My Personal Hero

I have a confession to make.

Please don't judge me harshly on this.

***Jessica Simpson is my personal hero.***

There. I said it. You won't believe the reaction I get from people when I have the nerve to say it out loud. People act like I just lost about 100 I.Q. points just by uttering the sentence. You can almost imagine "dang, guess you're not as cool as I thought" marquee streaming across their thoughts. Or maybe a little "!!!" thought bubble over their heads, with the words "Snap Judgement!!!" under it.

I have my reasons. Yes, I think she is pretty. Maybe not beautiful, but she is pretty. And yes, she has a nice body. I wouldn't mind looking like that. And her husband, he isn't hard on the eyes either. AND he seems to be a romantic? What's not to love?

But those aren't the reasons why I consider her to be my personal hero. These are the reasons:

1. I consider her to be the poster child for modern feminism.

Ha ha, that's saying a LOT to some people. But think about it. In the past, when you thought "feminist" you (okay me) pictured a butch looking hippie wannabe who was angry and a complete man hater. They wanted to do EVERYTHING just as a man would do, but better. You could almost imagine them peeing standing up. A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle? Well, did you ever stop to consider that maybe a fish would LIKE to have a bicycle? And didn't SOME fish grow legs through evolution, thereby making a bicycle a nice thing to have?

But to me, that always seemed to go against what feminism was all about. I want to be a woman, and be girly, and I enjoy it. I LIKE the color pink. I like wearing dresses and feeling pretty. I think high heeled shoes are GREAT! I like when my husband kills the icky bugs for me.

But ask me who puts up the shelves and assembles the furniture in my household. Ask me who is the one who has to call and complain when needed because the other spouse is too lenient. Ask me who is the disciplinarian. Who knows how to change the plugs and wires in the car and has actually done so before?

Why can't I embrace my femininity but still be a kick ass girl at the same time?

Jessica IS. She is a girly girl, no one will deny that. She loves her Louis Vuitton (what's not to love?), her shoes, her clothes, her hair and make up, her little dog. She's kind of ditzy. She got married and her and her husband look like a life size version of Barbie and Ken. Here's the thing though: she isn't domestic. Why should she be the one cooking and cleaning and not Nick? She has a career, and she does very well for herself. She speaks out when people are mean or rude to her, and she has the cojones to stand up for herself.

That is the modern feminist to me. A strong woman who doesn't NEED a man (but still enjoys having one around) and embraces her femininty.

2. She's made a career out of being a ditz.

I don't like Jessica Simpson's music. I think that she can have a great voice when she chooses to belt one out, but for the most part her songs are too breathy and over theatrical for me to enjoy.

It seems easy to judge her because she is ditzy, or dingy, or even stupid according to some people. But think about this: She has made so much money off of being "stupid" and has brought herself fame and success. How stupid is THAT? I wish I could become rich and famous for being a ditz, thats for sure! Seems pretty dang smart to me!

3. She doesn't let the negativity to get to her.

I know that if I had a bunch of people talking trash about me every day, all over the world, saying that they hated me but they never even MET me, that I would have to be on some serious anti depressants and I'd never want to leave the house. Add to that the fact that people are PUBLISHING this hateful gossip in magazines and tabloids and everyone feels like they know your business when they can't really, well, I don't think I would be able to handle it.

Jessica DOES. She knows what people are saying, she knows what they think, she acknowledges that she is not perfect and she still moves on with her life. She doesn't let it stop her. She even uses that hate as comedic fodder for herself. Look at her "With You" video, or when she hosted SNL and did the Chicken of the Sea bit.

She's also overcome a lot in her career. She doesn't take being told no as a roadblock, instead she finds a way to move around it and continue on her path. She wanted to have a recording career, and sing Christian music, but her image wasn't right, so she decided to continue to pursue her dream of recording in the secular music arena. She started her reality show, along with her husband ( I *heart* Nick, he's so sweet and PATIENT!!!) and even though the critics blasted it, they went on to do multiple seasons. She wanted to be an actress, but everyone laughed at the idea of another pop starlet (remember Crossroads? Anyone? Anyone?) trying to be in the movies. She went ahead and kept auditioning for parts, and now it's looking like the Dukes of Hazzard is going to be a big hit this summer and there is already talk of her being considered for more roles in the future. (For the record, I think Jessica would be a WAAAAY better Private Benjamin than Kate whats-her-face)

Anyway, I want to make it my goal to learn to take the negatives in my life, and put a positive spin on them and try not to let other people get to me. She is my perfect example.

So why can't I embrace my femininity but still be a kick ass girl at the same time? Oh wait, I can, and I am!