Archive for May, 2008

Enough!

Thursday, May 15th, 2008

I am sick of Myanmar monsoon and China earthquake reports on TV! Why, why, why do we have to be bombarded with pictures of death and suffering due to natural catastrophes? Is it to push us into the “I shouldn’t complain; I have it so good” game? Stop the never-ending videos of dead children! Show them to me once, shock me with the number of dead and refugees – and let me know if and how I can help. But stop blackmailing me with other people’s suffering!

Sexism & Advertisement

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

I was asked to write an article about sexism in advertisement. I am a bit scared of this article because I am not sure myself what to think about this topic. What is sexism in advertisement? Why is it bad? One thing I am afraid of is that we could, by trying to turn this world into a perfect politically correct place, create a sterile world with no joy. The same effect that the sexual harassment frenzy had on USA offices – I heard that male colleagues are now too scared to give compliments or show sympathy to the ladies. Not a place I would like to work in. And hey, if we wanted to be really correct we should ban advertisement all together – and instead of spending millions on advertising budgets and buying stuff we don’t need, spend the money to save lives and make this world a fairer place. If you ask me, I don’t think we should strip the world of advertisement off of pretty ladies (but do add some handsome gents as well, please). Art has always tried to fill the world with beauty. And (unfortunately) today, advertisement is the commercial art form par excellence. Images of beautiful people inspire us to look our best and to appreciate the other sex. The only concern I have is how natural and healthy their beauty is. As long as they don’t make me want to skip my dinner or consider the silicones again – great!

But then there is also the whole debate about the roles of women vs. men as presented in advertising. And the “sex sells” topic. Hmm, will be a fun article to write….

Dorothy & the Witch

Wednesday, May 14th, 2008

Dorothy was furious because the Witch didn’t want to play with her anymore. “You fucking witch, you pretend to be a bad motherfucker and you’re just a lost little girl from Kansas!” The Witch was speechless. Dorothy continued “You are such a naïve cow you think that lions and scarecrows and tin men can talk! And you are oh-so-obsessed with your fucking little red shoes! You are so fucking narrow-minded, the only thing you can wish for is going back to your Kansas!” The witch leaned on her broom and listened on. By now, she was amused. “You believe in fairytale bullshit such as wizards, you naïve little cow, you! You are stupid enough to believe that sticking to your yellow brick road will bring you somewhere!” But now, the Witch got bored. She opened her Evian bottle and poured the holy water over Dorothy. Dorothy started melting away. And as she was disappearing in a cloud of smoke, the Witch could hear her sing “Ding Dong the Witch is Dead!”

“I better be more picky next time I chose a Dorothy” the Witch thought, coughing from the smoke.

True?

Tuesday, May 13th, 2008

“With women it’s always the same. Either you don’t give a damn about them or you’re afraid of them. If you do give a damn, then you must be terrified.”

Frédéric Beigbeder, 99 francs

…. one of my favourite quotes ever. And I am always curious to hear what others think about it….

Our Beloved Governments

Saturday, May 10th, 2008

Few days ago, Croatian newspapers were full of articles praising the prime minister as people’s hero. Because in a meeting with representatives of Croatian businesses, he scolded the entrepreneurs for their “bad behaviour” towards their workers. He asked the businesses for more social responsibility and fairer treatment of workers. Haha, he scolded and asked?! It was like reading a joke. The government, which exists (only) to protect its people, is not protecting them but – scolding and begging the business?! No, politics cannot be called a whore anymore – whores didn’t deserve to be offended like that. Eventually only a pathetic money-devouring joke. The most disgusting part of the story was the pas de deux between the politics and the media – media translating the flop of the politics into a victorious act, brainwashing poor tired masses which do not know anymore what to think, so they think what they read.

Today, the same joke repeated on the other part of the world (the government joke is a very universal thing and knows no boundaries) – the government (or officially “the ruling military junta, but its all the same shit) of Myanmar is deciding if it should or should not allow the aid to enter the country after 50,000 people died from the monsoon last week. Deciding!?

Yeah, I should rather stick to reading Playboy, it doesn’t make me wanna puke.

First Feedback

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008

“You are very interesting to us because you are a fresh name and a fresh face.” Gloria, Croatian best selling weekly yellow magazine. A fresh piece of meat, forget your work.

“I do not think we are going to organise an interview with you on the Catholic Radio.” Publisher˙s marketing manager. There goes the fun…..

“Now you can say you were naked on Zagreb˙s main square!” Lucija, as she has seen my book in a vindow of a bookstore on Jelacic Square.

div08-043.jpg

Writers and their moms

Tuesday, May 6th, 2008

Information form Croatian daily newspapers: Michel Houellebecq˙s mother wrote an autobiography called “L`Innocente” as the answer to things he has been writing about her in his books. “My son is actually arogant, he is a real parasite and a lier” she said, according to the newspaper. “If he ever mentions me again in his books, he is going to receive such a slap that all his teet are going to drop out.” In his interviews, Houellebecq calls her “old bitch”.

Oh how boring the world would be witout writers!

Anti-Wrinkles Playboy

Saturday, May 3rd, 2008

Ok, ok its time to be nice and say something positive. Otherwise all the bitching will leave ugly wrinkles on my face. And I need a pretty face to sell my book.

Yesterday, for the first time in man many years, I bought the new German Playboy (hmmm, things you get to do in the name of research!). And I liked what I’ve seen. Three out of four ladies had small breasts. And the big ones weren’t plastic. And three out of four were dark haired. Only one bleached bimbo. If men’s magazines start turning more into this direction, we might be entering an era in which men’s magazines are better for female egos than women’s magazines. A woman has more possibilities to get frustrated about her looks when reading Vogue or Elle than (this) Playboy.

And now I again get to quote a playmate “Just being beautiful is boring.” Good work, girl! Unfortunately, she wasn’t speaking about intelligence or talent or success but hey, I won’t be too strict. Wrinkles, remember?

Madonna- a Death of an Era?

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

First, let me get one thing straight – I am (was) an absolute Madonna fan. I discovered her very late. While my friends listened to “Like a Virgin” at the age of 10, adoring the cute pop beats, I (hating everything mainstream) only discovered Madonna at the age of 17, as she made “In Bed With Madonna”, adoring her guts. Madonna is the one woman who influenced my generation of women and helped them to grow up into the emancipation our mothers were fighting for. She taught us to be self confident, focused, and original. She taught us that it is ok to be sexual, play, discover, change directions and make mistakes – as long as you stay strong and true to yourself. She taught us that it is ok to do whatever you want to do first and then have a family. She taught us that a woman can have it all.

But ooooohhhhh! What is happening with her having it all? Now, at the age 50 when she should know it best, she distances her from the all and only wants to be everything but all – a 25 year old bimbo again. Instead of being proud of what she is, she is running away from it. From being 50, from being the queen of pop, from being a wife and mother of 3. Her new album sounds just like a bad copy of Nelly or Fergie or whatever their names are. And a cover showing a 50 year old mama in black latex, legs spread, sucking on whatever, is nothing but sick and pathetic. What she is doing is actually a crime – she is betraying everything all those generations of women were fighting for. She is betraying her own students. “Forget experience, success, independence, originality” she is screaming to us from that cover “The only thing that counts is looking/sounding 25 again.”

We want Madonna back. Madonna who will take us to the next level (again). We want her to tell/show us things only a woman who did what she did and achieved what she achieved can. And if she can’t do that, she should just disappear. And stop doing all this damage.  

What happened to (among other) the eight hour day?

Thursday, May 1st, 2008

May Day can refer to various labor celebrations conducted on May 1 that commemorate the fight for the eight hour day. May Day in this regard is called International Workers’ Day, or Labour Day. The choice of May 1st was a commemoration by the Second International for the people involved in the 1886 Haymarket affair in Chicago, Illinois. As the culmination of three days of labor unrest in the United States, the Haymarket incident was a source of outrage and admiration from people around the globe. In countries other than the United States and Canada, residents sought to make May Day an official holiday and their efforts largely succeeded. For this reason, in most of the world today, May Day has become an international celebration of the social and economic achievements of the labor movement. In some European countries, working people continue to use May Day parades as an opportunity to show disapproval with the government or to protest cuts in social programs. From Wikipedia

the_rebel_girl_cover.jpg