Take Back Halloween: Debunking the Mythology of Market Demand

Update Oct. 22, 2016 Check out the new 2016 Take Back Halloween Costume Contest! (deadline to enter  11-6-16) And...in case any hipster parents are mumbling "what's the harm it's 2016, lighten up, … [Read more...]

A Mighty Girl: Healthier Media Messaging, One Click Convenience

April 11, 2013 Update: Check out A Mighty Girl pics for Environmental Books and movies for green kidlit and Earth Day 2013!  Dec. 10, 2012 What to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature … [Read more...]

CCFC: A Positive Pick, Even When Calling Out Negative TOADY Toys

Dec. 4, 2012 No question I continue to land hard on watchdogs that aren’t woofin’ when it comes to media and marketing’s impact on kids, but nobody does it better than Campaign for a Commercial Free … [Read more...]

Julia Bluhm’s Plea To Curb PhotoShop Sparks Change at Seventeen Mag

July 8, 2012 No secret the 'world according to teen magazines' is abysmal for girls, and we've seen mega-stats, studies and fact sheets about the impact on tweens and teens, (KFF pdf here) but as the … [Read more...]

Shaping Youth Is Backing The Illusionists Film About Media’s Body Blitz

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...]

SexEd Abstracts Due For SexTech Summit: Not Your Mother’s Media

Nov. 8, 2009 One of our SexTech.org ‘top ten’ posts continues to be the Top Ten Teen SexEd videos created by students, for students in an effort to improve the lousy coverage of an inevitably touchy … [Read more...]

Childhood Matters Radio Show: Raising Strong, Healthy Girls Today

July 19, 2009 Here are some of the brand new resources or lesser known resources I named on the air today for those seeking SOLUTIONS rather than just identifying problems to get girls strong from the … [Read more...]

Amy Jussel on The Girl Revolution, Part Two

June 4, 2009 In Part Two of my interview on The Girl Revolution, we got into the 'Secret Life of the American Teenager' media portrayal of a 15-year old 'band geek' and I realized I never got around … [Read more...]

Get Out of Your Own Life! Environmental Influence on Kids

Mar. 30, 2009 Mea culpa for the unannounced vanishing act, but I’ve been out of town interviewing teens in a different ‘pocket’ of the greater Bay Area, exploring how environmental influences (peers, … [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 … [Read more...]

Move Over Dr. Phil, Here Comes “Doctor Jenn for Girls”

“Ever wonder why it seems so hard to be a good parent? Do you ever feel like you don’t know how to survive the turbulent teen years? Or where you can turn for help? Rest assured… … [Read more...]

A Tee Party Kicks Off ‘All Things Girl’ Week on Shaping Youth!

Nov. 10, 2008 Sick of suggestive innuendos plastered on the chests of wee ones? Tired of ‘So Sexy So Soon’ messaging at ever-younger ages? Looking for media and marketing that builds up rather than … [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' … [Read more...]

Manga Makeovers and Other Body Image Cartoon Capers (Part 2)

It’s devil’s advocate day here, as I try to flush out my bias and take a centrist point of view on the cartoon character facelift conundrum, exploring ‘then and now’ from a sociological perspective, … [Read more...]