Archive Index: March 2007
Archive: March 2007
The F Word & Coming Out Online
The other night I was watching Sixteen Candles yet again (I can't help myself) on HBO. I was stunned to hear the word "faggot" spoken by characters at least once if not twice.
Juxtaposed against the recent uproar conservative provacateur Ann Coulter caused recently by calling John Edwards the same word, you can see how far we've come in terms of our sensitivity to the reality that words can hurt.
We've also come amazingly far when it comes to the visibility of gay and lesbian teens. Gay/straight alliances have proliferated in high schools across the country and popular teen dramas like The O.C. and South of Nowhere (and others) have had gay or lesbian storylines. But as visibility has increased so has harrassment and bullying of gay, lesbian, bi and transgender youth at school.
Paris and Nicole go to Fat Camp
The media is buzzing about the new season of The Simple Life in which scary skinny rich girls Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton take on the role of camp counselor, including counseling kids at a fat camp (or as E! prefers to call it, a weight loss/ fitness camp).
From the Boston Herald: "So what on earth will Richie, who has admitted to having weight issues, promote to the roly-poly kids? Bulimia? Anorexia? And the only fitness Hilton seems to get is walking the red carpet."
Disney's New Princess
OK, so probably almost every parent of a girl under 5 is getting pretty tired of the whole Disney princess phenomenon. How many tiaras and sparkly wands does one child need?
But when Disney announced last week that it created its first black princess -- the star of the New Orleans-based animated musical The Frog Princess, we said: Phew. It's about time.
Keep Kids Active During Spring Break
Spring Break is almost here, and while that might mean sunny beaches or ski slopes for some, millions of kids will be spending their time off close to home -- with television, iPods, computers, cell phones, and a host of other media gadgets.
In a world where kids spend an average of 45 hours per week with the media when they are in school, it’s a sure bet that kids on Spring Break are going to look to fill their extended free time with even more television, movies, video games, Web sites and text messages.
Preventing Obesity in Our Kids
The American Academy of Family Physicians put out a tip sheet for parents concerned about preventing obesity in their kids. Among the tips: Limit T.V. watching, and limit fast food to once a week.
We'd like to add something else to that list: Teach your kids to deconstruct media messages. Here are some question to ask your kids, from media education consultant Frank Baker.
