33. Relevant

My topic seems very relevant to today’s society because I feel it is really important to show young women, men, and teens that they do not have to be “perfect.” You should grow up feeling like being yourself is good enough and not have to be self-conscious every time you walk out of your front door. The pressure to be a certain person and to look a specific way is too much for some teens to handle.  I think it is imperative that young adults know they are accepted for who they are and don’t need to change themselves to fit someone’s idea of perfect.  By writing a paper on the topic of body objectification I hope that because it is relevant many people will be able to relate to it. I also hope that the reader is persuaded by my ethos, logos, or pathos and ends up feeling more confident about themselves. There are numerous pressures in high school and college and some teens unfortunately turn to drugs, alcohol, violence, and even suicide. It’s pathetic that this is what our society has come to. Although it’s difficult not to be worried about your appearance, and I admit I am also guilty of this, we need to find a way to love our bodies as they are. Diet and exercise are important for a healthy lifestyle but obsessing over weight and appearance to impress others is extremely unhealthy. Young adults everywhere face problems with acceptance from family, friends, and society in general. 

32. TIMELY

Body objectification is a TIMELY and current topic. Girls and young adults everywhere walk past a shelf of magazines when they are waiting in line at the store. In most case the headings read, “Top diets for summer 2011.” or “New exclusive plastic surgery pictures!” It is difficult to ignore all of the skinny beautiful models on TV and soon you begin to aspire to be just like them Body image is also important in getting hired for a job these days. More specifically Hooters and clothing stores like Hollister take your looks into account when deciding whether or not to hire you. At Hollister, the girls and boys who work toward the front of the store have the job position of a “model” and they are supposed to look good in Hollister’s clothes so that when customers come in, they want to buy those outfits in order to look like the people at the store. 

31. Commonplace Idea

In today’s society body image is made out to be extremely important in all aspects of life. Your looks are important for getting a job and selling yourself. Women are objectified by men, the media, and other women. Female bodies are used to sell products such as clothing, cosmetics, and even breakfast cereal. Their bodies are picked apart and scrutinized by the public putting too much pressure on young adults and teens that feel their bodies should mimic those on TV and in the magazines. Girls receive breast implants, go on extreme diets, tan their skin and cover themselves in make-up in order to be “perfect.” The worst part is that they do not do it for their own happiness. In most cases it is a way to please or impress men. Many women feel the need to be loved and wanted and by objectifying themselves they hope to achieve just that. They do not respect their bodies, so women flaunt them in short skirts and low cut shirts to receive attention from men. They don’t seem to realize that they are being viewed as objects and not human beings. Getting a job at your local Hooters may boost your ego and get you tip money, but you surely won’t gain any respect. In a Hooters controversy article written by Bay Area Women’s Fitness Examiner, Stephanie Atwood, she states, “if Hooters hires you, you are ‘selling’ more than food.” Young women should be conscious of how they are presenting themselves and how others are portraying their bodies.

30. Commonplace Article

In Commonplace I read the article,” Comfort Food,” written by Morgan Glaze. This article plain and simple explained that plastic surgery is the new ice cream. In the past when people got divorced or broke up, many women blamed it on themselves and their appearance. They felt horrible about themselves and would use sweets, chocolate, and ice cream as a temporary fix. This article focuses on the timely topic of plastic surgery. Now women and even men are turning to plastic surgery to attempt to improve their looks and how they ultimately feel about themselves. Also plastic surgery isn’t just something that people are getting when they are older and trying to preserve their youthful fresh appearances. Many teens these days are getting surgery during high school and college. Girls are getting everything from nose jobs to breast implants. People use plastic surgery to try to achieve an impossible form of perfection. Celebrities first began to get surgery to try to keep their careers as long as possible and not be replaced by a new hotter version of themselves. The craze has now taken over America. It is relevant because it is becoming it effects peoples self esteem and self-actualization. Teens see people in magazines and on TV and want to look just like them.  Plastic surgery is not a solution in life. People need to learn to love who they see when they look in the mirror and be proud of they you are because they are unique.

29. Commonplace Article

I read an article “Fat and Happy,” written on the Commonplace website by Jennifer Gallat. This article focused on the relevant issue of obesity. Obesity is a growing problem in the United States and the issue is starting with the current generation. Children these days are eating unhealthy foods and gaining weight at a very young age. The problem is partially the parent’s fault. Many parents will feed their kids fast food because of the obvious reason; it’s fast! Also most food in school cafeterias is horrible for children and has almost no nutritional value. We need to focus on teaching the new generation how to be healthy because they are the ones should be caring for their parents in the future. At this rate, children today are expected to live on average five years less than their parents. Children look up to their parents and other adults. If the older generation takes initiative and starts to make changes, they can teach the younger generation ways to be healthy. Obesity is costing the Unites States about 150 billion dollars every year. The cost of type 2 Diabetes that overweight children develop is a main contributor to that amount. Kids these days spend most of their time sitting at home on the couch watching TV or playing video games. Not many children are getting the recommended amount of activity daily. Obesity is the number one preventable cause of death so we need to be proactive and help our kids stay healthy!

28. Commonplace Article

I read and article on the Commonplace website called, “Taylor Swift: Combating Typical, Scandalous Celebrity Behavior,” by Katie Huston. In this article the author explains how media and more specifically music strongly influences the thoughts and actions of the youth today. The specific example that was used was Taylor Swift’s song Fifteen. The lyrics of this song tell the listener to wait and to not grow up to fast. The lyrics also persuade the listener to respect yourself and focus on your future goals rather than letting yourself get caught up in high school relationships. So many others songs on the radio have negative influences on teenagers. They focus on sex, boys, and appearance when they should be sending a positive message about friends, family, and values. Taylor Swift is seen as a role model to girls today and her songs make them feel better about themselves. It is important to have artists like her because in today’s society there are too many pressures for young women. Because teens view the actions of celebrities as something they want to mimic, it is important for celebrities to make conscious and appropriate decisions. They are looked up to by so many people from a younger, more fragile audience. This is relevant because it impacts the lives of our youth. It is timely because Taylor Swift is a current popular artist.  There are so many pressures that teens face today and with role models in the media; they turn to them when times get hard. We are lucky to have positive role models like Taylor Swift to hopefully help teens when struggling to find the right path in life.

27. Intro

The government uses power in order to maintain a functioning and peaceful society. Having laws and rules is crucial when people make everyday decisions. In the United States, society has the freedom to make many personal choices, but their rights are limited when the outcome of their choices could cause harm to others. Authority figures enforce regulations so that people do not take advantage of their freedom. On the other hand it is important that power is not abused. Power and control can make it extremely simple for one to let matters get out of hand. Although parents let their teenagers go out on the weekends, they could instill a curfew to place boundaries on their privileges. Issues could arise if they begin to misuse their authority and as a consequence their children suffer. Parents exhibit control over their children just as the government has over its citizens. As a people we trust in the government to be fair and ethical when making decisions that impact us. Human beings share this similar power over their bodies. Sometimes we forget the sanctity of our bodies and take human life for granted. We have the right to choose whether or not to permanently mark ourselves with a tattoo, expose our skin in a tanning bed, and even whether or not to receive an abortion. However we are not legally aloud to decide to sell our bodies via prostitution, ingest alcohol below a certain age, or sell our organs to dying patients. There needs to be a balance between our own control and the governments power when it comes to decisions being made about the human body.