Jean Kilbourne Enters 2015 Women’s Hall of Fame (Pt 1)

Oct. 2, 2015 Long before self-proclaimed experts flooded social media with newly minted personas and punditry, women like filmmaker Jean Kilbourne spent decades of devotion upending toxic media … [Read more...]

Hidden in Plain Sight: Kelly Parks Snider, Project Girl

Sept. 23, 2015 Can't think of a better "Wordless Wednesday" than this powerful art exhibition "Hidden in Plain Sight" which speaks volumes in its visual insight. Creator and artist Kelly Parks … [Read more...]

2014: The Year Of Redefining Girly

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...]

Melanie Klein’s Body Collage Work With Teens: Proud to Be Me

Oct. 10, 2013 All this week I’ll be shining the spotlight on “inspiring minds you’ll want to know” in our “All Things Girl” series celebrating the Girl Effect  taking place worldwide this Friday, Oct. … [Read more...]

Wanted: Female Creative Directors To Change the Media Landscape

Update Oct. 30, 2014  This coming week Nov. 3 & 4, 2014 Kat Gordon's highly successful 3PercentConference circles back to its origins in San Francisco after gaining momentum across the country, … [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...]

Vogue “Cadeaux”-Children ARE Gifts. Not To Be Wrapped & Sold

Jan 6, 2011 “You have to separate the art from the artist.” How many times have you heard that turn of phrase relating to everything from hotel smashing rockers and hiphop thuggery to mind-bending … [Read more...]

Steamed About Sexualization? Healthy Media for Youth Act Now!

July 12-16, 2010: Healthy Media for Youth week! Fed up with “boy chasin’ bed swappin’ lip-lickin’ hottie-hoochie booty-bouncin’ appearance-is-everything” cues comin’ at your girls? Yah, so are … [Read more...]

Sexualization Summit: Save the Date Oct 22, 2010 NYC

May 17, 2010 As irony would have it, on Thurs, May 13, in New York City, a small tribe of thought leaders convened on how to best address rampant sexualization of youth in media and marketing. Each … [Read more...]

Sexy Broccoli, Saucy 6 Year Olds & Why SexEd is a Must: SexTech Pt.3

Feb 21, 2010 Last night I snapped this lousy iPhone shot from Draeger’s deli as I scanned the takeout selections to treat myself to a quiet Sat. night feast. I did a double-take when I saw “sexy … [Read more...]

Hey Dads, Watch Your Language: Girls Are Not For Sale!

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...]

USC Media Student Bryn Kressin & Packaging Boyhood Book Winners!

Jan.1, 2010 Happy New Year! This joyous photo of youthful exuberance is Bryn Kressin, at left; one of our Shaping Youth winners of yesterday’s Packaging Boyhood book drawing where we pulled names … [Read more...]

So Sexy So Soon: Shaping Youth Chats With Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D.

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...]

Shaping Youth Is In the L.A. Times Today, Yawn

August 12, 2009 Well, it finally happened. Full tilt desensitization. I suppressed a huge yawn and a roll of the eyes reviewing Miley’s pole dancing antics at the Teen Choice Awards with a great … [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...]

The Oprah Factor: Stop the Yo-Yo Dieting Messages

April 8, 2009 Young women and their moms have been "under the influence" of Oprah longer than you can say “she’s gotta have it.” From cuddly bathrobes to kids' book club picks, when the grand dame of … [Read more...]

Counter-Marketing Thinspiration: Killer Media Cues

Feb. 12, 2009 Media literacy rule number one: Watch for extreme headlines that command attention. I could've gone with 'Fatal Attraction' or any other number of sensationalist eyecatchers. As you can … [Read more...]

Media Musts To Wrap Up “All Things Girl” Week (Part One)

To whittle down to a handful of ‘media musts’ for our grand finale of ‘All Things Girl’ week has been hard, so I’m going to try to shine the spotlight on some lesser … [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...]

America the Beautiful: An “R” Rated Movie You WANT Kids To See

Teens and tweens have heard more raw verbiage on school grounds in any given day than Eve Ensler's little snippet in America the Beautiful that garnered the documentary an ‘R’ rating. … [Read more...]