I just read a piece of literary pornography for class. Then I checked my school email to find that someone else was sexually assaulted in a residence hall last Monday. "The only person responsible for sexual misconduct is the perpetrator," these emails say. I have it memorized.
Last time I was assigned erotica, I just didn't show up to class. I knew that the issue would come again--I'm in the Creative Writing program of the University of Iowa, for crying out loud. And I knew that I wouldn't be able to just not show up every time it did.
My teacher gave us a "trigger warning" in class last week. She warned us that it would be "heavy stuff." It wasn't heavy, really. It was actually excruciatingly shallow, but that's a problem for another post. "If there's a problem, please feel free to talk to me, and we can work something out." What, an alternate reading like my mom would ask my high school for? Then what am I supposed to do for the class discussion? Maybe I do just need to have the guts to walk up to a teacher and say, "I'm not going to read this." At least then I wouldn't have to read this stuff.
I don't just want out of the reading anyway though, because me getting out of the reading doesn't solve the problem. The problem is that every student on campus is assigned stuff like this.
Maybe I could go to the teacher or the dean or the whoever else in the department, offended and indignant, but I honestly don't think I'd be the only one, and I honestly think that my voice would be muffled.
Sexual assaults happen because we live in a sexual culture. We idolize sex, we dwell on sex, we fantasize about sex, we glorify pornography as expressive artwork while we push the realm of creativity to the breaking point until we're a bunch of jaded philosophers who believe in nothing but meaninglessness. And then we sacrifice our morality on the alter of academic respect.
Do you know why sexual assaults are out of control in your dorm rooms, University of Iowa? Do you really want to know what you can do to help?
You can stop assigning your students subject material that forces them to spend so much time and intellect on sex.
There's all of this feminism floating around campus, but it's self-defeating. Feminists run around trying to "empower women," but no one is teaching all these guys on campus how to be men, they're just assigning erotic readings as if these poor guys need more sexual content to wallow in and never teach them a word about self-control.
If you really want to respect and empower my gender, quit pointing at sex every time a female shows up.
If you really want to stop sexual assaults in your dorm rooms, quit teaching your students how to do it in the classrooms.
And writers: we have a power to make people think differently. Every piece you write that tells your audience that there is no meaning, that the closest you will ever come to meaning is through drugs and sex, you are abusing and wasting that power, and I am ashamed to be one of you.
Help me show the world that we can be more than that... and then maybe the world can be, too.
Showing posts with label Morality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Morality. Show all posts
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Friday, January 24, 2014
Thoughts on Profanity
Just in case anyone's new to this blog (and because I really like saying it anyway): I'm studying Creative Writing at the University of Iowa. We're talking top creative writing program in the nation if not world. We're talking every time I said I wanted to major in Creative Writing, everyone said "Oh, so you're going to the University of Iowa?" We're talking the best of the best as far as education and Creative Writing can journey together.
But now that I'm here, I've noticed something incredibly disappointing that totally breaks the heart of this wanna-be wordsmith. All of these people who are supposed to be so great with their words are completely incapable of making any point without the use of profanity.
Seriously, if you're a master of the English language, why is your most commonly used word the f-bomb?
(Side-note: 99% of the f-bomb instances that I hear are not even physically possible. Do these highly educated people even know what the word means?)
Another disappointment I've had here (though not quite as strong as the previous and may be recanted with further experience in the program) is that undergrad Creative Writing classes appear to consist of sitting in a circle talking about writing with fellow undergrads and TAs (Teaching Assistants... Grad students, as in don't even have their masters yet). Discussions, not lectures. The idea is that the learning is done through "exploring ideas with your peers" and silly higher-education rubbish like that. I had a TA last semester who, when a grammar question came up, said "I'm actually terrible at grammar." Then why in the world am I paying a grand to take this class?! I can talk about what makes stories good or bad with any of my friends educated or not who read, for Pete's sake! I came here so that this awesome program could give me the tools (grammar being at the top of my list) to better use my craft, not to sit around saying "How do you feel about that?"
Ahem. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, learning by talking about ideas. So anyway, with this method, it seems that the point isn't to teach so much as to develop and learn to express my own methods and beliefs about how I handle writing.
It is with the support of these two disappointments that I bring you today's blog: How I feel about profanity, particularly in writing.
I know, that was a long introduction. Thanks for bearing with me!
But now that I'm here, I've noticed something incredibly disappointing that totally breaks the heart of this wanna-be wordsmith. All of these people who are supposed to be so great with their words are completely incapable of making any point without the use of profanity.
Seriously, if you're a master of the English language, why is your most commonly used word the f-bomb?
(Side-note: 99% of the f-bomb instances that I hear are not even physically possible. Do these highly educated people even know what the word means?)
Another disappointment I've had here (though not quite as strong as the previous and may be recanted with further experience in the program) is that undergrad Creative Writing classes appear to consist of sitting in a circle talking about writing with fellow undergrads and TAs (Teaching Assistants... Grad students, as in don't even have their masters yet). Discussions, not lectures. The idea is that the learning is done through "exploring ideas with your peers" and silly higher-education rubbish like that. I had a TA last semester who, when a grammar question came up, said "I'm actually terrible at grammar." Then why in the world am I paying a grand to take this class?! I can talk about what makes stories good or bad with any of my friends educated or not who read, for Pete's sake! I came here so that this awesome program could give me the tools (grammar being at the top of my list) to better use my craft, not to sit around saying "How do you feel about that?"
Ahem. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, learning by talking about ideas. So anyway, with this method, it seems that the point isn't to teach so much as to develop and learn to express my own methods and beliefs about how I handle writing.
It is with the support of these two disappointments that I bring you today's blog: How I feel about profanity, particularly in writing.
I know, that was a long introduction. Thanks for bearing with me!
To start with, I do not curse. I have said the D-word twice in my life. When I'm singing a song with a curse word in it, I change the word. I have many reasons for this. It is not effective communication. I believe that there are far better ways to use the English language. The more you hear cuss words, the more likely you are to repeat them (I said both of my D-words "on accident" around the time I broke up with my ex who had no problem with curse words), and so I don't want my speech to be having that effect on those around me. And cursing is actually highly addictive. I have been told by people who have both cursed and smoked that it was easier to stop smoking than it was to start cursing.
But then I arrive at the question: How do I handle profanity in writing?
My first answer is "Don't do it." It's bad enough to hear profanity, I don't want to make my readers see it. I don't want to contribute to that vocabulary being visually ingrained in their minds. And not only my readers' minds, I don't want to entertain that vocabulary in my own head. Besides, how many words are in the English language? I say again: if you're a scholar of English, you have an almost infinite pool of words and phrases to make your point, why is the f-bomb your favorite word? THAT YOU DON'T EVEN USE CORRECTLY?!
Ahem. Sorry.
I wrote a story for another class last semester that took place in a prison in a fictitious world. One of the biggest things my workshop knocked it for was its lack of profanity. They argued that prisoners would use profanity, a lot of it, in their dialogue. I disagree with that particular workshop, a) because it took place in a fictitious world, and b) because mine was the only story all semester long (in both writing classes actually) that did not contain profanity, so their "expertise" on the tasteful use of curse words loses a lot of credibility for me.
But it does present a conundrum: Is there such a thing as "tasteful use" of profanity? Is it okay to write a character who curses in his or her dialogue? If a bad word is used in the correct context to give it its proper meaning, is it okay to say it? (For example, the f-bomb in this absolutely epic slam poem.)
I still tend to lean towards "no," mostly for the reason that I don't want that addictive vocabulary in my own mind, and I don't want to shove it in my readers' faces. This stand does limit some dialogue when I'm writing a character who would curse, but I can say "He cursed," or I can write an innocent character's reaction to his vocabulary. I can use syntax to create some of the shock value that I can't get by not cursing. And besides, a lot of my work is either faith-based (no cussing necessary there) or fantasy (cussing would be inconsistent with the world anyway). So this attitude toward profanity serves me pretty well. And besides my own writing, this stand also allows me to look at profanity in someone else's work without automatically scribbling it out or dismissing the entire piece because it has bad words and therefore must be a bad story or poem.
I still tend to lean towards "no," mostly for the reason that I don't want that addictive vocabulary in my own mind, and I don't want to shove it in my readers' faces. This stand does limit some dialogue when I'm writing a character who would curse, but I can say "He cursed," or I can write an innocent character's reaction to his vocabulary. I can use syntax to create some of the shock value that I can't get by not cursing. And besides, a lot of my work is either faith-based (no cussing necessary there) or fantasy (cussing would be inconsistent with the world anyway). So this attitude toward profanity serves me pretty well. And besides my own writing, this stand also allows me to look at profanity in someone else's work without automatically scribbling it out or dismissing the entire piece because it has bad words and therefore must be a bad story or poem.
The down side of my attitude toward profanity: It's going to take me 3-4 more years to finish my degree here, with all of these Creative Writers whose favorite thing to do is fling about the f-bomb inappropriately. This plants me very firmly in a minority of what could very possibly be one person in the entire Creative Writing department of the University of Iowa.
It's going to be a long 3-4 years.
While we're becoming better, smarter people by exchanging ideas instead of giving this poor, deprived, quazai-student the lectures she so deeply craves, what do you think about profanity in writing?
Saturday, January 4, 2014
That "23 Things" Post...
So there's this blog post making its way all over Facebook Land. It falls under the "Angsty Twenty-Something Single" genre and argues against getting married young. Among other things, it accuses young couples of cowardice concerning facing the world without hiding behind a significant other, and then suggests that it's a far better idea to go "experience" the world, "explore religions," and not only date casually but also explore all the bases, if you know what I mean.
I'm a pro at this Angsty Twenty-Something Single stuff. I know, I know, you're absolutely shocked, right? So I clicked on the link that I assumed would give me either 23 distractions to help me deal with being single or 23 things to make a really adventurous bucket list (since mine consists largely of "get married and have kids" and I'm still waiting on that crucial first step of having a boyfriend in order to arrive at that end, my bucket list could use a bit of inspiration these days).
Instead, I get things like number 3: "Make out with a stranger." Number 8: "Explore a new religion." Number 11: "Date two people at once and see how long it takes to blow up in your face." 15: "Disappoint your parents." 20: "Hang out naked in front of a window." 22: "Be selfish."
Maybe I should've known that this wouldn't be my cup of tea when item number 10 was "cut your hair."
Basically, my fellow Angsty Twenty-Something Single is disillusioned towards marriage. She makes this statement: "... the LGBTQ community isn't ruining the sanctity of marriage, the Kardashian family is," and I can't say I disagree with that sentiment. At the risk of giving my fellow conservatives a heart attack: the Religious Right's argument that legalizing homosexual marriage defaces the value of marriage in a country where straight marriages only have a fifty-fifty shot smells rather hypocritical to me. Number 7 on this blogger's list is: "Get a tattoo. It's more permanent than marriage." You can't deny it, that's a pretty valid point.
But her suggested alternative to marriage for us young people is to go ahead and recklessly explore all there is to be explored about life rather than letting the morals of an obsolete generation keep us from experiencing the world.
As I continue to practice dealing with my desire for a husband and a family of my own that just doesn't seem to be in God's outline for this chapter of my life, I don't think this alternative is what my Heavenly Father has in mind for me.
Among the handful of truths sprinkled into her post, this blogger mentions that twenty-three-year-olds don't know who they are yet, and need to explore who they are before they commit to marriage, and for some of us I think that's a good point. But I'm not going to "find who I am" chasing cheap, short-term romances just for kicks and giggles. I'm not going to "find who I am" by giving the universe the middle finger and doing whatever I feel like doing (or doing what I don't really feel like doing but the world thinks I should be doing... like making out with strangers and stuff). I'm not going to "find who I am" hanging out naked in front of an open window, I'm just going to scar the residents in the next building for life. And seriously, what in the world is the value of dating two people at once just to see how long it takes to blow up in your face? I can't think of a single purpose that would serve!
I'm not going to find who I am by turning my back on God, the one thing that has been true and constant for all of my life.
I'll turn 23 in a few weeks, and I can bet that I'll still be single. I can dream to the contrary, but reality dictates that I will still be single. But rather than take the values and convictions that I've had my entire life and dump them out with the garbage, I'm going to chase the other half of the dream God's given me for my life: my writing. I'm going to work on my patience chasing after this degree, and I WILL get my Bachelor's before my little brother does (if he vanishes his junior year of college, he may be tied up in my closet pending my graduation).
I'm going to explore who I am in the eyes of my Creator, who created me to bear His image. Why in the world would I want to recklessly try to reinvent what He has redeemed and declared beautiful?
I may not like being single, and honestly I'm not totally convinced yet that I ever will like being single, but I will spend this chapter of my life continuing to love God in my own, imperfect ways, and drinking in His perfect love for me.
Everyone's path is different. Some people do get engaged before they're 23, and that's perfectly fine. (And yet it's the Christians who are always cast as the judgmental ones... I guess no one ever told that to this fellow Angsty Twenty-Something Single friend of mine.) I'm working on my own list of 23 things to do while I'm single, ranging from getting published to loving on my daycare kiddos. If you're a fellow Angsty Twenty-Something Single, try coming up with 23 things you can do while your single that glorify the Author and Protector of your faith. Trust Him with this season of your life. He can make it into something infinitely more beautiful than anything you can make on your own.
I'm a pro at this Angsty Twenty-Something Single stuff. I know, I know, you're absolutely shocked, right? So I clicked on the link that I assumed would give me either 23 distractions to help me deal with being single or 23 things to make a really adventurous bucket list (since mine consists largely of "get married and have kids" and I'm still waiting on that crucial first step of having a boyfriend in order to arrive at that end, my bucket list could use a bit of inspiration these days).
Instead, I get things like number 3: "Make out with a stranger." Number 8: "Explore a new religion." Number 11: "Date two people at once and see how long it takes to blow up in your face." 15: "Disappoint your parents." 20: "Hang out naked in front of a window." 22: "Be selfish."
Maybe I should've known that this wouldn't be my cup of tea when item number 10 was "cut your hair."
Basically, my fellow Angsty Twenty-Something Single is disillusioned towards marriage. She makes this statement: "... the LGBTQ community isn't ruining the sanctity of marriage, the Kardashian family is," and I can't say I disagree with that sentiment. At the risk of giving my fellow conservatives a heart attack: the Religious Right's argument that legalizing homosexual marriage defaces the value of marriage in a country where straight marriages only have a fifty-fifty shot smells rather hypocritical to me. Number 7 on this blogger's list is: "Get a tattoo. It's more permanent than marriage." You can't deny it, that's a pretty valid point.
But her suggested alternative to marriage for us young people is to go ahead and recklessly explore all there is to be explored about life rather than letting the morals of an obsolete generation keep us from experiencing the world.
As I continue to practice dealing with my desire for a husband and a family of my own that just doesn't seem to be in God's outline for this chapter of my life, I don't think this alternative is what my Heavenly Father has in mind for me.
Among the handful of truths sprinkled into her post, this blogger mentions that twenty-three-year-olds don't know who they are yet, and need to explore who they are before they commit to marriage, and for some of us I think that's a good point. But I'm not going to "find who I am" chasing cheap, short-term romances just for kicks and giggles. I'm not going to "find who I am" by giving the universe the middle finger and doing whatever I feel like doing (or doing what I don't really feel like doing but the world thinks I should be doing... like making out with strangers and stuff). I'm not going to "find who I am" hanging out naked in front of an open window, I'm just going to scar the residents in the next building for life. And seriously, what in the world is the value of dating two people at once just to see how long it takes to blow up in your face? I can't think of a single purpose that would serve!
I'm not going to find who I am by turning my back on God, the one thing that has been true and constant for all of my life.
I'll turn 23 in a few weeks, and I can bet that I'll still be single. I can dream to the contrary, but reality dictates that I will still be single. But rather than take the values and convictions that I've had my entire life and dump them out with the garbage, I'm going to chase the other half of the dream God's given me for my life: my writing. I'm going to work on my patience chasing after this degree, and I WILL get my Bachelor's before my little brother does (if he vanishes his junior year of college, he may be tied up in my closet pending my graduation).
I'm going to explore who I am in the eyes of my Creator, who created me to bear His image. Why in the world would I want to recklessly try to reinvent what He has redeemed and declared beautiful?
I may not like being single, and honestly I'm not totally convinced yet that I ever will like being single, but I will spend this chapter of my life continuing to love God in my own, imperfect ways, and drinking in His perfect love for me.
Everyone's path is different. Some people do get engaged before they're 23, and that's perfectly fine. (And yet it's the Christians who are always cast as the judgmental ones... I guess no one ever told that to this fellow Angsty Twenty-Something Single friend of mine.) I'm working on my own list of 23 things to do while I'm single, ranging from getting published to loving on my daycare kiddos. If you're a fellow Angsty Twenty-Something Single, try coming up with 23 things you can do while your single that glorify the Author and Protector of your faith. Trust Him with this season of your life. He can make it into something infinitely more beautiful than anything you can make on your own.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Taking a Stand
I've been feeling bombarded on Facebook the past couple of days by the fairly obvious controversy at hand, and was thus going to write a long blog post outlining why I believe what I believe about homosexuality just because the atmosphere seemed to demand me to take a stand, but honestly I'm not that interested in arguing. If you're interested in a polite, respectful dialogue about my beliefs, I'd be happy to chat. But the moral of the story is that I am a Christian, and I believe that homosexuality is wrong.
I don't care about what the politicians decide at this point. I've cast my vote, so it's out of my hands now. I don't care about "winning" or anything like that. Besides, with the end times so near at hand, I am fully prepared for things to get worse before they get better, particularly on the political front. If you want to know where I stand, I don't want homosexual marriages legalized because of my belief that it is wrong. I know that heterosexual marriages in America today don't do much for the "value of marriage" that we conservatives like to talk about a lot, but adding more wrong to something that is broken doesn't fix anything, it just makes it worse. But if homosexual marriages are made legal, I also know that nobody is going to die. Besides, people who don't have salvation through Christ are not--and should not be--held to the same moral standards as Christians, which is fine. I'm no better or worse than anyone. I wish that more people could have a relationship with the Creator of the universe who is the God of my salvation and who I've seen do such great and awesome things, but it's everyone's personal choice.
The part that breaks my heart is seeing so many people who claim to be followers of Christ condoning sin and insisting that people like me are being judgmental, hating bigots. I know that many Christians have, and some still do, approach homosexuality in such a fashion, and that also breaks my heart, but the vast majority of the Christians you and I come in contact with every day do not. I do not judge people because "they sin differently than I do," I simply know that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, myself included. Just because we all sin doesn't mean we can just go for it and keep it up. "May it never be!" as far as Paul was concerned.
A popular argument in favor of homosexuality is that they didn't choose it. To that, I say that I didn't choose my sin, either. I was born with a mental, emotional, and psychological bend towards an eating disorder. I didn't choose to be anorexic, but I was a textbook case for almost a year. The choice came when I understood that what I was doing was wrong and chose to want God more than I wanted control over food. I know that's tough to grasp if you've never had an eating disorder before, but anorexia for me was a friend that I could trust in a time when I didn't have very many, and choosing to want God more was--and still is during tough times--a daily battle for me. It was a part of my identity. A lesbian friend of mine once argued that "God doesn't make junk," but I would add to her statement. Our human, sinful nature makes junk. God redeems junk. I've been on a road that has taught me that. Recognizing that you were born with that kind of sin component hard-wired isn't easy, and choosing to deny that part of yourself is even more difficult, but the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matthew 7:13-14).
By definition, the road I've chosen is a difficult and, at times, also a lonely one. The stand that I am taking right now in this blog post is a difficult one, because I know that I have many friends who will not only disagree with me, but will also attack me for it. I know I'm putting myself out there and just asking for more of those comments about how I'm judging, how I'm hating, how I'm being a hypocrite. I've heard them all, and I know that I am most likely about to hear them all again once I post this, but I can take it. I'm on the narrow path.
Besides, I say all of this to my dearly beloved brothers and sisters in Christ.
Christians, I challenge you: Love the sinner, love the sinner with all your heart because your Lord and Savior does. He lived a perfect life and died a brutal, criminal's death to pay for anorexia, homosexuality, idolatry, dishonesty, every sin that you or I or anyone else has ever committed, and then defeated sin, death, and darkness, as we are so timely celebrating this week!
But it's okay to disagree with the sin. Take a stand for Truth, because without it you have nowhere to stand at all.
I don't care about what the politicians decide at this point. I've cast my vote, so it's out of my hands now. I don't care about "winning" or anything like that. Besides, with the end times so near at hand, I am fully prepared for things to get worse before they get better, particularly on the political front. If you want to know where I stand, I don't want homosexual marriages legalized because of my belief that it is wrong. I know that heterosexual marriages in America today don't do much for the "value of marriage" that we conservatives like to talk about a lot, but adding more wrong to something that is broken doesn't fix anything, it just makes it worse. But if homosexual marriages are made legal, I also know that nobody is going to die. Besides, people who don't have salvation through Christ are not--and should not be--held to the same moral standards as Christians, which is fine. I'm no better or worse than anyone. I wish that more people could have a relationship with the Creator of the universe who is the God of my salvation and who I've seen do such great and awesome things, but it's everyone's personal choice.
The part that breaks my heart is seeing so many people who claim to be followers of Christ condoning sin and insisting that people like me are being judgmental, hating bigots. I know that many Christians have, and some still do, approach homosexuality in such a fashion, and that also breaks my heart, but the vast majority of the Christians you and I come in contact with every day do not. I do not judge people because "they sin differently than I do," I simply know that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, myself included. Just because we all sin doesn't mean we can just go for it and keep it up. "May it never be!" as far as Paul was concerned.
A popular argument in favor of homosexuality is that they didn't choose it. To that, I say that I didn't choose my sin, either. I was born with a mental, emotional, and psychological bend towards an eating disorder. I didn't choose to be anorexic, but I was a textbook case for almost a year. The choice came when I understood that what I was doing was wrong and chose to want God more than I wanted control over food. I know that's tough to grasp if you've never had an eating disorder before, but anorexia for me was a friend that I could trust in a time when I didn't have very many, and choosing to want God more was--and still is during tough times--a daily battle for me. It was a part of my identity. A lesbian friend of mine once argued that "God doesn't make junk," but I would add to her statement. Our human, sinful nature makes junk. God redeems junk. I've been on a road that has taught me that. Recognizing that you were born with that kind of sin component hard-wired isn't easy, and choosing to deny that part of yourself is even more difficult, but the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matthew 7:13-14).
By definition, the road I've chosen is a difficult and, at times, also a lonely one. The stand that I am taking right now in this blog post is a difficult one, because I know that I have many friends who will not only disagree with me, but will also attack me for it. I know I'm putting myself out there and just asking for more of those comments about how I'm judging, how I'm hating, how I'm being a hypocrite. I've heard them all, and I know that I am most likely about to hear them all again once I post this, but I can take it. I'm on the narrow path.
Besides, I say all of this to my dearly beloved brothers and sisters in Christ.
Christians, I challenge you: Love the sinner, love the sinner with all your heart because your Lord and Savior does. He lived a perfect life and died a brutal, criminal's death to pay for anorexia, homosexuality, idolatry, dishonesty, every sin that you or I or anyone else has ever committed, and then defeated sin, death, and darkness, as we are so timely celebrating this week!
But it's okay to disagree with the sin. Take a stand for Truth, because without it you have nowhere to stand at all.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
I Was a Fan of Taylor Swift
I was once an avid Taylor Swift fan. Primarily because of this song:
http://youtu.be/8xg3vE8Ie_E
But the name Taylor Swift now brings on much different ideas. She has crated a reputation for being a revolving door as far as boys go, and her musical career makes her a pretty brutal ex-girlfriend. I remember seeing a clip of her from the Ellen DeGeneres show where Ellen was putting up picture after picture after picture after picture of boys she had dated (to which Taylor was avidly trying to convince Ellen that one of them didn't count... Not that it wouldn't have made THAT big of a difference). Taylor finally shouted something to the effect of: "Stop it! This makes me feel like a horrible person!"
I honestly feel sorry for her. My heart breaks for her. I can relate to several of her "break-up" songs from my experience with one boy. I can't imagine going through that with as many boys as she has. Seriously, you know what kind of relationship she started off wanting from her early albums, and for that many relationships to fall short? For her heart to be broken that many times? To be that big of an expert on how to break up? People laugh at her, but I truly do hurt for her.
But yet, this is the image she has created for herself. And now, she sings songs like this:
http://youtu.be/878KE8iDrh8
I was introduced to Taylor Swift because she was a country artist. I know, I know, she's not really "country" necessarily, I'm one of those more-pop-than-country "country" fans; to the dismay of my father and older brother, I can only take so much Johnny Cash. But seriously, Taylor? What are you doing? That dress looks like something Lady Gaga would wear! And the outfit underneath? Clearly, the money has gotten to you.
But I'm not so sure that it's just the money.
There's a freedom that the innocent have that the experienced don't. The innocent are free to dream. The innocent can cling to ideas of how it's supposed to work. The innocent have a vision of how it was originally designed.
But girls passionately desire the companionship, the love, the feelings of being cherished by a boy that they are torn between trying to play it safe and recklessly going after what they want. And if they are too reckless, the more bad relationships that they endure break down more and more of that innocence and the dreams, ideas, and visions that come with it. There's suddenly fear and pain that reign them in from that innocent freedom until it's boy after boy, break up after break up, and when one ends all you have to look forward to is the next boy. Happily Ever After is suddenly beyond attainable reality. Sometimes it's gradual, sometimes it's not so much, but if a girl in today's world isn't careful, the path from innocence always leads to a downward spiral of shattered hopes and broken dreams.
Until you're choosing to take off the white dress and dance on stage in black leather and a whole lot of exposed skin singing about boys being trouble instead of laughing with joy because the boy finally earned your daddy's approval and you can go pick out a white dress to marry him in.
I hope that some day, Taylor can remember what she wanted. Until then, I'll be singing her early songs while I wait to wear a white dress on my wedding day.
http://youtu.be/8xg3vE8Ie_E
But the name Taylor Swift now brings on much different ideas. She has crated a reputation for being a revolving door as far as boys go, and her musical career makes her a pretty brutal ex-girlfriend. I remember seeing a clip of her from the Ellen DeGeneres show where Ellen was putting up picture after picture after picture after picture of boys she had dated (to which Taylor was avidly trying to convince Ellen that one of them didn't count... Not that it wouldn't have made THAT big of a difference). Taylor finally shouted something to the effect of: "Stop it! This makes me feel like a horrible person!"
I honestly feel sorry for her. My heart breaks for her. I can relate to several of her "break-up" songs from my experience with one boy. I can't imagine going through that with as many boys as she has. Seriously, you know what kind of relationship she started off wanting from her early albums, and for that many relationships to fall short? For her heart to be broken that many times? To be that big of an expert on how to break up? People laugh at her, but I truly do hurt for her.
But yet, this is the image she has created for herself. And now, she sings songs like this:
http://youtu.be/878KE8iDrh8
I was introduced to Taylor Swift because she was a country artist. I know, I know, she's not really "country" necessarily, I'm one of those more-pop-than-country "country" fans; to the dismay of my father and older brother, I can only take so much Johnny Cash. But seriously, Taylor? What are you doing? That dress looks like something Lady Gaga would wear! And the outfit underneath? Clearly, the money has gotten to you.
But I'm not so sure that it's just the money.
There's a freedom that the innocent have that the experienced don't. The innocent are free to dream. The innocent can cling to ideas of how it's supposed to work. The innocent have a vision of how it was originally designed.
But girls passionately desire the companionship, the love, the feelings of being cherished by a boy that they are torn between trying to play it safe and recklessly going after what they want. And if they are too reckless, the more bad relationships that they endure break down more and more of that innocence and the dreams, ideas, and visions that come with it. There's suddenly fear and pain that reign them in from that innocent freedom until it's boy after boy, break up after break up, and when one ends all you have to look forward to is the next boy. Happily Ever After is suddenly beyond attainable reality. Sometimes it's gradual, sometimes it's not so much, but if a girl in today's world isn't careful, the path from innocence always leads to a downward spiral of shattered hopes and broken dreams.
Until you're choosing to take off the white dress and dance on stage in black leather and a whole lot of exposed skin singing about boys being trouble instead of laughing with joy because the boy finally earned your daddy's approval and you can go pick out a white dress to marry him in.
I hope that some day, Taylor can remember what she wanted. Until then, I'll be singing her early songs while I wait to wear a white dress on my wedding day.
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