TRAITAutumn 2011

Issue 1

What Matters To You?

AUTUMN BEAUTYGet up-to-date with a fabulous autumn make over

TWISTED BY THE MEDIA?Catrin Podgorski explains how the media have made a generation of body

conscious youths.

TWO OF A KINDWe discover what it’s really like being born with a double.

Inside The Magazine.

On the cover

Features

TWISTED BY THE MEDIA The Real Size Of Beauty

Page 20.

Highlights

AUTUMN BEAUTYPage 18.

TWO OF A KINDIt’s A Twin Thing

Page 14.

Parkour?Page 13.

The World From The View Of Stu Page 8.

Put On Your Dancing ShoesPage 16.

Do Women Belong On Venus?Page 11.

Music Review Page 27.

Trait_Likes_LovesPage 30.

Has Michael Schumacher Lost His Magic?Page 24.

The Linguist LoungePage 28.

2

Editorial and Artistic Director

Deputy Editor

Editorial Assistant

Contributors

Niall Hunt

Katie Bergin

Emily Adams

William Callard, Tiffany Encina, Christine Felkin, Emily Fielding, Deanna Hallett, Michael Huang, Catrin Podgorski, Beth Thorpe, Stu Turley and Miranda Wilkie

Issue Illustrator

Jackie Penny

Areyou an

independent artist?Do you want to get your work

NOTICED?

You donʼt have to use clashing colours for us to notice yourtalent. Just e-mail Trait with details on the artistic work that you

do at traitonlineproject@gmail.com4

Hi guys, how was your summer? Do you miss it already? This summer we had so much fun

preparing for this first issue of Trait magazine and we hope you enjoy it just as much as we do. You’d think a day of arguing over fonts and colours would be boring, but no, it’s been an excellent time (even with Katie’s frequent nosebleeds). We’re already looking forward to up and coming issues and future articles. It didn’t seem possible that this project could ever come together and it wouldn’t be possible without you. But we still need more of your great work to keep Trait alive. For the first Autumn issue we focused on the theme “What matters to you?” This covered anything and everything you are passionate about. We received insightful articles such as “Sizing up to beauty”, confronting the media’s twisted perception on beauty or the hilariously crass article from Stu Turley!

We setup the magazine to give the creative youth a voice. We felt that teenagers today were often stereotyped as delinquent thugs who lack intelligence, respect and ability. However we knew this was wrong so decided to create a magazine to prove the stereotypes wrong, to prove that the teenagers of today really do have a voice... and that it’s one that really matters. So we ask you today as you’re reading the first issue of Trait, what matters to you?

Niall Hunt and Katie Bergin.

Letter From The Editors.

TRAITTRAIT

Take a picture. ? ??

It would be nice to see your photos here.

6

1) You e-mail us your articles/ photos/ art work/ blog URLʼs

2) We edit, format and publish them into Trait magazine.

3) You and all your friends can read them at http://issuu.com/traitmagazine

The World From

The View Of

Stu.

8

Stu

"What matters to you?” - The title, the topic, the agenda of this issue . (Though, a more clever title could be Bohemian Rhapsody). Most people w o u l d s a y t h e s a m e business: Money, sex, their lovers, family...money, etc.

‘Course, this applies to me, but when I actually sit down with a pen and paper and a mug of hot, hot coco and think what matters to me, and ONLY me, I can't think of shit. So what did I think of? Firstly, my fiancé. But of course he matters to me. If he didn't, then I wouldn't be a very good lover, would I? He makes me happy. I make him happy. And the sex does both simultaneously. Sex matters too – though everyone is a l w a y s l i k e ; “ S E X E S N T EVRYTING IN DA RELSHINSOP!!!1”. True as this may be, it’s still important. To me, anyhow. I couldn’t live with a sexless relationship. Sex is too great. It makes me jizz. I like jizzing. Then I was like; "Moneyz". Money is so important, especially in these desperate times of recession. I love money; money makes me happy. Money buys things and things are why people do what they do. Why did I do it? I want something. Killers kill for their own personal thing: which may be thrillish- gratification or fame. People compete in sports to achieve their personal thing: winning shit. Okay, off topic, but STILL.

So yes, add that to the list, Fiancé and moneyz, What else? Yeah, I suppose my family. I need someone to sponge off, and entertainment.

Jesus H Vishnu, who knows what I'd be doing with myself (probably what is implied) if there wasn't any gaming escapes or books or film or ANYTHING. I'd be sat in my room, hands wrapped around my cock, jacking it till even that couldn't satisfy me anymore. (Told you).

Fiance, moneyz, family and entertainment...

...My career. In fact, I think at this moment in time, it’s probably the thing that plagues my mind the most – University and my career, rather. For those of you that don’t know – I am an actor. Not a professional one of course, but I’ve been in quite a few shows etc, but I want to do it as my career. Yeah it’s a hard, hard road to take (l 0 l) but I ’m prepared to work my ass off (again, l 0 l) to get where I want to be. I wouldn’t mind

directing either, you know? I’ve always said I’d act for free. In a perfect world, I would. I honestly would. But this isn’t a perfect world. It’s a world where someone is constantly after your dollar. Taxes. Bills. The mob.So I guess that’s another thing that matters to me – getting where I want. Also, I want to have chirrens. (Children). Obviously not in the biological way (vaginas are creepypasta) but in a Madonna way. (Adoption).Yeah, maybe one child, actually. More could be annoying and far too costly for me and the hubby to handle.

So we got: Fiancé, sex, moneyz, family, entertainment, career, chirrens, and cookies.

WHAT

MATTERS

TO YOU?The fabulous uncouth blogger, Stuart

explains what really matters to him! Expect remarkably crude remarks and all round Stu

greatness...follow his blog at yummybrummy.tumblr.com

10

T h e “ M e n v s . W o m e n ” argument has been around since the dawn of man (and w o m a n ) , a n d i t c a n b e reasonably said, that man has prevailed for the best part of two millennia, but, in the turn of the twentieth century, women took a few small steps toward equality. After centuries of protest, campaigning reached fever-pitch in the early 1900s, when many suffragist supporters lost their lives setting off bombs in voting halls or, like infamous women’s rights campaigner Emily Davison, when stepping out in front of King’s horse at Epsom Derby in 1913. It was during World War I, when a serious shortage of able-bodied men (titled “manpower”, much to the frustration of t h e S u f f r a g e t t e s ) occurred, women were required to take on many of the traditional male roles. This led to the revolutionary view that w o m e n , s h o c k i n g l y, could complete the same tasks as men, in the same amount of time.

It is pretty much unanimously agreed that gone are the days when women sat at home doing the housework and popping out child after child. Now, with the aid of

effective contraception and a change in both the law and the values of employers, women are as career-driven, capable and independent as their male counterparts. But, a r e t h e n e w e s t g e n e r a t i o n s o f b lossoming beaut ies forgetting the struggle tha t the i r ances to rs endured to be in the position that they are now?

We’ve a l l heard the terrible tales of the “ladette”. A term coined to describe the new wave of “laddish” young women who binge-drink and reek micro-skirted chaos throughout city centres across Britain. Our

country already has the highest rate of alcohol-related death in males in Europe, but with these raucous scenes of drunken debauchery, it seems that women are gaining on men in the race for Britain’s Biggest Boozers. The crime rate for women has risen by 17% in the past four years, as opposed to only 4.5% for men, so are we women t a k i n g o u r n e w - f o u n d freedom to the extreme? A p h o t o o f a young woman in Cardiff centre recently emerged in the news, as she drunkenly

stumbles with her knickers around her ankles, jeered on by her girlfriends. Is this just a one-off embarrassing incident or is the future of w o m e n a t r i s k ? Increasingly, women are painted as sex symbols, e m p l o y e d s o l e l y t o promote the newest pop s i n g l e , d e o d o r a n t o r gadget. Clearly, the male dominance of society has lasted, despite so many women’s efforts to gain equality. And now with the saturation of this “type” of

woman – big-boobed, collagen stuffed lips and a willingness to undress as a means of getting ahead – more and more young girls are being influenced that marrying a footballer is the easier way to success. If we want to continue the effort that Emily Davison and her colleagues went to, and so many others before them, we cannot allow the progress we have made to be hindered at this point, by a slim few (whose n u m b e r s a r e w o r r y i n g l y increasing) to who choose to validate themselves by the degrading views of the “macho”, beer swilling readers of Nuts magazine. There is no need any more for the male breadwinners. We are perfectly capable of providing for ourselves. Let’s prove ourselves.

“We’ve all

heard the

terrible tales of

the ladette”

Do Women Belong On Venus? Miranda Wilkie

“Women are

painted as sex

symbols”

Miranda joins us later in The Linguist Lounge...

Take a picture.

It’ll last longer.

?

It would be nice to see your photos here.

We will always be looking for photos and art to illustrate articles, ideas and front covers. Thatʼs why we need your artistic talents to provide us with fantastic images. Again, it doesnʼt matter what your experience level is as long as you enjoy taking a few snaps or illustrating, we want your work.

Hereʼs how it works,You send us good resolution images- we use them in our publication- we credit you with every photo we use. Simple.

If we find your work particularly outstanding we can offer you ʻad spaceʼ. Meaning for every 6 decent photographs you send us we will offer you a full A4 space add where you can advertise your blogs and websites. If you send in 10 outstanding photos we can give you a double page spread of ʻadd spaceʼ. This will allow more traffic to your sites and guides readers to more of your fantastic work.

12

Trait has a chat with William Callard about the urban sport of parkour. We see how parkour has allowed him to set and achieve personal goals and the impact it’s had on his life philosophy. Parkour really is something that matters to Will...

Hi Will, could you explain to us, what parkour is?Basically parkour, which is sometimes known as freerunning, is getting from point A to point B as efficiently and quickly as possible using only your body and your environment.

How did you first get involved?When I was younger someone said I should start gymnastics so I found my local gym club and joined but I hated it. I loved the moves and exercises but I hated all the rules and regimentation. Then I heard that they did parkour in another session, I went and instantly loved it.

So has your love for parkour affected your life in anyway?From the beginning parkour taught me alot about myself and life in a way. With the danger element of parkour you have to be able to empty your head of thoughts and completely focus on what you’re doing which has helped me with things like exams. It’s also driven me to succeed in life and given me the determination I need. If there’s a difficult jump I want to do and I don’t do it first time then I will keep trying until I land it.

Parkour doesnʼt follow any rules does it? Itʼs more about the philosophy of freedom. Could you explain what this philosophy has taught you?It’s taught me that nothing is ever going to be perfect but you just have to get over it

and do the best with the situation you have. Parkour made me realise that you shouldn’t think about the past because its gone, its not coming back and there’s nothing you can do. You shouldn’t worry about the future because whatever is going to happen will happen, the only thing that you can change is the NOW. Live in the “now” and everything will seem to sort itself out.

Very wise words! Could you even go as far as to say that it has saved your life?In a way you could say that parkour has saved my life. If it wasn’t for parkour then I would be a stereotypical teenager, you know, drinking, smoking etc. But because I already have the rush of doing this thing most people would see as impossible then I don’t see the need to do any of that other stuff.

Do you know many others that do parkour?That’s one of the things I love about parkour, the other like minded people that do it. The opportunities and identity it has given to me and the friends I have made along the way are amazing. I’m sponsored by UrbanFreeflow the worlds biggest parkour and freerunning company. Through that I have met more people that do parkour. The friends I’ve made through parkour are some of the best friends you could ask for. Even recently I travelled to London and stayed with one of my friends for 4 days!

Well thank you William, itʼs great to hear how something can have an impact on your life in such a great way. Do you have any final words of wisdom?Remember life is only what you make it so make it what you want.

Parkour?

Want to watch Will in action? Check out his youtube account at www.youtube.com/parkourpal

The facts, the laughs and annoyances of being a twin.

IT’S A TWIN THING...

By Emily Fieldingthediamondunicorn.tumblr.com

14

I d e n t i c a l t w i n s , t h e y ’ r e fascinating, aren’t they? They’re biological clones, yet they can grow up to be so different. People love asking twins questions like “What is it like to be a twin?” and “Is it annoying looking exactly the same?” Looking the same is no easy ride, I can say that any day, but sometimes it’s not bad fun either. When you’ve grown up for 16 years with it, you begin to get used to the fact that stupid questions will never really stop. People who aren’t twins ask these questions, not knowing how irritating they can be. The prime example: “Are you twins?” If you are a twin however, then you know the unimaginable annoyance that this question brings. Together with my twin, we came up with some answers to shoot back…

:: “Yes”, for those with a little amount of time or patience.

::“No”, for those who are out to confuse people.

::“No, we’re triplets, but the other one is in the car.”

::“No, we’re extremely similar cousins.”

::“What, me and him/her? No, I’ve never

met them in my life. Now you come to mention it, we do look rather similar.”

The list of possibilities is endless, but these are just a few we came up with. If you are up for a bit of amusement, then these may work.

Some Quite Interesting Facts

:: About 25% of identical twins are called mirror twins. For example, if one has a mole under their right eye, the other will have it under their left eye. (This is the case with me and my twin – we’re mirror twins!):: According to the National Centre for Health Statistics the number of multiple births has increased by 74% since 1980.

The chances of having twins have rapidly increased over time. According to the BBC, the chance of having a twin birth 10 years ago was one in 50. Now, one in 37 is born a twin. Nearly 10,000 multiple births were recorded in England and Wales last year and the rates are still increasing. But does this mean these annoying questions will ever end? Probably not. The streams of annoying questions, looking exactly the same as someone else, and people staring and pointing… that’s the life of an identical twin. It’s not as cool and fun-filled as you may think. But hey, it’s a twin thing.

...stupid questions will never

really stop...

It's a Saturday evening, and I'm writing this article for this edition of Trait Magazine. My room is surprisingly clean, which leaves me inspired to write about "what matters to you" (With the help of Kylie Minogue , I may add.)!When I was asked to write an article with this edition, my mind went completely blank. I had no idea what p e o p l e w o u l d fi n d interesting or even amusing. Af ter a deep breath I realised it was the one thing that I eat, sleep and drink... Dance! ! Most 16 year olds have a boyfriend, however I have an on going love affair with dance. Like a relationship, t h e fi r s t t i m e I w a s introduced to dance I could not get enough of it. When I was 3 years old I would spend the majority of the day spinning, leaping and turning to the latest pop hit of the time. ! At age 7, I was heavily into gymnastics, which was also something I adored but one day something clicked. My favourite part of gymnastics was the floor routines. I would spend a considerable amount of time picking the music that inspired me the most and left me with nothing but a good feeling. The thing that clicked was that I wanted to dance! After pestering my mother, she finally gave in and found me a dance teacher. Looking back on my childhood my mum always said that whenever we went to see a show, I would buy a p r o g r a m m e a n d immediately tell her I was going to the same schools which the cast members had been to, and then tell her that I was going to be on that stage in a few years time. I didn't think she really realised how determined I

was and still am to make those dreams come true.! Going to dance class was uplifting. Only dance had the ability to uplift me after a bad day, and made me forget about the outside world. Dance has the ability to lure me into a world which was surprisingly hard to break free from. I was hooked, and I couldn't wait until the next time I would get to spend more time dancing. I guess you could say that dance had won my heart...I knew I wanted it for the rest of my life. As a young dancer, we sacrifice normal teenage things to develop our craft. For example ballet classes take priority over doing homework or spending time with friends. It’s a lifestyle which forces you to be organised and on-top of everything. I would love to h a v e a! c a r e e r i n c o n t e m p o r a r y d a n c e . However it's always a good idea to have a backup plan, just incase disaster strikes. Living this kind of lifestyle teaches you how to have a perfect balance. One thing about culture today is that it allows dance to be all around us and shows how accepting the art can be. Take “Strictly C o m e D a n c i n g ” f o r instance, it shows us that dance has no age limit and can be enjoyed by anyone. T h e re a re e v e n m o re classes for beginners and seniors. No matter what age or what ability, I truly believe that dance can be for everyone. Street dance and contemporary dance is also growing ever more popular, and it seems to be that people actual ly l ike to dance instead of pretending t h e y o n l y d a n c e a t weddings! H o w e v e r l i k e a n y relationship, dance can leave you frustrated, full of anger and disappointment.

This can be from rejection or just not getting a certain step right. Sometimes, this fee l ing can leave you wanting to cry. I know it sounds dramatic but, it's because of the passion that lives inside you that makes you want to be the best dancer you can possibly be. Even if dance is not what you want to pursue,! just not getting it right can leave you wound up. But you can't be mad at Dance for too long. So far in my small dance e x p e r i e n c e I ' v e l i v e d through cuts, scrapes, low's, highs, self doubt, failure and rejection. As the saying goes, "What does not k i l l y o u , m a k e s y o u s t r o n g e r " , a n d f r o m experience, I've learnt this is true. As well as hard feet we grow a thick skin. Which is vital for success. If we let every rejection and bad criticism get into our state of mind, we'd be reduced to nothing. However hard you try, you can't be everyone's cup of tea. But as long as you enjoy what you do, who can stop you? But after every fall, disappointment, bruise, cut, rejection and every other emotion under the sun, I'd never leave dance. It's become a part of me, it's part of my identity... I h o p e y o u a l l fi n d something that you honestly think you'd love to do for the rest of your life, even if it's n o t d a n c e . N o c h e e s y ending was intended I swear!

PUT ON YOUR DANCING SHOES

Christine Felkin

16

music makes the people...

...come together.

Weʼre not looking for the next Madonna, but we are looking for talented solo and group musicians. Do you have an E.P or Album release coming up soon? Would you like a community of readers to listen to your tracks?

Send us an e-mail at traitonlineproject@gmail.com and a link to your music site. We can review your current tracks, do online interviews with you and advertise your music. All great ways to allow you to make it BIG.

Autumn Beauty As a professional makeup artist it is always important to stay on top of the next makeup look of the season. A way to do this is to follow the fashion runway of the past season. Makeup and fashion are closely connected in trends for the season. The winter look of 2011/2012 can not be described as just one specific look. Break it down to what you may want, more focus on the eyes or lips etc. Maybe attempting it all at once is too much and overwhelming.

As a professional makeup artist it is always important to stay on top of the next makeup look of the

season. A way to do this is to follow the fashion runway of the past season. Makeup and fashion are

closely connected in trends for the season. The winter look of 2011/2012 can not be describe in just one specific look. Break it down to what you

may want, more focus on the eyes or lips etc. Maybe to much to attempt all at once or overwhelming.

Focus on face:Trait Magazine can help you out starting with a fresh face. Pulling examples from the runway of Fendi,

Nina Ricci and Prada. You see fresh natural tones with a splash of warmth (Tip: Try adding your

favourite bronzer very lightly over your face or take your favourite blush and put it across your checks)

This look really speaks for itself, pulling your elegance out, a timeless look. When focusing on your face

make sure to take care of your brows. Lighting filling them in with pencil and then apply a matte power

(can even be an eyeshadow but make sure it is matte) to set it so it lasts all day. The final steps to a

great brow is to use a brow come and brush up and then to allow them to not move would be to apply a

clear mascara over top.

Want to go that extra step future with your look, try adding a splash of colours this winter to your lips. This

season focuses on light reds and variations of plums. This touch of colour really adds elegance to any

look for any occasion. (Tip: If you feel like a bold colour would not look great on you but still want to

achieve this look somehow. Try blotting lipstick onto your finger and transferring it to your look. This

brings a more subtle colour out) However if you don't enjoy lipsticks at all you can always go with the

classic pale lip that is back in, try adding your foundation to your lips and then adding a light gloss.

As a professional makeup artist it is always important to stay on top of the next makeup look of the

season. A way to do this is to follow the fashion runway of the past season. Makeup and fashion are

closely connected in trends for the season.

The winter look of 2011/2012 can not be describe in just one specific look. Break it down to what you

may want, more focus on the eyes or lip

s etc. Maybe to much to attempt all at once or overwhelming.

Focus on face:

Trait Magazine can help you out starting with a fresh face. Pulling examples from the runway of Fendi,

Nina Ricci and Prada. You see fresh natural tones with a splash of warmth (Tip: Try adding your

favourite bronzer very lightly over your face or take your favourite blush and put it across your checks)

This look really speaks for itself, p

ulling your elegance out, a timeless look. W

hen focusing on your face

make sure to take care of your brows. Lighting filling them in with pencil and then apply a matte power

(can even be an eyeshadow but make sure it is matte) to set it s

o it lasts all day. The final steps to a

great brow is to use a brow come and brush up and then to allow them to not move would be to apply a

clear mascara over top.

Want to go that extra step future with your look, try adding a splash of colours this winter to your lip

s. This

season focuses on light reds and variations of plums. This touch of colour really adds elegance to any

look for any occasion. (Tip: If y

ou feel like a bold colour would not look great on you but still want to

achieve this look somehow. Try blotting lipstick onto your finger and transferring it to your look. This

brings a more subtle colour out) However if y

ou don't enjoy lipsticks at all you can always go with the

classic pale lip that is back in, try adding your foundation to your lip

s and then adding a light gloss. Focus on the face:

Trait Magazine can help you out starting with a fresh face, pulling

examples from the runway of Fendi, Nina Ricci, and Prada. You see fresh

natural tones with a splash of warmth. This look really speaks for itself,

pulling your elegance out, a timeless look. When focusing on your face

make sure to take care of your brows. Lightly fill them in with pencil and

then apply a matte powder (can even be an eyeshadow but make sure it is

matte) to set it so it lasts all day. The final step to a great brow is to use a

brow comb. Brush them up and to stop them from moving apply a clear

mascara over the top.

Tiffanyʼs Top Tip

Try adding your favourite

bronzer very lightly over your

face or take your favourite

blush and put it across your

cheeks.

See more of Tiffany Encina’s work at www.tiffanyencina.com

With Tiffany Encina

18

Last but certainly not least focus on your lovely eyes! Smokey eye has always been in season and yet

again it makes a comeback. This season with a focus on blacks, browns, copper/gold and orange. Any

of these colours in any shade will bring you that much closer to completing the winter look. Remember

you can do both smokey eye and lip but try and keep it only for night or special occasions, doing both for

the day time may be too much but it will definitely make a wonderful and elegant night look.

Tiffanyʼs Top TipIf you feel like a bold lip colour

would not look great on you but

still want to achieve this look

somehow, try blotting lipstick onto

your finger and transferring it to

your lip. This brings a more subtle

colour out.

Last but certainly not least focus on your lovely eyes! Smokey eyes have always been in season. This season there’s a focus on blacks, browns, copper/gold and orange. Any of these colours in any shade will bring you that much closer to completing the winter look. Remember you can do both, smokey eye and lip but try keeping it only for nights out or special occasions. Doing both for the day time may be too much but it will definitely make a wonderful and elegant night look.

Want to go that extra s tep further with your

look? Tr y adding a sp lash of co lour to your

l ips this winter. This season focuses on l ight

reds and variat ions of p lums. This touch of

co lour real ly adds e legance to any look for

any occasion . However i f you don ' t enjoy

l ipst ick s at a l l you can a lways go with the

c lass ic pa le l ip that is back in , tr y adding

your foundat ion to your l ips and then adding

a l ight g loss .

Last but certainly not least focus on your lovely eyes! Smokey eye has always been in season and yet

again it makes a comeback. This season with a focus on blacks, browns, copper/gold and orange. Any

of these colours in any shade will bring you that much closer to completing the winter look. Remember

you can do both smokey eye and lip but try and keep it only for night or special occasions, doing both for

the day time may be too much but it will definitely make a wonderful and elegant night look.

!"#$ %&'()$ '##%$ *+,-.'/

0)12#$ 34564.0$ )&$ %70.88#.5$ .0$ 9&:#';$"#$ % 70.88#.5$ 7'$ 5#<#50#$ /$ 31$5#<.:87',$.'%$5#<#.27',$ &45$3&%7#0$ )&$:##)$ #=)#5'.221$ 7:8&0#%$ <707&'0$ &+$+#:.2#$ 3#.4)1;> said female motivational author and speaker, Robin Gerner.In 1970 the average age that a girl started dieting at was 14; it is now just 8 years old. In accordance to ongoing research

conducted by the American Medical Council, 50% of all girls aged 13 - 15 now see themselves as overweight and according to a separate study, young girls are now more afraid of becoming fat than they are of nuclear war, cancer, or losing their parents. These statistics and quotes are nothing new as we find ourselves increasingly accused by the media that we, the parents and teachers of the future generation, are to blame for our children's overpowering unhappiness with their body shape and size. However, I argue that this is not the case; that it is not our fault at all. I ask you all now to consider, what has changed so much in the past 30 years

SIZING UP TO BEAUTY

Image: Graeme Weatherston / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

By Catrin Podgorski

20

that has lead to us to find more b e a u t y a n d d e s i r e i n a model with a d is t inct ly pre-pubescent male figure than models similar to the beautiful, size 12, Marilyn Monroe? What has taught our children to idolise and aspire to be, the thin, "beautiful" girls that they see in the magazines? And what is telling them that dieting and depriving themselves of food and nutrients to become "beautiful" is right, normal and ultimately, healthy? It's the media - almost 9 in 10 British teenage girls say they feel pressured by the fashion and media industries to be skinny and that an unrealistic, unattainable image of beauty has been created. Hardly a day goes by when we are not bombarded with adverts spewing from magazines, newspapers, even the sides of public transport, which exploit the sex and glamour appeal of the female body. The most recent adverts for such popular designers as Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss and Dolce and Gabanna all feature scantily clad models pushing out their protruding hip bones parallel to their collar bones as they clutch at the non-existent fat on their 22" waists. These 'sexy' models have as much sex appeal as an avocado. These adverts which promote clothing - clothing that incidentally, is hardly ever seen on the models themselves - are beginning to unmistakably promote the 'sexy' new face of 'beauty ' to the more susceptible and impressionable population of young girls. This population are continually failing to realise that the body shape that is so freely promoted, is not only unhealthy and unfeminine, but completely unattainable as well. The models in these photos are not the women that were photographed at the original modelling shoot - they

are far from them. These girls have been altered beyond recognition using the latest technology to remove their pores, their spots, their birth marks, their beauty marks, their stretch marks, their scars - anything that could be seen as an 'impurity' is removed, leaving them seemingly 'perfect'. But these are all the things that make us human, individual and ultimately, beautiful so why preach that these are bad things? Not only are the models shown in these adverts airbrushed but the women featured on the coveted cat walks showing off the most desirable fashions are (on average) 5"11 and weigh 117lbs - contrasting shockingly with the average British women who is 5"4 and weighs a healthy 140lbs . Why are these bodies being promoted when the body shape presented is forged and it is common knowledge that to obtain this figure, the models are continuously depriving themselves dangerously of food and therefore essential nutrients - something which all doctors and health professionals condemn? An extension of the Media's progression of their obsession with body image and shape is one that is erupting more and more frequently on the cover of women's lifestyle magazines. It's always the same; the image on the front is a completely a i rbrushed ce lebr i ty pos ing in a fashionably revealing dress in a slightly provocative pose with various words scattered in different and colourful

typefaces around her body to flatter her chest and waist. The words and phrases that come in tandem with this image are always the same - sex, perfect diet, ultimate beach body, how to please your man, guide to a happy relationship etc. These images and magazines promise that as soon as we lose those extra pounds we'll have the perfect partner, the perfect kids and the p e r f e c t s e x . T h e s e w o r d s

Image: luigi diamanti / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

“These 'sexy'

models have as

much sex appeal as

an avocado.”

Take a picture. ? ??

It would be nice to see your photos here.

It would be nice to see your illustrations here.

22

instinctively jump out at the reader, and although magazines akin to Cosmopolitan and Glamour may not real ise i t , their readership is becoming younger and more impressionable by the day. These sex-associated words are making the readers immediately connect sex, happier relationships, and pleasing your partner with the thinner and more "ideal" figure. I ask you: how many times do we need to point out these horrors for this unacceptable behaviour to end? However, is it not that a more voluptuous and curvy women has, through evolution, become a symbol of fertility and maternal instinct, making men instinctively prefer a curvier women? Many studies have concluded that in real life, men do indeed prefer real women with real curves. Surely that should have settled it? If men in fact, are not attracted to unimaginably thin women but curvy women then why should the media still promote this shape? A few years ago, the beauty product company Dove launched a wel l publ ic ised campaign for a skin product using female models of all different sizes including models of up to a clothing size 18. This was to bring to light the way in which other product companies are presenting women. It was extremely effective at the time, waltzing straight into the spotlight. However, we just need to take one look in Vogue and we can see that this real campaign for real women as models has been dropped almost instantly and that the media have fallen back into their wicked ways of using the same stick thin, new age 'Twiggys'. But the fashion and media industries have realised their effects and its flaws- to an extent - leading to some of the industries braver designers creating a change. In London Fashion Week back in September 2010, a new project was conceived using such famous designers as Vivienne Westwood and Matthew Williamson named "All Walks Beyond the Catwalk" which showcased models aged

18 - 80 years old, all with dress sizes ranging from 8 - 16. It was begun to 'bring diversity and individuality to the catwalk' and was brought to life by the 60s model Erin O'Connor, shot by Rankin. It premiered in the National Portrait Gallery this year. Caryn Franklin, another founder of the project has said that their project has lead to the fashion industry 'widening its message' with fellow designers such as Marc Jacobs and Mark Fast releasing a range for larger women. The campaign has been a huge success, with all the managers being applauded for their initiative and idea. However, this campaign has sparked some less than pleasant remarks with a stylist and a creative director leaving

London Fashion Week as All Walks hit the runway due to 'creative differences' in the decision to use plus size models. This is a sign of change in the fashion industry and media, there is no doubt about that, but two campaigns? It's just not enough. There are more size 12 and size 14 women in the World than there will probably ever be size 0, so why can we not promote the real shape of real women throughout media if it has so much influence? The influence and damage has already been done to the younger female generation leading to the media getting what they wanted, but it is never too late to stop this campaign of sizing up to beauty. I urge you all to open your eyes to the influence being done by the media and ignore it because we are all beautiful. No matter what size you are, not matter what size you want to be, not matter what size the media wants you to be, no matter how many spots you have, no matter where your scars are, what hair colour you have, if you have muscles, if you are skinny: you're beautiful, we are so beautiful.

Read and follow Catrin’s blog at catrinwrites.tumblr.com

...Men do indeed

prefer real women

with real curves...

To say that F1 matters to me is the biggest understatement in history. It’s literally part of my life. It’s a sport that I grew up with. I couldn’t even tell you what the first race I ever watched was because I started watching it from such a young age. The cars are just out of this world and it amazes me how far you can push boundaries and create something extraordinary. If it wasn’t for that I would still have no idea what career I want to do. Two and a half years ago I decided that I wanted to become a race engineer for a team because I want to be part of something that constantly evolves. There are plenty of surprises throughout the races, let alone one season. Some races are epic and will always be remembered, there is always a controversy that gets everyone talking and sometimes there will be some hilarious moments. Words can’t fully describe why it matters to me. It’s just part of my life and in my opinion one of the most cutting edge and unpredictable sports ever.

24

He is known globally for being one of the best drivers in F1 and when it was announced in late 2009 that the seven-time world champion that is Michael Schumacher would be returning to the sport with Mercedes GP we all waited impatiently with excitement to see what he would bring to the 2010 season. However over the past two years he’s come under criticism that his performance since his comeback is not up to standard and that he shouldn’t have made the come-back in the first place. But is this a fair judgement or were we all expecting too much from him? It’s fair to say that his results from the past two seasons haven’t been as good as before he had retired at the end of 2006 but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he has failed in his comeback. He’s no longer driving a championship winning car. Instead he drives a Mercedes GP. Although it isn’t the worst car on the grid it isn’t a front runner either. Yes, it does push McLaren and Ferrari and is closing the gap as the season progresses but it is still no match to the fiercely dominant Red Bulls. Schumacher won’t be able to win a race or get a podium finish if he doesn’t have a car that allows him to. We have also seen him struggle to level up with his team mate, Nico Rosberg. We have seen Rosberg out-qualify and finish races ahead of Schumacher many times but that doesn’t mean that he’s under performing. Although qualifying towards the front is ideal for every driver it isn’t necessary to all of them when it comes to finishing in a good position in the race. Take Jenson Button for example. This season we’ve seen him struggle with qualifying but that hasn’t stopped him from winning in the infamously long and wet race in Canada after starting 7th on the grid.

We should also consider that Schumacher is now a 42-year-old man. He won the championship between the ages of 25 to 35 and retired two years later. In the seven years since his last championship win he will have aged. Nowadays it is very rare to see a 42-year-old man racing F1 cars. It has become almost like an endurance sport and one that tests how strong and fit the driver is. Now of course Schumacher isn’t unfit. He could most probably put the majority of 42-year-olds to shame at their lack of fitness, and probably some of the other drivers but it will be more difficult for him to be just as fit as a spritely 26 year old. There was also the neck injury that he sustained in a motorbike accident in 2009, preventing him from standing in for Felipe Massa at Ferrari after having a horrific crash that put him out of the sport for the rest of the season. There was discussion that the injury would prevent him from ever returning to F1. Fortunately this was proven wrong when he stepped back into the cockpit but it doesn’t rule out the possibility that his neck could still be a weak spot. If this is the case, it’s likely that he would find it harder to drive the car when having up to 5 G-forces acting on it. So have we expected too much or has Schumacher really lost the magic? The answer is that it’s a combination of both. We haven’t seen the dr iver that caused controversy for being so ruthless and running other drivers off the road which has disappointed the fans. However when his comeback was announced we all forgot that he was 40 and we expected to see him fighting on the track for 1st place. Maybe our expectations were too high but the only way we’ll find out is when Mercedes GP produces a winning car and by the look of this season, it could be sooner rather than later…

M i c h a e l S c h u m a c h e r - We r e O u r

Expectations Too High or has He Really

Lost the Magic? Beth Thorpe

Next Issue.

Tutorial on making your own natural cosmetics!

New Feature writers!

Do YOU want to be the winter issue

illustrator?

Music Reviews

The Linguist Lounge

Do YOU want to be in the

magazine?

Email- traitonlineproject@gmail.comVisit- www.traitmagazine.moonfruit.com

Winter 2011/2012

26

After the smash hit a l b u m ' N o t h i n g Personal', ‘Dirty Work’ w a s s u r e t o b e a success. The Baltimore pop-punk band have changed almost completely from their EP 'Three Words To Remember When Dealing With The End'. The band have moved on quite drastically from album to album maturing with their music. But as always the old time fans find controversy in everything and were in for a shock when ‘Dirty Work’ came out on June 7th, differing greatly from their previous classics. All Time Low set out to take the world by storm by appealing to a wider audience, which was glossed up by their new major record deal with Interscope. The albums new vibe is kicked off by an impressive opener "Do You Want Me (Dead)". The song has punchy vocals and a catchy riff which sets off the album greatly. This song is an example of what All Time Low are capable of. Behind all the glamour of major success they can still kick off with a great sounding song with great lyrics. Next up is the most controversial track on the album "I Feel Like Dancin'". Like marmite you either love it or you hate it. It is my personal guilty pleasure off the album. Although the lyrics lack a bit of integrity, the song is no doubt fun and catchy and they pull it off in style with their music video. Hilarious and original containing more clichés than thought possible. The best choice of single release due to how media friendly it is. This album I fear that All Time Low have gone too hard on the mainstream side. Although you can still tell it's them, it doesn't get the same feel as Nothing Personal. This is demonstrated with "Forget About It" and

"Time Bomb". Although quite catchy tunes they lack creativity and the songs fall flat. “Forget About It” was ruined with the spoken parts, however a very cool video pulls it up a tad.

Despite the album being completely different to their others, they still try to show some roots, however it falls flat. Trying to reconcile with old songs "Daydream Away" tries to hit as hard as 'Remembering Sunday' but doesn't quite get the same feel or have the depth to fill it's shoes. "No Idea" and "Return The Favour" also disappoints with a lot less heart. The songs are obvious attempts to make mainstream radio but they disappoint true fans with the bland guitars and tune. The album in my opinion goes from bad to worse when I heard "Just The Way I'm Not" and "That Girl". The songs contain a lack of good punchy lyrics, a lack of good composition and a lack of instrumentation. However in amongst all the terror, bad pop tunes and terrible lyrics All Time Low are still the same good pop punk band we all adore. Pulling the album back up to a high comes the song "Guts". A personal favourite off the album with a great riff and great lyrics and quite frankly this song shows me why a fan would love them. All Time Low may have changed from what they used to be, however a fan can't help but listen. Although I think the old timers might have angled a little away this album and more towards a guilty pleasure. Many of the tracks are well listened to but the whole album together is a little bit disappointing and ironically as they've sung about on this very album it's everything they're not.

Music Review: All Time Low - Dirty WorkBy Deanna Hallett

������ ����� ����

If I told you that I love you, how would that make you feel?I was told it!would!make!a girl’s day instantly brightbut what if you!think that!I am ugly? Would it still make your knees weak?

You think the one who!recites I!love you!would be your Mr. Right,but in this scenario he’s just Mr. Nice,!Mr. Best friend,!or Mr. Polite.He isn’t your!Mr. Sexy, Mr. 6 pack, or even!your knight.

So you’ll just throw his flowers away and ignore his texts.He isn’t rich, and he doesn’t even have Taylor Lautner pecks.but he does have a heart that shines brighter than any knight’s armour.

He would kill or probably get killed by anyone who tried to harm you.you are the only reason he breathes, at the same time you are the only reason he doesn’t.!

His mind screams I love you, but his mouth just wouldn’t let him.because in front of you, both of his ears are!buzzin’.sweaty hands, his whole face is flushin’.

Next time you talk to your best friend, please stop getting angry at him for stuttering.and please stop getting annoyed every time he is muttering.He is probably is just trying to tell you!he loves you.

Love Poem From Your Best FriendBy Michael Huang

The Linguist Lounge is open for anyone to show their creative writing talents, no matter how experienced you are in writing we welcome everyone to contribute and partake in discussing the creative work.

28

I’ve just received news from another star It’s a while away, it hangs in the night skyBut it reaches me, even from so very far“Away, and away, and away”

I heard the moon sayShe’s a vicious mother, a cruel loverTo those who peep at her pale curvesShe sighs as they stare, she calls them pervs

They rape her with rocketsThey poke at her crevices, her cracksThey shame her with satellitesAnd tear off chunks for meteorites

She wants to quit, I heard her sayWell, my friend, the star, heard itAnd shocked, he told me from far awayThat’s she’s no longer fit for the night shift, the changing of the day

The pull of the tide is no longer on her mindNor the eclipse the first thing on her lipsShe’s really feeling the strain, To wax and to wane

So she’s chucking it all in,Leaving behind Nasa and ApolloBuzz, Neil and PeteWere flings from forty years ago

She’s retiring from the star-struck stratosphereWhere on-lookers gape and gasp and curseAt her terrae and mariaFrom that bastard Planet Earth

I’ve heard it all from my pal, a starWho got it from Callisto and SinopeThe go-to gals for the gossip of the galaxyWho get all the juice from Jupiter

I’ll be sad to see her darksideI bid her goodbye, as she turns to goBut we’ll find anotherOn a late night talent show

Moon

By Miranda Wilkie

We welcome you to voice your opinions on any of the creative work by e-mailing your thoughts to traitlinguistlounge@gmail.com You can also use this address to contribute a piece of creative writing...we look forward to hearing from you.

Trait_likes_loves_Deputy Editor__Katie Bergin

River Island Trousers.Buying these was probably the

best decision I ever made, I'm

planning my autumn around

them.

The Office (US)

I don't think a TV show has ever

made me laugh as much as The

Office. I  recommend  it to

everyone.

TopShops Jewelry Sale  

I p i c k e d u p 3 a w e s o m e

necklaces for only £1.50 each, I

was in heaven.

Warehouse Drape Pocket Jacket Unfortunately at £60 it's a bit out of my price range but a girl can dream.

30

Trait_likes_loves_Editorial and Artistic Director__Niall Hunt

The Velvet UndergroundI’ve recently discovered a secret love for the American rock band The Velvet Underground. The band who were active from 1964 right through to the early 70’s have found a little place in my heart for whenever I’m having a down moment.

Topman Satchel BagA new academic year...what does it mean?

Learning more glorious facts and figures

about historic times? Emerging yourself in

excellently written literature? God no! It’s

about buying a fabulous new school bag.

This year I’ve gone for what I’m calling an

“educated chic” satchel bag. I can’t wait to

show it off and have a good old gossip with

my friends...oh yeah and learn a bit...or

something like that.

Desperate Housewives

I need to confess. I’m an addict. I’m

addicted to Desperate Housewives!

Well who isn’t? I particularly love

(obsess over) Bree Van de Kamp. Her

not so serene, perfectly refined

lifestyle is everything that I could ever

wish for. I think I might don a ginger

wig and take up baking muffins!

Trait Magazine

I’m loving Trait magazine! It’s like a child

for me, from a single idea it’s blossomed

into this wonderful magazine that you’re

currently reading and hopefully enjoying!

It sounds so cliche but it’s been a

rollercoaster ride of “Oh my god this is

going to be great” right through to “should

I just give up now and send apology letters

to everyone?” It’s taught me a lot though.

No matter how bizarre the idea...run with

it as far as you can, and if you fail, at least

you tried.

1) You e-mail us your articles/ photos/ art work/ blog URLʼs

2) We edit, format and publish them into Trait magazine.

3) You and all your friends can read them at http://issuu.com/traitmagazine

32

{INSERT YOURARTICLE HERE}

Do you love to write? Are you an aspiring journalist? Do you want to get your opinion heard? If you answered YES to any of those questions then Trait is for you. Often in todays society, teenagers are tarnished with the same brush. Weʼre constantly reminded of this in daily news coverage. Headlines pop out of the screen telling us about “teenage gangs” and how weʼre “bone idle and dumb”. Older generations cease to believe that we, the younger generation, have talent and ability. Everyone seems to think we all fall into the “teenager from hell stereotype...” Could you prove this stereotype wrong?

It doesnʼt matter how much writing experience you have, as long as you can communicate your points and issues we would love to read and publish it. Our system works on this basic principle. You send your articles to traitonlineproject@gmail.com with a summary of the theme of your article. We store these articles in the “trait article bank” and publish them in a suitable issue. For the first issue (September ʼ11) we are welcoming ANY article you want to write. The theme is “Whatʼs Your Trait?: What matters to you?” So donʼt hesitate to send them in!

The BIG small printAt Trait we do things fairly. We do not stand for any form of abuse whether it be against a person or targeting a group of individuals.When you send us your work you give us permission to use and edit it as we wish without any form of payment or royalties. You must also certify that it is your own work and is in no way plagiarised, copied or indecent. Readers must also acknowledge that the work that will be shown in this magazine is the writers own and cannot be copied or edited without the creators permission. You can obtain the permission of creators by contacting either the creator or Trait directly.Those who wish to produce photographs of other people must obtain the permission of the individuals and must inform them of how and where their face will be portrayed.Work submitted is the creators own and any form of plagiarism or copying is not the fault of Trait Magazine but the fault of the creator.

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