Nearly every pew was filled at a funeral service for Bart Palosz, which was held at the Holy Name of Jesus Church in Stamford, Connecticut August 30th. Reminded me of my experience in a gilded suburb years ago. If only Bart's school had subscribed to the Peace Out Teen Program (drop by peacevillageinc.org) Peace Village began offering curriculum on a contract basis to public and private schools in 2005 in Eugene, Oregon. Its award-winning Peace Out curriculum integrates peace and … [Read more...]
And still more Reverse Looksism?
Am I sensing a turnaround? Is the race beginning to go to the Plain Janes and Sorry Sams rather than the Perfect 10s? It would seem so judging from yet another media story about a 10, Alicia Silverstone, losing a role back in the 1990s because she was ‘too pretty’ for ‘My So-Called Life.’ According to The New Yorker, co-creators of the highly regarded TV series---that dared to deal with child abuse, homophobia, teenage alcoholism, homelessness, school violence, and drug use---argued over … [Read more...]
Incredible Athletes who’ve Overcome Birth Defects & Disabilities
Next time you want to veg out on that couch, think of the incredible athletes who've overcome birth defects (e.g., cerebral palsy, spina bifida, fibular hemimelia) and acquired disabilities (e.g.,cancer, war injuries, auto accidents). For info on a dozen or so disabled athletes--including Paralympic gold medalist Tatyanna McFadden and major league pitcher Jim Abbott, pictured here-- see … [Read more...]
Angry Parents feel JC Penney’s ad Promotes Bullying.
You may've seen the ad which debuted on You Tube August 4, It features a mom taking about how she plans to take her kids to JC Penney so they can get new clothes for school. The narrating "mom" loves J C Penneys for her kids because the store's "Got all the other brands they have to have." The ad ends with a teenage boy sitting with others in a school cafeteria. As the mom says, "I've been told the stuff can make or break your entire year," the kid suddenly is all alone in the … [Read more...]
Hitchhiking revisited
In Cleft Heart, hitchhiking’s an avenue to self-renewal as much as the usual self-discovery. A piece about hitching in the New York Times by an Alaskan journalist caught my eye recently. Roy Hoffman, who has written several books, captures much of what I’ve believed to be true about hitching. Excerpts from Hoffman’s reflections while reading his journal (he hitched across Alaska, through the Yukon, down to California and then to New York in the 1960s): "The exotic perfume of 1967’s Summer of … [Read more...]
More Reverse Looksism. Fired for being ‘Too Hot.’
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention other situations where “Reverse Looksism” has reared its ugly head, pardon my pun. Besides the stories of Melissa Nelson and Katherine Jenkins which I related in prior blog posts, these have surfaced of late: According to the Irreverent Lawyer blog, bosses told Lauren Odes, 29, she was “too hot” and her figure too sexy for her job in New York City. Managers at Native Intimates---which is owned by Orthodox Jews---also told her to wear baggy clothes. They soon … [Read more...]
Sacked for Being too Attractive? Iowa and Islamicists Might’ve Changed History.
Michael Kimmel wrote a July 16, 2013 NYTimes piece regarding lookism where he pointed out that Melissa Nelson's recent legal case rests not on her beauty but on her employer's perception of her beauty. Her dentist boss felt she would injure him by tempting him into cheating on his wife if she remained in his employ. (Writer Timothy Beneke notes the "danger" beautiful women represent is reinforced in the terms people use to describe them—bombshell, knockout, stunning, femme fatale.) Kimmel … [Read more...]