Brad McCormick, Ed.D.
Sat, 13 Nov 1999 04:55:12 -0800
Michael Gurstein wrote: > > -----Original Message----- > From: wade tillett [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Thursday, November 11, 1999 9:46 AM > To: Nettime > Subject: <nettime> my design me > > http://www.surgery.com/topics/body.html > > A computer generated golden metallic female body with unbelievable > proportions is shown over the faded background of a keyboard. Clickable > cyan boxes are shown over specific areas of the body with the following > text: > > *Pick the area you would like to improve [snip] > a utopic persona based on a conglomeration of > the best. We can no longer be compared to the naturally occurring body > because we are no longer reliant on natural means for obtaining > (maintaining) this body. Now this increased power and ability to change > our body makes the body we live in a design of our own - choosing not to > modify our body is just as much a design as modifying our body. > Abstention is as much design as creation, if we have the ability to > design. And we have always had the ability to design. We constantly > design our selves - by eating (or not eating, also what we eat), by > walking (or not walking), by reproducing (or not reproducing), by our > actions (or non-actions). [snip] Something that "galls me" to no end: Our society is obsessed with "perfect bodies" -- and I must say that I find bodily imperfections abhorrent -- but that's not where the point I wish to make here lies: Our society is obsessed with perfect bodies, AND EVERYWHERE I GO, WHEN I TRY TO "JUST SAY NO" TO FATTENING FOOD WHICH IS PROMISCUOUSLY STUFFED UNDER MY NOSE, PEOPLE ACT LIKE I WAS BEING AT BEST RUDE AND A "PARTY POOPER", IF NOT CHARACTER DISORDERED, etc. If our society wants perfect bodies, why don't we start by mobilizing all restaurants and food stores to push *only* healthful foods, and to make buying a Cocal-Cola at least as shady a deal as buying "coke"? \brad mccormick -- Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21) Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED] 914.238.0788 / 27 Poillon Rd, Chappaqua NY 10514-3403 USA ------------------------------------------------------- <![%THINK;[XML]]> Visit my website: http://www.cloud9.net/~bradmcc/