Day Five / Ten

friday 23 march
i'm feeling a bit gum today now that my friend has left cape town for good. she was always quite enthusiastic with helping my chose my trackpants in the mornings so i will miss that support :) fortunately i leave for england on tuesday, so i can keep focused on getting things organised before then! i triiiied to do some work...i did a little bit. but again i kept stuck inside toying between work and napping. and generally enjoying the start of my long weekend.
its definitely a lot more inviting to stay indoors and be less sociable when i know i havent dressed as i normally do, but i came across a website today which i found a tiny bit....sad?

http://community.livejournal.com/plain_janes_

also know as Plain Janes Anonymous is a blog where it seems women who class themselves as dowdy Plain Janes discuss their worries and tribulations for the day.
The ages of the women seems to vary, most are in their 20s and 20s, but there are some older women. i find this website i little depressing! Most of the entries start with the women explaining their appearances (the emphasis is generally on how pale their complections are) and how they feel they are OK-looking, at a push.

"..I also can't stand when somebody is criticizing the way I look. For example, when someone is telling me to put on some make up or wear a skirt because that would make me look so much prettier and more "feminine". Gah! I hate make up. The few times I ever wore any I ended up looking like a silent film diva, and not in a good way, lol. Plus, I've got better things to do in the morning than to put on make up. And wearing a skirt = being feminine? This is 2009, for God's sake...

I've also never had a boyfriend. I've never even kissed someone. There were guys who wanted to date me, though. But they all just pissed me off because I felt that they didn't even know who I was, and the only reason they wanted to date me was them thinking that they had better chances with me than with some better looking girl - because, plain as I am, I must take what I can get, right? I also hate the assumption that since I am very shy and plain-looking I must be soooo sweet and have such a good personality. I don't! I'm shallow and sarcastic and bitchy and have flaws like everyone else, no matter what they look like. Gah."

women can then leave sympathetic comments. many women on here say "its very lonely out there" and i feel bad that this is more of an agony aunt website, without any proper motivation. fortunately, it doesn't look like the website has a huge following, but i would like to see more motivational and uplifting aspects to this boring looking blog.

I'm starting to wish this period was over. hope the last half of the intervention isn't so gloomy!

Spot the Similarities

Plain Jane ------ Sex icon


Plain Jane -------- Ex-Playmate/ Sex icon



Plain Jane ---------- Sex icon (?icon may be a bit strong..) / TV airhead


Plain Jane ------ Sex Icon

Furthering my point that there is no space for natural Plain Jane's in the media.
I'm sure they were all talented before they became so Hollywood-esque. why was that not celebrated? The media is telling girls that to be natural is synonymous with being plain and these days you have to make an effort or a statement to mean something. even if you are coming down a red carpet in a dress made of raw meat. i think its ridiculous. i think all girls, including myself, can be suckers to trends that ladies like these set. It's just sad to see the extent of the changes that must be made before their presences are cemented in celebrity culture, and ultimately how their legacy is left behind.
its unrealistic.

Day Four / Ten

thursday 22 march
this morning i wrote my test at some god-awful early hour. i quickly came home and jumped in the shower and went off to spend the day with my boyfriend. i had quite a busy day today, from being up early and it was the day a close friend of mine was catching her flight to Holland so i was on the move all day and didn't really have time to focus on what i looked like or any of that. i've definitely become more comfortable being more relaxed in my appearance. I still think my eyes look like piss holes in the snow (terrible metaphor i got from my mum) but no one else seems to take that much of a notice. my skin is also feeling better for it. i've come to terms with my intervention, in the sense that i'm not even aware of how i'm looking. I feel more relaxed and it seems that people are still treating me the same, and i still feel like i did with some eyeliner and earrings on.
but as i said, i had little time to think about that today :)

Fashion tips

i found this video on youtube
the host of MTVs Plain Jane, fashion expert Louise Roe, gives some fashion tips....
to me they almost seem like rules. she mentions some crimes of fashion that she turns her nose up at.
maybe it's just in this video, but she does come across as condescending. She is obviously very attractive and it appears she really thinks about her outfits down to a T, including the 'cheap' cocktail rings she mentions. i would find this pretty intimidating if i were looking for fashion advice to get it from her. her approach here seems quite straightforward and i think for most women it is unthinkable to spend this much time thinking about what to wear. i know how inconvenient it is to think about the right bra for the right outfit. does it really matter if my bra strap clashes with my top?
i'm just still wondering if the media, including her show, is actually ready to promote natural, confident women as there still seems to be some confusion. im still getting mixed messages.



WHY ARE HER TEETH SO WHITE

Plain Jane Episode

Video - Plain Jane | 208 | Clip 1 - Plain Jane - With help from British fashion expert Lou...

MTVs Plain Jane

Researching some topics relating to Plain Jane in the media hasn't brought up too many results, but one it has brought up is the appropriately-named show on MTV called "Plain Jane". This is a series which:

"transform(s) ordinary, awkward and forgettable’ Plain Janes into sexy, confident women from the inside out

In every episode we meet a new “Jane” not only looking for a big change, but ready to reveal her true feelings to a secret crush.

With the help of British fashion expert Louise Roe, each Jane will get a head-to-toe makeover along with confidence-building skills that will help her to face her fears and try and make an important love connection. " - http://www.mtv.co.uk/shows/plain-jane

This lady is the host and she consults and sympathises ( and probably huuuugely intimidates ) the "unmemorable" Plain Janes into becoming more visually appealing, and Hollywood-looking for their crushes.

so there's a lot of this.....

so then ultimately the girls end up looking even more like her...and most of the time their crushes are game to go on a televised date with them.

Although it's a very cheesy show, it has that guilty pleasure quality to it. I'm worried it is sending the wrong message out to viewers. It is common knowledge that (most) girls have an issue with asking a guy out on a date, thats not really something that only Plain Jane's have to experience it. I know i hate to ask my friends sister to ask my date to MY matric dance because I was too chicken, but thats besides the point.

I'm all for the fact that this host (she is often accompanied by a dating coach) tries to boost these girls' confidence. But a large segment of the show really highlights how they transform very drab and dull looking girls, into something to superficial and commercialised that it makes them look like catalogue models. From my intervention so far i have realised that dressing nice does boost confidence, but i think this show puts too much emphasis on how girls need to look the part and dress out of their comfort zones to go on the "big date" at the end. They are young, beautiful girls and I would rather the show focused on the confidence boosting rather than making them all look made up and glamorous at the end.

Day Three / Ten

wednesday 21 march
today is a public holiday. Fortunately i'm also tired and lazy from last night, and i have a big organisational studies test early tomorrow morning. so staying at home with my textbooks is really allowing me to be Jane without even trying. It did feel good to get nicely dressed up last night, but i started to realise how i do almost behave differently when im cat versus being a basic Jane. i definitely feel more confident and it puts me in a sociable mood. i dont know how ridiculous that sounds, but i think you have a better energy when you know you have put some effort into how you present yourself. Today i do feel a bit lethargic, and in some ways im disappointed that i couldnt go out as Jane last night.
It does seem that dressing like Jane and behaving like Jane are two things im going to struggle with....Studying for my test tomorrow, i have managed to dress like her, tracksuit and bare face and all, but im still doing last minute cramming....procrastinating over series on my friends computer and trying to talk about anything but the theories behind Level 5 Leadership. This really is tough. But on the other hand this test is very boring so im sure any Jane out there would also struggle at this time. Onwards to tomorrow.