Beauty And Booty!! And What It Means To Be A Feminist!

On a recent award show I watched, it seemed to me that just about every song that was preformed that night were women singing about the size of their behinds (and showing them to us, just in case we didn't believe their song.) And it's really got me thinking . . .

As a Woman, and a Mother of Teenage Daughters, I totally support Women embracing their Beauty, both inside and out. But not the objectifying of women, even if it's done by themselves. We all hate (or should hate) rap songs that minimize women into just their body parts, so why would we do that to ourselves? Or being told by a country singer to "shake it for me" as if that's all a girl is for. If you get the chance look up a song by: Maddie & Tae called Girl In A Country Song. :)

Beyonce is heralded as a feminist. But, let's look at the next picture; does anything about this picture say Equality? (which is what feminism is) Her husband Jay Z, is fully clothed and looking cool, but what does her outfit say? To me it's saying 'whats in my head or coming out of my mouth does not matter, it's all just about the body.' Is that the lesson she wants to teach her daughter? It's not what I want my girls to learn. Beyonce is beautiful. She's also extremely talented and a smart business woman. Like all women, she is so much more than just how she looks. I don't understand why she diminishes herself as she does.

When I gave birth to Twin Girls, immediately people started commenting on their looks. People would constantly tell me (and them) how beautiful they were. I was told they would live a charmed life. That we'd have to beat the boys away when they got older. That they would be heartbreakers, Etc. I knew they were Beautiful, I believe every girl is! But I didn't want it just to be about their looks, so starting when they were newborns, as I was rocking them to sleep I would whisper in their ears things like "You are so smart!", "You are funny!", "You're Sweet!", Etc. Lame I know, but I wanted my girls to know there is more to life than just how you look, you have to be a good person as well!

It reminded me of in The Help, how the Nanny would tell the little girl who was always being told how chubby she was "You is Kind, You is Smart, You is Important." That brings tears to my eyes. And to this day my girls still get stopped by strangers and told "You are so Pretty!", or "I love your hair!", or how beautiful their eyes are. But I think my whispers into their little ears just might have worked as well since they are straight A students, Golden Scholars. They are Caring and Loving young women. And beyond Talented. So much more than just a pretty face, as is every girl! 

Now, I'm all for fun, playful songs, you know I love Katy Perry and the like, and right now "I'm all about that bass! Cause my momma she told me don't worry about your size!" ;) But I guess what I'd really like to say to today's artists like JLo, Nicki Minaj, Iggy Azalea, Beyonce, Rihanna and Ariana Grande is that if the size of your butt is your biggest accomplishment in life, (pun intended) then by all means sing it's praises all day long. But there is so much more to a woman. (both literally and figuratively!)

I wish today's artists would get that. Men don't have to dress in next to nothing to sell records, so why do women? We really need to think about the messages we're sending to young girls. You are beautiful, but you are so much more!

Speaking of Feminism, I want to share with you Emma Watson, the young actress who plays Hermione in the Harry Potter Movies addressing the U.N. Women don't want to identify themselves as a Feminist, because they think that means Man hating, or Man bashing, but that's not at all what it means. Its simply believing Men and Women should have equal rights. If they do the same job, they should be paid the same wage, which even in this day and age, is not happening. I've tried to raise my Daughters (and my Sons for that matter) as Feminists! Please watch.

Readers Challenge!

A friend of mine tagged me on Facebook in a Readers Challenge. You have to come up with a list of 10 Books that have meant something to you. They don't have to be the "right" Books, or works of great literature. They just had to make you feel something! My favorite kind of books! I was very excited to do this, but it was VERY hard to come up with just 10 Books!

So here are the 10 Books I came up with:
1. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
2. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
3. The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
4. Dancing Naked In Front Of The Fridge; And Other Lessons From Twins by Nancy J. Sipes
5. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
6. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
7. Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons by Lorna Landvik
8. Traveling With Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor
9. The Pilots Wife by Anita Shreve
10. Love Walked In by Marisa De Los Santos

And since I keep all the Books I've read and love, I had to take a picture! :) The only one missing is the Help, I lent it out. Little Women is my all time favorite book! Reading Lolita In Tehran is a book I think all women should read! The Pilot's Wife was my first Oprah Book Club book, and it's still one of the best! Eat, Pray, Love and Traveling With Pomegranates are Travel Memoirs, you learn a lot when you travel, and I guess you can from others' travels as well! I recommend The Five Love Languages to all couples getting Married as well as to parents! Dancing Naked In Front Of The Fridge is about Twins, written by Twins, I learned a lot from it as I was raising my Twins! The Help is funny and it really shows where we've come from with Racism in this country. Love Walked In is the first Book I'd read by Marisa De Los Santos & I just adore the way she writes! And Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons, even though it has a funny name, it's the kind of Book that when it ends, you feel like you're leaving Friends! That's why I picked my 10! What would your 10 be?