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 daytime speaks, people listen. Precisely the point that Director Darryl Roberts of America the Beautiful is making in his recent “open letter to Oprah” plea to curb the weight … [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 surmise, this is about the role of media feeding the pop culture zeitgeist like the Venus Flytrap plant in the Little Shop of Horrors, singing, "Feeeeeeed me." Valentine’s Day … [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 known, deserving Offerings and invitations to be a part of some incredible communities taking steps toward the vision of self-actualization, hope, and promise for girls on a global … [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 tears down youth psyches?Have we got a fun week for you!All week, Shaping Youth will be featuring worthy sites, thought leaders and conversations among those eager to raise the bar … [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. (trailer here) That ‘R’ is for the reform needed in movie ratings, since even the most graphic visuals of plastic surgery could have shown on ER or CSI prime time on any … [Read more...]