Mickey Z
Cool Observer
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Predetermined personification of pulchritude
Checking in briefly and storyless on this quiet day.
I agree that some decent vegan cheese would be worth all the lipgloss in the world. But humans have been at it with the makeup for considerably longer than viable meat and dairy substitutes. And not just Americans either. My neighborhood here is filled with Turkish barbers and Chinese nail salons.
Weird though that people in the USA spend so much money to look and feel good when they’re also the most obese people in the world. What gives?
Posted by Keir on from The Hague (Jackowski election hdqts) 10/21 at 10:56 AMhey mickey. I like your thoughts. I too prefer women without any makeup (even if it was non toxic). when I see a women with makeup I often feel disconnected from her. her mask represnts a barrier between me and her. it also says to me that this women is living deeply affected by sexism. more particularly in a world where sexism has conditioned this (possibly otherwise) fine human being to do this to herself. sad. however, I have also had the thought recently to not blame women for how they have been hurt by sexism first they are the target of sexism and then I blame them for it. not too cool. I wouldn’t want women to blame me for how men’s oppression (that’s right, mens oppression) has screwed with me. like the way it has made it harder for me to show caring, or emotion than many women. No. I want women to understand I have been crushed here and want them to teach me what they have learned. and I would like to be more understanding of women and perhaps teach them what I know.
alright. enough ranting. my neices await. we shall go frolicking in the woods. as I learn from them and them from me. well mostly me from them.
Posted by adley on from on a bus in NJ heading to visit my nieces 10/21 at 01:25 PMHello Expendables. It’s a sunny, bright fall day in Astoria and I’ve spent most of it helping some friends pack a moving truck. As they say, a friend in need...is a pain in the ass.
Anyway, welcome to the site, Adley. (I met him last night at a birthday party for a mutual friend.) I hope you’ll make it a regular stop. Btw, the comment board is typically more lively.
Keir: Thanks for the plug on the ZNet blog. It’s brought more than a few folks my way.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 10/21 at 02:34 PMI saw a program on Ava Gardner recently in which one of her oldest acquaintances recalled their high school years in North Carolina. He said something to the effect that in those days women weren’t as beautiful as they later became, because they weren’t as made up as later generations, but that Ava already met modern standards of attractiveness. Interesting way of looking at things, and even more interesting implications for, say, the makeup haves and have-nots…
Posted by sk on from 10/21 at 02:56 PMMake-up on women is largely a cultural thing. In the usa it is also a generational thing. Being “allowed” to wear lipstick was a very important rite of passage. I still remember going to Woolworth’s to purchase my first tube of the precious potion. It was a tube of Pond’s. The color was called “Honey”. It was a bright orangy red. I was not allowed to have any other make-up so sometimes I sneaked a little pink colored chalk on my cheek bones. It helped me feel a little less inadequate. Over the years, I often thought how “God” must be insulted every time that a lady puts any make-up on her face. It is a way of saying that God did not do his/her job right........My sister became a Sikh after a trip to India. The idea that no one should alter Mother nature’s creation also applies to men. Some men do not cut their hair or shave for religious reasons. (Yes, I know that most here do not beleive in God.)
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 10/21 at 04:18 PMThe whole make-up thing’s just odd to me. I can’t figure it out. Vanity, yes, can’t really be argued - it is what it is - but why? I understand the point of a male ideal, etc., but I don’t think it’s so sexist at all. It’s both sexes who have the ideal, it’s society which collectively idealises ‘beauty’ - be it some gelly-headed chachi-boy who’s got more product in his hair than his mother uses, or a MUG on the train.
And yes, the brainwashing runs deep...used to get an annual lecture from my mother about why didn’t I dye the gray out of my hair...go figure that liking it as it is somehow didn’t seem to be sufficient logic.
People do strange “things”.
Once I had to provide retail service to a woman who looked exactly like a Raggedy Ann doll: eyelashes boldly drawn on around her eyes, over top of peacock blue shadow, very unnaturally orange hair and matching lips and cheeks.
She was an odd older woman and all the while I was entertaining her I couldn’t get Great Expectations out of my head. Maybe because she seemed medicated to boot.
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 10/21 at 04:38 PMUpon re-reading I thought I might have made it sound as though I don’t wear make-up; I do. (not that I’m proud to say it or defensive of it either) but the money I spend goes to cruelty free expense for vanity. Salves my concience I suppose but doesn’t mean the money’s well spent. Although I really cannot understand women who just can’t even leave the house without first ‘putting on their face’, that seems to be something I think should have some personal thought put to.
Geez - I didn’t even say HI to everyone.
Hi!
hmm. now it seems I’m protesting too much.
And.....I had a nice bit of soy swiss cheese today - didn’t even try to melt it though...I’d only have been disapointed. Any WHY???? should a dinky jar of veganaise cost $5 freaking dollars??? and the spelt bread 3 times more than the wheat???
Ah, time for a cup of tea.
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 10/21 at 04:45 PMOT…
I think I’d quite like a place like this:
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 10/21 at 05:08 PMNot so much story-telling as bragging and name-dropping-- while at my vegan activist friend Louie’s birthday gathering last night, I met Eddie Lama, star of the Witness, the well-known vegan propanda movie. And he was a real person, just like you and more. Sort of. We went to Madras, nigh-vegan place on 2nd Ave. and 4th st. I got the 3-star spicy Zemfralla or something like that, and am still suffering for it.
As for cheese, you know about this stuff, don’t you-- http://www.followyourheart.com/cheese.php
Worth whatever you have to pay for it, it’s that good. And ahhhh, I don’t know, a little make-up here and there’s okay, if it’s meant to be fun, and not something that people grow dependent on.
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 10/21 at 05:19 PMHello SK, RMJ, Empress, and CatLady.
As I’m sure most of you know, I’m not exactly an absolutist about many things and, of course, some cruetly-free, non-toxic cosmetics are cool with me. I was just using a little Saturday yarn to provoke some conversation...and I must admit, I really like the variety of comments I’ve read here today. Thanks, all.
Empress: very cool house idea...but captcha sez: research.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 10/21 at 05:30 PMEmpress, for you:
http://tinyurl.com/yzykf9Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 10/21 at 05:36 PMSo, you say the veganaise is worthe it, eh? Maybe we’ll give it a whirl. Some cheese and the occasional egg is the only thing keeping us from a vegan diet these days(not so strictly speaking, that is) I’m not absolute about these things either, I succumb to indulgence on some things, and just try to do it like I did cutting out the meat many years ago: gradually.
The high prices really bug me though, because of things like once having bought a not very cheap ‘tofurkey’ and found it tasted like shit; so I’m reluctant to shell out without some word of mouth advice - now I have it, so I’ll try the $5 mayo. Same goes for the makeup thing. It can be very expensive to buy the stuff that brands itself as non-toxic and cruelty free. I bought some Body shop stuff, only to find it contained cetyl alcohol (stupid - didn’t check the label until it was too late...I gave too much credit to their ‘cruelty-free’ credo) I once came across a link with cosmetic ingredients to steer clear of - a vegan site - but I’ll have to find it again.That house link is something I just came across - haven’t done any further looking into it; pie in the sky for me anyway but it sure looks compelling.
Thanks for the Six Nations link, Mickey. I’m going to share it now…
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 10/21 at 05:54 PMJames, I just can’t picture Eddie Lama, or the Witness movie. The only two legged Lama I can conjure up is Lorenzo of Falcon Crest TV cheese lord fame.
What’s in a Zemfralla thingy? Spicy is goooood....but a ring of fire is not. (unless it’s Johnny Cash, then it’s great)
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 10/21 at 05:59 PMAmelopsis...I am glad that you showed up here today. I knew that my story about my first lipstick would bore all of the guys. I still use some make-up but consider it to be a personal failing on my part. Probably a perfectly centered person, would not do anything to alter their appearance. Though, in honor of Mickey’s topic here, I did NOT use my eyelash curler today.
That’s really neat...a house where you can mow your roof. I actually looked at an underground house when I moved up here. The heating bills would be less.
Hi Keir, James, adley, and sk…
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 10/21 at 06:13 PMAnyone here have a minute to see my latest poster…
http://tinyurl.com/ya2aw9Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 10/21 at 06:20 PMHi RMJ, I used to like trips to Woolworth’s when I was little, used to get treated to milkshakes at their diner bar ;)
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 10/21 at 06:23 PMNice!
captcha says “think”
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 10/21 at 06:25 PMoops that didn’t work. (was trying to post RMJ’s pic)
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 10/21 at 06:26 PMThat’s a cool poster, RMJ, and you have very rosy cheeks in that photo whether from make-up or anything else… then there was me last night, the first time a spicy dish affected me visibly. I was trying to hide it, but everyone at the table could see me turning red, and sweating profusely, before their eyes. Tasty, yet painful. Whole big dish of vegetables and soy mush with chili peppers and some sort of secret fire.
I sat across from this Eddie Lama:
http://www.tribeofheart.org/wit1.htmAnd I do kinda like it when women do some creative Egyptian style thing with eyeliner, like Siouxsie Sioux of Banshees fame, for anyone that knows her…
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 10/21 at 06:29 PMHeading out to meet another friend soon, but had to leave further proof that some of us can be very photogenic w/o any make up:
Hm, I should go check on Mudge…
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 10/21 at 06:33 PMAmelopsis #16...the strawberry ice cream sodas, made with vanilla ice cream were really great.
James...I never was able to master the eyeliner thing.
Posted by RMJ on from Churchill 4 Prez Hdqts 10/21 at 06:35 PMNice collage of Roddy and Frank!
I had a little dig around Eddie Lama’s sites and he does some nice work, it’s always nice to see people helping in crisis situations.I remember Siouxsie and as a teenager I got rather carried away with the eyeliner.
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 10/21 at 06:51 PMShe’s still out there going strong, Amelopsis:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJIazZ5KpSE
Is that not a wonderful performance?
Posted by James on from Hell's Kitchen 10/21 at 07:32 PMI was never a big fan, although I think she looks better now than she did then; sorry I can’t get too excited about this performance either, although I’ll give her credit for not using one of those thing-a-ma-whatsits that corrects a singer’s pitch.
I prefer these guys...this is a funny song, remember WKRP? http://tinyurl.com/yzkljh
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 10/21 at 07:49 PMHello Expendables. Wow, Michele and I just stepped out to have dinner here and I missed an awful lot. Will make my way through now.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 10/21 at 08:04 PMHow were the Momos?
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 10/21 at 08:07 PMDelish. We split the Himalayan Special momos and a giant salad (romaine, shredded carrots, string beans, tomatoes, and sunflower seeds with a balsamic dressing). Michele has a soy chai latte and I had a little teapot of “gunpowder” green tea. A nice mellow ending to a hectic day.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 10/21 at 08:11 PMSounds like a nice evening, esp. after helping friends move (never fun).
I have to find somewhere to try these momo creations.
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 10/21 at 08:18 PM-
More shitty news.
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 10/21 at 08:22 PM So, we can’t have hippos, but we can have these kind of momos?
http://www.momocanada.comPosted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 10/21 at 08:23 PMFinally! Somewhere that sells fireproof longjohns.
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 10/21 at 08:32 PMHow much is CDN $139.00 in “real” money?
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 10/21 at 08:33 PMabout 85 Euros
Posted by Amelopsis on from Canada 10/21 at 08:36 PMOr 11,004.9 Albanian Lek.
Posted by Mickey Z. on from Astoria 10/21 at 08:59 PMAmelopsis said (many messages ago):
“I cannot understand women who just can’t even leave the house without first ‘putting on their face’, that seems to be something I think should have some personal thought put to.”I stopped wearing makeup sometime in the 70’s, and have never regretted my decision. I stopped for all the reasons Mickey mentions, and then some.
Amelopsis’ statement hits a nerve with me because over the years it seems women have overwhelmingly shown more disdain for my “unmade” face than men. (And, no, I don’t think Amelopsis went as far as having “disdain"). However, the statement implies that those who resisted the peer pressure and advertising and sexism really...bottom line...are instead just too damn lazy to “pretty up”.
Screw it. I’m 51 now and people are absolutely shocked to discover I’m old enough to have 3 grown sons. I attribute my youthful skin to NO MAKE-UP.
Posted by deb on from 10/21 at 09:32 PMI’ve met the odd make-up girl when I used to commute to work, Mickey, so that story rang a bell with me.
And hello to all my fellow expendables from a sunny Daylesford where it is 1:06 pm on a Sunday afternoon at this moment in time.
I hope you all have a great weekend!
Posted by Helga Fremlin on from Daylesford, Australia 10/21 at 10:06 PM
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