So Much More Than Sexy

Dancing With The Stars

Published March 30, 2010 Commentary , Current Events Leave a Comment
Tags: celebrity, dancing competition, Dancing With The Stars, Pam Anderson, Rob Shuter, sexiness

I’m not a fan of the show, but last night I watched DWTS for a few minutes. My reaction was the same as the last time I watched: the costuming department must be on a tight budget if the women’s outfits are any indication.

And now comes news from celebrity watcher Rob Shuter that the irrepressible Pam Anderson is pulling out all the stops in her efforts to win the competition. Apparently, she’s having an outfit made that will add new meaning to the word “skimpy” and cause a grateful (lustful?) public to vote for her.

Excuse me, but I thought this was a dancing competition.

Sadly, this is how our culture works. Everything revolves around sex. Nobody understands this more than Pam Anderson. With little or no discernible talent, she has turned herself into a cultural icon simply be being sexually outrageous. Sending the network censors into a dither on DWTS is just another one of her savvy maneuvers.

Call me an old fuddy-duddy, but I appreciate godly, modest women now more than ever. In a world where anyone with a halfway decent body feels obligated to flaunt it, it’s so refreshing to encounter women who dress tastefully and show some class in their speech and behavior.

Here’s something to think about:

As a woman, if you go all out in the pursuit of sexiness, you become common because you’re joining the hypnotized masses. You think you’re going to be noticed, but you’re really just blending in with the crowd. It’s only when you snap out of that mindset and start to pursue godliness that you become special and unique.

Mark

It’s Official: I’ve Now Heard It All

Published February 23, 2010 Commentary , Current Events Leave a Comment
Tags: apology, exploitation, Gloria Allred, Joslyn James, porn, Tiger Woods

Last Friday, after Tiger Woods’s televised apology, Gloria Allred issued a statement. (Gloria is the attorney/advisor for Joslyn James, the porn star Tiger had an affair with.) Ms Allred said that Tiger should have included her client, by name, in his apology. After all, he told her he loved her.

Let me get this straight. A woman who makes pornographic films for a living feels mistreated because a guy exploited her?

Yes indeed. I’ve now heard it all.

My only question for Ms. Allred would be: What planet are you living on? On planet earth, when you choose to forfeit your dignity and objectify yourself in the porn industry, you’re signing up to be exploited. Not only that, but when you choose to cheat with a cheater, you’re about as likely to be treated fairly as you are to meet the Easter Bunny in the produce section of your local grocery store.

Ms. Allred and Ms. James are not the only people in this world who need a reality check. Anyone who thinks lifestyle choices of the type that saturate the Tiger Woods soap opera are going to lead to happiness and fair treatment is in for a rude awakening.

–Mark

SI Does It Again

Published February 9, 2010 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: class, dignity, doughnuts, good taste, Krispy-Kreme, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue

If the guys in your workplace seemed to be in a better mood than usual today, the reason just might be that Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue hit the newsstands yesterday.

Let the record show that some of us couldn’t care less. I mean really…how pathetic do you have to be to go all ga-ga over pictures of bikini clad girls? It’s not like they’re in rare supply. One Google search would probably get you about 200 million such pictures for free.

And isn’t that the problem? Our culture is so saturated with sexually charged images that even the most beautiful women seem, well, blase.

It all reminds me of a guy I knew who worked in a Krispy-Kreme Doughnut store. He said he used to love doughnuts, but when he started seeing thousands a day sliding by on the conveyor, they no longer seemed special.

I believe I speak for a lot of guys when I say that I appreciate you women who choose not to flaunt your bodies. You’re no less beautiful tastefully clothed. In fact, you’re even more so, for dignity and class only magnify your physical charms.

Thank you for being different.

–Mark

Bikinis in the Checkout Line

Published January 27, 2010 Commentary , Current Events , Stories Leave a Comment
Tags: bikini, children, Jennifer Anniston, sexuality, The Kardashians, the Octomon, Wal-Mart

Imagine yourself going to Wal-Mart to pick up a few odds and ends. You make your selections and head for the express checkout line. You place your items on the conveyor and wait patiently for the customers ahead of you to finish their transactions. It’s the most mundane of moments until you turn around and see four beautiful women in skimpy bikinis right behind you.

Sound like a frat boy’s fantasy or the set up for a beer commercial? Well, it isn’t. It’s what actually happened tonight to my wife and me. We really did turn around and see four scantilly clad women in our checkout line. They were on the covers of the magazines right beside the chewing gum and candy bars.

Four magazines, all seemingly in a contest to see which one could show the most female skin. There was Jennifer Anniston, The Kardashians, and even the Octomom showing off her new “bikini-worthy” body. I have no doubt that if a woman really walked into Wal-Mart wearing a string bikini, management would hastily escort her to the door. Such attire would be deemed inappropriate. But pictures are apparently okay, and even put in racks that are eye-level for 10 year-old boys and girls.

Many would say this is no big deal, but I disagree. Call me crazy, but I believe we’re shoveling too much sexuality into the lives of our children. We’re portraying women as sex objects to be ogled by men. We’re emphasizing beauty over brains and character. We’re glorifying immoral people, not because they make valuable contributions to society, but simply beacuse they’re “hot.” You expect this to happen on TV and in the movie and music industries. But in Wal-Mart?

If you’re a parent, keep a close eye on your kids. Notice what they’re noticing and talk with them about it. Four bikini-clad divas in the checkout line just might present you with a really nice teaching opportunity. It’ll give you something constructive to do while they’re chasing down that price-check.

–Mark

Why Men Love Women

Published January 13, 2010 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Dave Barry, Shakespeare, Sir Walter Scott

A few months ago a journalist by the name of Mark Amundsen contacted me and asked if I could give a reason why I love women. Then he quickly added a qualifier: “Besides the obvious reason.” I thought about it and emailed him an answer, which made it into his piece.

What surprised me is that my humble quote showed up first in line with the likes of William Shakespeare, Sir Walter Scott, and Dave Barry following behind. When I saw that I was almost sure the author had me confused with someone else. At any rate, the quotes make for some rather interesting reading, if you’d like to check it out:

http://www.match.com/magazine/article0.aspx?articleid=11391

Mark

Your GPS Unit

Published January 4, 2010 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
Tags: Bible, Christmas gifts, direction, GPS, guidance

A couple of days after Christmas John and Starry Bush-Rhoads of Reno, Nevada, had a near-death experience. They were traveling through the high desert of Eastern Oregon when their GPS unit sent them down a remote forest road where they got stuck in the snow for 3 days.

I have a GPS unit that my wife and I call “Bossy Bertha” because the female voice it produces has a decidedly arrogant tone. I’ve found, however, that Bossy Bertha isn’t as smart as she thinks she is. Like the Rhoads’ GPS, Bertha has gotten me lost more than once.

The only GPS that is fool-proof is the “Gospel Positioning System”, otherwise known as the Bible. It completely ignores political correctness, current fads, pop psychology, Oprah, and all of the other so-called voices of authority in our culture and simply offers you the plain, unvarnished truth. And it never gives bad advice.

I wonder how much better your life would get in 2010 if you made an honest effort to obey God’s Word in every area of your life. Would your relationships improve? Would your appearance change? Would people notice a difference in the way you talk? Would your boss detect a better attitude? Would you have less baggage to lug around?

Lots of people got GPS units for Christmas. It was one of the hottest gifts this year. If you own a Bible, you already had one. I hope you’re using it!

–Mark

Playboy in Trouble?

Published December 19, 2009 Commentary Leave a Comment
Tags: marriage, online, Playboy, porn

Apparently, it’s true. I read a couple of articles this week which indicated that Playboy’s profits are suffering big time. My first reaction was to shout, “Hallelujah!” But then I read on a little farther and felt my enthusiasm wane. You see, the reason Playboy is in trouble is because porn has become so easy to get online. People are figuring out that it makes no sense to pay for something when you can get it for free.

We’re probably stuck with porn; I don’t see it going away anytime soon. However, I am committed to having nothing to do with it and I hope you are, too. Don’t even think about dating or marrying someone who is into it. As a pastor for the past 35 years, I’ve met countless wives who were miserable because it had become such a negative influence in their marriages. Our culture scoffs at any notion that porn is harmful. Trust me, there are millions of couples that would give powerful testimonies to the contrary.

I’m hoping Playboy goes under. It may not make much of a difference, but I’ll take whatever small victory we can get on the porn front.

–Mark

Struggling With Self-Image

Published December 13, 2009 Stories Leave a Comment

Here’s an email from a woman named Amber:

I thought I would send you an email as I just finished reading your book So Much More Than Sexy yesterday. I kind of stumbled upon this book but it was definitely something I know God had planned. I have struggled a lot in the past with self-image, even as a married woman with a husband who consistently tells me I am beautiful. I have had the chance to talk with teens about it and share my story, but still on the inside feeling pretty bad about how I look. Your book really made me look at things in a different light. There were several truths I have heard before but I love your practical ideas and hearing a guy’s perspective on the issue. It definitely relieved some of the pressure I have felt and I hope I can keep thinking of those things as the days go on. I wrote about your book on my blog, which is at www.amberthayes.com, because I wanted to share a short little clip with others about your book. I know other women could really benefit from reading it. So thanks!

Word for the Day: “Bimbo”

Published December 11, 2009 Commentary , Current Events Leave a Comment
Tags: behavior, bimbo, mistress, reputation, secrets, Tiger Woods

Because of the Tiger Woods mess, we’ve been hearing a lot about bimbos. I decided to look up the word and find out what it really means. Turns out that a bimbo is a woman regarded as empty-headed, or as having an exaggerated interest in her own sex appeal.

Yesterday, one of Tiger’s mistresses gave an interview in which she complained about how her reputation has suffered since her affair with Tiger came to light. She said, ”I am not a bimbo!” Here’s something to think about: if you have to try to convince people that you’re not a bimbo, it just might be because you are one….or at the very least because you’ve been acting like one.

Please, before you indulge in any questionable behavior stop and ask yourself a question: what will people think of me if they find out what I’ve done? Because they probably will find out. In this world of emails and text messages and camera phones, secrets are becoming harder and harder to keep. And once your reputation is sullied, it’s hard to clean it up.

–Mark