sclynes_blog

The extremes in the food industry: Why do I have to be either a fat pig or a stick thin dieter ?
December 21, 2007

I'm sitting at my computer and I open Yahoo news. One of the headlines is about how I can eat healthy at fast food restaurants. It looks intriguing and seems beneficial so I begin to read the article. This specific one is about Applebees. The author says "They (Applebees) have made it incredibly easy to make healthy choices and have a menu sectioned out just for that purpose." I'm thinking to myself: "Yea, I'm sure that is Applebees's main goal: For its customers to make healthy choices." But the article describes the exact food dishes I should be ordering, in order for me to stay under a reasonable calorie and fat intake. I keep reading. I finish the article and realize that maybe there are some good options available at applebees. But wait. They are all labeled weight watchers. What is it about America that makes us always choose the extreme? Why can't I purchase a meal that's healthy, but not part of some diet plan? If I'm not on a diet, I shouldn't even try to eat healthy? I should just give up on nutrition, staying thin, and being healthy ? This article labels Applebees as one of the healthiest restuarants around because they have added meals sponsored by weight watchers. This is ridiculous. Who wants to go out to dinner with friends and family and be the only one to pick a weight watcher meal? How embarassing. Furthermore, Applebees only lists nutrition facts for the weight watcher meals. I don't want to pig out at dinner. Well, that stinks because I either have to be on a diet or I am a fat lard stuffing my face. That's how it is in America.

The Modeling Industry: Emaciated or Fat ?
January 3, 2008

Ugh. I'm looking through the Victoria Secret magazine, knowing that I could never wear that clothing. It only fits the skinniest of the skinny. Finally the gorgeous stick thin models dissapear from the page and I see a meatier girl on the next page. No, actually she is sort of overweight. Plus-size models. It's the new thing. There are magazine sections at Lord and Taylor for the individuals in "plus-sizes" and even the nation-wide show, "America's Next Top Model" hosted 2 plus size models 2 seasons ago. I have no problem with it. I'm just wondering what there is for us, you know, normal people. What is it with America and the extreme? It was just this past season on the popular show, watched by many teenagers, and some adults as well: "America's Next Top Model". Her name was Sarah. She had a beautiful modeling face, and seemed very talented. The judges liked her very much, but they always had one major concern. She was such an "awkward" size. Awkward meaning average weight ?! Hanh Nguyen describes Sarah in her article, "In the end, this in-between size and a much-discussed weight loss was her downfall." Sarah chose to stick to her weight, well, about three pounds lighter, unintentionally, saying "I like the way I look" and ultimately, this decision crushed her dream. The judges basically told her she had no spot in the industry. She was too skinny for a plus-size model and too fat for a regular one. Why isn't there a place in this country for a model who is average weight? It's like, if you're not stick thin, you might as well not even try to look good. Just give it up.

High School Dress and Cosmetics: So Overdone
January 11, 2008

I guess there is no definition for "normal", because "normal" all depends on the viewer. I like to think that even if I have a unique type of dress, makeup, and accessories, that it doesn't look like my eyes are bruised, my hair purple, my eyebrows so thin that my emotion reads as surprised throughout the day, or that I'm going to a strip club.

But the scary thing is that I know people who look like all of that and more. In America's public high schools, well at least in many ones that I've been to in New York, teenagers feel the need to go to the extreme in their expression. If a girl prefers to dress in smaller clothes, maybe skirts that are very short, and low cut shirts, why does she have to wear high heel boots with those skirts, and fix her low cut shirt so that her midriff is exposed too.

A girl likes eyeliner and mascara. She likes her face with more makeup than less. But why does the eyliner have to be put on 3 times so that there are literally black circles around her eyes. Another girl hates her brown hair. She wants to dye it. Why not dye it blonde? Or be more courageous and dye it red ? No. She must dye it purple. It's like dying her hair isn't enough to get the attention of other teenagers. It must be the crazy color of purple in order for her to make a "statement". Everything has to be extreme, because Americans are so non-observant that they wouldn't notice a hair color change on a girl, unless it was purple. Is that true? Or is it that teenagers don't try the moderate statements, so we don't actually know where the truth lies ? Thin eyebrows is a new fad. But I see girls whose eyebrows are so waxed or tweezed that their faces are in a permanant state of shock.

Even some boys want to make a statement by showing the exact pattern of their boxers to the whole school. Their pants are falling off of them.

Maybe it's just that Americans are so busy and dull that they can't notice minor changes in people. We don't notice moderate girls and moderate changes. We only see the girls who have bruised eyes, purple hair, or look like they are going to a strip club. We only see the boy whose pants who are falling off.

Well, you know what it takes to get the attention.

The Dramatic Television of America
January 16, 2008 It seems that the entertainment industry agrees with many high school students. It takes a lot of extreme drama and extreme conflict to get the attention of American viewers.

Let's look at some of the most popular TV shows: Previously "The OC", and currently, "Desperate Housewives" and "Gossip Girl". There are so many problems in just one 45 minute show. There are affairs, deaths, murders, secrets revealed, anger, sadness, regret. In real life, there aren't so many vast problems that occur all at once.

But for some reason, to attract American viewers, we need to create all the conflicts possible and then find a way to resolve all of them. This is the type of entertainment Americans enjoy.

Let's take the OC for example. It wasn't enough for Marissa Cooper to be an alcoholic. She had to be battling with her sexual orientation as well. She was a lesbian for probably two weeks and then became straight again. The writers of these shows just pile the conflicts on individual characters to create the drama.

What show really represents real life? Is the real "normal" life of Americans not entertaining at all? "Gossip Girl" is about high school students! But there are affairs, and talks of marriage, huge "college-like" parties etc. Very few high school students live in a similar way to the characters in "Gossip Girl". Yet American viewers love seeing these mostly unrealistic shows.

Basically, "normal" is boring. We like the extreme drama.

The Extreme that Students Go to for College
January 22, 2008

Have you ever met that student who takes 8 AP courses in one year? They freak out about an A-. They can’t go to soccer practice because they have too much homework. Friday and Saturday nights are for studying. Five hours of sleep is normal.

They are worked to the ground. Why? Because they chose to take not 3 AP courses in order to challenge themselves, but they are in 8 AP classes. It seems today that it is impossible to get into the top universities of the country. Is this really what colleges want students to do ? Go to this insane extreme and avoid social gatherings and prevent a necessary and healthy amount of sleep. Is it worth it if the student can excel in 8 AP classes?

If this is what colleges want, they can be sure that there will be students willing to do it.

One thing is for sure. No matter what it is in American Society, there will always be the people who are willing to go the extreme. The extreme is encouraged. Sometimes, it seems as if the extreme is the only way to reach success.