C'est La Vie

So I was watching Toddlers & Tiaras today for the first time ever on TLC and was freaked out but amazed at the same time and ended up watching the entire episode.
The “toddlers” ranged from itty bitty babies that could barely walk on stage alone to full fledged diva’s like Tootie, (that’s her stage name! Her real name: Madison) who has all the snarl and attitude of a Hollywood A-lister.  Tootie competes in the age 10-12yr old category but looking at her face and how she acts you would never guess she fits in that age group.  I watched in fascination as she pouted and primped in front of the mirror before the pageant… she was like a mini adult with her eyeliner, fake tan, french manicure, lipliner, lipstick and everything else required to become a pageant girl.  I knew her mom had created a monster when Tootie b*tched (not yelled, not whined, b*tched!) at her hairdresser for being a dimwit/not knowing how to braid her hair.
Now, I’m not one to say that pageants are stupid.  I was in many baby beauty contests myself when I was younger (and won them thank you very much) and would continue to participate in pageants at my current age if I had the time.  However, I just think it is so completely wrong to have these girls who are at such an impressionable age competing in pageants.  These girls are worrying about how they look, their weight, makeup, tanning and that is just not right for someone so young.  I think it’s ok to put your child in pageants when they’re younger if they show an inclination to performing and they actually enjoy it (some contestants were hiding behind their mothers on stage – clearly they’re not into it, don’t put them through hell like that! geez), but if they’re at an age where they will remember this for the rest of their lives and understand what is going on (around age 7/8) I think it’s time to stop.  Women are already bombarded with images and pressures to look our best and we are already insecure about looks as it is.. I couldn’t imagine being brought up in a world where my looks were my number one priority since I was a little girl!  It is also so damaging for their hair and nails and skin.  They’re constantly being hairsprayed, spray tanned, made up with pounds of makeup and false eyelashes..etc.  How can a mom put their child through that?
Being in pageants when you’re at an age that can remember it forever is wrong, plain and simple.  Your kid might enjoy being in pageants when she’s 8-12 years old because she’s been brought up her whole life in the pageant world but it’s your duty as a parent to stop it at one point and make sure she lives a normal life and worries about innocent things rather than appearance.  If she’s still interested in pageants there are many opportunities to join once she’s older and has more knowledge and maturity to handle the pressures of being in a pageant but for now, let kids be kids!  I shudder to think of what Tootie will be like as she grows older…or then again maybe she’ll be rich and super famous and laugh at everyone who made fun of her mom for putting her in pageants.

I just think it’s super cool that there is this technology available where like.. “fans” can get in touch with “stars”.  As soon as Amitabh Bachchan started blogging I was like omg.. this is huge.  Ever since I was little I used to wonder what “stars” were like, what they ate, where they went, what their day to day schedules were like.  I don’t think this fascination with celebrity will be something that I will ever grow out of, nor do I ever want to.  I like being amazed, and I like being thrilled.  I got a super huge rush when I saw Mickey Mouse.  It was SO AWESOME.
I went on Karan Johar’s page and he has updates like: “sitting in the office with SRK”.. and you just think I want that!  Then when you see Demi Lovato (hope I spelt her name right.. I think she’s a Disney starlet?) posting about how she’s getting off her tour bus and going on a private jet.. you just think.. I want THAT!  Maybe Twitter isn’t the greatest idea.. it makes you that much closer to everything that you can’t have.
Sigh.

So I’ve recently joined Twitter and I think I might become addicted to this thing.  People often wonder what’s so great about it seeing as how on Facebook you can post pictures and do all kinds of funky stuff.  I think the thing that keeps people flocking (pun intended) to Twitter is the real time action that you see on there…not to mention the celebrity mania.  “Stars” like Mallika Sherawat from Bollywood, Self proclaimed Armenian Princess = Kim Kardashian and influential people such as Anderson Cooper and Larry King all have Twitter accounts that they are constantly updating. 
It’s super interesting to see what’s going on in their lives (stalker world that we live in) and of course it gives a little thrill when you get mentioned (as you see above, Mallika Sherawat responded with an “@queensharin” to a little query of mine).  It looks like the aim is to have as many followers as you can because of course, everyone wants to be their own mini celebrity.
Both Facebook and Twitter reek of a culture that is voyeuristic and self obsessed.  I don’t see sites like these becoming obsolete anytime soon.  Hey, if you can’t beat ‘em, join them! ;)

As of late.. I’ve heard so many people say the word “bandwagon”.  Why is that?  It is because, Michael Jackson has died, and now anytime someone mentions his name or says anything good about him, the other person in the conversation goes “way to jump on the bandwagon.”
What is a bandwagon(er)?  Urbandictionary.com describes it as

A fan of a particular sports team who had no previous interest in the team until they began winning. They often will claim that they have been "a fan forever."  AND/OR
In sports, someone who shamelessly cheers for a particular team not because he likes them or follows them faithfully, but only because that particular team is the "popular" choice or has been or is the top team in their specific sport recently. When that team which bandwagoners follow falls from grace, they gleefully jump on the next teams bandwagon and cheer for that team.

I believe that:
just because you HAPPEN to like something that everyone else likes.. it doesn't mean you're a bandwagoner just because it happens to be a convenient time to start liking something.. HOWEVER .. if you're liking something JUST because other people are liking it and you don't actually fully like it yourself and would never have liked it if other people didn't like it only then are you a bandwagoner.
In the case of Michael Jackson.  It is completely plausible and highly likely that people were a fan of Michael Jackson before his death,(in fact I don’t think I know a single person who would be immune to his music or talent) and after he died, they realized once again how amazing he was and and kind of renewed that interest in him.  It’s completely natural, and a common product of mourning, to reminisce about a person and to remember all the good things that came out of that person’s life.  I think it’s an insult to just continue on as if nothing had ever happened.  Are people supposed to shout from the rooftops randomly that you’re a fan of someone?  I’ve never been that type of person where I shout things from rooftops lol (figuratively) because I just don’t feel that I need to prove anything to anyone.  I’m a quiet kind of fan.  Of course, when people are alive yea you could be a fan and have all the cds or love the songs and think he’s awesome, but if he never really came up in conversation with someone or made news it’s not likely that many people will know, especially because he was around for so long it’s kind of generally accepted that everyone loves him.  It’s like.. when people ask me who my favourite actors are.. I usually say the younger, generally popular talented actors and bypass someone like Amitabh Bachchan because that’s just kind of a known fact.  Of course I don’t think anyone matches up to him.. he’s not even in the running he’s just permanently up there and not in the same league.  If that makes sense.
But you know what?  Even if someone was not ever a fan of Michael Jackson and just started listening to his music after his death and now realized that they liked it… SO WHAT?  I’m HAPPY!  Why would any fan of his NOT be happy that more people are appreciating his music?  As a fan, why would I say to someone “oh whatever you’re just into him now that he died”?.  That doesn’t make any sense.  I hate people and fans who look down on others..  “you can’t be as big of a fan as I am because I’ve watched every single Canucks hockey game since I was five”, “If you were a real fan you would have _____” Fill in the blank.  Being a fan, means that you care/love something.  There is no measure for how much someone loves something.  Sure, there are other people who know more about Italian football than I do, but that doesn’t mean I’m not as happy as those people when they win the World Cup, or as sad as them when they lose!  (I don’t actually watch club soccer but I watch the cups).  As for Michael, I mean, he lived a pretty rough life, and he WAS one of the most talented entertainers there ever was (WHILE he was alive and will continue to be the most talented for a long time I think) so of course I think he deserves it.  He deserves to have his songs played on the radio for weeks, he deserves to have people fall in love with his music, he deserves all the CNN and worldwide coverage, he deserves to have Billie Jean pumping from every car on the road.  It would be a disservice to him not to remember him.  And like I said before, of course people that you might not have known were fans before are going to be talking about him now.  It’s natural.  Someone DIED.. what are people supposed to just ignore that?  Does it really matter if you liked his music before or not?  What matters is if you like it NOW.  You’re alive NOW.  You either like something, or you don’t, and if you appreciate his music now that he’s dead, than all I can say to you is I’m glad you finally saw the light.  Yes of course, it kills me to see how the media and normal people everywhere bullied the sh*t out of him when he was alive but it would kill me even more if people didn’t at the very least appreciate him now that he’s gone.
It just amazes me how human’s put so many restrictions on themselves.  Like, you should be able to feel whatever you want to feel and not restrict yourself from those feelings.  Just because you might seem like you’re jumping on a bandwagon, doesn’t mean that you should suppress your emotions!