How women are judged

So......I can't remember where I heard this from, but it is so true - Women are juged first by what they look like and then what they say, and men are judged first by what they say and secondly by what they look like. For men, lines of aging on a face make them look distinguished and knowledgeable, those same lines for women make them look tired and old. It's easy for people to hate on the Jessica Simpsons and Paris Hiltons of the world, but the truth is, they are selling what American's believe and want to buy. Men who develop a craft such as songwriting and singing are admired for their talent and ambition, no matter what they look like. A woman on the other hand, is either smart and unattractive or gorgeous and dumb. And in this world, you are more likely to become wealthy and admired as a woman for being attractive and dumb than you are for being smart.
The truth is, men can marry a woman 15 years younger than them because of this double standard. If a 50 year old man is at a bar, he is going to bi-pass the 50 year old woman sitting next to him and head straight for the 35 year old sitting across the room. That 35 year old might actually be attracted to his confidence, knowledge, maturity and experience. But if the tables were turned, and an attractive 50 year old woman hit on a 35 year old man, she's considered a "Cougar". It might seem cool to the guy, but everyone else thinks it's sad and desperate.
There's even a new show on called "Cougar Town" with Courtney Cox playing a 40 year old single mother. She's still attractive, but she's feeling the clock tick. Not the fertility clock, but the "loss of youth" clock. Biolgically a woman is going to deal with hormones that are going to wreak havoc on her face and body and Courtney Cox's character like the millions of other 40 year old women out there is completely aware of this looming . Now the reason this loss of physical attractiveness is so much harder on women is because men are extremely visual people. Unlike women, who are attracted to how a man carries himself and how he dresses. Men are far more attracted to how a woman looks.

New Rumors

So the newest rumors surrounding Jon and Kate plus 8 are circulating on the web as we speak. So where should I start?
1. Rumor has it that Kate has been offered $400,000. to pose for Playboy. But who cares about that?! What's truly disturbing is that she turned it down because she was mortified. Now why would she be so mortified by this offer? Is it because she doesn't want her kids to think that she would exploit herself for financial gain? Well guess what.... that's what she's been doing to her family for years and she still continues to do it.
2. Rumor aslo has it that Jon had an affair with the nanny. Is anyone truly surprised to find out that this 32 year old father of 8 was sleeping with his 20 year old nanny while Kate was away financially supporting their family? Of course not...

Artifact Selection

According to a 2005 MSNBC poll, 56% of Americans believe that there are too many reality television shows, yet 54% of Americans tune into reality television shows on a regular basis. This shows us that even though, we as Americans claim to be tired of this overwhelming trend, we’re tuning in at a high percentage rate. So what is it that draws us to reality television? Is it purely for it’s’ entertainment value? Or, are we learning something from the pseudo reality that these television shows portray? Also, as these shows become more prevalent and their shock value wears off, what affect are these shows having on the viewing audience as a whole and also the participants - in particular, the children who are featured on these shows. The newest reality television fads have been shows like; The Super Nanny, Wife Swap, and the most famous of all, Jon and Kate plus eight, which feature the lives of parents and their children placed under the microscopic vision of the American public where everyone has an opinion. These children are forced participants. The fall-out that occurs or the spectacle that is created by these shows affects the participants and also the viewer. For my artifact, I will look at how the reality television shows have grown in popularity and evolved into mainstream American culture. It is also inevitable that because of the broad reach of these shows, that in some way our personal relationships, society and also the participants themselves, have been changed or shaped by this trend. Also, I will research why Americans are so drawn to this type of programming. What is it that makes us continue to tune in even though we realize that it is not a true portrayal of reality?
The cultural significance of reality television stems from its’ prevalence and mainstream accessibility. Whether people watch it for pure entertainment, because they are curious about how other people function within their community or to expand their standard for what is considered normal, the plethora of the material has in no doubt permeated our culture in one way or another. It is a part of the lives of 54% of the population. That is a significant amount of people in our society who are partaking in the media exploitation of someone else’s life. And whether you find yourself hugely addicted to a particular reality series or just merely curious, one thing is for sure, we all find it somehow disturbing and fascinating at the same time.