Dark Knight Rises: Resources to Reassure Kids

July 20, 2012 “Some Joker has to ruin it all,” a young ticket holder shaking his head fumed as news of the Batman movie premiere tragedy shot through every media channel from mobile to mainstream. The macabre pun was suitable, intentional or not. From CNN videos and sound reels to a CBS special airing in less than 24 hours we're reminded that media is ambient in surround … [Read more...]

Bratzillaz, Novi Stars, Monster High: Same Sexualized SnoreFest

Update April 7, 2015 Toy Joy! New offerings upending the toy industry to send healthier cues to kids: Lottie Dolls, GoGoSportsGirls, and now this new Kickstarter, Ember World adventure dolls, highlighted in this post.  July 12, 2012 It's ironic that with over 900 cable networks choice is sorely lacking, as copycat formulaic media producers churn out new Reality TV genres … [Read more...]

Julia Bluhm’s Plea To Curb PhotoShop Sparks Change at Seventeen Mag

July 8, 2012 No secret the 'world according to teen magazines' is abysmal for girls, and we've seen mega-stats, studies and fact sheets about the impact on tweens and teens, (KFF pdf here) but as the adage goes... "People don't change when they see the light; they change when they feel the heat." We can thank 14-year old Julia Bluhm for sparking that bonfire. In the … [Read more...]

Trekaroo iPhone App: Kid-Friendly Travel Spots On The Fly

June 29, 2012 Anyone with small children knows parents need to pack a lot of patience for pit-stops and play time when it comes to logistics of summer travel, but now “there’s an app for that” to make it a snap. Trekaroo, the travel review site written by families themselves has just launched their free iPhone app that taps into kid-friendly spots along most any vacation … [Read more...]

Mattel’s Manipulative Monster High Marketing Machine: Unkind.

June 15, 2012 Last year when I wrote about Mattel’s vampy campy Monster High dolls I purposely didn’t even name their brand, hoping it would quietly fizzle and bury itself in the outcry of parents tired of sexploitation, sassy, rude, mean behavioral cues sent to kids, blatant consumerism and vapid values.When Mattel tried to backpedal from the toxic messages in their webisodes … [Read more...]