I turned on the tv the other night and witnessed the decline of our society personified (as it seems I far too often do nowadays when I turn the tv on). I almost couldn't believe what I was seeing, though simultaneously I wasn't all that surprised, which is, I guess, further evidence of the aforementioned societal decline.
The culprit is the newest weapon in the arsenal (operative word being "ars") of that strange and tacky phenomenon known as reality television, and its name is "Paris Hilton is my new bff". I mean come on, the title alone automatically screams "crap" and knocks at least 5 points off of your IQ. And I don't think IQ is the strong suit of any of the people on this show, otherwise there's no way of explaining why someone would waste their time - I certainly would never waste my time on it, aside from the 10 minutes I viewed mainly due to a kind of morbid fascination at how such shows end up getting air time. In that short time, I could feel my brain slowly turning to mush (though not quite to the consistency of the brains of Paris or her potential "bff's"...didn't quite watch long enough).
The title is bad enough, but then on top of it this show stars Paris Hilton with Perez Hilton as her sidekick. Basically, it's like "Flavor of Love" but instead of looking for a new mate (or prostitute, depending on how you look at it), Paris is trying to pick her new, well, bff. And also I think Flava Flav may actually be slightly more intelligent and interesting than Paris is. The show "blurb" describes the contestants as "aspiring socialites" (or something) and may I just say how nice it is to see young women aiming high and setting rewarding goals for themselves. When I tuned in, they were unveiling the results of an apparent vote of who in the group is the most and least fake (though I could have picked out a few fake ones just by looking, if you know what I mean), which is so hilarious to me considering the show itself revolves around a skinny, plastic, barbie doll who makes her living pretending to be a real person.
One girl, who was apparently voted one of the "least fake" said the following (not necessarily verbatim): "I mean, I licked tongues with a random dude, and pretended to make out with a girl, getting steamy on camera...it's been a good week for me". How sad is that that this girl rates a good week by the number of lewd and tacky things she can fit in. And what saddens me even more is that there are probably hundreds of young girls watching that thinking how cool it is and wishing they could do it too. What kind of world do we live in that young girls have no one to look up to close to their own age except boozing actresses and spoiled botoxed socialites? What kind of world do we live in that has allowed people like Paris and Perez (and numerous others) to have exponentially more than what should have been 15 minutes of fame? People think we've come so far, we're so much more advanced than we used to be, things are so much more civilized now when evidence to the contrary is merely a remote click or a newsstand browse away.
The thing is though, programs like this are on tv because people want to watch them. We get a sick kind of entertainment from these mindless programs and the self-absorbed antics of out-of-control celebrities. We buy into the culture, and therefore perpetuate it. I could go on all day listing theories as to WHY we have this fascination, but it doesn't really matter. What matters is that we have it, and there's no reason why we should. What we should have a fascination for are things like helping make the world better, pride, intelligence, individuality, selflessness, innovation.
Most of us do appreciate these things of course, but the problem is that celebrity obsession (and other tasteless fare) are slowly being elevated to the same level of importance in some ways. I am generalizing about people of course - I do believe that most people in the world are rational and intelligent and don't pay attention to any of that pop-culture crap aside from an occasional glance at a tabloid or 10 minute peek at a reality program, however (as with most things in life) it only takes a few.
Bottom line is, I was disgusted about this show. However, even though the fact that we live in a world with questionable values distresses me, I take comfort in the fact that we also live in a world that allows me to click "off" on my remote and go pick up a good book.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Sure you can make babies - when we say you can!
One of the countless news stories that came along in the wake of the devastating May 12th earthquake in China was the "offering of solace" given to grieving parents in the form of a temporary lift on the "one-child policy", meaning that couples whose only child was maimed or killed as a result of the disaster would be allowed by the government to have another child.
Well, gee, how generous of the Chinese government. They clearly have their citizens' best interests at heart as always - just as they did when they decided to introduce the "one-child policy" in the first place.
This policy was introduced in the 1970's as an attempt to reduce exploding population growth - an idea that has proven to work better in theory than in practice. Despite the fact that the introduction of this policy has prevented an additional 400 million births (acccording to the government...I mean, who else?!), it has also given birth (forgive the pun) to a multitude of disgusting customs, including forced sterilizations and forced abortions (overwhelmingly of girls in favour of male heirs). The result? An extremely unbalanced gender ratio and an increasingly suppressed, and one can imagine, frustrated people.
It is appalling to me that a country as technologically advanced and culturally rich as China can have such an abysmal human rights record. The mere fact that the government has the right by law to regulate the reproductive rights (or lack thereof in this case) of its citizens is dreadful enough but the fact that they then have the audacity to "allow" couples who have lost their child in a horrid natural disaster to have another one. It's sort of like allowing death row inmates to choose what they'd like their last meal to be - it's pretty cold comfort. You'd think we'd have come at least slightly further from the systemic genocide ala Hitler of more than 60 years ago. Instead it seems like that was just yesterday. In fact it seems like the Stone Age was just yesterday and we're all still Cave-people, grunting and beating each other with clubs. And considering China's population is nearing 1.5 billion people, it's clear that the policy originally instituted to curb population growth isn't doing much good anyway.
Another "uplifting" news story ran at the same time as this one about the worldwide outrage of disability groups over an official guide for Chinese volunteers at the upcoming Beijing Olympics on how to "deal" with disabled persons. This guide describes disabled persons as "a special group...with unique personalities and ways of thinking...(who are) isolated, unsocial and introspective...stubborn and controlling...defensive (with) a strong sense of inferiority" and states that they "might have unusual personalities because of disfigurement and disability", among many other grossly stereotypical and condescending pieces of "advice".
The article notes that persons with disabilites, whose population numbers in excess of 80 million in China alone (more than 2.5 times the entire population of Canada, I might add) are regarded with a "curiosity bordering on disdain". Hand-in-hand with the "one-child policy", the Communist party has fostered deep prejudices against persons with disabilities, resulting in marriage bans between disabled and non-disabled persons, abortions of disabled fetuses, physical attacks and forced isolation, all practices that attempt to "weed out" and ostracize "abnormal" or "unhealthy" people.
How admirable of the Chinese government to care enough about its people to do everything they can to keep them safe from such freakish creatures and to save them from the stress of raising multiple children.
These news items ran right around the same time as stories of Tibetan protests and Chinese sneaking earthquake updates through their cell phones; updates that they weren't able to obtain through the government controlled internet and news outlets.
Frankly, in the wake of these news stories, I'm scared for the Chinese people and can't imagine how they live their everyday lives under the shadow of such oppressive and malignant political tyranny. Mostly, though, I'm scared that one of the largest, most powerful nations on our planet is the harbinger of such discriminatory and outrageous political ideas.
The one consolation one could possibly take from the stories I've discussed, and specifically the "one-child policy" is that less new citizens means less future civil servants.
Well, gee, how generous of the Chinese government. They clearly have their citizens' best interests at heart as always - just as they did when they decided to introduce the "one-child policy" in the first place.
This policy was introduced in the 1970's as an attempt to reduce exploding population growth - an idea that has proven to work better in theory than in practice. Despite the fact that the introduction of this policy has prevented an additional 400 million births (acccording to the government...I mean, who else?!), it has also given birth (forgive the pun) to a multitude of disgusting customs, including forced sterilizations and forced abortions (overwhelmingly of girls in favour of male heirs). The result? An extremely unbalanced gender ratio and an increasingly suppressed, and one can imagine, frustrated people.
It is appalling to me that a country as technologically advanced and culturally rich as China can have such an abysmal human rights record. The mere fact that the government has the right by law to regulate the reproductive rights (or lack thereof in this case) of its citizens is dreadful enough but the fact that they then have the audacity to "allow" couples who have lost their child in a horrid natural disaster to have another one. It's sort of like allowing death row inmates to choose what they'd like their last meal to be - it's pretty cold comfort. You'd think we'd have come at least slightly further from the systemic genocide ala Hitler of more than 60 years ago. Instead it seems like that was just yesterday. In fact it seems like the Stone Age was just yesterday and we're all still Cave-people, grunting and beating each other with clubs. And considering China's population is nearing 1.5 billion people, it's clear that the policy originally instituted to curb population growth isn't doing much good anyway.
Another "uplifting" news story ran at the same time as this one about the worldwide outrage of disability groups over an official guide for Chinese volunteers at the upcoming Beijing Olympics on how to "deal" with disabled persons. This guide describes disabled persons as "a special group...with unique personalities and ways of thinking...(who are) isolated, unsocial and introspective...stubborn and controlling...defensive (with) a strong sense of inferiority" and states that they "might have unusual personalities because of disfigurement and disability", among many other grossly stereotypical and condescending pieces of "advice".
The article notes that persons with disabilites, whose population numbers in excess of 80 million in China alone (more than 2.5 times the entire population of Canada, I might add) are regarded with a "curiosity bordering on disdain". Hand-in-hand with the "one-child policy", the Communist party has fostered deep prejudices against persons with disabilities, resulting in marriage bans between disabled and non-disabled persons, abortions of disabled fetuses, physical attacks and forced isolation, all practices that attempt to "weed out" and ostracize "abnormal" or "unhealthy" people.
How admirable of the Chinese government to care enough about its people to do everything they can to keep them safe from such freakish creatures and to save them from the stress of raising multiple children.
These news items ran right around the same time as stories of Tibetan protests and Chinese sneaking earthquake updates through their cell phones; updates that they weren't able to obtain through the government controlled internet and news outlets.
Frankly, in the wake of these news stories, I'm scared for the Chinese people and can't imagine how they live their everyday lives under the shadow of such oppressive and malignant political tyranny. Mostly, though, I'm scared that one of the largest, most powerful nations on our planet is the harbinger of such discriminatory and outrageous political ideas.
The one consolation one could possibly take from the stories I've discussed, and specifically the "one-child policy" is that less new citizens means less future civil servants.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Welcome to the "The Real World"... it kinda sucks
Ok, this procrastination stuff is getting ridiculous...considering I haven't written a word on this blog in, like, 4 months, I think it's high time I spend some time. Now that I'm no longer a University student, I'm hoping I will have more free time to spend doing things I actually LIKE (like my writing)...
Speaking of no longer being a University student, my new situation has made me realize why some people spend their lives being "lifelong students", endlessly jumping from one program to the next, racking up debtloads along the way that would make George Bush blush. Despite all the time over the past four or five years that I've complained about paying way too much money in tuition and spending all my free time (or so it seemed) writing papers or studying, now that I don't have to do those things I (oddly enough) miss doing them.
Well, okay not really. I certainly don't miss the monotony or stress of being in school as much as the sort of "suspended reality" one lives in when attending school long term. I mean the more years you spend attending University, the longer you can avoid "real life" and adulthood, that is to say a regular job and (gasp) settling down. Of course this is not to say that University students do not have any responsibility or are out of touch with reality (though, as always, there are some exceptions); on the contrary. I'm simply saying that because of the very nature of the structure of University education, it is almost impossible for one to lead a settled lifestyle - you can't really work at a regular job (which means you can't really have a regular cash flow), your schedule (and sometimes residence) changes every few months, you must switch between the different sides of your brain and skill set on a daily basis, etc.
One also exists in a kind of state of "suspended adolescence" because of this kind of lifestyle where (for the most part), except for a crushing barrage of work around the middle of the semester and again at the end, you have a lot of time to sit around and chat with friends, drink, surf the internet; pretty much do whatever the hell you want. Heck, your parents are across town/province/country, so what are they gonna do?! Well, except for those of us who were lucky enough (or cursed accordingly, depending on how you look at it) to live at home.
I've also realized that you get SO many perks and discounts as a student that it almost makes the huge tuition payments worthwhile (almost). You get breaks on new cars, all kinds of tickets, trips, restaurants, shopping, and it goes on and on! For example, I renewed the Globe and Mail subscription for mom for Mother's Day under the "student" option and one full year of Saturday's at that rate only cost me $70! The regular rate is about $150! Good thing those student numbers stick with you for a while...
Anyway, regardless of your specific University experience and what it entailed, generally in a crude manner of speaking, going to school is a great way to avoid "The Real World". Of course everyone has their own definition of this "real world" concept, but many believe it to refer to the "working world". The world of 9 to 5 and offices, fax machines and meetings. Now that I'm a part of this world, I can attest that it isn't so bad. It's actually kind of exciting. Besides, I'm certainly no stranger to the working world, considering I've had jobs since I was 14. I've realized that it really isn't something that should be avoided anyway.
But I can still see why people continue to go to school over and over again. Aside from the points I made above, learning is fun, isn't it?! I know that sounds incredibly dorky, but I believe that any kind of education is NEVER a waste of time. So, who cares if you go to school for 10 years or earn 4 degrees as long as it's something you enjoy and that enriches your life? Some people get satisfaction from their job and some get it in other ways. I personally try and gain satisfaction from ALL areas of my life, and I've gotten it from my education and now I am trying to get it from my job. It's about being conscientious, dedicated and proud - no matter what you're doing.
Though, it would be really nice to still be able to get all those discounts I once enjoyed...
Speaking of no longer being a University student, my new situation has made me realize why some people spend their lives being "lifelong students", endlessly jumping from one program to the next, racking up debtloads along the way that would make George Bush blush. Despite all the time over the past four or five years that I've complained about paying way too much money in tuition and spending all my free time (or so it seemed) writing papers or studying, now that I don't have to do those things I (oddly enough) miss doing them.
Well, okay not really. I certainly don't miss the monotony or stress of being in school as much as the sort of "suspended reality" one lives in when attending school long term. I mean the more years you spend attending University, the longer you can avoid "real life" and adulthood, that is to say a regular job and (gasp) settling down. Of course this is not to say that University students do not have any responsibility or are out of touch with reality (though, as always, there are some exceptions); on the contrary. I'm simply saying that because of the very nature of the structure of University education, it is almost impossible for one to lead a settled lifestyle - you can't really work at a regular job (which means you can't really have a regular cash flow), your schedule (and sometimes residence) changes every few months, you must switch between the different sides of your brain and skill set on a daily basis, etc.
One also exists in a kind of state of "suspended adolescence" because of this kind of lifestyle where (for the most part), except for a crushing barrage of work around the middle of the semester and again at the end, you have a lot of time to sit around and chat with friends, drink, surf the internet; pretty much do whatever the hell you want. Heck, your parents are across town/province/country, so what are they gonna do?! Well, except for those of us who were lucky enough (or cursed accordingly, depending on how you look at it) to live at home.
I've also realized that you get SO many perks and discounts as a student that it almost makes the huge tuition payments worthwhile (almost). You get breaks on new cars, all kinds of tickets, trips, restaurants, shopping, and it goes on and on! For example, I renewed the Globe and Mail subscription for mom for Mother's Day under the "student" option and one full year of Saturday's at that rate only cost me $70! The regular rate is about $150! Good thing those student numbers stick with you for a while...
Anyway, regardless of your specific University experience and what it entailed, generally in a crude manner of speaking, going to school is a great way to avoid "The Real World". Of course everyone has their own definition of this "real world" concept, but many believe it to refer to the "working world". The world of 9 to 5 and offices, fax machines and meetings. Now that I'm a part of this world, I can attest that it isn't so bad. It's actually kind of exciting. Besides, I'm certainly no stranger to the working world, considering I've had jobs since I was 14. I've realized that it really isn't something that should be avoided anyway.
But I can still see why people continue to go to school over and over again. Aside from the points I made above, learning is fun, isn't it?! I know that sounds incredibly dorky, but I believe that any kind of education is NEVER a waste of time. So, who cares if you go to school for 10 years or earn 4 degrees as long as it's something you enjoy and that enriches your life? Some people get satisfaction from their job and some get it in other ways. I personally try and gain satisfaction from ALL areas of my life, and I've gotten it from my education and now I am trying to get it from my job. It's about being conscientious, dedicated and proud - no matter what you're doing.
Though, it would be really nice to still be able to get all those discounts I once enjoyed...
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Miss America: Just a Regular Gal?
I have to say, I get an overwhelming feeling of dread whenever I see an advertisement for a new reality show. In my opinion, these television shows are trashy, over the top and do not earn the "reality" moniker in any shape or form (at least no reality I've ever experienced). However, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued when I saw the commercials for the TLC show "Miss America: Reality Check". Not only was it to be hosted by Michael Urie, who is hilarious on "Ugly Betty", but the commercials were funny and the show claimed to give the traditional Miss America pageant...well, a reality check. Considering how entertaining Urie is, and my belief that tall, tanned "barbie dolls" (as most pageant participants usually are) could do with a reality check (or at least a swift kick in the shapely knee), I decided to tune in.
The basic premise of this new look at Miss America is to reinvent the pageant and to "bridge the gap" between the contestants and the public. The first episode shows interviews with some members of the public expressing their opinion of Miss America and what they believe she represents. Most people used words like " manufactured", "robots", "fake", and "outdated". Armchair feminist that I am, I was thinking that this was going to be my kind of show.
In true reality show fashion, the 52 girls (representing each of the United States) were thrown together, and were given makeovers - on the inside as well as the outside. They were exposed to a fashion intervention by "What Not to Wear"s Stacey & Clinton, divided into teams, pushed into relay-like physical challenges, quizzed on United States history, and forced to flex their fashion muscle in a re-design and runway walking challenge. All of these challenges claimed to take the girls out of their beauty pageant comfort zones, re-train them, and to make them seem more human to the general public.
As TLC/Miss America press release states: "“We wanted to re-energize the Miss America brand in a way that made it more relatable to today's young women,” said Angela Shapiro-Mathes, president and general manager, TLC. “We worked closely with Sam Haskell and the Miss America Organization to give the pageant a new sensibility that was more reflective of our audience and that (resonates) with the viewers.”
For me overall, it was sort of like watching the love-child of Survivor, America's Next Top Model, The Apprentice, and Project Runway but in this reality show, no one was kicked off (which, let's face it, takes away half of the entertainment value). Instead, each week the judges (all of whom were supposed to be "celebrities" of sorts, and none of whom I had heard of) chose the girls who were Top 3 and the Bottom 3. It was clear that some of the girls immediately stood out and got the attention of the judges (Miss Alaska, anyone?) and some you just didn't even know were there (most of the other contestants). Possibly the part that most intrigued me was the fact that, at the end of the "reality check" series, the Miss America pageant aired as usual, but the new Miss America was chosen by the American people - for the first time in 87 years! Ah, the wonder of the Internet. The lucky girl turned out to be Miss Michigan, Kirsten Haglund (one of those ones, funnily enough, that I didn't even realize was there on "Reality Check").
Well, this certainly wasn't the most riveting television show I've ever seen, but I have to be honest and say that, despite this, I found the premise to be quite interesting and timely. In an age where we seem to be increasingly bombarded by manufactured role models and fake...well, everything, it is refreshing to see an effort being made to make particular role models more accessible, relatable, and real. With the hairspray, make-up and sequins stripped away, it was easy to see many of the girls had insecurities and past traumas to deal with, just like me. Beauty queens have feelings, too (and brains as well, apparently...well...most). And it seems I'm not alone in my opinion, considering 19 million viewers tuned into the final show on January 26th.
However, my high hopes for the final show were quickly brought down to earth, once I actually tuned in (briefly). There was the big hair and big gowns, the sequins and cake makeup, the swimsuits and the spray tans, the glued on smiles, and the rehearsed answers. Granted, I didn't watch the whole thing (Miss Washington's singing "talent" hurt my eardrums so much I had to switch the channel), but what I did see I was disappointed with. Did these girls learn nothing on "Reality Check"? What was the point of reinventing the image of Miss America and humanizing the contestants if they were just going to appear as lacquered barbies on the televised pageant anyway? I expected something more original, hip and new and wanted to see the fun, fashionable girls I saw on tv, being less than perfect. Evidently, those girls got lost on the way to pageant land.
It seems the idea behind reinventing Miss America was a good one in theory, but in practice it didn't really translate. I know deep down that all of the girls competing to be Miss America are smart, talented, caring, and open-minded. I know that they have goals in life, heartbreaks, bad hair days, and stressful episodes just like me. I know that there is more to them than just dazzling smiles and high heels. However, as Michael Urie says in the commercials advertising the show, "your sequins are burning my retinas!", and the metaphorical sequins on these girls burned my retinas so much I found it hard to see past them to the important things. As it says on another commercial for the show, "before there were singing idols, top models, or dancing stars there was a competition to be the best at everything" - I mean, do you know anyone (or want to) that wants to be the best at everything?? It takes more than a reality show to relate to someone, especially when you only know them as "Miss Florida" or "Miss New York" instead of as Kylie or Elisabeth, and the only girls you seem to see on the screen anyway are the ones with the biggest mouths and not the most integrity or intelligence.
Perhaps Miss America isn't quite ready for the kind of full-scale reality check it really needs.
The basic premise of this new look at Miss America is to reinvent the pageant and to "bridge the gap" between the contestants and the public. The first episode shows interviews with some members of the public expressing their opinion of Miss America and what they believe she represents. Most people used words like " manufactured", "robots", "fake", and "outdated". Armchair feminist that I am, I was thinking that this was going to be my kind of show.
In true reality show fashion, the 52 girls (representing each of the United States) were thrown together, and were given makeovers - on the inside as well as the outside. They were exposed to a fashion intervention by "What Not to Wear"s Stacey & Clinton, divided into teams, pushed into relay-like physical challenges, quizzed on United States history, and forced to flex their fashion muscle in a re-design and runway walking challenge. All of these challenges claimed to take the girls out of their beauty pageant comfort zones, re-train them, and to make them seem more human to the general public.
As TLC/Miss America press release states: "“We wanted to re-energize the Miss America brand in a way that made it more relatable to today's young women,” said Angela Shapiro-Mathes, president and general manager, TLC. “We worked closely with Sam Haskell and the Miss America Organization to give the pageant a new sensibility that was more reflective of our audience and that (resonates) with the viewers.”
For me overall, it was sort of like watching the love-child of Survivor, America's Next Top Model, The Apprentice, and Project Runway but in this reality show, no one was kicked off (which, let's face it, takes away half of the entertainment value). Instead, each week the judges (all of whom were supposed to be "celebrities" of sorts, and none of whom I had heard of) chose the girls who were Top 3 and the Bottom 3. It was clear that some of the girls immediately stood out and got the attention of the judges (Miss Alaska, anyone?) and some you just didn't even know were there (most of the other contestants). Possibly the part that most intrigued me was the fact that, at the end of the "reality check" series, the Miss America pageant aired as usual, but the new Miss America was chosen by the American people - for the first time in 87 years! Ah, the wonder of the Internet. The lucky girl turned out to be Miss Michigan, Kirsten Haglund (one of those ones, funnily enough, that I didn't even realize was there on "Reality Check").
Well, this certainly wasn't the most riveting television show I've ever seen, but I have to be honest and say that, despite this, I found the premise to be quite interesting and timely. In an age where we seem to be increasingly bombarded by manufactured role models and fake...well, everything, it is refreshing to see an effort being made to make particular role models more accessible, relatable, and real. With the hairspray, make-up and sequins stripped away, it was easy to see many of the girls had insecurities and past traumas to deal with, just like me. Beauty queens have feelings, too (and brains as well, apparently...well...most). And it seems I'm not alone in my opinion, considering 19 million viewers tuned into the final show on January 26th.
However, my high hopes for the final show were quickly brought down to earth, once I actually tuned in (briefly). There was the big hair and big gowns, the sequins and cake makeup, the swimsuits and the spray tans, the glued on smiles, and the rehearsed answers. Granted, I didn't watch the whole thing (Miss Washington's singing "talent" hurt my eardrums so much I had to switch the channel), but what I did see I was disappointed with. Did these girls learn nothing on "Reality Check"? What was the point of reinventing the image of Miss America and humanizing the contestants if they were just going to appear as lacquered barbies on the televised pageant anyway? I expected something more original, hip and new and wanted to see the fun, fashionable girls I saw on tv, being less than perfect. Evidently, those girls got lost on the way to pageant land.
It seems the idea behind reinventing Miss America was a good one in theory, but in practice it didn't really translate. I know deep down that all of the girls competing to be Miss America are smart, talented, caring, and open-minded. I know that they have goals in life, heartbreaks, bad hair days, and stressful episodes just like me. I know that there is more to them than just dazzling smiles and high heels. However, as Michael Urie says in the commercials advertising the show, "your sequins are burning my retinas!", and the metaphorical sequins on these girls burned my retinas so much I found it hard to see past them to the important things. As it says on another commercial for the show, "before there were singing idols, top models, or dancing stars there was a competition to be the best at everything" - I mean, do you know anyone (or want to) that wants to be the best at everything?? It takes more than a reality show to relate to someone, especially when you only know them as "Miss Florida" or "Miss New York" instead of as Kylie or Elisabeth, and the only girls you seem to see on the screen anyway are the ones with the biggest mouths and not the most integrity or intelligence.
Perhaps Miss America isn't quite ready for the kind of full-scale reality check it really needs.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
A New Year's Quiz: 2007 in Review
1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before? Took a trip by myself...took the train from London to Paris in June and traveled around the city all alone (only got lost once!). I was quite proud of myself lol.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? God, no, I never keep those. My big one for this year is to save money and considering my track record on that front, I don't anticipate keeping it (though I will try hard). I would also like to lose some weight and exercise more, but I foresee an outcome similar to the one predicted above.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Nope...though like 3 or 4 of my friends got engaged (including my best friend). So, I may answer this question 'yes' by next year.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Yes, unfortunately. My mom's bf passed away very suddenly on May 31st. They were together 10 years. It was quite a shock and tainted the subsequent months of the year with stress and depression in our house. But we're getting through it.
5. What countries did you visit? St. Lucia, England, France (Paris), Netherlands (Amsterdam)Great year for travel for me, thank my lucky stars.
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? I would like to have more confidence and less stress.
7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? May 31st for the reason mentioned in #4.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Besides school, probably (finally!) quitting my job at Shoppers Drug Mart. It's not really an achievement per se, but I had wanted to do it for a long time and never thought I would. I worked there for 6 years so it was kind of sad to leave, but also liberating at the same time.
9. What was your biggest failure? Probably in not taking care of myself properly, in terms of diet and exercise. I ate a lot of crap and didn't work out enough. Not laziness, just no motivation, I guess.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Just small colds and flu-y things (including one while in Europe...figures), a couple cavities and a root canal (do those count as injuries?)....nothing major. I actually managed to avoid the Norwalk flu that inflicted both my mom and sister, and the Mumps outbreak (even though I didn't even get vaccinated). I guess my immune system must have been top notch this year, though that doesn't make sense considering my answer to #9 (?).
11. What was the best thing you bought? I bought lots of clothing that could fit into this category. In true 'me' fashion I didn't really buy anything practical or useful. Though our family (not just me) bought a new kitty in March and she's been awesome....and my ticket to the Aerosmith concert in PEI in August was probably the best $75 I've spent in a long time.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My mom's...she took Phil's death really hard, but at the same time dealt with it in an amazingly calm manner. There was so much ugliness surrounding the event that anyone would have cracked under the pressure but she soldiered on and lived her life despite it.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The behaviour of a certain person's family members who were out to get everything they could and make people's live miserable in the process.
14. Where did most of your money go? OMG definitely to way too many items of clothing.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? My trips to Europe and St. Lucia, the Aerosmith concert/road trip to PEI.
16. What song will always remind you of 2007? Probably Umbrella by Rihanna, just because it seemed like I heard it every two seconds on the radio or downtown and everyone on the Europe trip was constantly singing it.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or Sadder? Sort of both - there's just been a lot of changes this year and it's been hard to take them all in....and it's been a lonely time the last few months. But I've had some good experiences this year too, and I feel like the next year is a real turning point in my life.
Richer or Poorer? Well richer since October, in that I've been making more money at my new job, but poorer in that I've spent a lot of it lol.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? I wish I had flirted and put myself out there more with potential dates...I've had some opportunities that I missed out on I think because I was a chicken shit lol.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? I wish I had relaxed more and given myself more of a break (I have a hard time doing that).
20. How will you be spending Christmas? Spent it with family...mom, sister, and grandmother, just relaxing, going to movies and plays, shopping. Also, I spent a lot of time with friends I hadn't seen in a while catching up and laughing. I spent a large proportion of my time eating also lol.
21. Did you fall in love in 2007? Alas no....not to be a downer but I can't seem to find love. I like the freedom and fun of being single but sometimes it gets old and when all of your close friends are either engaged or in long term relationships it's a constant reminder that you're not. Who knows what will happen this year though....
22. How many one-night stands? Uh none, thanks. I'm not that kind of girl.
23. What was your favorite TV program? I discovered HGTV and am now hooked on real estate shows like Location Location Location and House Hunters.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? I don't hate anyone but let's just say that my opinion of some ppl has changed and I learned some things about ppl that I don't necessarily like.
25. What was the best book you read? Probably Notes on a Small Island by Bill Bryson. It's about his travels through England and I read it before I traveled to England so it provided a good education. It was just hilarious, too, regardless and I'm going to read his other books now I enjoyed that one so much.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? I went to see Gordie Sampson with Shaye in PEI in the summer and I LOVE him now! I went to see him with Symphony NS too. I'd always known of him but never really listened to him, and now that I have gotten to know his songs and seen him live, he's awesome!
27. What did you want and get? Well I wanted to generally have some interesting experiences and I got some of those, and as cheesy as it sounds I wanted to spend more time with friends and family and that worked out well also, thankfully.
28. What did you want and not get? See #21 - I seemed to have bad luck in love this year and it's frustrating. To quote Freddy Mercury, "can anybody find me somebody to love?!"
29. What was your favorite film(s) of this year? I really liked the Bourne Ultimatum and Superbad was frigin hilarious.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I just went to dinner with some friends and then came back to my place and hung out. My bday is right around exam time and 2 weeks before Xmas so it's hard to do anything much due to lack of time and money on the part of most people. I turned 23 (ugh).
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? I would have liked to have taken another trip somewhere....maybe to NYC or down south again.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? I've always loved clothes but I really started taking more chances and being more creative with my outfits. I've tried to have fun with fashion and not care what other people were wearing or what they thought of my clothes. I dressed to be comfortable but also on trend and unique.
33. What kept you sane? Hanging out with my friends, my Art workshop I did with a friend of mine, occasional trips.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? There's not many of these I fancy overly much since I'm a bit disenfranchised with our society's obsession with celebrity, but I do find it entertaining sometimes. There wasn't really anyone in particular that I fancied though...
35. What political issue stirred you the most? I don't generally follow politics either b/c it makes me angry lol. Can't think of anything in particular.
36. Who did you miss? I missed my family when I was away and I missed my friends that moved away in September.
37. Who was the best new person you met? Probably my new boss Yvonne or Katalyn from Ohio at the UK PR Seminar :)
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Talk about things and nobody cares
Wearing other things that nobody wears
Ya callin' my name, but I gotta make it clear
Can't say where I'm gonna be in a year
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
That no matter how bad things get there is always someone worse off than you. Also, you need to force yourself outside your comfort zone, take chances and put yourself out there in all situations or you won't move forward.
2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? God, no, I never keep those. My big one for this year is to save money and considering my track record on that front, I don't anticipate keeping it (though I will try hard). I would also like to lose some weight and exercise more, but I foresee an outcome similar to the one predicted above.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Nope...though like 3 or 4 of my friends got engaged (including my best friend). So, I may answer this question 'yes' by next year.
4. Did anyone close to you die? Yes, unfortunately. My mom's bf passed away very suddenly on May 31st. They were together 10 years. It was quite a shock and tainted the subsequent months of the year with stress and depression in our house. But we're getting through it.
5. What countries did you visit? St. Lucia, England, France (Paris), Netherlands (Amsterdam)Great year for travel for me, thank my lucky stars.
6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007? I would like to have more confidence and less stress.
7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? May 31st for the reason mentioned in #4.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Besides school, probably (finally!) quitting my job at Shoppers Drug Mart. It's not really an achievement per se, but I had wanted to do it for a long time and never thought I would. I worked there for 6 years so it was kind of sad to leave, but also liberating at the same time.
9. What was your biggest failure? Probably in not taking care of myself properly, in terms of diet and exercise. I ate a lot of crap and didn't work out enough. Not laziness, just no motivation, I guess.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Just small colds and flu-y things (including one while in Europe...figures), a couple cavities and a root canal (do those count as injuries?)....nothing major. I actually managed to avoid the Norwalk flu that inflicted both my mom and sister, and the Mumps outbreak (even though I didn't even get vaccinated). I guess my immune system must have been top notch this year, though that doesn't make sense considering my answer to #9 (?).
11. What was the best thing you bought? I bought lots of clothing that could fit into this category. In true 'me' fashion I didn't really buy anything practical or useful. Though our family (not just me) bought a new kitty in March and she's been awesome....and my ticket to the Aerosmith concert in PEI in August was probably the best $75 I've spent in a long time.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration? My mom's...she took Phil's death really hard, but at the same time dealt with it in an amazingly calm manner. There was so much ugliness surrounding the event that anyone would have cracked under the pressure but she soldiered on and lived her life despite it.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? The behaviour of a certain person's family members who were out to get everything they could and make people's live miserable in the process.
14. Where did most of your money go? OMG definitely to way too many items of clothing.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? My trips to Europe and St. Lucia, the Aerosmith concert/road trip to PEI.
16. What song will always remind you of 2007? Probably Umbrella by Rihanna, just because it seemed like I heard it every two seconds on the radio or downtown and everyone on the Europe trip was constantly singing it.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or Sadder? Sort of both - there's just been a lot of changes this year and it's been hard to take them all in....and it's been a lonely time the last few months. But I've had some good experiences this year too, and I feel like the next year is a real turning point in my life.
Richer or Poorer? Well richer since October, in that I've been making more money at my new job, but poorer in that I've spent a lot of it lol.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of? I wish I had flirted and put myself out there more with potential dates...I've had some opportunities that I missed out on I think because I was a chicken shit lol.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of? I wish I had relaxed more and given myself more of a break (I have a hard time doing that).
20. How will you be spending Christmas? Spent it with family...mom, sister, and grandmother, just relaxing, going to movies and plays, shopping. Also, I spent a lot of time with friends I hadn't seen in a while catching up and laughing. I spent a large proportion of my time eating also lol.
21. Did you fall in love in 2007? Alas no....not to be a downer but I can't seem to find love. I like the freedom and fun of being single but sometimes it gets old and when all of your close friends are either engaged or in long term relationships it's a constant reminder that you're not. Who knows what will happen this year though....
22. How many one-night stands? Uh none, thanks. I'm not that kind of girl.
23. What was your favorite TV program? I discovered HGTV and am now hooked on real estate shows like Location Location Location and House Hunters.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? I don't hate anyone but let's just say that my opinion of some ppl has changed and I learned some things about ppl that I don't necessarily like.
25. What was the best book you read? Probably Notes on a Small Island by Bill Bryson. It's about his travels through England and I read it before I traveled to England so it provided a good education. It was just hilarious, too, regardless and I'm going to read his other books now I enjoyed that one so much.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery? I went to see Gordie Sampson with Shaye in PEI in the summer and I LOVE him now! I went to see him with Symphony NS too. I'd always known of him but never really listened to him, and now that I have gotten to know his songs and seen him live, he's awesome!
27. What did you want and get? Well I wanted to generally have some interesting experiences and I got some of those, and as cheesy as it sounds I wanted to spend more time with friends and family and that worked out well also, thankfully.
28. What did you want and not get? See #21 - I seemed to have bad luck in love this year and it's frustrating. To quote Freddy Mercury, "can anybody find me somebody to love?!"
29. What was your favorite film(s) of this year? I really liked the Bourne Ultimatum and Superbad was frigin hilarious.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I just went to dinner with some friends and then came back to my place and hung out. My bday is right around exam time and 2 weeks before Xmas so it's hard to do anything much due to lack of time and money on the part of most people. I turned 23 (ugh).
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? I would have liked to have taken another trip somewhere....maybe to NYC or down south again.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007? I've always loved clothes but I really started taking more chances and being more creative with my outfits. I've tried to have fun with fashion and not care what other people were wearing or what they thought of my clothes. I dressed to be comfortable but also on trend and unique.
33. What kept you sane? Hanging out with my friends, my Art workshop I did with a friend of mine, occasional trips.
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? There's not many of these I fancy overly much since I'm a bit disenfranchised with our society's obsession with celebrity, but I do find it entertaining sometimes. There wasn't really anyone in particular that I fancied though...
35. What political issue stirred you the most? I don't generally follow politics either b/c it makes me angry lol. Can't think of anything in particular.
36. Who did you miss? I missed my family when I was away and I missed my friends that moved away in September.
37. Who was the best new person you met? Probably my new boss Yvonne or Katalyn from Ohio at the UK PR Seminar :)
38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Talk about things and nobody cares
Wearing other things that nobody wears
Ya callin' my name, but I gotta make it clear
Can't say where I'm gonna be in a year
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007.
That no matter how bad things get there is always someone worse off than you. Also, you need to force yourself outside your comfort zone, take chances and put yourself out there in all situations or you won't move forward.
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