Here is an example of an image that gives a negative message to women, that their place is in the home and it is their duty to serve their husbands. It is implied how a women should look as the image of perfection. By having a Barbie stand in a 1950s kitchen shows the society’s perception on female gender roles. Sure the Barbie is wearing a short dress, (unlike the 1950s) but is could be to relate to what holds true today, that not much has changed. Working women still get paid less than men in many occupations and sometimes are not taken seriously male dominated world.
I got to thinking today (a dangerous pastime, I know) while I was out running tonight. I sometimes do my best plotting of fic in this mode. Today, however, I got to thinking about running. Or more specifically, running when you’re not exactly modern society’s idea of ‘fit’ - which quite frankly is fucking stupid. You run to get fit - so at some point you must have been ‘un-fit’. At least that has to be the case with some of us.
And why was I thinking of this? Maybe because on occasion I’ve had the stray thought of ‘I must look like a walrus waddling, when I run’ - and that is a stray thought that might hit while running, when someone runs past you, fitter, faster, better. (Well, they’re not better, but at times, even I have negative thoughts about myself).
So today it hit me, that we really do not make it easier for anyone to exercise and get healthy. We are hit with a barrage of images online/tv/marketing that shows us that we should be skinny/fit/thinner/fitter/better - but it never gives us the tools to get there, now does it? Some of it may sound like it’s offering it, but we all know it’s full of shite.
It’s like a constant search for how to GET to that point, where you’re the one who’s fit/healthy. I don’t subscribe to the modern image of healthy, btw. You don’t have to be near starving to death to be fit (far from it - if you do it right, you should be adding calories as well as burning them or you’re seriously doing yourself harm).
All I can say is how I’ve gotten from the ‘waddling walrus’ to not giving a shit *g*.
I don’t accept invitations to go running with other people. (Mainly because it’s impossible for me to find anyone with the same rythm and I I LIKE being alone sometimes - clears my head...)
I’ve gone through so many diets over the years and it’s taken that long to find one that works for ME (doesn’t mean it works for everyone else) - and above all it’s helped me feel physically better - it’s great living on the 2nd floor and not feeling winded before you pass the 1st floor (that’s European floors, to you Americans - we start at 0 - like any proper programmer).
I pop in my earplugs and listen to whatever - some days it’s score music (I’m particularly fond of Henry Jackman). Other days it’s Welcome to Night Vale or some podfic I’ve gotten my hands on. Somedays it’s Rammstein or bog standard pop music. It does help me to focus, keep the rhythm.
Apps. I am the one who will say “There’s an app for that” ;) - And I make use of them. I use Runkeeper to track speed and distance. It just was never enough. And that’s where Couch25K comes in. And currently Couch210K - the first one is made for people like me who was never taught how to get into a running habit - how to run, how NOT to run. It’s all interval training - so a lot of walking in between shorter running intervals in the beginning. I’d like to mention that I HATED running in school. Absolutely abhorred it.
Being a tenacious little bastard. That’s me. After a while it becomes second nature. Some weeks I get in 3-4 runs (never two days in a row - did that once, regretted it). Other weeks I get in 1-2 runs - it all depends on what I can get in without stressing myself.
I have to admit that it probably helps that I’ve gotten to that point in my life where I really don’t care what people think about me. This is me, take it or leave it. Hell, I work in a bookstore, at a uni - and I pick my t-shirts by mood. Some days it’s an awesome Calvin and Hobbes inspired Groot and Rocket - other days it’s a Deadpool one. The students have learned to read these like mood icons *eg*
So I’ve taken that attitude with me into running. I don’t care if I look like a waddling walrus - I feel good after a run and a shower. I was 95,5 KG when I started in August 2015 - I’m roughly 79,5 KG now - and I have so much more energy! Hell, sometimes, during the weekend, I’ll get up in the middle of fiddling with code/website coding (just because I enjoy it) or writing a fic - and go on a run. It clears my head and if I’ve had something not working in the coding or the writing, I can normally spend that time, thinking it through during the run.
So never think it’s too late - whether it’s running or just getting some regular walks in (and some fresh air - unless you live in a big, smog-filled city of course), do it - don’t bother wíth what other people might think. Who gives a shit anyway?
This has been a broadcast from my mind, choosing to do this instead of doing my PHP exercises XD. I apologize for the haphazard throwing around of words and grammer - and stray thoughts.
So you know how in films, the leading actress is always beautiful, and you possibly find it strange that all the amazing young actresses out there are beautiful, it's because it's a requirement when auditioning for their films!
They don't just say "looking for smart, athletic girl", no, they say "looking for beautiful, smart, athletic girl"! I mean there could be so many girls who would want to go to the audition, if just for experience if nothing else, but then their confidence is knocked by reading this, and thinking "I'm not beautiful", and you wanna know why these girls think like this, because we've been lead to believe that people have to damn near perfect to be beautiful. I'm one of these people, I'm no where near perfect, but I don't think I'm ugly, so I don't know whether or not to go alone for this audition just for the experience, if I'm just gonna be told, "you're not perfect enough".
I don't know what to do, and I was completely up for going to the interview before I saw that, but my confidence has gone completely out the window, now that I know I would be around a ton of other teenagers who think they're beautiful.
I also hate that girls generally have to be tall to counted as beautiful. I'm 4' 9. I'm tiny. It's not my fault I'm a midget, why make it something else I have to be insecure about, weren't the acne scars enough?
Here’s the problem: some people believe what others say without discovering if it really is true or not. Most of the time the perception that leads to bogus judgment is formed based on what the society dictates. This is the reason why some upcoming and good products struggle to be as marketable as the established ones. For some people their perception towards the quality of the product would mainly depend on the brand or the name of the product and not the product itself.
When someone tells you that something is good or is really good then your expectation towards something is formed and yes it is because that expectation that you wouldn’t appreciate it as much as you’re supposed to because it has been oversold to you hence you will call it as overrated. Same goes with people, I always remember that when someone tries to hook me up with a girl it has been always oversold to me where the picture in my mind as what has been described to me is far from what I’ve actually seen.
I recently talked about how looks and photos can be deceiving. When you see a girl in a mall walking around with such a kinky outfit or when you see a picture of a girl showing some skin or a lot of skin, you might start to think that she’s naughty, she’s no longer a virgin, she’s a pervert or she’s a slut. When you see an exotic looking girl with a foreigner or an old rich looking man with a young and sexy girl, you would think that she’s with him just because of the money.
What you may not know is they can absolutely feel how you judge them with just the way that you look or even stare at them. Trust me I’ve heard it for myself. I heard this while I was with a couple of foreigners in an elevator at the condo and that’s what they were talking about. It’s really unfair on their part.
Yes this is the reason why racism and stereotypes exists. A certain image has been built and it became a standard to define a person based on the way he looks. These people are expected to live according to what they are labeled and if they fail or if they act differently as they are supposed to be then they are considered as weird or different and not in a good way. How hypocritical of these people to preach about there’s nothing wrong with being yourself while constantly hating on other people who are being themselves. It just doesn’t make any sense.
Just so you know not all Asians are good in math. Just because you’re wearing a suit and have that businessman or gentleman look with you that would mean that you already are one. Being a gentleman is not defined by what you wear it’s based on how you act and treat others. Just because someone is constantly attending mass or even attending prayer meetings with their religious factions it would mean that they are good people and they don’t indulge in certain activities such as smoking, drinking alcoholic drinks and even pre-marital sex. What they do seem so holy and all but they are no saint they continue to sin just like every one of us.
Especially in religious youth factions not all of those people there are in there for the sole reason of worshiping the Lord some among those people are still in there for different reasons. I’m not saying that it’s not good to be in such groups because in fact it can really change your life for the better but this is something that truly exist or at least existed. How did I know those things? Simple, I used to attend those prayer meetings before and I was in it for different reasons. One is yes to worship, two is because my siblings and my cousin were going as well and three is the possibility of meeting a potential girlfriend there. Instead of growing there, I got tired of being in there because the first reason eventually became the last. And I’m in there for the wrong reason at least that’s the way I see it.
It always makes me laugh whenever I use such absurd examples to explain this concept and my personal favorite is: if some person claims that poop are actually healthy and good for us some people might actually try eating their poop to see it for themselves. I know it's really ridiculous but it’s far from impossible for the subject itself is enough to gather attention and publicity. It will be scrutinized and it will be criticized but some are fool enough to believe in what’s not and they will believe it simply because somebody told them that it is what it is.
Every guy is the same they will make you fall in love and leave you crying in the end. This would only be agreeable if the reason for being left crying is death. If it’s because of constant heartbreaks and heartaches because of the numerous relationships that you had where either you’ve been taken for granted or you’ve been cheated on or both then let me tell you that you are totally wrong.
Just because it’s what the society dictates then it is right or it is wrong already. We are entitled to have our own opinion regarding things. Don’t be afraid to look at things differently because a lot of things that you can see are deceiving. It’s only when you open your mind to the possibility that there could be another way to look at certain things that you’ll be able to see what the reality is.
If you are going to judge someone or something because of what others told you regarding it then better not judge at all because for the last time the society has a flawed perception that you certainly can’t immediately believe unless you have proven it yourself.
