America's Sweetheart

Natalie Portman.

More girls should look up to her. She is such an incredible example of brains, beauty and talent. She was quoted once saying, "I'd rather be smart than be a movie star," after she had already made a name for herself. She is known for taking thought provoking roles, like her role as an 11 year old assassin in "The Professional" or a woman caught up in an anarchist movement in "V for Vendetta" and then her small role as a Hasidic Jewish woman preparing for marriage in "New York, I Love You."

She risks everything while compromising nothing. She is proud of her heritage and Jewish faith. She attended and graduated from Harvard University. She is an actor, a director, a published scholar, a ballerina, soon-to-be mother, and now, Oscar winner.

She is the definition of a role model- in a time when our culture is in DESPERATE of positive examples of women.

So kids, stop following Kim Kardashian on Twitter and stop tuning in each week to see if Snooki will finally meet a "juice head." Do your homework, stay true to your convictions, and strive to the Portman standard- settle for nothing less.

Formula Proven!

I found this article weeks ago and wanted to do it for my Cultural Commentary but decided to wait until the Oscars were over.

Is Hollywood glorifying mental illness? Or is it one last genre that can scare the hell out of us because the horrors and tension of psychological thrillers come not from super powers or a shadowed figure with a knife... the fear we experience comes from the possibilities? Could that be us?

What defines "crazy" and why when a man takes a role dealing with mental health issues, are we less afraid (example: A Beautiful Mind?)

Perhaps the "crazy chick" is more than that. It seems to be such a phenomenon. We watch them on TV as Real Housewives, we watch them battle it out on the Jersey Shore, and we mock them as they make fools of themselves during American Idol auditions, and we follow their lives on TMZ... always wondering what will they do next?

Give me a break!

I LOVE THIS PICTURE!

American Apparel defends the use of porn star models. [Link]

This is so obnoxious. They think they are being pro active by not using models with silicone, collagen, or retouching and for using "average" models or varying ethnicities. The most variation in ethnicities I see is the occasional girl with dark hair and busy eyebrows with slightly exotic but mostly white appeal.

They like the irony in using porn stars to sell clothing. I remember when American Apparel started gaining momentum and they loved to praise the fact that they use "real" women. Now are using women whose entire purpose in life is to simulate/recreate/perpetuate male fantasies.

In the image above you BARELY even see the tube socks porn star Sasha Grey is wearing. What's the point if I can't see the product? 

(Disclaimer: I only know Sasha Grey from her role, playing herself, on Entourage.)

Tom Ford

Artist? Pornographer? Sexist? Pervert?

Golden ticket?

The image we discussed today in class had me wondering what else Tom Ford had to offer. Was the perfume in front of the vagina an isolated incident or no?

The answer is no.

What could he possibly be selling in this advertisement? Suites? The main focus of this ad is clearly the couple having sex on a park bench, not the nicely dressed man in the foreground or the man presumably enjoying a smoke and a free show.

Since he IS a gay icon, I wondered if he portrayed men in the same way --by explicitly sexually objectifying them. Again. Nope.

I still gave him the benefit of the doubt until I saw this overtly sexist ad: 

A man reads his paper while ignoring the naked woman ironing his pants. The woman is both servicing his domestic needs and his sexual desires (whether he wants her or not.)

Lady Gaga's Drunk Diet

Link to Article: Drunk Diet

Whether or not Lady Gaga is trying to be ironic or not, telling the world that she constantly drinks whiskey while working or being hungover is irresponsible and destructive.

With fans of varying ages ranging from male to female, Gaga has devoted fans worldwide who look up to and imitate her. Promoting destructive behavior in order to lose weight is a poor use of her name. And she is apparently working on a book that details her dieting methods.

Give me a break!

Perhaps I'm being overly sensitive as I'm currently reading Portia De Rossi's Unbearable Lightness where she chronicles her battles with anorexia, bulimia, and depression.

American Film and Television to Blame for Reporter's Sexual Assault?

Maybe.

I just read an article by a reporter named Angella Johnson here. In it, she talks about her experiences covering the protests in Egypt. She details an account where she was sexually assaulted, taunted and intimidated by a mob of men similarly to CBS correspondent Lara Logan. 

In her personal account, Johnson quotes a friend of hers who says,

'In their minds, you and Lara were just two "infidel whores", the kind of sexually-liberated women they see in films and videos, or the ones who visit on holiday, get drunk and have liaisons with local men.' 

After spending a semester abroad, I completely agree with that statement. In my first few days in Italy, the coordinator for my program told us explicitly to be aware of our company, how we portray ourselves, and how our behavior could be portrayed or misinterpreted by men.


All too often, in foreign countries, the words "American" and "girl" conjure up lewd images in the minds of men. While I was in Venice, one man was appalled when I refused his advances asking me, "But aren't you American?!" Decades of "teen flicks" have influenced the way the rest of the world perceives not only Americans, but women.


We're often portrayed as drunk and disorderly sluts who give at first resist advances, but eventually give in to the desires of men. We're expected to take our clothes off at parties and make out with one another. We are supposed to dance provocatively and act promiscuously and are very rarely taken seriously.


I believe a lot of factors played into the horrible attacks on these two reporters, but I feel that we should definitely reconsider how our country portrays women to the rest of the world. Perhaps if we were portrayed as intelligent, strong, and confident we might be treated as such -- rather than the objects we are portrayed as and subsequently treated as. 

Ron and Sam

A common scene for Ronnie and Sammi

Last week's episode of The Jersey Shore was disturbing, to say the least.

The notoriously on again, off again couple's relationship came to a head resulting in an outrageously inappropriate blow out fight.

The back story is that Ronnie and Sammi broke up after Season 1 of "The Jersey Shore." In fact, they broke up on live television at the reunion show after secret footage of Sammi confiding in the sleaziest of the roommates, The Situation. During Season 2 in Miami, Ronnie led Sammi to believe that they were back together, while going out and hooking up with anyone and everything behind her back.

Ronnie admitting his infidelities to another roommate.

When the truth came out, she condemned the other girls in the house for keeping the truth from her, and ultimately stayed with Ronnie despite her humiliation. Talk about misguided anger!

Well, here we are at Season 3. The cast is back at The Shore and Ronnie and Sammi immediately appear to make amends-- for the time being at least.

Sammi is an insecure, image obsessed girl who nags and picks on Ronnie, constantly accusing him of new crimes. While unfair and seemingly similar to what she did throughout "The Jersey Shore" experience, this time she had merit.

However, last week their arguments were taken to disturbing new heights. The couple decides to break up after Sammi resorts to punching Ronnie in the face for speaking to one of the other girls in the house. Actually, they make up after that but 24 hours presumably pass, and they are back together.

Now, I cannot recall what exactly sets off this epic battle but I feel that this has largely to do with the fact that what MTV decided to show was terrifying. The couple got into eachother's faces, Sammi was restrained by another roommate trying to claw at Ronnie while hurling insults and swears. Ronnie attempted to throw Sammi's belongings out of their shared room-- including her bed which she mounts as he violently tries to throw her and the bed out of the room.

The fight gets physical with Ronnie trying to remove Sammi's bed at all costs

Curtains are ripped, doors kicked from either side by both restrained parties. Finally the two are separated and Ronnie mutters to himself calling her a slut.

Vinny Restrains Sammy

To make matters more dramatic, both parties end up at the same club. And Sam is determined to "get him back" already. By making him jealous and dancing with "the hottest guy" there.

Ronnie runs home in a rage and not only removes her stuff from his room, throwing her mattress outside where she can "sleep like the dog she is," he smashed and shreds all of her belongings.

Now I understand being upset in the heat of the moment, saying things you can't take back, and that Sammi's logic using jealousy as a tool to get him back was flawed... but calling her a "dog" and a "slut?"

All of this started because Ronnie cheated on Sammi, and yet presumably thousands of dollars of her persona belongings are getting smashed to pieces?

The episode ends with Sammi wisely leaving the house. She and Ronnie agree that she can't heal there, that they need space and time apart. Ronnie is shocked and heartbroken at her decision to leave, he can't seem to fathom that she would ever leave him. And episode goes by and still, no Sammi - just segments of Ronnie isolating himself and crying, sending her roses, and more crying.

At this point, I almost started gaining a newfound respect for the girl. Giving up on a toxic and psychologically abusive (on both sides) relationship, and doing what's best for her and leaving to heal...

But before I can finally start to sympathize with her, the previews for this coming week show her stepping out of a cab and back into the madness.