What is beauty?

Good Morning,

Throughout the month of July, the BBC is broadcasting a new reality show-Britain's Missing Top Model. The synopsis reads: 8 young women with disabilities (ranging from missing limbs to hearing impaired) strut or roll their stuff down the catwalk/runway for the chance to win a photo shoot with one of Britain's top fashion magazines.

Maybe it's because I've seen one too many commercials where even the patriotic woman in the wheelchair makes it to the voters station on election day (shame on you lazy citizen!) but i like to think the British are perhaps a little more cultured or advanced than us...

somehow whatever they suggest sounds good to me

I receive an on-line newsletter from a disability podcast called the BBC Ouch! Podcast.

(podcast-think radio program you can download and take with you to listen to wherever, whenever you want)

Anyway, as one of the newsletter items there was a call out for disabled people to send in video clips of themselves introducing a BBC TV “programme” (I think that means program). The British Broadcasting Company seems very forward in its thinking and is using this month to include disability awareness among its programming. The British public is being asked to tune into and accept a reality TV show that has 8 young women with disabilities competing to be Britian’s Missing Top Model...and various others.

The rules were simple the lead-in must be 15 sec. or less and you must pick from among the following 5 shows.

Family Guy- the cartoon; a typical American family…apart from the fact that the dog talks and the baby is an evil genius.

Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps- a sitcom which follows the sex-fuelled lives of five early twentysomethings in the northern town of Runcorn, Manchester...vulgar language is also used, except that the word 'fuck' is uttered only once in each series, always in the final episode. (interesting)

Ideal- Ideal stars Johnny Vegas as Moz, a small-time, hash only, drug dealer in Manchester. Each episode is set within the confines of the flat, which he rarely steps out of, he shares with his girlfriend Nicki. He is constantly visited by, and treats with contempt, his varyingly bizarre customers, his supplier (a bent cop only known as PC) and a silent man with a cartoon mask stuck to his head.

Scallywagga is a brand new, lightning-paced and gleefully immature comedy sketch show on BBC Three. It's streetwise, urban and a little bit schoolyard: meet the likes of hapless teen Adrian...[, whose parents want him out and will go to ANY length to evict him, and]

Sooo,

This I thought you might enjoy seeing my entry.

What do you win? the selected clips will be shown on BBC TV for a glorified 15 sec. of fame.

This clip also includes my response to "What are your thoughts on the whole idea of beauty?" (this was option #2- there was nooooo way I could do this one justice in 15 seconds…or less. I’m a little afraid of meeting the person who could).



(video text)

What is beauty?

According to magazines it's an athletic or thin body, height, defined muscles, flat stomach, a walk that is self-assured and confident.

Long hair, dazzling smile, flawless skin,

I think there's also Inner beauty being kind, compassionate, having grace under pressure

it's a subjective quality but often used as something external and placed upon a person…in comparison to others

Beauty is in the simplicity of a design

In a dance movement as the rhythms of music flow through the body and are felt in the heart of the observer

it's where you care to rest your eyes and linger

Moments of connection and intimacy

Beauty is the language of nature…the voice of warning when it’s gone. Look at body of water, an expanse of land, see dead fish or strip malls...they don’t say back beautiful you get the sense or feel that something’s wrong

Beauty is vast, expansive, timeless; seamlessly connected to something bigger

Perfection in the moment; it comes with the understanding that while the past provided this moment it is no longer here and future will not sustain it. all of life is change