Let everyone else do their Ten Best lists and their Persons of the Year. I say it is time to own up to some of the stuff that is really bugging us.
--I am sick and tired of watching gorgeous women say they will never resort to cosmetic surgery or anything of the like. NEITHER WOULD WE if we were born with their bone structure and cheekbones that never go slack. Talk to me in 20 years.
--I am fed up with reports of a celebrity's "torrid" affair. How does anyone know if what someone does in a bedroom is torrid? Would it kill to say "Tiger Woods had a tepid affair?"
--Speaking of misused or overused words: Isn't the "Exclusive" claim getting a bit transparent? Would it not be more honest for the offenders to admit they were the only ones who asked?? The first time on a nightly cable show! The first time on a morning show live! The first interview with Robert Gates and Hillary Clinton together! (Well, at least since George Stephanopolis had them thirty minutes prior)
--And have you noticed that no one is ever listed as a Porn "actress?" It's always Porn "star"?
--Need I say I have had it up to here with automated voices? How many times do I have to yell "OPERATOR!" to get to a human to get me a human to fix my malfunctioning machines?
--Maybe it's just me, but I am so not in love with small plates. I didn't like sharing when I was two and I am not crazy about it now. I am perfectly capable of eating a full Spring Roll by myself, thank you. And I am kind of getting tired of the raging return of the organic movement, (I was recently confronted with Flax Seed pancakes) though some of my best friends are locovores.
--Perhaps it's just the bitter fledgling playwright in me, but mediocre Broadway shows with big movie stars leave me incensed. Of course, I am thrilled to see more people lured to the theatre, so cut the prices and get people who can act or sing. (Scarlett is next, so stay tuned)
--I am really really tired of Reality shows which I brazenly predicted would not go past Survivor and Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. The good part is I rarely have to decide what to watch unless it's that rare period where Mad Men and Entourage are not only on, but on at the same time.
--Interrupting hosts, guests who yell over each other, and long and windy speeches continue to rank high on my list. I have turned off many a talk show and walked out of weddings, benefits and barmitzvahs. I still insist the most dangerous weapon of mass destruction is the microphone.
--I try with all my heart to remind myself these are people who need work and are trying their best, but telemarketers can go to hell.
--Finally, my pettiest peeve is this aging thing. Sure, it is nice when people say "you look great," but none of this is fun. As a potential remedy, I wrote a book with two models-turned-psychologists who have great cheekbones, but at least helped me put a changing face into perspective.
FACE IT: What Women Really Feel As Their Looks Change by Vivian Diller, Ph.D, with Jill Muir-Sukenick, Ph.D. and edited by Michele Willens is a psychological guide to help women deal with the emotions brought on by their changing appearances. As models turned psychotherapists, Diller and Sukenick have had the opportunity to examine the world of beauty from two very different vantage points. This unique perspective helped them develop a six-step program that begins with recognizing "uh-oh" moments that reveal the reality of changing looks, and goes on to identify the masks used to cover deeper issues and define the role beauty plays in a woman's life, and ends with bidding adieu to old definitions of beauty, so women can enjoy their appearance--at any age!
For more information on the book, authors, and events, please visit http://www.faceitthebook.com or visit our fan page on Facebook.