Is it a NeoPet? A Puffle? A goofy avatar? A virtual world icon or some sort of currency to buy virtual goods in a tween space? Animal, vegetable or mineral? Windows promo maybe? Nope. They're not even for kiddies. Those colorful mutant blobs of cartoon playfulness dotting billboards and bus signs are Windorphins (win+endorphins, get it?) brought to you by…eBay. The … [Read more...]
“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Adults chiding each other like spoiled brats to be the first on the block to try, review, diss, or blather about the iPhone makes me want to hang up on the blatant disconnect between what parents preach and teach about mass media. Some industry brass were miffed they weren’t sent one for free, others cluck … [Read more...]
I’m going to take a break from ‘fumin’ over the "Manhunt 2" meltdown (which has predictably escalated into a free speech and censorship brouhaha) and send you to some very logical gamer commentary posted on Joystiq and Game Politics if you want to carry on that dialogue, so enough fuming there... Let’s take a peek at THIS cute little "Fuming Fuji" … [Read more...]
Update 2013: It's been 6 years since I wrote this piece and my views remain the same; 'corollary vs causation' arguments, context, ratings and research (handy: 25 studies on media violence) STILL remains less of interest to me than the basic 'why are we creating market demand for thrill to kill content in the first place, when we could better spend that money, clout, political … [Read more...]
June 15, 2017 Update for Father's Day 2017! Author of "All In," Josh Levs, offers this worthwhile related feature via MediaShift.org titled "An Online Battle to Correct the Media About Dads." He also created a handy mythbusting interactive "tool" shining light on facts vs fiction in the pop culture public arena of advertising and entertainment. Clearly dads are NOT "tools" … [Read more...]
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