Ted Williams: The Homeless Man with TALENT!

Some would argue that I am much too critical and that I overanalyze everything. But, I really can't help it; this is how my brain works. So, here I go again!

A couple nights ago, my mother asked if I had heard about the homeless man with the baritone radio voice and I said "no" and then immediately googled homeless man with a golden voice and watched the youtube video of Ted Williams that went viral and made the panhandler from Columbus, Ohio an instant star.

I've read a few news articles (there are at least 2,500 online articles now) and watched a few interviews. For those of you who haven’t heard about Ted Williams, here's a quick summary:

Ted Williams is a 53-year-old instant star that was discovered as he panhandled at the side of the highway with a cardboard sign that read “I have a God-given gift of voice. I’m an ex-radio announcer who has fallen on hard times...” A 47-year-old web producer for the Columbus Dispatch needed material and decided to film the “golden-voiced” homeless man that he had given a dollar to a few weeks before. Chenoweth, the web producer, posted the video and within a few days, the video was viral. Since the posting of the video, Williams has been offered a position with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he’s signed a contract with Kraft, voiced an MSNBC promo and Oprah has expressed interest in having him on the new Oprah Winfrey Network.

Ok, so here’s where I get a bit critical. My question is what made this video go viral? I understand why it is a popular story now that he is being presented with all these employment opportunities, but the video began to go viral before the Cavaliers, KRAFT and Oprah offered him a job. I can’t help but question the initial factors that led to people being so astonished by Ted Williams and his voice.

Here are some things to consider: Why were we so surprised or intrigued when we watched the video? Was it because his voice was so amazing or was it because we couldn’t believe a “golden voice” could come from an unclean, haggardly, homeless man?

Underlying this viral video is the fact that one of two things happen when we think of homeless people, one, we assume that they have no talent, skills or real abilities or two, we assume that even if a second chance at success was presented to them they’re so lazy, addicted or lost that they wouldn’t know what to do with it. There is so much prejudice and so many stereotypes when it comes to the homeless and this is an exaggerated example of our misconceptions of “the other”.

People are either amazed because a homeless man has talent or because they can’t understand how someone with so much talent could end up homeless. Take a second and think about it this way, if Ted Williams was dressed in a suit and clean cut would the video have gone viral? I think people would’ve enjoyed hearing the voice but it would not have been newsworthy. Next, consider a video where Ted Williams told his story but did not have the “golden voice”. Again, not a newsworthy story, in this case, he would have simply been yet another homeless person who let addiction destroy his life. I hate to burst your bubble and rain on the parade, but it’s important to make mention of the fact that homeless people are worthy of our attention with or without some amazing, showstopping talent. I cannot speak for every single homeless person, but most homeless people are not homeless because they’re lazy or lack skill, ability or talent. Some of them suffer from addiction or mental illness and some of them are simply people who are down on their luck and lacking support and resources.

It should not take a “golden-voice” to make us care about a man and others like him. Without his golden voice, Ted Williams would have simply been one of the many homeless people that many of us walk right by without thinking twice. We lock our car doors as we drive past them, complain about them relying on our tax dollars and pretend that they’re invisible on a regular basis. Of course, I am happy for Ted Williams. In fact, he reminds me a lot of someone very close to me. But, I couldn’t just enjoy this “feel good” story without pointing out that there are many talented and skilled homeless people out there that we don’t think twice about because they’re on the street without an entertaining gimmick. They all have a story and many of them are very deserving of a second chance. So what can we do, myself included, to make a difference in the lives of those who find themselves homeless...

1. LEARN more

Here are a few links:
Women and Homelessness
http://intraspec.ca/WomenPovertyAndHomelessnessInCanada.pdf
Homeless Youth
http://www.covenanthouse.ca/Public/Facts-and-Stats
Aboriginal Homelessness
http://www.toronto.ca/housing/pdf/dealing_effectively_aboriginal_homelessness.pdf

2. SPEAK OUT more

- Talk about it with family, friends and colleagues
- Use social media as a forum for discussion about things that really matter. Blog about it, post about it on facebook, tweet about it, etc.

3. DO more

- Volunteer, host a fundraiser, make a donation to a local charity in the form of money, food, clothes and finally, the most important thing that we can do is TREAT HOMELESS PEOPLE WITH RESPECT!

A Woman’s Worth Network will be holding an event focused on supporting and sharing with homeless women. If you're interested in volunteering and helping in the planning of this event, please contact me at tiffanymshelton@gmail.com and if your interested in attending our upcoming event, please post a comment below and stay tuned for details.

My Perfect Life - The Facebook Fallacy

Sometimes life can be so overwhelming and I long for simple solitude, relaxing reflection and mindful meditation. But solitude, reflection and meditation can be difficult to achieve when the beep, ring, vibration, hum or buzz of modern technology disturbs and comforts simultaneously. There is something strange about our addiction to social media. Social media has its benefits but am I the only one that finds bbm pings and messages, twitter tweets, facebook status updates and blog posts overwhelming at times? It’s overwhelming yet I can’t seem to get enough of it. Sometimes I just want to shut off my blackberry and lock away my laptop but I just can’t bring myself to do it. My gosh, I can’t imagine what I might miss!

I’m going to be super honest right now because I know there must be somebody who feels the same way that I do. Now as much as I love my life, sometimes I feel a little disheartened after spending time on facebook or blogs. It seems as if social media has become a platform for which people present their fantastic lives and experiences to the rest of their social network. After spending time browsing through pictures of wonderful nights out with beautiful people, trips to exotic places and luxurious purchases, I can’t help but think that my life might be a little boring, commonplace and drab. Although I should know better, I get caught up in the moment and buy into everybody’s hype. I know that most people are not going to air their dirty laundry through social media and as a result, we only get the good, the great and the fabulous updates about their lives. And I know a lot of what people put out there is bragging and oversharing? But, regardless of whether it is bragging or not, I must admit that I get pulled in and I start to wonder if I’m missing out on what it means to live life to the fullest. I know I am blessed and I love my life but it definitely makes me think about what I’m doing or not doing and what I have or don’t have.

So the question of the day is ... does social media teach us lessons in admiration or envy? Is it worthwhile in that it teaches us to enjoy and share in the success of others or is it problematic in that it can leave us feeling a bit unsatisfied with our own lives? What do you think?

“Blessed is he who has learned to admire but not envy, to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter, and to lead but not manipulate.” - William A. Ward

Smoke and Mirrors: Uncovering What's Behind the Behinds

So while some us are squatting and lunging away, others are paying their money and buying booty. I can't hate on them for purchasing a perkier posterior but I must admit that these fake fatties create some unreasonable expectations for us genuine girls.

Now, I love me some Pink Friday and Keeping up with the Kardashians, however, the booties of these bootylicious babes are most definitely questionable.

Check out some before and after pictures of these desirable derrières.

Kim Kardashian - Before and After

Nicki Minaj- Before and After

I'm sure you remember that at some point not too long ago, women were asking "Do these jeans make my butt look big?" They were asking with the hope that the response would be "No, your butt looks perfect!" For many women and for a very long time, having a big butt was synonymous with being overweight and unattractive. However, things have changed and it's wonderful that curves are being embraced and celebrated. Surely, it's great that more women can fit into mass media’s definition of beauty. But then again, no matter how much society’s standards of beauty widen, there will always be those who in spite of everything do not measure up. After all, perfection is unachievable. When one undergoes plastic surgery to be more “beautiful” is it problematic, acceptable or immaterial?

Should it be an issue, when women cannot find contentment with our bodies and ourselves in its natural form? Is there a problem when women of all ages are trying desperately to enhance, modify and transform themselves to be more attractive? When women (in large numbers) feel the need to risk their health by getting butt implants and butt injections, should we worry or question it? Butt implants and butt lifts are the relatively new mainstream beauty phenomenon, but really this trend is simply a new symptom of an ongoing terminal illness. The illness is unhealthy body images and low self-esteem amongst too many women in today’s society. At what point, do we stop following fads and accept our bodies as is? It's most definitely a difficult feat with the constant bombardment of media images communicating what we should aspire to look like.

Personally, I struggle daily with feelings of inadequacy. I’m constantly looking in the mirror and considering breast implants, wondering how many squats and lunges it will take to get my butt the way I want it, critiquing extra pounds, using creams to get rid of imperfections and scars, etc. The crazy thing is I consider myself beautiful (inside and out) but I'm never content with who I am, what I look like or what I’m doing. I’m always striving for perfection. Is dissatisfaction a part of the human condition? Is my lack of contentment exacerbated by media and societal pressures?

Feel free to comment.