beauty

“She wins who calls herself beautiful and challenges the world to change to truly see her.” - Naomi Wolf

Finding your groove in the 50s
How come we don't have a show on television called 50-somethings? There are plenty of shows with the kiddies as stars, or the teens as stars, or the 20 and 30-somethings as stars. They even have movies and shows for the silver haired folks in their 60s and up club. What about the 50-somethings? Where's our movie or show? When I was younger I had all kinds of guidance. The Breakfast Club helped me through high school. Sex in the City helped me through my 20s. Comic books and movies helped me through the 30s and 40s. Now what? Whose representing the 50-somethings journey and pathways? I feel like I have no guidance. In a way, I like that. I'm too old to be listening to a drill sergeant or condescended to as if I haven't been around the block. Yet, there's still a piece of me that is uneasy and insecure about navigating on this new territory commonly called "over the hill" or "after the change". Big changes, big accomplishments, yet not much art or literature for guidance or reference as if the 50-somethings are in unfamiliar living situations. I trust my own instincts and judgements most of the time, but I do feel a discomfort of not having more movies and books to use as a reference for this phase/chapter of my aging experience.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman5 months ago in Viva
Penis Envy changed in the 70s
Did you think that Frued was a lunatic or just a sexist male chauvenist pig? Did you ever consider that as a woman you might have "penis envy" and that if you had been born with a penis all of the horrors of being a woman might never have occurred? I did. I thought maybe if I just had a penis I wouldn't be subjected to objectification, being considered property, or the disrespect that comes from those who still want to punish Eve's daughters just for having a vagina. Not only was I proud that I bore a son instead of an evil girl, I finally had my own personal penis. Or so I thought. But really it's not about the penis at all. Nope. It's not about the vagina either. This whole sexist thing is just a sado-masochistic game that both sexes have been playing since before 1908 when Freud published his "Penis Envy" theory.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman5 months ago in Viva
Long Hair is a Flex?
Above is a photo of a woman with long, beautiful hair. It's not my hair. My hair is longer, darker, and greyer. It's also in better condition because I haven't dyed it. It's layered, and the longest layer touches my butt.
By Stephanie Van Orman6 months ago in Viva
Old lady grumbling about work
Happy October! May the leaves change colors in glorious autumn fashion and may you enjoy a tasty pumpkin spiced latte or donut this morning. I am here at my desk with a Maxwell House coffee brewed out of the cheapest coffee maker on the Walmart shelf. I like it. One button and will brew the cheapest coffee on the shelf. Good. I'm broke and I'm cheap just like my coffee maker.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman6 months ago in Viva
Old People Need Different Body Treatment than Young People
Everybody knows that aging changes a body. It is evident in animals and in the human body. We don't have to wonder, we can see it in those who have really aged. They have grey hair, wrinkles, some of them have scars. They dont' move as fast and they seem a lot more cautious in their movements next to a younger person. Are those signs of the privilege of getting old? Maybe. There has been an obsession in many cultures with "looking youthful" as it was attached to an idea of beauty and health. It seemed a common or obvious notion: Young people are healthy, fit, beautiful and if we want to survive or be loved that's what we have to be. So came the health gurus and gym experts. They will sell you any speech or product in the name of "keeping you fit and beautiful" and since culture accepts that being young is better than being old, people blow tons of money on any gimmick directed at that narrative. Old women may be more susceptible to these "advisors" sales pitches because women tend to be vain. I am a vain woman most of the time - some people call it pride. Though it may be considered a vice or an "ugly" part of my personality, it also motivates me to do something good for my body and my self. Pride or Vanity is the only reason I have for "caring" about my body or wanting to keep it in some kind of healthy and/or presentable functioning.
By Shanon Angermeyer Norman6 months ago in Viva
Nicole Kidman: The Shining Star of Hollywood
Nicole Kidman: The Shining Star of Hollywood *Nicole Kidman's Early Life* Nicole Kidman was born on June 20, 1967, in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. Her mother, Janet Marie, was a nursing instructor, and her father, Anthony David Kidman, was a clinical psychologist and biochemist. Nicole grew up in a middle-class family and moved to Sydney, Australia with her family when she was four years old.
By America today 6 months ago in Viva
Discipline, Vision, Community: TT Torrez Returns to MCNY to Unlock the Leaders of Tomorrow with #GoGetHer Summit
Full Circle - TT Torrez Returns to MCNY to Unlock Leaders of Tomorrow When Vision Meets Access: The Official Line Up - How TT Torrez Is Redefining Leadership for Young Women of Color
By NWO SPARROW6 months ago in Viva
The Dark History of White Beauty Standards: Built on Slavery, Racism, and Paedophilic Obsession
Introduction: Why dig into beauty standards at all? If you scroll through TikTok, flick through a glossy magazine, or sit down to watch a blockbuster movie, the women presented as “beautiful” tend to look eerily similar. They are often white or light-skinned, slim, smooth-skinned, and symmetrical. Their eyes appear large, their noses small, their lips carefully shaped. Most importantly, they look young — sometimes so young that they verge on childlike.
By No One’s Daughter6 months ago in Viva
The Unseen Viva
M Mehran Sana had always been the kind of student who hid at the back of the classroom, scribbling notes furiously, afraid to raise her hand. She excelled in written exams but dreaded speaking. Words, when written, obeyed her. Words, when spoken, betrayed her.
By Muhammad Mehran6 months ago in Viva
The Day of the Viva
M Mehran Arham had always been a good student, but the word viva carried a special kind of fear for him. Written exams, he could handle. Multiple choice? Essays? No problem. But facing a professor across a table, answering questions with nothing but his mind and voice—there was something about it that turned his confidence into quicksand.
By Muhammad Mehran7 months ago in Viva
Why I Just Joined the “We Do Not Care Club”
This morning, I discovered the “We Do not Care Club,” inadvertently started by Just Being Melani. It’s sort of an unofficial club for women who have entered the perimenopausal era of their lives. You know, the beginning of the time in life when “women of a certain age” discover how tired they are, and how tired of being tired they are.
By Suzy Jacobson Cherry7 months ago in Viva
The No-Gym Diet Hack That Rewrites Your Life
I was a ghost. Hollowed by deadlines’ relentless churn, seduced by the glow of midnight snacks, imprisoned in a body that betrayed me. My mirror sneered. My spirit sagged. Diets—keto’s iron grip, paleo’s primal chant, fasting’s ravenous claw—had chewed me up and spat me out. The gym? A coliseum of dread I’d never conquer. Then, like a phoenix bursting from cosmic ash, the Micro-Nutrient Density Hack ignited my world. In 30 days, it carved a new me—lean, vibrant, alive—without a single squat or starved moment. This is no mere story. It’s a revolution. Yours awaits.
By Umar Amin7 months ago in Viva