Big Brother in More Hot Water than Rainman

February 18, 2008

 

I admit that I never watch Big Brother. I tried a few seasons ago, thinking that we could add recaps to the site, but the show seems utterly mindless and I just couldn’t bring myself to watch a bunch of shallow contests fighting over money no matter how much dignity was at cost. That was about the beginning and end of my thoughts. At least until today when things changed completely.

A new season of Big Brother has people working in teams. That is about all I know of the show this season. However, after a recent show, I am left not only furious, but disgusted. At present, I do not know who bothers me more CBS, the company that made headlines for not censoring a nipple (that you couldn’t see, by the way) or Big Brother and the editor of the mindless drivel that decided to let these comments on the air.

The comments I am referring to were made by a contestant named Adam. Adam claims that he works for an autism foundation. However, the Big Brother website lists Adam as:

Single and a Public Relations Manager from Delray Beach, FL via Cherry Hill, NJ

The bio for Adam mentions that he has a master’s degree in fashion design/marketing. He apparently studied at Camden County College, Parsons School of Design in New York, and Fashion Art Italy in Italy. According to the bio, works at a PR manager where he handles publicity, as well as sponsorship and creative director responsibilities for a foundation. However, it does not say what kind. He also likes aggressive women.

Personally, I didn’t get the liking women vibe at all from his picture, but I could be looking for a fault other than his sad hair cut. This leads me into the vexing remarks that he made recently on the show. The contestants were discussing what they would do with their winnings. Adam mentioned that he would buy a salon for people with developmental disabilities. He went on to say the following to justify his reasons:

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Written by Ashtyn Evans - Visit Website
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Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. (She really is friendlier than we make her look).

Filed under: Children, DisabilitiesAshtyn @ 8:12 pm


Introducing GLBT Issues to Children

February 16, 2008

 

I have wondered when or if there is a time when it is too soon to introduce homosexuality and/or transgenderism to a child. It is likely that in most school districts, there are children who are suffering in silence because their parents are gay, lesbian, or transgendered and they are afraid they will be picked on if other children find out. The reason why we even question when the time is right to talk to children about these topics is because there is still a stigma attached.

In my way of thinking, it isn’t a choice. Nobody chooses to be hated and treated like crap and I can’t think of one person in the GLBT community that has not been hated, made fun of, or treated poorly because of who they are. Honestly. Who chooses to live a hated existence? This is just part of why I believe there is no way it can be a choice. With millions of GLBT Americans out there, it’s hard to believe everyone chooses to deviate from what is considered normal. Sorry, but there just isn’t enough incentive, to choose to be gay or transgendered. It’s not a choice.

You can argue with me until the cows come home on this topic, but this doesn’t really change the fact that there are thousands of children living in GLBT households and it is only through compassion and understanding that these children are going to be accepted. I guess if you have to blame anyone, blame the parents, but don’t make the children suffer because you don’t agree with their parents. Going further, this means that children do need to learn about other cultures. Yes, children of GLBT parents live in a different cultural environment. Just like teaching children about the customs and cultures of other nations, it is imperative to be inclusive so children of GLBT parents have a place in both school and other social environments.

This brings me back to my original question. Is there a time when a child is too young to understand homosexuality or transgenderism? Children are incredibly resilient. They understand more than you can imagine and their level of compassion and understanding puts most adults to shame. I know that my son was eight when he learned that Daddy was transgendered. He didn’t fully understand what transgendered meant, but he knew that I was born like most girls were born, but I always felt different and that I always felt like a boy.

He also understood I was and had taken steps to become a boy. He was, perhaps, the most understanding of all I told. When anyone slipped and referred to me by a female name or feminine pronouns, surprisingly, he was the first to correct them. He accepted it wholeheartedly and comprehended it to the point where introducing me as his father (I have been with his mother since he was 7) was nothing he was ever ashamed of doing. Some children of GLBT parents aren’t so lucky, as they live in less accepting towns and environments.

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Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities.

Murdering your Babies for God

January 11, 2008

 

I am a believer in the Hellenic faith. What this means is that unlike Christians or other monotheistic people, I believe in the Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece. This allows me to take an extra close look at personal responsibility and science.

As a believer in the Hellenic faith, you look to the Cosmos. This is the belief that everything is made up of scientific matter that is inter-connected. Therefore, in the ultra technical mode, or in I Heart Huckabee speak, “The universe is an infinite sphere whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.”

Now, taking my beliefs into account, let’s say I went on a sexual rampage and started making babies. I had five kids, and while mentally unstable, I was coherent enough to concoct a murder plan to rid the world of my kids. I would do so in honor of Zeus and with hopes of sending them to be little Gods on Mt. Olympus.

How long do you think it would take for them to bring back the electric chair for me? My guess is not that long. When I heard that Andrea Yates, the Christian mother who killed her kids to offer them to God before they could commit sin and face Hell, was found not guilty, I cannot explain how much faith I lost in the criminal justice system.

As a person who wanted to be a criminal justice professional in psychology and forensics, I feel we need to break this down a little bit. The charges in this case were for first degree murder. This calls for premeditation to be present. The former Mrs. Yates did, in fact, commit premeditated murder when she waited several days to drown her kids.

She admitted, on previous occasions, that she knew it needed to be done after her husband went to work, but before her mother-in-law showed up to help her with the kids for the day. She also admitted to trying to kill them before, but was stopped from carrying out the plan when her mother-in-law showed up. Obviously, this rules out the random act of insanity through rash, unplanned actions while ignoring the logical thought process.

It also technically rules out insanity. Insanity, by definition, means that a person does not know right from wrong. However, she knew not to try to drown her kids in front of other people, thereby proving she knew that Mommy was being a bad, bad girl.

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Written by Ashtyn Evans - Visit Website
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Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises. Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess. She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. (She really is friendlier than we make her look).

Filed under: Babies, Children, Opinion, ReligionAshtyn @ 10:55 pm