April 28, 2016 The dismissive wails from the Twittersphere and social media mavens were almost audible: "Oh please, not another pink and blue gender in the toy aisle post..." To coin a phrase from Part One of the White House convening on Breaking Gender Stereotypes in Media and Toys, "Yes, And..." I’ve been writing about media and marketing’s impact on kids for ten years … [Read more...]
May 29, 2015 Update Check out the all new Kickstarter from Gecko Clothing featuring "funky, ethical, organic, unisex" clothes crowdsourcing both the design and the funding! There's a strong sense of urgency with this adorable selection of togs, as this startup has an "all or nothing" timer on their crowdfunding so if you want it to see the light of day in the … [Read more...]
Jan. 4, 2016 About a year after I wrote this initial post, Lottie dolls have reached the stars, with recent accolades as the first doll in space designed as Stargazer Lottie by a six year old Canadian child. On Dec. 15, 2015, she launched into the media with input from real life 'sheroes' like astronomer Karen Masters and a hand from our own filmmaker friend Elena Rossini of … [Read more...]
Dec. 4, 2014 Every year I twist into a cartoon grimace and let out an “AAUGH!” like Charlie Brown when I scan the CCFC contenders on the TOADY "worst toys" list. (TOADY=Toys Oppressive And Destructive to Young Children)As much as I try to flip my lens toward what’s making waves with worthiness, there’s always one on the list that makes me stop and vote, “oh, no they … [Read more...]
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 here) I’ve wondered “what’s taking so long, can’t people see this is a huge public health problem? Positive change feels glacial while negative influence feels like it’s been a … [Read more...]
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