Dove says you’re beautiful

Dove is known for its soft lather, silky shampoo, and perfumed lotions and body washes.  Personally, I use Dove through half of my beauty routine, and I love it.  But recently, I love the brand even more thanks to its campaign:  The Dove Movement for Self-Esteem.

This campaign concentrates on making every girl and woman feel beautiful and confident, regardless of how she might be seen in the media.   The campaign tackles young girls hating their freckles, to women who are not itty-bitty-model-sized, to women gracefully aging.

Starting with TV commercials and print advertising, Dove challenged the idea that models have to be perfect.  They addressed how the media makes girls feel as they grow up, constantly comparing themselves to PhotoShopped women they see in magazines and on television.  They used models of all different heights, sizes, colors, ages, hair types, anything.

It got attention.

Some people actually complained that the women weren’t models, and said Dove should only use professional models in their advertisements, but Dove stood strong.

Vote Romney and keep your job

Monday morning, I tripped on an article whose title instantly caught my attention:  CEO Asks Employees to Help Company “And Yourself” By Donating $2,500 to Romney

Wait… what?  Apparently, Arthur Allen, CEO of ASG Software Solutions sent an email to his employees telling them that they would “only have themselves to blame if they lose their jobs after Obama wins.”  So, is he saying this on behalf of himself, or is he saying this on behalf of ASG Software Solutions?  Also… is this a threat?

My own values and political views don’t exactly match up to me donating one single dollar to Romney.  I cannot easily accept that if I worked for this company, I would appreciate my CEO telling me that not only am I expected to vote for a certain candidate, but I’m also expected to donate a hefty chunk of change to his cause.

What is it like to work for a company that only supports one side of the government?

This brings me back to my previous post about companies speaking out for what they believe in politically.  I wondered if I was being a hypocrite with dislike of this CEO’s move so much, but then I decided it wasn’t the company but rather one single person that was speaking on behalf of the company, which isn’t fair.  The pressure from a CEO can be daunting, especially when employment is on the line.  If I worked for ASG and I was pushed to vote for and sponsor Romney, would I do so to spare my job?

Running, Singing, Supporting

I.  Love.  Halloween.  And I love music.  While procrastinating on homework, I scrolled down my news feed on Facebook to find a combination event of the two:  The band Calling All Crows is hosting the fourth annual Northampton Halloween 5K.

“On Saturday, October 27th at 2pm, music fans from throughout the Northeast will once again take over Downtown Northampton, Massachusetts – many in costume — for a zany, “fun run/walk” to support Calling All Crows. Registration is $20, so dust off your running/walking shoes, get started on your costume… and SIGN UP TODAY!”
Besides that I live too far away to participate (and that running a 5K is not in my immediate plans), it sounds awesome.  So I kept reading:

“All the money raised at this year’s race will go to State Radio’s Marriage Equality Campaign.

State Radio’s ME Campaign is fighting for all loving couples in the U.S. to be able to marry under the protection of federal marriage laws. In partnership with Amnesty International and powered by Calling All Crows, the campaign will:

• educate and mobilize supporters of marriage equality
• explore how religion and religious views affect attitudes about marriage, and
• push for the repeal of DOMA and the passing of the Respect for Marriage Act”

Well, now I really wish I could go.

This is a fantastic opportunity and a great way to take advantage of costumes, too.  Halloween is the one day that we can dress up like whatever we want and no one judges us.  (Okay, well, many people don’t.)  But how many days do LGBTQ people have to dress to hife their real self-expression because so many people don’t accept them for who they are?  I think it’s awesome that organizations have started to speak out for gay rights, like Oreo, Starbucks, and now, Calling All Crows.  If organizations that easily relate to their consumers spread this word to raise awareness, maybe customers will take a second to consider why these companies feel this way.

But is this a good PR move for companies?

Selling Catholicism

If you hadn’t gathered by now, my lifestyle and opinion combination leads to a lot of tangled political categories.  Normally I somehow shrug off the differences, but this past Sunday, I was faced to come face-to-face with two things that mean a lot to me:  my religion and my support for gay marriage.

As I continue to be spoiled with personal and effective Masses at St. Bonaventure’s Chapel, I dislike my home parish more every time I travel back to Rochester.  But this past weekend, I felt completely ostracized.  The church where I was baptized and where I made my first holy communion all but told me through the Homily that I was no longer welcome.  Well, in more words.

With the election coming up, our deacon reminded us the importance of incorporating our faith in our votes.  Since this is the first year I’m old enough to vote for the president of the United States, I decided to pay close attention.  It wasn’t long before he made a blanket statement that loosened my grip on religion.

“As Catholics, we are required to believe these five things.  You must believe these to be called Catholic.”

They follow, with the deacon thrusting his fingers on one hand into the air until he counted out all five

Obama vs. North Carolina – Battle of Gay Marriage

“President Barack Obama is seen on a monitor in the White House briefing room in Washington, Wednesday, May 9, 2012. President Barack Obama told an ABC interviewer that he supports gay marriage. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)”

What a positively influential day for the Gay Rights Movement.  Today, President Barack Obama publicly announced his support for gay marriage in the United States.

Hallelujah!

Amendment 1 – North Carolina
This is especially controversial with the presidential race underway, and voting in only a handful of months.  What’s interesting is Obama has chosen to make this announcement the day after North Carolina passed Amendment 1, a law obliterating gay marriage.

According to an Associated Press article reported by Martha Waggoner, NC approves amendment on gay marriage, the amendment was voted in Tuesday by the majority.

“With most of the precincts reporting Tuesday, unofficial returns showed the amendment passing with about 61 percent of the vote to 39 percent against,” Waggoner reported.  “North Carolina is the 30th state to adopt such a ban on gay marriage.”

It continues, “The amendment also goes beyond state law by voiding other types of domestic unions from carrying legal status, which opponents warn could disrupt protection orders for unmarried couples.”

Laws like this make me upset; why does a certain percentage of the population get to decide how other people live, who they live with, and who they share their beds, meals, and memories with?

But I was impressed with Obama when he spoke out.  I’m not his biggest fan, but I am a fan of his courage today.

Obama supports marriage
Julie Pace of the Associated Press reported Obama voices his support for gay marriage , citing that Obama hasn’t always been sure of his new opinion.

“Obama announced his shift – he had said for years that his views on gay marriage were ‘evolving’ – in an interview with ABC in which he cited a blend of the personal and the presidential,” reported Pace.

Gays aren’t outcasts. Gays don’t choose it. More than just people are gay.

Preach it, girl!

Seems like maybe homosexuality isn’t a choice, huh?

Men vs Women: Bullying or a Friendly Battle?

Men vs. Women, Women vs. Men–which is the dominant sex?  Well, many people have tried to prove it, including scientists, theologians, religious people, stubborn people, mom, dad, professors, and that too-opinionated uncle that everyone has.

Oh, and MythBusters! (Watch the first minute of the clip to get a sneak peak on what they cover in the episode.  If you have 40 minutes, though, it’s a good watch!)

MythBusters tested a sample of men and women on emotions, grilling, driving a car, packing a car, and giving directions.

SPOILER ALERT:  The results?  They tied!  Never mind that the sample size was small, the difference between the sexes wasn’t significant enough to make a distinction.

Weirdly enough, I watched this episode after seeing an ad for Nike Plus in my graduate class earlier that night (thanks to Emily and Mike).  This ad really got me pumped up… and got me really wanting Nike shoes, too. (Kudos, Nike!)

These little battles were inspiring and driving.  They had me, of course, taking sides.  Women are better, of course!  Don’t get me wrong; I appreciate men.  A lot.  But it makes me upset when men say they’re better at fill-in-the-blank than women.

The teasing and friendly competitions are, I would argue, fun and harmless.

Credit: http://listsoplenty.com/pix/men-vs-women-a-pictorial-montage

But what happens when gender battles extend into “real life,” especially, the workplace?

That’s when it becomes discrimination, and, therefore, bullying.

According to the National Organization for Women, here are a few facts about equal pay:

• In 2007, women’s median annual paychecks reflected only 78 cents for every $1.00 earned by men. Specifically for women of color, the gap is even wider: In comparison to men’s dollar, African American women earn only 69 cents and Latinas just 59 cents.