You are beautiful, Christina, No Matter What they Say. Words won't bring you down. Well, that's if you believe the lyrics to your own song...
Unfortunately for Christina Aguilera, who obviously packed on the pounds since her last public appearance, the media's eye was typically merciless when the singer performed recently at a Michael Jackson tribute.
Aguilera's critics dissected the singer's weight fluctuations in typical bitchy and catty style.
The Stir's Maressa Brown said Aguilera “appears to have no real idea about what she’s been doing to her body,” while nutritionist Jackie Keller on Radar accused the singer of having disordered eating and suggests she cut out the booze to shed the pounds!
It's bad enough that celebrities are under constant scrutiny and pressure to stay thin without the media going all sanctimonious on Aguilera's plumper-than-usual booty.
Like LeAnn Rimes said, it’s ‘bullying’ plain and simple. If celebrities have disordered eating habits and skewed self-esteem, then we only have ourselves to blame.
It's all freakonomics in the U.S. Already, the "souring economy" has affected the birth rate down south, according to a new study by Pew Research Center.
The study, which looked at factors such as income changes, gross domestic produce (GDP), unemployment rates and jobless claims, found that the state's most affected by the economic decline in 2007 and 2008 experienced large dips in fertility in the subsequent two years.
With one of the lowest jobless rates in the country, at 3.1 per cent, North Dakota was the study's sole anomaly, reporting a modest increase in its birth rate in 2008.
From 2008 to 2010, the U.S. birth rate per thousand women fell from 69.6 to 64.7.
Would the current financial climate affect the number of children you choose to have, 99 per cent notwithstanding?
At last there may be a means to protect kids on the internet.
By forcing customers to opt in if they want to view porn sites, four of the UK's biggest internet service providers (BT, Virgin Media, Sky and Talk Talk) may be inadvertently helping to protect children from filth.
As part of a government initiative to crack down on internet pornography, adults opening internet service accounts will have to agree to an option which enables access to explicit materials.
Following a government report by the Mothers' Union, the 'opt in' programme is the first of several measures intended to "tackle the problem of the sexualization of childhood."
British Prime Minister and concerned father, David Cameron has also revealed Parentport — a site where families can flag offending media and products being marketed to children.
Parentport also advises parents on how to contact the relevant regulators for such inappropriate media and goods.
Cameron will hold a summit to assess the report's recommendations and go over new guidelines by the Advertising Standards Authority restricting sexualized images on billboards visible to children.
Let's hope Harper follows Cameron's lead in offering children the protection they deserve from the media and marketing powers that be.
Do you think the government should get involved when it comes to monitoring web surfing? Or is this yet another example of a nanny state poking its nose where it shouldn't?
Printer-friendly version