Jan. 10, 2014 Even in just the last 5 years or so since the American Psychological Association Task Force reported about the harm of early sexualization and its impact on children (full 72pp APA study … [Read more...]
Blizzard’s Snow Job: Security About As Tight As Parental Controls
November 14, 2012 by 2 Comments
Nov. 14, 2012 Call it karma, payback, or just ‘got caught,’ the class action lawsuit against Blizzard Entertainment (makers of mega-hits like Diablo, World of Warcraft, Starcraft etc) is really about … [Read more...]
Olympic Body Image: Talking Points To Get it Right, Fit vs Fiction
August 6, 2012 by 4 Comments
Aug. 9, 2016 Rio! This post still applies tenfold in terms of word watching and body image critiques of Olympic athletes! Media Smarts has added some parenting talking tips for boys/girls too! … [Read more...]
Miss Travel: Misrepresentation Way Beyond Arm Candy
April 26, 2012 by 5 Comments
April 26, 2012 “If it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck”… It doesn’t take much inductive reasoning to see Miss Travel is afoul. That said, using critical thinking skills to see why … [Read more...]
Shaping Youth Is Backing The Illusionists Film About Media’s Body Blitz
July 19, 2011 by 7 Comments
Update Nov. 2, 2014 Talk about a greenlight! Excited to attend Elena's "PopUp Party" today screening her important 2015 documentary film (preview here). She'll be speaking at the 3PercentConference in … [Read more...]
Using Media With Mindfulness
April 1, 2011 by 31 Comments
Update Jan. 14, 2016 Fame focus...don't bite the hook! Adding this excellent post by Ryan Holiday of the NY Observer calling out the recent Rolling Stone ratings raunch along with a slough of … [Read more...]
Amy Jussel On Changing the Channel of Media Influence
October 28, 2010 by 4 Comments
Oct. 28, 2010 Tonight I’ll be speaking on Changing the Channel of Influence in media, at The Third Place.org. I need to reiterate to ALL that Shaping Youth is a nonpartisan, non-religious-based, … [Read more...]
KFC’s “Assvertising”–A Double Down of Unhealthy Cues
September 22, 2010 by 3 Comments
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 … [Read more...]
Sony May Singe Itself: Slimy Innuendo Ignites Backdraft
September 2, 2010 by 6 Comments
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 … [Read more...]
Toxic Teen Messaging In A K-Mart/Alloy Episodic: The First Day
September 1, 2010 by 19 Comments
September 1, 2010 It’s the first of September, as the first day of school angst bubbles up throughout the nation on either side of this ‘premiere’ week. (many have started school already, some are … [Read more...]
Commodification of Kids: The Backlash Has Begun
April 16, 2010 by 17 Comments
April 16, 2010 About a year ago, TruthOut featured a poignant article called "Commodifying Kids, The Forgotten Crisis" by academic Henry A. Giroux, and though I read it with lots of head bobbing … [Read more...]
“I’m Not A Prude, But…”
October 23, 2009 by 26 Comments
Oct. 23, 2009 How many times have you heard that preface to a conversation about pop culture lately? Tweens? Teens? Okay, I promised NOT to do a Halloween Horrors bit on girls' costumes and tramp … [Read more...]
So Sexy So Soon: Shaping Youth Chats With Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D.
August 17, 2009 by 30 Comments
August 17, 2009 Last month So Sexy So Soon hit the market in paperback, though my hand-signed hardback by academic rockstars Diane Levin, Ph.D. and Jean Kilbourne Ed.D is frayed, highlighted, and worn … [Read more...]
What’s With 8th Grade Proms & Glamorama Tween Diva-ization?
April 3, 2009 by 3 Comments
April 3, 2009 “Myths & Realities of Eighth Grade Graduation/Dance: Students may wear something nicer than normal school clothes. However, we strongly discourage formal dresses and … [Read more...]
