Please Come to The Seven Ring Circus

Dear Reader,

It has been wonderful crafting this blog, and growing together with you, forming a type of community.
Which is why it is so exciting to tell you about this new enterprise on the artists and the life of working artists.

 I feel like the time has come to leave this blog as a marking stone on the path at the start of a new adventure and a new venue: http://the7ringcircus.blogspot.com/

Hope to see you there soon!

Cordially,
London Rothko

What It Means to Have a Body

There's a saying in Texas, "She'd rather climb a tree-n-tell a lie, than stand on the ground and sprout the simple truth."

So, when women aren't being the miraculous, smart, fun, sassy, brilliant beings that they are, in their spare time some of them pick on other women. Why? Damned if I know. Three women bloggers have taken on moving targets that I admire. Exemplifying the phenomenon of hiding behind a keyboard, waxing wise and...oh, wait, I do that.  

Anyway, these women bloggers (I'll call 'em b-sters) are not playing well with others.: They're couching attacks in terms that'd make an attorney blush, attributing opinion in theoretical "some might" language. And they handing off backhanded compliments, passive-aggressive praise for the "bravery" of wearing that.

First off, when the sisters are doing it for themselves -- that's suppose to be a positive thing. Yeah. Read the memo! Women could build one another up, not tear each other to shreds by b-slapping a keyboard.

Angelina in a Goddess-inspired Gown

Kate Upton Rocks the Catwalkf

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Something to Cheer About

Courtesy: NBA.com

Then there are hierarchies of being, where one thing in a pair is given more worth than another: young/old, tomboy/fairy, green/brown, slender/curvy (or the value laden skinny/fat).

Now, why is it that these b-sters are aiming their guns to the heart of femininity?  "Matronly" -- as in motherly as an aspersion? As for the voluptuous -- that is the way women roll. Yes, there are naturally slender woman, but woman tend toward the curvy in certain areas (bless 'em!). To recap, why is it that everything having to do with authentic, real, exuberant femininity is being looked down upon by these women bloggers? Have they internalized self-loathing, and then gone on to perpetuate the damage?

Another reason to be concerned with the public bullying of women by women is that if Angelina Jolie, Kate Upton, and a Cheerleader are being shamed what, we may well ask, are the implications for everyone else?
Right.

Now, the way I reckon it, we're here on this earth, in this incarnation, for a brief play period. The why and wherefore to is a mystery. On most days life's a mixture of the glorious and the gritty. So why not skew to the glory and avoid the screw to the psyche? Le's celebrate ourselves and others. Be kind. Be glorious. Be good.

And quit that friggin' shaming stuff! Play nicely together. Don't make me get fierce. Or do....It's all good. Go out and have a ball -- or the nice kids won't play with you on the playground anymore.

OMG! It's a catfight

It's like a car wreck. You look. You feel guilty for looking. You look again...

Same holds true with OMG!'s "Who Wore It Better." You know about this. Don't play innocent. We both know that we've clicked on it; then assayed the famous beauties on display who -- oh the humanity! -- wore the same dress. Even if it was at different events -- years apart -- there is a picture of them, both, on the red carpet, each striking a pose and staring with love into the camera.

And this being the society in which we find ourselves (and which we have helped to form), we are going to compare them and then publicly opine and vote as to who wore it better. And if these impeccable lovelies are found wanting, what about the merely mortal among us? By opining on every aspect of attire, footwear, cosmetics, accessories, hair style, age, body shape/tone/weight, as well as professional accomplishments and personal histories, are we not judging all women?

For the sake of argument, let's suppose these "challenges" as to "who wore it better" are an excellent idea; then ask: Does this go far enough? In homage to the historical precedents of shaming, naming, and public humiliation, why don't we put the two women in stocks, supply the hoi polloi with rotting vegetables and really go at it? No, that would be wrong, you say. Oh, all right...in deference to those of a delicate sensibility, we'll put the public stocks concept on abeyance for now -- but we won't know it is on or off the island until we've voted -- thumbs up/thumbs down, as in the ancient coliseum, in our on-line forum.

Wait....the ancient coliseum....This is our inspiration! Gladiators! Two go in... and only one comes out!

Or maybe we could sacrifice the loser to the business end of a volcano come fashion week in Paris or New York?

Far be it from London to say that there is anything intrinsically wrong in comparing women; I'm simply suggesting that if we are to go down this road, that we take history, precedent, and entertainment value into consideration. We, the public, deserve (though one would be hard-pressed to explain why we deserve this -- but we do!) at the very least a hair-pulling, biting, clawing, spitting, dress-ripping CAT FIGHT!

Yes! Release the hounds! Let the games begin!