Shaping Youth BETA BLOG

Feb. 8, 2010 I bought a copy of the new YA novel by renowned author Rosalind Wiseman of Queen Bees & Wannabes bestseller fame, called “Boys, Girls & Other Hazardous Materials” …As soon as it hit my home front, my daughter and her ‘BFF’ clamored to snag it from me, lured in by the cover visual alone.

Mean Girls writer and co-star Tina Fey had a snarky testimonial on the front with a visual that clearly caught their eyes:

“You can’t put this book down…or it will talk about you while you’re out of the room.”

My daughter picked it up first, “What’s this?”

“Oh, that’s a new novel I’m checking out…You know the movie “Mean Girls?” Well, Rosalind Wiseman wrote the Queen Bees & Wannabes book that it was based off of…Same writer.”

(I’ve learned not to offer up too much information lest any selection be branded ‘…a Shaping Youth thing’ so kept my mouth shut entirely and let her lead the way)

She’s not one to read anything that she hasn’t handpicked herself, so I stayed silent and watched as she cautiously inspected it, flipping the book jacket over repeatedly, thumbing through the pages and reading the inside flaps… “Looks kinda good” she finally pronounced. (more…)

Feb. 4, 2010 Today Senator Scott Brown (R) was confirmed in the Senate…

…And I confirmed not all that much has changed from yesteryear…Especially when girls and women are reduced to chattle despite living in this 21st century supposedly “politically correct” age of conversation.

As a nonpartisan, nonprofit, non-religious-based organization (our only ‘cause’ is the emotional and physical well-being of children and media/marketing’s role in same) I have to say, Senator Brown’s daughters typify the historic humiliation from gaffes aplenty over time; the only thing that makes it newsworthy is the YouTube video capture of the mortification for eternity. (yep, video after the jump)

Our 21st century antics of female objectification harken back to history books of slave auctions, women paraded across planked makeshift stages, and age old farmer and dowry stories where the betrothed would joke about having her ‘teeth checked’ like a horse being swapped for oats and barley. The very fact that I’m interrupting  our ‘girlcott’ series slamming the sexist absurdity of American Apparel’s latest ad campaign prompting girls to “post their backsides for judgment” says things may be getting WORSE not better in this department. Ahem. (Take action here, and visit Hardy Girls Healthy Women’s site for updates!)

Still, I prefer to view Brown’s public auction style blunder as a media literacy opportunity to turn his words into a ‘teaching moment’ for all dads and daughters out there…So listen up, guys. (more…)

Feb. 9, 2010 Update: Almost 1000 signatures already & expanding global on ipetitions now! Join in! Orig article 2-2-10:

“Confident about the junk in your trunk? Show us your assets! Post a photo of your booty’s best side for judgment,” invites American Apparel in their latest sexist slop.

Yep, they’ve launched their new ad campaign to “search for the best bottom in the world.” Could it be your daughter’s?

As Thalia, age 19, says, “You don’t need to exploit us to benefit your company. Someone that is a CEO should have more common sense, don’t you think?” Um, no. Sadly, it’s a sorry statement of our flash-n-trash sexist times where corporate profiteers figure “anything for a buck” regardless of the fallout.

Gee, AA, try empowering girls instead of consuming them. Listening to girls instead of objectifying them…Time for a gloves off, no-holds barred, “girlcott” (petition here).

If AA had the testicular fortitude to peel back the quantifiable damage and harm being done (full APA report here) they might learn something to further their brand, but instead, they’ve once again gone to the most unoriginal, base level, ‘nudie-cutie-sex sells’ pornification par usuale, while simultaneously putting these girls in legal jeopardy with new ‘sexting prosecution’ laws cropping up in some states.

Parents, teens, girls and those who love them, join Hardy Girls Healthy Women and Shaping Youth Advisory Board members of Packaging Girlhood to send a crystal clear message to American Apparel… (more…)

Feb.1, 2010 Promise I’ll leave the 52^nd Annual Grammy music deconstruction to the review pros, but just wanted to comment on the media and gadgetry of 21^st century events in new media style.

Where else would you see social media integration of Imogen Heap’s  Twitter Dress composed of photos sent by fans in real-time using the hashtag #twitdress?

Purpose? To let fans  “accompany me on the red carpet” (Wow. Talk about new levels of personal engagement and blurring the lines of celebs as pals; photo via Mashable)

Then there was the “You Pick It, They Play It!” Bon Jovi interactive where viewers could log on to CBS to vote in American Idol poll style (unless you’re in Ca. like me where it was already a done deal due to time slots)… And of course the Stephen Colbert iPad product placement (gotta find out the backchannel on where else iPad will iPop for an iOpp; here’s his video on TechMamas’ timely blog)

On a more mundane level, the time-shifting of media morsels points to whether (and how) kids even view events like this, and if they have become desensitized to the ‘wow’ factor. Thoughts MamaMia?! The gown parades, (5 most) outrageous costumes 3D-MJ tributes and musical hoopla of showy laser performances have become synonymous with a ‘can you top this’ feedback loop of what constitutes entertainment. (more…)

Jan. 28, 2010 While the Baltimore Sun visual at left handily depicts the pros and cons of the new iPad tablet gizmo at a glance, geek girls and IT career women have been raising an iBrow at the iPad feminine hygiene connotations, as well as the more affordable than expected price.

Teens, however? Not so much.

One girl vehemently claimed it was ‘idiotic’ to make the leap to bodily functions much less have the jokes covered on CNN, the Wall Street Journal, and all over the blogosphere and Twitter. Wow. Fascinating. Teen generational bracer and reality slap? Check.

Can’t wait to run this by the younger women at the She’s Geeky conference for a comparison contrast tomorrow; especially since MADtv called it quite awhile back. (ouch) It wasn’t that they weren’t bemused, it was more like they weren’t thinking in that direction at all…

When I polled about a dozen high schoolers asking the open-ended question, “What do you think of the name?” the majority of the responses equated to a ‘meh.’ I even had to “prompt” a reaction to elicit the femme menses path…The general consensus was, “Apple doesn’t get very creative with their names because of the i thing…It’s always just iPhone, iWhatever so what’s the big deal?” (more…)

Jan. 25, 2010 What kind of wit and wisdom flourishes at She’sGeeky?

W.I.T. as in Women in Technology and also wit as in the funny, guffaw-level humorous antics of tell-it-like-it-is attendees. The wisdom? From top industry pros to young 9 year old tweens converging in leadership to create ‘The Girl Effect’ up close and personal…it’s powerful potion this weekend.

She’s Geeky is an agenda-free, supportive, intellectual haven for girls and women  who embrace technology as a catalyst for world changing where you can goof around with the best and the brightest sans pretense, intimidation, or any semblance of not fitting in. Why? Because no one fits in and everyone fits in…The UNconference runs the gamut of über-geek techno-speak to esoteric thought leaders thriving on like-minded souls. (updated list of proposed topics here)

It’s the kind of room where you can let out one of those sitcom snort-laughs and not even blush a bit; despite the fact that you’re surrounded by bigwigs, students, startups, and seasoned serial entrepreneurs ready pay it forward for the next generation of STEM leading ladies. (science, technology, engineering, math) And laugh? Believe me, you WILL laugh.

You do not get this level of social clout in one small setting without the wit flingin’ fast and the commentary pithier than a Carville-Matalin debate…It’s rebel rules, baby. And these women rock. (Follow SG on Twitter here) (more…)

January 21, 2010 Last night I talked about body image to our local high school PTSO with Susan E. James, an LMFT eating disorders specialist and RD/MPH Cindy Stack-Keer from Kaiser Permanente all about how body image links a child’s emotional and physical health.

The little Animoto video I created for the session gives you a snapshot of both the ‘problem and the solution’ (no, I don’t have ‘use rights’ for Taylor Lautner’s abs and such, but hey, all in the name of education and situational awareness, eh?). It’s meant to be a call to action for a nation in trouble if we don’t heavily counter-market some of these toxic cues to kids.

This week alone we have wacky “10 plastic surgeries in a day” addiction vs. obsession media debates of The Hills star 23-year old Heidi Montag, (Ladies of The View sound off here) then the so-called ‘curvier’ Golden Globe actresses (ahem, not!) and the latest covergirl kerfluffle involving the Butterfly Foundation’s support of  “look-at-the-real-me-Jennifer Hawkins” on Marie Claire…just to give a feel for decibel level of volume.

It’s hard to help kids achieve a healthier sense of self and ditch the skewed worldview with all this chatter…But we must. We abso-freakin’lutely MUST. The future of children’s mental and physical health is at stake. And no, that’s not an alarmist statement, it’s a quantifiable one. (more…)