6th Grade Boy Pulls A Susan Boyle To Trump LadyGaga

May 20, 2010 Riddle me this… What dynamo 6th grade boy from Edmond, Oklahoma performed LadyGaga’s Paparazzi managing to segue the local audience from ‘ho-hum, just another piano number’ talent show inattentiveness to jaw-dropping admiration in ‘omg, this boy has some SERIOUS pipes’ style? (video after the jump) AND... How did digital media turn Greyson Chance into this … [Read more...]

Sexualization Summit: Save the Date Oct 22, 2010 NYC

May 17, 2010 As irony would have it, on Thurs, May 13, in New York City, a small tribe of thought leaders convened on how to best address rampant sexualization of youth in media and marketing. Each invitee of this diverse group was hand-selected for the purpose of "bringing their entire communities" into the conversation and sharing next steps, best practices, and public … [Read more...]

What Does a 13-Year Old Boy Know About DATING Violence?

Feb. 2013 update:  First and foremost, yesterday's US Senate/VAWA vote overwhelmingly passed reauthorization and now moves on to the House of Representatives. What IS the Violence Against Women Act, specifically? Here's a comprehensive snapshot of content and history, from the National Domestic Violence Hotline. In recapping these vast resources and Twitter handles at the … [Read more...]

Media Hypefest: Is Prom the New Wedding? A Teen’s Perspective

May 7, 2010 As the last vestiges of prom wind down along with Girls Rights Week, I wanted to land one last post in the queue exploring media and marketing’s impact on kids' expectations, reality show distortions, and 'over the top' depictions of celebratory fetes. From ‘proma-a drama,’ lavish limos and  fantasy night fairytales (e.g. akin to the amped up MTV My Super Sweet … [Read more...]

Redefining Girly: Girls Rights Week W/Founder of Pigtail Pals

May 6, 2010 Call her a mompreneur, entrepreneurista, or "the original PigTail Pal," Melissa Wardy is a mama bear with a mission and a voice that roars when it comes to changing the way our society thinks about girls. What better way to celebrate Girls Inc's Girls Rights Week than to honor the first year anniversary of a "stay-at-home mom turned work-at-home activist" … [Read more...]