Porno, America's favorite past time

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

The Most Pathetic Attempt to Pick Up a Girl

I was in Express (clearance section). I was holding up two dresses trying to decide which one to get. The pink one could be worn if I went out for a night on the town (which I don't do, ever). The blue one would look cute with a pair of flip flops during the day, or I could dress it up (no pun intended) with some jewelry and cute shoes for a night out on the town (which I don't do, ever). The blue one, in retrospect, could be worn to a restaurant; whereas, the pink one was a little more, um, trashy. A dude (probably second-generation American, whose parents are Middle Eastern) comes up to me with a tall (which is small in Starbuck's speak) coffee drink from aforementioned café in one hand. In the other hand he was holding a small white clutch with a big black jewel in the middle. Dude says, “Can I ask your opinion? Would this make a good man purse?” My immediate reply was, “NOOOOO!” Eyes wide sort of reply. “Oh wow,” replies dude, “I admire your bluntness.” He tosses the not so manly purse aside. “Um, yeah, um,” he continues. “That’s what I thought. I, um, just saw someone, um, with one like it, and um, that what I thought. I was just making sure.” RIIIIGHT. I made no attempt to keep the conversation rolling. Despite my lack of attempt, he would not be thwarted. “So, you look like you’re shopping in a hurry.” That made me wonder if holding two dresses up for comparison really made some look like a hurried shopper. “Nope,” I contradicted, “not really. I have a gift card, and I’m trying to spend it.” The whole time I’m thinking, man purse, really?? So, aloud, I asked, “Man purse! Really?” This made him more nervous. “Um, yeah, it was (insert nervous laugh) my cheesy attempt to come talk to you.” INSERT ME LOL-ing ON THE INSIDE. I informed him that I had a boyfriend. I should have informed him that even if I didn’t, I would not want a guy that opens up a conversation with a girl, whom he wants to get to know, asking about a man purse. Was he trying to be funny? I think he’d need to work on his presentation skills if that were the case. Anyway, he didn’t, apparently, like that tidbit of info. He goes, “Yeah, well, I bet your boyfriend doesn’t like you spending his money like this.” WHAT!? My students told me I should have been like, “Oh no you didn’t shawtie. You ain’t know me like that.” HAHA. My reply, though, was “dude, I told you I had a gift card.” “Oh yeah, well, thanks for your advice.” He departed quickly. My question becomes, do girls who shop at Express generally go for the man purse toting dude? I am NOT that girl. Blue dress it is.

Chad Kultgen's The Lie

Don't read The Lie by Chad Kultgen unless you enjoyed Tucker Max stories or Chad's other book, The Average American Male. It follows three people through college (frats, sororities, drinking, sex (lots of it), drugs, academics, dorms, money and materialism, etc). I really hope that some of the stuff in that book was purely fiction, and that there was no way that the girls with whom I went to college did not act like those in this story. Now, I'm not naive enough to think that there weren't a lot of girls to do anything sexually for a guy with money or looks, but it just seemed like they came out of the cracks. And if a girl reading this would think that she would find some sort of redeeming quality about guys that are willing to exploit these sexually free girls, then the female reader is going to be highly disappointed.

As a female reader, I just shook my head at the ignorance, and I sometimes wished the girls would get more than they deserved. For example, an epiphany regarding the shallowness of their acts. I also didn't necessarily enjoy the ending. One grows to like or dislike the characters--has apathy, empathy, or sympathy towards certain characters. Pity, disgust, diffidence, detachment, etc. But by gaining these sorts of connections with these characters, one brings their own hopes and outcomes for characters’ actions. In simplicity, I would have ended the story differently. It might just be the English teacher in me with the focus on characterization and theme follow through. I could see through the lines—I got it, but I guess I just wanted it to be a little bit more solidifying. However, this book is, in no way, geared to a female audience—especially English teachers not simply sitting down with an “enjoying” read.

A few parts existed that I found extremely funny, disturbing, and/or disgusting. A few parts I rolled my eyes at, and there were parts I found myself wondering about the crudeness of the situations presented. The sad part is, the stuff in this book really does happen in life. I guess it’s only a sad realization to some…sort of like beauty is in the eye of the beholder…because I am sure there are some people overtly excited that such deviations exist.

Michael Phelps Takes a Hit, Literally.

So in recent news, that may be old news by now, Michael Phelps was photographed taking a hit from a bong and may be charged. When I heard this I had mixed feelings about it. Then, I was listening to guys debate the issue on talk radio, and realized that I was severely torn on the issue.

I obviously believe that what he did was illegal; he broke a law. That is not what I am debating in my head; however, it's almost a social norm to do drugs. I not saying everyone does drugs, by any means, but that I know more people who have than I do who haven't. I also understand that he is a record-breaking Olympian and a a public figure. But where is the line drawn with regards to the law. Is it because he's a public figure that a precedent has to be set, and we have to come down on him so harshly? What I'm getting at with the question is another question: What if we were to do the same for every person who is on the web in a photograph taking hits or admitting drug use?

I get that ignorant people will be able to, in their minds, justify drug use in the terms "well, if Michael Phelps can do it and still get away with winning eight medals..." But, the key word in that statement is 'ignorant'. As a less ignorant person, I am not going to turn around and tell myself that I'd be able to do drugs because someone as great as MP can. It's my choice to be rational. It's my choice not to do drugs. Having said all of this, I don't not think he should be penalized whether it's lawfully or being dropped from his sponsers.

Now, why would he do such a thing when he is, essentially, on top of the world? I think one of the guys on talk radio made a good point: he said that Phelps was a "loner" or "shy guy" in youth. He didn't have social skills. He was probably training most of his free time. So now that he has a social life, he's making up for lost time. He made the example of someone who is straight arrow through high school then fails out of college because he's realized what he's been missing.

I guess I've come to the conclusion that just because I can justify it, doesn't mean he shouldn't be punished. Some community service should be good. As for his sponsers, I have no idea. They almost have to drop him. Let it blow over, and then pick him up again later down the road.

On another note, what's up with prominent figures taking responsibility lately: Obama admitting a f' up and now Phelps. Jeez, what's this world coming to? And why are we, as a whole, willing to accept wrongdoings more readily when someone admits to them?