I would say that this relates to a gender power dynamic, but this ad is the result of a cultural pendulum whose swing is now moving toward the opposite gender. What was once exclusively within the purview of womens’ problems, is now being redirected toward men; weight loss, and it’s ugly cousin “weight consciousness” are now, this ad campaign announces, men’s problems as well.
The message’s medium is an apt framing mechanism: The campaign attempts to align masculinity with being fit (a la, being “slim”—the male version of “skinny”).
The cultural dialogue through which this pendulum swing justifies itself goes something like this, “women have been subjected to the cultural standard of “weight consciousness. Therefore, it is only fair that men are as well.”
The only problem I have with this conversation is it’s failure to address the underlying issue that should be leveled at weight consciousness; that is, neither gender should be subjected to this ridiculous standard, neither men or women.
It is very upsetting to me that this underlying issue is completely subverted in favor of a superficial and jejune debate about the unfairness of a cultural double standard.
It is the standard itself that should be rectified, not it’s unequal enforcement.
And, that is why you should not buy Miller 64—a new beer to help men hate themselves.
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Source: Uploaded by user via Katie on Pinterest
They must be soo happy. Can’t you tell from their smiling faces. Wouldn’t you like to have their lives? Their tans; their bodies; What excellence!
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They are the greediest around.
Triplets
Just think about it.
Step 1, start a blog. Step 2, wear cool clothes. Step 3, listen to only the coolest music. Repeat.
The internet perpetuates the myth that, wherever its users may be, there is something more interesting happening or existing online. And, this is not entirely untrue. There may be something more important happening online, but, without question, the intenet insists that it is more important. The blazing screen demands your attention.
Well, here is the proposed logo. Designed by my sister, I think it is a pretty good start.
Logo
As I am allowed to do.
Since you are reading this, I will tell you what I have changed my mind about. I have changed my mind about making this blog an exclusively music blog. Though, I must confess that idea never originated with me. It was my mom’s idea. She, with all her maternal intentions, became (I can only speculate) quite enthralled with the idea of me having a music blog. She saw it, I guess, as some sort of opportunity for me to brand myself.
I have never been one for self-commodification or resume inflation. I have always wanted the record to reflect who I actually am, the “real” me, despite the fact that that sounds so 90′s idealistic. So, I am changing the record to reflect this epiphany. This is my blog.
A question that arises from this discussion is that of what, then, will be the purpose of this blog. It is my new intention that this blog become a record of my struggles. And, here, I do not use the word “struggles” lightly or unintentinally. My life, as every human’s life, is a struggle. Again, this word is not used in the Marxist sense either. I do not mean to invoke that trope. I hope it will suffice for this discussion to accept the propostion that life, in it’s most basic sense, is a struggle.
That being the case, I will not wholly abandon this blog as a platform for my music career. I am a musician and I do make music. But now I will open pandora’s box—the story of my life.
You will have to forgive me if I forget to provide the proper prologue to many of my confessions, revelations, and stories. These will be forthcoming on an ad hoc basis.
You will also have to forgive my lax style of writing. This is, after all, a blog with all of its propensity toward rambling.
And, before I do any more rambling, I will leave it at that for now.
