The Cost of Looking Good

　

Today I thought we should examine the cost of looking good since my latest book Devil’s Concubine is using the back drop of people’s grooming habits. I felt it fitting that we discuss the cost of looking good, the pros and cons and how sometimes the cost is way too much.

I noticed when I was researching for my book, that people’s grooming habits nearly run the economy and play a major factor in our everyday life. Believe it or not our looks can determine from who we marry down to getting that dream job. Looks means everything in our world and it has a nice price attached to it.

Shampoo, conditioners, mousse, gels, hair spray, stuff to make your hair straight, curly, shiny-- the list is endless. Just imagine: that’s just the hair care. Other stuff such as body wash, face creams, perfumes, lotions, deodorant, it seems endless. Every day it seems something new is coming out and something more improved. That stuff comes at a price even though it may cost eight dollars. Eight dollars adds up fast, when you become obsessed.

Clothing comes next in the obsession of looking good. I mean the latest fashion is every season not once a year. Four times a year, with the changing of the seasons a new clothing line comes out. By the time you start to wear one season another season comes along. People’s closets are so packed we are constantly cleaning it out to make room for the next season, very rarely keeping some key pieces that will go through the years.

Shoes and accessories are in a category by themselves however, with jewelry you can make it work with anything unlike the other that changes with the wind. Grandma’s necklace will go with any outfit any season unlike the shoes you bought last year that now doesn’t match the new spring collection you bought the other day.

Hair salons make quite a bit of business off of us also. Women especially, we go to get hair cuts, the latest style, waxing, manicures, pedicures, nails polished, tanning--again the list goes on with those high end salons. It hasn’t been until recently the market has started to include men who we have called metro sexual with the same services.

We all do this. Repeat; we all do! So that’s why I find it ironic how much time and money we spend on looking good. However sometimes this becomes an obsessive behavior which can lead to serious problems. In fact they have television shows on it and it’s sad.

I remember as a child watching my grandmother doing her hair every morning in her bedroom. She would sit at her antique vanity dresser with a giant mirror. Each side of the mirror had drawers which were full of hairspray, makeup, combs, brushes, curlers, perfume and tons of Avon products. She was a fan of Avon and collected many of the bottles. She would work on her hair at least a good ten to fifteen minutes, sometimes longer depending on the occasion.

She didn’t wear a whole lot of makeup but she did put on a little. Once she had her hair the way she wanted, she would pull out the Aqua Net hair spray, which was popular at the time and spray her hair like a crop duster. That room was so overpowering with Aqua Net it was almost unbearable. In fact she believed in her hairspray so much she should have had stock in it as much as she had stock-piled.

I remember when the stuff went on sale, my grandma loved sales, perhaps that’s where I get my frugal shopping. But once again my grandma should have had stock in Aqua Net. Even when she died and they cleaned out her house she still had tons of that stuff. Cabinets full of Aqua Net, a staple in her life.

Now I have a sister who will buy eye shadow no matter what. She has so much of the stuff I bet she doesn’t even use half of it, but she loves the stuff. Every time she shops she always finds herself buying compacts of eye shadow.

My own daughter loves lipstick and lip gloss. She has so much of the stuff there are times I have to say no, I’m not getting it. Now that she’s a young adult she buys her own and some times when you have to dig in her purse for something you pick up several tubes of lip balm before you find what you are looking for.

I’m sure when it comes to your grooming habits we all have certain products we love to use; I love L’Oreal for makeup, Cover Girl for eye shadow, and Clinque for mascara. Mind you I love these products, but I don’t stock-pile them.

My cousin has a fetish for lotions. She buys lotions constantly and sometimes it’s unbearable.

I say when we start buying it as if we are buying stock we may have a problem.

So how much do you think it costs to have all the beauty in the world? Plenty and some people will go without essentials such as not paying an entire electric bill or skip payment on the card to buy that extra stuff or to try out the latest makeup that was advertised in Cosmo. If you can look in you cabinet, closets and under the bathroom sink and see you have products you have started to use then decided something else came along better then you may have a problem.

Sometimes we aren’t aware of this problem. But sometimes we are aware of such or at least the people around us are. Sometimes such as women who have had children like one of my characters in my story, find it difficult to feel pretty and become obsessed with their looks. People who have been through a horrific accident find themselves becoming worried with looks.

But what can be upsetting for us is when people prey upon those who are weak like in my book. People who worry about their looks, who may seem confident in who they are but behind closed doors, go into a frenzy searching for what to wear to the next gala are the ones who fall victim.

In my novel Devil’s Concubine we see what drives the murderer to target his victims and the price of looking good comes at the highest price around--death.

Paper back
http://www.amazon.com/Devils-Concubine-Carla-Landreth/dp/1621417816/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358178253&sr=8-1&keywords=carla+landreth

Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Devils-Concubine-ebook/dp/B00AOSEM52/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1358178253&sr=8-2&keywords=carla+landreth

Whatever Happened to...?

Do you ask yourself that? Whatever happened to...I know I catch myself saying that more and more each day. Whatever happened to plain candy? Whatever happened to regular gas? Whatever happened to the picture show? Whatever happened to not having so many choices at the grocery store? My list could go on but I will stop with that. However there is one whatever happened that is on the top of my list.

Whatever happened to good movies and television? I'm not the only one asking this, so are most of American people. Whatever happened to shows like, Magnum PI, Fame, Hill Street Blues, A-Team, Simon and Simon, Dallas, Cosby Show, Falcon Crest, Battle Star Galactica and many more I can't name right off the top of my head because the list is too long. Whatever happened to movies like, Body Heat, Stripes, Out of Africa, Rambo, the list again could go on forever. Whatever happened has hit America, but nobody wants to speak up and tell what they really feel about; whatever happened to film making?

These shows faded when shows like twenty CSI's took over or ten Law and Orders bombarded the television or all the million reality shows that have invaded the television or all the computer generated movies that seem to be the rage. When they first came out they were great, but now I can't stand watching much television unless it's old re-runs of show from the past. Then I questioned myself why? Why is it I have to see re-runs of A-Team and Magnum PI?

Easy, the shows of by gone era were simple with easy to follow plot lines. They entertained us, didn't upset us or cause my local doctor to make his fortune off of me because of blood pressure problems due to the latest Housewives drama. The shows had symbolism, style, art, seduction, intimacy, mystery, laughter, and tears. Now I know what you are thinking, all shows have that now days. Yes, they do, but not on the same level as the older shows.

Sit down and think; why did you like the show Archie Bunker? Was it because the main character was a complete narrow minded bigoted jerk, where comedy was used to relieve the tension this character bestowed upon on television sets every week? Archie Bunker became a household name and to this day is talked about even though it's not on the air. Archie would be changing by the end of the show just a little not a whole lot but just a little. What about the Cosby Show? Why did you like it? Was it because it portrayed a middle class black family and we got a glimpse in how they have to cope with the world around them as parents of five children? Of course, these shows always had us thinking not handing the answer to us immediately. They gave us laughter and tears, all the while giving us food for thought while they entertained us. Today that isn't so much happening.

Political correctness; take hike! You know that television and movies are saturated with it. It's almost to the brink of censorship and you as American people don't even realize it. Here are examples of what I mean; I love watching Don Johnson's character sitting in his fancy car smoking and drinking as he plays Crockett or Harry in Hot Spot. I want to see Gerald McRaney as Rick tipping back a few beers with his brother while they investigate a case. I love seeing George Peppard and Dirk Benedict, pull out a cigar and smoke it while they plan their next move.

I want the real romance back. You know when you saw two characters go out on a date to eat, a kiss may have followed, not sex. The only characters to do such were characters like Abbey Ewing of Knots Landing or Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, we called them bitchy sluts. They made the story move along. We hated to love these characters, but we did.

Children didn't get thrown into the plot line because they ran out of ideas. You know what I mean. Suddenly the main characters are pregnant or they have an illegitimate child, usually meaning they are grasping for ratings if you ask me. It used to be if children were involved, by the end of the show the child himself was a little wiser not guessing who's my daddy? Now days, it's the kid doing the leg work. Sad situation if you ask me.

As much as I love a good sex scene in anything; movie or television, I still love seeing Dirk Benedict kiss the women and tease them with his words. You figured he slept with most of the women he teased but there was an air of mystery that kept us guessing. Can you imagine Dirk Benedict having to do Faceman's womanizing ways on television today? First he would have to disrobe because let's face it, it's a code among them (Hollywood) that all television series that aren't about children require some nudity of some sort (exclude the bare chest of men). He also couldn't get away by being the one who makes the girls cry when he dumps them because they (certain people in society) have deemed characters with this kind of behavior bad and unacceptable, even though you can flip to any reality show and this happens all the time. I guess in make believe world we aren't aloud to have such characters. The difference is Faceman would let them down gently, breaking their hearts, but turning us on, unlike Snooki's boyfriend who got drunk, screwed her best friend, threw up from his drinking binge, then denied he ever did anything, all the while everything is on reality TV tape. How romantic.

Still don't believe me? Take the movie Avatar, made enough money to pay several people's doctor's bills. Well it wasn't enough for Mr. Cameron to leave his formula alone. So he decided to do something. He took the film re-put it out with the sex scenes. Can anybody guess what happened? It flopped. Tease us don't show us. There is a lack of intimacy among characters anymore. They go from point A to point B not learning a damn thing about each other. Our main characters are left out there until the ratings show they need a boost or be cancelled. Then let's throw in something dark from their past, like an illegitimate child. The art of film making is really gone. It's all computer generated with a computer generated price. Whatever happened to the location shots? Miami Vice was filmed in Miami not in a studio using computer graphics. Dallas was filmed in Dallas. Falcon Crest was filmed in California, Magnum PI in Hawaii. Very few shows are on location now days. Stunt men and women actually worked. They did stunts; very few stunts are used anymore since the dawn of the computer age.

I know some of you are asking well, don't you like any television? Yes, I love shows just like you; however I don't hold them as classics in twenty years. They will be just another show from the past.

Have you been in the local movie store or wherever movies are sold or rented? Do you know what is flying off the shelves? The old television shows and movies. America wants these shows because of what they stood for simple, clean, symbolism, style, seduction, art, sex, intimacy, flirting, laughter, tears and lots of mystery. I'm like the rest of America, we don't have to see all the blood and guts to get the jest he was shot or ate by a tiger. We don't have to see sex to know when two characters are kissing each other and end up on the bed still clothed that we know how it will end leave us wanting more please!

If there is one show that I feel follows the old formula of television and doing it really great at it is, Burn Notice. It's filmed on location, Miami Florida, you have stunts performed by stunt people and the characters keep us engrossed. Yes, we have a boozing and gambling Sam who womanizes, using women like tissues, but we still love him. A handsome hero, Michael, with problems, a woman, Fiona, who let's face it needs Michael. She maybe strong, but deep down she needs Michael (sorry you women who think women don't need men, we do) The air of mystery of the characters are there but you know them well enough to know they aren't going to spring a kid out of nowhere. There is intimacy between these three characters, there is style, art and yes, the characters learn a little more about themselves at the end of the show. They tease us, making us beg for more and that's what keeps this show going and fall into the classic category in the future. They are using the formula.

Now whatever happened to...?



Books by Carla Landreth
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=carla+landreth