The World of Innocent Fairy

Help find Madeleine...

2007-05-14T11:29:00.000+01:00

Madeline's fourth birthday has just passed yesterday and she has still not been found. This is a time when individuals pull together and hope that this little girl will be found, so please lets keep hoping and praying that Madeline comes home.

Innocent Fairy has finally finished...

2007-05-11T10:32:00.000+01:00

Well I sat my last exam on the 9th May 2007, I have finally finished my undergraduate degree in BA Hons' Sociology at Goldsmiths College, the University of London. Now I await my results whilst I enjoy my summer of freedom - earning money (lol) until September when I start the London Of College for my MA degree in Fashion Journalism.

The London College of Fashion...here I come!

2007-04-06T14:37:00.000+01:00

Remember when I started this blog and I was unsure about my future? Well I am about to finish my final year for my degree in BA Hons' Sociology and I have decided to become a fashion journalist. I applied to the London College of Fashion (University of The Arts London) for the MA Fashion Journalism course. For the application process I had to provide an essay, personal statement and a final topic outline that got me to the next stage which was an interview.

After waiting eleven days after the interview, I finally heard back from the London College of Fashion. The letter consisted of an 'Unconditional Offer' that I have, of course, accepted! As the offer is unconditional it is like a breath of fresh air. Normally MA courses only allow individuals onto the course under the condition that they get a 2:1 or higher. Of course I am aiming for a 2:1 - I always have been doing but the fact that it is unconditional is less pressure. So London College of Fashion here I come, I can't explain my excitement and happiness!

Watch this space...

The eight year old boy that is 14 stone...

2007-02-26T17:32:00.000Z

Before I headed off to university this morning, one story caught the sociological interest in me about an eight year old boy that is fourteen stone, I repeat, fourteen stone.

Shocking, indeed…but what is interesting about this story is the debate of whether to take the child off the parents into care or not. Is this child abuse? Well lets think about it for a moment, I believe that if parents starve a child purposely then that is ‘child abuse’, I also believe parents who smoke around child is also child abuse, alongside the usual bodily harm, verbal abuse, sexual abuse and so forth.

But is the overweight child also the subject of child abuse? It depends, whether the child has something genetically and medically wrong with him that is making him overweight (or in this case obese), or if the parents are just feeding the child a load of junk food.

If the child has become obese through a medical or genetic condition, then is it case closed…is it then up to medical science to deal with the matter and is therefore not a case of ‘child abuse’? Certainly not especially in this case, because if the little boy (named Connor) does have a medical or genetic condition that is causing his obesity then shouldn’t the parents’ be doing their best to prevent heart disease and so forth - such as not feeding him ‘junk‘…?

It is not rocket science, nor is it difficult to carry out…give your child a HEALTHY diet, simple as that. In the case of Connor, his family says that Connor has chips with everything, alongside curries, sausage sandwiches and chocolate biscuits…and whatever other crap he is given.

Blame the parents? Damn right! An eight year old does not work and therefore does not earn money, so who buys the shopping? The parents. Who cooks? The parents. Who is in charge and makes the choices? Well, it should be the parents.

Should the child be taken into care? Well, I do believe this is somewhat extreme as the child is not going to be taken away and miraculously come out ‘skinny’ and even if he does his parents will probably quite happily make him fat again. The parents’ like Connor’s should be educated (Jamie Oliver has tried this in schools), but at the end of the day it is just common sense.

Thinking back to when I was a child I participated in activities such as ballet, tap, swimming, riding my bike, being taken to the park - almost every evening and especially at the weekend. We were allowed a treat every Friday such as an ice cream from the ice-cream van outside our school, or a little cake from the bakery. Fattening foods such as chips were eaten every fortnight and even those were shared between four to five people, so it was not a massive amount. My mother baked and made fresh food such as haddock, potatoes and peas.

Back when I was child when I ate meat we had beef burgers but these beef burgers were made by mother, which consisted of lean fresh Scottish beef, shredded carrots (yup!) and onions and they were baked - not fried. We were also given plenty of vegetables and fruit and my mother gave us packed lunch because she argued that school dinners were made from rubbish - and of course, she was correct.

The difference now is that parents are getting younger and popping out children whilst they are still in their school uniform, so how can parents teach their children how to eat a healthy diet when the parents are still children themselves and therefore still learning? Moreover, it is often parents who are uneducated especially about a healthy diet and are lazy because they can not be ‘bothered’ (or in the words of Catherine Tate ‘bovvered’) to cook or take their children to places where they can participate within activities.

Instead they would rather get chips from the fish and chip shop, warm up ‘convenience food’ and let them have fizzy drinks and chocolate so they do not get harassed or ‘bothered’ by their children. It is in a way ‘neglect’, or making up for their guilt by giving them food.

This particular child is severely overweight, I am female and six foot...and I thought I would check out Connor's weight within my height range and I found that the BMI is 26.58, which would be extremely overweight for my height! This child is eight and is obviously not six foot, so imagine what fourteen stone of fat is doing to his body. My actual BMI is 18.9 which is 'ideal' for my height and I am six foot, little Connor's BMI is certainly shocking if not disturbing,

I believe that children who are obese are the subject of child abuse, whether they have a medical or genetic condition - because parents should still try their best to give them a healthy diet. After all, the child can not really make a ‘choice’ because they do not have money (because they can not work) and they are not mature enough to make ‘adult’ decisions. But one does not own the child, they are the offspring from one’s body and the role of the parent is not to ‘abuse’ the body of the child but to educate the child, love the child, comfort the child, care for the child and not give them ‘something’ that will stay with them for the rest of their life - this is of course a bad childhood.

Bargain is the word...

2007-02-11T15:22:00.000Z

I am just letting you all know that I have a few items for sale on eBay that include a Marc Jacobs jacket and a Zara smock dress, check out the items for sale under my eBay seller name which is: Selena1020

The size 0 debate...again!

2007-02-10T16:40:00.000Z

Well London Fashion Week is upon us once again and us young women are in the middle of that debate about size 0 models...again. The media does not seem to be getting bored with this matter, but first of all I would like to point out that a US 0 is actually a UK 4. Yes, it is still tiny BUT the size 0 label is only really an American phenomenon.

The size 0 consists of a 23" waist and it has been said that individuals like Victoria Beckham who have a size zero body, actually have the body of a seven year old. The media argues that these women influence young girls to be like them which may develop into self starvation or over-eating that results in purging (the use of vomiting, laxatives and weight loss drugs), the psychological labels for these are known as 'anorexia' and 'bulimia'.

To be honest, I would be dissapointed if Victoria Beckham influenced my child (not that I have one) - as she is hardly a role model for 'fashion' nor 'beauty' in my opinion. Moreover, the actual debate circulating within the British media at the moment is: 'should size 0 models be banned at London Fashion Week?'

My answer is, no. Why? Would you ban a individual from entering somewhere because they are over weight or obese? Probably not, so why should individuals be persecuted because they are considered to be 'underweight'. However, skinny girls may be banned because they are seen as a bad influence on other girls not because they are skinny.

The girls are models, the clue is in the word. Models are paid to look good and galavant up and down the catwalks to 'wow' or 'shock' the crowds - they are the gaze of the opposite sex, they represent what 'beauty' should be and clothes are meant to be 'hanging off them' because they are basically a 'hanger' for the clothes. Indeed designers might argue that if clothes could be sent down the catwalk on hangers, then they would - because they look best on hangers, they hang correctly which is why they use the emaciated body of the model.

It is the media that annoys me in all of this. The media show photos of Nicole Ritchie and various models looking 'good' showing the world how 'beauty' should be...yet when it comes to London Fashion Week, lo and behold, stories everywhere of the 'size 0 cult', anorexia and bulimia survivors, those 'evil' pro-Ana and pro-Mia boards...the list goes on.

First of all, I believe the pro-Ana and pro-Mia movement are not 'evil' they are simply an internet community where sufferers of 'anorexia' and 'bulimia' come together to discuss their problems and offer support whilst resisting the medical model of 'anorexia/bulimia'. These girls are the result of the media, the pressure of the capitalist world and patriachal society.

Women who choose to diet because they want to become a size 0 choose to be that size. One can not force their body shape to become a shape that it can not possibly be - after all, we are all born in different shapes and sizes. Tall women carry off weight better, as it is well proportioned throughout their body (look at Lilly Cole who is a UK 10/US 6).

Since the 1960s body shape has been getting smaller for women and it is now smaller than ever. It is agitating when one looks at beautiful models and wishes to be that way themselves. But what individuals fail to understand is that these women are air brushed and supermodels are not always the size that women think they are.

Being a woman is difficult, obviously, but it is time to get over this whole 'size 0' debate and not having to watch silly attention seeking ex-band members (*cough*...Eternal) starving themselves to become a size 0 when they do not understand why women become a size 0.

Models are under a large amount of pressure from their agencies, designers and the media - they are told what to wear and how to look. They are chosen for being tall (minus those that are just used for editorial and individuals such as Kate Moss who I consider to be quite short), unique, dainty, long limbed and basically 'skinny'. But this is the way of the model world and the truth is, individuals have to deal with this.

New York has all that jazz...

2007-01-13T10:13:00.000Z

...but I am not talking about 'fairy dust'! New York City certainly has that 'magic' as I found the city constantly has a buzz, day and night.

I first went to NYC when I was eighteen to work in a weight lost camp for overweight children in Liberty, NY - however, I only stayed two nights in NYC in the whole of three months because the camp was basically near the Catskills Mountains. I disliked my experience of working in this children's camp as I became more stressed, developing migraines and having trouble sleeping - I returned home (back to Britain) just two weeks before my work experience was to finish. To be honest, I was somewhat dissapointed with myself because I had a whole trip planned and paid for that would visit such places as Texas, Louisiana, New Orleans and so forth. The two nights that I spent in NYC during this time was fantastic, although I did not get to see much as I was alone and eighteen, therefore I felt afraid of travelling round an unknown city.

However, I have now returned to experience the 'NYC Experience' for real and it was amazing! I found Greenwich Village and SoHo was my favourite area as it was packed with streets of little unique boutiques, cafe bars, bistros and so forth. SoHo is where I stumbled upon on the Betsey Johnson boutique and bought myself a lovely little dress from her latest collection.

We stayed in a hotel, literally a two minute walk from Times Square - this was a 'tourist mecca' and was not my kind of thing. Yes, I am a tourist...but to be surrounded by tourists and all things, well, touristy - can get annoying. But it we found a great restaurant for Thai food, a typical American diner for that gorgeous chocolate malt milkshake...but how could one forget the 'singing diner'? This was a unique experience, never before have I entered a restaurant where waitresses sang! This was hillarious because during our visit to this diner, one old chap got up yelping, screaming and dancing whilst his wife sat down and watched like it was the most normal thing in the world - this was a perfect 'movie' moment. But it was also lovely in a way that this man was old, yet, he came accross like he was having the time of his life. I guess this is what New York City does for individuals.

One of the greatest experiences was visiting the Statue of Liberty (we did visit the Empire State Building, but did not go to the top because we do not like heights very much), taking a ferry accross to the island and learning about how Lady Liberty was built and seeing Manhattan from accross the water will stay in my memory forever. It also made me think about the tourist on September 11th that were visiting Lady Liberty and how they must had seen the attack from the island made me shudder.

I did not want to visit Ground Zero, I believe this place should be left alone unless you have lost a love one here - then it is understandble for a place to visit to remember them. However, it should not be a 'tourist attraction' as I feel disturbed by individuals who wish to see it out of morbid curiosity. We did, however, walking past the ground to get to Century 21 - but we did not look and gawp...only walked past, but I can not explain the feelings I felt whilst walking past a ground where such a large amount of individuals died.

Moreover, Century 21 reminded me of a large TkMaxx - I did not really like it, nor could I be bothered to search for items on my holiday that were considered a 'bargain'. Although they did have Betsey Johnson shoes and various BCBG items, I only ended up buying some concealer from Clinique.

NYC is certainly the home of shops ranging from little boutique, to the largest deparment store in the world (Macy's). However, I found such department stores (Macy's and Bloomingdales) to be expensive and never bought anything from them. I did enjoy Forever21 though, where I purchased two tops - this store was like an American Topshop and was very cheap with some great clothes. We also visited 'Abercrombie & Fitch' on 5th Ave' and I was greeted by a guy baring his six pack - to be honest, I have never felt so insecure in a store where all the guys and girls looked like models out of Vogue (do not visit this store if you get insecure easily).

We also visited the 'Museum of Modern Art', alongside the 'Rockfellar Centre' - where one could go ice skating! I enjoyed the art museum, especially the gallery of photography and I also enjoyed relaxing with a frappuccino in the Rockfellar Centre.

Me and my boyfriend did not want to leave NYC, in fact we both wish we were there now. It was sad to go over the bridge from NYC to the airport leaving the city behind...all I can say is that I hope to visit NYC in the future (or even live there - many would) and all I can say is; I heart New York.

New York, New York

2007-01-02T17:10:00.000Z

New York, New York

Well my lovelies, I am off to Stateside for a few days! A Christmas present from my boyfriend who is taking me to New York for five nights. I will be doing the usual cheesy touristy things - Sex And The City tour anyone? Not forgetting to check out Soho and Greenwich Village, but also I am hoping to pick up a couple of unique pieces to wear back in good old England. I will be issuing you lot with a full report upon my return!

A Merry hyper-consumption & a Happy New Year of debt!

2007-01-02T17:00:00.000Z

A Merry hyper-Consumption & a Happy New Year of debt!

After mooching around Oxford Circus I felt somewhat dazed and confused by the busy crowds that were attending the sales and to be honest I couldn’t cope with the madness. I had only gone to London just to get my fringe trimmed and with it being a holiday Monday I thought it would be quiet, however this was not the case.

You can’t help but notice the signs ‘I Shop Therefore I am’ or ‘Buy me, I will Change Your Life’ in the Selfridges department store…but one can’t help thinking, how can consuming a product change ones life? Christmas is meant to be about family and goodwill, not forgetting that it is a Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Christ . However, it seems that individuals are consuming more and more at Christmas time and getting into more debt…therefore consuming that extra product (or a number of products) will change one’s life and that is - getting into debt.

Yes I will admit, I have searched for items in the sale - but have I bought anything? Not really, except for a coat and a pair of shoes from Topshop’s online sale only because I liked them before the sale and couldn’t afford them at full price so it was not a case of ‘buying for the sake of it because it is in the sale’.

I find it somewhat disturbing to see individuals frantically running around to try and save some glamorous looking material for their body to which they can buy in hope that it will make their body better or their face prettier. However, it is also amusing…whilst browsing the sales’ rack in the Fusion within Monsoon I caught a woman’s arm by mistake with my bag and I saw her scowl at me in a somewhat evil manner. This annoyed me…so, on purpose I caught her with my bag for a second time and she said: “will you stop pushing me, you are being very rude.” Well, what a silly cow, the first time I ‘caught’ her slightly by mistake (hardly a push) and the second time I did do it on purpose but only catching her with my bag again (not pushing). So in response I said (without thinking really): “I don’t think I did, it’s all in your head. I guess the mentalist come out at sale time”. And her response? Nothing, she just looked at me…I felt somewhat pleased, even though it was an immature response - but what does she expect from a young girl? After all, this woman was rummaging through the Fusion sales rack which is obviously aimed at the younger market and this woman was in her forties!

It is a worrying thought as we are creating a society that is full of debt and are compulsive shoppers, even though I love fashion - I would not get a credit card because:

1) I am a student and will be in enough debt with my student loan once I have graduated.

2) I am a strong believer in; if you can’t afford it, then don’t buy it.

If you want something bad enough, you will save money and buy it later because once you get that card sooner or later you will lose control and get into debt. After all, shopping is one of the biggest leisure activities in Britain after television!

Next time you are in Selfridges or even in a shopping centre such as the Trafford Centre or Bluewater, observe what you see. All these temples of consumption exist as a place of leisure…because one doesn’t have to leave (only when the store/centre is closing). Think about it, the centres have cinemas, restaurants, shops, hotel, toilets and so forth and Selfridges has similar (minus the hotel and cinema) - but one could spend a full day there as, more or less, everything is under one roof (a consumer’s dream).

And they are taking your money! For something that will NOT change your life because it is not a necessity, but individuals will buy it anyway. I like Baudrillard’s theory who argues that we live in a world where nothing is real and therefore when we consume we only consume the ‘sign’ that is, for example, the Chanel bag. Now, the Chanel bag is expensive but it does not do anything and probably it not big enough to carry all your everyday items…yet an individual will still buy this because it offers a sign and this sign says: WEALTHY, INDEPENDENT, GLAMOUROUS and so forth. And so we are not interested in what the item does for us, but what it says about us.

I hope you understand this (some may not…but you will), but next time you are picking up that Marc Jacobs handbag in the sale think to yourself ‘what can this offer me’? And you won’t have an answer except for your own vanity…which is, to make you look good.
Happy New Year!

Identity Parade

2006-12-12T18:08:00.000Z

I haven't been posting for a while due to heavy deman of university coursework, which have to be in on the 9th January 2007. And I am now halfway through my case study on Second Life, which I have found extremely interesting.

What I was suprised about, not just the different identities that I have discovered and did not know could exist...but the way I created my own identity on Second Life through my online avatar.

The 'photosnap' above that was taken in Second Life is of me...now I would not wear anything like this outfit in real life - it is kind of like Japanese Street Style (that one would not probably get away with in the UK) - turn - glamourous prostitute. But I have found myself buying skins (that would give me nicely shaped breast, chest bones, bone

My dress sense varies from Japanese Street style, to the fashion sense that I would wear in real life to the more glamourous look. I find my hair fluctuating between short and long, but I do prefer the longer look in Second Life - but I always like to have a fringe.

I have made myself to look extremely glamourous - a way in which one could not get away with in the daytime (unless you were a celebrity). Now this glamourous look ranges from hot pants and belly tops, to puff ball/cocoon type dresses...if anything I might be coming across looking like a page three girl or a WAG in Second Life!

This disturbs me somewhat...could I be repressing my identity of how I wish to be? Or have I created this glamourous Second Life identity because I can not afford such type things in the real world (basically because I am student)? Or is Second Life just basically a laugh and all Second Lifers are just messing around?

Who knows? Maybe once I have completed my analysis of Second Life identities I educate more on the subject, but for now...it is all very interesting.

2006-11-30T15:08:00.000Z

'Don't like your life? Create a new one.'

Back at the beginning of November I had definetly decided what I was going to investigate as a case study (not my dissertation) for one of my courses for my degree. And what could be better than 'Second Life', a phemonena that is appealing to lives across the world.

I have decided to investigate online identities, consumption and capitalism within this virtual world - a case that fully grabs my attention. To me this is unique, from what I have discovered so far there has been no undertaken sociological research on Second Life (if you do know of any sociological research studies on SL, then please do let me know because so far I have found nothing).

This piece of research will mainly undertake interviews with different individuals such as your average avatar, the child avatar (this means individuals that are adults in real life but are children in Second Life), the Neko avatar (half human and half cat), the Vampire avatar, the Gorean avatar and any other avatar I come across in between. Not only that I am interested in how individuals consume within Second Life in order to pursue their avatar (online identity) such as buying clothes, weapons, hair styles, houses and so forth. Not forgetting the 'virtual Capitalist' that make a living out of selling houses, land, clothes and so forth - not forgetting the lapdancers!

I am enjoying my research so far and think is an excellent area to research for my case study, I welcome any comments that you may think will help me and if you are on Second Life...maybe I will get to meet you!

2006-11-13T10:36:00.000Z

'What a shambles'

So who watched the BBC2 documentry on Pete Doherty last night? I could not resist and I do not know why, I don't even like the bloke (and his missus does not particularly interest me) - but yet we seem to have a fascination with these 'celebrities'...but why? Kate Moss is famous for modelling clothes (and nothing else)...she does not talk, act, sing...so what exactly are her qualities and her talent? Well, the answer is, she does not have any. Kate Moss is famous for being famous and just basically being a, erm, model.

Pete Doherty on the other hand is famous because of Kate Moss - he is a scruffy, talentless junkie that looks like he is the living dead, has extremely bad teeth and looks extremely unhygenic. I would not share a cup of tea with the lad, so I don't understand why Kate Moss would sleep with him?

Anyway I have concluded from the BBC2 documentry that Pete Doherty is somewhat 'messed up', he particularly has troubles with his dad. But what child doesn't? I sat through a documentry to watch some pretentious and tedious individual talk (and sing) in riddles...without actually making any sense.

Fans say he is a 'legend', for what, exactly? This tramp of a man likes to walk around looking like death, not cleaning his teeth or nails (or maybe his entire body come to think of it - B-O beware!), drawing in blood (like it has not been done before anyway!?), getting high and being basically thick, not forgetting swearing and spitting at the camera. Niiiiiiiiceeeee!

Yes, Pete Doherty is thick as in the word 'untelligent'...he rambles on without making any sense, his songs sound like a whole bunch of words put together or indeed it sounds like he is making the song up as he goes along. His speech is unintelligible, he makes no sense and bascially it makes me think of Kate Moss being a woman that is either lacking in brain cells herself or she just basically is not fussy and has no respect for herself (or her child).

It is worrying that individuals in today's world admire an individual like Pete Doherty, God help us all! If individuals think Pete Doherty is a 'living legend' and is hugely admired, then what hope have we got? If he was not famous for his, erm, 'music' (personally I think he is only famous due to Kate Moss)...lets face it, he would just be another junkie-chav hanging out at the local bus shelter and mugging your grandmother.

2006-10-21T16:47:00.000+01:00

'Britney is bringing Sexy Back...'

Well Britney is on her way back into our lives and I am loving it! I have been a Britney fan (secretly) since 'Baby One More Time' but made my myself that I was a fan since I saw her at the Manchester Evening News Arena on her 'Oops!' tour.

But her best concert so far was when I saw her again at the Manchester Evening News Arena on her 'Onyx Hotel' tour...and I watched in awe, she was amazing and she knew how to entertain the crowd. Everyone watched in shock as she carried out her 'Breathe On Me' performance (provocative in every way)...but my, she was sexy and she wow-ed the crowd.

But since then, she had gone downghill - having married the King of Chav, Kevin Ferderline (K-Fed)...we have been watching her eating junk foods and drinking supersized frappuccinos with whipped cream. Then she got up the duff and had a baby boy - Sean Preston and then another baby (which is meant to be a boy named Sutton Pierce, but this is not yet confirmed).

But lo and behold! Us fans waited, we supported her...we had hopes that one day Queen Britney would be back - better than ever. And guess what? She is! After seeing the latest pictures of her after eating all that junk food and being more or less pregnant for the last two years...the weight has nearly vanished and she is not chavving it up in sports wear or Juice Couture. Instead she is wearing jeans, a vest top and a polo neck...looking slimmer and happier.

If you are to check out Britney's website recently (www.britneyspears.com) you will discover that her website is under construction as it going through a major transformation. According to Britney's number one source though (www.worldofbritney.com) - Britney will be revealing all about her new baby and new album on the 31st October 2006.

Britney fans...be prepared, Britney is coming back and she is going to be sexier than ever! It is going to be worth the wait.

2006-10-19T15:47:00.000+01:00

'The North/South Divide'

I am now back at university and after three weeks it is time to get really stuck into it. I have my dissertation to start, but I already know what I am going to investigate for this and it has to be 8,000 words long. Alongside my core course which is 'Theorising Contemporary Culture' - which seems to be very, very boring at the moment and for this course I have to sit a three hour exam (three questions, an hour each). I also have to take four option courses; two for the Autumn term and two for the Spring term.

For the Spring I have taken my two option courses in; 'Global Development and Underdevelopment' and 'Animals and Society' - both seem to be extremely interesting and this results writing a 5,000 word essay for each course. But for the Autumn term, I have picked 'Childhood Matters' and 'Researching Culture: Case Studies' - once again a 5,000 word essay but a 5,000 word mini project for the 'Researching Culture' course. All together I am looking at writing 28,000 words plus the three hour examination - which will be around 34,000 words altogether. Such joy!

But what is one to research, when one is already writing up a dissertation? Well I have thought of an interesting case study! The 'North/South' debate has always been an interest for the majority, but what about the 'North/South divide of fashion'...? It is debated that while individuals dress up - up North, individuals dress down - down South. Having lived in London for over two years now (I am originally from Manchester) I have discovered whilst on nights out that Southerners tend to jeans and boring £9.99 vest tops, while in Manchester you are more likely to spot sexy ladies wearing their latest vintage find or showing off the latest fashion trend.

I am not debating that all individuals don't dress up in London (mostly around Shoreditch) - but they tend not to be glamourous nor show the best of themselves down 'ere...I guess Northern lasses like to make the best of themselves.

So I am thinking of investigating this...I will keep you posted! But please do post your comments in the meantime, I am interested to think what other individuals think of the 'North/South divide of Fashion'.

2006-09-20T14:28:00.000+01:00

'Chav, please just shut up!'

What is it with the working class (or rather under class) these days? I am not talking about all the working class, of course, but a particular 'group' (is a better way to put it). I refer to these groups as Chavs, Scallies or one of my favourite has to be Scroats (as used by James Stannage who was once a talk show host for Key103 in Manchester, until he was sacked).

I have just been walking home from my village after having a lovely drink and reading the latest issue of Elle, only to be slightly disturbed by a group of ugly, hard-done-by Chavs who decided to ask me a passing question; "Is anyone waiting for you when you get to the end of here?" - Get to the end of where? Whats it got to do with this...'fool' anyway? Where I go, what I do and whoever I am meeting is my business and my business only - why do Chavs feel they have the right to interfere in the lives of others?

There was a case a couple of months back when I go off the bus and some Chav decided to make a comment along the lines of; "You look anorexic" - once again what has it got to do with this 'individual'? Yes I am tall, yes I have skinny legs but whether I eat or do not eat, or have some kind of psychological mental illness such as an eating disorder has nothing to do with this imbecile.

You know what I dread? Summer holidays when all the Chav children are off school (even though they tend to get louder as they get older, it must be because they are losing more brain cells obviously - but I doubt they had many to start with in the first place). During the summer holidays I had a group of Chav teenagers get off a bus (I was wearing a short dress) - but one of the Chav boys decided that he could make a comment; "Nice legs, what time do they open?" - how VERY dare he!!! This was a TEENAGE boy, around fourteen years of age, why on earth did he think he had a right to make such a comment!? At that very moment my bus pulled up, so I shouted at him; "dirty mouth Chav" - his response was; "whaaaaaaat?" A typical Chav response, to be honest he looked rather embarrassed and his friends looked amuse no more.

I know Chavs come from a culture of uneducated parents, council housing, having a love for lots of gold and Burberry - but if the person does not know me then I do not want them to say "hello" never mind make a comment or ask me a question, especially if it is a Chav.

It is even worst when you have to get a bus (like myself, as I am a student and have no other form of transport) and buses always seem to be full of Chavs. And these Chavs are the single mothers with their four (or more) pick and mix children, we have to sit there and listen to these 'things' while they scream, cry and rub their snotty nose on the handle of the seat. While the school children (once again) seem to think it is okay to scream, shout and make comments at other individuals that are on the same bus ride without expecting to be shouted at or if the passengers are extremely lucky one of the passengers might just (fingers crossed) give them a slap.

Do not even get me started on their names, but what has happened to lovely and classic English names like Charlotte and Oliver? Now we have Jodie or Kadi or Taylor or Calvin - *sigh*...or some other stupid made up name like 'Mischalina'. The 'Chav culture' just seems to be getting worst and I wince everytime I have to walk past them (or even share transport with them) because you can guarantee that 98% of the time they are going to say or do something, but to be honest, I just wish they would shut up.

2006-09-16T18:07:00.000+01:00

'Talking About My Generation...'

Shift dresses, apparently, only look correct on tall and skinny girls - in fact why not go the whole hog, the 1960s trend only fit correctly on skinny Minnies (no lumps and bumps) whereas the Cocoon trend has been adopted by the larger (or pregnant) lady. While reading previous magazines, fashion columnist have stated that the 1960s trend should be adopted by emaciated figures and should not be worn by any lady over a size ten - hence the term, the ‘Twiggy dress’. Twiggy was in fact an idol for girls in the 1960s, a naturally skinny girl who was all innocent looking and doe eyed as she modelled tight fitting mini dresses that showed off her perfect body.

In today’s fashion world Lily Cole and Erin O’Connor are our idols, again these girls are tall and thin - showing the world how clothes should be worn (or indeed how they should look). Yesterday (15th September 2006) I was looking through the Evening Standard only to see the head lines ‘BAN THE SIZE ZERO MODELS LIKE LILY’ - an article has been written about how size zero models had been banned at Madrid’s Fashion Week on models that have a BMI of less than eighteen. I was disturbed to discover how a twenty two year old model died from heart failure after being just on the catwalk for two minutes due to starving herself. What does this mean for the women of today? Does being thin mean being beautiful or normal or powerful? I don’t have the answers, but one thing is for sure the fashion world is beginning a dangerous situation.

But there is a whole contradiction in this story, after reading this article in the Evening Standard I read the Evening Standard’s magazine that came with it that day and this newspaper had just totally slap themselves in their face. The magazine happened to be covering ‘fashion’ this week, showing a skinny Mischa Barton parading around in expensive gowns and another emaciated soul modelling various clothing - but isn’t this newspaper, on that same day stating that having size zero models a dangerous craze? Hmm, no contradiction there!

No wonder women are confused as we read magazines that print articles on how individuals have died or survived from eating disorders, and then the next page shows the latest diet or Nicole Ritchie wearing the latest Balenciaga dress with her concaved chest on show for the whole world to see.

The fashion world may be creating a circle of fashion, making beautiful designs and creating stunning advertisements but it is creating a society that is getting into more debt, causing more individuals to have mental health disorders, developing subcultures and causing rivalry - what a great society to be living in, eh? This is, after all, my generation.

2006-09-11T14:10:00.000+01:00

'Remembering 5 years on...'

It is now five years since the attack on the World Trade Centres on September 11th and the world will never forget this tragic attack. But what does this mean for the future? I can still remember the attack that took place last summer in London on the 7th July - just three days of my birthday and how thankful I was to be in Brighton at the time with my boyfriend because I could had very well been involved in the attack if I had been in that area.

We listen to Bush and Blair about how we must fight terrorism and how we must not let them live, but please just stop for a moment and think. Can we really fight terrorism? This is a dangerous game and it is a dangerous game to be involved in. Of course Bush and Blair want us to 'fight' terrorism - what they mean by 'fight', I do not know - but it is another way of making society not give in as it gives power back to the victims. But I personally do not think this is the case, if society ignored Bush and Blair and carried on being scared and therefore not 'fighting' terroism then the USA and the UK would be in crisis.

What I mean by this is that...if we did not go to work or use public transport then the USA and the UK would be in an economic crisis - public transport needs money through workers using the public transport and society needs it's workers else nothing would work - nothing would be produced and nothing could be paid for. Bush and Blair are very crafty with their techniques and wording (although I doubt it is by the work of Bush personally, after all I doubt this man could run a fish and chip shop) - to make society think they are 'fighting' terroism and not letting terrorist win, but in reality all we are doing is not letting the USA and UK end up in economic crisis.

Furthermore, how can one fight terrorism? Yes, soldiers can go and blow up innocent children and adults - but what does this prove and how is it justified? It is no different than terrorist blowing up innocent children and adults in the USA and UK. But how can one stop terrorism? Well it is simple, the USA and UK will never be able to stop terrorism - why you ask (?) - because they use a very powerful tatic and that is death. As Baudrillard (1981) argues that terrorist use the 'ultimate weapon' and that is their death, how can you fight terrorist that are not afraid of dying? To round this up we do not know who our terrorist really are (except that they are of the Muslim religion), we do not know where they live, we do not know when they will next attack and we also know that they will blow themselves up along with us with them so that they can go to paradise.

2006-09-08T17:48:00.000+01:00

'Next stop, Charing Cross'

I got my hearing aids today which are apparently ‘digital’ hearing aids that have been controlled to my specific hearing needs and I must admit it feels very strange hearing new noises such as water from a tap and hearing an individual that is not even standing near me. I do think though they will take a while until I get use to them as the moulds do feel somewhat uncomfortable and hearing myself talk (which sounds obviously much louder than usual) - is going to take some getting use to.

After spending the morning at the hospital trying out my new, hi-tech hearing aids I decided to go to Covent Garden to have a mooch around and maybe buy something (I am a bit strapped for cash at the moment, so it was not going to be exactly heavy shopping for me). I do enjoy Covent Garden as I love to admire the unique street style of us fashionistas and also rummage around the vintage shops hoping to find something unique and outstanding!

But today, as I am strapped for cash, I went into the cheaper stores such as Topshop, Zara and H&M - only to find that these shops have a lot of clothes that I am really, really liking at the moment without having to spend over £50 on one item of clothing. I liked so many things in all these shops, that I decided to treat myself to a little something as long as it was £40 or under - plus it is an essential to update my winter wardrobe seeing as I have sold most of my clothing on eBay.

I am really into the 1960s ‘Twiggy’ look now - I am absolutely loving this trend and because I am tall I carry off the mini dresses rather well…even if I do say so myself! Topshop in Charing Cross tend to have a small selection because it is a small Topshop, but sometimes this is good because I have found that the majority of the time when I go to Topshop at Oxford Circus I don’t end up buying anything because I am so overwhelmed by all the clothes, shoes and accessories that they have for sale - and sometimes I end up spending much more time in there than I have anticipated. I am loving the shoes in Topshop at the moment, especially their flats and Topshop is great because they go up to a UK9 (42) - and like Jodie Kidd I take a size UK9 (sometimes a size UK8 but these are normally expensive designer shoes and they are not so tight with their material). I tried on a couple of pair of flats in Topshop (in a size UK8), I did particularly like these pair of blue patent pumps with a little clump of balls on the toe but even though they fitted me I couldn’t help but wonder if a size UK9 would be more uncomfortable - but they did not have this size in stock. I do find it embarrassing sometimes asking the shop assistant for such a large size in a lady’s shoe, but I guess a tall girl like me are not going to have a size UK5, eh?

My next stop was H&M and this shop is stocking some great stuff recently, especially when it comes to the 1960s style clothing - they are stocking everything from mini smock dresses to the usually tight mini mod dresses and mini skirts. I am loving this hounds tooth tulip coat that they have in stock at the moment but at £60 it is not something I can yet buy until I get a little more money in bank account (sad I know…but being a student and living in London is not cheap).

My next stop was Zara and once again this shop is stocking some beautiful 1960s dresses and after trying on a few I had to decided between two. The first one was a sleeveless silver sparkly 1960s mini dress with polka dots, a big pleat at the front and a button at the back and priced £25- and the second dress was a again a 1960s mini dress (priced £35) with a black and grey animal print, with a really cute collar.

There was only one left of the £25 dress, that I had being eyeing up in the shop whilst some old woman tried it against herself (jeez - what is it with older women trying to dress younger than their age?!) But the £25 dress was somewhat shorter than the £35 dress, plus the £35 dress is a lot more practical for wearing in the day (the £25 dress I suppose was more for evening). I had a vision in my head how the £35 dress will look grey with my grey baggy stocks (a bit like the Prada stockings) and my black patent shoes…so you guessed it, I bought the mini grey and black animal print 1960s dress at £35!

After I bought this dress I decided to have another quick look around H&M and received a telephone call from my sister on my mobile telling me how she has just bought a black smock dress from H&M and asking advice on how to wear it - I told her to wear it with a high waist belt under her breast to give it some shape with some high (very high, as she is only 5ft6”) chunky heels. Lets hope she takes my advice!

2006-09-07T15:12:00.000+01:00

‘I am Paris Hilton, save me from what I am’

So most people know by now about, if you are a Banksy fan of course, about the whole Paris Hilton CD incident. Banksy who was born in 1974 in Bristol is an anonymous graffiti artist that tackles the problems of today’s world such as capitalism, globalisation, war and so forth.

Paris Hilton is a new hot topic for our chappy Banksy and I can do nothing but praise him for it! Paris Hilton is adored by fans worldwide, but why does she have fans? What exactly is she famous for anyway?

Paris is just another product in the world of consumption, while she is known for just being the daughter of the parents that own the Hilton hotel chain globally she is also the face of designer campaigns such as Guess?, she has her own line of perfume and now she has her own album. But her album seems to be mainly cover versions of other artist songs and is it her voice anyway? Its like they have dragged some airhead into a recording studio to record a few tracks, obviously tampered with her voice and shoved her face on the front cover because she is tall, blonde, flirty and beautiful - what more could recording companies want?

Individuals are so oblivious to the world of capitalism and how capitalist exploit society that they probably would quite happily buy the CD if it was her pet Chihuahua singing - like the mindless flock of masses that they are they would also believe it!

Banksy is an intelligent individual who does not like to known as an 'artist' but rather an 'anti-capitalist', Banksy has been involved in graffitti art such as the two police kissing, alongside put his prints up in museums illegally and selling limited prints such as haunting image (left) - this print is one of my favourite pieces of Banksy's work. This image shows a Vietnamese girl running from her village as a result of a Naplam attack, on the left there is Disney's Mickey Mouse and on the right there is McDonalds - Ronald McDonald. This image creates a lot of strong points about what is wrong with the world today...when I look at this image I think about how children in today's world are part of war, starvation and poverty - yet globalised companies (such as Disney and McDonalds) that aim their market at children and profit from that market - do not give back to those children that are less fortunate than others. Its the same as using individual as guinea pigs in Africa, for example, where globalised pharmaceutical companies will run drug trials on individuals without individuals ever knowing they are part of a drug trial. Or how children are used to work in sweat shops and the clothes end up on the back of another child, the same age in a richer world. Banksy's work is thought provoking, he points out what is wrong with today's world - like the Paris Hilton issue for example, why would you buy her album when she is rich enough? What does Paris Hilton have to offer to society? And why do individuals admire such an individual like Paris Hilton that takes and gives nothing back?

University matters . . .

2006-09-06T14:13:00.001+01:00

This is me...and my last year of university has arrived (6th September 2006)

Well a new year at university is upon me and I thought 'what is a good way to start it?' - well with the world of course. There is about two weeks left of my summer until university starts, it is my last year and if I am honest I am a little nervous. I have a 8000 word dissertation to complete, 4 x 5000 word essays, 1 three hour examination alongside those dreadful and nerve wrenching presentations on globalisation, human rights, animals and childhood matters.

Alongside this I have to deal with every day matters (like any other student that is living away from home). These matters consist of fashion, the boyfriend, my pet rats, the phone calls from the squabbling family back in Manchester that pierce my ear drums every time I answer the phone, meeting friends...I have yet to find some in this lonely city, paying rent, etc, etc.

But the most difficult occurances that always seem to pop into my head and I eventually have to deal with are:

What can I do with my Sociology degree when I graduate?

I know I have a strong idea for my dissertation but I am also interested in another topic, which should I choose?

I really want to work for a fashion magazine in order to carry out research and write articles - but should I take this chance or take another course after I graduate in which this will qualify me as a teacher?