Bloggers Eye Skimpy Halloween Garb

Are Racy Costumes A Mark Of Confidence Or Demeaning? Bloggers Weigh In

(CBS) 
A Cross To Bear

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has appeared several times in public recently with a cross around her neck, and it's been riling up her enemies in the blogosphere. An image of the senator, from the chin down, wearing a black suit with a cross dangling from her neck, has been making its away around various blogs this past week.

While the senator is, in fact, religious — Ben Smith of The New York Daily News points out that Clinton's faith has been part of her public character since she taught Sunday school as the first lady of Arkansas and was an active member of a Washington church as first lady — many bloggers doubt her religious sincerity.

Many say Clinton's cross is merely a political accessory. "I guess it's only a matter of time before she rediscovers her faith-based roots sometime before election day, 2008," Thomas at American Papist blogs.

Russell Shaw writes at The Huffington Post that he does not "begrudge anyone's right to believe in what they believe in" but wonders "how much of Hillary's cross-wearing is consultant-driven, as opposed to driven more by belief."

"I also happen to wonder how this symbolic display of her faith squares with the almost irrefutable fact that she ignored her husband's multiple adulterous episodes in her quest to be close to power- and then gain some for herself," Shaw adds.

Others say that Clinton is politically tone-deaf since she should've been aware that wearing a cross at public events would be criticized by her political foes. "And that's what I worry about for 2008: that she's going to win the Democratic nomination and lose in a landslide, because she just can't stop making easily avoidable mistakes like this," Steve at No More Mister Nice Blog writes.


Job Advice: What Not To Do

It's undoubtedly a hard time for job applicants. With the click of a button, anyone can apply for a job via e-mail, so how do you make your application stand out from the rest? Well, Aleksey Vayner learned the hard way about what not to do.

When he sent along a video with his investment-banking job application to UBS, it's unlikely the Yale senior anticipated it would end up appearing on television, in newspapers such as the New York Times, and nearly everywhere else online. But after someone at UBS forwarded the video to YouTube, it has spread like wildfire, and has become widely mocked for its arrogance.

The video, titled "Impossible is nothing," includes shots of Vayner boxing, working out at the gym, and even ballroom dancing, all while Vayner discusses the meaning of success in his pinstriped suit. Not only was the video mocked, but others questioned some of his claims in his résumé, including that he ran his own charity. The blog IvyGate has been tracking Vayner's every digital move.

Needless to say, Vayner told the New York Times, "this has been an extremely stressful time." He told the newspaper he took a leave of absence from Yale once the video became an online sensation.

Many are starting to feel sorry for him. "Part of me feels bad for the guy. He obviously didn't show this video to real friends or mentors before sending this out because they would have decried, 'Pleazzz don't!,' " a blogger at Back In Skinny Jeans writes.

Others say it was partly Vayner's own fault. "I kind of feel sorry for the guy but being an habitual liar in the digital age is not too smart," a blogger at Independent Sources writes, echoing the opinion of many bloggers.

Jack at Random Thoughts agrees it's a cautionary tale. "There are many life lessons to be learned here. In the information age we live in a time in which information can live forever. The video and story surrounding this man is not going to disappear," he writes.

But some bloggers say the extreme measure Vayner went to is merely a reflection on the competitive job market young grads face. "This is an extremely tongue in cheek video about the unrealistic expectation of Employers and the pressure this brings on job seekers," a blogger at The Codicil writes. "You are right Aleksey Vayner, they don't want employees, they are looking for supermen. Come on Wall Street, the laugh is on you."

But perhaps all is not lost for Vayner, Matthew Ingram suggests. "Maybe investment banking isn't ready for Aleksey, but there's a spot for him somewhere on reality TV, I guarantee," Ingram blogs.

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[squiz2]

Feminists fought for equality, freedom, the right to vote, the right to own property, etc. Feminists did not rally to dress like prostitutes and flaunt their bodies for any ***** jerk to drool over. Changing fashion and media did that, not feminists.

[lakotakat-2009]

*** sells. Period.

Women mistakenly think that by showing off their bodies they are declaring their "freedom" or something.

I happen to be a woman, and I think there is a time and place for everything, but NOT dressing publically like a *** just to "impress" a guy(s) - thank you very much. I just don't "buy into" that "freedom" issue - it was created by men, FOR MEN!!

[Syndicate]

Thanks for the news but I saw this one on a Carlos Mencia show last month.

[ucellis]

I am balanced half and half on this issue. While I can understand and respect the 'old timers' approach, I can also respect that it is the woman's choice if she wants to show her things or not. At the same time, companies should push both sides. Costumes that show a little and costumes that show alot. Cater to both sides so females arn't 'forced' to wear nothing if they don't want to.
Personaly I could care less if a girl walked naked down the street or not. I think our country is scared by our own natural bodies but I was taught to respect other people's ideas. I can see how older woman are agast at the younger age but I think at the same time, the younger age is glowing in the freedom that our feminest decendents fought for us to have.

[squiz2]

The pre-fabricated costumes in the stores disgust me. No matter what the outfit, it it's for women, it's ***. Sure, you can be a fire-fighter, a cop, or a nurse, but you'll look more like you're fullfilling some horndog's fantasies than saving lives. The costumes for younger girls are getting worse, too. Anyone under 18 should NOT wear mini-skirts, fishnets, and booby shirts. What ever happened to decency and creativity? Maybe I'll be Gloria Steinem for Halloween....

[bunnybaum]

If you feel you need to dress *** and show off what you got, then you had better be ready to face the consequences. No woman should dress indecent for Halloween.....call me "old fashioned" if you want to, but shouldn't Halloween be fun?