The Blog
The Blog
Well, 2018 has come and gone.
Ah, here we go. Can you guess who this quote is about?
“He looks really amazing,” Wyatt said. “He’s down to 195 pounds. He hasn’t eaten any bread, no dessert, and he hasn’t drank any coffee. And the funny thing is Mrs. __________ has been trying to get him to stop drinking coffee for 55 years, and it took this to get him to stop drinking coffee.”
Yes, America’s favorite TV dad and Jello spokesperson has quit drinking coffee.
As I read this throwaway story online I thought to myself, in that very meme-able voice, “What?”
https://youtu.be/RT9FmDBrewA
As I have proposed “beauty” is neurological, subjective and culturally constructed. Most of us realize without extensive self-reflection, our level of attractiveness which is typically based on our experiences. Generally, we are painfully aware, early in life’s journey, where we rate on the beauty spectrum. For the fortunate few, beauty is effortless and an arbitrary compilation of body and facial elements matching a socially accepted norm.
Though the Bears’ last-second loss to Philadelphia is still painful to even think about, I have to marvel at the speed with which those intrepid trolls of the internet have combined a popular meme with the sad-sack ineptitude of kicker Cody Parkey. Talk about your convergence!
This should be a time for celebrating the holiday season in a personal message from me to you….and, trust me, we’ll get there eventually. What I wanted to talk about first, though, was an interesting twist on big-time beer advertising.
I was recently in Asheville, North Carolina with my brothers and sisters-in-law to visit the Biltmore mansion. The place was all dressed in its Christmas finery and is really quite spectacular. I highly recommend a visit if you like that sort of American excess that late-19th century billionaires are known for.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/WWTRwj9t-vU
“Gross, horrible, ugly…revolting…you look disgusting.”
After viewing this video, My Pale Skin, #youlookdisgusing, it reiterated my understanding that the concept of beauty is highly contextual and deeply cultural. But beyond the academic assessment, the acts of incredible cruelty are jarring. During the video, comments about a young girl suffering from acutely-visible acne devolves into nasty attacks which evolves into cautious complimentary acceptance and then cycles back into damaging brutality.