Thoughts floating around in my head, brought about by what John Chaich said

+ NOTE: These are my mesh of thoughts currently...with some organizing I will be back to update this blog and get my main message across. The reading "Size Queen: A Gay Guy of Girth" opened the door for many new connections and ideas, along with insight reassuring what we really look for...or should look for in a partner. We should appreciate what our mama gave us and find men who also appreciate these features. I also liked his point of channeling our energy to create inclusive media representations.

We consume advertising images then immediately call the local gym. This transformation we wish upon ourselves is a cry for self-discovery, self-worth, and more importantly self-confidence. Confidence to look at these images as they are.... ONLY images.

Size Queen
"We all want to feel wanted"

I find it helpful, when reading "Body Outlaws", after reading the story through, to reread the first page again. To look again at the author's reflection and main message of the passage, after reading the passion and story behind the triggered event/feeling.

What if Size Queen was written by a woman? Does the context change due to the author's sex and sexual orientation?

Our culture favors a certain body type targeted toward appealing to heterosexual individuals it seems....what about this author's thought of homogeneity (Of the same or similar nature or kind) making him uncomfortable? What physical traits do we find attractive? I personally do not get hot and bothered when I see a guy with a six pack, unless that man has shaggy hair, some scruff on his face, AND a six pack in his hand.

I think it's safe to say the people we are sexually and physically attracted to do not usually fit just one body type or image. In reality, subcultures are more attractive and appealing than societies dominant body image culture (helloooo DIVERSITY please!).

As the author of "Size Queen" reflects on diversity in ads, he presents the trend of advertisements, like Cosmo, there is no diversity in gay magazines as well. The images of muscular, perfectly toned men flood the pages, along with ads for dieting, hair growth, and plastic surgery. These same societal pressures and standards not only are affecting women but gay men as well.
Gay men have a diverse group of girlfriends just like most of us women have; in all shapes, colors and sizes. These girlfriends were a source of comfort for John (especially, as the author experienced, a group he felt comfortable working out with). I imagine John was a good shoulder to cry on if these women ever dealt with body image issues. This reading made me think a lot about what we see in the media and how it actually hurts us more than comforts us. By hearing John's story about his struggle with body image and how his male culture deals with the same pressures we as women face, I have to ask: WHY... why can't we see love handles, rolls, chins, acne...I could blog about this forever...

Anyways...

The float of "bears", rather large husky men couldn't gain an equal applause and uproar when riding through the gay pride parade. After reading this I envisioned their float and created other instances in my head, substituting the themed parade. One example is beauty pageant floats and one float of diverse moms, grandmas, and younger women intertwined (a women pride parade). Or floats with all playboy playmates followed by a float with women who dressed in leather jackets, had spiked hair, and a pin through some of their noses.

I also must note Ms. Magazine, a feminist magazine's approach to not use advertisements. If more magazines, particularly popular mainstream women and young girl magazines, refused to use ads that showed women that didn't represent the real women we see everyday, I wonder if this would cause a change, a beauty revolution within advertising. What if you were flipping through Cosmo and saw ads for skateboards, surf boards, art supplies, colleges, band aids, new athletic gear...etc.

Body Outlaw

I am enjoying the readings in "Body Outlaws" especially since the end of the stories end in the author's point of view completely 360-ing. I think a lot of us, especially women, can relate to something in our life that our mind went from negativity and confusion to complete acceptance and serenity.

I really enjoyed "Strip!" because I could completely understand the notion of conqering your self-consciousness by stripping down in front of someone, or in this case a huge room of people, and realizing your not as wacky as you think you are. You can't help the way you look but why is there such a invisible weight and pressure. There is such a high standard but why?

I can only imagine what it would be like to be the author of Strip! Your body, mind, and everyday actions would stress you out constantly due to societal pressures. I see it in everyday life, if someone doesn't look "normal" especially coinsiding with their gender stereotypes, people will talk. If someone who is a man that looks like a woman, or vise versa, I sadly guarantee someone in a crowd will talk. I've seen this first hand with a girl I work with, a man and his younger son had a bet if she was a male or female.

We should reach out.

Pondering

"We could live together"

Just listening to "White Unicorn" by Wolfmother and liked the way that lyric looked by itself. It takes on a powerful meaning. Anyways I am glad I have more motivation to keep up with this blog due to my Women and Writing class.

The topic of Barbie is very appealing because we, especially women, have endless stories about the topic. Whether it be stories about situations we put our Barbies into or if we were that rebellious girl who enjoyed ripping the heads off Barbies. Personally, I had my SINGLE Barbie have a lot of children she adopted. If she ever had a man in her life she secretly was in love with another man. I always had a main barbie who was more-less the main character, the one who in a way represented myself. Looking back on it I think when girls play with barbies we used our imaginations, escaped our real lives (which held a lot less responsibility and pressure then) and fantasized using plastic dolls. Is it that these dolls may have helped us in the end or broke us?

Since Barbie was a best friend, favorite toy, and/or a medium to use imagination we should lay more responsibility on her, or at least the company. Barbie is well known and widely owned, mostly by young girls. She should represent the same thing advertisements should represent; diversity, diversity, diversity.

If Barbie can do it why can't I?
If Barbie can skateboard, eat chocolate cake, have a belly thighs and maybe a few chins, a dark upper lip, short spiky hair, long shaggy hair, maybe dreds, hairy legs and armpits why can't I!?! Oh if we thought and witnessed this in our youth....
Barbie should have a motorcycle with a seat on the back that reads "Place Ken here" Pitbull, bandana, and leather included.
Maybe own a nice sexy dress with some flats that comes with jeans, tennis shoes, and a baggy t shirt all in one box.

I just felt like posting, thanks for reading all.