I’m still loving the heck out of this Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders series from Stanford. The other day, this comment by Kristina Johnson caught me. She’s talking about field hockey and, to be clear, I’m really no athlete. Dancer? Maybe. Always. But I’m not so good with the team sports.
But, like with all good sports quotes, they apply to the world at large. Behold.
Sometimes you are the helper, sometimes you are the person being helped. Each person will likely be both at some point in life.
Last night, I was listening to a podcast from the Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders lecture series out of Stanford. (Apparently, not just my books are becoming more business-related now that I’m self-employed).
This specific lecture was by Gale Anne Hurd. It’s OK if you aren’t sure who she is … I didn’t know before the podcast, either. She’s the film producer behind such gems as The Terminator and Aliens. I haven’t seen either of those movies, actually, but that’s not the point.
Ms Hurd spoke eloquently about the film industry when she first arrived; about being a woman in a world of men. She credits her success to two role models, one of whom being Roger Corman. Something she said stuck with me, and I had to capture it.
That image is of the clouds outside my window last night. I’ve been taken with the gorgeous sunsets we’ve had and inspired by Minna May to use them as backdrops for quotes I want to hang on to.
On Saturday, my lovely friend Renita and I spent the afternoon at a local spa getting massages. The whole thing was set up by her ever-thoughtful husband as a Christmas present (how perfect is that? – not just a massage but a day of relaxation with your ladyfriends?). Anyway, we went to Thousand Waves, a spa that lets you arrive an hour early to use the sauna, steam room and hot tub.
Naked.
{A fantastic advertisement by The Body Shop}
Yep. The ladies using these facilities are naked. Generally. I mean, you can wear a swim suit if you want, no judgements, but the majority of the women relaxing in the hot tub are au naturale.
…and it’s kind of amazing. There is something so empowering about being around a bunch of naked ladies. Yes, I just said that. Women are walking around the spa – shoulders back, standing tall – naked. Women of all sizes – no one was hiding, no one was ashamed. In fact, it’s kind of hard to be self conscious when surrounded by proud naked women.
Now, I know that being comfortable being naked in front of other ladies is not a direct proxy for being comfortable with ones body. However, these ladies clearly were comfortable, and it was fabulous. We should all have a little more naked pride time in our lives.
Also, read this. I read a lot of “love your body” posts but this one may be my favorite.
Sophomore year of college, the Resident Adviser in my dorm held an event. Interested parties could convene in a chosen room in the dorm’s basement to watch Jean Kilbourne‘s Killing Us Softly - a documentary on the image of women in advertising. At the time, I was all about dorm events and had a vague feminist self-image, so I went. It was fantastic.
I recently rediscovered Jean Kilbourne (via Pinterest, randomly). Selections of her speeches are on YouTube thanks to the Media Education Foundation. They are definitely worth watching – Kilbourne is a very engaging speaker.
Beyond the obvious obsession with thinness, Kilbourne highlights other ways in which women are portrayed in advertising. Most notable to me was the emphasis on women being quiet and passive – and that this emphasis starts at a very young age.
My personal experience with advertising (or, at least, that which I actively remember) pertains more to commercials. My mother and I have long lamented the irritating portrayal of women and the modern family. In short, the “Mom” does all. Men are idiots (on par with having an extra puppy to care for, say). This is repeated over and over. Moms are shown selecting and preparing food (“Choosy Moms Choose Jif!”). If children are shown assisting, they are little girls (“It’s Shake and Bake… and I helped!”). Men know little to nothing about childcare (bringing to mind a recent commercial for some disinfectant being called into duty after Dummy Daddy changed Baby’s diaper on the kitchen counter).
Hulu seems to think that the largest thing missing in my life, at present, is DiGiorno’s Pizza. This is the only reason I can think for which the commercial for said pizza is shown during every. single. break. in Modern Family. The commercial makes me mental. In short, Wife comes home to find her beige carpet befouled with muddy footprints. Husband and friends sit by, oblivious, watching football. As Wife is likely the person who arranged for carpet cleaning, she is pissed. Husband tries to blame the pizza delivery guy. Oh, foiled! Wife finds the DiGiornio’s box on the counter! Husband (and Husband’s Friend, inexplicably) are set to work cleaning up their mess like bad children.
“Women be Bitches!” I commented to Will.
“Yeah, well Men be Stupid!” he responded, showing that it cuts both ways.
So, what are your thoughts? Are their any ads (print or otherwise) that make you crazy? Have you seen examples of brands or companies doing it right?
I am, to put it mildly, an avid reader. You’re not likely to find me without a book in my bag.
{via the amazing Kraus Schönberg Architects as featured in Architonic}
While I read a good number of serious and scholarly works, I’m hardly working my way through a list of Man Booker Prize winners. Generally, I intersperse my more noble selections with what I lovingly call “brain candy” – you know, the light and fluffy stuff that keeps you entertained without really taxing your cognitive abilities. Literary down-time.
My last two candy-novels were straight-up chick lit. While in both cases the protagonist lived in London and thus there was perhaps a small amount of cultural exchange to be gleaned, that was the only redeeming quality. I finished the second novel out of sheer force of will. Along the way, I have come to some conclusions:
It’s not that the subject (girl + boy = love) itself is trite – we could spend the rest of our lives dissecting the many facets of human relationships. The storylines, however, are painfully formulaic. All seem to involve the following:
While too many books by and about females gets tossed into the “chick-lit” bin, all such novels are not created equal. Setting aside those perceived by greater society as “not just for ladyfolk” (Jane Austen, Maya Angelou, Harper Lee), there are many current lady-authors who cover – in part – lady-protagonists (and their complicated lady-feelings) without venturing into the saccharine or cliché. An incomplete list:
The list, of course, goes on: Audrey Niffenegger, Anita Shreve.
Additions? recommendations? Do share.