Allies in Christ

As we navigate social media, it's easy to stumble upon a surprisingly negative and competitive tone when it comes to religion. So often we see many in our faith flaunting that we are the only true church. I don't blame them for their religious pride. I, too, sometimes adopt a smug air when it comes to religion. I love my church! I praise it for the joy it brings, the comfort it offers, and the knowledge it shares. I believe that I belong to the Church Christ established here on Earth--that's why I proclaim that I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Yet this zealous devotion sometimes can appear down-right condescending--especially throughout media platforms. We shouldn't discriminate against other religions because we believe that ours is "true-er" than theirs.  Such behavior and beliefs are self-defeating. We should be combining our efforts in bringing about goodness and virtue. When unwholesome media seems to permeate our TVs, Facebook feeds, blogs, and Youtube ads, the only way we can really combat it is by spreading our message. As we align ourselves with all decent media efforts in a kind and respectful manner, we bring others to Christ--because of the message we share as well as the way we choose to share it. Now is not the time to be prideful; all who represent Christ deserve our support.

#GirlsCan

I was really impressed by this Covergirl initiative. The premise of this campaign was to prove that girls are capable of scientific and technological advancements. They further address the importance of inner beauty, self-confidence, and disproving stereotypes (especially those regarding gender). I enjoyed this commercial because it showed powerful young women who discovered talents within themselves--it wasn't just another makeup company teaching girls that they have the potential to be beautiful if they use the right beauty products. Oh my goodness. It made me so happy. Watch it.

Bones as Wonder Woman

Guys. I love Bones. I'm only 3 seasons into it, but it has been a magical journey. It's such a unique television viewing experience because Dr. Temperance Brennan (aka "Bones") is such an unusual character. The show centers around Bones, a remarkably intelligent woman whose enormous cache of facts and logic makes her an unstoppable crime solver. She's so stinkin' cool, guys. Though pretty rough around the edges, she wins the trust and respect of countless coworkers and friends because of her honesty and sincerity--she is completely void pretense. She's incredibly rational and consistently relies on her own strengths to accomplish her goals. Honestly, she breaks nearly every female stereotype seen in TV today.

I could write a song about how wonderful she is....

Until I watched the Halloween Episode in season 3.

OH THE HORROR!



WHAT DID THEY DO TO HER????

Oh goodness. It made me so sad. Why did they need to make her wear a nasty outfit? She's my role model--she shouldn't be dressing like that! However, it did make a really really fun episode. And even though the costumes were super nasty, I was glad that they dressed her like a super hero because it served as a very satisfying contrast.

In the episode, she used critical thinking skills to discover a serial killer's lair and to track him down. She also was able to save a little girl and comfort a distressed friend--all while wearing her Wonder Woman costume. I ended up realizing that yes, she was dressed in what media portrays as a "super" outfit, but her behavior was able to supercede her appearance. As she achieved countless obstacle, I realized that the only thing heeding her progress was her silly little costume. She was a force to be reckoned with in spandex, yes, but she is also consistently unstoppable in every other episode as she rocks her lab coat. I learned that she was not what she wore, and that in this instance her actions spoke louder than her appearance. She was far more superior than Wonder Woman ever could be.