Gender Discussions

I found myself having many more opinions over this topic than I honestly thought I would. First, on the topic of the dance team on the cover of the alumni magazine. I didn't, by any means, find this offensive or inappropriate. Having been a dancer in high school, and at one time having the dream of going to Kilgore Junior College to be a Kilgore Rangerette, I know that sports bra's and shorts are just the way many dancer's practice. Dancers are athletes, they work hard, so no, they aren't going to practice is bulky sweats or something like that. I don't know much about this particular dance team, but from what I've heard, it seems they are a very prestigious team and would be of interest to many people.

During the video we watched during class, the one statistic that stuck out to me was the one that mentioned that girls between the ages of 9 and 10 have tried to lose weight. That's kind of shocking to me. When I was 9 or 10, my weight was the last thing on my mind. Granted, I've always been a small person, but still, this shouldn't be something that kids this age worry about, unless it is significantly affecting their health (childhood obesity, diabetes, etc.). It wasn't said but I am assuming that that statistic dealt with girls who didn't have these health problems and just wanted to lose weight so they can look like the images they see on television? That's heartbreaking, but I think that at that point, parents should step in and tell their children how beautiful they are on their own, and the images they see on t.v. aren't real.

Now, of course, what woman wouldn't want to look like a Victoria's Secret model or something like that? But, I think people need to wise up and realize that it's not going to happen. Everyone has their insecurities, but the older I've gotten, the more I've learned to be happy with myself. I get up early, I take a shower, fix my hair, put on a little makeup, and I care about my clothing, but I'm not dressing up for anyone but myself.

Finally, the photo of Erin Burnett in the Vanity Fair article. Yes, she was sitting very seductive, yes that dress was beautiful and not one she would wear while running the floors of the stock market, BUT, it was Vanity Fair. Vanity Fair is a fashion type magazine, it's a bit provocative, so it was no surprise to me that this photo was in the article. I saw nothing wrong with it, or the photo of Maria Bartoromo. Maria appeared like a strong business woman, and I think that's probably an accurate depiction of who she is.