Archive for the ‘Actress’ Category

Some of us find it hard to believe that technology has something to offer according to the interests of the girls. While many believe that internet gaming world has only unlimited options for men and boys offering hunting games, strategy games, cognitive thinking based games and much more; there are women and girls enjoying the best of the fun options offered by the World Wide Web. This is the reason why the number of the female gamers on the internet is increasing on regular basis and a number of female gamers are interested in online gaming.
From fashion to baking to cooking to makeup to much more, the world of the internet offers endless options for the girls all over the world to spend quality time while surfing the virtual world. One of the games which are very popular in the gaming world of the young ladies is the avatar Sue. This virtual character allows the girls to show off and develop their skills of hairdo and looks, while allowing them to make wardrobe choices for the virtual character. Due to the simplicity of the game and the easy to learn feature this game is fast gaining popularity across the world amongst the girls, who can save their results on the game server to share it with the rest of the pals on the server or boast off their creation on portals like Facebook etc.
The most famous games among the young girls of today are the ones which revolve around dressing up the popular characters, which may be comics or movies or cartoons inspired like Brats and Barbie etc. Initially, the games for girls were restricted to card games, scrabble or monopoly, while playing on the World Wide Web. However, in today’s world as the gaming industry of the internet evolved, the game manufacturers realized this unique niche and started developing the games according to the preferences and appeals of the girls. Thus, started the development of games for girls, which involved games crafted according to fantasy focus, novels storylines, comics etc., which is a great source recreation for the girls of the nations across the world. These games are the ones with which the girls can better associate.
While the boys play to win and score more points, the girls play for sheer entertainment. This is the reason why the Bratz games are popular amongst the girls of the world. These fashion icon dolls have already experienced momentous popularity and growth due to their high demand within their intended target market of girls. These dazzling characters of Bratz rule the virtual gaming world of the internet as well. The game offers fun options allowing the girls to choose clothes and accessories for the Bratz Dolls according to their moods.

By: chaudhary fahim

Justin Bieber’s rise in popularity has prompted some mean-spirited attacks on his masculinity and sexuality. Some have even gone as far as to suggest that he should be “voted out of the male gender” (a Facebook group). Why has the young star’s success elicited such hateful reactions? Why do kids and adults, usually male, often say of Bieber, “He’s gay” or “He’s a girl”?

These negative reactions occur for three reasons:

1) Boys and men, particularly those who feel insecure about their own masculinity, believe they must prove their manliness by putting down a male who does not conform to society’s rigidly narrow definition of male gender identity.

2) Boys and men, particularly those who feel insecure about their own sexuality, believe they must prove their heterosexuality by cutting down a male who they characterize as being gay.

3) Many boys and some men are jealous of Justin Bieber because so many girls (and women) adore him.

I will address each of these reasons in order.

** Narrow, Rigid Definition of Masculinity **

Justin Bieber exhibits a “flexible masculinity” with his love for the color purple, scarves, and fashionable clothing; his combination of very youthful appearance with swagger; his willingness to experiment with different dance moves; and his high-pitched voice (although it is changing).

This wider, more flexible definition of masculinity threatens boys and men conditioned by society to adopt a narrow, rigid definition of masculinity that says boys and men–unless they’re gay–don’t like bright colors; don’t try to be fashionable; don’t wear scarves; only dance in a prescribed masculine manner; and don’t accentuate (and even try to hide) a voice naturally high in pitch.

It’s as if boys are on a trek across open land trying to find a nonexistent path. None of them knows exactly which way to go. But they gradually get the message from older boys that the only way to know you’re on the right path is to remain close to the pack. If most of other boys are clustered together near them, then they are okay.

If a boy wanders away from the group, perhaps because he’s curious about some vegetation or animal he sees off to the side, the other boys become anxious. “Should we be going that way?” they wonder. But the idea of leaving the group arouses too much fear and uncertainty. “What if I wander off with that other boy–will the pack accept me back?” “Probably not!” they fear.

They look to each other for signs and inevitably they reassure each other that the way they’re going is the only one and that the curious boy is wrong. They further solidify their shared identity by ridiculing the wanderer and accusing him of being different–an outsider. Although the curious boy might continue to walk parallel with the main group of boys, he is not allowed back into the pack, and is constantly heckled, made fun of, and is the object of thrown rocks if he gets close enough.

In this way, the pack reassures themselves that they are taking the right path, even though in reality there is no path. The path is only defined by which way the majority are walking. If they all decided to turn 90 degrees to the right and walk in a completely new direction–perpendicular to their previous course–this new path would be the right one.

Thus, masculinity is as much about conformity to a social norm than it is about innate, biological characteristics of being male. It’s easy to recognize how culturally bound is one’s concept of masculinity if one travels abroad. I’ll never forget traveling by train in Italy and seeing a group of teenage boys sitting on a front porch. Two pairs of boys were holding hands. I immediately thought “they must be gay” and I thought them brave to be so open about their sexuality, particularly being adolescents. But I later learned that in Italian culture (at least in this part of Italy), males showing physical affection to each other is considered normal, i.e., a teenage boy’s masculinity and sexuality is not questioned if he’s holding another boy’s hand.

** Masculine = Heterosexual **

That Italian story brings up the second point: Another aspect of our culture’s rigidly narrow definition of masculinity is an abhorrence for homosexuality and any behaviors or characteristics typically associated with gay male stereotypes.

The mythical equation goes like this: homosexuality = femininity; therefore homosexuality is not compatible with masculinity.

This rule is a subset of a more basic rule: A boy defines his masculinity in opposition to girls. Thus, a boy asserts his masculinity by assiduously avoiding any appearance or behavior traditionally associated with girls and femininity.

It’s as if a group of girls and a boys are each given a balloon (pink for the girls and blue for the boys, of course) and told to blow up their balloons and put them in a large cardboard box. The objective of the game is to blow the biggest balloons possible. There are only two rules: a) The girls get a 20-second head start and b) The boy balloons cannot touch the girl balloons in the box. What happens? Because of their head start, the girls’ balloons are much larger than the boys. In fact, the boys must intentionally make their balloons small so that they can still fit in the box without touching the girls’ balloons.

If the balloons represent gender expression, it’s clear that the girls have much wider latitude in how they express their femininity. The boys have to keep their gender express “small” (narrow) in order to not touch the girls’ balloons.

Thus, boys are constantly keeping masculinity very narrowly defined so that it remains clearly separate from femininity. Masculinity is as much about being “not girl” as it is about inherent characteristics of maleness.

Consequently, when boys and men–particularly those with a shaky sense of their own masculinity–encounter a male who exhibits some traits traditionally associated with homosexuality (remember, in these guys’ minds homosexuality = femininity), they quickly separate themselves from and ostracize the outsider boy in order to clearly delineate and bolster their own sense of being male.

** Plain Old Jealously **
Third, some boys (and even some men) are simply jealous of all the attention Justin Bieber receives from girls and women. They express their jealousy by drawing on the above two rationales, i.e., they ridicule Justin by accusing him of being either feminine or gay or both.

** Advice for Justin Bieber **
He probably doesn’t need my counsel but to emphasize the points made in this article, here’s some unsolicited advice for the young star: Don’t give in to the pressure to assert your masculinity by trying to adhere to the narrow, rigid definition of masculinity prevalent in North American culture. Also, don’t become homophobic in an effort to prove your heterosexuality. The fact is that you are already masculine; you don’t need to do anything to prove it. The fact is that you are heterosexual; you don’t have to be anti-gay to prove it. And the fact is you’ve got an awesome life and a lot of guys are jealous of you. You don’t have to bring yourself down in order to stop them from being jealous. The jealousy is a reflection on them, not you.

Well, I just wrote a lot about what not to do. Here are some things to do. Recognize that you are a leader and a role model. Yes, that is a burden and an undoubtedly heavy one at times. But I suspect that God didn’t give you this opportunity if he didn’t believe in your leadership abilities and fortitude.

Leaders are bold; leaders take risk. Leaders show the uncertain and timid that it’s okay to be yourself, in fact, it’s the only path to fulfillment and meaning in one’s life.

Keep being yourself. You’re a good, strong young man.

** Postscript 1 **
What many detractors either fail to recognize or don’t want to acknowledge is that Justin Bieber also displays many traditional masculine characteristics such as loving girls (there is absolutely no indication that he is gay); playing several sports (e.g., hockey, basketball, golf) and games (e.g., pool) and being quite competitive at all of them; possessing a competitive, “I want to win” mindset in general; being reluctant to acknowledge his many male fans; being a consummate prankster and practical joker; disdaining school (while getting straight A’s); and flirting with women twice his age.

The haters don’t recognize those things about Justin because it doesn’t fit into their game plan. It’s also an example of how rigid is our definition of masculinity. Even if you possess many traditionally masculine characteristics, it you exhibit just one characteristic that doesn’t adhere to the strict masculine code, you’re kicked off the team. God forbid if you display a few such nontraditional characteristics; then you get a Facebook page aimed at destroying you.

** Postscript 2 **
Let’s see how long it takes for someone to a) Call me a girl; b) Call me a fag; c) Accuse me of having the hots for Justin Bieber. These guys (and their occasional female associates) are very predictable.

By: jbieberinfo

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve no doubt heard that Betty White is scheduled to host Saturday Night Live on May 8th. Besides the fact that it’s Betty White (!) hosting SNL, this wouldn’t be a big deal except that people were practically BEGGING her to do so. She even has her own “Betty White to Host SNL (please?)!” page with 499,822 fans. Betty White has what every brand wants: Freshness, longevity and people practically begging for a piece of her. So it begs the question: What has Betty White done right in her career that, after 71 years in the biz, she’s still a hot commodity with a generation that could be her grandchildren or great-grandchildren?

1. She’s Diverse – She’s done it all. From game shows to radio shows to television series to stage to (need I go on?), Betty’s had her hand in every part of showbiz. She’s a risk-taker and therefore never gets boring to watch. And like a well-oiled business, she knows and appreciates every aspect of what goes into her work, from behind the scenes to in front of the camera, and people recognize this capability and experience.

2. But She Knows Her Niche – Betty White has said that the reason she has kept up her fame so long is her familiarity. She’s been involved with many diverse projects in over seven decades, but she’s always been the same sweet character that people have come to know and love. As a brand, it’s important to change with the times and take risks, but completely changing who you are rarely works (New Coca Cola anyone?)

3. She’s Innovative – Everyone likes a pioneer because they are gutsy and go places we only dare. Betty White co-founded Bandy Productions in 1952 to produce her own self-starring situation comedy. This led to her being a twenty-eight year old co-creator, producer and star and she became one of only two women in early television to have creative control on screen and off. Innovation is exciting and everyone wants to be a part of what’s new. Think about the level of popularity when the iPod, Tickle-Me-Elmo and Nintendo Wii first came out. You just have to be good enough to stick around when the buzz dies down.

4. She’s Cool – Betty White is one cool old lady. And that’s because she doesn’t pigeonhole herself. From playing beer-pong with Jimmy Fallon, starring in a Snicker’s commercial and making dirty jokes at award shows, she doesn’t subscribe to how an 88 year old is “supposed” to be. She does what she wants and that’s why people love her. Staying true to yourself, and your brand, will always win you fans.

5. She Avoids Over-Exposure – There’s a true talent in staying fresh, but not overexposed and Betty White has seemed to master this. Betty White is still fresh as a daisy 71 long years after she began in show business. The same thing applies with a brand. Everyone knows that one commercial that comes on a little too much and it sours you to the product, despite how good it may be. Let people know you’re there but don’t jam your product down their throats or you are sure to fad out. And fast.

If brands want to stay golden like Betty White, they’d do well to take notes from her amazing career and life.

By: Stefanie Davenport