i admit, i do watch tv, i am not one of those people who make a big point of not watching/not having a t.v~i watch things i really like and interest me,especially if it relates to my degree; documentaries, films, the news when i feel my blood pressure isn't exciting enough~but this means i can only escape the adverts if i have recorded something and can happily fast forward~if not i always have a book at hand to read my way through the ad's. as for magazines, well the only one i read is 'country living' but even then i cant escape the dreaded adverts.
given my grand old age of 42~yes adverts make me feel positively geriatric~i should rush out and make sure i have stockpiled the essential things needed to ensure i remain youthful, attractive and feminine...
creams to hide fine lines and deep set wrinkles~creams to fill in the monstrous caverns that develop around my lips, creams that abrade the old skin away, dye to cover the dreaded gray in my hair (forget it~natural red heads go gracefully white and i cant wait), assorted creams and razors to remove any hair that dare appear...not forgetting the creams to make my skin glow and appear more youthful, hair products to tame my unruly locks,things to make me smell so good men chase after me in the street (good grief)
and that's just the tv...when i go to the doctors/dentist/hospital if there is not a national geographic or gardening magazine available i will pick up one of those multitude of women's magazine~perk up my blood pressure prior to a blood pressure check~keeps the doctors on their toes!
the magazines are infinitely worse~not only do they have the dreaded adverts, but they also have pages and pages of ridiculous fashions placed on impossibly thin women/teenagers...wear this, get beautiful,get thin, get a man...and it just goes on...and on...and every year there is some new wonder product on the market...
i imagine they would argue that it is promoting self-esteem in women who may not be very confident, i think these magazines only purpose is to make insecure women feel even more insecure, so they rush out to buy all these products which makes them even more insecure...round and round, catch 22...
i was thinking this the other day when going through the latest country living, they had a few pages on natural beauty products (most of which is way too expensive when you can make your own anyway) and bits on healthy drinks, food etc but littered liberally through the pages are large glossy ad's for the major cosmetics industry. oh i know they need it for revenue but it seems such a contradictory thing!
i dont know if its the way i was brought up but i have never bought into this whole 'lifetsyle' (i cant think of a better word right now) thing~when i was younger i did read 'jackie' and 'oh boy' magazine in the 70's-who remembers those??
by the time i reached about 13 i was reading american sci fi magazines, i was and still am a huge star wars freak, and adapted my school uniform to incorporate desert boots (i had my first pair age 4 and still have a pair today)colored socks and a 'rock against racism' badge...the socks were totally unacceptable at my school and i got pulled up by a teacher we called 'gower power' for wearing fluffy lilac socks!
then i moved onto 2000AD and Solidarity/ANC badges and by my twenties i was reading deadline, where tank girl made her appearance...
...i do belive i was a little in love with tank girl...
i always say to swampy how glad i am not to be growing up now~looking back i see the seventies and eighties and even the early nineties, as an exciting time to grow up, there seemed to be 'variety' in everything~now everything seems so narrow (maybe i just need to get out more?!)and grey.
luckily i see pockets of individuality thriving...i am poniting at you, yes you; and in some cases passing to the next generation~i think boho mom and hatchling are great examples of this.
i like to think there are plenty of young folk being brought up to embrace difference and individuality with a healthy dose of respect who are going to make a big difference in the world
2 comments:
I am very cynical about womens magazines and never buy them. It seems to me that they do feed on women's insecurities just to sell more cr*p we don't need, to paste, spray, smear etc., on our faces, bodies, and wrinkles.. .... x
I'm right with you here missus. I only buy crafting mags. Womens mags just peddle things to line the pockets of the beauty and fashion industry and make women feel bad about not being what these industries think we should be. Hooray for being who we want to be without spending all our money on a load of old guff!
Twiggy x
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