True Icons

When I was in high school , there was only one magazine for teenage girls like me (then), Teen Magazine. Now you can go to any bookstore or 7-11 and be in total disarray over which magazine to get. Take your pick, there is a vast assortment of mags to choose from, whether it be about fashion, lifestyle, travel, gadgets, sports, cooking, name it and there isn't any topic they don't have. What I see an abundance of is celebrity magazines. Yes, OK, Hello, even fashion mags are dominated by these celebrities. By celebrities I mean Bradgelina, Tomkat, David & Posh Becks, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie, Britney Spears. I've never been a fan of Brad, maybe only after seeing his behind in Troy, then it went kaput after he left Jennifer Aniston for Angelina Jolie. Angelina, well she is a sight to behold and she does do a lot for the UN. Tom Cruise, I don't like him, never have, never will. The Beckhams are a groovy looking bunch although I don't dig the metrosexual hooplah of David and though Posh is quite a fashionista, hers is a kind of a hit-or-miss thing, she sometimes looks like Audrey Hepburn reincarnated or a total alien. And Paris, seriously, she can't act, she can't dance, she can't sing, all she has to show for is that infamous sex video. Mabuti nga at nakulong siya! Nicole, she loses half her bodyweight, denies an eating disorder, drives on the wrong side of the freeway, has tried cocaine, meth, and probably every synthetic drug there is, remind me agin why she is famous. Save for the fact that she was adopted by Lionel Richie, I really don't know why. And Britney, dear Britney. I still have a vivid picture in my head of your bald ________ head. I see London, I see France, I've seen more than your underpants! I keep forgetting you once sold 50 million albums.

It is said that who we venerate says a lot about who we are. Is this what the world is coming to? No wonder they feature anorexic and bulimic 5 to 7 year old kids on Oprah, Tyra and Dr. Phil. If these are the icons of our generation, then we can probably expect even younger kids to go on shooting sprees in campus. And that scares the hell out me, even more so for my children.

Well here's a short list of my idols:

Oprah Winfrey - not only is she the Queen of Talk, but also a media mogul, publisher, producer, actress, host, philanthropist, whew, did I miss anything? She, to me is something like the Dalai Lama for women. Whatever Divine plan or Grand Design God has, the woman gets it, she totally gets it. Talk about enlightened.

William H. Gates III, more popularly known as Bill Gates - Not only is he America's richest but one of the most philanthropic. And he does so with his wife Melinda. Although a Harvard dropout, I love that he has his own foundation that focuses on education, and the lack thereof.

Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan - Hands down and arguably the most beautiful woman on the planet. Married to royalty, she can probably spend all her days shopping, but heck no. She spearheads a lot of charities and many women's rights groups. She reminds me a lot of the late Princess Di. If I were to be reincarnated, oooohhhh how I'd wish to be her......Or at least look like her.

Warren Buffet - One of America's richest men (second to Gates in Forbes' list last year of America's richest), also one of the most philanthropic. He once vowed to donate a huge part of his fortune posthumously, but has started giving away massive sums, some of which to Gates' foundation. And no matter how much he manages to give away, he keeps earning more. Talk about The Secret...........

Did I mention everyone on my list is self-made? That alone speaks for itself.
So, who's on your list??? I do hope you choose well.

(photo credit: Wikipedia)