My heroes!

As you may have noticed, I love making lists. They are tidy, it gets everything out on the page, and are easy and fun to read. So, why not make one today?

Lately, I've been thinking of what I wanna do in life. I wasn't thinking about it in practical terms, simply what I think would be awesome to do and how much fun it would be. That's when it hit me - not only did someone already do every single one of this things, I could actually name these people. It seems like our ambitions depend on our experience - in other words, when we see someone doing something we perceive as great, we naturally want to follow in their footsteps. So, here's my list of five inspirational people!

  1. Madonna -For someone to rise from the ashes like Madonna did, takes real courage and bravery. Many people say she had to use her relationships and connections in order to get to where she is now, but I say kudos. For someone who only learned how to sing halfway through her career, to be the queen of pop is no small thing!
  2. Jonathan Larson - The Broadway legend sports one of the most inspirational stories I've ever heard. A poor composer, he composed a rock-opera that embraces the concept of Carpe Diem, only to suddenly die after giving his first interview. But he still lives through his work, reminding us that there is no day but today.
  3. Rufus Wainwright - Not only my favorite male artist in the world, he is also a true example of how you can turn your life around and go through life no matter what you've been through. Sexually assaulted at the age of 14, a drug addict later on and the most critically acclaimed singer-songwriter of a new generation, he deserves to make my list!
  4. Frida Kahlo - An influential, bold Mexican painter who not only endured severe injuries in her life, she had the strength to turn them into pieces of art dealing with her own pain and sexuality.
  5. Michael Cunningham - One of the best living authors, winner of the Pulitzer prize, translated in many languages... His books touch me like no other, he understands the human sensitivities and fears and bleeds his emotions all over his novels. Highly reccomended!
Other honorable mentions: Idina Menzel, Anthony Rapp, Oscar Wilde, Meryl Streep, J.K. Rowling, Oprah, ... Who do you think I should add here?

To comment or not to comment?


...and, if you ever start to feel too good about yourself, they have this thing called the Internet! You can find a lot of people there who don't like you! I'd like to address some of them now! BabsonLacrosse, you can suck it. DianeFan, you can suck it. Cougar Letter, you can really suck it 'cause you've been after me all year.
-Tina Fey

Internet has become a mecca for people who love writing (hey there!), singing, acting, or just bitching, but have never before had a medium to use. And of course, it's a great place to go if you ever feel inferior - there's a whole bunch of untalented people out there, just waiting for your harsh comments.

Lately, I've been obsessed with a girl on YouTube, mirandasings08. As her screen name suggests, she is desperate to become a singer, but is really not that good. Her videos are full of rude comments aimed at her. She keeps telling the haters to "back off", and saying that she is conceited would be an understatement of the year. There are speculations on many of her videos that what she does is not real - that perhaps she is purposely being a terrible singer, but what would she gain by that? And if she is for real, is it okay to leave incredibly rude comments below her videos? Also, lately, I've had a little situation on my blog as well, where I mentioned another person's blog post in one of my posts. Needless to say, the person was offended and there was a huge debate in the comments section.

So do rules of 'netiquette' say anything about being critical of others' work online, or is that a taboo subject? My personal opinion is that if anyone posts something publicly, then the person should be prepared for both positive and negative feedback. I also believe that if one is unsure of whether he or she can handle criticism, then they are not yet ready to publish their stuff. What do you guys think?

And finally, a sample of mirandasings08.


Twinkle, twinkle, little star...

I was watching a Britney Spears documentary on E! today, and was surprised by how I was unable to look away from the screen. Of course, everyone knows everything about Britney - all the way from Baby One More Time to her latest doings. So why was I so transfixed by the program?

I think the answer lies in the phenomenon of child stars, and what a curse it is to be one. And Britney is a perfect example - she was America's sweetheart at the age of 16, however, as she grew older, she evolved into a laughing stock, filling the pages with paparazzi photos of herself drunk, bald, and temporarily married. Finally, she even lost the custody on her children. And it's not just Britney - you also have Lindsay Lohan, Drew Barrymore, Michael Jackson and many more talented people who just failed to cope with it all at one point.

So, what is it with these people? Is being in the spotlight as a minor really too much to handle? Judging by most people, it is. As soon as the person starts growing up and changing, the public becomes hostile - no one wanted the partying Lindsay, everyone was more fond of the 'Parent Trap/Freaky Friday' version. And no one was delighted when Britney tried to copy Madonna, and then failed miserably.

There are three ways to handle this transition, it seems. The biggest group, which we already discussed, goes crazy and although there is hope that they will eventually come out for air, they have changed so much under the media scrutiny, the public just loses interest for them. Then, there are those who completely disappear, such as Macaulay Calkin and Haley Joel Osment - both good, popular actors who are nowhere to be seen. And finally, there's the most interesting group - those who have disappeared for a while, but are slowly coming back. Anna Paquin, the second youngest Oscar winner in history, is a good example. After winning the award for her role in The Piano, she only appeared in smaller movies for a while, finally making her return as Rogue in the X-Men movies and is currently playing the lead character in HBO's True Blood.

Finally, I wonder what will happen to today's child stars in a couple of years. Dakota Fanning is already like a grown-up in my eyes - a fantastic actress who even shot a rape scene at the age of 12. Also, what about Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers and that lot? How do you think their careers will evolve, if indeed they do? Finally, do you have any favorites I failed to mention?

Bitch, please.

There is a phenomenon nowadays that I find absolutely hilarious. It's how the meanings of certain words have shifted - they are now wider, so some words that were sometimes considered taboo or mean are now perfectly okay to use in certain contexts.

Take for example, The Flintstones. In the closing credits, they sing about having a gay old time. Now isn't this funny? Nowadays, no one in their right mind would use the word gay as a synonym for fun. And now when you think of other places this word has appeared, it's just awkward. The Gay Divorcee, for example.

Also, what about the word bitch? Not so long ago, this word was considered a full-on derogatory word, just like the f*word is today. But now, girls like to refer to themselves as bitches, they even call each other bitches out of affection. Being a bitch is a sign of empowerment, an indicator that a woman is self-sufficient and is not taking crap from anybody. Famous bitches include various celebrities and characters from TV shows, movies and books - Lily Allen, Samantha Jones, Regina George are all certified bitches and are proud of that.

Again, I find this mildly interesting and I don't have a strong opinion on the subject. So, you tell me - how does the way we perceive things change? Do you like being called a bitch, or do you even refer to yourself as one? Is this good or bad?