Iran Bans Women from Wearing Make up

State TV in Iran has banned the use of make up on air.
Any woman caught wearing make up will be pulled off the air. A law already exists in the country which prohibits women from wearing any kind of make up.
The reasoning the state provides for this law is that make up is "offensive to older people and children", which is why women should not be allowed to use it.
Not surprisingly, state run TV is not popular in the country, with many viewers turning to foreign channels for their entertainment needs.
Not many would want to watch programs that adhere to an archaic set of rules when there are so many other options available. If anything, the state’s aim should be to draw in as many viewers as possible, rather than to alienate them further.
Banning men from wearing colourful make up in public is another matter, but banning those who have to be on TV, particularly women, sounds rather ridiculous.
In this day and age, a law like this seems very outdated, if not petty. Authorities should be concerned with solving the greater issues that plague their country, instead of wasting time and energy on such silly ones.
Women all over the world have used different forms of make up to beautify themselves all through the ages. Every woman has the right to look and feel beautiful, and for the state to interfere in such matters is rather unfair.
The idea that women wearing make up is offensive to older people and children is even sillier. Some people may find men who wear make up offensive, but it makes no sense for anyone to get offended by women using something that is made for their use in the first place.
Seems like the state tried to come up with some sort of a legitimate sounding reason, but failed to put forth anything that made sense.
Hopefully they’ll come to their senses soon and drop this useless law!

Source: boston.com, perezhilton.com

Whore! Magazine - Would You Read It?

Even though print media is having a bit of a difficult time, with so many publications choosing to go online instead, a new magazine is all set to hit news stands in the U.S by spring 2010.
What’s interesting about this one is its name.
The magazine to be is titled, Whore! Whether that’s a reflection of the original and possibly controversial material it claims it will publish, or just a promotional gimmick, is yet to be seen.
Whore!’s website says, “We intend to recognize those women, both modern and historical, who strive for experience rather than conventional “goodness,” and continue to fight an age-old battle against expectation.” It goes on to add, “Whore! magazine will be a quarterly print magazine investigating culture, ascendancy, shame, and the desire to be.”
Wonder whether they'll be able to rope in some big names to pose for their cover.
With a name like that, the magazine runs the risk of not being taken seriously, being thought of as trashy, or worse - alienating a lot of women. While one of its aims is celebrating female individuality, with a title like that, it may actually be stereotyping the very women it features and aspires to reach out to.
And how many women would happily leave copies of a magazine called Whore! lying around their house? 
Would you buy it?  

Source: perezhilton.com

Want to know more about the magazine?
Visit its homepage:
http://www.whoremagazine.net/whore_magazine/Whore%21_Home.html

18 Die in Stampede in Karachi

In yet some other sad news, at least 18 women and girls died yesterday in a stampede in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi.
The women were gathered in a small building with a tight passageway to collect rations of flour when some of them panicked because of the place becoming increasingly crowded. The ensuing stampede resulted in the casualties. Some of those killed, died because they suffocated in the cramped conditions.
In a country that has been rocked with political and financial instability, such an incident is tragic, but not new.
Pakistan’s government needs to step up and take responsibility before incidents like this become the norm. How much more will it take for the government to shape up?
Innocent civilian lives are lost without anyone being held accountable, and it’s high time that changes. Let’s hope this tragedy was the last in a long line, and not just an indicator of more to come.

Source: gulfnews.com