Happy Friday: The Silly Season Takes Off

Judging by today's mini-hangover, I think it's safe to say the silly season has kicked off.

With a calendar bursting with commitments and a bunch of friends coming back from overseas for a visit in the next few months, I am feeling pretty happy about the advent of summer right now. Happy Friday! And if it's your birthday week - happy birthday! xo

Every now and again, my 30+ year old head disagrees with this statement

Photoshop-Palooza

To maintain her sanity, the woman of variable self-esteem should remind herself of the word "Photoshop" any time her gaze rests upon the impeccable beauty gracing the cover or advertising pages of most magazines. That's a given.

Sometimes though, photoshop or timelapse videos can be used for more intriguing purposes. This week there have been a few rock-solid examples of the informative power of photoshop. Elle UK has used photoshop as part of its #MoreWomen campaign to create the video below, illustrating the deficit of women in positions of real power around the globe.

Emma Watson looks damn lonely at the UN all by herself... As well as pointing out the gaps in representation, the campaign also aims to show that successful women are not one-off individuals: "Our new initiative #morewomen, will celebrate the global power of women's collectives in a playful, engaging way. Smart, successful women are too often portrayed as one-offs: fierce individualists concerned with their own success" Elle's campaign page reads.

"The story of how women in positions of strength continually support and empower each other is consistently ignored while the myth that we pit ourselves against each other perpetuates. We want to change this narrative in our feminism issue and create a more positive conversation – to reflect the power of women, and to support and grow each other as we push for global equality."

On a less serious note, an Instagram artist known as SaintHoax has created videos indicating the level of alteration the Kardashian women seem to have undergone to become the gorgeous, seemingly-flawless creatures they are. Saint Hoax, using the tag #pumpingupthekardashians has created time-lapse videos which show the progression of Kim, Khloe and Kylie Jenner from the time they entered the reality TV spotlight until now. It's an important reminder for us mere mortals that photoshopping, surgery and a whole lotta make-up and professional style advice goes into the visage of effortless perfection that is trotted out daily by gossip and fashion mags and which at times can become a tad unbearable for those feeling less-than-perfect as these images are beamed on to us while we sit at traffic lights, read news/fashion websites, turn on the TV or simply go grocery shopping. 

Please note, this is not to say I don't still think the Kardashians are a beautiful bunch - they surely are. It's just important to remember their beauty has been enhanced in ways those of us with boring 9-5 jobs and tonnes of commitments and bills to pay simply cannot attain for ourselves. 

Shock and Dismay

Today Australia lost one of its great thinkers and an exceptionally talented writer.

I've been reading Sam de Brito as long as I can remember - his columns have long been one of my favourite time idlers. He has always been able to articulate with great ease and sensitivity many of the great challenges we face as humans, as a society and as elements of a vast ecosystem. Sam was a vegan. He was a father. He was a lover of women and he seemed determined to ensure the respectful treatment of women through his witty, acerbic All Men Are Liars column. He railed against injustice, and he provided insights into history, philosophy and the human condition that my mind could barely have skimmed towards in normal life. I always felt richer for his writing.

Some of his most memorable pieces for me were the ones he wrote about his friend's suicide, about the recent bullying of Adam Goodes, about what it means to be Australian, about how to be a good man, about political correctness, about his beloved Sydney and his passion for North Bondi Surf Club, and all those articles about the love he felt for his daughter.

I am deeply saddened to hear of his passing. The loss his daughter, former partner, friends and family feel is being felt widely (I heard the news via text from an equally shocked friend). Australia owes a huge debt to Sam for his work in changing and expanding minds. Vale Sam de Brito.