In the world today, people are influenced by what they see and hear. Specifically, dress and appearance have become a major emphasis and concern in society today. Thus, when celebrities decide either for or against having liposuction or plastic surgery, their decisions can impact others. This article will discuss some celebrities who have had the procedure and how that affects everyone else.
Britney Spears, after having her second child received an abdominoplasty, otherwise known as a tummy tuck. This procedure makes the abdomen more firm. Those who generally choose this surgery have either just been through a pregnancy or have extra sagging skin from weight loss. Rather than resorting to healthy eating and exercise, this procedure can be a quick and efficient way to shed a few extra pounds.
Especially after pregnancy, women are often extremely self conscious about their appearance. If Britney Spears needs extra help to look her best after being pregnant, naturally more woman are apt to feel the same. In recent years the term “mommy-makeover” has become more common. This is a double procedure of ****** augmentation and a tummy tuck after having given birth.
Many other celebrities are rumored to have undergone liposuction including Kelly Osbourne, Debbie Gibson, Jessica Simpson and Gene Simmons. Some celebrities undergo liposuction multiple times and put their health at risk. They want fast, effective results to have the perfect appearance for the big screen or record album cover.
Celebrity magazines can be harmful and misleading. Because of digital image manipulation, the images can be altered to be far from the truth. Thus, misrepresentations of celebrity’s liposuction procedures can be displayed. As a result, this can affect people’s view of the procedure–whether for better or worse. This could happen in the line at the grocery store or at the beauty salon.
Get the facts straight before making conclusions. Learn to be comfortable with the person you are, rather than going to the celebrities for every move you make. Be independent and be smart.
Because of the tabloids, people may be more inclined to have the surgery simply if they see a celebrity has had it done. However, thoughtful care should be placed into the idea of having liposuction. Be sure you have done all you can: eating healthy and exercising diligently. It is important not to let your views or actions be swayed by those who supposedly hold the “social power” in society–the celebrities.
By: Christian Heftel
About the Author:
Read more on How Do Celebrities and Liposuction Influence Society?…
Filed under Womens Interests by on Nov 20th, 2010. 
Have you ever stopped to differentiate between the beliefs you want to have about your life’s direction versus the beliefs you inherit from old habits and from society? Are the expectations of your family, religion, and culture congruent with who you strive to be?
What Exactly Do You Believe?
The beliefs we have about ourselves, about what we should have accomplished, about how we should behave, about what a mother, family, or wife is determine whether we are satisfied with ourselves and ultimately whether we love and accept ourselves. Many women feel frustration and even self-hatred or at least disappointment surrounding their roles as wives, lovers, career women, and mothers. They hold themselves to standards that are based on rules. These rules are based on beliefs about what a woman is.
Women do have a quest at this time in our culture. It is the quest to fully embrace their feminine nature, learning how to value themselves as women and heal the deep wound of the feminine.[i]
What is the deep wound of the feminine? For at least over 4500 years, women, most particularly, woman’s sexuality, has been the domain of the men in their lives; whether it be fathers, brothers, husbands, lovers, or even judges. I am not launching a feminist tirade, but it is critical to acknowledge where we’ve come from and what the past was like for women who came before us.
Each individual is birthed from the societal stew yet our lives are our own expression and responsibility. Part of being an adult is to learn how to stop blaming others and start manifesting ourselves, but this may be hard to do unless we carefully examine what we believe, where we came from, and how these two things relate to each other.
I use the illustration of the stew because a stew has distinct ingredients yet they all influence each other either through dominating flavoring or in more subtle ways. All the ingredients take up the properties of everything that is in the stew. The properties from our societal stew linger in our minds acting like silent partners – governing our lives (our subconscious mind).
Can you name something you did in the last week but now you have no idea why you did it?
Or did you do something you swore you wouldn’t do, but did?
When we take action and make decisions that later baffle us, it is often our silent partner who made the decision for us. Our silent partner believed it was acting in our best interests. It acted for our own survival, to avoid a more painful outcome, or to support subtle – yet critical beliefs we hold. Our silent partner is running around, behind our backs, shaping our lives into something that we later say, “This isn’t how I thought my life would be.”
Name three subtle beliefs you have.
Are some similar to these?
Read more on Life Stew – How Society Influences Female Identity…
Filed under Womens Interests by on Nov 14th, 2010.
While the Vatican talks about washing machines as being the major force leading to the liberation of woman, yet millions of women in Eastern and Asian countries live from day to day without any freedom. They are seen as little more than chattels belonging to their husbands and are kept totally under male domination. This includes countries such as:
o Afghanistan,
o Saudi Arabia,
o India,
o Egypt,
o Indonesia,
o Paskistan,
o China,
o Malaysia,
o The Moslem countries of the Middle East,
o Many African nations and
o Even tropical islands such as Vanuatu.
Millions of women live being denied access to education, consigned to the house, all freedom of expression strictly curtailed, dress codes rigidly enforced, the liberty to speak freely with men not allowed and a general disapproval of women being found in any position of authority.
However, it is only a few years ago that girls were not encouraged to obtain higher education, even in Western society. After all girls were only going to mess around and maybe work for a few years, before getting married and staying at home to look after the family. Why waste a university education on them?
What then has brought about the change to where women in the Western world feel they have been given their freedom? Is it really the washing machine, as the Vatican recently declared, that made the difference?
Equal opportunity for women has freed many women, allowing them to take a major role in Western society. This was brought about through:
o Germaine Greer and ‘the burn the bra’ movement
o The pill and the availability of safe abortions
o Anti discrimination laws both in the work place and in education
o Child minding and day care facilities, backed by the government, have allowed mums to continue as working-mums
o The anonymity and world-wide reach of the Internet and Cyber Space has been another major contributing factor. Women can now work from home, but if they choose, then can be sexless and nameless.
Maybe though, it is time to admit the pendulum may have swung too far, with many antifeminist activists claiming the feminist movement now seeks a higher status for women than for men. Serious traditional intellectuals such as Allan Graglia and Carlson Carolyn believe that the change of women’s role, from being primarily mothers, to self-identified professionals, has created a social disaster that continues to take its toll on the family.
Many now believe there is an anti-male discrimination in the areas of child custody, reproductive rights, alimony and property division, in messy divorce settlements. Antifeminists are quick to point to the marked increase in divorce and the breakdown of family relationships as having been formed by the influence of the feminist movement.
Still there are feminists who say, “I would rather cook a meal for a man and bring him his slippers and feel myself in the protection of his arms than have all the citations and awards and honors I have received worldwide, including the Ribbon of Legion of Honor and my property and my bank accounts. They mean nothing to me. And I am only one among the millions of sad women like myself.”
Other women are quick to promote the business woman, women as leader models, as well encouraging women into competitive environments, in spite of the fact that women sometimes receive ‘preferential treatment’ in the form of being permitted lower physical requirements in some professions, such as military and rescue services.
In the finish, it will be neither the male domination, nor the feminist, nor anti feminist movements, that will make a difference to families in the years ahead, but the legalization of same *** marriages. The world is in a fervent of change for both men and women.
By: Wendy Stenberg-Tendys
About the Author:
http://winaresort.com
Filed under Womens Interests by on Sep 14th, 2010.
Who Are the Red Hat Society Ladies?
If you see ladies in the over 50’s bracket, wearing red hats and purple dresses, get out of their way. Red Hat Society Ladies are on the move, and they’re having fun. The Red Hat Society originated as a group of friends having afternoon tea in Fullerton, California. Now the ladies of the Red Hat Society number over 1.5 million worldwide. There are more than 41 000 chapters, including groups in Canada, Japan, Mexico, Egypt and Australia, as well as an online chapter.
Seize the Day
Wearing red hats and purple dresses is symbolic of this seize the day, devil may care approach to life. For Red Hat Society Ladies who are feeling especially frivolous, a feather boa, glitzy jewelry and purple gloves add an extra dash of glamor and fun. They call themselves a disorganisation , and have no rules except the red hat and purple attire worn to all gatherings like a badge of honor.
Red Hat Society Origins
Founder, Sue Ellen Cooper was inspired by Jenny Joseph’s poem Warning. The essence of the poem is about embracing fun and life, rather than being held back by age and society’s expectations.
The poem starts off -
When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit
Life’s Priorities
Red Hat Society Ladies have learned the art of prioritising what is really important in life. And they are going for it. I don’t mean doing the laundry or having the best starched sheets on the block. The Red Hat Society Ladies are intent on having serious fun.
Fun and Friendship
In fact, it’s all about fun and friendship. The fun starts with the naming of the chapters and members. Chapters include the Raspberry Tarts, the Rowdy Red Hat Mamas, the Brassy Belles, and the Scarlet O’Hatters. The leaders of each chapter are Red Hat Royalty, with Sue Ellen Cooper as the Exalted Queen Mother.
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Bev Fussell, Queen of the Australian Dinky Di Divas told ABC Television that “girls just wanna have fun… We’ve gone garage-saling in convoy, and that’s an absolute hoot.” San Francisco’s Strutting Peacocks chapter holds an annual tea party at the San Francisco Zoo. When it comes to parade time, it seems that Red Hat Ladies just can’t resist a red sports car or a red London style double decker bus.
Ladies with Hattitude
Even bikies are not safe from being descended upon en masse, and being asked to pose with the Red Hat Ladies. The Red Hat Rockettes in Rockingham, Western Australia, and their irrepressible leader, Queen Beadazzled, have the photos to prove it. The Red Hat Society Ladies are ladies with a zest for life and plenty of “hattitude”. Long live the Red Hat Society.
By: Yvonne Russell
About the Author:
Filed under Womens Interests by on Sep 4th, 2010.
The 18th and early 19th century consisted of an agricultural society wherein the family worked as a unit, each contributing to the growth and prosperity of the unit. Education and healthcare was provided within the home. Every member of the household was engaged in a skill that would enhance their economic viability. These values were an integral part of their life and their success was measured by how industrious they could be.
Along with industrialization, the 19th century brought with it a change in the family as a cohesive unit. Outside influences directed the course they would take. The home was no longer the core of economic production, but was now the catalyst whereby all labor was forced out.
Education and healthcare institutions became the guardians of the children. Classes began to form and independent families were no longer the norm but, rather, the exception. The age of the independent family has been replaced with an emergence of families in poverty, despair, loneliness, and frustration.
Latch-key kids, a high divorce rate, two-paycheck households, single family households, and a decline in the respect given to the elderly is a common practice.
Moreover, the role of women in today’s society has dramatically changed. In researching the question as to whether there is a burden on the women of today, the overwhelming majority of women I spoke to said yes.
One key issue is that of respectability. A “stay-at-home mom” is not considered to have a meaningful role in today’s society. Add to this the pressure of having to work in order to make ends meet. Moreover, she is not valued for the many contributions she makes to her family and to the household.
In this patriarchal society, motherhood is a low priority. If a woman is forced out into the workplace, she is still viewed as less than equal to men. Unfortunately, women have to compete every day to gain the respect they so deserve.
Recently, Congress passed the Lily Ledbetter Act which allows equal pay for equal work. While this is a great step forward in the compensation area, there is still the matter of respect. It was the focus of the Presidential campaign, and still needs to be addressed today.
An example of this is evidenced by a short conversation between a man and a woman that went something like this: “Man: What do you do? Woman: I am a stay-at-home mom. Man: Oh. What else do you do?”
By: Lillian Varrassi
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Filed under Womens Interests by on Sep 2nd, 2010.
For centuries, women have moaned and often rightfully struggled for rights. But what exactly do we mean by rights? What is equality? I am a woman and I don’t believe women have rights regardless of many claiming them to be making their own choices in education, work and relationships.
Nevertheless, I believe rights have been given but they have also been taken away. Let’s start with the constant media exploitation of women today. Women think they are doing certain things such as modelling, getting cosmetic surgery, the latest fashion, the career etc etc and making the decisions themselves. However, little do we know that these are not our choices but are the choices made by money and power hungry men who are behind all this subliminal messages sent out to us all, dressed up as something it most certainly is not. ‘Choice for women’? Yeah right! Exploitation of women has moved from direct and obvious stereotyping and labelling to the more damaging yet subtle exploitation through the clever use of newspapers, magazines television and radio.
So why do so many women think they are doing what they want? Are they? Really? Take a look at your life now, what is it that is making you happy and what isn’t? You will find that following the constant whispers of society’s norm is dictating your life without you even realising it. Women are the prime targets for exploitation due to their fragile nature and their never-ending quest to conform to the ever-changing demands of society losing sight of reality and what is really important to them. Women are going from caring individuals to superficial beings, from humans to robots, from women to puppets controlled by the individuals we are so desperate to get respect from…MEN. However, this respect will never be gained if we as women do not empower ourselves and respect ourselves.
By: Mehnaz Sultana
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Read more on A Woman’s Role in Society – Do We Really Have a Place?…
Filed under Womens Interests by on Aug 12th, 2010.
In this day and age, spending the odd thousand or two on a cosmetic surgery procedure hardly seems to raise an eyebrow. Is this because this topic and images of the results have become so common place, or, is it due to the fact that the society we live in today is so centred on age and specifically those who look young, we accept it may be necessary to fool those around us with a little touch up here and there.
The answer it seems is a little of each – it is very difficult to avoid the subject when we see famous women talking about which part of their body they are going to have enhanced next and society does of course seem to be centered on the young and those who “appear” to be young.
The British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) stated recently that surgeons belonging to its organisation had carried out 12% more procedures than the previous year, some 32,000 cosmetic surgery procedures to be precise.
Breast augmentation operations saw the highest individual rise and were up 6% on the year preceding. This was always one of the most commonly opted for procedures along with the facelift.
This rise in the number of people utilising cosmetic surgery has also spurred more people into going on plastic surgery holidays whereby a package is booked and the procedure carried out during the stay. This has worried leading cosmetic surgeons as standards are not always high and procedures can be botched leaving you with little or no come back.
By: James P Wilkinson
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Filed under Womens Interests by on Jul 23rd, 2010.
Since times immemorial women have been oppressed by the patriarchal machinery. This steady decline in the status of women can be traced back to the post-Rigvedic period. IT is interesting to note that women were ascribed a relatively superior position in times earlier than that, they being allowed to pursue education to an extent and having a say in important decisions like the choice of a husband. this can perhaps be traced back to the system of ’swayamvara’, an ancient Indian custom in which a woman was granted the privilege of choosing her groom from amongst many suitors.
With the passage of time however, certain changes came to be wrought upon society. Women came to be ascribed a much inferior status,reduced ti the position of the domestic servant and the machinery for procuring offspring. With the home gradually being demarcated as the domain of her activity, her trespassing of that boundary came to be looked upon as a serious offence. She gradually came to lose her right to education or even to harbour opinions on any serious issues. the oppression of patriarchy gradually led her to lose her identity a be reduced to a puppet who would dance to the tunes of her patriarchal lords.
In today’s day however, there seems to be some improvement in this condition. One should note that this change is only apparent, and perhaps even more insidious than the relatively simpler trajectory on which patriarchy operated in earlier times. While today’s woman is being allowed to acquire education and also permitted to venture out of doors in search of work, she is also expected to fulfill the roles of a subservient wife and the self-abnegating mother. There seems to have infiltrated in modern times, a doubly coercive system that makes its claims both on the woman`s income as well as on her selfhood.
By: Sohinee Das
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Filed under Womens Interests by on Jul 21st, 2010.
Plus size women are often viewed by society as utter disdain. People automatically assume that because a women is plus size that she is both lazy and unattractive. Often you will find people quietly saying, ” It is really a shame, she should loose some weight.” The really is that plus size women is not plus sized because they like it. Our society as a whole breads people to become overweight. Why? Just watch your favorite show on TV and what do you see? Lots of food advertisements which is intended to lure the viewers to eat. After all, with the stress, unemployment, and life issues food is a comfort. It actually feels good to go to McDonald to pick up that super sized quarter pounder with fries and a hefty super sized coke.
The society feels that plus size women can do something about it. But there are so many obstacles that keep these women large. Most plus size women are single parents raising children in this messed up world. The children have issues that affect large women and aggravates the problem. In addition, the clothes that plus size women have to wear does not add happiness to their life. Plus size clothing is often hard to find in the local department store which adds to the frustration of these women. Not to mention the styles, colors and sizes not being readily available when needed.
We live in a society plus sized women are often stereotyped and judged even though no one has gotten to know them. Most of us already know someone who is plus size that do not fit this criteria. I am a plus size woman who has to deal with being criticized and excluded merely because of my size. But when you look into the heart of a plus size women you will find lots of kindness and a desire to escape the issues associated with being plus sized. There is a silent suffering that accompanies this condition. We talk a lot of times about drug addiction but food addiction is I think the worst thing that can happen to any individual. The reason is because society promotes eating. Everywhere you look there is eating. There are billboards, restaurants on every corner, fast food places. Advertisers spend millions of dollars trying to get the plus size women to keep eating. Why do these women fall into the trap? Because it is comforting to know that somehow eating makes you fit in. Food excepts you. No rejection. However, the society we live in often rejects the overweight plus size woman for no reason. It is a discrimination that is daunting and irritating.
Maybe one day we will live in a society that will except plus size women for who they are and not because of their appearance. Being rejected by society is a terrible situation to endure just because of being overweight. I know most would say, “Just do something about it”. Easier said than done. Its not because these women have not tried. But sometimes temptation is very hard to overcome. For some of these women, the stress of life prevents them from completing the steps necessary to protect their overall health and getting down to the perfect size.
I am not making excuses for the plus sized women but I am trying to make it clear that the society we live in is often cruel to these women. There are many cases where the plus women have conquered the problem of being overweight and is on a road of recovery but overall most struggle with many of the issues mentioned. If our society was more supportive of the plus size women then these challenges would be easier to overcome.
By: Nikki Knight
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Read more on How Are Plus Size Women Viewed in Our Society?…
Filed under Womens Interests by on Jul 18th, 2010.
Although the Red Hat society is sometimes referred to as “dis-organization” there is a hierarchy of structure among its chapters. Who are the Chapter Queens of the Red Hat Society and what do they do? Are there Co-Queens or Vice Queens and what if a chapter wishes to change their Chapter Queen?
The whole concept of Chapter Queen began when the founder of The Red Hat Society rather jokingly referred to herself as the “Queen Mother” after she started the first group. The Chapter Queen is usually the person who registers the group and may also be the person who plans the activities. Although most groups will handle the activity planning in their own ways and then the Chapter Queen will not have quite as much responsibility. Someone other than the Chapter Queen can also be in charge of registering the other members of the group.
The Chapter Queen wears many hats. She may act as the lawyer of the group and have a fitting name or she may be the Mother of Creativity. She can choose any name that she feels is best for her personality. Some days she may be the “Mistress of Fun” and other times she may serve as the Tea Party Queen. It is really up to the Queen herself.
Co-Queens may be chosen but they do not receive the special status awarded to the Chapter Queen. If Co-Queens choose to become Purple Perks members they will receive those benefits, however.
If a chapter is planning a change in the role of Queens it may be best to do so when it is time to renew the chapter’s membership. The current Queen should make the phone call and have all the pertinent information about the person who will be taking over the responsibilities. The transition will go more smoothly when handled in this manner.
Being a Red Hat Society Chapter Queen is an honor and it is also a lot of fun. You will be able to encourage the other members of your chapter to have fun and form new relationships.
By: MaryAnn Farnsworth
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Filed under Womens Interests by on Jul 4th, 2010.