Different Strokes For Different Folks

It's a simple fact of life; we are all unique. 

We, as people, like different things and we have different tastes. It's when those differences go outside the realm of what is socially acceptable, that certain problems begin. And when those differences happen to someone with celebrity the problems become headline news. Bruce Jenner is headline news. It is now confirmed that since Jenner and his wife Kris separated last year, Jenner has been slowly transitioning into a woman. Jenner, the patriarch of the all-reality, all-the-time, "branded" family, The Kardashians, has been in the public spotlight for years. He has long been the butt of their jokes, ridicule and total disrespect on camera, so it was no surprise when Jenner and his wife divorced recently. 

What was surprising was Jenner's changing appearance. Despite the divorce, Jenner continued his supporting role on the family's reality show and during that time his hair grew longer and longer. Then he was photographed wearing nail polish and sporting lip gloss. Then a few months ago, Jenner had a laryngeal shave to minimize the appearance of his Adam's apple and the cat was out of the bag..

Bruce Jenner, a gold medal winning Olympic decathlete, buff and masculine father to 10 kids and 3 times married man suddenly reveals he wants to be a woman. It's a stunning admission for a guy whose life is so very public. The transgendered community today are enjoying a much bigger and brighter presence in the public, due to shows like "Orange is the New Black" and "Transparent", and now Bruce Jenner will reportedly get his own TV reality show to document his transition. If Jenner has been unhappy for all these years as reported, at 65 he no longer has to live a closeted life. 

It's not going to be easy, but whoose to say living all those years uncomfortable in your own skin was any easier? I know society will have issues with his transformation. Bruce was America's hero in the 70's. Our gold medal winning athlete that stood for everything sport and now we need to see him as a woman? But it's not up to society. It's up to Bruce Jenner and his family. 

What ever he decides to show the rest of the world is up to him too. And whomever decides to watch his journey. 

I Was Just Thinking..

It would seem to me that as a society, we are all obsessed with the concept of an upgrade. Onto bigger and better things, so out with the old and in with the new. But is the new always the better option?

• Technology says yes. Newer phones with the latest technology that are quicker, clearer and thinner than their older counterparts who just can't compete create a societal frenzy. If the lines of people camped outside the Apple store in all kinds of weather don't speak volumes about our voracity for upgraded technology, I don't know what does.  It's a techie's wet dream of being the first to own the newest in the industry. 
• Jewelry. They say that diamonds are a girl's best friend, so who doesn't want a bigger, brighter version of our very good friend? On second thought, maybe not everyone needs bigger, but if offered the opportunity to own a more valuable gem or stone, you'd be hard pressed to find someone to say "no thanks".

The question still begs..Is it always better? Is an upgrade a better grade of life? 

• Weary traveler's say yes. A first class seat airline seat is bigger, softer, roomier and comes with a better meal with a more attentive waitress than it's coach counterpart. Does that mean that there's also an upgrade of people in first class?
• Academic papers that are "upgraded" may be the only exception to the question at hand. An upgrade on any academic work is always a good thing.

But when it comes to the people in our lives, the concept of an "upgrade" is fuzzy at best. Can one really "upgrade" the old ball and chain? Can you actually replace a person with a newer version of the same person? I guess you'd have to ask Hugh Hefner. It would seem that he has perfected the art of "upgrading" his women. It's a funny dinner party joke with your friends, to kid about "upgrading" your spouse, but in truth I would guess that most people would rather not. In fact, I think most people who tend to poke fun at the concept of replacing one person with another "newer" version know exactly what it means. 

It means they know for certain that for them, there is no better grade. 

Olympic Fever

Overheard in The Twitterverse:

FUNNY OLYMPIC TWEETS ‏@OLYMPICFUNNYS

Women's #Beachvolleyball - Tits and arse for the whole family

“Water polo is by far the most bad ass physically demanding game played in a silly hat.” (Danny Zuker)

Slate : NBC ran promo for @TodayShow interview w/"gold winner" Missy Franklin right before airing her race: http://t.co/v91Do7U4 #NBCFail

FUNNY OLYMPIC TWEETS ‏@OLYMPICFUNNYS

Roll on 4:30 women's gymnastics final praying for a nip slip or a flap flash ;) on a serious note good luck #teamGB

"Hey, When do the Olympics start? I haven't seen anything on it." @JimGaffigan

I Was Just Thinking..

This is a societal conundrum.

So I'm watching E News the other day and they are teasing this new Joe Jonas video that's super sexy. They keep saying how he's grown all grown up now and "steaming up" the screen in his new video with some unknown girl. E News must have teased the "sexy hot" video about 6 times before they showed Joe in an interview and the video.

During the interview they asked him about the "chemistry" between him and the girl and about his new music. It occurred to me that the media was treating this like rite of passage for one of the Jonas Brothers, giving him a proverbial slap on the back, and actually heralding this new sexy Joe Jonas. So I thought about this for a second.

Not that I'm a fan of either one of them, but it made me think of Miley, and herein lies the conundrum. A few years ago, Miley Cyrus tried to do the same thing but she was lambasted in the media for being over sexualized too young. Granted, Miley was about seventeen at the time, but she quickly became a naughty girl in the media and her reputation took a huge hit. Her family even suffered the consequences of the stress of a negative media spotlight. Now I'm not saying we should have a fundraiser for Miley, but what I am saying is the double standard here is not lost on me.

Last time I checked, Miley Cyrus had millions of adoring little girl fans, and the last time I checked, those millions of adoring fans are also fans of The Jonas Brothers. Why is it OK for Joe Jonas to now come out all sexy and studly, and he is patted on the back, even pimped out and promoted in Hollywood? Joe Jonas is is 22 and Miley is 18. In the past few years Miley has amped things up on the "sexual" scale for sure, but she defends herself saying, “Every 18-year-old explores sexuality and experiments and tries things,” she says. “For me there’s no reason to change that. You have to be true to yourself.”

In the face of the media glare, that wants to paint Miley as a harlot she says, "I stay in the house pretty much every day. I don't go out. I've had the same boyfriend for two years."

Look, Mother Theresa she's not, but I couldn't help but see how wrong it is for Hollywood to glamorize Joe Jonas' jump into sexy waters and at the same time try to drown Miley in hers. It's these same people who made millions of dollars off her bubble gum Hannah Montana image that are now ostracizing her for being too sexy too soon.

I just don't get it. It's as if Joe Jonas has been given the key to the Playboy Mansion and invited into the good old boys club, while Miley was escorted out for doing the exact, same thing.

It's certainly a societal conundrum. Don't you think?