Friday, September 30, 2011
Funny Friday is on vacation
Due to the Jewish fall holiday season, Funny Friday will be taking a break until late October. Thank you. Happy New Year to those of you who celebrate Rosh Hashanah!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Hey Jealousy!
Remember the blog project I did last year with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!
This week, Mom of Many picked the topic: Talk about someone you are jealous of and why.
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
This is a tricky topic for me. We're commanded to not covet our neighbor's property. So jealousy is seen as immoral in that way. However, it's hard not to envy someone. Having said that, I don't think I'm jealous of a specific person. I used to be jealous of specific people in the past. It inspired me to want to do more with my life. These days, I envy certain types of people.
1. People who can successfully write novels. I so wish I could publish a novel, but I can't seem to get the motivation up and am supporting those who can do it instead. I've met some AMAZING writers and I only wish I could possess their talent for putting books together time after time. I'd love to go on a book tour and say what inspired me to write a bestseller.
2. People who get to go on vacation whenever they want. There's no denying it...I want to go on a real vacation. The only traveling I do is to visit family and friends (people could visit me too, hint hint). The last vacation I went on was to Las Vegas in 2006. My first child was 6 months old. Yes....5 1/2 years and two kids later and no sign of Disney World anywhere in sight yet. I hear my friends and other acquaintances talk about going on vacation and I just crave it even more!
3. People who are younger than me but in a higher position of power at their jobs. I've been in the job force for 12 years now. I started as an administrative assistant and am still an administrative assistant. I LOVE where I work, but I don't want to know that someone is in their 20's and a manager already (or in the corner office). I'm sure they're great at what they do and well deserving of the role, but it's also weird for me, honestly. I do get to assert myself as a "boss" for my book blog, but that's a different story. I'm glad to be appreciated for the work that I do at my job, but I sometimes still feel like I'm fresh out of college in the roles I've held over the years. I only hope to work in a more managerial role over time, if I can find the right fit at my organization.
4. People who can afford to send their kids to a private Jewish school without batting an eyelash. That's something very prevalent in our community. Thing is, even if we didn't need a school program for hearing loss, we'd probably still go the public school route. Otherwise, college is out of the question unless the kids earn a major scholarship. It's just annoying to get questioning looks about the choices we've made for our kids' schooling. We're in the middle between people who think private Jewish school is the end-all-be-all and people who think we'd be crazy to squander all our money on such an expenditure. I don't even know if the schooling matters in the end. We know people who went to private Jewish school and aren't observant now and people who went to public school and are more observant now than ever before. It would just be nice if the choice were easy (like the private schools were free or everyone in the neighborhood decided to go to public school instead). However, if sending your kids on the private school route is something that comes as easy and as natural for you as tying your shoes, then don't judge people who have harder decisions to make when it comes to their kids' schooling.
5. Women who go back to their pre-pregnancy weight by three months after they delivered a baby. I've been working out and (trying to) eat healthier (I have the occasional slip-up, I'm only human...) and I still can't shed those last 10 pregnancy pounds. I still wear maternity clothes. I have a lot of regular clothes and they're still too tight or look horrible on me. This makes getting dressed very stressful every morning.
6. People who have gotten within touching distance of my favorite celebrities. Enough said!
I am happy with a lot of things in my life, but it's hard not to envy people sometimes. Oddly enough, as I was working on this post, I found out that the husband of a close friend of mine won a HUGE amount of money (and a vacation, I believe) on a well-known game show. I'm very happy for them, but it's hard not to be the teensiest bit jealous. Who wouldn't be jealous of someone who struck it big on a game show or in the lottery?!?
All in all, jealousy is a vicious circle. Someone may be jealous of me for all I know, but I'm jealous of other people and those people are probably jealous of another group of people for various reasons. It's like a jealousy food-chain! I'm guessing the person at the top of that chain is the one who doesn't have anything to be jealous of. I'm also guessing that they're a higher power if that's the case!
This week, Mom of Many picked the topic: Talk about someone you are jealous of and why.
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
This is a tricky topic for me. We're commanded to not covet our neighbor's property. So jealousy is seen as immoral in that way. However, it's hard not to envy someone. Having said that, I don't think I'm jealous of a specific person. I used to be jealous of specific people in the past. It inspired me to want to do more with my life. These days, I envy certain types of people.
1. People who can successfully write novels. I so wish I could publish a novel, but I can't seem to get the motivation up and am supporting those who can do it instead. I've met some AMAZING writers and I only wish I could possess their talent for putting books together time after time. I'd love to go on a book tour and say what inspired me to write a bestseller.
2. People who get to go on vacation whenever they want. There's no denying it...I want to go on a real vacation. The only traveling I do is to visit family and friends (people could visit me too, hint hint). The last vacation I went on was to Las Vegas in 2006. My first child was 6 months old. Yes....5 1/2 years and two kids later and no sign of Disney World anywhere in sight yet. I hear my friends and other acquaintances talk about going on vacation and I just crave it even more!
3. People who are younger than me but in a higher position of power at their jobs. I've been in the job force for 12 years now. I started as an administrative assistant and am still an administrative assistant. I LOVE where I work, but I don't want to know that someone is in their 20's and a manager already (or in the corner office). I'm sure they're great at what they do and well deserving of the role, but it's also weird for me, honestly. I do get to assert myself as a "boss" for my book blog, but that's a different story. I'm glad to be appreciated for the work that I do at my job, but I sometimes still feel like I'm fresh out of college in the roles I've held over the years. I only hope to work in a more managerial role over time, if I can find the right fit at my organization.
4. People who can afford to send their kids to a private Jewish school without batting an eyelash. That's something very prevalent in our community. Thing is, even if we didn't need a school program for hearing loss, we'd probably still go the public school route. Otherwise, college is out of the question unless the kids earn a major scholarship. It's just annoying to get questioning looks about the choices we've made for our kids' schooling. We're in the middle between people who think private Jewish school is the end-all-be-all and people who think we'd be crazy to squander all our money on such an expenditure. I don't even know if the schooling matters in the end. We know people who went to private Jewish school and aren't observant now and people who went to public school and are more observant now than ever before. It would just be nice if the choice were easy (like the private schools were free or everyone in the neighborhood decided to go to public school instead). However, if sending your kids on the private school route is something that comes as easy and as natural for you as tying your shoes, then don't judge people who have harder decisions to make when it comes to their kids' schooling.
5. Women who go back to their pre-pregnancy weight by three months after they delivered a baby. I've been working out and (trying to) eat healthier (I have the occasional slip-up, I'm only human...) and I still can't shed those last 10 pregnancy pounds. I still wear maternity clothes. I have a lot of regular clothes and they're still too tight or look horrible on me. This makes getting dressed very stressful every morning.
6. People who have gotten within touching distance of my favorite celebrities. Enough said!
I am happy with a lot of things in my life, but it's hard not to envy people sometimes. Oddly enough, as I was working on this post, I found out that the husband of a close friend of mine won a HUGE amount of money (and a vacation, I believe) on a well-known game show. I'm very happy for them, but it's hard not to be the teensiest bit jealous. Who wouldn't be jealous of someone who struck it big on a game show or in the lottery?!?
All in all, jealousy is a vicious circle. Someone may be jealous of me for all I know, but I'm jealous of other people and those people are probably jealous of another group of people for various reasons. It's like a jealousy food-chain! I'm guessing the person at the top of that chain is the one who doesn't have anything to be jealous of. I'm also guessing that they're a higher power if that's the case!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Funny Friday-9/23-Trick?....or TREAT....
While I don't do AS much for Halloween these days, I'm still a fan of the holiday. It's hard to give up something I had as a favorite pastime while growing up. However, it's more apparent these days how costumes aren't that innocent. I have always found it amusing how anything can be a costume if you add the word "sexy" to it, at least for women. I thought about this concept again when I read about an older woman whose nickname was "Naughty Granny." (I'm not even joking here.) I thought, "Hey, Nick would sell that costume at his store." That made me think of the "commercial" for Nick's Girls's Costumes, which features a stereotypical New Jersey guy who looks like a younger version of Ed O'Neill (a.k.a. Al Bundy), trying to sell all sorts of costumes by adding the word "sexy" to them. It's so funny and you can see it right here! I think my favorite one was "sexy Abraham Lincoln."
My subject line make me think of when my friend and I performed at Showcase '92 (talent show at our high school) together. She was dressed as a cat and did an interpretive dance with a real cat to a T.S. Eliot poem I was reading....about cats, of course. While we were waiting to go on, she would say "trick?...or treat...." while twirling her tail during the "treat" part.
I know Halloween is a little over a month away, but I'm taking some time off from "Funny Friday" because of all the holidays I do go all out to celebrate these days. And maybe by the time Purim comes around, I'll have a good costume idea again. (I'm not sure that it will be anything "sexy" though...that wouldn't go over too well at my shul!)
My subject line make me think of when my friend and I performed at Showcase '92 (talent show at our high school) together. She was dressed as a cat and did an interpretive dance with a real cat to a T.S. Eliot poem I was reading....about cats, of course. While we were waiting to go on, she would say "trick?...or treat...." while twirling her tail during the "treat" part.
I know Halloween is a little over a month away, but I'm taking some time off from "Funny Friday" because of all the holidays I do go all out to celebrate these days. And maybe by the time Purim comes around, I'll have a good costume idea again. (I'm not sure that it will be anything "sexy" though...that wouldn't go over too well at my shul!)
Thursday, September 22, 2011
We've all got our junk...
Remember the blog project I did last year with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!
This week, I picked the topic: What is your biggest addiction or vice?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
My subject line comes from the song "My Junk" from "Spring Awakening." I thought it was an appropriate title for this topic.
I have quite a few addictions and a couple of vices, as well.
My latest addictions are:
"How I Met Your Mother": I started watching this show through old episodes on Lifetime, shortly after my daughter was born. It was really funny to me and I wanted to see more. So a friend loaned me some DVDs and my husband and I started with season one and are now on season four. We'll watch four to six episodes in one sitting. However, the lack of time to watch these days is more apparent and I go through withdrawal until I can see more! I also think about it all the time and make references to it through stuff that happens in real life. I find myself singing "Let's go to the Mall" every so often, as well. HIMYM is a comfort show to me and has definitely eased the emptiness I felt when "Ugly Betty" was cancelled. It's like a steaming cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter day (topped with whipped cream and marshmallows...ooh, Marshall would like that reference to his nickname). It's been compared to "Friends" (a huge addiction for me in the past and something I still love) and yet, it's even better!
Special K Vanilla Almond cereal: I have to have this every day for breakfast. When it's not available and I am forced to choose something else for breakfast (even Special K with strawberries), it throws off my day. I don't even eat it with milk. Just dry with a glass of orange juice or a cup of tea. I got my husband addicted and now I have to share my cereal with him. So we go through it even faster, as a result. If there's a sale on this cereal, I will buy as many boxes as possible! A friend of mine even got it for me as a gift because she knows my addiction to it is strong. I call it my "crack." (It's like pancakes were to Stewie on "Family Guy.")
Exercise: I have to work out every morning before work. I am super cranky if I don't. Elle Woods is right...exercise gives people endorphins and endorphins make people happy. Right now, I've been using an exercise bike, but I hope we get our treadmill fixed soon. I miss it!
The Internet: I kind of have to be, with running a book blog and all the other communicating I do. I fall so behind on e-mails if I don't check my accounts every day. And even when I do, I still manage to miss some here and there.
Reading: Like this wasn't obvious or anything. :) If it were possible to sleep-read, I would totally be doing that. I can't even count how many books I've read over the past year alone, never mind my entire life. I think my older son shares my interest in reading, but time will tell.
There's also my constant need for music, chocolate and ice cream. I'll save those for another time though.
My vices (which are defined as flaws...see #5) are:
Being disorganized: If you thought I was perfect, see all the clutter I manage to accumulate at home and work (and even online) and then think again. I don't even remember the last time I was organized. Probably because it never was the case. I manage to just put things into piles, lose stuff all the time, etc. I can't even organize for my kids. I get frustrated by a mess and toss it all into one box. (I have a friend who would be completely appalled by my lack of organizational skills when it comes to cleaning toys, as she is the exact opposite.) I try to find ways to keep myself organized, but then give up on them after a while. I did FlyLady last year for a while and gave up on that when I lost the motivation. I keep saying to myself that I want to get more organized, but procrastinate on that all the time. And that's another vice, right there..being a compulsive procrastinator!
Being miserly: It's more because I'm spoiled by Freecycle and really really REALLY low prices at the thrift store. I have a hard time paying retail prices. Going to the mall is out of the question. I only browse clearance racks at Target. I become like those people in the store that I can't stand...challenging salespeople over the smallest price differences! I could either be seen as a good shopper for how much I save or a bad shopper for how much I skimp. I don't do coupons though. I'll go to stores that have deals from the cards, but I don't have the patience to sit around clipping coupons. And the coupon websites annoy me after a while.
Being a procrastinator: I work well with deadlines, but I like that extra pressure of the last minute to light a fire under my behind. And if there isn't a deadline, it ends up getting pushed off for a LONG time!
Hope this gives you more insight to who I am and how I operate.
This week, I picked the topic: What is your biggest addiction or vice?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
My subject line comes from the song "My Junk" from "Spring Awakening." I thought it was an appropriate title for this topic.
I have quite a few addictions and a couple of vices, as well.
My latest addictions are:
"How I Met Your Mother": I started watching this show through old episodes on Lifetime, shortly after my daughter was born. It was really funny to me and I wanted to see more. So a friend loaned me some DVDs and my husband and I started with season one and are now on season four. We'll watch four to six episodes in one sitting. However, the lack of time to watch these days is more apparent and I go through withdrawal until I can see more! I also think about it all the time and make references to it through stuff that happens in real life. I find myself singing "Let's go to the Mall" every so often, as well. HIMYM is a comfort show to me and has definitely eased the emptiness I felt when "Ugly Betty" was cancelled. It's like a steaming cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter day (topped with whipped cream and marshmallows...ooh, Marshall would like that reference to his nickname). It's been compared to "Friends" (a huge addiction for me in the past and something I still love) and yet, it's even better!
Special K Vanilla Almond cereal: I have to have this every day for breakfast. When it's not available and I am forced to choose something else for breakfast (even Special K with strawberries), it throws off my day. I don't even eat it with milk. Just dry with a glass of orange juice or a cup of tea. I got my husband addicted and now I have to share my cereal with him. So we go through it even faster, as a result. If there's a sale on this cereal, I will buy as many boxes as possible! A friend of mine even got it for me as a gift because she knows my addiction to it is strong. I call it my "crack." (It's like pancakes were to Stewie on "Family Guy.")Exercise: I have to work out every morning before work. I am super cranky if I don't. Elle Woods is right...exercise gives people endorphins and endorphins make people happy. Right now, I've been using an exercise bike, but I hope we get our treadmill fixed soon. I miss it!
The Internet: I kind of have to be, with running a book blog and all the other communicating I do. I fall so behind on e-mails if I don't check my accounts every day. And even when I do, I still manage to miss some here and there.
Reading: Like this wasn't obvious or anything. :) If it were possible to sleep-read, I would totally be doing that. I can't even count how many books I've read over the past year alone, never mind my entire life. I think my older son shares my interest in reading, but time will tell.
There's also my constant need for music, chocolate and ice cream. I'll save those for another time though.
My vices (which are defined as flaws...see #5) are:
Being disorganized: If you thought I was perfect, see all the clutter I manage to accumulate at home and work (and even online) and then think again. I don't even remember the last time I was organized. Probably because it never was the case. I manage to just put things into piles, lose stuff all the time, etc. I can't even organize for my kids. I get frustrated by a mess and toss it all into one box. (I have a friend who would be completely appalled by my lack of organizational skills when it comes to cleaning toys, as she is the exact opposite.) I try to find ways to keep myself organized, but then give up on them after a while. I did FlyLady last year for a while and gave up on that when I lost the motivation. I keep saying to myself that I want to get more organized, but procrastinate on that all the time. And that's another vice, right there..being a compulsive procrastinator!
Being miserly: It's more because I'm spoiled by Freecycle and really really REALLY low prices at the thrift store. I have a hard time paying retail prices. Going to the mall is out of the question. I only browse clearance racks at Target. I become like those people in the store that I can't stand...challenging salespeople over the smallest price differences! I could either be seen as a good shopper for how much I save or a bad shopper for how much I skimp. I don't do coupons though. I'll go to stores that have deals from the cards, but I don't have the patience to sit around clipping coupons. And the coupon websites annoy me after a while.
Being a procrastinator: I work well with deadlines, but I like that extra pressure of the last minute to light a fire under my behind. And if there isn't a deadline, it ends up getting pushed off for a LONG time!
Hope this gives you more insight to who I am and how I operate.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Step on a crack....or ice for that matter
Remember the blog project I did last year with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!
This week, Moma Rock picked the topic: What is the worst physical trauma (or pain) you've ever been in?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
On New Year's Eve in 1996, I was in New York and running to catch a train. I was apparently not prepared for snow and didn't wear boots. Needless to say, I went sliding on some ice and landed on my back. It hurt a little but nothing major. When I got back to Chicago a few days later, I started to really feel the effects. By the beginning of the following week, it hurt to move. I couldn't sit down comfortably, as I was completely stiff in my back. It also felt like I cracked a rib and it hurt to breathe. I went to my mom's clinic the following day to have her give me an X-Ray. (She's an X-Ray tech). Nothing showed up on there and she had one the doctors at her clinic prescribe painkillers for me. I went back to college in a little bit of pain, but nothing as astronomical as those few days during my winter break.
In 2010, I was smart enough to wear boots during a snowstorm. (This was shortly before Snowmageddon too.) I was walking home from shul and still managed to slip on some hidden ice and fall on my hip and posterior. I was able to get up and walk home the rest of the way. I iced it when I got back to the house. I was fine for a few days and then I was reading a story to my older son and I felt like something was ripping through my chest. I thought I was having a heart attack. It hurt to breathe and I felt like I had cracked a rib again. I sat against ice packs and my husband gave me some ibuprofen. It wasn't enough for me though and I actually requested to go to the emergency room. I HATE going to the emergency room and will avoid it whenever possible. However, this pain was bad enough to warrant a trip there. A friend stayed at our house in case the boys woke up and we made our way to the hospital. I got some X-Rays and was told that I had a muscle spasm. They prescribed painkillers, which would have been nice that same night, had all the pharmacies still been open. Since the doctors took their dear, sweet time, we got out at 11:00 and there wasn't an open pharmacy nearby. I took more ibuprofen later that night and got the prescriptions filled first thing in the morning. I ended up not needing the heavier painkiller and the higher dose of Motrin seemed to help.
Those were the two instances of extreme pain that made even childbirth seem like a walk in the park. I did have other back issues during my last pregnancy, as my daughter decided to position herself in a way that my back would hurt after sitting up for a while. It was nothing like the two instances mentioned here, but it lasted for most of my pregnancy, which made it hard to get a lot done around the house or even sit at the computer for long periods of time. There were also times in college and even beyond where I fell and my neck and back would be stiff for about a day or so, but nothing compared to the feeling of what a cracked rib must be like. Having said that, I feel major sympathy for a family member who recently broke their back, and I hope they recover soon. If a muscle spasm was horribly painful, I can't even imagine what they must have been feeling.
This week, Moma Rock picked the topic: What is the worst physical trauma (or pain) you've ever been in?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
On New Year's Eve in 1996, I was in New York and running to catch a train. I was apparently not prepared for snow and didn't wear boots. Needless to say, I went sliding on some ice and landed on my back. It hurt a little but nothing major. When I got back to Chicago a few days later, I started to really feel the effects. By the beginning of the following week, it hurt to move. I couldn't sit down comfortably, as I was completely stiff in my back. It also felt like I cracked a rib and it hurt to breathe. I went to my mom's clinic the following day to have her give me an X-Ray. (She's an X-Ray tech). Nothing showed up on there and she had one the doctors at her clinic prescribe painkillers for me. I went back to college in a little bit of pain, but nothing as astronomical as those few days during my winter break.
In 2010, I was smart enough to wear boots during a snowstorm. (This was shortly before Snowmageddon too.) I was walking home from shul and still managed to slip on some hidden ice and fall on my hip and posterior. I was able to get up and walk home the rest of the way. I iced it when I got back to the house. I was fine for a few days and then I was reading a story to my older son and I felt like something was ripping through my chest. I thought I was having a heart attack. It hurt to breathe and I felt like I had cracked a rib again. I sat against ice packs and my husband gave me some ibuprofen. It wasn't enough for me though and I actually requested to go to the emergency room. I HATE going to the emergency room and will avoid it whenever possible. However, this pain was bad enough to warrant a trip there. A friend stayed at our house in case the boys woke up and we made our way to the hospital. I got some X-Rays and was told that I had a muscle spasm. They prescribed painkillers, which would have been nice that same night, had all the pharmacies still been open. Since the doctors took their dear, sweet time, we got out at 11:00 and there wasn't an open pharmacy nearby. I took more ibuprofen later that night and got the prescriptions filled first thing in the morning. I ended up not needing the heavier painkiller and the higher dose of Motrin seemed to help.
Those were the two instances of extreme pain that made even childbirth seem like a walk in the park. I did have other back issues during my last pregnancy, as my daughter decided to position herself in a way that my back would hurt after sitting up for a while. It was nothing like the two instances mentioned here, but it lasted for most of my pregnancy, which made it hard to get a lot done around the house or even sit at the computer for long periods of time. There were also times in college and even beyond where I fell and my neck and back would be stiff for about a day or so, but nothing compared to the feeling of what a cracked rib must be like. Having said that, I feel major sympathy for a family member who recently broke their back, and I hope they recover soon. If a muscle spasm was horribly painful, I can't even imagine what they must have been feeling.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Nothing funny this Friday...sorry!
I will not be posting anything funny today as I am behind on posts a bit and am traveling most of the day. Stay tuned for more Funny Friday posts in the weeks ahead. There may be some other weeks without posts around the fall Jewish holiday extravaganza, but I'll try my best!
Thanks!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
It can't just be intellectual....
Remember the blog project I did last year with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!
This week, Froggie picked the topic: Sexuality (open to whatever you have to say about it)
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
This week, Froggie picked the topic: Sexuality (open to whatever you have to say about it)
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
My subject line comes from the song "Sexual" by Amber, which started going through my head when this topic came up. Since sexuality is such a personal topic (or it can be), I've decided to take an entertainment angle on it.
I find it fittingly appropriate that Froggie came up with this topic, since she gave me the soundtrack to "Beverly Hills Cop 2" on my 11th birthday. On that soundtrack was "I Want Your Sex" by George Michael. As giggly 11 year-olds, this song was priceless to us. The word "sex" seemed so naughty! As a 35 year-old thinking back on it, this song was tame in comparison to the songs on the radio today. In 1992, "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred was a big deal. Really....he was just being egotistical. It wasn't even naughty, if you think about it. Nothing wrong with being attractive in a "sexy" way. Back in 1996, "Mouth" by Merrill Bainbridge was really popular. I thought it just had to do with kissing, but apparently it was about something in the sexual realm. The chorus went "Would it be my fault, if I could turn you on?" Nowadays, Lady Gaga is not "bluffin' with her muffin" which makes "Mouth" seem pretty clean, considering how much more subtle that was at the time. A lot of Madonna's music fits into this theme ever so nicely. "Erotica" anyone? I also remember the video for "Justify My Love" as being very controversial for how sexual it was. I don't think it would shock anyone in the 21st century though!
Sexuality is also found on television. When I was a kid, I didn't pay much attention to it, but I'm sure it was there. I watch syndicated shows from the 80's and can see what I didn't see in those days. For instance, Blanche from "The Golden Girls" talks about sex a lot and fancies herself to be sexually attractive. I'm sure the other women on the show talked about sex, as well. "Three's Company" also had a lot of sexual innuendos and their friend Larry was all about sex. He was like Quagmire from "Family Guy." And Quagmire even has his living room turn into a night lounge for the ladies. He also makes sexual comments all the time. In any case, the biggest example of sexuality on television is rather obvious...."Sex and the City." I loved that show and still do. I will watch it in syndication any time I can catch an episode. It was all about sex, which made it awkward to watch with my parents (although I ended up doing so from time to time). Samantha Jones, in my opinion, is the most sexual character from any television show. She just oozes sexuality and could give Quagmire a run for his money! Nowadays, "Glee" talks a lot about sexuality and even features some sexy performances (the Britney Spears episode ranking highest on that list). Even on "The Glee Project," one of the themes was sexuality. They paired up the six remaining contestants at the time to make sexually themed music videos together. They even had a gay pairing for one of the videos. The fact that sexuality was even a theme at all for a contest to appear on "Glee," says a lot about the show itself. It's not just your average "high school musical" type of show.
Sexuality is pretty obvious in movies and I'd be here all day talking about that. The biggest example of sexuality is Sharon Stone in "Basic Instinct." I've never seen that movie, but the image of her sitting in that questioning room is the first thing I thought of when sexuality in movies came to mind. A lot of movies geared toward adults are about sex. Some even have sex in the title or imply about the topic. ("The Opposite of Sex," "The 40 Year-Old Virgin," "Sex, Lies and Videotape," and there are even two movies for "Sex and the City.") There have recently been movies about men and women having arrangements to be friends with benefits. The most recent one is with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, aptly titled "Friends with Benefits." There was also one with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher that came out earlier this year. Sexuality (obvious or implied) has always been all over the big screen. I'm sure it was even in movies from the beginning of the film era.
Finally, I want to turn my attention to books. Since I read a lot of chick lit, most stories are about dating and relationships. Some relationships escalate to that of a sexual nature. Authors can either imply that it happened or take us into the bedroom for a front row seat. One of my favorite chick lit novelists, Sue Margolis, does the latter with her romantic scenes. I always anticipate something "exciting" from every book of hers, as I know what to expect. She leaves me blushing by the end of each of these scenes. Jennifer Weiner has also taken her readers into the bedrooms of some of her characters. If "Good in Bed" was any indication of what was to come with her later stories, then it was definitely a nice harbinger. Jane Porter also knows how to make things steamy for her characters in the bedroom. I've been known to critique books in my reviews if there's not enough spice to go along with the story, especially if the build-up or implication is right in my face.
Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, it is hard to avoid sexuality in the entertainment realm, unless we don't listen to music, watch television, go to movies or read books. The other safe route is to just do all of this but with child-friendly media. And that's how Merrylandgirl "c's" it. (Apologies to Sue Sylvester, once again.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
