seem to document her every move and outfit. I don’t know who they are trying to fool by making such a false statement about her weight which if anything has been declining over the past few months because she has been working non-stop. So what if her dressa little ill fitting, no need to start making excuses for her reasoning behind her decision to not wear something skin tight or ultra revealing. Give the girl a break… she needs one! 


By: ANDREA

What THING? Ohhh That Thing!

Hip-Hop seems to have taken a large fan base. People enjoy listening to it's unique lyrical, and very outspoken words. I remember listening to "The Fugees," I was in love with this song called "That Thing," because it explained how women and men interact, and what they both really want from each other, which is "sex." Most men and women nowadays will not deny that this plays a very big part in a relationship. This song explained to me on why we have certain criteria we look for with our partners. It Made me realized that i definitely need to think beyond it and really figure out what do men and women really look for and what their needs are from each other.

Sarahtics

Sarah Palin seems to be the easy target when it comes to making a joke. This was made evident on one of David Letterman's late night shows in which he: "addressed Sarah Palin's response to Monday night's Top Ten List, the "Top Ten Highlights of Sarah Palin's Trip to New York City," video seen here. Palin accused Letterman of making "disgusting" and "sexually perverted" jokes about one of her daughters, and also called one of his jokes about her looking like a "slutty flight attendant," "pretty pathetic." This commentary was made to offend Palin and ambush her and her credibility.


Here's the top ten list that caused the Letterman - Palin controversy:

10. Visited New York landmarks she normally only sees from Alaska
9. Laughed at all the crazy-looking foreigners entering the U.N.
8. Made moose jerky on Rachael Ray
7. Keyed Tina Fey's car
6. After a wink and a nod, ended up with a kilo of crack
5. Made coat out of New York City rat pelts
4. Sat in for Kelly Ripa. Regis couldn't tell the difference.
3. Finally met one of those Jewish people Mel Gibson's always talking about
2. Bought makeup from Bloomingdale's to update her "slutty flight attendant" look
1. Especially enjoyed not appearing on Letterman



By: JEN

how DESPERATE are we??

Desperate Housewives which airs on sunday nights on ABC consists of all the crazy, trashy, loud mouth, drama striving women fighting for attention and rich men. I tuned into this drama filled show this last Sunday, Halloween, to view Gabby trying to be a mother toward a child that she just found out was her, due to a switch up at birth. This lead to lessen her attention toward her other daughter that she actually raised. Then Bri, our red haired perfectionist divorce' is now dating a young, hott handy man who starts to find out the REAL her, bagage and all. She soon finds out his so called "bagage" as well which includes his anger issues. They then decide that they will accept eachother with their history and everything that comes along with it, and move on.

These little issues just grow bigger and BIGGER each episode. Susan begins to seceretly take part in videos online in much of nothing... but lingrine. She did not tell mike, her husband. She and Mike were struggling and needed money so she was "desperate" To make some quick cash. Ofcoarse this lead to more drama with the issue of keeping it a secret and then a fellow neighbor finding out about it and using it as black mail. This secret just grew deeper and deeper.

Susan is coming off very desperate indeed, as if there is no other way out of this financial bind but to reveal her body online. This is not such a good name for women.

Bri and Lanette's model friend, have been fighting over the same "handy man" I was talking about earlier. They also both seemed extremely "desperate" in the fight for one man. This lead to selling eachother out, making eachother look bad, calling eachother names, and many other drama filled caddy things that these women tend to do. This just another thing portraying women as desperate, helpless, caddy beings with no self respect or dignity.

And theres Lanette, just trying to get by as a stay at home mom. Her mother-in-law moved in and is trying to help her nanny her infant, but she soon finds out her mohter in law is little crazy.. and ofoarse Tom, her husband doesnt believe her. Lenette is trying to remain stable with her four children and wife duties. She is a perfect example of the ideal Wife and stay at home Mother. Ofcoarse, they had to have a women playing this part in a pressent day reality TV show. The expectations of Women that many people still expect.

From the lies, to the crazy mother-in-law, this show never seems to lack any drama. There are more and more examples of the the degrading of women in each episode! Stay tuned!

By: CHELCIE

Ready For My Close-Up

I’ve always derived pleasure from reading trashy magazines and online tabloids. Some of the reasons I enjoy reading such mindless “crap” is because I love examining the opulent and sometimes not so opulent outfits the celebrities wear, seeing how they are “just like us” and learning about where they enjoy dining and shopping. For many years as I continually read the articles and looked at the pictures, I never really paid much attention to the scrutiny the men and most importantly women dealt with.


When my group and I decided to start this blog, for the final project in our Women and Popular Culture Class, the topic we decided to discuss was the way women are portrayed in popular culture. Immediately I knew that I wanted to advocate for the way in which females are picked-apart by the clueless People, Us, x17online.com and many other judgmental drama-hungry writers because I had an epiphany two years ago that it was no longer okay for me to support the negative way in which the ladies are torn apart each day. Every week prepare to get your dose of my opinions on certain articles written negatively about women. I will advocate on their behalf because in many situations they do not have the power to do so without causing more controversy or hiring a publicist to relay a statement to the media that will still be criticized. Get ready, because I, Andrea, am going to take a stand for my fellow women and make my voice heard.

For my first paparazzi critique, I am going to examine the way in which www.x17online.com bashed the image they posted of the formal Bachelor finalist, Vienna Girardi. One of the techniques celebrity magazines use in order to exaggerate the truth is by featuring their most unattractive image of a celebrity. It doesn’t matter if he/she is sneezing, sitting down, or blinking, the tabloid writers will always be able to create a story about such awkward bodily functions. With that being said, the website posted of a shot of Vienna in which she was not making eye-contact with the camera because she was walking. X17 decided to blame Vienna for not being able to “pose properly for the paparazzi” when in reality it is extremely hard to walk, smile, and pose all at the same time and they are just trying to find fault with the fact that she decided not to look at their camera lens for that particular second. Not even Gisele Bundchen could do such a thing and she is a supermodel for crying out loud. Another jab that the writer made at Vienna was the fact that she went to an event at an LA nightclub, Kress. They demonstrated their passionate feelings about why she could possibly be there by asking “since when do people in Hollywood still go to the Kress?” In the background of the image the viewer can clearly tell that there is a step-and-repeat (a backdrop celebrities pose in front of when they go to certain events), which explains that she was there for an event and obviously people still go there for product launches, charity functions, etc. The last negative comment the writer made was about whether or not Vienna was “relevant anymore.” While her twenty minutes of fame on the Bachelor are up, she is still obviously relevant because she wouldn’t be invited to an event if she wasn’t. Secondly, if Vienna isn’t important nowadays, why is x17 bothering to take pictures of her?


It is pretty evident that the website was having a slow night and decided that they needed a little “fluff” because they clearly did not have enough “relevant” celebrity pictures to post. They are a complete contradiction purely because they spent time to write an article on her, when they stated earlier that they do not think that she is worth their time. While I might not be a huge Vienna fan, she definitely deserves to be defended for slack she took in the post. Instead of x17 worrying about the reason she was actually at the Kress (perhaps to lend a hand to an important cause), they decided to dismiss it because the venue is not exactly up to par according to their standards. Maybe next time they can post a picture of her when she is standing still and then they will able to see that she can actually pose. I’m glad Vienna didn’t even bother looking at their camera lens a few night because even they don’t deserve her time!


By: ANDREA

Covergirl?

The video that I chose to blog on today is a commercial from Covergirl featuring celebrity superstar Kerri Russell.



This commercial initially starts off with Kerri making a statement "Ever been double crossed?" This immediately catches the female viewer into thinking of a time where they have been two timed or double crossed, immediately causing memories of insecurity. After her long pause, she adds in "by a lip gloss?" This causes ease to the viewer and entices them into finding out more of what she is talking about. When girls feel insecurity, society always tries to find things that will reassure them into buying products that will make them feel more secure and overall more beautiful, so the way in which they started this commercial goes to show how much the media ingrains in our head that we NEED these products to feel good about ourselves.

The video breaks into a scene where Kerri is fighting off a ninja. She does end up kicking the guys' ass along with 5 other ones, but as she is doing so, they dressed her in a leather outfit and high heels. This immediately brought up the theme backlash. This woman is trying to fight men off in a leather suit and heels, which really doesn't seem logical at all, yet this commercial was designed to make women feel sexy and it can also be designed for men, to think of ways in which their wives can be sexy by wearing that lip gloss.

"Color, flip and shine" the three easy steps that Covergirl promotes for their product. What better form of make up do women like than one that can give you instant gratification. This was of promoting a quick, easy and "effective" way of putting on make up to make women feel beautiful and reassurance that you wont get "double crossed."

She ends the video by stripping off her clothes and ending in a tight and short red dress, and she walks away while doing a very much sexual "hair flip,"almost giving the impression of her saying "my job here is done."

The media will always want women to buy into their products by finding things that women feel insecure about. When one touches base with a moment in one's life where they have felt insecure, it is more probable that women will fall for their advertisements and buy their products to feel beautiful about themselves.

By: ANTONIO

Women in the HIP-HOP Industry

The third post on our POP Culture POParazzi is about the hip-hop industry, and how they have been very provocative on how they see women and how they are proclaimed. It is clear to me that "Women" are these things to flaunt and they must be a certain way to pass that criteria, in order to attract a certain group of people. They wear almost nothing in every videos I have seen, they seduce men with their looks and how they are dressed. Seems that people are so used to seeing this kind of picture, that they do not acknowledge on the other side of the story. Women are being downgraded, unappreciated, and definitely not respected for who they are. I don't just blame the industry for it, because some women are letting themselves be in that position, where none of the "rappers" show any respect for them.



 For example this video right above, seems to be harmless but if you listen to the words, and watch what women are doing, you will understand exactly what the hip-hop industry is doing to us. On a regular daily basis, women would not be okay if their men was to say, "I wish I could F*** every girl in the world," what is a woman suppose to say to that? That definitely shows how disrespectful men in the industry could be. To say such thing and expect every girls to love that music and actually listen to it. I listen to all sorts of genre's, being that I am a singer and song writer myself, I have an understanding on how the industry works. Women always seem to have it harder, because you have to look a certain way, a smaller size, and dressed as sexy as possible. Do we want to be proclaimed in a way we shouldn't be? Of course not. Respect is not given , it is gain. If women do not start respecting themselves, then this situation will only get worst. It is time to put a stop to this, and show them "We are not toys that can be play with, We are women that needs to be respected and treated with care."

By: CHESCA

Hairy Situation

So,this is the second posting of POP Culture POParazzi, obviously! I will be writing about the meaningless debacles concerning the style of women politicians,specifically Hillary Clinton. People have scrutinized Hillary about her hair length, saying that it is too long for someone her age! Exhibit A is shown to the left:

Her hair is clearly above her shoulders AND tousled back as well! I see no wrong in her hair length choice and its ridiculous that whats taken out of her speeches is how she wore her hair or how "long" she has grown it out. The focus of what she is trying to achieve is to better the United States NOT to make a fashion statement. Women are constantly being critiqued about their appearance! It's unfair because men are never critiqued about how long their hair is or anything about their appearance. Men have to cheat on their wives in order to be featured on covers of magazines and women sport a hair style that is too "long" and make headliners all over? The two are nowhere close to being equivalent! However, the media insists on picking apart politician and now Vice President, Hillary Clinton's hair choices. Exhibit B is shown below:

The New York Daily News and The Daily Mail had a field day with her choice of wearing a clip to the Global Initiative meeting, among other big names! It's sad that these people are not cutting the poor women any slack! I mean I know her job requires her to give speeches and whatnot but she wore a clip on her head not a cup! Even if she did choose to wear a cup on top of her head that should not matter or make her less attractive in any way! The woman is trying to solve the world's problems not win a beauty pageant! Her being criticized about her hair choices only proves that no matter who you are, if you are a women and do not satisfy or meet the standards of what the media considers "pretty" then it is you who are doing something wrong. Women get called "lazy" for not putting makeup on,but no one considers what that women has going on in her life. She could be a mom or a Vice President such as Hillary Clinton is but regardless she will still be critiqued! Totally unfair on so many levels!

By: JEN

Its all in the name (REAL HOUSE WIVES)

The first post on POP culture POParazzi, i feel honored! I will be blogging about reality TV, specifically Desperate housewives, and all of the REAL housewive TV shows on Bravo, and the way these shows degrade women. The portrayal of women through these tv shows is not only degrading, but false. It often gives us a false reality that we start to believe and then try to achieve.
The Real Housewives of DC finale was the episode i watched this week and will be blogging about. This episode was filled with trashy, caddy, lying and cheating women that continuely put eachother down. Well, this was not only this week but happens every week in this thrilling show. This week was an interview with the four main women of the Real housewives of DC and Andy Cohen, who does the interviewing. He asks them personal questions about the show in intent to stir up some heat. Questions like, Was it true when you said Kat was a lying a bitch? then will play reruns of the episode in which this insult was made causing Kat to get frusterated and a fight erupts. We began to get so involved because everyone LOVES to watch drama on TV! and thats exactly what these shows bring. We watch these caddy women duke it on TV and we begin to be so involved that we can't help but tune in! Inside we start to compare ourselves to these women in thought that this is what a real women looks and acts like, and we subconciously strive for this unrealistic image.

This week Michaele was sort of chewed up and spit out by the other house wives, particularly Kat. There was more fighting, pointing fingers, and name calling then i have seen on the shows in awhile. All the women called Michaele out on her lying habbits. Specifically about being a redskins cheerleader. This was indeed a lie that michaele dug herself into deeper and deeper. Everyone knew the truth but she refused to admit it. The other women sort of ganged up on her so im sure she felt pretty alone. This incident makes these women look so confrontational and judgemental that it hurts just watching it. I felt bad even just being tuned in. I think that this was a perfect example of the misconception of women and being caddy. They made such a bad image just by being so confrontational which in result hurt someones feelings and then they felt no guilt. That is not a real women, atleast not to me! women are compassionate and most stay out of drama and steer free from intentionally hurting someones feelings. These are the atributes that are unrealistic for women and give females a bad name.

We watch the fighting, the argueing, the name calling, along with the perfectly dressesd, well mannered, usually rich with the perfect husband, women, and start to imagine that that is how life is, when in fact, it is not. This is what the media wants! for us to get involved in these shows so that we become so tuned that we cant stop watching. When we start to compare our lives to these TV shows thats when we know that were hooked! the media has got a hold of us. Yes, we are all victims of this, and all fall for it. I watch these shows every week, but now with a concious idea of media literacy and awareness of the unrealistic factor of it.
STAY TUNED TO POP culture POParazzi!


By: CHELCIE