Turn it off. Turn it all off.

I've recently been rereading my favorite feminist literature. In one book, the author spent a year only reading, watching, hearing things created by women, or with a positive message about women. What if we all took the time to control our environments like that? Of course, there are the things we cannot control, like the men whistling at you on the street, or overhearing a group of male co-workers bash their female counterparts.

But, if we all took the time to only read positive, uplifting things about women, all minority groups for that matter, would there be as much domestic and racial violence? Would we, as a society, finally overcome the negativity and shame simply associated with being different?

Another example of overcoming the negativity of society by controlling your surroundings is a woman who was disgusted by fat people. She put up beautiful, black and white nudes of fat women from the 1940s on her bathroom mirror. Over time she began to recognize them as beautiful and even gained a few pounds herself.

I guess the point of this post is this: if we all recognize what is horribly wrong in our culture and media, why don't we just cut those negative parts out? Why don't we turn off Entertainment Tonight and take control of our envronments?

If George W. had taped up pictures of a happy Muslim family on his bathroom mirror, we might not be in the turmoil we're in today.