Toddlers + Tiaras = beauty?

Most of the time when we see the red boxes and white letters we immediately know that’s it’s the logo for TLC, the Learning Channel. The past couple of years it has been garnering many accolades for there interesting and engaging programming. Shows like Little People, Big World, 17 Kids and Counting, and Jon and Kate plus 8 have had skyrocketing ratings.
The main appeal of TLC’s programming is the reality based and family friendly shows. It gives many of us a personal look into other families lives. But they’re not just ordinary families. There families who are stereotypically different, who have challenges or difference that makes us normal people feel unsettled or curious.
In recent months, as TLC introduced its fall line up, they started facing some controversy- from high school students. There new show Toddlers and Tiaras has sparked a nationwide outcry of disgust.
Toddlers and Tiaras is a show that follows families that have children involved in beauty pageants. These children are splattered with spray tans, fake eyelashes, flippers (for there still growing teeth), heels, full make-up, hair extensions, skimpy swim suits, and provocative dresses and gowns. But that’s not all. They’re daily life includes practising sultry runway model walks, meeting with a coach, practising there poses, and polishing up the right attitude to go with it.
When watching the show you can’t help but be disturbed. These children don’t even look or act like children, except for the occasional meltdown, but even then the meltdowns aren’t childlike. They scream, swear and threaten their own parents. The parents give in, because god forbid there children cry or threaten to drop out of the pageant, it would have a horrendous effect on there bankbooks and reputation.
The main problem with this whole situation is the parents and there desperation. They are desperate to relive all their childhood dreams and ambitions through there children. They’re too busy being the children and trying to fill the void of insecurities, inadequacies, and opportunities they were never offered.
Two teenage girls, Karrin Huynh and Lesley Cornelius have had enough and created a Facebook group. [1] The group was created to encourage people to make TLC take some actions and stop glorifying this topic.
Unfortunately, nothing has been done so far. After receiving complaints from viewers the message has been forwarded to executives to further consider actions that must be taken. [1]
The other problem besides the exploitation of these kids, which is a big problem, is the effect on many girls out there. “And society wonders why girls have low self-esteem and low self-confidence when they’re sitting at home wondering, ‘Is this what I’m supposed to look like? Is this what I’m supposed to be?’” This is Huynh accurate thoughts. We’re always told from parents to hold off on make up, and heels aren’t what make us or our outfits pretty, yet we see these adults glorifying this.
This show is such a negative message to girls all over the place. How these girls look is not natural, nor will the emotional consequences a couple of years from now. We’re creating a generation that is more obsessed with looks than any other generation, and we don’t have any excuse because we are much more informed. We know what eating disorders are and we know the different stimulants teenagers go for.
To make things worse, TLC continues to defend the concept of the show. Yet if you go on there website you can rate the contestants on a scale one through ten. TLC is yet again contradicting everything there saying. These contestants are kids, it’s not healthy by any means to rate them at that age.
These kids already seem brainwashed and act 20 years older. I’m sure Jon-Benet Ramsey is in the back of everyone’s mind. What happened to that little girl could have been avoided and it’s a shame how the adults acted in that situation. But that just shows the different people out there and the actions they’re willing to take.
To conclude, removing Toddlers and Tiaras should be taken into serious consideration. There are not many advantages that come out of this show, and the disadvantages certainly outweigh the good. It promotes a negative message to a big part of society and is the force behind the destruction of many children’s lives.

Work Cited
[1] “TLC controversy” “Student want ‘Toddlers & Tiaras’ off the air”, TVGuide.ca, February 4, 2009. March 30, 2009
http://tvguide.sympatico.msn.ca/TLC+controversy/TVNews/Articles/090204_toddlers_tiaras_scandal_DW.htm?isfa=1

Pictures From:
#1 (TLC logo) http://www.thejills.com/
#2 (2 girls) http://tlc.discovery.com/tv/toddlers-tiaras/about-toddlers-and-tiaras.html

Will YOU be my BFF?

There was a time when women like Cindy Crawford and Brooke Shields were the most admired Hollywood it girls. Beauty, money, beauty, charm, fame, more beauty and brains was all included in the package deal. Both these women appealed to both males and females, something that isn’t easy to accomplish.
Nowadays all you need is anxious body parts, a mouth that talks, oh and having a rich family name helps. Que in our generations “blond bombshell”, the one and only Paris Hilton.
We’re all guilty of failing for those ridiculous “reality” shows. It seems the concept of them gets crazier and crazier. When I heard of Paris Hilton’s new project- her search for a BFF (best friend forever) I immediately thought no way am I going to fall for it. No way was I going to waste my time. After all this is the same woman who rudely interrupted my soap operas, while playing her own real life soap opera when she was sent off to jail. No way was I going to support any airtime for her.
Unfortunately, the same could not be said for another member of my family. While washing the dishes one night I couldn’t help but hear some interesting comments. Comments that made me stop what I’m doing and run for the TV.
In the eyes of Paris Hilton winning a challenge increases your royalty, acting immature and insecure to impress someone makes you a better candidate for a best friend. A best friend forever that is.
It’s hard to say what’s more embarrassing, the fact that Hilton can honestly do what she does with a straight face and convince herself she’s doing good and working hard like normal folks, or the irresponsible Network owners who allow these shows to run.
The whole concept for the search for a new friend is a joke, never mind the fact that desperation is written all over it. We all know in a real world you can’t test people to be friends, unless your desperate for desperate people to call you a “friend”.
Everything from the over the top walk she does, to her overdone appearance, to her ineffective emotional speeches are wrong. It is an unsuccessful way of garnering sympathy from North Americans. Are we supposed to feel sorry for her? I certainly don’t. Not many people can live with so many crimes on there records and have only the amount of time she had in jail. No one after breaking loose gets their own reality show making fools of other people. No one gets to open yet another fragrance. No one should be famous for just being famous.
There are many talented young women out there that if they received half the attention Hilton did, would make a difference. But then again there is a reason why those girls are not in the public eye. Yes, as people we strive for negative stories, but girls like Natalie Portman, Emma Watson, Emma Roberts and Hilary Duff don’t jump at the chance of talking about how hard working and humble they are. They are the girls that should be celebrated.
Going back to the show, besides free promotion and career opportunities I’m convinced there’s more in it for the contestants. They act as if she is royalty or one of the wonders of the world. Now I understand everyone wants there 15 minutes of fame, but where the heck are people’s morals? Doesn’t anyone feel stupid, embarrassed, lousy, and cheap after groveling at her feet in front of thousands?
To quickly conclude, its nothing new the amount of attention young starlets get, but it gets old, which is why it’s so frustrating to see people like Hilton all over the place. We’ve seen enough. We’ve seen all her poses, camera angles, heard more than enough interviews and for some they have seen all there is to see- literally. It’s time to let people like Hilton just pass, and use the media or the money that is invested in shows in better places.
After watching the last ten minutes of the show, which included two girls bawling their eyes out and begging for another chance to be her friend, I began my walk of shame back to the kitchen.
As Paris always says TTYN (talk to you never).

Europe Ilusions

During March 10th to the 20th Kaitlin, Brittany, and me spent time in Europe. The first half of our trip was spent in Greece and the other half in Italy. We had a full itinerary that included a lot of travelling and sightseeing. Transitioning from city to city to we were able to see the culture and lives that Europeans live. To our surprise Europe was not only in different in its architecture and history but in how people dress, entertain, and run their businesses, all under the influence of different forms of media.
Some of the main things we noticed regarding media were:
- The different sports culture
-Nudity
-Food habits
-Music
-Lack of body obsession
-Fashion
-Advertisement
-Youth legalities
Below are our thoughts and feeling about the different categories.

"I love this Blog"

Michael McCloud vs. Toby Keith

Toby Keith is a famous country singer and songwriter, who is very famous for his outspoken politics and music. In 2006, a musician by the name of Michael McCloud filed a lawsuit against Keith claiming that Keith’s song "I Love this Bar" was copied from his self-written song "Tourist Town Bar". [1] Keith was adamant about proving his innocence, and convinced the courts that the original writer was Scotty Emerick and he did not copy the song. This helped Keith's case tremendously and the lawsuit against him was dismissed.
Below is a video clip of the two songs.

Toby Keith - I Love this Bar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q85rPq1u9sc

Michael McCloud- Tourist Town Bar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU9OYRPb7nw

My first thought when I was watching McCloud's video was how rude and pathetic he seemed in the YouTube clip which was taped during his many performances of that song. He comes off very arrogant and sneaky. If he really is innocent and was really fighting for musical integrity there was no need for him to add the part of how Keith was going to make him "...a rich man, with a comfortable life, retirement, house, car, big boat, and Harvard education for kids". It displays selfish motivation behind the whole incident. Yes, one could say he was bitter about the fact that his song was stolen, but in this case I think he was going into it more for the money and attention then the music.

But anyone that is remotely familiar with country music will know that Tobey Keith is a very controversial artist and I was very skeptical about him too. I am very much aware of the trouble that the Dixie Chicks went through a couple of years ago, and like many people became a loyal fan of the Chicks. During the controversy Toby Keith only added fuel to the fire and had many negative comments about the Chicks and the lead singer Natalie Maines. He crossed the line many times and Natalie fought back, which created the now infamous Toby Keith and Natalie Maines feud. He is not one to walk away and his actions can cause some confusion and doubt of his character. But after listening to both songs, I think it's just one of those simple catchy tunes that aspire from something else and there's not that much similarity. The notes are not the same, neither are the words. The two similarities I did notice was that both men have pretty deep voices and added the same emphasis when they sing "I love this bar" or "tourist town bar" at the end of a verse but that is what's usually the case for songs that are structured this way. Below are the lyrics of the opening verses for each song.

"Tourist Town Bar"

We get bimbos and bozos and bikers and boozers
Daytime drunks and three-time losers
We get a room full of rednecks and fancy dressed fellas
And busloads of bluehairs and dirtbags and sailors.

"I Love this Bar"

We got winners, we got losersChain smokers and boozersAnd we got yuppies, we got bikersWe got thristy hitchhikersAnd the girls next door dress up like movie stars

There is no obvious copying and I again think it's just one of those simply constructed songs that have a hook. Even McCloud has said that it's a no-brainer song. "The song was written on the toilet and it took me five minutes". [2] I think this hurt Keith's reputation a little bit, but during that year he had lost a lot of support because of his prior feud. After the case he also had the chance to talk up about the case, and talk is exactly what he did.

"It is an awful thing to be accused wrongfully of copyright infringement. It goes to the core of what you are as a man, a singer/songwriter and an artist. You know it is being done to you by some greedy lowlife opportunist who just wants to get rich off you." [3]

Clearly, both men did not shy away from talking shots at the other. Both men have aggressive personalities and carry a lot of pride. I don’t a direct connection can ever be proven and I think the lawsuit only helped Keith. The song was not that very popular to begin with and with the lawsuit the appeal skyrocketed. In a way, Keith does owe McCloud one thing and that is gratitude for helping his song climb the charts.

[1] "Toby Keith Cleared off Infringement Case", Aces Show Biz, November 30, 2007 <>
[3] “Toby Keith Cleared off Infringement Case", Aces Show Biz, November 30, 2007 < http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00012698.html
Lyrics Sources:
"Tourist Town Bar" - http://www.the9513.com
"I Love this Bar" - http://www.lyrics007.com

Making it and Losing it Big

Have you ever heard of the saying “keep your friends close, and your enemies closer”? What this saying means is you shouldn’t give too much leverage to someone who does not have your best interest in mind, and will take it abuse it and throw it back at you. So when you build a career, that 50% of the time is based on your body, isn’t it like you’re handing millions and millions of people leverage over you?I don’t think it was unreasonable to criticize Britney Spears at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. However, there is equal or more blame to be placed on people that work for her and MTV behind the scenes, who let her go out the way she did. Most celebrities have stylists who must make their clients look good. The same goal applies to the hair and make-up people. It seems as if there were many people missing from this equation or were never informed. These people could have had a major role in making Britney’s performance a success. One of the main attractions to celebrities, especially to pop singers is there image. If Britney did not look so out of place and under qualified perhaps it would have softened the blow.

But to focus back on Britney, since the young age of 17, she made it known every chance she got to show her flat, toned midriff. She became the product associated with those infamous belly tops in the 90s. She allowed it to become her, just as much as Spears is her last name. Before and after her pregnancies, she never stopped resisting showing her body. She has sold this look for so long and that look attracts people to look, and in a way she’s encouraging people to talk about her body. This was a big opportunity that if done properly could have been a huge milestone in her career. There’s no better time to clean up your look, or reinvent yourself then during a comeback. Unfortunately, this is not what happened that night. We saw a side of Britney that many choose to ignore or indulge excessively in. It was clear that the woman was uncomfortable, lost, scared and misguided. It was an eye-opening moment that made many people realize the damage that has and is being done.

It’s easy to say she’s responsible for her actions and she destroyed her career on her own. However, it’s not entirely her fault. The paparazzi, media, her family and friends and all of us a society stood by and watched. We made her what she is, in less than a decade she has sold over 83 million records worldwide. [1] We went out there and bought the records, we called the radio stations, and we bought the tickets. But we’re also the ones that can change our opinions about her just as fast. If we as a society can see so many negative things in a person who clearly is not okay, without looking at ourselves, perhaps we are the ones with the bigger issues.

However, the paparazzi and the media indirectly drove her to that place in her life. They take advantage of this woman’s life. In the documentary, “Speared by the Paps”, the head of an agency openly mentioned that 50% of his time is spent on Britney. [2] He makes his living off of her, and can get up to $10, 000 for one picture! It’s very sad that so many people will cross so many moral and ethical lines, never mind legal laws that violate a person’s right to privacy. But what’s even sadder, is they are not fully responsible because Britney Spears is very much a contributor to the mayhem.

As mentioned on “Speared by the Paps”, Britney has made it a habit to essentially feed, or provide leverage to the paparazzi. She goes out every night and makes it known to everyone. She goes out to popular places, stringing the paps along and providing humorous and erratic behavior. A perfect example of Britney’s behavior in public is in the link below.

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


I think a celebrity can lead a pretty private life if they try; there are many examples of celebrities that do, and they are not just your overnight sensation- they are credible celebrities. Do you ever see Beyonce, Carrie Underwood, Halle Berry, Brad Pitt or Leonardo Dicaprio picking their nose, crashing cars, or getting into car chases? How about Anne Hathaway? Kate Winslet? Oprah Winfrey, perhaps? Probably not, right? Funny enough, these are the celebrities that attain success and still leave a positive and admirable mark in this very forgetful industry. They self-consciously make the decision to use their resources and protect themselves. So to say celebrities’ actions and their daily lives are newsworthy is true, but you do have a choice. Celebrities have a big hand in making something newsworthy, and when you’re flaunting around with your entourage in Hollywood hot spots, then expect some attention. I wholeheartedly agree with the celebrities that are fighting to protect their privacy, if they truly mean it. In the article “As Paparazzi Push Harder, Stars try to push back”, Cameron Diaz shares a story about how the paps pushed over an innocent friend to get a picture. This is ridiculous. [3] Stories like that really show how malicious these people can be and, with no consequences, they will only continue to push harder. No matter what, you should not have people camping out at your drive way, crowding your car, stalking your kids, and having access to personal information like addresses, appointments etc. The paparazzi and the media have absolutely no right whatsoever to that, Britney included.

Creating and enforcing the ‘Britney Law’ which “gives celebrities a safety bubble”, is a positive step forward. [4] But it will be very hard to enforce without violating the paparazzi’s freedom of press.It’s hard to believe that after the emotional year that Britney had, that she would ever work her way back up. But leave it to Britney Spears to climb from the bottom to the top.

At the 2008 MTV VMA’s, Britney not only looked stunning, but won not one, not two, but THREE MTV awards. She made everyone think, about how much a difference a year can make. The days leading to and following her performance were nothing but positive from the media, and praise for Miss Britney Spears was everywhere. The host, British comedian Russell Brand had one of the best lines of the night; “Consider this the resurrection of Britney Spears, if there was a female Christ, its Britney”. [5]All in all, there are many factors that need to be taken into consideration when talking about the media and celebrities, and how you digest what’s being thrown out to you. But it’s important to understand what’s meant for the audience to take in, and what’s meant for you not to understand. Nothing is as it seems. We have to remember that celebrities are people just like us and understand the tough position they are put in. It’s time to open our minds and attempt to understand how hard it is to walk in their shoes. The less we demand the less supply the paparazzi will have.

http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/272735/britney-spears-returns.jhtml#id=1593809


[1] “Biography” – Britney.com
[2] “Speared: by the Paps” - Documentary 2008 (TV)
[3] “As Paparazzi Push Harder, Stars try to push back”, By David M. Halbfinger and Allison Hope Weiner, September 2008
[4] “‘Britney’s Law’ to give celebrities a safety bubble” – Times Online
[5] “Spears dominates MTV awards show” – BBC Entertainment, (bbc.co.uk)

Pictures:
“Oops, I did it again” 2000 Album Cover. Online Image. People.com Feb 20th 2009
“Brintey Shopping” Candid Photo. Online Image. Britney-spears.net Feb 20th 2009