3 Books that influenced me

In 7th grade I read the book series "A Child Called It" by Dave Pelzer. These books made me cry, A LOT. I read two books in one sitting. They were extremely sad, but the fact that the author somehow got through his tragic life is inspiring to me. Amazon.com: A Child Called It

A few years later, probably in my freshman year of high school, I read the book "1984" by George Orwell. I really liked the story of this book and the way the main character narrated. It's an important book, it's still relevant today as it truly is a timeless classic. Amazon.com: 1984

Locked away in a minimum security county jail for something I didn't do, I came across ONE good book in the women's library at Elmwood detention center. Lakota Woman, written by Mary Crow Dog. Wow I can't believe a piece of literature this exciting and informative is sitting here in JAIL! This book is amazing, I had no idea of the struggles that Indian people were still facing in America even in the 60's and 70's. It inspired me to learn more about Native American history and related activism/grassroots/social movements. Amazon.com: Lakota Woman 

Media Impact: the way we view our bodies

The media causes all types of different problems for people. One of the most widespread issues is body image. Many researchers and regular people agree that the media portrays an unrealistic beauty standard, especially for women. Look at the cover of any modern fashion magazine, you will see a thin woman bearing flawless skin and a beautifully proportionate face with gorgeous healthy (usually blonde) hair perfectly arranged in this season's latest style. If you actually take the time to go through these mags, you'll notice that over half the booklet is made up of advertisements selling beauty products that will supposedly make us better. This "perfect girl" is depicted in those magazine ads, on billboards, in movies and TV, almost anywhere in media. Although the media's portrayal of ideal beauty through ridiculously skinny and perfect models is merely a marketing strategy for the products they're selling, it's still causing many women to feel insecure by placing a strong emphasis on the value of physical perfection. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 47% of girls from 5th - 12th grade wanted to lose weight because of magazine pictures, ad 69% reported that magazine pictures influenced their idea of the "perfect" body shape. 

You can view more statistics and information here: ANAD: Eating Disorder Statistics


Here are some photos from media that have been photoshopped to meet the beauty standard:

This is supposed to be a Plus Size model! What plus size chick sees herself as the 2nd woman?

Rachel McAdam's super cute laugh lines, edited out of existence :(

Madonna, photoshopped to look extremely younger than she obviously is, the delicate wrinkles on her beautiful aged skin never to be published for the public eye to see. We've seen Madonna as a young woman throughout her entire career, I think it's time to stop being ashamed and embrace the inner cougar.

Gwen Stefani is in her mid 40s! She's not perfect, but I think they just should have just got rid of the zit and left her aged skin alone. Contrary to popular opinion, I  like the aged skin look, it's very attractive in a new way. No, her skin is not new, but the wrinkles are... it's like a new beginning.

Tom Ford explains this phenomena perfectly in an excerpt called "Forever Love"

“I am tired of the cult of youth. The cultural rejection of old age, the stigmatization of wrinkles, grey hair, of bodies furrowed by the years. I am fascinated by Diana Vreeland, Georgia O’Keeffe and Louise Bourgeois, women who have let time embrace them without ever cheating. Society today condemns this, me, I celebrate it..” 

Unfortunately, Tom and I are of the few people who feel this way. Because of the media's strong influence on most people, beauty standards will always be unrealistic. Girls will continue to viciously hate themselves and buy the products, and as time goes by the standard becomes more and more difficult to achieve (as it has).

Media Autobiography

Throughout my life I've had a very close relationship with media. It has always been my form of entertainment; giving me the ability to access multiple sources of information, convenient ways to communicate, and so much more.

Like most of the other American kids in my generation, I grew up watching unhealthy amounts of mind numbing television. Nowadays, I limit myself to viewing one independent newscast called "Democracy Now!", one of the few TV news broadcasts that are NOT corporate sponsored/government funded.

I love watching movies, especially documentaries. I usually watch them streaming for free online, or on Netflix. I used to have a huge VHS collection but I sold most of the tapes at the flea market.

Since middle school I've always had an mp3 player with me at all times, filled with music I got from ripping files from my friend's CD's or downloaded on the internet. I try to download two albums a day. Free and legal from bandcamp.com, or illegally from a pirated torrent or zip file. I collect cassette tapes to play in my car and boom box. I never listen to the radio because I get frustrated finding a channel that doesn't suck.

My parents never really emphasized the importance of reading, so I never read for my own entertainment and benefit until I was about 16 years old.  I love living next to the library and being able to access thousands of books for free. Sometimes I order certain books on Amazon because at the public library I am frequently unable to access the obscure radical literature that I crave.

My grandparents read the newspaper every single day. I'm not really into wasting resources to print articles most people can easily access online, but I respect their preference. I read some independent newspapers/newsletters when I occasionally come across them.

I utterly despise most mainstream magazines. Especially the ones targeted for young women, made up of mostly advertisements featuring "perfect" women promoting unrealistic beauty standards, and animal-tested products made with unnatural ingredients. I prefer reading "zines". Zines are small cheap handmade books or pamphlets that include articles written by the same person who xeroxed all 35 copies in existence. Zines are meant to be copied and redistributed. People who write zines usually hand them out for free or trade with other zine writers who share similar interests. You can buy specific zines for super cheap all over the web, and some zines are scanned and put online for your complimentary reading pleasure. I prefer to own and write/publish physical zines only.

I would love a job in the media, as long as I had full creative control and nobody restricting me from saying what I'd like to say.