Young Writers Society

Shriek. Wrong place for that post. This thread is against those threads..

Anyway, Muse and Areida, perhaps the reason you guys don't feel it's wrong is because you're both effing beautiful. What about the people like me with the low self-esteems who aren't the sexiest people on the planet? I DO feel like starving myself every once in a while. I feel like that today, in fact. Because I'm not confident enough to love who I am and I'm not strong enough to not want attention from guys.

Nai - We aren't mindless media-controlled barbarians? THEN WHAT ARE WE?! Have you looked around America lately? Honestly! Take a look at your wardrobe, what your friends are talking about, what the school is planning to introduce next year. My freaking yearbook REVOLVES around the media and what's popular and such. The theme this year? Reality TV shows. Hey, the media tells us that these are worth watching and look where it ends up.

While I do enjoy looking at the pictures of guys, it's wrong to say that those men are hot and regular guys aren't. I'm proud of Qi putting his picture up there. I honestly think that we should all put our pictures up there instead of pictures of anorexic celebrities. I'm sick of how we idolize thinness and say that physical beauty is the only thing worth living for. It's absolutely disgusting.

Areida rant...O...M...G! hahhah

Wow, thanks for the compliment. I know that statement wasn't directed at me, but it essentially says that people who don't have a problem with it must be beautiful. Well, I'm not. I'm about as plain as they come, with an abnormal bone structure. The point is to keep things in perspective, and to learn to love yourself no matter what you look like. You're right that Qi made a smart move in posting his own photo. That shows how he feels about himself.

There are reasons these men are considered more attractive. It goes back to us being sexual beings, you know. The ones we are attracted to either have the qualities we want our children to have, or have the qualities we want in a father to help raise and protect that child. If you have kids, you want them to be strong and healthy, right? If we're not able to talk to them, the only way we can judge is by the way they look.

I think whether you, in society, are percieved as attarctive or not, has little to do with your self esteem. It's how you feel about yourself, how an indervidual looks at oneself that matters. At one end of the spectrum, a person seen as fairly unattarctive by society may be contented with their looks and appearance, but at the other, one who is seen as attacrtive, may see themselves as pudgy, whether they are underweight or not is completely irrelevent. But what are you going to do? Blame Kate Moss? A model is an occupation, not everyone has to agree with it, but it is one nonetheless. Blame marketing? Media? Go ahead. People are aware these days, but they still look.

go Rei, just what I was thinking. How attractive we find someone, this goes for us ladies, also has to do with menstrual cycles as well. So while on our period, certain men will be found attractive while others wont, such as strong, healthy will be the more attractive. And for the rest of the month, intelligence is more attractive. Because as Rei said we are primoridal, sexual beings and we want are kids to survive but for the rest of month we'd like to survive. ahh...the cavemen in blue jeans in all of us.

I am really very surprised at the mixed response here. Just having some fun? Sure. You know what the #1 statement given in defense of sexual harrassment is? "Well, I was just having some fun..." These threads are not about who we find attractive, which celebrities are good-looking, they are about placing a "hot guy/girl" on a pedastel for all to see (and worship). This is what I see when I look at either of those threads. Perhaps these girls don't make you want to throw up Ar, but can you honestly tell me you have never looked at a celebrity or a model and for even a second wished with all your heart you could look like that? Displaying them gives them power over us. It gives the "smallness" of women and the "bigness" of men purchase in our world. It allows stereotypes to be perpetuated and it allows for a very unnerving background noise of unhealthy messages about male and female sexuality and their symbolic place in the world.

Yes, I would rather have girls masturbating to images of "hot" guys rather than going out and getting pregnant...but why? Why do you have to look at guys to initiate self-love? If you put your energy into worshiping your own body, you will find the experience much more enjoyable. There many ways to satisfy sexual urges. Only one of them involves intercourse...with a man. When you love your body totally, you can grow to be less ashamed of it, less willing to hide it under clothing and makeup and 'lust' for boys. Technically, we need men for one reason. Procreation. Not that I advocate such an extremist opinion, but to assume you need a man to satisfy your sexual desires is absolutly ludacris.

Technically, we need men for one reason. Procreation.

It works both ways, Gal.

I was illustrating to Areida that her impression that we need men for sexual gratification was silly. I know men masturbate, they don't need women for that.

For those incapable of human interaction...

can you honestly tell me you have never looked at a celebrity or a model and for even a second wished with all your heart you could look like that

Yes what gives me low self esteem and makes me want to go aneroxic is looking at my friends who are size 8, can wear anything and look great in it. But mainly it's the group of girls going around bitching about your weight and asking when the baby's due that makes me want to be a stick ¬¬.

Crysi wrote:Nai - We aren't mindless media-controlled barbarians? THEN WHAT ARE WE?! Have you looked around America lately? Honestly! Take a look at your wardrobe, what your friends are talking about, what the school is planning to introduce next year. My freaking yearbook REVOLVES around the media and what's popular and such. The theme this year? Reality TV shows. Hey, the media tells us that these are worth watching and look where it ends up.

Well first off, I am aware that most of America are zombies to the media, i'm just saying that most of us here, and those around the country smart enough to know what they need and don't need, are not influenced as strongly by the media as others.

As for me, I don't worship any certain brand, and I don't buy things I know I said I like Nike and Adidas, but that's only because I like the way the clothes are made, I like the way they look, and the way they feel, not because their popular. And I personally don't like or buy shirts with huge logos all over them.

lol What are my friends talking about? My friends are talking about girls, jobs, family problems, school, and the occasional anticipation of movies coming out.

The only thing my school uses from the media are quotes from recent movies, popular music for dances and the cheer leader squad, and showing some movies in some classes.

People may be influenced to buy certain things, do certain things, and even like certain things, but in some cases, it's not nearly as bad as you think.

People may be influenced, but that is all. The choice is still ultimately yours.

Insofar as "escaping" from brand names and the media, the further you try to escape the further you get sucked in. In this world, there are only so many makers of a certain product, and you will be forced to buy into that product and make the decision of whose do I buy? So this is the paradox of economics: limited supply. The "media" is an inescapable gap. To make a gross generalization, we consider media today as newspapers, television, and books. If these were not in place, we would still have developed a system of leaders who would preordain what we buy, therefore creating a sort of auditory "media".

In this vein, who looks "hot" is entirely subjective. There is no reason to get offended at others for posting pictures of people who they like. It's their opinion, and while meaningless to the rest of us, they have the right to express it. If you don't like the threads: don't go to them. No Big Surprise.

Galatea wrote: These threads are not about who we find attractive, which celebrities are good-looking, they are about placing a "hot guy/girl" on a pedastel for all to see (and worship). This is what I see when I look at either of those threads.

Actually, what I see is a bunch of attractive men and women who are famous. I've never "worshiped" any of them.

Galatea wrote:Perhaps these girls don't make you want to throw up Ar, but can you honestly tell me you have never looked at a celebrity or a model and for even a second wished with all your heart you could look like that?

Of course I have. I don't think I know anyone who has loved themselves and and the body they were in every second of every day. But they are also a powerful reminder that I don't have to look like that because neither do they. They have on oodles of makeup, clothes made specifically for them, are under perfect lighting, and have been retouched by computers. Actually, whenever I read about celebrities' workout schedules/diets, I feel guilty for a moment about being so lazy/piggy. Then, I laugh and go eat a cookie.

Galatea wrote:Displaying them gives them power over us. It gives the "smallness" of women and the "bigness" of men purchase in our world. It allows stereotypes to be perpetuated and it allows for a very unnerving background noise of unhealthy messages about male and female sexuality and their symbolic place in the world.

Maybe that's how you see it. Seeing a woman as beautiful as Jessica Alba does not give her any kind of "power" over me.

Galatea wrote:Yes, I would rather have girls masturbating to images of "hot" guys rather than going out and getting pregnant...but why? Why do you have to look at guys to initiate self-love? If you put your energy into worshiping your own body, you will find the experience much more enjoyable. There many ways to satisfy sexual urges. Only one of them involves intercourse...with a man. When you love your body totally, you can grow to be less ashamed of it, less willing to hide it under clothing and makeup and 'lust' for boys.

I'm not even going to chase that rabbit. The only thing I'll say is that I hope I never worship my body or anyone else's.

Galatea wrote:Technically, we need men for one reason. Procreation. Not that I advocate such an extremist opinion, but to assume you need a man to satisfy your sexual desires is absolutly ludacris.

Though it is more a topic for religion board, I'm going to say my piece anyway. Men and women were created to function as a team, not simply to sexually gratify the other or procreate. They fufill one another's needs physically, mentally, and spiritually.

Actually, right now I'm so frustrated that I'm just not going to say anything else, because I'm going to start attacking the wrong thing and I don't want to be arguing fallaciously.

Don't get too heated, guys...

I agree with Ari all the way, 100%. I do agree with Galeta, but not to the fullness of Ari. I don't think you're right in the sense of what we're doing and what society is doing or other people. That's all I'm saying.