Letters to the Editor
hermesloin
Published Letters: 53 Editor's Choice: 18
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Madonna's Body Electric
[Read the article: Madonna: Crazy for sinew]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I have to disagree with the assertion that the latest Madonna incarnation is her immaculate body. Her body has always been a powerful weapon in her arsenal. She was slightly pudgy in her early years (due to years of surviving as a street urchin on yogurt and popcorn) but she was still incredibly athletic. From 1986 forward, she has always maintained an incredibly fit physique. Part of the reason she is so sleek now is that she had to take a month off from exercising to heal from her horse-fall. It was probably the first time in years she abstained from exercise that long. It allowed her body to catch up with her and in the process she dropped 5 lbs which increased her muscle definition. Madonna is a perfectionist so it's natural that her form has only improved with time. She does what she feels she has to do to continue being successful as an international icon. Her claims that she worked out for her husband have already been refuted by tabloid reports that stated that when Guy Ritchie read that quote, he got mad b/c he doesn't feel that way and Madonna knows it. Madonna might be insecure which is part of the driving force behind her physical regimen, but based on prior interviews on the subject, a big part of the impetus to get on the stairmaster is her way of fighting her demons. She takes all of her unexpressed rage and anxiety and puts it through its paces on her daily workouts. It's her way to keep from being self destructive because she has so much creative energy sometimes she doesn't know what to do with it. She channels it out of her body with intense exercise, much in the same way St. Therese was an anorexic b/c the mystical energy channeling through her body was so intense, she had to do something so extreme to ground the energy. So she severely restricted her calorie intake. It was either that or going insane. I also wonder what kind of a field day the tabloids would have if Madonna were ever out-of-shape or unattractive. Would Meghan Daum be writing columns in a fat Madonna's defense? I found Daum's column uninspired and lacking in any kind of original analysis. What is her point? Madonna should let herself go so her female fans won't feel insecure about their bodies? Her playing-dumb take on the exercise regime with all of the Carrie Bradshaw-esque sarcasms grated on top "she hit the snooze button instead of working out... hilarious!" were just plain lazy. And in typical Madonna-bashing fasion, Madonna is solely blamed for the problem (in this case body image insecurity) without any context for what's going on in society at large. As if Madonna, and only Madonna, is responsible for female body image problems. Has Madonna ever been quoted advocating her fans to achieve the same fitness level as her? No. But take someone who does... Take Oprah. Oprah is extremely vocal in her weight-loss pursuit and encourages her fans to match her. Is Oprah's obsession with losing weight destructive to her female viewers because it transmits a message of insecurity? But Oprah is off the hook because she's not as fit as Madonna. So really it's ok to be insecure about your body, just don't be successfull at being physically fit (or don't be fitter than the columnist), that's what Daum is really saying.
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No sympathy here
[Read the article: MySpace or OurSpace?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]A student posts a picture of his principal with a racial slur on a public website and gets in trouble for it, then uses the ACLU to suspend his suspension? He should be thanking his lucky stars that that's all that happened to him. Myspace profiles are viewable by anyone with a computer so why on earth would anyone, including spoiled rotten teenagers, think that what they post is private? I'm glad administrators and police are using mypsace to root out potential troublemakers. This is just an issue of free speech. People's lives are being threatened and endangered. What if someone posted a violent threat against your child on myspace? I'm sure the ACLU would be happy to sue you.
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Disapproval averse?
[Read the article: Boys will be girls]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]To the letter who said the parents are caving in to fears of their child's disapproval, I say where in the article does it say that the child throws fits if she doesn't get to dress like a girl? Her self esteem has greatly improved according to the parents so the proof is in the pudding. The debate shouldn't be whether a boy can wear a dress, the debate should be why we're so afraid of that notion. Girls can dress like boys. Wear jeans and boots. But for a boy to dress like a girl is degrading because you think that being a girl is degrading. But secretly, you'd love to know what it's like, what it feels like for a girl.
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War, What is it Good For?
[Read the article: Reefer madness]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]One of my favorite authors, Eckhart Tolle, once famously wrote than when we declare "War" on something, we will never win. The government will never win the War on Cancer, obesity or pot because how does one "win?" How do you prevent anyone's cells from ever toxically mutating (cancer)? So it may be foolish for the DEA to think they can ever win the war on drugs, but it was also foolish for two reefer farmers to declare war on the government. What happened to them was tragic and senseless, but they engaged their macho egos with a bunch of other macho egos until one side had to destroy the other side to "win."