the Shakedown: slang. "a thorough search of a place or person." (dictionary.com)

You all need a swift kick to your crotchhole

Friday, Apr. 09, 2004 at 5:41 pm

Alright people, I have been either swamped or exhausted or both this entire week due to the real estate class I told you about. You don't remember me telling you that I was taking the real estate class this week? I see how well you pay attention! But anyway, sorry for the lack of updates. Hopefully this will make up for it. I have one thing and one thing only to talk about today.

The Swan

First let me get out of the way that everything I'm about to say is entirely my opinion and if you don't agree or are offended, well, tough pooey. This is absolutely the lowest Fox has stooped in all of their reality trash tv stunts. Fox is absolutely, positively perpetuating the idea that woman are not worthy of ANYTHING unless they look like a plastic fake barbie doll. I was so disgusted watching The Swan that I could barely watch, but I wanted to make sure I knew exactly how the show operated before I completely formed my opinion.

First of all, none of these girls are what I would call ugly. Even if they were ugly, Fox is giving the impression that women can not have a fulfilling, wonderful life if they are ugly - this is such a horribly false impression to pass on to young girls, it makes me sick. But these girls ARE NOT ugly. These girls are average at worst, but I'd say closer to cute even. What gets me most is that women everywhere are bombarded with the idea that they need to not only be good looking and thin, but they have to be PERFECT. While men get away with looking like slabs of cow lard and nobody second guesses their potential for success in life.

I try to look at this from a role model perspective. Would I tell my daughter/niece/younger sister that she is less likely to succeed in life if she wasn't pretty? No way. Would I tell my daughter/niece/younger sister that her life will be unfulfilling if she doesn't look like barbie? I don't think so. Should I ever focus on the physical appearance of a little girl (or boy for that matter) in anything but a positive manner? NO. This is what I'm saying. This is the problem with our society.

We can't stop children from being children and teasing other children behind our backs about their physical appearances. But we CAN set an example as to otherwise. We CAN stop this childish behavior in ourselves. And as soon as we, as adults, all stop acting like children, then this whole hurtful, hateful, unproductive behavior of deciding on the worth of another human being based solely on their appearance will go away. Sounds impossible, I know. But a girl can dream, can't she?

To make a long story not quite so long, Fox is disgusting, The Swan is disgusting and reality tv in general just needs to die already. I feel sorry for the girls on this show for 1) being victims of a shallow society and 2) for ALLOWING that society to dictate their happiness in life. I honestly don't know which is more sad.

And lastly today, I'm in love with Hoobastank! The name alone makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Just listen to "The Reason" and you'll understand.



"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." C.S. Lewis