Public Health: DV Grammys, Too Short Of A Memory, Sexualization

Update Feb. 12, 2016 With the 2016 Grammys coming up this weekend, I wanted to add two posts by the author of The Achilles Effect and Boys, Sex & Media as a ponderable question about what we're choosing to honor and award with media messaging and masculinity. Without vilifying an entire genre, specific artist, or lyrics lens (not interested in uncorking a censorship convo; … [Read more...]

Redefining Beauty, Reclaiming Yourself: Backtalking Billboards!

July 29, 2011 Do you feel the rumble of the “I’m mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore” massive mindshifting among young women talking back to the ad industry and media machine? The “Take Back Beauty” and ‘reclaim yourself’ pushback of multiple generations of females throwing open the windows for their Howard Beale Network shoutout moment to end the nonsense of pore-less … [Read more...]

KFC’s “Assvertising”–A Double Down of Unhealthy Cues

September 22, 2010 Would you like a sideorder of sexualization with that heart attack? If the excess sodium from KFC’s Double Down innuendo-laden sat fat monstrosity doesn’t raise your risk factor for high blood pressure, ergo cardiovascular disease, heart failure, kidney disease, and stroke, then the college co-eds selling their buns for the bunless will surely jolt and … [Read more...]

Sony May Singe Itself: Slimy Innuendo Ignites Backdraft

September 2, 2010 Without a doubt, guerrilla marketing campaigns can be effective disruptors as well as clever marketing and teaching tools for advertising AND media literacy. But what happens when “attention” trumps common sense and branding ethics like this Sony  ambient ad campaign? Its proliferation is akin to the “Captive” audience billboard debacle awhile back. As … [Read more...]

Will Internet Ads Become The Leaf Blowers Of Digital Media?

May 21, 2009 Seguing from the clever Google  search logos and their homepage fun to this one at left from "Ask"...I must "ask" dear readers...Who would like to join me in a childish, lip-fluttering raspberry on behalf of ad creep and product proliferation? I mean, c'mon, really...selling off your own homepage search screen to blitz tomorrow’s premiere of Night at the Museum … [Read more...]