THE LAST PERSON TO POST IN THIS THREAD WILL GET
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Thread Topic: THE LAST PERSON TO POST IN THIS THREAD WILL GET
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agh forget it im going to another forum
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bunniez is a FAGSH1T
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From the Gods to Reality TV Stars
A History of Celebrity
In our celebrity-obsessed culture, tabloids, TV shows, Internet blogs, and even legitimate newspapers are often full of the latest celebrity news, gossip, and scandals. Indeed, it seems like our current society cannot get enough information about the daily lives of celebrities. Yet, how did celebrities become such an important force in our culture? Were we always so awe-struck by the lifestyles of the rich and the famous? While people have always shared a certain obsession for the fantastic and the famous, the notion of celebrity, as well as the types of people termed “celebrities,†has evolved greatly throughout the ages.
Gods and Olympic Athletes
The first celebrities of the ancient world were the powerful and awesome gods of Greek and Roman pantheons. (In fact, the word “celebrity†has its roots in the language of the ancient Roman civilization. The word we now know to mean as “a condition of being famous†or “a famous person†derived from the Latin word celeber, meaning “frequented or populous.â€) Citizens of these civilizations believed the gods had a direct impact on their lives and it was, therefore, important to know about the gods’ own personal lives. This need to know led to the creation of myths, which personalized the gods and involved them in ancient celebrity scandals that titillated and excited the common people. While monarchs and political leaders were also important celebrities of the time, their fame could not compete with that of the gods.
During ancient civilization, amateur and professional athletes also began to make an impact on the celebrity culture. Victors in the ancient Olympic games were treated as hometown heroes and were often elevated to god-like status. In the ancient Roman civilization, gladiators (the equivalent of today’s professional athletes) were also revered by the common people for their heroics and seemingly superhuman strength.
Celebration of Sainthood
As Europe moved into the Dark Ages, a time when athletics and the arts were largely forgotten, monarchs and rulers continued to maintain celebrity status, while religious figures, saints, and martyrs took on newfound fame. The miraculous lives and fascinating deaths of the saints lent excitement to the lives of common people when there was often little else to be excited about. But in a time when only a small number of people could read, fame could be spread only by word of mouth, and few people were rewarded with any lasting celebrity.
Rise of the Arts
During the Renaissance period, as Europe emerged from its long neglect of the arts, painters, sculptors, and artists of all types began to take on a level of notoriety. This period of appreciation for the arts lent a sense of celebrity to artists who were noticed for their works and their personal achievements. It was a time when artists would begin to trump political and religious figures for supreme celebrity--a trend that would continue into later centuries.
While the celebrities of the ancient and early modern civilizations were able to achieve moderate and sometimes lasting fame, mass celebrity as we now know it would not begin until the advent of the printing and publishing industry in the late eighteenth century (Orth 2004). The rise of printing was accompanied by a huge increase in the literacy rate of common people, allowing celebrity news to reach a mass audience for the first time. Suddenly, the lives of authors, political figures, war heroes, and other celebrities could now be read about by people around the world. Print gave normal, average people the opportunity to become intimately knowledgeable about the individuals they most admired.
Celebrities in the Modern World
As print media expanded into film and radio in the early 1900s, movie stars began to be the true A-list celebrities. The bright lights and warm sun of Hollywood became a perfect setting for the city of the stars, and the lives of these celebrities became increasingly more interesting to regular people. As radio began to make its way into the average home in the 1920s and 1930s, professional athletes also began to take on star status, as their games and exploits could be broadcast over the air for an entirely new audience (Orth 2004). The rise of television in the 1950s only cemented the premier level of celebrity that film stars, professional athletes, and television actors now shared. While political and religious figures would still maintain some celebrity, their fame paled in comparison to the new celebrities of the modern era.
In the twenty-first century, the rise of the Internet has only continued to nurture a culture obsessed with celebrity. It is now possible to know intimate details about a famous person’s life by simply entering a few keywords into an Internet search engine. The emergence of reality television shows in the late 1990s has also made it possible for average people with little talent or athleticism (but a hint of charisma) to enjoy their 15 minutes of fame on the television screen. Reality television has now made it possible to be famous not for doing anything in particular, but simply for being. As the meaning of celebrity continues to evolve and redefine itself in a quickly changing world, there is no telling who the general public will be obsessed with next.
-- Posted May 9, 2007
References
Halpern, Jake. 2007. Fame Junkies: The Hidden Truths Behind America's Favorite Addiction. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Orth, Maureen. 2004. The Importance of Being Famous: Behind the Scenes of the Celebrity-Industrial Complex. New York: H. Holt.
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Fashion Revolution
A History of the Miniskirt
The 1960s was a politically charged decade of revolution and change. Apollo 11 became the first capsule to land on the moon, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 became law, Vietnam was raging, Beatlemania was sweeping the world, birth control pills hit the market, and a new cult of youth, known as “Youthquake,†had radically taken over many areas of life. In the midst of these dramatic political and cultural changes emerged one of the most enduring and controversial icons of the era: the miniskirt (or mini skirt).
Existing, surprisingly, since ancient times, this small and sexy piece of fabric has embodied some of the most fascinating paradoxes of our times as it suggests both empowerment and vulnerability, independence and a desire to please, an attempt to cover and to reveal, maturity and playfulness, and liberation and exploitation. Simultaneously condemned and loved, the miniskirt exploded into the political landscape and had women (and men) suddenly paying attention to what had been hidden years before—a woman’s legs.
In the Beginning Was . . . the Miniskirt
High in the mountains in some of Europe’s oldest villages, archaeologists have recently unearthed ancient figurines dating between 5400-4700 B.C. What is remarkable about the figurines is not only their age, but also that the female figurines appear to be beautifully dressed in miniskirts not unlike the fashionable miniskirts of the 1960s, prompting some scholars to speculate that miniskirts were common in the earliest of civilizations (Derbyshire 2007). Interestingly, these figurines are not the only evidence of “ancient miniskirts. For example, an ancient Egyptian fresco shows a female acrobatic dancer wearing a “mini skirt†seemingly made out of cotton that shows off both her hips and her legs (Gandolfi 1989).
Early Twentieth-Century Skirts and Sowing the Seeds of Change
While the miniskirt may have existed as long as civilization has, it is probably only recently that it has evoked powerful political and cultural implications. In the mid 1800s, women in Europe and America were generally believed to be the weaker and more vulnerable sex. Politics, business, and physical activity could be dangerous for women, and tight corsets with long, restrictive skirts generally reflected these beliefs (Weaver 2003).
Like the miniskirt, the 1920s flapper conveyed an impression of a “new“ woman
After WWI, however, advances in women's emancipation and post-war escapism led to the “flapper†style, an androgynous style with hemlines up to a woman’s knee. After dropping to a more sober calf length during the early 1930s, hemlines rose to just below the knee during WWII, partly due to mandatory fabric rationing during the war (Lehnert 2000).
After the end of wartime restrictions on cloth, women were ready for elegance and femininity, and the fashion industry promoted the “New Look†epitomized by Christian Dior. The New Look was mature and sophisticated, with an exaggerated hourglass figure and long, lavish hemlines (Steele 1997). While the New Look reflected the “best years of our life†consumerism that followed WWII, the “teddy boys†and beatniks of the Beat generation were already sowing the seeds of discontent in 1950s materialism—a discontent that would find its full voice in the 1960s and dramatically change hemlines forever (Reilly 2003).
The 1960s and the Politics of the Miniskirt
Teenagers Create Their Own Political (and Fashion) Space
Before the 1960s, young women had been expected to dress in the style of their mothers, which was usually loosely based on Parisian couture. For example, as late as 1962, a Sears catalog portrayed mothers and daughters as “patchwork pals†who were overjoyed that they are wearing identical dresses. Looking back on the late 1950s, the English designer Sally Tuffin remarked, “There weren’t any clothes for young people at all. One just looked like their mother†(Steele 1997).
However, by the 1960s, youth protests and demands for individual expression revealed that young adults were gaining a self-conscious awareness of themselves as a distinct and unified group that was able to respond to political events in ways that were different from their parents (Cawthorne 1999). Youngsters felt they no longer needed to follow the rules of bourgeois morality and manners, which they saw as hypocritical and based on double standards. As this young political entity gained a voice, they created a space for a new and distinctive fashion that embodied their own political views—not their parents’.
The Miniskirt as an Expression and Tool of 1960s Feminism
Growing awareness of feminism also paved the way for a different fashion for women. For example, in 1963, American Betty Friedman published The Feminine Mystique which deconstructed the myth of the happy housewife and expressed the desire of women to explore other roles. In addition, the 1960s saw a dramatic increase in women attending universities and entering the workforce, especially with the advent of the “temp agency†which allowed greater flexibility in when and where a woman wanted to work.
This decade also saw laws passed that helped protect and empower both married and divorced women (Diamond and Diamond 2006). Perhaps most important was the advent of the birth control pill, which removed fears of pregnancy and helped usher in the sexual revolution (Cawthorne 1999). The image of a woman was beginning to dramatically shift from being a wife and mother to a young, single, carefree girl proud of her sexuality and confident with her power. The miniskirt would express—and serve as a tool for—this growing woman’s movement.
A New Class of Young Consumerism
The young generation was indeed growing up rebellious and articulate—and with more money than they’ve ever had before. Young people suddenly became a powerful class of consumers who demanded a fashion that matched the spirit of youth. Consequently, the whole structure of the fashion system was challenged from the youth in the streets as the prestige of “couture†came under attack or, worse, seemed irrelevant (Cawthorne 1999). Upstart designers and boutiques began to cater to a new youth market that could now buy what they wanted—and to older women who began to scramble to look like their daughters.
“The Mother of the Miniskirt†: Mary Quant
Mary Quant helped launch the mini skirt revolution in the 1960s
When a young upstart British designer named Mary Quant opened her boutique Bazaar in 1955 on King’s Road (a mod and rocker hangout), she was poised to spearhead a fashion revolution. Without any real training in fashion, but with a finger on the pulse of everyday fashion of the street, she represented a distinctive breakaway in fashion. She began to sell clothes that reflected the ideas of the day’s youth and that had nothing to do with established Paris fashion houses (Lehnert 2000).
When she raised the hemline of her skirts in 1965 to several inches above the knee, the iconic miniskirt was born. Named after her favorite car, the Mini, the miniskirt was an instant success and epitomized the spirit of London in the mid-60s: free, energetic, youthful, revolutionary, and unconventional (Diamond and Diamond 2006).
“The Lord of the Miniskirt†: André Courrèges
Quant probably deserves primary but not exclusive credit for the miniskirt. One French designer also caught the spirit of the era and did for France what Quant did for England (and America)—André Courrèges. Though he began to experiment with hemlines as early as -
HAYLEY
The meaning for the name Hayley is From The Hay Clearing
The origin of the name Hayley is English
Alternate Spellings:Haylie,Haylee,Hailee,Hayleigh,etc.
Perfect Products for Hayley:
1.Sterling silver name necklace
2.Fancy name ring
3.Sterling silver name w/ birthstone bar
The name Hayey is a female name. Hayley was popular in the year 1996. -
JAPANESE
Karate is a Japanese word. "Kara" means "empty" and "te" mean "hands". Karate in English is "empty-hands".
Kira means killer. In English you would say "the killer" but in Japanesse you just say "kira".(Sentence example:I just saw kira going that way! Hurry!) -
SPANISH
The main contreys Spanish is speaked in usual are South America,Spain,etc.
Hola meas hello and adios meas goodbye. These are the main words.
Words that are adjectives:Intersante,bonito,joven,rico,rubio,fuerte,guapo,perlirrojo,timido,comico,mala,bueno,etc.
Months in order:enero,febrero,marzo,abril,mayo,junio,julio,agosto,septiembre,octubre,noviembre,diciembre.
The months in Spanish are never captilazed.
Family people:
la familia-family
el pardre-Dad or pa'pa-Daddy
la madre-Mom or ma'ma-Mommy
los padres-parents
el abuelo-grandfather
la abuela-grandmother
los abuelos-grandparents
el hermano-brother
la hermana-sister
los hermanos-sibilings
Random words:Papa,muy,ma's,menos,por,dividor por,son.
el-boy la-girl o-boy a-girl
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THE PLANETS
There are eight planets in our Solar System,including Pluto. Here are some facts about them.
Mercury is the closet planet to the sun but it's not the hottest. There are many crater on Mercury,just like the moon.
Venus is the second closest to the sun. It's the hottest planet because of it's clouds. Venus is about the same size as Earth but justa bit smaller.
Earth is the only planet with life on it. There is water,trees,plants,animals,and people. Earth has one moon.
Mars is the fourth planet closet to the sun. Mars has a Mars Rover to explore Mars without travling. There is a rumor that there is a small lake on Mars and the lake leads to a bush. -
Jupiter is the biggest planet in the Solar System. There is a big storm on Jupiter called The Big Red Spot.
Saturn has millions of rings made of ice and gas. Saturn is the second biggest planet. On Saturn there is a big storm on Saturn called The Big White Spot.
Uranus is called The Sideways Planet because it mysteriously sits on it side. There is The Great Dark Spot on Uranus.
Neptune is a dark blue,cold planet with The Great Dark Spot like Uranus. Neptune is the second-to-last planet in the Solar System.
Pluto is dwarf planet but,the whole state of Illinos consider Pluto a planet. Scientest try to get a picture of Pluto but it doesn't turn out good. Pluto is the coldest planet in the Solar System. -
bunniez i dont really care about the history of bikinis all i care about is that chicks look hott in them =)
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...
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heyy biance!! =)
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Hi sapphire!
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wats up no school today =)
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I know. Im not sure if Im doing anything special today.
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