Days ago I read an article in a Spanish free magazine “calle 20”, the magazine of the new culture about new tendencies in the squatter movement. A group of artist squatters live in a large house in Leytonstone near London. Immediately I started to be interested in this new and I read more about “positive occupation”
The word squatters often provoke negative thoughts in people, but little by little the situation is changing. The new generation of squatters seems less politicised than its predecessors. After two decades of decline, statistics showed that the number of people living in squats in Wales and England has risen by 60 per cent since 1995. The growth has been particularly pronounced in large commercial properties, disused houses, offices and cinemas.
Today’s squatters are highly organised and efficient. Many have full-time work and drug problems are rare.
The occupants of the 491 Gallery in Leytonstone, east London, have transformed an old warehouse into a clean, attractive home. This group of artists has changed the space in a white-walled gallery with airy rooms and a big garden. The housemates invite the local community to use the space for artistic and environmental events. For some artists the squatting is the only way to get their utopia, because pays a rent in London costs between 1000 and 1500 euros. In this house a fair principle is applied and people who have financial resources pay a modest fee that help to those who cannot afford to pay. Positive squatting consists of occupying buildings and turning them into community resources.
Sometimes squatting is a good way to maintain the occupied buildings while the organisations planning for its future. For example it is very expensive to pay 24-hour security for an empty building. Squatting can save this money and allows recycling spaces. Sometimes squatters focus their activities on offering a wide range of services to the local community. What’s more, occupying empty buildings is positive because if a property is empty it can get damaged.
Some people who live in occupied houses are very proud of giving artistic spaces to people who need time and places to make beautiful things, like paintings or sculptures.
In this video we can see an example of “positive occupation”. In this house squatters have transformed the place from a derelict house into a comfortable place. For some people squatters are very pleasant neighbours and squatters help elderly people when they are in trouble.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Anorexia in the media
Young girls are taken into hospital every year for eating disorders but do you thin it’s the media’s fault?
The general public appears to be obsessed about media celebrities. This obsession can be dangerous for young people, especially teenagers who can be an easily influenced public.
Some women and teenagers are fascinated with the latest fashion tendencies and when they notice that this fashion is not the better for them, they can fall ill. I think there is a connection between the increasing of so many celebrities and the fast rise in eating disorders such as anorexia. The media contributes greatly towards young’s people images. If a little girl sees a variety of thin celebrities on TV, in magazines and she think they are beautiful, if she decides to start to lose weight, they can be very dangerous. The most important thing is that there are a number of women who have uncomfortable thoughts about their bodies and they feel guilty because they can’t emulate the bodies of models and celebrities. Most people want to be happy and successful. The media especially ads and commercials for clothes and other fashion’s items, suggest that we can be successful and more happy trying to modify their bodies into copies of the icons of success. Young naïve women feel that if they follow their idols they will be popular. If we read between lines of many ads we can find dangerous messages in a few words (“the thinner, the better”). Some many famous people are thin because they feel that they will be more popular, good-looking and admired. Some young models are under a strong pressure from the media.
It is the responsibility of the society to show young girls and women that beauty is not a synonym of ultra-thin bodies. It is necessary to encourage girls to enjoy themselves with their beauty in a healthy, natural way.
On the other hand, governments have to create an anti-anorexia legislation that bans anorexia promotion in media. For example, Spain had banned ultra-thin models from catwalks.
The general public appears to be obsessed about media celebrities. This obsession can be dangerous for young people, especially teenagers who can be an easily influenced public.
Some women and teenagers are fascinated with the latest fashion tendencies and when they notice that this fashion is not the better for them, they can fall ill. I think there is a connection between the increasing of so many celebrities and the fast rise in eating disorders such as anorexia. The media contributes greatly towards young’s people images. If a little girl sees a variety of thin celebrities on TV, in magazines and she think they are beautiful, if she decides to start to lose weight, they can be very dangerous. The most important thing is that there are a number of women who have uncomfortable thoughts about their bodies and they feel guilty because they can’t emulate the bodies of models and celebrities. Most people want to be happy and successful. The media especially ads and commercials for clothes and other fashion’s items, suggest that we can be successful and more happy trying to modify their bodies into copies of the icons of success. Young naïve women feel that if they follow their idols they will be popular. If we read between lines of many ads we can find dangerous messages in a few words (“the thinner, the better”). Some many famous people are thin because they feel that they will be more popular, good-looking and admired. Some young models are under a strong pressure from the media.
It is the responsibility of the society to show young girls and women that beauty is not a synonym of ultra-thin bodies. It is necessary to encourage girls to enjoy themselves with their beauty in a healthy, natural way.
On the other hand, governments have to create an anti-anorexia legislation that bans anorexia promotion in media. For example, Spain had banned ultra-thin models from catwalks.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Buy-ology by Martin Lindstrom
I found this video about the book Buy-ology by Martin Lindstrom.
The book is based on studies that used brain-scanning methods to investigate into our minds and to study the influence of the advertisement in our shopping preferences and unconscious desires when we choose among different products.
The video explains which are the subtle factors that motivate us to buy what we buy and how powerful a brand or advertisement is.
For me publicity shows the most positive side of life to encourage people to buy. This kind of practice is sometimes based in lies because daily life is normally less marvellous than publicity world.
Publicity influences in our behaviour and we don’t know what is the information that really goes into our heads when we see an advertisement or when we hear a marketing slogan.
What do you think about this video? Do you share Martin Lindstrom conclusions?
The book is based on studies that used brain-scanning methods to investigate into our minds and to study the influence of the advertisement in our shopping preferences and unconscious desires when we choose among different products.
The video explains which are the subtle factors that motivate us to buy what we buy and how powerful a brand or advertisement is.
For me publicity shows the most positive side of life to encourage people to buy. This kind of practice is sometimes based in lies because daily life is normally less marvellous than publicity world.
Publicity influences in our behaviour and we don’t know what is the information that really goes into our heads when we see an advertisement or when we hear a marketing slogan.
What do you think about this video? Do you share Martin Lindstrom conclusions?
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