Shaping Youth Honors Girls Rights Week May 3-7

May 3, 2010 In honor of Girls Rights Week, advocating for positive change in the world, I’m going to run a week long series of “all things girl” to show how media and marketing can HELP rather than hinder healthy development. What IS Girls Rights Week? Another ‘Hallmark holiday’ you ask? Not by a long shot... As one who changed radio channels four times on the way to … [Read more...]

Addiction Series Part 3: Media, Medicos, & Critical Thinking

Jan. 15, 2009 Thought I’d wrap up Part Three in this series on digital addiction vs. agency (part one and part two here) with some humorous insights from the medical community that poke fun at some very REAL research dilemmas. Clearly there are quirky flaws in how the  entire DSM process takes shape (DSM V= Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders aka the big … [Read more...]

Dora The Explorer: Discover the World, Not the Mall

Feb. 26, 2009 Oh fer cripes sakes. Say it ain’t so. Is Dora the Explorer getting a makeover and turning tween TOO?! Leave her alone! This "age-compression" bit is putting a new dent in my TMJ-clenched jaw as we once again see marketers "vy for the buy" with zero regard for the integrity of the message being delivered. Just LOOK at the cues being sent to ‘tween girls’ as … [Read more...]

What Sells: Infants As Fashion Statements and Joke Props?

Nope, not a Halloween costume...Just "Heelarious" consumption for the Carrie Bradshaw wannabes. Gosh, THIS is what merits a booking on The Today Show? Twice? (video of other 'outrageous offerings' after the jump) Yeah, yeah, I know, ‘get a sense of humor’...Relax. I realize babies in stiletto crib booties are intended to make folks smile (Pet Rocks had … [Read more...]

Bimbo Bait: Is Silence or Outrage the Solution for Digital Drek?

Early April Fool's joke? Tasteless ploy of a 23-year old web guy for publicity and profit perhaps? Just when you thought media influence on body image had reached the tipping point of toxicity, our pals at Beauty and the Breast (and parents, Feministing, mashable,and industry colleagues at Edelman Digital) are reporting in disgust on this new web game, Miss Bimbo making the … [Read more...]