Monday, November 17, 2014

Weekend Update (and magazines?)

I wanted to write a quick post updating you on how my weekend was. I had a really nice weekend overall, I saw a lot of friends and spend a lot of quality time with Chris and Koda (which is always a number one priority!). I had my pedometer on my phone the whole time, and some days I exceeded 17,000 steps!!

But something I wanted to address is this misconception some of my readers might have about me?

Recently, and in the past six months or so, several different commenters (someone just the other day, which spurred me to make a bigger post about it) have made remarks that I need to stop reading magazines. Like People or supermarket rags.

Um, I don't read magazines?!? And I'm not sure where this idea has come from. I must be giving you a slightly skewed idea of who I am if several different people have chastised me to stop reading magazines and following celebrities.

In reality, I have absolutely no time to read magazines, because in my few moments today that I do read for pleasure, I read books (right now I am slowly savoring Tom Robbins' Skinny Legs and All... Highly recommend!). Not to say that those who read magazines shouldn't, in the end, I do believe everybody has choices like that to make for themselves and decide what gives them pleasure not.

BUT I am a young(ish) woman who fully and completely participates in the culture in which I live. I do know major celebrities names and their movies and such. I see the magazines as I wait to check out at the supermarket. I watch TV. I've read news articles when they pop up on Google news headlines. I talked to my friends about the media they like.

And, I have been schooled as an anthropologist for almost half of my life, and have a big interest in media, art, etc, and how it all into relates with societal norms and cultural expectations and worldviews. I'm interested in how we can so certainly perceive the world one way and someone from a different culture can so certainly perceive it another.

So I talk about current news, pop culture, and how it all relates to me trying to be a healthy and complete young woman on my own.

I suppose I just feel a bit dismissed by some people who read my blog, which is totally their prerogative as I do put things out there publicly. But I don't want to be dismissed as some airheaded chick who only looks at pictures in magazines and give no thought to other issues. It is precisely the images in magazines that caused me to think about bigger issues and some of the topics of talked about. And these topics NEED to be talked about because we have millions of young women coming into their own surrounded by this culture we live in, and if they don't stop to think about it and they just consume it, it will alter who they are and how they feel about themselves.

So that's my rant. I didn't want to be defensive, but it has been a little bit of a trend of people contacting me this past year with their own concerns. And their concerns are unwarranted. It is my very exploration of these topics in this world we live in that helps me heal.

Lifting the veil and refusing to be oblivious and just except things as they are? It's my goal!

So, as always, I welcome discussion, but I don't want people to be confused about where I'm coming from or my purpose here.

7 comments:

  1. That's weird! p.s. I read People magazine, and US. I dropped US. I used to subscribe to People, but I quit when they voted Beyonce most beautiful woman in the world. Because I thought that was a travesty. Many women of many colors far prettier than her. But I am going to renew People. And I don't give a rat's ass who knows, who cares. I am a well rounded woman. So are you. I also read Arthitectural Digest, Elle Home, Sunset Magazine, and Coastal Magazine. I try to cut back, but I don't. I don't read many non-fictions, because my reading time is for fun or getting lost. Not for having to think too hard. I spent more than enough hours in the (work) day doing that. I'm on my third Kindle. So frankly, Jeanette, tell yourself those people can go fuck themselves. Because that's MY opinion. :) You are a well-rounded, amazing woman. Screw those not bright enough to realize that.

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    1. Thank you - I just got the sense from the advice to stop reading magazines that (some) people thought I was rotting my brain and becoming obsessed with celebrities and the "ideal" body... I most certainly am not! But I do like to talk about issues surrounding pop media!

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  2. Jeanette, I think your brain is just fine and although I am newish to your blog, I do not have that impression of you at all.I am far from an air head myself and I have to admit that I am endless well of pop culture and useless facts. It comes from being an avid reader all my life, from good old magazines, research articles,books and the internet now. I think that it is what makes someone an interesting and well rounded person. Keep doing your thing!

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  3. Not sure who got this impression of you and why. I am wondering if they are even really reading your blog. On the other hand, I love those magazines – and no I am not an airhead ( I am a director of HR for a very large hotel in NYC – my job is very stressful so it’s a great way to relax and be reminded how “normal” my life actually is). So in the end – even if you do read them and love them – good for you. It does not make anyone an airhead.

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  4. ? Excuse me? I'm not sure where people got that idea about you from, but there's nothing wrong with reading articles from gossip mags/blogs and discussing them. And for the record, anyone who has ever interacted with you, whether in real life or online, would hardly dismiss you as an airhead. Just my opinoin.

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  5. I hope you do not think I was one of those people. I will write that I do not read things. But I don't think I have ever suggested that you shouldn't. I have to be very careful what I expose myself to. I don't even read the comments left on other blogs. (I read comments on my blog, which are very safe/supportive always.)

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    1. No, definitely not! There were some rather "snarky" comments recently and in the past that I need to stop reading magazines - said in such a way as to infer I am spending too much time reading pop culture fluff. Which was weird since I don't read magazines AND I don't even think there is anything wrong if I DID! But not your comments, I always appreciate you comments!!

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