Response to Pat

Essay 3 was not the easiest piece to write.  I found at times i was simply rambling on and listing things.  I tried to give it a more personal effect by beginning with a story about seeing someone with devil horns and having a person wonder how another person could implant those in someone's head.  After that i pretty much claimed that it is a persons body and they can change it as much as they want.  They just have to live with the consequences of it.  If a procedure goes wrong or they do not like it, they have only themselves to blame.  Its a choice.  I would rather make(or not make) that choice than have a person tell me what i can or cannot do with my own body.

Response to Katie's post

In response to katie's post about the Cancer Free at 33 article,  I have to agree that it is a very moving subject to go over.  The idea of knowing that you are almost guaranteed this disease is also a very startling subject to think.  I could not imagine knowing that this would happen to me or even that the chances were high.  I was surprised with her families reaction and their lack of support.  If it were my daughter, i would support whatever decision she made.  I would not want her to go through chemo treatment or radiation when the entire ordeal could have been prevented.  And if a man marries a woman for her breasts, that says a lot about their relationship.  Whoever she marries ought to love her for who she is and not for her well...breasts...

The article that we have to read for tomorrow titled Visibly Queer: Body technologies and sexual politics touched on a topic that i really did not know much about.  It was an issue i did not think much about.  The use of certain techniques like piercing, corsetry, scarification and branding by certain groups like West Coast leatherdykes was the type of thing that i had heard vaguely about but never given much thought.  Brandings was one that i never really knew about.  IT would be what i would call not normal but until recent years, i never really questioned why they did these things. The testimonies by actual people gave this piece a lot of weight and i thought that was important.  Overall a very interesting look at another life perspective.

response to dana's blog

In response to dana's blog about fair/lovely, I agree that there was a time when i thought certain ethnic groups looked exactly the same.  I think that Indians and asians get this notion of light skin=dominance from their imperialist rulers.  India did not begin to get out from under the thumb of Britain until the 1950's.  It is clear that the impacts that imperialism has had on that group of people has had a lasting impact.  Hopefully with younger generations, they can be more independent and not look to the west for all of their ideals.  The west is far FAR from perfect when it comes to doing whats right...

Response

In response to Brianne's post on sunday april 6, i too was shocked about the skin bleaching.  I love how our society revere's dark skin while other cultures are trying to become more white.  It should not matter what the skin color looks like.  I agree with her and i am happy that i personally am not affected by skin color change.  I feel no need to change my skin color.  I am saddened though by the fact that some people feel lesser than simply based on the pigmentation of ones skin...I look forward to a day where peoples differences are cherished and people can be happy in their skin.

todays class about obesity

I was pretty amazed at the way the debate over Jordin Sparks went.  I could not believe that a person should not deserve to win something based on their physical appearance.  While obesity can pose serious health issues like diabetes, is the opposite side of the spectrum of being under weight that much better?  I think that it is a persons choice whether or not they wish to change their body.  As long as they are happy with the way they look and understand the risks that may come with it, then they can go for it.  Look at steroids.  People know the harmful risks that come with steroids yet professional athletes choose to take them.  I think it is their choice.  If they want serious health side effects later on in life, then they can go ahead, shoot up and be superman for a game.  

hair cont.

I thought about the whole hair issue..and it dawned on me that this is not a recent issue.  Being the history major i am, i realized that in ancient rome, beards were often considered barbaric..i think that the idea of having body hair is linked to being very animalistic.  Since animals are covered in fur, the idea of having more body hair than others is seen as animalistic too.  I think that this idea has carried over to modern times.  A beard is not necessarily seen as not professional.  Its the manner in which the beard is kept that makes people question the person.  If it is unkept and dirty, then it is looked down upon...if its clean cut and trimmed, it is sort of revered.