random babble…

moar funny pictures

We have been traveling (which most of you already knew).  I just went through the last (roughly) week of my google reader.  Here is what I felt was worthy of sharing:

Kate Harding gives good advice.

Amandaw from Three Rivers Blog shares this survey about fibromyalgia.  The hope is to get the perspective of people not directly affected and find out what people do or do not know about the disorder.  Take it.  Pass it on.

Frau sally benz discusses intersexuality.

The bike grogette:  Dear Het Men.  Word.

William K. Wolfrum reviews a Kabuki Theatre.

Shameless self promotion:  What the Hell? Enjoy!

Ginmar:  Health Care for All?  But that would mean I’m not special!

If you haven’t read it yet.

Mustang Bobby remembers Ted Kennedy.

And so does Melissa.

While I was away:

Miley Cyrus at the Teen Choice Awards.

Modern culture has a way of simultaneously demanding that women and girls be sexy and not too sexy.  If you succumb to the pressure to be as sexy as the world demands you be in order to be Kyriarchy Approved™ you will then be mercilessly slut shamed (see: the judgy linked article).

It might come as a surprise to some people out there, but children and teenagers are in fact sexual beings.  That does not mean that they behave in a sexualized manner, but rather that sex, for most humans, is an innate part of our being and development.  Studies have shown that children as young as four have a sexual identity and an idea of their own gender presentation.  A teenager expressing her sexuality in a way she chooses (and since she is under 18 in a clothed manner) is not inappropriate.  Miley Cyrus is obviously comfortable with her sexuality.  That should be good enough, with no need for slut shaming.  The fact that a teenage girl feels she needs to be sexy to win approval of fans is another conversation altogether.

I also applaud Billy Ray for supporting her.  Part of parenting is teaching our children how to be true to themselves and to make decisions for themselves while giving them room to make mistakes in a supportive environment.  Good for him for doing that.

The Woman on page 194.

Lizzie Miller: I salute you.

*thunderous applause*

The first thing I thought when I saw this was “she looks so awesome and happy!”.  It is fantastic to see a picture that shows that women come in all sizes.  It is awesome to see a natural, untouched picture in a major magazine aimed at women.  While I believe that criticizing women who are routinely on covers for being “too skinny” is just as sexist and hurtful as fat shaming I know that the typical cover model size (2 or below) is not representative of the typical woman.  The average woman needs to see something she can relate to in a magazine that is marketed to her.

We are constantly bombarded with unrealistic images in media.  What we see on and in magazines is not real, but brushed, retouched, stretched and mangled images of women who are truly and completely beautiful already, like this image of Kelly Clarkson on Self magazine:

In case you were curious, this is what Ms. Clarkson actually looks like.

Rock on with your beautiful self!

That Clarkson wasn’t apparently beautiful enough to be left looking like herself is why we need more pictures like this one of Lizzie Miller in Glamour.  Apparently Glamour has been overwhelmed with letters praising this photograph, and I hope they receive oodles and oodles more.  The sooner magazines realize that the desire to see people depicted naturally is out there the better.

That is about all I have for now, as we didn’t make the cut for the flight going out now, and will be heading back to the hotel to get some rest before trying for the next one tomorrow.

Hope you are all enjoying the dregs of summer.  Get in those last rays of sunshine before school starts and holiday ends.