October 16, 2010 The countdown to the SPARK Summit (Sexualization Protest: Action. Resistance. Knowledge) is in its final week, culminating in the NYC Summit Friday Oct 22, 2010 and the hits just keep … [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...]
Teen Girls: Ready For A Rebel Yell? SPARK Change Now!
September 7, 2010 by 12 Comments
Sept. 7, 2010 Girls, are you tired of being wrapped up, marketed and sold like a slab of meat? Having the media tell the world what your priorities are? Sick of slimy innuendos aimed at toddlers, … [Read more...]
Raising Authentic Girls: Rachel Simmons’ “Be You! The Real Girl Tour”
August 31, 2010 by 7 Comments
August 31, 2010 “Be you!” Riiiiight. In a media environment that cynically exploits how to act, what to wear, why to buy and who to be, girls are repeatedly told to "be themselves." GirlsHealth … [Read more...]
Help SPARK a Name for the Sexualization Summit To Ignite Change!
June 21, 2010 by 7 Comments
June 21, 2010 As the summer solstice kicks off, the energy is heating up over the buzz about the SPARK! summit challenging the sexualization of girls and women in media, and advocates are already been … [Read more...]
Shaping Youth Honors Girls Rights Week May 3-7
May 3, 2010 by 7 Comments
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 … [Read more...]
This Valentine’s Day, Fall Madly In Love With Yourself
February 12, 2010 by 14 Comments
Feb. 14, 2020 An entire decade has passed since I wrote this and the 'self love' movement has blossomed, reminding all that social media showboating of relationships is not intimacy, and "love … [Read more...]
Author Rosalind Wiseman Brings Youth Editors Into YA KidLit Process
February 8, 2010 by 7 Comments
Feb. 8, 2010 I bought a copy of the new YA novel by renowned author Rosalind Wiseman of Queen Bees & Wannabes bestseller fame, called “Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Materials” ...As soon as it … [Read more...]
Hey Dads, Watch Your Language: Girls Are Not For Sale!
February 4, 2010 by 3 Comments
Feb. 4, 2010 Today Senator Scott Brown (R) was confirmed in the Senate... ...And I confirmed not all that much has changed from yesteryear...Especially when girls and women are reduced to chattle … [Read more...]
Body Image: Tips for Teens To Survive the Media Morass
January 21, 2010 by 17 Comments
January 21, 2010 Last night I talked about body image to our local high school PTSO with Susan E. James, an LMFT eating disorders specialist and RD/MPH Cindy Stack-Keer from Kaiser Permanente all … [Read more...]
Free Media Finds That Are Priceless Year-Round
December 16, 2009 by 6 Comments
Dec. 16, 2009 Got gifts? Not sure when we jumped from “Black Friday/Cyber Monday” to bold-type headlines of “last minute gifts!”---but I’m still holding my own on the ‘haven’t stepped in a mall’ … [Read more...]
Nicole Kidman Honors CNN Hero Betty Makoni’s Girl Child Network!
December 2, 2009 by 7 Comments
Dec. 1, 2009 Opposites attract...as seen by Nicole Kidman's awarding of CNN Top Ten Hero Betty Makoni of the Girl Child Network on Thanksgiving night. Wow. It’s World Aids Day and what better time to … [Read more...]
Final 48 Hours! Vote Girl Child Network’s Betty Makoni CNN Hero ’09!
November 17, 2009 by 12 Comments
Nov. 17, 2009 Last week, when the Guardian reported, “Tens of thousands of children have been sexually abused in Zimbabwe in a growing epidemic that has shocked human rights activists,” I blinked back … [Read more...]
Save New Moon Girls: Help Us, Help Them!
November 12, 2009 by 1 Comment
Nov. 12, 2009 Long before the vampires and sparkling sagas of Twilight’s New Moon, New Moon Magazine delighted girls as a ‘go to guide’ for navigating adolescence and being themselves. After 16 … [Read more...]
Gossip Girl November Sweeps Schtick Predictably Trashy
November 10, 2009 by 12 Comments
Nov. 10, 2009 No, I didn’t watch the heavily promoted Gossip Girl ‘threesome’ shock schlock last night that sent the Parents Television Council rightfully into a tizzy, but frankly I didn’t need to, … [Read more...]
SexEd Abstracts Due For SexTech Summit: Not Your Mother’s Media
November 9, 2009 by 6 Comments
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...]
Shaping Youth Joins New Moon Girls Media As Affiliate Partner
November 5, 2009 by 11 Comments
Nov. 5, 2009 New Moon Girl Media had a massive makeover last year giving girls 8 and up a vibrant, social, supportive space to express themselves without being bombarded by pop up ads for diets, … [Read more...]
“Bring Your Baby to Life With Your Wii Remote?”
November 2, 2009 by 4 Comments
Nov. 2, 2009 Not sure which part of this creeps me out more, the fact that 21st century baby dolls have a Wiimote crammed up the wazoo to ‘bring the baby to life’ as a Wii system accessory, the … [Read more...]
Reporting From the First Ever Tween Summit: Debra Moffitt for S.Y.
October 14, 2009 by 7 Comments
Oct. 14, 2009 This past weekend, Denise Restauri and the AllyKatzz team launched the first ever National Tween Summit to see what's on the minds of preteen girls. I haven't figured out how to be … [Read more...]
Attention KMart Shoppers: Dating Violence on Aisle3
October 11, 2009 by 21 Comments
Oct. 11, 2009 This morning I was in a Sunday reflective sprawl, dogs piled atop the bed, newspaper everywhere, family away, foggy S.F. Bay keeping me nuzzled into my comforter, when I checked in on my … [Read more...]
