chanelle

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By chanelle • 14 years ago

Control

originally posted by chanelle on themodernfailure

I want to talk about control. Specifically, self-control as it pertains to food. A woman’s control over amount of food, type of food (vegetarian? Organic? Raw?), and body weight are such a huge part of “doing femininity”[1] in a way that is almost overwhelming. My self-control (or lack thereof) is likely the predominant source of my failure feelings on a daily basis. Almost every morning, one of the first thoughts I have is one of regret and failure for something that I ate or drank the day before. [2]

The average person makes at least 200 food related decisions every day.[3] 90% of these are done without conscious awareness. An inactive person burns 1,200 calories on average, and most modern individuals are fairly inactive unless we are making the mindful decision to work out (which can be added to this base rate). Running, one of the highest calorie burning activities, burns about 100 calories per mile. To burn off one Hershey’s Kiss, I have to run one-quarter of a mile.

Self-control has long been linked to morality. Perhaps because of its connection to the seven deadly sins. Lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, anger, envy, and pride all concern emotions and appetites, and emotions are historically associated with the female in the Aristotelian tradition of the male/female dyad (reason/emotion). Recall any chocolate commercial aimed at women, using the words “sinfully good” or “indulge yourself.”

By chanelle • 14 years ago

Standards vs. Ideals

originally posted by chanelle johnson onthemodernfailure

Let us talk for a minute about the difference between a standard and an ideal. These two words are often, unfortunately and imprecisely, used interchangeably despite their drastic difference in meaning. The genesis of the contemporary conflation of these two disparate concepts is unclear, but perhaps by defining and delineating the space between the them, we can shed some light on why (modern women especially) seem to equate the two.
Ideal: a level of perfection that exists only in the imagination; conforming to an ultimate standard of perfection or excellence; the idea of something that is perfect.[1]

Standard: a level of quality or excellence that is accepted as the norm; a ...

originally posted by chanelle johnson onthemodernfailure

Let us talk for a minute about the difference between a standard and an ideal. These two words are often, unfortunately and imprecisely, used interchangeably despite their drastic difference in ...

By chanelle • 14 years ago

Stuck

A recent story on NPR was about how technology never dies, any technology that has every been created in history is still made, somewhere, by someone. Paleolithic axes? Check. Steam Powered Cars? Yep. Hand Threshers? Sure. Because a large portion of my brain is now fully preoccupied by the Failure Project, this immediately brought to mind the above article. My mom sent it to me when I got married.[1] She was only sort of kidding.

As has become clear in my research on the project, women’s roles, too, never die. Once something has been predetermined to be a woman’s “role,” then no matter how many other roles are added, that role never dies. Take for instance, a conversation I ...