How far would you go to "fit in" in Hollywood?

Heidi Montag-Pratt has undergone many surgeries to make herself look better. According to The Huffington Post, she's had a "mini brow lift, botox in forehead and frown area, nose job revision, fat injections in cheeks, nasolabial folds and cheeks, chin reductions, neck liposuction, ears pinned back, breast augmentation revision, liposuction on waist, hips and inner and outer thighs, and a buttock augmentation". Wow, I can't even imagine getting all of those unnecessary surgeries. It's been rumored that she wants bigger boobs but the doctors don't think it's a very good idea. How big do she wants her boobs to be, she's very skinny so they already look like watermelons. She was very pretty and wholesome before, but when she became famous she wanted more people to think she was beautiful. In my opinion, I think she's less attractive because of how fake she is now. This photo sums her up to a tee. She has sacrificed her health for other people, because that's a real smart decision...not! She's only doing this for the media, and to get more attention. Attention whore much? The media is terrible with putting images in people's heads about how looks are everything. They must be perfect, and if they're not they better do everything that money can buy to achieve it. These people become objects of desire, and succumb to what the media wants. Hollywood is all about looks and if you don't have it, you most likely won't make it. You'd probably become an object of ridicule. According to an MTV article, Heidi went to visit her family to show off her new body. When her family saw her after all of her plastic surgeries they were a bit flabbergasted. They seemed a bit embarrassed by Heidi's decisions. Heidi was taken back by their reactions, thinking that they would be supportive of her transformation. Her mother confessed to her saying, "I feel like when you left home, you had more confidence and self-esteem than anyone I had ever met". I think it was a good idea that her parents told her the honest truth, hopefully bringing her back down to reality. The media is too critical of people, but people need to understand that and learn to have better self-esteem.

The negative effects of gaming on kids.

The very popular computer game, World of Warcraft (WoW) has become more of a virtual reality world for most of the players. Literally nothing can distract them from the mezmerizing images of warlocks, dragons, and rogues on the computer screen.

You can even get an application on your iTouch called "WoW Armory", so that you can always stay connected to what gear you can buy. With the world of technology booming you don't even need to go out with your friends, instead you can just play with eachother online. In my opinion, WoW is a bit of a life ruiner if you get too intensly addicted. It's like virtual crack, once you're hooked you can't stop and you lose track of time and reality. People of all ages play this game, but this doesn't mean you have to let your children. WoW is a semi-violent game so what is this teaching kids about violence? This is like the power rangers dispute in how the kids after watching the show became more violent towards eachother. Now kids will be argueing about how "my priest is better than your rogue!" I always wanted to check it out and see what this fantasy world is all about. What does the media have to say about this? The media perpetuates this by having famous people act in their World of Warcraft commercials. Mr. T, Ozzy Ozbourne, William Shatner, Verne Troyer (Mini-me), and Jean Claude Van Dam. The media sugar coats this and doesn't speak of the negative effects, just make it seem like they'll have a good time if they play it. Nothing about how highly addictive it can be, how much money you'll be paying, or the hours spent playing it. They make it seem really interesting and try to persuade people to buy the product. What about the kids who are too young to have a job so obviously their parents are the one's who are paying for the CD-rom game and the 15 dollars a month game card? It can become an expense, and if you're paying for it, shouldn't you know what it's all about? Parents should be more aware about the dangers of these violent video games, and effects that it has on children.
According to Wow Gold Blogger, "Research shows that kids who play violent video games showed an increase in emotional arousal and a corresponding decrase in activity in brain areas involving self control, inhibition, and attention". That's not a very good sign if you ask me. Video and computer game addictions are a serious matter and are not to be taken lightly. In the video below, this tennage boy plays WoW for 12-16 hours a day, and doesn't go to school or have a job. All he ever does is stare at his computer screen. His mother begins to break down realizing that her son isn't just playing a game, but has become a computer junkie. One can notice that he gets frustrated easily over the game, banging his desk with his fists. A lot of people who play these games do get frustrated and lack attention to anything else.

Role Model...I think not!

When someone asks who's your role model, most kids say someone famous that they want to be like when they grow up. But what happens when someone's role model is charged with doing something bad? According to FootballDiehards.com, Pittsburg Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was accused with exposing himself to a college student then proceeded to rape her in a Georgia nightclub bathroom. Not to mention the fact that he is already in a court case for apparently sexually assulting a hotel employee in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. His team has suspended him without pay for the next six games and are thinking of trading him off to another team. Serves him right for what he did. How could someone go from winning the superbowl and doing so well to doing something so innapropriate that you begin to lose it all? The worst part is that his bodyguard was there and blocked the girl's friends from coming to get her out of the situation. Wow, way to protect the bad guy. The only thing that he has to deal with is having to take a psychological evaluation because of his innapropriate conduct. The problem is knowing that he has a lot of money so he could pay someone off to get off of the hook. There wasn't enough actual evidence to convict him of any charges. This is putting the wrong message in people's heads about what's right and wrong. This goes along with the idea that it's okay to have sex with a women against her concent. Thinking maybe she really wanted it and just didn't want to admit it? I mean he's only sorry becuase he got caught, not because he felt guilty. What does the media think of this? The media has swarmed around this issue and will not stop talking about it until they get all of the information. The problem with this is that he's in the media spotlight and getting almost as much attention as Tiger Woods. The media thrives on people's flaws and imperfections instead of important issues going on in the world today.

Like a virgin..again?

There are so many crazy concoctions out on the market that people don't think twice anymore. We see people spending money on frivilous things all the time. Especially feeble-minded people with extra money to spend. There's a new surgery out there that can actually tighten a woman, and make her like she was when she was yonger. Well, I found a cream online that apparently does the same thing as what a surgeon would do for you, but a lot less cheaper and less invasive. It's called "Virgin Cream", and according to the website,"A Plain-Looking Woman Can Become 350% More Sexually Attractive To Almost Any Man On Earth!". Wow, that's quite a statistic, i've never heard that before. The media knows that everyone wants to look younger, and women will try different things to obtain the standard of beauty. I find it quite funny because not many people want to talk about this. It's embarrasing and just an awkward thing to converse about. My question is even if you're older why does a woman need to be as tight as she was before she had sex? Maybe it's just me, but I don't understand the concept. Maybe if someone was older and looking for a mate and she had had kids before. The media has corrupted our minds with the idea that you have to be perfect, you have to look younger, etc. I understand people care about their image but this is just taking it a little too far. This product says that, "It maintains natural color and a "teenage" appearance!". As well as, "It dramatically increases the intensity, frequency and quality of a woman's orgasms!". I can see where some women would want to use this cream if it really did all that. In my opinion, I don't see this cream being a powerful as it says it is. I believe it's a hoax, anyone can make up statistics, yet people still continue to buy the product.

Whoever heard of selling your virginity?

Natalie Dylan, a 22 year old San Diego native has come up with a surprising way to pay for her college, she's selling her virginity. I had never heard of this before I saw an episode on her on VH1 a few weeks ago, I was interested to find out if this was even legal. When speaking of "Standardized Beauty" this girl seems to have it all. She's a pretty, caucasion woman, who seems to have new bidders all the time. I give her props for keeping her viriginity for 22 years, but this is so degrading to women. In my opinion, she seems a lot sluttier than someone who is not a virgin. Is this what the media wants? Girls selling their virginity? According to "The Insider" Her current bid is around 3.7 million dollars, and over 10,000 men have been interested in her proposition. The money that she's going to make when she picks the "right" guy is going to be tremendous. Not to mention the fact that all the stations that are covering this media controversy, such as CNN, the Tyra show and many others are making a lump sum as well. She's pumping this for all that she's worth and she won't stop til the bids get higher. I think it's interesting that she has a degree in women's studies, one might think she would know better. I found a flyer online which is interesting. How much money do you really want before you're satisified? This is taking away the special, intimate moment of "making love" which is now converted to "selling your virginity to the highest bidder". In my opinion, she's the same as a prostitute. Which is funny because apparently no one can do anything about this issue.

Marketing for women

Diets pills have been around for a while, but every so often marketers come up with a new and improved diet pill. Of course, people who are self conscious of their body and are willing to do anything they can to look good, will try different diet tricks. Maybe cutting carbs out of their diet, or just taking a little pill that will cut pounds before your very eyes. Educated consumers often do research on a product before they buy it to see if it really works. Ever wondered why you've never seen a fat person on a diet pill commerical? You always see a skinny, well built person who try to tell people to buy their diet pills. The newest diet pill commercial I have seen is Kim and Khloe Kardashian's "QuickTrim". Knowning that Kim a very well built body, why does she need to lose weight? It's not a bad thing to have hips and a butt. Yet, the media calls her fat for being a curvy woman so now she's off marketing this diet pill for America. Her sister, Khloe who also helped launch this product has gotten a lot of negative reactions because she was "so big". She's tall and has meat on her, since when was that such a bad thing? The media is so critical of appearance, that they will do anything they can to make people skinny and so called "beautiful". Though, the media will try to make it look like it really works, and do nothing but get your hopes up. The media has made up their idea of what real women want and how they believe women should look like. Women, espcially teenagers who are vulnerable and impressionable try to buy diet pills maybe behind their parents back thinking it's okay. Actually, diet pills can be harmful to your body, and really should not be used. Diet and proper excersise are the key to staying in shape, not some fluke diet trick. Never comprimise your values and your body for what the media thinks.

Do you vow to remain pure until marriage?

VH1 aired an episode on "Purity Balls" and it intriqued me to know what this is all really about. Did you know that these balls happen in 48 states and 17 countries would like to join in on this celebration. Purity balls, a night of celebrating abstinance. It is a religious event among conservative Christians for fathers and their daughters to celebrate their daughters abstinance and staying true to themselves and to God. These balls help form the bond between the father and daughter, as well as helping the girls form self-esteem and integrity by staying pure. It's said to be "a cinderella night" where girls dress up in gowns and their fathers wear tux's and they dance all night long. The daughter and two witnesses sign a pledge saying that she will remain abstinant until marriage. The father's present their daughters with a purity ring that they will exchange on their wedding day for a wedding ring. Which goes along with the sterotype of "daddy's little girl" and that it's the father's duty to protect their daughters. They bring white roses to a cross in the middle of the room to bow down to God. I understand that it's a hard issue to talk about sex with your children, but I don't think that fathers should be going as far as celebrating the fact that their daughters are remaining pure under marriage. It should be a private matter, and not be put out in the open. It's just a little awkward for me to think about going to a ball with my father. I mean some of these girls are too small to even think having sex, they're not even developed. I'm sorry but this is just a little over the top. What do you think, do you think this is a good message to pre-teens and teens that staying pure in a good thing? Looking at the rate of teenage pregnancies and teens being infected by STD's this is a good idea. Since peer pressure is hard for some people to resist, especially in high school. Though the message is good, I feel like it somewhat takes away from it being a personal choice of young girls.

Will the real slim shady please stand up.

Ever thought about what it'd be like to be in the shoes of a bad boy? Rebeling against society, and what everyone thinks about you? Yet, in the music industry ever wondered how "normal" they actually are in terms of giving their audiences what they want? Eminem is a prime example of this image. He gives off a tough boy persona snarling in his photos, and speaking of violent acts. He's most popular for his hatred against women, but he adores his daughter so much that he has her tattooed on his arm? Though, what some people may not believe is that he says that he only does it for the music. He doesn't act like this in real life? Eminem also known as Marshall Mathers has gotten a bad rap for his outlandish ideas and actions. We all understand, he had a bad life, but he rose to the top in hollywood, so shouldn't he be happy? It's all in how you react to the situation and overcoming your obstacles. What Eminem needs to remember is it's not what society thinks, it's how you act. Something I found interesting is an article titled: "8 Reasons Eminmen's Poplularity is a Disaster for Women" by: Jackson Katz. He explains that even though he acts hard as nails with his racist, misoganist, anti-gay lyrics and attitude, it's all a cover up. He's hiding the real Marshall Mathers behind a "constructed tough- white-guy image", a.k.a. Slim Shady. An example of this is his 2003 song dedicated to his daughter, "Hailey's Song". It shows Eminem's real side with home videos of him, his ex-wife Kim and his daughter Hailey. Goofing off, having fun, working/rapping, and the incidents he went through with his ex-wife. An important lyric that Eminem says is: "I act like shit don't phase me, inside it drives me crazy, my insecurities could eat me alive". This right here is Eminem saying I build up this wall so people can't hurt me and I can't show it. Another lyric reads: "Now you probably get this picture from my public persona that i'm pistol packing drug addict that bags on his mama". His tough exterior and actions has led people to believe he's a hateful man who despises his mother for not being there for him when he was younger. He puts his emotions into his music, and as it seems as though his daughter is only who still loves him for who he really is. On one hand, Eminem acts, and speaks vulgar at times and people start to wonder about him. Yet, on the other side is he is still a human being and he's just acting to the way that the media has depicted him as, and what his fans think. Please, share your thoughts on how you feel towards Eminem and his music.

"Bitch, what do you mean you weren't born a girl?!"

Have you ever wondered what it'd be like to have your personal information broadcast to the world? Wouldn't you feel embarrased to act out on public televsion? Why not be civilized and talk in the privacy of your own home. The media industry thrives on any opportunity to put someone's character flaws and inadequaces out on the line. A popular television show: "Jerry Springer" showcases people who are having problems and want Jerry's advice. The audience will even step in and give them their thoughts towards the issue at hand. The problem with this show is that it's violent, and offensive to viewers. A typical stereotype towards this show is that you have no modesty or class by letting your rididculous actions be publicized. These people are stereotyped as poor, slutty, and redneck. It's sometimes hard to imagine that certain people like this really co-exist with us in the world. The interesting part is that middle class people act out as well, but in a different manner. When working-class, and lower class people act this way especially on television, that's just the way that they are. Stereotyping is a common act people do without really even realizing the effects of their judgements. They can be spread around from person to person and people will automatically make a generalization about you. I found a clip from the Jerry Springer show that I thought was quite interesting as it has to deal with stereotypes of transexual people. In this episode a transexual is coming clean with his/her boyfriend that she was born a man, but still wants to be with him. Though it does not go as he/she planned, she takes people by surprise. The media will stop at nothing until they are satisfied with distorting their views of people and entertaining their viewers. I've watched the show before, and I've always thought it was funny, because it's so ridiculous. Most of the viewers agree with me on that, but the sad part is there are people like this out there and do not feel embarrased to act out in public, or cheat on significant others, or even have sex with their cousin. What is this world coming to?

Underlying messages in the movies we love.

One of the hit movies of last summer was "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen". Who would have thought that cars could transform into huge robot looking creatures who were here to help save their planet.
What's interesting though is their portrayal of two specific characters Skids and Mudflap who are portrayed in a somewhat stereotypical manner. They are illiterate, one has a gold tooth, and they are portrayed to talk like they're from the streets. Though most of the audience probably thought it was harmless fun and just added to the movie, others may have a different perspective on the issue. Race is portrayed in many different ways, and even big time movie producers such as DreamWorks and Paramount Picutes have appeared at times to be engaging in slightly risky behavior. When it comes down to it, everyone should be treated with respect, and no one class, race, or sex should be made to feel embarrased or shown in a demeaning manner. According to Field, "there's a persistent dehumanization of African-Americans throughout Hollywood that displaces issues of race onto non-human entities". These producers, harmless as they may have thought, are placing African Americans into one big category of unrefined, uneducated people. I agree with the article in so much that we as people need to start thinking about how we react to certain groups, and be more sensitive towards them.

nObama breaking promises

The idea of same- sex marriage is always a controversial topic when it comes to the public. Some people agree to disagree, but others are strongly against letting two men, or two women be married, and actually be recognized for it. Maybe for personal reasons, or even religious reasons; considering the Bible does speak about Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve. What says that same-sex couples won't be good parents to their adoptive children. Some children who’re raised in homosexual/lesbian families may feel more comfortable and securely attached. President Obama has only been in office for one year and already breaking promises to his fellow Americans. Personally, I believe that it up to the discretion of the couple if they decide to become married, and/or adopt children. According to Louis Jacobson, he doesn't necessarily believe that President Obama is purposefully putting this issue aside, but maybe that he doesn’t think that it’s as important as some issues that are going on in the world today. I don't believe that it is fair to discriminate against others. Then again, I'm just a small spec in the big picture of this, so please what do you fellow Americans believe about this controversial issue?