Disney Is the Root of All Evil

Disney World is portrayed as a magical kingdom for families to come and share memorable moments and spend thousands of dollars doing so. But, to me, Walt Disney is the root of evil. Maybe that's a little over-exaggerated, but I refuse to be a part of the growing community of Disney and boycott all thing's Disney related.

According to the Columbia Journalism Review, The Walt Disney Company not only slaps their name on everything, but also owns a number of multi-billion dollar production companies such as Touchstone Pictures and Miramax Films to ESPN!

I see Disney not only as racist and sexist, but also homophobic. Before you say, "Well, at Disney World, they have Gay Week!" I say, if we were all seen as equal, why the hell would we have a specific day for gays and lesbians to be themselves? And Walt Disney has not even addressed the rights of transgendered individuals.

Some individual's will also fight me about how Disney is not racist claiming that the introduction of the leading African American princess, Tiana, in Princess and the Frog, shows strength in the black community. But, to me and other people, this is just a slap in the face to African Americans. The portrayal of Princess Tiana is more unnatural and that of a white woman. Tiana has light colored skin and permed hair. Even down to the frogs in this animated film, are portrayed as almost ghetto-centric. And like most evil Disney characters, the evil voodoo man is dark skinned. Fun fact: Think about it, every person/thing in a Disney movie that is portrayed as evil/bad, is colored, even if it's purple, never light skinned.

It's sad because Disney possesses the great ability to reach individuals and help teach future generations about respect and tolerance, but they continue to shove heteronormalcy (normalization of heterosexual relationships) down children's throats, among other things...
Therefore, Disney is the root of all evil.

Beauty In the World

The quote, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder" is a well-known phrase world-wide, meaning each person see's beauty in a different way. There is not only exterior beauty, but also interior beauty. The idea of beauty is defined in different ways around the world. What one country primarily see's as a normal beauty regimen, another country may not have ever heard of.

There was a show that debuted on the VH1 channel called "The Price of Beauty" starring Jessica Simpson, who is a well-known American pop star, along with her two friends. The trio traveled around the globe to places like France, New York, Uganda, Brazil, Thailand, and Morocco. Jessica often interviewed women and men to find out what the cultural standards of beauty were in that country.
The show really opened my eyes! In France, Jessica had an interview with the famous French model Isabelle Caro and discussed her fight with anorexia because, like the common beauty standard in America, women are seen as more beautiful and of a higher class if they are skinny. In contrast, when the crew went to Uganda, being more full and voluptuous is more desired. For example, two months before a woman's wedding day, she is placed inside what is called a "fattening hut" to in fact fatten up before her wedding day to please her man. The show continues to address skin whitening creams, plastic surgery, clothing, extreme expectations of wives and daughters, and so many other issues.
The idea of beauty in the United States isn't just black and white. We are all different. It varies from generation to generation. From person to person. In the U.S. the stereotypical idea of beauty is thin, tall, and tan. This idea has changed over the years. Women, even in the 60's, were seen as the ideal woman if she was curvy. This meant she had money to eat and even more "fertile" looking. Even being tan in today's society is more recent. This means you have more money and leisure time to spend looking like you spent the weekend at the beach instead of working.
Even though our society is becoming more progressive in terms of beauty and beliefs, others who do not fit the norm are criticized. On a more personal note, I have my ears stretched which is a process most common in Africa and other parts of the world, where a person takes a pierced area of the body and gradually over time continues to stretch out the hole to whatever their desired size might be. This is not painful if done correctly. I loath the criticism I get for having them. People tell me that I won't get a job for having them done or "what are you going to do when you get old?". Honestly, I feel like saying, "I wouldn't hire you because you look like you starve yourself." or "How are you going to stop looking like a dried up orange peel?", but someone would really need to push me for me to say that. But, having bright pink hair and piercings helps me express who I am.
I think what is most important is for parents, grandparents, teachers, siblings, and so on to be good self-esteem enforcers. Trying to allow kids to see that their mom thinks she's beautiful or that their sister loves her curly hair and doesn't straighten it.
I love who I am and I want to pass those beliefs onto my children. Why not be proud of who we are and not judge others? We're all beautiful in our own perfect way! Embrace it!

WoW..An Addiction

World of Warcraft (WoW) according to the World of Warcraft Beginners Guide is "an online game where players from around the world assume the roles of heroic fantasy characters and explore a virtual world full of mystery, magic, and endless adventure." This role playing game has reached well over twelve million players in 2011. But, how has this game dominated not only preteens/teens, but also adults? And what are the consequences of such an addictive game?

From the very beginning WoW players are to "define" or design their character. The player is not only amazed by the colorful clothing, bulky armor, and the many different body forms they can choose from, but also get to choose their race and class. Choosing the characters race is important because characters can only communicate with it's same race. And class determines what players can and can't do. Sounds like history repeating its self, but in video game form?

WoW provides a militaristic agenda. When a player first starts their game they are promptly given orders by orcs to kill harmless creatures. Players maim, dismember, decapitate, and slaughter their victims. From then on, like many militaristic games such as Call of Duty or Diablo, players are rewarded after killing their victims by leveling up, presented with new weapons or abilities, and move on to a new exciting mission.

What also makes this game so appealing is the players ability to talk to other players around the world online through chat or headphones. In WoW groups form to have battles and this can be rewarding and more incentive for players to keep playing. This interactive appeal can also turn for the worse when players loose a battle or mess up in some sort of way. Some players become so entranced that they actually threaten other players.

WoW is designed to keep new players or "noobs" playing by being drip-fed enough for them to keep coming back for more. Many players have become addicted to the game investing hours upon hours of game play. Some individuals have even committed suicide due to the fact that they were banned from World of Warcraft or even because their character had died. There are even some cases of individuals who have lost touch with reality completely and forgot about their health, like a twenty-eight year old gamer in Beijing, nicknamed "Snowly" who died when he was approaching a major level due to exhaustion and no eating. There are even websites such as Wow Detox that provides support for people who were addicted to the fantasy game and need help to keep away.

Another online role playing game pegged more for kids is Neopets, which blew up when I was in middle school. Neopets allowed you to create and decorate your own Neopet and you could level up by placing them in duels and playing strategy games. Honestly, I was extremely addicted. I would come home from school and try to level up my plethora of Neopets for hours on end.

Role playing games, like World of Warcraft, and other video games, are making millions of dollars off of so many people around the world. And many of these games sponsor the idea that violence is acceptable. But, where is the line between video games and real life? And what are parents doing to help separate the difference between a killing fantasy land and harsh reality?