My collection of wise, and not so wise, postings

Friday, 6 September 2013

Some things are hard to write about.


As much as I like to write about this and that and nothing at all, I sometimes feel there are subjects I am really concerned about, but which I don’t feel I am competent enough to write about. And yet; there is, however, sometimes things I would like to mention, just because I feel it is fair to address the issue.
There are some things about modern time I have problems accepting. The only thing I find even harder to accept is the fact that we allow it.

I don’t point fingers or accuse anybody for consciously, or deliberately, to condone the trends, but I am worried because I never hear critical voices questioning the experts.

One of these issues, which I tried to write about, but discarded because it was too hard to get my point through, was how we tend to use equal terms when we talk about children and adults.

You see: Some smart person introduced the term “children’s sexuality”. What, what? Every time I hear it, or read it, everything inside me just writhes. I strongly oppose to the term, and I do so because I don’t believe there is such a thing, at least not the way adults usually interpret the term. Kids should not be made objects like that. The experts really shouldn’t use expressions the common man on the street has specific interpretations of.

There is something totally wrong in adults apprehending children as miniature adults, and by that believing children are subjects to the same issues adults are.

Languages all around the world, at all times, have given us strong understanding of how children differs from adults: Children will grow up to be adults/ children will be adults: It is in the future! But they are not adults yet.

Oh, I know I disagree with a lot of experts and researches, but I really don’t understand why we are so eager to make children into miniature adults, rather than just accept they are children.

I want for us to accept that childhood has stages of development, some which include exploring and getting to know one’s body, but that is not, in my opinion, the same thing as sexual behavior.

I get really upset when the medias tell about assaults involving children, using the same language they do about assaults where only adults are involved.

We shouldn’t compare. There are no similarities between the two. (Sorry, yes, there are similarities, but in my opinion they are more different than the same.)

We hear about so much cruelty, and I believe it is time we find expressions which define the differences between childhood and to be an adult, both in everyday- and professional terms.

When we talk about children the same way we do about adults, it weakens the power of the contents, for victims of either age.

We kind of wear the expressions out, and by that make them more normal and less dangerous or scary.

And now that I read my text, which I intended to be about how hard it is to write about controversial issues, or things I find disturbing, I just realized I wrote it anyway.

Sunday, 1 September 2013

Budding Pop Princess

There was once a budding pop princess with a star as bright as the future that laid ahead. But as tends to be the case with these girls, her star began to dim. Every young girl everywhere wanted to be like her and she was a role model for kids growing up. She was smiling all the time and it always inspired other people to do the same.

Her father, the King, made sacrifices for her: pulling strings and did his best to give her what she wanted, but it wasn’t enough. He was left with an achy breaky heart, and a heartbreaking comment was given to the press about how he would always love her regardless. She is his little girl, and always will be! And that’s just what it should be like between a father and a daughter.

Family do that, you see, fans don’t. Ok, true, persistent fans do, but not the masses.

The first sign of a falling star was the absence of a smile. She wasn’t the easy going and companionable girl anymore. Much to the dismay of parents all over the world she insisted on being an adult long before her age.

She often wore sunglasses, which were cool, but too bad the look on her face said she's battling a hangover. It looked like she just rolled out of bed and grabbed some clothes off the floor; she started to care less and less about her looks.

She stopped smiling, cut her hair, started to wear low cut clothes, so low she skipped the shirt all together, and just wore a halfway buttoned suit jacket.

Her loyal audience made excuses and kept up her popularity by playing her old albums and watching her bygone series, but as her rebel escalated… helped by her access to means… and she never offered her adherents an explanation, an excuse, an apology or in any other way uttered she still had thoughts for those who made her famous: her audience, it became harder to support her actions.

For most adults it would have felt just wrong to buy their little girl the princess’ spinoffs today.

Her latest performance was an embarrassing show, not based on talent or musical quality, but a desperate, predictable and cheap appearance on stage showing her lightly dressed chafing body.

Some people may not know that back in school she was actually nicknamed Smiley because of her beautiful smile. She was smiling all the time and it always inspired other people to do the same. She still has a wonderful dazzling smile, but discontent took the best of her… hopefully for a limited time.

The nicknames she gets nowadays are quite different and not so complimentary. It would be great if she could start the process of getting her act together by keeping her tongue in. My 6-year old shows his tongue, and makes funny faces, on pictures. It’s only funny a very few times.

Artists start out being public property in various ways, and at different ages. (I am sad to say that when Justin Bieber was in Oslo, not long ago, the news named him "the product" rather than "the artist". What makes it sadder is the impression I get it is true.)

Some are incredibly young when they enter the limelight, and often they begin their career in children’s programs on TV.

They establish themselves as idols for very young children, and within soon they think that because they can afford it, their rebel should be somewhat prototype. So, they turn to alcohol, tobacco and drugs; all the things parents don’t want for their children to pick up for a habit.

And then these very young artists go to the predictable and boring step to simulate awkward, badly choreographed, sex on stage. Upsetting and outrageous as it is, it is still what is expected to be the desperate, cheap way out, to get attention.

Their behavior becomes outrageous, and the respect for their fans flies out the window along with their integrity, artistic development and innovative expressions.

It’s like as if they have no sense of normality. I don’t think the average teenager would want to go for a lifestyle like that, even if they had the chance.

They have a remarkable sense of responsibility and commitment, they take pride in what they achieve. They work to achieve their goals and to be splendid.

Now and again they go too far in exploring the different aspects of life, but usually they put themselves together and try to do their best.

Unlike famous kids, who seem to think they can afford to ignore the inherent urge I believe is to be found in all of us: to be the best possible version of ourselves; In every aspect of life.