Racism is a loaded term that sends politically correct media outlets running for cover and well-meaning pundits into shaky quaky territory. It’s no wonder that kids themselves can get confused, for media takes shortcuts to ‘typify’ characters because it’s quick, and easy. We're all aware that when it's reinforced in a daily diet of stereotypes, it can … [Read more...]
“Women like silent men. They think they're listening,” said Marcel Achard. (circa 1956) And evidently, men like silent women who can bring them a brewski, (circa 2007) per this Ad Age article of 21st century Heineken backwash that makes the Stepford Wives look progressive. (Yes, today we're kicking off our week long series on stereotypes, race, and cultural … [Read more...]
If Danica McKellar can ‘sexy up math’ then maybe we need to send her into the science realm to get kids jazzed about starpower beyond Hollywood! Google Earth just launched Google Sky this week, (demo here) an amazing virtual observatory that can reveal cosmic events as they unfold throughout the universe. "There’s a huge need to get more young people … [Read more...]
Yesterday, my S.F. Bay area colleague Jennifer Berger, executive director of About-Face was joined by Helen Grieco (Clinical Psychologist, executive director, Ca. N.O.W.) and a youth roundtable panel on KGO/ABC7 tv to discuss body image and the potential damaging effects mass media can have on our sense of self. Though it’s only airing regionally, (and I was in L.A. … [Read more...]
Update June 2, 2015 What a difference a half-dozen years makes.Once upon a time I hailed Danica as our first honoree/role model, and profiled her math mission as exponentially positive, selling smarts to those more interested in beauty duty as subversive marketing brilliance to outreach to new audiences.While I STILL feel that was mathlete McKellar’s original intent with “Math … [Read more...]
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