Archives for February 2009

Coen Brothers Ad For Clean Coal Air Freshener

Feb. 27, 2009 Not sure how many kids will tune into a :30 TV spot created by Academy Award-winning directors Joel and Ethan Coen doing a riff on Air Fresheners to “come clean about dirty coal,” but it’s sure easy for kids to ‘get it’ that there's an elephant in the living room. (isn't he cute? He's not in the ad, I found him on GumTree in London, but he makes the point, … [Read more...]

Dora The Explorer: Discover the World, Not the Mall

Feb. 26, 2009 Oh fer cripes sakes. Say it ain’t so. Is Dora the Explorer getting a makeover and turning tween TOO?! Leave her alone! This "age-compression" bit is putting a new dent in my TMJ-clenched jaw as we once again see marketers "vy for the buy" with zero regard for the integrity of the message being delivered. Just LOOK at the cues being sent to ‘tween girls’ as … [Read more...]

Budget Hero Game: Want To Be President of the USA?

Sept. 18, 2012 Tomorrow Sept. 19, 2012, two students from the Maryland School of Public Policy join WilsonCenter.org on Capitol Hill to launch Budget Hero new "Election Edition" engaging a group of Congressional lawmakers in a bipartisan debrief! Woohoo! Let's hope we all learn some financial literacy skill sets! Feb. 24, 2009 Freakonomics fans probably had a field day … [Read more...]

Oscars, Obama, Twitter Glam & Jonas Brothers? New Media Moments

Feb. 24, 2009 I’ve been asking tweens/teens whether they watched the Oscars on Sunday to get a feel for the youth zeitgeist when it comes to the Academy Awards show as an entertainment draw in itself. After all, the inauguration became a Web 2.0 livestream CNN/Facebook happening, and the interactive tradition continues today with Obama's Address to Congress (live 9pm ET) … [Read more...]

Deconstructing the “Eat This, Not That” Book for Kids

Feb. 22, 2009 It’s Sunday, and I rarely post on the weekend, but I have to say, I’m having a book for brunch, digesting and devouring the Eat This, Not That! For Kids by David Zinczenko with Matt Goulding of Men's Health. Eat This, Not That pulls kid-friendly fare off the menus of  "sit down" restaurants (which make up one-quarter of our meals but account for more than … [Read more...]