I Don't Love New York

As the Ladyfriend I am subject to viewing that which Mr. Harrell deams important for his Media Class. I have been quiet up to now. But alas, I have been subject to many a reality show, which I am not impervious to entirely (see Manor House, ok & Project Runway), but this goes beyond anything right and just. Flavor of Love was singularly painful enough, but now, because the uber skank was such reality tv gold, she's rewarded with her own show? And, we watch it? I am a champion of one's right to a guilty pleasure. But, can we encourage this type of programming? It's so egregious it hurts my feelings. Does anyone agree?

I LOVE NEWYORK

I LOVE NEWYORK
JAN. 8 @ 9pm !! VH1 !!!

On Late Style: Music and Literature Against the Grain

This came into my Inbox and it reminded me of the article we read by Edward Said.

Najla Said will be reading from the posthumously published book On Late Style: Music and Literature Against the Grain by her father, the late Edward Said, on Monday, November 27th at 7PM at Labyrinth Books ( 536 West 112th Street) - one of my favorite bookstores in New York! Check out the link above for more details.

its funny, you should watch it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8SY3AxmmLI

thoughts on double standards...

I really like Kristin and Maddy's posts from last week--they nicely express the double standard and the way in which we buy into it. Something to think about--given the pervasiveness of explicit images of sex and sexuality in our culture, it is certain that the people offering these unfair judgments indulge in or approve of pornographic/explicit depictions of sex and sexuality. So, we (they) readily approve of the consumption of explicit sex and sexuality, but we (they) object to actual women seeking pleasure in actual sex (or, for that matter, men seeking emotional solace in the same).

How can this be? One thought is that we (they) don't see depictions of sex and sexuality as really real sex. If so, then what ARE they? And how do we counteract either unsettling observation?

http://www.ilovereality.com/Shows/theswan.html

Swan pictures

This link is from the show The Swan, we were talking about today. It's just a bunch of before and after pictures of the first season, if you scroll to the bottom of the page. One girl actually got eliminated for having a hidden mirror. Also, before I found these pictures, there was an article from one of the girls in the previous season. She and her husband are now getting a divorce. The reason was basically cause shes now hot, and can do much better(apperance wise) reguarding guys....
a little superficial?? i think sooooo....

what kris10 was sayin...

even though i also feel the same way kris10 nd maddy feel, the way i see it is that if u r sleeping around whether u r a guy or girl u r a slut/whore w/e.... u shouldnt do it in the first place and you should have higher morals than that, but ppl 2day such as New york dont see those high standards nd that is why they get called names like that in the first place.but hey thats just me and i dont know why ppl do the things they do but thats the way the cookie crumbles!!!

NewYork Slut

So I was thinking about what Maddy posted below about how if a woman sleeps around shes a slut and if a guy does it then awesome!.. so this really makes me mad >:0 ... but then I realized that I think like that too. At first I feel that women have just as much need for sexual innuendos and should not be scorned as men are not, for fulfilling their needs. But as I was thinking about last nights Flavor of Love, the first time on the show I had respect for NewYork. She said goodnight to Flav, and left his room. I was really suprised. NewYork had at least a little bit of class in her and did not sleep with Flave..... 5mins later though, shes back to being crazy sluttyy NewYork and goes to his room to spend the night. Although she is a bit of a character, NewYork spent the night with the man she loved on their last night together. So I wonder.. what made me think of her as a slut? I like to believe that men should treat women equaly ect. but do I even really believe that? I cant lie. I know if I saw this girl hooking up as much as an average guy does, even in my mind shes a slut;whore; w/e..
Idk how you all feel this way at all, but for me I'm thinking to myself... how can I say one thing and really feel another...

Double (and unfair) Standards

Hi all--
I really like Maddy's comment below, and I think this is the right quesiton to be asking. I am also really happy with Kristin's comment to it--we hold the double standard because we aren't nearly as progressive as we would like to think. The reading that I am going to ask you to do this week directly addresses this point.

For now, I'd like you to think about the double standards you see--why is it that women MUST be sexy (wear the right clothes, act a certain way) to earn the respect of others (both men and women!)? And yet she is punished if she is actually sexual (pursues sexual gratification)? This difference and the way we code the difference is surely problematic.

Last question: who benefits and who is hurt by all of this? Kristin comments that she likes it when men open doors and treat ladies like ladies--a comment that is perfectly fine with me--but it has to make you think. It is easy to say that men benefit from the double and unfair standards, but it would seem that's too easy. Think about what Wolf argues in the article for last week--men don't benefit from the "pornification" of our culture, they are left lonely, deluded, and unfulfilled it seems. It seems to me fair to say that men are generally harmed, even as women are generally punished by the way we code gender in our culture. What do you think?