Note from Team Cho: Next up is Bruce Daniels, Margaret’s partner in crime and co-star of the Cho Daniels Reports.
While watching TV, I saw a commercial for a new reality show called “The Swan.” The show’s premise is to take 16 “ugly ducklings,” give them each 250,000 dollars worth of plastic surgery, then take the prettiest ones from the group, and have them compete in a beauty pageant. What the fuck is wrong with our society that these women would allow themselves to participate in something like this? Who the fuck are these creators that can call these women “ugly?”
I do understand how someone’s self-esteem can get that low. I come from the land of low self-esteem. I grew up hating myself because I knew I was gay. I went to a predominately white school and I wanted to fit in and didn’t. I had a stepfather who would beat me down verbally because he thought I was too close to my mother. I grew up thinking I didn’t deserve anything at all. I had very few friends in high school because I didn’t want anyone to find out any of my secrets. I would cut school and lose myself in movies because I wanted to be anyone but myself. When I left high school and went to college, I discovered that there were other people like me. I didn’t really fit in with them either. I would go out with guys because they asked me out, not because I liked them but because they liked me.
Something happened to me when I reached 25. I went to the store and got some self-esteem. I just started caring about me. I didn’t want to die of a disease, or from drugs. I didn’t want to try fit in to a society that had no place for me. I was told from vocal coaches and casting directors that I wasn’t “ethnic” enough to make it in this business. That’s when I said a big FUCK YOU. I was determined to work, and some how let my voice be heard.
That is why it completely disgusts me when I see women on these shows trying to kill each other for a man, scheming and conniving to get some form of money or prize. Men who clearly have some really fucked up issues with women mostly create these shows. Women are the reason we exist on this planet and should be revered instead of degraded. I think the men who come up with this shit are really so terrified of women, that through the media, they just try to break their spirit. These “reality” shows like the Bachelor or My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé, which are highly watched by women subconsciously chips away at a woman’s self-esteem.
I absolutely refuse to watch any of this shit that they put on for entertainment. I have friends who run home to watch these shows and they know how horrible they are, but they still have to watch them. The way that these shows are going, I think the next show will be called “Colliseum” and they are just going to throw women into a pit and see how long it takes lions to devour them.
This shit has to stop. I consider myself lucky to have been raised by a woman who made amazing sacrifices for me. Women are my best friends, confidants, and touch stones.
Please don’t think because I wrote this that I’ll be inspired to have a blog on my website. This shit is hard and I don’t know how she does it. -Bruce