"Wasn't That A Stardust Fantasy?"

Again, with the Little Miss Sunshin-ery.

I forgot about the actual beauty pageant part of the movie, and how they have actual pageant girls.

Can I just mention how absolutely horrifying pageant girls are?

The ones that are six or seven years old and they have more makeup on than a drag queen.

The fact that these parents dress up their little kids like rodeo-princess Barbie and make them sing and dance and brainwash them into thinking that what they're doing is truly what they want to do is sickening. Being told from that young of an age that they need to wear make-up, they need to be skinny, they need to look perfect and beautiful and that they need to win. What miserable life are they going to have to live because of their mothers what want their daughters to be something they could never be. What kind of irresponsible parent would try to live vicariously through their child? They couldn't achieve their own goals, so they push their children to live an unhealthy lifestyle. It makes me truly and honestly ill. People wonder why anorexia, bulimia, intentional self mutilation syndrome, depression and anxiety and suicide are so common. It is because of things like this:

"To be a total package child, you must make sure ever part of your look is prefect."

-http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/282237/tips_for_childrens_beauty_pageants.html

They are expected to be a "total package child" and live up to impossible standards. Each one trying to "out-pretty" the other, because that is what their parents want them to do. It is so unnatural for a child to act the way they have to act and dress the way they have to dress. Turns out that aliens really do exist.

"Everbody just...pretened to be normal, okay? Like everything is normal here."

The suicidal gay uncle, the heroin addict grandfather, the over-achieving father, the mute son, the daughter that just wants to please, and the mother that tries to cope with it all.

These are all extremes, but really every family is like the main characters of Little Miss Sunshine.

I continue to think about this as I watch the movie. Every one's family is so crazy, but so normal at the same time. Every family has problems, every family has a slightly unhinged member, every family goes on some kind of whirlwind adventure at one pointt or another. Its really very interesting to think about it. Not every family has a gay suicidal uncle that is depressed yet scholarly, but they still have the family member that will desperately need some kind of help but is no longer trusted. Everyone may not directly have that mute son, but there is still the family member that wants nothing more than to get as far away from everyone as possible. Every family has someone that has an addiction, or a problem, but they still want the best for everyone else. But everyone does not have heroin addict grandpa. As I watch this movie, I think about how despite the dramatization, the Hoover family is just like every other family. Just as crazy, just as disheveled,just as problematic.

The only difference is that every family doesn't have a yellow Volkswagen bus.

LOOK! GRANDMA'S UP TO BAT!

My dad got my mom a Wii for Christmas. And I'm happy about that. I couldn't really afford to get anyone anything good this year, and I feel bad. I would have bought that Wii if I had the money to , but I just don't. I was going to do it anyway, but Mom probably would have returned it. So I got her a Carrie Underwood CD and I got my dad a book and some candy. They seemed to like that... so that's good. The games are pretty cool, even though it is a Nintendo... (Here is where you're supposed to imagine a menacing glare.)
My mom seemed to really like it. She played for a few hours, actually. Then made dinner. Then played more. Haha. The best part is that you can make little characters to look like you, or however you want, So we made them look like my mom, my dad, my grandma and grandpa, our neighbor friends, and then I made them look like the guys from My Chemical Romance, and the band members from Mindless Self Indulgence. I must say that it is pretty hilarious seeing my grandmother step up to bat, hit a double, and then see Gerard Way dive for the ball. It seems like its going to be a fun system to have.


They got me a lot of nice things, too. Lots of winter clothes, which is good because I don't have any at all. I only have short sleeve clothes and all of my jeans are three years old, at least. So that was really nice. And they got me books. I love books. It doesn't seem like it really, because I don't seem like a very smart person, but I actually really like reading. I got The Great Gatsby, The Old Man and the Sea, The Chocolate War, and Nick And Norah's Infinite Play List. My friend Julie told me that Nick and Norah's... is a good book, so I guess I'll see. I'm just happy that I got The Great Gatsby. I also got a handful of Cd's, which is always perfect, Got Famous Monsters by The Misfits! It has all the songs that they sung at the concert, so it's wonderful. I got a few others things too, but I don't really find it necessary to talk about all of it, because honestly I feel guilty that I couldn't get everyone nicer things. I had almost 15 people to shop for and I really just don't have the money to buy all of that. Hopefully I'll get a good job and makes good money and be able to buy people cool things. I don't know. Or maybe I'll just have to make people presents for the rest of my life? We'll see...

Why yes, that is Earthworm Jim on my bicep...

After searching and searching for pictures of tattoos (oh I just saw everyone that reads this cringe because they know where this is going...) I decided that there are FAR too many Nintendo tattoos. Now, don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with Nintendo, but I've always been a SEGA girl. Always. We have a Genesis that's probably older than me. And I still play it. And its definitely in my dorm room, ready to rock its pixels out. Zombies Ate My Neighbors, Sonic the Hedgehog, Earthworm Jim and Battle Toads definitely dominated my childhood. I don't think there is anything that I've like for this long other than maybe food and cats. So a decided a while ago that I am getting a sleeve of SEGA Genesis games. What more could I gamer girl ask for?!

So, I've been looking at tattoo sleeves and all I see is Nintendo! This disappoints me. The one remotely SEGA one (no pun intended...well...actually...yeah. Pun intended) was this:

Just this one same guy. (He might be my soul mate...?) And then another with just the SEGA logo, and two Sonic related tattoos.

NOT. GOOD. ENOUGH.

I am getting a sleeve of a TON of games. I don't know how much room I'll have on my skinny arm, but I do have a few necessities: 1. Zombies Ate My Neighbors; 2. Sonic the Hedgehog; 3.Battletoads; 4. Echo the Dolphin; and 5. Earthworm Jim. I'm sure I'll get the controller too, or perhaps just the ABC start buttons and D-pad. Perhaps I will get the logo too. SEGA in great, blue letters. Perhaps also the little birds from Flicky.

My only problem is this: Do I want to get the characters that look like the game covers, or do I want them to be like the characters on the TV?

Example:

or

or

I think I would want the covers more than he game-play version. The only problem is when it gets to Zombies Ate My Neighbors.

Observe:

or

Game play version, obviously. So maybe I'll have to do a combo of both.

Either way, you Nintendo nerds don't stand a CHANCE!

To Feel Cozy, Surrounded By Cats

Let me just make a big huge fat musical recommendation and tell every person that ever takes a glance at this blog to listen to Dr. Manhattan.

I wore their shirt yesterday and was listening to them, and the more I listen to them, the more I like them. They really are the coolest band.

I saw them live over the summer and had the pleasure of meeting them all. And then I bought their album and a T-Shirt and they were kind enough to sign my shirt. So its pretty much my favorite shirt ever. AND its neon orange. Totally freakin sweet.

In their pit, their fans dance. Just dance. Like normal people. Okay, some of them wear backpacks and stuff. But that's okay. It's fantastic.

So everyone go listen to Dr. Manhattan. They're grand.

http://www.myspace.com/drmanhattan

Though I did love "Who Wants To Be A Superhero..."

The television these days is really going down hill. Last night it had me in tears.
Reality TV is by far one of the worst inventions of all time. Not only is it addictive, it is completely useless. See, at least there used to be some good reality TV, back in the day. We had Survivor, Big Brother, The Mole, things like that. Nowadays we have A Double Shot At Love (as if A Shot At Love 1&2 weren't bad enough) Charm School, From G's to Gents, and I don't even remember the one I saw yesterday. It was something horrible. This girl had the most atrocious black, blond and blue hair and she was making a fool of herself. It had something to do with singing. Now, on top of all of those, you have Celebreality. Rock of Love with Brett Michael's, Surreal World (Or is it Surreal Life?), Celebrity Fit Club, then the ever loved Let's Snoop in Celebrity's Houses So We Know That Their Lives Are Just as Fucked Up as Ours As We Invade Their Families Privacy And Watch Their Rather Staged Family Crisis. All While Being Envious of Their Large Sums Of Money. Such as Run's House and Hogan Knows Best. And I'm pretty sure that Salt n Peppa had something like that. But really all they're doing is taking D list celebrities and sticking them on suffering networks to try to make the ratings go up. Sounds like a great plan to me. The reason these shows are so horrible is because they're just desperate for desperate, scummy people. They can have a television show with Tila Tequila (whoever that is...) because someone like Bono is: 1. Worth too much; 2. Smarter than that; 3, Actually cared about.
Please, lets up Oprah on a celebrity dating show.
Talk Show Of Love with Oprah Winfrey!
FANTASTIC!

Then on top of that, you start with something like..oh... I don't know... America's Next Top Model. Good idea, yes? Then you have America's Next Top Model 1-35. How many Top Models do we need?
But wait! All of these Top Models need clothing to wear. So hurry! Make up a new show! This is when all of the producer scramble and come up with Project Runway. Brilliant.
Wait...it needs a host...hurry...who is desperate for drug money so they'll do anything now, even though no one cares about them anymore? Oh! How about a slightly-too-old underwear model? Fantastic!
Hold on! We need someone to do all their hair...lets get some no names to compete in Shear Genius, while all the frantic culinarians on Top Chef make food for their lunch break. It's okay, we only need one winner for that. The models will just throw-up the food anyway. And of course they all compete on the latest reality show about interior decorators. Ten points if anyone can name what it is! Because I sure as hell can't remember.
There is nothing to fear though, because if you're mean, loud, and obnoxious enough, MTV will contact you with a contract to find your true love on one of their many shows. As long as you're somewhat attractive or bisexual.
So, by the look of it, as long as you are:

Skinny
Mean
Loud
Bitchy
A back stabber
Hopeless
A chef
A designer
A model
An interior decorator
A hair stylist
Not straight
Black
White
Remotely attractive
Single
Kind of single
Almost single
Willing to pretend to be single
Cheating
On drugs
Fat
Or have appeared on American Idol at least twice;
You have a chance to be on reality TV!

Congratulations, you have succeeded in life.



Next time on Skellyton's Top Blog

Made, Parental Control and Celebrity Rehab spiral out of control. Will our Blogger, with the help of "The Pick-up Artist's" Mystery, be able to successfully handle them? Will True Life: My Life Sucks be able to compete with the ratings of Laguna Beach 12? And finally, will there ever truly be Shalom in the Home?
Find out next time, on Skellyton's Top Blog!

On The Road Again

Long ride home today. Lots of snow. Ian was nice enough to drive me home. We were doing great for about an hour then all of a sudden we got enveloped in a whirling cyclone of frost.

Alright, that was a little bit dramatic.

But I think you get my point. It was a really dangerous drive. Lots of snow. New York to Philly. Quite the adventure. It took HOURS. But we did eat at the Eveready Diner today. yum. Aaaaand... get Starbucks. shhhhh... But honestly, it makes me feel like a spoiled, pretty Cali girl or something when I drink starbucks. Especially when I wear my white coat, sunglasses, or if I'm texting on a phone. I just feel like a shitty person.

But I got home and we went to eat at a grody Texmex place. It was kind of sick. And I went to the bookstore. The bookstore really is an enjoyable place. I enjoy hanging out there.

We then came home and watched Hellboy 2. Abe is such a great character. He's my favorite. See? Isn't he cute??

Anyway.

I'm sleepy. Goodnight.

Ps- Totally saw the 30 Days Of Night graphic novel in the book store today.

MUST. HAVE.