Jess Weiner

May 5, 2016 At the White House convening on Breaking Gender Stereotypes in Media & Toys, the lack of diversity in STEM fields created headline news about economic woes for our nation’s future, so … [Read more...]

April 20, 2016 As a staunch critic of the toy industry’s complicity in marketing vapid values and gender stereotypes that can limit instead of expand kid’s brain plasticity, it’s no surprise that I … [Read more...]

Feb 22, 2011 Breaking into The Power of Play series for a sneak peek into what's occupying so much of my time...expanding Shaping Youth's web presence. No secret that I’m a media maven that's media … [Read more...]

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...]

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...]

August 12, 2010 In part one and part two of my posts about ABC Family’s Huge premiere, I hoped to see the show evolve from the hope and promise of some stellar scriptwriter ‘attachments’ to actually … [Read more...]

June 29, 2010 As a kids' health advocate (inside and out) I’ve been covering the "HUGE" conversation pertaining to media’s responsibility and accountability in how the portrayal of being overweight in … [Read more...]

June 27, 2010 In Part Two of this HUGE conversation (premiering tomorrow on ABC Family, my Part One is here) we'll try to unpack some of the core questions that SHOULD be top of mind to embrace the … [Read more...]

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...]

June 8, 2010 Why do we have to turn summer camp into a marketing opportunity for pink and blue? What's the matter with plain ol' grass green and outdoor fun? Admittedly, I never made it to a … [Read more...]

May 26, 2010 When I mention social media being part of kids’ identity, parents often cringe and squinch up their faces like I’ve force fed them BeanBoozled Jelly Bellies in pickle and ‘rotten egg’ … [Read more...]

Feb. 2013 update: First and foremost, yesterday's US Senate/VAWA vote overwhelmingly passed reauthorization and now moves on to the House of Representatives. What IS the Violence Against Women … [Read more...]

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...]

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...]

March 5, 2010 What's on the minds of tween girls' today? We're about to find out next Saturday at the Tween Girl Town Hall as 150 girls age 8-14 clamor for FREE swag bags and freebie finds from … [Read more...]

Feb. 10, 2010 Anyone remember sweet Rosie the Robot from The Jetsons cartoon? (If you're not having a retro flashback there's a 2012 live-action remake in development so you'll no doubt hear about … [Read more...]

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...]