The sexy pink blonde phenomenon

I was at a party not long ago, one of the last I had the time to go to before the exams period. I was spending my time, like I often do at parties, drinking some wine, chatting with friends at our table (who are not the subject of this blog, thank god) and, not surprisingly, checking out girls. Before anyone starts, I’m single, OK? Anyway, I was standing in the hallway looking at a blonde that went by me. A minute later, that same blond passes me again, walking the same hallway in the same direction. Since it’s a standard bar, no weird round architecture, my first thought was, go easy on the wine, Sergej.

It wasn’t the wine, though. It wasn’t even the same girl. There were, however, similarities. Both were bleached blondes, roughly the same height and weight. Both had pretty much the same blouse, similar jeans and the same makeup. So, what’s the problem? What’s wrong with people wearing what they want? Well, nothing, of course, if they wear what they want. After all, those blouses are great for advertising one’s assets, especially in a room full of half drunken guys. They get the attention they want, I’m sure.

What I don’t understand is, why do they have to read Cosmopolitan with a text marker and learn the 10 tips on how to get a guy with a marketing strategy by heart (I am not making this up, that was an actual article). What you wear is an expression of your style. But is it really your style, when you wear, what you have to wear, as it is prescribed in the last edition of your favorite fashion magazine? It’s not the fashion that’s to blame, though. It’s quite possible to adapt your unique style to fashion trends, without becoming just another copy. As usual, it’s the people.

It’s an example of conformity taken to its limit, industry creating an ideal of sexy pink blondes, women wanting to be like them and men falling for them. Dressing like that long ago ceased to be an expression of one’s uniqueness. They dress as they’re told to, interact in society as they’re told to and look for men they’re told they should be looking for. In light of all of that, I do hope those girls don’t blame me for treating them like perfect substitutes for each other. It would make more sense to remember the model year than the name in some cases...

Debate and Authority

People, who know me, will confirm it, I’m sure, I talk a lot. Sometimes, however, I sit back and just watch. Yes, watch, not listen. That usually happens when I’m not really interested in the contents of the debate. I like to listen to people argue their position and listen to what they say and even more, how they say it.
I was present at one such meeting today, among some very intelligent people. What caught my attention, however, was the fact it’s sometimes more important who’s making the argument than the actual argument made. Authority of the speaker transfers itself to the authority of the argument. It’s an argumentative fallacy, to give argument more or less merit, simply based on the popularity of the person making the argument.
The really interesting question is what that means for the value of the conclusion reached. An argument could be made that a more popular person is usually smarter and therefore it’s only natural that that person’s arguments should prevail. I don’t buy it. I think most people use their authority to advance their lines of argumentation, to varying degrees of success. I do not think it’s a conscious process for most. The result, however, is a conclusion that is much more likely to be according to the opinion of some people, regardless of its intrinsic value.
I like to argue for freedom of expression among equals on a state level, so it seems fitting that the first post of this blog is about that same freedom applied on a small scale, on the level of a few people discussing something over a beer. It is essential to understand that added value of arguments does not come from the authority of the speaker, even on this very simple level. Quality of the debate is proportionate to the equality of participants, on all levels. Submissiveness to authority, without any rational reason whatsoever, is the first step away from the truth.