Monday one of Joey’s brothers (he has 5 of them you know) is coming with his children. We are all going camping in Carlsbad Caverns. I love my family, and that is why, this “made for the city” girl will be camping for the first time since 1989. Let, me tell you, my last camping trip was not wine and roses, hence the hiatus. I am camping...I’m sure a great story will ensue.

Ok and what is up with the Fox Network? I mean, really, we sat thru Who Wants to Marry A Millionaire” and other goodies such as Temptation Island or was it Boat, and Celebrity Boxing staring Tonya Harding and so on, but do we really need to endure The Swan The premise of this show is, to take “ugly” women, give them thousands of dollars of free plastic surgery and then parade them around in a “beauty pageant”. I just find this revolting.

First of all, the image of “beauty” portrayed by the media is so very skewed and demeaning to women. If you are not a size -2 and have perfect breasts, this type of smile or that type of eyebrow shape you are not cool, beautiful or worthy of the world’s attention. If you are not out slutting your self, or tarting up, you are not worth the time. If you’re not Paris Hilton, no thanks.

Let’s just say the average American woman is size 14. SIZE 14, yes that is a 14 with two digits in it. And when the media have done polls of average American men, they respond by saying that they like their wives and girlfriends to have a little meat on their bones.

Being ROUND is OK!! Hooray Meat!!

Unfortunately I don’t think the plastic surgery that these women have gotten and the attention and 15 minutes of TV fame that they have agreed to endure will make them feel better about themselves. When the cameras go off and the lights are dimmed they will be the same people they were before; only now they will have nice perky boobs and porcelain veneers on their teeth.

Why can’t the media focus on the thousands of normal, beautiful women out there? Women, who hold jobs, run businesses, raise children; participate in the Cub Scout sale. I know so many women who are amazing people and yet they are ignored because they don’t fit the mold

I remember sitting in church one day. My friend Stacey was giving a talk, and if I remember correctly, a farewell address of sorts as she was moving on from the Singles Congregation. She directed her comments to the men of our congregation. She said: “Guys, supermodels don’t have testimonies (what LDS folks refer to as their beliefs). If you’re holding out for the Cindy Crawford’s and the Claudia Schiffer’s, you’re wasting your time. There are great women in your presence. All you really need to do is look around you, and you will find great things.”

A-fricken-MEN!!!

I wish, oh how I wish the media would focus on the true beauties of our society, and that women would have the courage to stand up and say, “I’m good the way I am, and if you don’t like it, too bad!” I know, I know if we would stop reading the “Cosmos” and other such magazines our self esteems would go up. If we stopped believing the false images of beauty the media cram down our throats, we would be so much better off. How many teenaged girls would have eating disorders? How many women would have more confidence? How much happier would we as a gender be if we just said “no”?

I am good the way I am, and the Fox network can take The Swan and eat it as far as I’m concerned.

- - 2005-05-05
- - 2005-02-01
The Parting of the Ways - 2004-05-03
Meh - 2004-04-30
Next up on Fox, more to insult our self-worth - 2004-04-29