Today was a hugely busy day for me. I woke up late for school and had to rush out the door with my hair in a ponytail and no makeup. I did, however, use this opportunity to try out the romper--the thinking man's unitard-- a trend that Seventeen online swoons over. After all, what could be better for a person with no time for fashion than an article of clothing that comes all in one piece? World's easiest outfit, except for peeing. In that forum its the world's most difficult outfit. Unfortunately, I didn't get to snap a picture of myself a-rompin'. I did, however, capture my onesie, er, romper, on video. (See below.)
I spent the better half of my afternoon engaged in prom related activities. I went to the florist to order my boutonnière. I researched hairstyles online. I got my eyebrows waxed.
Seventeen Prom suggested that I shape my brows 5 days before prom. I wasn't aware of this timetable until I got the magazine yesterday, so it came as a shock to me when I realized how far behind schedule I was!
I was going to pluck my eyebrows myself, but I figured that since I was running behind on the schedule it might be okay to get them waxed at a salon, that way I wouldn't have to worry about them turning out poorly. Not wanting to defy Seventeen in any way, though, I consulted with the website before committing to waxing. It turns out that Seventeen does approve of waxing, or at least that's the conclusion that I drew from this article on their website. I decided to go for it.
The ladies over at Salon 39 were kind enough to let me record the ordeal. Honestly, the video is pretty boring. Its 15 solid minutes of hair removal. I'll admit, laying on a plastic table in a toddler outfit getting hairs ripped out of my face with hot wax is not one of my proudest moments. Still, I decided to post it to make up for the lack of romper pictures.
**Not to be a huge tease, but I can't figure out how to upload a YouTube video that is more than 10 minutes, and I don't know how to edit a Quicktime movie to a shorter length. Thus, there is no video for now. Here is a still from it. If someone can help me out a little (tutorial somewhere?) it would be greatly appreciated!**
Here is the after picture:
They look pretty good I think. I was worried about getting that perpetually surprised look, but I think I'm in the clear. Please excuse the non-Seventeen-approved frizz. The humidity here is killing me.
Some other (non-waxing) stuff:
- I did an interview with the nice people over at I Heart Daily. Click the link if you want to read it.
- CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: I am looking to create a list of teen friendly products and media that "get it." I hope for this list to serve as a resource to girls (and parents) who are looking for an alternative to the stuff marketed at teens today. If you know of any movies/books/media/institutions that seem to understand teenagers in a way that Seventeen doesn't, please send your recommendations my way! These don't necessarily need to be media created for teens, just media that is accurate of its portrayal and understanding of the teenage experience. If you are company that makes an innovative, teen-friendly product, also feel free to contact me. I'll link to everyone that contributes!
I don't know of any resources that "get it," as you say, but I certainly look forward to seeing the list!
ReplyDeleteYou've got to check out Beauty Schooled. Amazing blog, and a recent posting about a 13-year-old wax experience:
ReplyDeletehttp://beautyschooledproject.com/2010/06/01/tip-jar-client-nine-brings-her-parents/
First of all, I want to say that I just found your blog via a friend, and I think it's incredible! You're so well researched and well written, interesting, witty, and insightful. I'm thrilled to see someone in the 12-19 bracket who is not only aware of the media, but interested in it’s' impact. I'll definitely be following your adventures.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I don't have a media source that ‘gets it', as you've asked, but if you haven't heard of 'About Face' yet, you might find it interesting:
http://www.about-face.org/
About Face is sort of an online monitoring system for portrayals (of mostly girls and women, but also minorities and men) in the media - largely advertising. They have a database of information on body image, and a wealth of advertisements from all over the world.
You might also find the film ‘Killing us Softly’ (now in its’ third incarnation) and the associated book ‘Can’t Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the way we Think and Feel’ (originally published as ‘Deadly Persuasion’) by Jean Kilbourne. The film, and particularly the book, highlights a wide range of the way women are depicted in advertisement, the associated connotations, and the impact these images/campaigns can have on women.
First of all, I want to say that I just found your blog via a friend, and I think it's incredible! You're so well researched and well written, interesting, witty, and insightful. I'm thrilled to see someone in the 12-19 bracket who is not only aware of the media, but interested in it’s' impact. I'll definitely be following your adventures.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I don't have a media source that ‘gets it', as you've asked, but if you haven't heard of 'About Face' yet, you might find it interesting:
http://www.about-face.org/
About Face is sort of an online monitoring system for portrayals (of mostly girls and women, but also minorities and men) in the media - largely advertising. They have a database of information on body image, and a wealth of advertisements from all over the world.
You might also find the film ‘Killing us Softly’ (now in its’ third incarnation) and the associated book ‘Can’t Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the way we Think and Feel’ (originally published as ‘Deadly Persuasion’) by Jean Kilbourne. The film, and particularly the book, highlights a wide range of the way women are depicted in advertisement, the associated connotations, and the impact these images/campaigns can have on women.
So, this isn't just an ad for my blog, but it may very well turn out to be one. Another girl and I (teenagers) actually run a blog about Jewish feminism---which may seem completely irrelevant to a lot of people, but we touch upon a lot of issues that we, (and I assume many other teenagers), care about. It's called "from the rib?" and you can find it here: http://fromtherib.wordpress.com/.
ReplyDeleteI actually wrote a post about this project/your blog a couple of days ago...what you're doing is really cool!
It might be cool if you did a post about women's colleges. I attended Cottey College, and I have to say, they're definitely an institution that "gets it". The student body certainly didn't subscribe to the things Seventeen preaches; most of the time we attended class in our pjs without make up!
ReplyDeleteIn Quicktime, click edit then go down to trim (or simply do command key “T”) and drag to the desired length of the clip and then file save and you’re done!
ReplyDeleteOPEN: Quicktime
Edit>>Trim
then
File>>Save
this may be a stretch, but the USAA U-Turn magazine has always been pretty realistic (although g-rated realism) about teenage stuff. they have podcasts somewhere, although i've never listened to any. check it out! if it sucks though you dont have to use it! it's just an idea that may or may not help your teen media
ReplyDeleteYou should really look up Sassy magazine. It was the anti-Seventeen, it ran in the early 90s, and oh boy, it was awesome. This blog post about it is really good/explanatory:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thestylerookie.com/2010/04/are-you-tired-of-sassy-yet-answer-is-no.html
I have been following your blog for a week or so now, and I absolutely love it. As others have noted, your writing is cogent as well as wonderfully witty, and your analytical skills and level of self-awareness is impressive. It's taken me many post-high school years to get where you are at such a young age. Kudos!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, you should check out GirlFuture.com. It's a web resource devoted to helping girls 9-15 navigate our celebrity-saturated, consumer-driven American culture.
Keep up the good work, Jamie!
There's a great book/zine/podcast by Lindsey Markel aimed at young women. http://www.youareamongfriends.com/
ReplyDeleteReally, really good. I'm 27 now. If I had a younger sister, I would totally get her a copy.
I LOVE your "onesie"! Can you please share where you got it? Awesome blog btw, you're so cute!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.scarleteen.com/ is a really good teen sex resource.
ReplyDeletealso, as a 17 year old, who has very often had the same questions and observations you have about the magazine culture, i love your blog. it's a great breath of fresh air for smart, opinionated, teenage girls. thanks :)
YouTube only allows 10 minutes. Vimeo doesn't have a time limit, so if you can't edit it down, go with them.
ReplyDeleteI think BUST magazine is the best source for mature teenage girls-it's got DIYs, some fashion, recipes, music/book/movie reviews of intelligent entertainment, and a feminist perspective on culture that's refreshing. I wish I knew about it when I was 16.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.girlsinc.org Girl's Inc. This is how I found out about this great blog! They totally support Girls learning how to be beautiful women inside and outside.
ReplyDeleteThere is a really great magazine called Shameless. It is also a good website/blog.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.shamelessmag.com/
It's tagline is "For girls who 'get it'" so maybe you already know about it and that's why you used that phrase?
And I second Scarlateen.
I just found your blog tonight and I liked what you had to say about privilege and clothing swaps.
When I was a teen, oh so many years ago, I haunted http://www.gurl.com/ -because it was honest, acknowledging that some girls DO have sex, get piercings, deal with shitty friends, question sexuality, etc. AND they had great games, I loved the paper doll-style ones.
ReplyDeleteNot sure if it's still a supportive, cool place to be anymore, though, but check it out.
Gurl.com is still awesome! Don't worry :) All these websites mentioned so far are wonderful! I'm 19 years old,I have been interested in women and the media for a couple years now. Having said that, I'm SO GLAD to see someone discussing the ideas in teen mags from the perspective of a teen, while neither falling brainwashed by the advertising, nor bashing them mercilessly without doing their research.
ReplyDeleteI hope that came out right! Thanks for this blog, love!
New Moon (www.newmoon.org) is a for girls, by girls magazine without advertising that my mom wanted me to love when I was a teen. It's demographic is slightly younger than Seventeen, but it's a great publication. I wish I'd taken it a little more to heart instead of trying so hard to get a subscription to Teen!
ReplyDeleteyour so ugly
ReplyDeletewell youtube only allows people whom are non partners to upload 10min only videos. Ifs your a partner you can upload longer than 10 min videos.
ReplyDeleteI found your blog via Sociological Images, and I'm really enjoying your posts. Thanks for embarking on this project and sharing your writings.
ReplyDeleteI'm a geeky anime/manga fan, so I have two suggestions from that niche: the manga "His and Her Circumstances" and the movie "Linda Linda Linda."
Thanks for sharing!
YouTube recently extended time limits for non-partners to 14:59. You can also use a simple video editor that probably came with your computer (definitely if you have a Mac) to trim it down to just the "key points". - a total video nerd
ReplyDelete