Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Beauty and the Truth

You have seen all these magazines of incredible pictures of beautiful people from Emma Watson and Kristen Stewart to George Clooney and Ryan Gosling. The real pressures put on normal people by the images we absorb. The truth here is that magazines, TV & Film, music, and social media shape our societies social culture consciously and even sub-consciously.

here are some examples of Photoshopping:






Just in case you didn't get it the first time imgur.com has a excellent way of showing you what the "finished" product is and the digital plastic surgery these People get. Our obsession with "perfection" seems to know zero limits. Doesn't it seem a little more humbling that these people have distinct features? Cindy Crawfords mole wouldn't have had a chance in today's idea of "beauty." If you think they don't care....WRONG! In an interview with Ryan Gosling on his Adonis like abs scene in Crazy Stupid Love  he says quote: "Absolutely Photoshopped" also saying: “I’m as uncomfortable with it as I am talking about it.” He's uncomfortable with the bar that Photoshopped Rock Hard Abs has given him. You know why? Because it's Not attainable, it's not real. Something we all need to break ourselves from. So when your significant other says you look better than (insert celebrity name here) the image you are thinking of isn't the right one and it isn't impossible for you to not look better than them. Here's a few more.....

What happen to photographers getting people to sit the right way, straighten out their backs. Shit even tell them to suck it in if need be. It's almost as if they point they click,say good work and turn these folks into cartoons. Red Eye, I get it. Photos to dark, alright fine.
Don't like the way their arm looks, make them do something else with it. Aren't photographers suppose to be artistic, capture moments of beauty that are unheard of. Don't think it's affecting society? Wrong! just a little over a year ago glamour.com put out an article talking about people hiring a site called lookbetteronline.com to Photoshop your pics for Online Dating services. SERIOUSLY?! CEO Giles Fabris says quote: “The right photo,” he says, “makes a huge difference in how people perceive you on the Web.” Yea, like not you. Is this what we are? Perception being more important than reality? We are becoming to comfortable with living in and with our ideals, not reality. Defining unique physical traits as "imperfections". I found a quote that I would like to share “Nature didn't need an operation to be beautiful. It just was.”
Scott Westerfeld, The Uglies Trilogy

And Change is nature. So I gotta ask. What the hell happen to Beauty?
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Monday, June 17, 2013

Kanye West Sweet Yeezus!



With a new album on the way Kanye West is back in the spotlight. Which means interviews and more eye-catching, eye-popping moments from Mr. West. Being labeled everything from narcissistic to a**hole Kanye West's new album "Yeezus" is getting pretty amazing reviews From Rolling Stone to an "Uneasy Listen" by the Chicago Tribune. The album cover of "Yeezus" seems a lot like another band's simplistic album design. He takes on new ideas like interracial couples and most eye catching is "New Slaves" where he brings up the privatization of prisons.
Kanye's Ego is all over the place which is why it is so big. What's the best and worst trait about him is that he knows and believes everything about himself. To quote an old song of his: "I'm on the TV talking like it's just you and me."















Now this is a video of The Young Turks they discuss Kanye West.
and I also have to add Kanye says he's the "Michael Jordan" of music. Debatable obviously. 
However, his undeniable confidence/arrogance or determination is explained. Does purchase of the albums he creates validate his behavior? Is it a form of glorification? Cause if this is what success looks like, What the hell happen to Kanye West? Follow me on Twitter @JusJ_ONTNews.

Privacy

Now as I was surfing the internet today I came across this video about "collecting offline data" on THNKRTV'S YouTube Channel in the video is technology expert and author Josh Klein.
On the heels of leaked information by Edward Snowden whom I had a previous post about Mr. Klein talks candidly about this technique of collecting offline data. Everything that he says is dressed up with pretty background music and in a tone that says "this shits okay." Which leads me to ask:

What the hell happened to privacy?! Damn seriously infrared sensors to follow my eyes? What the fuck?! Why do they dress up this idea of collecting offline data or as I like to call it shopping at your local grocery store like it is perfectly okay. New age marketing is becoming more and more intrusive than ever.

The worst about this is that it's probably going to happen and there isn't a damn thing we are going to do about it.

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Monday, June 10, 2013

Edward Snowden

In my next post in wth2u. I want to talk about one of the two most important people in the last decade of American history. Edward Snowden is the man you see to the right. In this video he speaks out against the NSA and it's surveillance practices.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/10/white-house-nsa-leaks-edward-snowden?guni=Network%20front:network-front%20full-width-1%20bento-box:Bento%20box:Position1
This link will take you to the guardian where the story broke over the weekend. 
The PRISM whistleblower. Why did he end up in this blog? Well because he believes he will imminently Disappear from existence saying in the video interview: "If they want to get you, they will get you."

He also goes to talk further about the amount of power US intelligence has. In most cases seemingly more than the government itself.

"My sole motive is to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them." Said Snowden in the interview Greenwald with The Guardian.

This is what press should look like, this is what our job is. Watchdogs of power and overreach.

So when a year from now people are asking what the hell happen to Edward Snowden, at least we will have some idea why he disappeared.

Edward Snowden, a real hero.
 

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Amanda Bynes

Amanda Bynes. Last seen in "Easy A" in 2010, which doesn't seem that long ago. Has been on twitter with Blue Bird Rage unseen by anyone in recent memory. 

I am just going to look closer at what people are calling "The New Lindsey Lohan." I mean is that fair? My question is what the hell happened?

In 2008, an interview that Bynes had with Cosmo Amanda Bynes says, "Part of me relates to Perez Hilton because he’s an outcast, I don’t have a lot of friends who are actresses. They’re catty, and they’ll cut you down. I like that Perez is proud of who he is and doesn’t care what anybody thinks."

Read more: Amanda Bynes Cover Story - Quotes and Interview - Cosmopolitan

What's also interesting in this interview is her view on being a sex kitten. She was 22 years old at the time, here's what she said: “I was always the quirky girl. I’m much more comfortable being goofy than being the sex kitten.”

Well in 2010 she was named America's Sweetheart and featured on the cover of Maxim, she was uncomfortable being a sex kitten then became....well here's the video of her behind the scenes on the set to shoot.
Then in 2011 Amanda Bynes speaks with People at the MTV Movie Awards quoted saying: "You say what you feel because you felt it at the moment."

 Here's where the timeline seems quite interesting.
After some charges come up and some erratic outbursts in 2012 she says according to celebritycafe.com reporting from a People magazine over the phone interview, quote: "I am doing amazing. I am retired as an actor. I am moving to New York to launch my career. I am going to do a fashion line. I am not talking about being arrested for DUI because I don't drink, and I don't drink and drive. It is all false. "

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K4kRToJv7R0/UYsffS81bRI/AAAAAAAAMFE/Ip_X8Na2-P8/s320/amanda-bynes-bizarre-behavior.jpg
Would the accusations end there? Nope. The media notably: Andrea Simpson frome celebuzz.com would sit down with her uncle, Ronald Bynes in October of 2012 for an "exclusive interview" about Amanda Bynes' current behavior saying “She needs to stop drinking and driving, She needs help."
also another quote from Mr. Bynes:  "The problem is there’s no correspondence [between Amanda and her parents]. I don’t even think they know what’s going on with her."
I am pointing out these quotes because at the end of the interview Andrea Simpson ADMITS AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE Ronald Bynes hasn't spoken to much if at all to his niece in many YEARS! Not days, not weeks, or months. YEARS! His thoughts are merely speculation. 
Now in 2013 remember that earlier quote of who she related well with was Perez Hilton? They became really good friends or at least were really good friends, seems things chane and well views may have changed as well since then according to torontosun.com Ms. Bynes is quoted saying 
"@perezhilton no one wants to s--k your d--k! Stop living! Kill yourself! I look sooooo much better than the girl you hired to look like an awful cheeky version of me! So I'd say F--k You but no one wants to! I just say keep living in your s--tty existence leaching (sic) off of stars who you look, sound, and act nothing like (sic)!"
Also who can forget this tweet: "I want @drake to murder my v----a."
She's distanced herself from her parents, making the split on twitter June 2nd of 2013: "My dad is as ugly as RuPaul! So thankful I look nothing like you both!"
 Multiple outlets have "sources" or a "close friend" in a case where you are doubting someone's mental stability, I would think people would like a little harder evidence than anonymous sources. Maybe it was the exposure of Maxim that changed everything. Before then, she was just a "quirky girl" as she explained in the Cosmo interview merely 5 years ago. What the hell happened to Amanda Bynes? In my estimation a 27 year old who decided she wants to change her identity and be honest with exactly how she feels. Amanda Bynes being a rapper and a Fashion Designer.  Charlie Sheen has a "winning" meltdown and he gets new sitcoms. She has outbreaks on social media and it's immediate "mental health issues" 20 plus years of that kind of success doesn't just happen. However though, disrespect is disrespect. I would love to hear others' thoughts.