Happy Halloween!

Halloween is my favorite holiday, it's the one day out of the year that you have permission to be whoever or whatever you want, the skies the limit. Although I still think the classics are the best; vampire, witch, ghost, zombie... and you can interpret them however you want. What I really love about Halloween is its history whether All Hallows Eve or Day of the Dead. A time for remembering the dead a celebration of those who have passed on. Today Halloween has become a day of scares, trick-or-treating, and carving pumpkins. As long as I can remember I looked forward to the week before Halloween when I got to carve pumpkins, I loved digging my fingers into the slimy innards. Oh, and trick-or-treating I sure miss those days. Spending all evening dressed up in my cute little costumes knocking on strangers doors. I have fond memories of coming home to my father watching some scary black and white movie on TV and I'd sit at the table and pour out my bag full of candy so I could sort through it. And when I got old enough I finally got to go to a haunted house, screaming when something jumped out at me... and nothing is scarier than a clown with a chainsaw. As I get older it seems like those exciting Halloween things are getting farther and farther away, life seems to get in the way. I hope someday life will slow down enough and I'll have kids of my own and Halloween will become what it used to be for me again.

Visual Perception

I was thinking today about how we perceive others visually, simply I was thinking about the old saying "Don't judge a book by its cover." In most cases I think that this saying holds weight, to quickly people judge a person based on their appearance. Speaking from experience, I know what its like to be judged based on the way you look. People look at me and see a simple weak naive innocent girl, but trust me I am so much more than that. In truth we have all done it, it is natural for us to judge others based on the way they look. What we see is the first way in which we perceive an individual, even before they speak or act. For example the town I grew up in has a biker rally every year, thousands of bikers come from all over. When you see them at the bar or driving their bike around town you see a biker with tattoos and wearing leather. What you don't see are who they really are; most of them are doctors, lawyers, and other honorable members of society. The way a person looks or the way they dress doesn't always display the person they are, sometimes is does, but not always. How different would the world be if we saw people for what they truly were as opposed to what they look like? Could you just imagine, seeing people for who they really are? Would you want to? Would you want people to see you for who you really are? I think these questions are pretty important to keep in mind the next time you judge someone based on how you visually perceive them.

Meaghan Ramsey: Why thinking you're ugly is bad for you

I know I have posted quite a few Ted Talk videos, but I have another that I felt like sharing. One of the first things she talks about is a young girl posting a video on YouTube asking if she's ugly or not. The comments that Meaghan shows almost made me cry. To think that people would say such terrible things astounds me, because in no way is that young girl ugly. I know that Meaghan focuses on girls in her talk, but she also talks about boys as well. Some of the statistics and research findings she presents are staggering; I am amazed that even something such as how well you do on an exam and your overall GPA can become affected by how you perceive your appearance. I speak from experience when I say that I too struggle daily with whether or not I look good enough, and I think that a lot of people do. But how can we hope to change anything, how can a young impressionable girl feel beautiful when people are telling her how ugly she is? I think that the basis of Meaghan's idea is something that in the long run could change the way young people look in the mirror.

Representations of Gender in Advertising

Just saw this video, I feel like it kind of goes along with my last post. It describes gender roles in advertising, the statistics are based on Canadian society but I think they are pretty similar wherever you live. It amazes me how media portrays women and men; whether its advertisements, commercials, music videos, etc. Women are shown in such sexual and submissive roles, whereas men are shown as dominant and powerful. It is something that has always bothered me, mostly because people take one look at me and automatically assume I am weak. I was raised strong, I am capable of doing things most men can't even do and it bothers me that I am so quickly judged solely on the fact that I am a feminine woman. Gender stereotypes are the reason so many people are unhappy with the way they truly are, society tells us we have to look and act certain ways and really we should just be whoever we want to be.

Colin Stokes: How movies teach manhood

Just saw this video and I felt the need to share it. I realize that in the world today the lines that separate men and women are starting to blur, but the truth is that those lines are still there. I am a feminist and I believe strongly in equal rights and equality of all, but what I think we as a nation fail to realize is that as hard as we try to make women stronger and more independent men are not being made to change as well. Now I don't want my words to be taken the wrong way so I will try to explain. Like this video is trying to explain, boys grow up watching movies that portray men as the dominant character. Women are very seldom portrayed as anything other than a damsel in distress, all love struck and defenseless. Don't get me wrong I love romantic comedies, but the issue with most of these movies is that it shows a woman needs a man. There is a quote that I think is really important for young girls to know, "A women needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle." Society is working hard to promote strength in young girls, but we also need promote respect and understanding in young boys. Movies need to show more men working alongside women, showing men who are more than just the conquering hero.