Downton Abbey in America

Season 4 just ended, and as always, I'm left in a dreamy state.  There's something so attractive about Downton Abbey.  You can't help but wish to be a part of the British aristocracy and feel pity and admiration for the working class that run the estate.  So appreciate PBS's attention to historical detail, capturing the drama that occurred as the world changed its course in the early 1900s. 

In Season 4, Episode 5, the Countess of Grantham says to her maid Baxter that she was attending a charity function.  When asked what she would like to wear, the Countess said she does not want to make anyone feel bad.

The scene, though minor, caught my attention. It shone light on what we knew but hadn't brought to the forefront of our minds: Image is so important to the aristocracy.  What you wear, who you marry, how you talk, what words you say.  The package that you present to the social public is important. You have the choice, even if you are of a higher status than the rest, to be thoughtful about what you wear.  It was a business decision to make sure that you carry yourself a certain way.  It was a way of life.

THE UPPER CLASS IN AMERICA

This sounds shallow to us with a 21st Century American middle class mindset.  We value freedom, individuality, being able to be who we want to be.

But the reality is that mindset still exists with us today.

Thanks Jennifer Lawrence, Now I Feel Fat

Jennifer Lawrence says that she's consider a fat actress.

In mid-December, the Internet buzzed with Jennifer Lawrence's declaration that "it should be illegal to call people fat on TV."

She also said she's considered a "fat actress".

Thanks, Jennifer Lawrence.  Now I feel fat.

I'm being a little harsh on the girl.  I mean, I agree with her and appreciate her conviction to fight the "image battle" in the Hollywood scene.  I also agree with her opinion to equate cigarettes, sex and cuss words with calling people fat.  She said:

"I just think it should be illegal to call somebody fat on TV. I mean, if we're regulating cigarettes and sex and cuss words because of the effect it has on our younger generation, why aren't we regulating things like calling people fat?"

I think its wise to call out media's effect on the young people of this generation.  If we're trying to censor certain things for their well-being, why not words and phrases that make them second guess their image and identity?

But I still feel fat. 

Why Men Matter, Why You Should Care

Digging through some old online archives, I stumbled upon gem from 2010.  My husband was going to The Art Institute of Orange County, and I read this article in their school newspaper.  I was drawn to it, saved it, and even today, still feel like it deserves a larger spot light.  Men deserve it.

The author of this article, Lindsey Newman, is currently a copywriter in the Los Angeles area.  You can find out more about her at her website: lindseynewmanwrites.com.  Besides copywriter, she's also a blogger, designer, artist, photographer, and wannabe chef.  We also both live off of caffeine! Lindsey can be contacted via email at
hirelindseynewman@gmail.com.


Why Men Matter, Why You Should Care
by Lindsey Newman

For the past century we have been a nation focused on gender and race equality. Starting with women's suffrage in the early 1900s and 60s, to the feminist movement of the 60s and 70s (not to mention the current election of our first African-American president), we have made great strides in our development as a country. However, it seems that as of late we may be reversing our progress by ignoring the differences inherent to what we were originally created to be: men and women.