‘Tis the season… for women to wear skin-tight cat suits while baring their midriffs. Actually, because American society is very dedicated to equality, even little girls will be given the same opportunities this year, or so says Newsweek.

I don’t usually read Newsweek, but I’m so glad I read this article. After quoting an APA report stating that “Throughout U.S. culture, and particularly in mainstream media, women and girls are depicted in a sexualized manner,” the article goes on to make this unexpectedly snarky comment:

That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone who’s watched TV or thumbed through a magazine in the last 50 years.

From Newsweek? Who would have thought?

On the other hand, I don’t understand why the article spends so little time discussing whether it’s a pity that this is the only day during which it is socially acceptable for men to admit that they wish they could be a little more like Johnny Depp and go full out on the eyeliner and mascara.

Well, maybe debates don’t matter that much. These days, they generally seem like artificial constructs where the supposed debaters may or may not actually answer the posed questions, depending on their mood, the time of day, the phase of the moon, or who knows. But somehow, during this weekend, I spent far too many hours on YouTube looking at old US presidential debate clips. And you know what I found? Some moments were incredibly telling.

For instance, this moment in the 1992 debate that showed so clearly how Clinton might have seemed like such a beacon of light. I guess maybe I could mention the connection between this nice Dukakis moment and why Democrats have been generally viewed as soft on crime, whatever that means. But what I really want to ask is, why don’t we see questions like that at the debates anymore? It’d definitely be more interesting than, “What do you think about Israel?”

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04 – Insensitive

I was at the drug store a few hours ago, just standing in line, waiting to pay for my items, when the most incredible thing happened! I heard the opening chords of a song I knew so well, yet hadn’t heard in so long. As if meeting a long-lost sister, the emotions swept over me as I listened to the lyrics. At first I thought it was because it was a song so reminiscent of my other life, some 12 years ago. I could almost hear the branches of the tree brush up against the window of my childhood bedroom. Even though her voice was completely clear, in my mind, I imagined the slight crackled that my old clock radio would make.

But then I realized why I was so moved. When I listened to this slightly bitter Canadian woman, I suddenly felt like I could relate. Now, I once had a discussion with a very dear friend who told me that the world had too many useless poppy love songs, and there were too few serious artists who leveraged their positions to address real social issues in their lyrics. But despite my profound appreciation for those like Bono, the King of Ireland, I understand the long-standing appeal of the sappy love song. Because at the end of the day, who hasn’t felt the giddiness of love, and who hasn’t had to nurse the wounds of a broken heart? And in this case, who hasn’t experienced the pain of realizing that the person at the receiving end of your affections just doesn’t seem to care that much?

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Guess what? I finally took the Myers-Briggs online, and the verdict is that I’m an ENFJ. Now, I was actually supposed to take this as part of the roommate matching system for high school, but somehow, my copy of the test got lost in the mail and never reached me. So I don’t know how they matched me up with Heidi, but we happily cohabitated for 2 years without too much ado.

So now, I can’t decide if this test is any good. Some of the descriptions seem surprisingly accurate, although the test itself appears rather repetitive, so I’m not sure how much I trust the results.

Here are some excerpts:

ENFJs are people-focused individuals. More so than any other type, they have excellent people skills. They understand and care about people, and have a special talent for bringing out the best in others. ENFJ’s main interest in life is giving love, support, and a good time to other people.
…
In the work place, ENFJs do well in positions where they deal with people. They are naturals for the social committee. Their uncanny ability to understand people and say just what needs to be said to make them happy makes them naturals for counseling. They enjoy being the center of attention, and do very well in situations where they can inspire and lead others, such as teaching.
…
ENFJs have a strong need for close, intimate relationships, and will put forth a lot of effort in creating and maintaining these relationships. They’re very loyal and trustworthy once involved in a relationship.

So, besides the excessive use of the word “people,” what’s the verdict, Brilliant or Baloney? If you know me, how accurate do you think this is? And if you’ve taken the test yourself, what have your experiences been? I’m so curious!

By the way, this reminds me of when OkCupid told me that I was a Sonnet… Although, I think OkCupid has better illustrations.

In other news, WaMu sent me a pre-approved credit card offer, with a $30,000 credit line. Hmmm, with that little bundle of cash, I could put a downpayment on a house. Or buy lots of chocolate at the Lindt store.