Bogus Junk Food Bans & Bait-n-Switch Tactics Proliferate School Policy

Forty-eight hours after I wrote this article about the confusing USDA school guidelines and manufacturers marketing tactics to swap ‘lesser calorie junk’ to replace the worst offenders, today's front page S.F. Chronicle coverage reinforced the absurdity of it all using case study examples of Bay area schools. California has led the way in legislative successes, … [Read more...]

Test Your School Junk Food IQ With This Quick Quiz!

Sublime in its simplicity, compelling in its story, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has succinctly summed up the USDA nutrition guidelines as gobbledygook by dramatizing the absurdity of what is considered ‘junk food’ in schools. 5 questions. No big time zap. It's a fabulous digital media use, worthy of a few “forward to a friend” … [Read more...]

Packaging Boyhood: Corporate Pirates Raid Boys’ Souls

Evidently "snips and snails and puppy dog tails" are out...Tween preening is in...And pirates are looking for gold... Disney’s September debut of kiddie cologne for boys aged 4-11 in fragrances like Pirates of the Caribbean and Buzz Lightyear is a case in point...The time is ripe to research how Packaging Boyhood is impacting children’s behavioral … [Read more...]

Energy Craze Run Amok: Caffeine Comes to Potato Chips?

“Not recommended for young children,” reads the warning on the NRG Phoenix Fury Potato Chip package. Yep, that’s right folks, news reports confirm a new entry in my ‘yougaddabefreakinkiddinme’ marketing file. Kiddies can now turn their fingertips bright orange like Cheetos, but get zapped with caffeine, B-vitamins and taurine, in new … [Read more...]

Gender, Race & Sexism: Shaping Youth Through Pop Culture Cues

“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...]