In a Barbie world

We're all familiar with feminism and its ups and downs as it has affected our society immensely. In class we were reading a piece called "Our Barbies, Ourselves" which talks bout the sexualisation of a female and how Barbie is just a physical embodiment of what a man would like a woman to look like. 

Now a lot of people question what feminism really is and its motives. 

Could it be that for the past many years we've al been living in a 'Barbie world' trying to be like Barbie; trying to be what a man wants us to be, instead of being ourself? Isn't that what feminism is about? Not having to impress anyone and just learning to love oneself with all their prefections and flaws. 

I think we're all recently stepping out of the fog of the spell casted over us by a plastic doll that is considered 'perfect' when really it is unrealistic, impractical and in the words of the author 'almost masculine' 

Man vs...

   Life is like a story. 

It has a plot or conflict, decisions and turns at the forked road in life. 

That is, when we think of a story we mainly keep in mind the theme of man vs. something; nature, life, himself, society, anything. 

   Our whole life is about overcoming obstacles; school, friends, sickness, injuries, decisions, success, failure, hunger, emotions, life and death. 

   

  But is that what life really is? Just a bunch of obstacles and how we overcome them? Or how we don't?

But what if man was not meant to overcome and survive but to simply be? 

Not man vs. something but simply, man? 

No obstacles of need or want, just presence. What would that kind of life be like? Could we even consider it 'life' in the sense that there are no 'life events'?

I recently saw a movie called 'LUCY' where the main character's bloodstream is exposed to a very powerful and fatal synthetic drug. However, she not only survives but she starts to reach a 100% of her brain capacity, allowing her to know every bit of knowledge existent to man kind and to be in control of herself, others, and the objects around her.

She explains how her higher knowledge helped her realize that life is just full of hurdles and as humans we do not see the bigger picture, can not see the bigger picture. 

Throughout the movie the audience is kept waiting anxiously to see what happens at 100% as the character gains power over time and all matter on earth. 

However when she does reach 100% she becomes nothing, she disappears, she becomes 'one with the universe around her', an omnipresent source of energy.

That left me thinking, I've always been excited and curious as to what happens if I had full control over my brain. Could I become a superhero? Could I finally get a vowel as my math grade? (Not E folks very funny) 

But now, I don't think I want to. I like life's hurdles and obstacles. The stress and the drama. The happiness and enjoyment. The fun. The success and failure (cough cough GBBE cough cough). 

I like living life 

Do you?

"First I was dying to finish high school and start college. 

And then I was dying to finish college and start working. 

And then I was dying to marry and have children. 

And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough for school so I could return to work. 

And then I was dying to retire.

And now I am dying...

And suddenly I realize I forgot to live."

-Anonymous

On your Mark

   I want you to picture a man. 

Done? Did you picture a guy with short hair, a casual shirt and pants? Yeah me too. 

Now picture a woman. 

Not that easy now is it. 

Would she have long hair or short hair? Would she wear her hair up or down? Makeup or no makeup? Pants and shirt or a dress? 

You never know.  

Deborah Tannen calls women marked and men unmarked. Well I don't think it's our fault were called that, and yet it IS our fault at the same time. 

Women are expected to represent themselves in some sort of fashionable or stylistic manner unique to them. But society has already painted a standard picture for men and what they should look like. 

If men were encouraged to express their own style as women are I'm pretty sure they would do a fine job at it. 

Have you ever thougt about how some of the most famous fashion designers with  impeccable style (and impossible prices aha ahaha why WHY) are men?

Society makes a lot of our choices for us, but I guess it's time we make them ourselves. 

Girls if you just don't care and want to look like a potato for a few days go right ahead I'll join you. 

Guys please we ALL KNOW THERES A FASHION GOD DEEP DOWN INSIDE ITS YOUR TIME TO SHINE NOW GENTLEMEN OH YES.