i never said i was perfect...

In my own life, I firmly believe that it's better to be an honest bitch than to be a hypocrite. This is why I think I need to clarify some things...

In the midst of my current rants about women, beauty, and loving your body, I do think it's seemingly hypocritical of me to post gratuitous photos of Rain. Apologies. I should know better. But please allow me to take a second to explain my contradictions.

First off, I never said I was perfect. I'm not one to deny myself or anyone else their fantasies and desires. I hope I made it clear in my last post that the gratuitous photos were fantasy. In my personal life, I'm hardly impressed by celebrities. Seriously. I think I may be the only woman alive who does not find Brad Pitt attractive. There's indulging in fantasy, and living in reality. I do not require that my partner have rock hard abs.

This brings me to my next point. I don't want anyone to have the impression that I am not concerned about men and their self esteem issues. Do I think pop culture is harsh on men? Yes. Do I think men face beauty pressure? Absolutely.

However, I don't think beauty pressure for men is anywhere near what it is for women. This is why my research (and some of my blog posts) focuses mainly on women. Granted, my future research will change. I've already mapped it out. Right now, especially in the media, I find that there is a larger range of men. They are as conventionally gorgeous as George Clooney to goofy as Seth Rogan. I don't see a lot of female Seth Rogans, you know? (Ahem. Nothing wrong with Seth Rogan. I'm just sayin'.) I do think media needs to step it up in terms of racial/ethnic diversity. But that's another rant...

For now, I'm tackling the big monster. I'm concerned with how women are affected by media imagery. I want to emphasize that it is important to raise young women with a strong self of self. I hold on to the values that my father taught me. He always said, "Anak, if you're going to build anything in this world, build your character first." I'm not always good at building my character, but at the very least, I work on it everyday. And I share my journey with everyone around me.

So there. I never said I was perfect. I'll allow myself to gawk at celebrities as a way of indulging in fantasy. However, in my real life, my standards of beauty are very different. The way I help the men around me embrace their beauty is different. I know where I stand and what I stand for. Even if it means embracing my own contradictions. With that, I'll leave you with one last (not so) gratuitous photo from Ninja Assassin (insert tongue-in-cheek). Enjoy!

Warm-up
Run 1.1 miles
Stretching

CrossFit One World WOD
1 rep max deadlift

Joanne's Final weight - 240# (10#PR. Woot!)

Notes (to myself) about this workout: Big kudos to Eric G. the lifting king! I wouldn't have done the PR without him. Woot! Also, kudos to Lori who also hit a PR today. Nice work!

My only regret about the deadlift is that I feel that with my build, I should be lifting more. I was hoping to reach or break 250#, but my back was a little tweaked. Therefore, Eric suggested that we just stop at 240#. Fine by me. Hitting a PR on a rest day is good news. Also, I did it without using a weight belt. Woot!

I remember the first time I did the deadlift I was trying to establish my 1 rep max. I made it to 180# and boy was it a struggle! I had to use the weight belt for support and I'm sure it was not a pretty 180#. Tonight, that weight was part of my warm-up. Yea me and small victories. Wa-hoo!