Someone Else’s Daughter

We’ve known for years that sex sells. Many advertisers take the lazy way out when trying to sell us more stuff that they figure they’ll just drape a scantily clad woman across the product then wait for the money to start rolling in. They use women simply as objects to sell other objects.

A car owner in Oregon has now decided to follow in the footsteps of these mental giants and drape a young woman across his old Datsun. After all, sexualised advertising has been working for decades so why shouldn’t he use sex to sell his car?

The difference is that it’s his own daughter that he’s using in the advertising.

In a bid to sell his vintage car on eBay, Kim Ridley, from Oregon, decided to enlist the help of his 20-year-old daughter Lexxa – by getting her to pose provocatively with, and on, the car so he could upload them to his eBay site.

More than a dozen images show the tattooed, pierced-lip, bottle blonde leaning over the Z-Series, some with a birds-eye-view shot of either her cleavage or butt cheeks – which are just about covered with a pair of black panties. – Daily Mail

There’s been quite an outcry, and rightly so, yet the interesting thing is that people aren’t so much commenting on his actions in using female body parts to sell a clapped out car, it’s that it’s his daughter. Interesting.

It seems that people wouldn’t have been so shocked if it was someone else’s daughter.

People are suggesting that he should have used a professional model. That confuses me. Aren’t professional models women too? Aren’t they someone else’s daughters?

If we’re OK with other people’s daughters being used as objects, why wouldn’t we be OK with our own daughters being treated that way?

When contacted by AdFreak, Mr Ridley revealed he does not regret his decision saying: ‘If I felt bad about it, I wouldn’t do it.’

Not only that, but he also admitted to using sexy snaps not only of his daughter, but also her friends in a bid to sell his wares on eBay. – Daily Mail

When we allow other men’s daughters to be used to sell objects we treat those women as objects. When we treat any woman as an object we dehumanise them and we give our own daughters the message that that’s all they’re worth.

If we want to teach our daughters how they should expect men to treat them and honour them, we need to let them see the way we treat other men’s daughters.



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Someone Else’s Daughter? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

View from the Wings

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to grow up with parents who are in the public eye? What would it be like to be the child of a performer?

Tod Johnston and Trudy Dunn are performers but they’re also the children of performers, and they’re teaming up to tell the story of their upbringing viewed from the wings of the theatre.

Having spent much of their childhood watching from the wings while their parents, Jill Perryman and Kevan Johnston, performed on many of Australia’s iconic theatrical stages, Tod Johnston and Trudy Dunn share with you their unique view of their parents’ lives as one of Australia’s most long-lived and loving theatrical couples.

Tod and Trudy both have a unique perspective on two of Australia’s best loved actors and entertainers, and spent much of their childhood watching their parents work and rehearse as well as travelling with them.

Last year, Jill Perryman received a Helpmann for her life-long contribution to the performing arts, so it felt like the right time for these siblings to get together and share songs, stories and reminiscences from their parents’ professional world and personal lives.

I spoke to Tod this morning during my radio program about the upcoming show and his very interesting upbringing.



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading View from the Wings? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

All I Want for Christmas …

Once again, I’m conflicted. If I’m honest, I don’t really need anything for Christmas. If no one bought me a gift for Christmas, or any other occasion, I could survive. In fact not just survive but continue to thrive.

The conflict comes from the fact that I still enjoy receiving gifts. I love the unwrapping and the excitement of having something shiny and new. I also love the fact that people care enough to choose something for me.

It concerns me that while I’m enjoying lovely new things that I don’t really need, there are people in many parts of the world that don’t have the basics that they need to get on with the daily task of just keeping their families alive.

Balance

I suppose that’s where we all need some kind of balance between the giving and receiving of gifts between friends and loved ones and our wider responsibility to those in need around the world. We live in a global village but most of he villagers are missing out. Those of us who’ve been blessed by simply being born in the right place should spare a thought for those who only ask for the gift of life this Christmas.

I might not have a lot of use for a pig but for a rural family in a developing country the simple gift of a pig could be just what they need to break free from poverty.

Compassion

So where do you buy a pig and how do you get it to someone who needs it? Compassion Australia’s Gifts of Compassion is open and ready for business. Their gifts help people who are battling desperate poverty. They can take your money and turn it into a very real solution to poverty.

You can buy everything from mosquito nets to a mechanic workshop with lots more in between including chickens, cows, sewing machines and a kit to help new mums.

SIMaid

Maybe you’d prefer to buy a gift through SIMaid. Their online gift catalogue has a variety of gifts that will make a major difference for someone who could do with some of that Christmas spirit we hear so much about at this time of year.

Your support really does make a difference.

I’ve travelled overseas with Compassion to see their work and in less than two weeks I’ll be ave.ling to see the work at SIMaid is doing to help the long healing process for girls rescued from forced prostitution. I can personally vouch for both these organisations. When you give them your money, the aid really does make it to those who need it.

This Christmas I do want to receive something for myself, wrapped in thought and love, but I also hope that someone will give me a pig or a chicken or a toiletry kit for someone I’ll never meet.

What about you?

Go on … you’ve thought about it before but unless you let your loved ones know now it’ll never happen. Ask those you love to buy something for someone else this Christmas.



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading All I Want for Christmas …? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

Why wasn’t science like this in school?

Today for your viewing pleasure, a science lesson.

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you put liquid nitrogen in a bottle, put the bottle in a bin of warm water, and then threw in 1500 ping pong balls? No? Neither had I but I’m glad that someone wondered about it enough to find out.

This is a great video. There’s a fairly long lead up to the final result but it’s worth it to know what’s going on. If you’re impatient and just want the action shot, go 3:50 into the video.



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading Why wasn’t science like this in school?? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.

When Did Christmas Become a Deadline?

It used to be a time of celebration, an opportunity for friends and family to get together, a time to think about the first Christmas and the gretest gift of all. These days, Christmas has simply become a deadline.

Get it Finished

We have to have so much finished ‘before Christmas’. We want carpets layed, walls painted, projects finished, buildings built and so much more all before the 25th of December.

Buy Now!

Retailers tell us we must order now for delivery before Christmas, which I can understand to some degree if it’s something you want as a gift, but most of the time they’re just using the mention of Christmas to add urgency to their sales pitch.

Work Stress

Tradesmen are pushed to complete tasks that really have no relation to Christmas. Whether they’re completed before or after any particular date doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things but those paying the bills want their projects all sewn up before the big day. Many workers are feeling the pressure to get the job done before Christmas.

Self-Induced Stress

Then there’s the pressure we put on ourselves. We must ensure that everything’s perfect for the big day. We turn ourselves inside out to make sure that we’re ready for those who will share Christmas Day with us. Gifts, food, decorations, drinks, the list goes on. It’s really no wonder that the ‘Joy of Christmas’ has given way to the stress of what’s become known as the silly season.

My regular Wednesday morning guest on 98.5 Sonshine FM is Rev Dr Ross Clifford who is the Principal of Morling College in New South Wales. Each week we chat about a range of issues relating to spirituality and belief.

Yesterday we spoke about Christmas as a deadline. You can hear our conversation by clicking the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post. If you’re looking for ways to turn the tide and make Christmas something you can look forward to again, make sure you take a few minutes to listen.

Slow Down – You Move Too Fast

So, have you felt the stress rising already? Have you ever stopped to ask whether the deadline you’ve given yourself is just a false deadline? Will it make any difference at all if it happens after Christmas?

Is Christmas a restful or stressful time for you? What plans are you putting in place this year to ensure that you actually enjoy Christmas instead of racing at warp speed until you collapse in a heap on the 26th of December?



Do you think some of your friends would enjoy reading When Did Christmas Become a Deadline?? Please use the buttons below to share the post. Thanks.