Today instead of talking about knitting or any other yarny thing, I want to talk about something that's really important to me. You don't have to read about it, but if you do let me know what you think. If not, come back tomorrow for knitting content. Today's soap box topic?
The Paris Hilton Standard
Ok, here's the scoop. We all know about Paris Hilton, and I'm sure I don't have to explain this, but first I'm going to start by explaining what the Paris Hilton Standard is to me. The PHS is a line, a way that society judges people in my generation (being the 18-30 or so age group). If you are on the PH side, you are really into your looks, possibly have money, and very narrow-minded. You find yourself judging others because of what they're wearing or how they look as opposed to their personalities. You care about what people you don't know think about you, sometimes even more than what the people who really care about you think about you.
Some people are on that side. If you're on the other side of the line, you are the opposite. You care about people, not popularity. You don't judge people based on their looks or money, but based on their actions or inactions. You find yourself wanting to buy clothes that look good on you, not because they're popular but because you want them.
Why is this so important to me? Every time Paris Hilton's name is brought up, it irritates me. She's basically famous for nothing (anyone besides me find that phrase funny? No?), and she takes advantage of it. Recently she went to Africa, and no matter what the magazines or papers say, it was not to help people in need. We all know why she went. She was losing her popularity because of stupid things that she was doing, and she wanted to look as though she was trying to help others, because it was the thing to do. Not because it was the right thing to do. All this time, she's had all this money and all this weight that she could pull, this ability to do things and have people want to do them because she did it, and she used it on fashion and looks. Now, when people are sick of her, she's going to Africa to use those people who need help to get back into popularity. When people aren't going to follow her.
The Africa thing, as you all know, has been bothering me for a while. I'm going to steal the words of one of my favorite people in the world here. Our generation will be remembered in the history books based on what we do about the situation in Africa. Right now, we have more power than at any other point in history to change things, to start to make things right. If every single person who spends 50 dollars on a shirt at a popular fashion place just took that 50 dollars and put it to good use, can you imagine how different our would would be?
So what do you guys think? Which side of the line are we going to be on? Our decision will change someone's life.
ETA: Not trying to get all political or argue or anything because everyone has a right to their opinion... it's just that we have a government that, if it really wanted to, could stop all issues with poverty in the United States. The US is the richest country in the world, and a lot of the people, not all or even most, but a lot of the people who are poor in the US are in poverty because of their own doing. We have the opportunity to change things in our country, for ourselves, and the government does as well. Think about it. There are places that anyone can get a job, regardless of anything in the US. People come to our country from Cuba or Mexico and find work who have nothing, including citizenship. We, as a people, may not take that opportunity to change things, but it is there.
They don't. There is nothing that those people can do to get out of that situation or stop it from happening without our help. In South Africa there are enough children orphaned because of poverty to fill up all of Manhattan. So, this is my explanation to why I think they need our help, even more that our own country. Because they can't do it alone.
Also... this is just one opinion, so I don't mean to offend anyone or what you all believe. I'm sorry if I did.
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3 comments:
Well, my possibly unpopular opinion is that I don't necessarily give two hoots about Africa. I firmly believe we need to focus on poverty in the US before we ship the billions of dollars the government ships all around the world. Why do we always tell mothers that they have to make sure they think of themselves sometimes because if they aren't taken care of, they can't take care of those around them who need them. What about taking care of everyone in the US first. . . if we do that, there will be a lot more people who can lend a hand to the rest of the world, rather than having to figure out how they are going to feed their family before their next minimum wage pay check comes.
The only reason that I would disagree is because of the situation with our government. Not trying to get all political or argue or anything because everyone has a right to their opinion... it's just that we have a government that, if it really wanted to, could stop all issues with poverty in the United States. The US is the richest country in the world, and a lot of the people, not all or even most, but a lot of the people who are poor in the US are in poverty because of their own doing. We have the opportunity to change things in our country, for ourselves, and the government does as well. Think about it. There are places that anyone can get a job, regardless of anything in the US. People come to our country from Cuba or Mexico and find work who have nothing, including citizenship. We, as a people, may not take that opportunity to change things, but it is there.
They don't. There is nothing that those people can do to get out of that situation or stop it from happening without our help. In South Africa there are enough children orphaned because of poverty to fill up all of Manhattan. So, this is my explanation to why I think they need our help, even more that our own country. Because they can't do it alone.
Right on. While 'charity begins at home' part and parcel of that, in a global environment, is to look at the bigger picture. We can and should both look after our own and those abroad. We can do that by thinking carefully about what we buy and lobbying our MPs or representatives to implement measures which tackle poverty both at home and overseas.
But then, however vacuous Paris Hilton may be and however impure her motives, if just one person was inspired to do something to help their fellow human beings because of her publicity stunt, then she will have done some good. Maybe in spite of herself, but she'll have done some good nonetheless.
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