she'd sent floating out to sea in pillbox hat.
The Bridesmaid Dress Song ~ Deirdre Flint

This is a post cobbled together through a few observations I've made over the past week or so. Bear with me, folks. I'm sure I have a point around here somewhere ...
It's right there. No, not there. THERE! Under the kitchen sofa of the third fungicidal llama from Ubekistan.
FIRSTLY: Did anyone else see that commercial during the Superbowl advertising the search for the sexiest people in America (or somesuch)? They begin it by saying things like "He has an IQ of 180" ... "She's a world famous musician" ... "He's won four gold medals" ... and then say "So What? Is he hot? Is she hot?"
Nope, didn't see it.
Okay. I'm no sociologist, and I'm no moral crusader, but ... does this seem wrong to anyone else? Are these the values we're trying to teach our children? That as long as you're sexy you'll get through life just fine, and if you aren't sexy anything you do counts for squat? That just ... sucks. *decided to boycott whatever stupid channel is doing this*
, but I have to agree... that's disgusting. May a pack of drunken Fomorians gnaw at their ill-gotten wealth!
I don't watch much TV anymore, so I'll boycott with you. *nods*
SECONDLY: Observing commercials lately, and reading something somewhere (I forget exactly what and/or where), it seems apparent to me that the pendulum of gender discrimination in the media has swung to the other side. Once upon a time we belittled females in several commercials. This was wrong, undoubtedly. Yet in today's "enlightened" society, we still need to make fun of someone to sell something. We can't make fun of women anymore (rightfully so), but ... we can, it seems, make fun of men. Look at some commercials the next time you watch TV. A fair number of them portray the male as the dumb one. If it were women being portrayed this way in many commercials, you can bet there would be a fuss thrown ... so why is the opposite any better?
I hadn't really consciously noted this, but I think I've seen it happen. Like... I think it's a Miller Light commercial with the supermodels brawling in the fountain, and at the end it's just two guys' fantasy over such a commercial and the women with them are giving looks more attributed to something glowing and purple that just oozed out of your toilet while you're brushing your teeth. But that aside, no, it's no better.
SIXTH AND LASTLY: Has anyone else noticed this trend among musicians? When it is a band with a male lead singer, the band usually is named so that the lead dude isn't put front and center, and everyone gets credit (Our Lady Peace, Nickelback, Creed, Counting Crows, Everclear, Smashing Pumpkins, Barenaked Ladies, Goo Goo Dolls, The Calling, Metallica ... the list goes on and on). There are exceptions, such as Enrique Inglacias and Bryan Adams, and some bands are named after the lead guy (Dave Matthews Band, for example), but generally the trend holds true.

However, when we look at bands where a female is the lead singer, the opposite seems true. Sarah McLachlan, Avril Lavigne, Sheryl Crow, Celine Dion, Madonna, Alanis Morrisette, Jewel, Shania Twain, again the list goes on. There are once again exceptions (No Doubt, Dixie Chicks, Destiny's Child, for example), but ... does anyone else see the pattern here? Are men more willing to remain anonymous and give credit to everyone in the band, while women are not? Do women change band members all the time and thus not name the band as a whole? Are women just glory-hogs? This is not to criticize anyone ... I just find the difference interesting.
Again, hadn't really noticed, but I would've attributed it to fewer actual female bands, as opposed to a solo act with a band behind it, and more male bands. I think of it the same way as, say, the Back Street Boys. They're out there singing, with a band behind them. They're the act, and the band's "just kinda there". *shrugs*
Shania Twain should fall off a cliff with every copy of her last couple of albums and her recording contract.

FOURTHLY: A woman in Ontario sued the police for an incident in the prison. The woman was originally charged with a minor offense, but refused to acknowledge it or go to court. Thus, the police had her arrested and placed in jail for the night to take her to court the next day. The woman complained that it was too cold in the prison, but the guards would (or could not) do anything about it. So she pretended to hang herself with her bra. This prompted the police officers to take all of her clothing away from her, to keep her from killing herself (or even pretending to; it's a threat they have to take seriously). The woman, now rather ashamed at her nakedness (in view of other prisoners, some male, some female), tried to hide in her cell where the cameras could not see her. The police asked her to stay where they could see her, but she refused, and so they handcuffed her to the bars to keep her in sight and keep her from hurting herself. The judge hearing the case turned it down, saying the police were only following procedure in such matters; the woman and her lawyer have appealed, of course.

So ... what do you think of this? Personally, I think the woman got what she deserves, and has no reason to complain about it. If a man did the same thing, the same would be done to him, made naked in view of the other prisoners (both male AND female, remember). Would he have sued? I don't know; but it's likely that this situation has happened before, since there is a procedure for it, and I've never heard of any legal action resulting from it (at least not any successful legal action; the procedures are still in place, right?). Should women be treated differently than men in such situations? Wouldn't this be discrimination, the very thing feminists fought against for so long? Do women only want to be equal in things that are to their benefit, but not equal in anything else?
The female body seems to be a lot more sexualized in our society than the male body, so I think for a woman it would feel more harrassing. Especially since a guy can (more or less) just cross his legs or something and be fairly okay. A woman's got to deal with these two blobs hanging out in space that are REALLY sexualized, and if she's handcuffed to the bars she can't do a lot about it. And the whole being cold thing just exascerbates the problem... bleh. Breasts are really just a big bother. But anyway... what was the question? Discrimination? Hm, I suppose. I guess as long as everyone's going to be stripped down if they try to hang themselves with their underwear, she can't really complain. The only thing I'd see wrong with it is... the danger's gone, but that doesn't mean you have to expose the person to other prisoners. If everyone got some cover for their cell, but the camera could still see them... *shrugs*

The whole thing just strengthens my resolve never to go to prison... and never pretend to hang myself with my bra. *nods*
Curiouser and curiouser ... Thanks, all, for reading.
Mmhmm. No prob.
Nate


Catriona, Countess of Options
Still searching for that one great love...
Hunter
Eternal Wotmaniad Fangirl
But now you're cooler than Mr. T. - OA

For Kory and Joe: