Quiz time (again...)

It's amazing how these things get started. Actually no, it's a MIRACLE how these things get started but nevermind. This post however has a tale behind it. The rather wonderful (if slightly evil with long held grudges about cats and stuff) Willow Caldera asked me this on twitter today "Should I go for vixen diva or trailer trash ho? Which is more fitting?" and so in my time honoured tradition of taking the piss out of those I love and making them hate me its....



Are you foxier than a bagful of vixens or skankier than a used condom floating in a public urinal?
Are you a tantalising temptress or just turning tricks?

Or perhaps you're just boring? Who knows? Take this quizzy quiz (fiendishly designed by Tie) and find out.

You're all out of snacks again and need to run to the shops, do you...
a) Get driven by Benson the chauffeur
b) Walk, it's healthy
c) Wait for the number 29 bus with the winos

When you come home from a hard day at work do you...
a) Sling off your shoes and sink into your luxurious white leather sofa
b) Tidy your house
c) Go hunting varmints with Bobby Joe

At school were you...
a) Interested in art
b) More inclined towards maths and languages
c) Likely to be found on your knees in the boys toilet

Do you prefer...
a) Persian cats, they're so soft and fluffy
b) Fish, they have so much personality
c) Armadillos, they'm good eatin'

At a bar with your friends, you purchase...
a) A vodka martini with a small dish of pickled quail's eggs
b) Half a pint of shandy with ice and lemon
c) Nothing, your drinks are free as you're sleeping with the barman

Taking a well earned break, your dream holiday destination is...
a) San Tropez, all your friends are there for the season
b) In the Cotswolds with your grandparents
c) Disneyland

A visit to the dentists is necessary, you get...
a) Teeth straightening AND whitening, for that hollywood smile
b) A filling
c) Your toothpick back

While bored at work you mostly use the net to browse...
a) The Vogue website
b) The British Parliament website
c) Myspace

It's your uncle Berty's birthday, do you give him...
a) A case of Cristal and a diamond studded poodle
b) A card and some nose hair clippers
c) Your knickers and a discount coupon for an evening of your time

Answers

Mostly a's

I'd just like to take a moment to thank you on behalf of the Mean Girls for bestowing your radiant presence on our blog. It is, indeed, an honour Your Majesty.

Mostly b's

You really enjoyed this quiz didn't you? The naughty little words gave you a small thrill in your normally boring and unimaginative life. Pfft.

Mostly c's

Welcome to our world, you are the trashiest of all the ho's on the park. You know it's a good day when you wake up with a condom on your face cos at least you remembered to use one. So pull up a pile of bricks and sup your moonshine, you're one of us.


Kitty 'Ten dollar ho with a two dollar haircut' Lalonde
Tiernan 'Gee mister, my daddy's is bigger'n that' Serpentine

A Week in the SLife...

Inspiration comes in all forms. For me, part of this inspiration came from Orchid's previous post about people's reactions to her purple skin. The rest came through handful other people I've met in Second Life whom have decided to break through the usual Barbie Girl mold and wear a more "Real" shape.

So it got me thinking... what would it be like to walk around as a Plus Sized Avatar for a week? I created a shape, used the skin that looked the best with it, and started my week long trek through the virtual world we've all grown to love (and hate).

To start, I went with a couple of friends to 1 club I'd never been to before. The former was a strip club with the usual big boob lovelies shaking their oil lathered bodies and gliding up and down slick dance poles. The hostess didn't even acknowledge I had walked in, and the other patrons (mostly other female AVIs) left me alone. I left after about 15 minutes of watching these hourglass shapes gyrating around me.

The next day I had 2 DJ sets back-to-back. Beforehand I decided to do a little shopping at a couple of stores known for more sexy women's clothing: DE Designs and Nymphetamine. I admire both DoC and Paeoti's work VERY much. I've even met Paeoti before and expressed my admiration. They do designs that many other folks can only dream of. These designs are not for full-figured gals, though. ;-)


After some purchases, I went home to try on some designs. Now, if you think prim skirts are annoying on regular sized Avatars, try spending 35 minutes just to get one to look decent on a full-figured one. You can't wear Skirt layers at ALL, BTW. Your butt and hips stick out way too much. Shoes? Well since almost all women's shoes are a Size "0", you can't even choose a more realistic foot size. I also couldn't wear most of my necklaces and bracelets without seriously altering them. Hair also had to be fixed since my head was bigger, and many longer styles I have didn't look right hanging on my shoulders.

Many designers (and Linden Labs) by nature tend to make their outfits according to the size 2 to 8 gal. Is this wrong? No. It just makes things tougher if you want to look different.

To further test how this shape would effect my overall SL experience, I wore the shape to some of my DJ gigs and to sets by other DJs at the same places. Overall responses by my closer friends went something like this:

EP: looks real lol
EP: I think you are cuter

mC: lol you still look pretty hot tho :P

SD: I love ya no matter what *hugs*

Guen: It's called 'Do folks treat Guen different if she's fat'
LF: i would hope not
LF: same person

BUT, some others were a bit more blunt with their responses...

PK: guen...you uh...getting a start on the holidays?

PT: so Guen...is that the extreme anti-makeover?
PT: guess she's just retaining water

SB: come hither fatty

The biggest question was if this shape was going to effect my sets. Folks are there to HEAR the DJ instead of look, right? Surprisingly, my tips actually stayed about the same at Sanctuary Rock though I didn't receive nearly as many requests from folks. My tips at Valhalla's went down due the drop in the population of clubgoers.

I didn't think much about the reactions until on Friday I decided to show up in my normal shape to Sanctuary Rock. Tips went up, requests went up, and I even had 3 patrons comment in IMs to me that they loved how sexy my Avatar looked. I know they were meant as compliments, but after nearly a week of wandering around with the full-figured look I just couldn't get myself to appreciate them.

What this all boils down to, folks, that while we are given the option to create anything we wish in Second Life including how our Avatar looks... there is still a 'norm' that many folks expect. This norm generally involves shapes, sizes, and colors that many see in today's pop culture. When someone steps 'outside the box', often the first reactions from other folks are not the prettiest.

This does not mean you should go out and create the weirdest damn Avatar you can either. One must find a balance between being unique and being realistic. Mean Girls 'Oh Snap!' posts exist because someone took 'unique' to a whole new and frightening level. Even when I made my full-figured shape, I didn't move all my sliders to 100 just to make a point.

The main thing to remember is that in RL we can't just click 'Appearance' and tweak a few slider measurements. In fact I am keeping the shape to remind myself of that very fact. Besides why would everyone want to look and act like Angelina Jolie or Brad Pitt? That would become an extremely bland world (SL or RL), wouldn't you say?

BTW, if you want to read more about a gal who's full-figured in both SL and RL, check out the Whole Lotta Rosie blog. Not to be confused with our Rosie, this beautiful lady also has a lot of spunk. ;-)

SL Racism

"I don't care if you're black, white, purple or green!" I'm sure everyone has heard this in some shape or form in their lives (or SLives) -- but how true is it?

IRL you can't be purple or green, but in SL you can ... but so few are. As a colored avatar with a taste for wacky fashion - I've found that racism in SL is very cut and dry. I won't even bring a RL spin on it because that's a whole post in itself (ie the lack of realistic black skins beyond just being what I would consider a dark 'California' tan) and instead I'll only address what I'm familiar with.

So many folks have said that they dress their avatars in ways they wouldn't dress themselves IRL. I totally understand. Lots of folks say they choose not to be their 'RL' self because that would be boring to them, and I can kinda see that too. But seriously, does dressing your avatar like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany's really give you that aire of individuality and excitement you're seeking? Is that really how you wish you could look?

I understand that if you run a business there are certain social stigmas (for lack of a better word) that go along with that responsibility. Somehow it isn't viewed as 'acceptable' to dress yourself as a seven foot tall Moogle who farts colorful stars (if someone makes that av I gotta have one!) if you plan to have any respect when it comes to customer interaction. The fact of the matter is: in SL you are judged on how you look - down to what color your skin is.

People say "I love my friends for who they are!" but nine times out of ten their friends just look like clones of the person who said that. Its completely understandable that you get in where you fit in (haha!) and people will choose who they want to talk to based up on appearance because hey - if they look like you they probably like the same stuff you do, right?

When will things move beyond appearances? When will it not matter if you have the hottest new skin/hair and matter more on the content of potential conversation? In a social MMO platform such as Second Life - I would think that people would be more socially minded and not so .. well .. small minded.

My avatar is purple. Purple hair, dorky t shirts, knee high socks, tennis shoes, and purple skin. I like how she looks. She's interesting, and in my opinion engaging. But there's a problem: no one else does. Okay so it isn't really a problem because I'm really not into the social scene much these days - but I was once upon a time! Even now I find myself roaming about just to see if there's any good conversation to be had. There really is more to SL than shopping and looped dances.

Over the past year I've done a bit of what I'd call an experiment. I found a couple 'normal' skins that I like to accompany the purple skins that I feel are really 'me'. When I wanted to make a 'quick' friend, I'd wear a normal skin and try to make my outfit match before I visited somewhere. People came up to me to talk, even though the conversation was 'petty'. You know "Wow I love your shoes where'd you get em?" or "Oooh that's a really cool shirt, who made it?" That kind of thing. But I always get the opposite reaction when I'm purple.

I can visit the same sim in 'my' kind of dress and not a soul will talk to me. When this happens I take innitiative. I start out with a simple 'Hi' usually ... which generates little to no response. Oooh back away I'm purple! It might be *gulp* contagious!

As I said earlier, I understand the 'business' end of having to look 'normal'. I've been operating a video business in SL for almost three years now (with the help of my husband Keith/Bebop Vox) and though its always seemed to be okay for HIM to look like a cyborg - I get shoddy treatment from clients when I'm in my purple skin. But once I slap on a CS or ND skin - all is right as rain! Its funny, but at the same time very very sad.

Why is it funny? Its funny to me because I know that the individuals who judge in such a way are in no position to do so. Even if you're a multi millionaire - you have no right to judge another person. Another thing that makes it funny is that big DUH factor of it just being an avatar. But it makes me wonder .. if these people have such a small tolerance for a deviation from the 'norm' here in SL .. what are they like IRL? And suddenly that's when it isn't funny anymore. They really are just being racist because I'm not whatever color they are (which ranges from redhead pale to Tom Jones Tan).

Many people have said "Oh don't be silly! There's no racism in SL!" Then I ask "Why are there so few skin makers that cater to anyone of color (ANY COLOR besides white, tan, and Christmas Turkey Skin). Why am I treated differently when I wear a skin made by Starley or Ambyance than when I wear my beloved Wysteria skin by Munchflower if there is no racism? Since there is no racism then every skin maker should have a rainbow of skin colors - or even have an actual black skin.

I've just come to the conclusion that content creation isn't about creativity at all - its about money. Content creators don't make things that make them happy .. they make things that the droning masses will buy. Sally Skinmaker doesn't care what color you WANT to be, she cares about what color you'll buy when you have a limited choice.

Good Looks are a Slider Away

Good looks in SL are common. Actually its a bit hard to actually have an ugly avatar unless you start going all psycho on the sliders that make your shape.

Even though there are a lot of handsome and pretty avatars, there are the borderline ones, and of course the "WTF Do you not ever look at yourself" ones. Each avatar's appearance is as different as the person controlling it - but I've noticed that some features are more widespread than others.

Lips are typically large in most female avatars. Is this really a trait of beauty? My avatar doesn't have pencil thin lips - but there are a lot of shapes roaming around the grid that look like they've been taking tequila shots all night. Pouty lips are one thing .. but these are ginormous.

Eyes seem to come in two variations: there's the "SURPRISE" and the "Damn the sun is bright today". That's it. You've either got these huge open eyes or they are really squinted. Of course I am basing all this on majority and not any one person in particular. Males seem to have a better handle on the eye situation, though.

And as much as I hate to go into it, boobs. Darlings there is a such thing as gravity, and wouldn't you know it they put that slider into the boob option in SL. Why does no one use it?! I see so many chicks roaming around with a friggin shelf for cleavage and its so horrid. I mean the armpit area of your shirts should not be crinkled - and even when you add gravity to your ta-tas most of the time skin makers will shade in cleavage so that you still have that 'shelf' look even after you've obeyed the laws of physics.

Legs anyone? Yeah stop running around like a stork in hooker heels and get a bit of perception of proportion when it comes to legs to body ratio! I just can't stress that enough. I get accused of being 'short' all the time - even though my avatar is about 5'5". I am NOT the short one, people! You're just too damn tall for your own good with your 6' legs! You aren't related to Wonder Woman so you aren't from Amazonia .. stop making your shape say otherwise!

There are plenty of other body parts yet to go. Hips are a delicate subject. I was once a victim of being under the influence of the prim skirt. There is no universal size for building prim skirts and therefore so many have opted to have waif thin Kate Moss avs just so they can wear that brand new skirt put out by InsertDesigner Here. Girls its not true! I can guarantee that if some of you models were to give yourselves some curves that designers would re-think their products and product proportions. There are plus size women IRL - and also in SL.

Speaking of models ... what exactly makes someone a model in SL? I've never been one, and I can't say I even know one but I see a lot of profiles that say "model". Is it their face, their body shape, the skins they wear to make their face look better? And in a world where good looks are only a slider click away .. why isn't everyone a model? Better yet why are there so many similarities in so many avatars if they are 'infinitely customizable' (and I refer mostly to shape)? What exactly defines beauty in a virtual world where the meaning of the word could be twisted shaped and molded into anything? Well I'll tell ya - its a bunch of people who all have similar traits but different flavors. Like ice cream! You know what ice cream is - and what it looks like but it just comes with slight alterations .. overall its all the same.

Because of all those 'problems' some people are totally bankin' off selling premade shapes. Why!? Its so friggin' easy to just move a couple sliders around yet people are going to spend more on a shape than they would a badass hairstyle. And those premade shapes rarely seem worth it to me .. one you normally can't modify them so if you want to just change how big your nose is .. too damn bad. Two - the fact of knowing that there is another chick out traipsing the grid that looks exactly like me is enough to make me want to NEVER buy a pre made shape.

Once upon a time folks used to hold building classes in SL - and I'm starting to ask myself if someone should host shape making classes. I guess I'm just against conventional beauty :/ Any thoughts?