ET fFE aa SCYIE From Amazon to advertisement Can women of the twenty-first century draw the line between confident style and feeble insecurity? By Stephanie Trembath, Life & Style Editor hile aimlessly wandering the internet I happened across a Youtube clip featuring skinny femmes in barely-there bikini’s and expertly tousled hair claiming to be warrior women of the Amazon. Despite my lack of shock, this is what Amazon women of the twenty-first century will be remembered as; a bunch of promiscuously dressed pre-pubescent females throwing themselves at men in lingerie and spandex. Spiked heels, studded accessories, eye- shadow and hair-spray have become our weapons of mass destruction. Forget spears and swords; we have silicone implants and push-up bras to distract our enemies. In Greek mythology women called the Amazons were worshiped as powerful female warriors. The Queen of the Amazon’s, Penthesilea, participated in the Trojan War while her sister Hippolyta was gifted with a magical girdle by Ares to use in combat. Throughout history the Roman Empire, Late Antiquity, and Asia Minor have accounts of Amazon existence portrayed as buxom beauties dressed with heavy artillery and weapons. The word Amazon comes from popular folk entomology meaning “without breast’; “a” meaning “without” and “mazos” for breasts. Their breasts got in the way of warfare—and so the right breast was eliminated by being burned or cut off. In the battle against sexism, these women warriors represent honour and bravery; the Amazon River was named for these women and in Greek Mythology Amazon’s were the first female society to enter war and fight their own battles. Andromeda, another Greek Goddess, was the Amazon Queen of Andromache; Andromeda literally meaning “Ruler of Men,” alongside Bremusa; whose name means “Raging Female”. Pop culture gave us Xena: Warrior Princess, in a leather low-cut outfit and combat boots, and before that Wonder Woman entered the comic book realm in gold, blue, and red spandex. Research has proven that women who are sexy and violent act as positive role models for women who are between the ages of 18-30. A personality and social psychology journal called Sex Roles claims that women who are aggressive, attractive, and ambitious are the sexy superhero—the Amazon warrior—of the twenty first century and are better protagonists than our male counterparts. The journal, as edited by psychology and women studies professor Irene Fieze, offers a feminist perspective on the processes and consequences of gender roles in society and their linked behaviours. All the power to you ladies out there who exude confidence and act as a modern day Medusa, however, I find I can’t take women seriously when I run into those spare few who, on the weekend, look like they just walked up off the cover of Playboy Magazine. Ladies, there is an extreme difference between a being a wondrous warrior and being a whore. What women don’t realize is that the way you dress acts as a walking-talking advertisement. If you dress a certain way and call for that sort of attention from men, you’re going to get treated accordingly. From Amazons to advertisements, no matter what era or age it’s important for us fabulous femmes to stick together and value our bodies; today we don’t have to burn off our breasts to claim power and it doesn’t mean we have to bare it all either! Poking out pain Acupuncture for Douglas students By Sharon Miki ot a pain in your neck (literally)? (Game western science can often treat what ails you, natural healing methods are increasingly popular for helping to treat and prevent a variety of ailments. With this in mind—and armed with serious back pain and a cheapskate’s urge to get the most out of my student health care plan—I decided to try out one of the natural wellness services offered to Douglas College students: acupuncture. While popular culture has created a lot of misconceptions about the procedure (Final Destination 5 makes the treatment appear mistakenly dangerous), acupuncture is actually a safe and enduring form of therapy. Acupuncture works by placing special, thin needles in specific parts of the body in order to stimulate the flow of energy in the body. By stimulating the body’s natural healing properties, acupuncture can provide pain relief, optimize organ function and increase energy. I met with Registered Acupuncturist Gloria Cui on the New Westminster campus for my treatment (though appointments are available at both campuses). My appointment began with a friendly consultation—fleshing out the origins of my pain so that the acupuncturist can accurately assess a method of treatment is essential for optimal results. Next, the therapy combined warm healing stones, which relaxed my muscles, and the insertion of tons of little needles into my back and hands (the needles themselves were scarier to think of than they were to actually feel pierce my skin). After about half an hour, the needles were removed and I was good to go on with my day. So what did I think of my first acupuncture experience; having been prescribed many medications and recently having spinal surgery, it was shocking to feel so much relief from just laying down with a few tiny needles. While I would never discount the help my surgeon provided, I definitely attest to the value of pursuing a combination of western and eastern approaches to health and wellness. Want to see if acupuncture is right for you? Try it for yourself! Full-time Douglas College students are eligible for up to $300 in acupuncture treatments per school year on the college health plan. Each hour-long treatment with the campus acupuncturist is $50, so you could go up to six times each year. For more information or to book an appointment on campus with Douglas College’s Registered Acupuncturist, Gloria Cui, call (604) 505-1120 or visit the Centre for Campus Life’s Wellness Services page at www.douglas.be.ca/campus-life/wellness/ services html A quicker way to clean: Slipper Genie sweep and slide slippers 7 Stephanie Trembath Life and Styie Editor obody enjoys cleaning; which is N= there are countless appliances and tools designed to enhance, hasten, and minimize tedious procedures that would otherwise take the entire day. Take the Roomba for example; this mini- vacuum cleaner will roam all over your floors without you having to lift a finger. Dishwashers, microwaves, and clothes dryers function much the same, cutting down on cleaning time and maximizing performance. At a costly two hundred dollars, the Roomba isn’t on my wish list, but this weekend I discovered a multipurpose cleaning device that costs less than ten dollars. Comfortable and cozy, the Slipper Genie will sweep your floors in a few small steps with tentacle-like chenille loops. Located on the bottom of the shoe, and removable for washing, the chenille loops are made with microfibre to pick up dust and dirt, and dry wet floors after a bath or shower. Simply slip on this cute creation and sweep and slide your floors; more fun than a Swiffer and easier than using a cloth or towel. Slipper Genie soft cloth slippers come in a range of sizes, for kids and adults, in the brightest neon colors: lime green, hot pink, and bright blue. A warning on the package clearly states “Do Not Run,” however, to get the maximum sliding effect one must run to get a good head start. Much alike skim boarding if you‘ve had the practise. As a former skater, I like to target major leg muscles while I wear this fancy footwear, so bend at the knee and perform wide leg circles (YouTube speed-skating races to get the idea). You’ll feel muscles in your calves, thighs, and gluteus after this quick clean-up; especially if you have a wide space of wood or linoleum floor. Evriholder, the company that designed these frisky slip-ons, provides a variety of tentacle- microfiber cleaning products; from oven mitts for cleaning lampshades and countertops, to what I like to call the “frilly finger,” used to reach more difficult places in your household. All products are machine washable, and are sold for ten dollars or less at Wal-Mart. Personally I give this cleaning product an A+ for blending functionality with fashion.