Media Literacy Week: Wait, That Actress is HOW Old?

Oct. 27, 2016 On the cusp of Media Literacy Week, Oct. 31-Nov. 4, 2016 I'm turning over the mic (er, keyboard) to MediaGirls as part of our Media Literacy Week series on creating critical thinkers in and out of the classroom. What happens when the portrayal of teens, usually played by 20-somethings, lands on real life adolescents in the form of body image angst? What media … [Read more...]

Julia Bluhm’s Plea To Curb PhotoShop Sparks Change at Seventeen Mag

July 8, 2012 No secret the 'world according to teen magazines' is abysmal for girls, and we've seen mega-stats, studies and fact sheets about the impact on tweens and teens, (KFF pdf here) but as the adage goes... "People don't change when they see the light; they change when they feel the heat." We can thank 14-year old Julia Bluhm for sparking that bonfire. In the … [Read more...]

Our Body Image Pro, Dr. Robyn Silverman on The Tyra Show Oct. 5!

October 2, 2009 Many of you know the irony that I’m ‘press phobic’ and camera shy despite a journalism and ad/media background plus a Communications degree, so it always amazes me when people LIKE the spotlight and seamlessly handle themselves with aplomb regardless of the topic or the venue. That would be our own dear Dr. Robyn. Shaping Youth’s body image pro Dr. Robyn … [Read more...]

Sexed Up M&Ms Sell Fashionably Decadent Premium Sleaze

Mars candies have reached a new low... Anthropomorphizing cartoon critters is one thing, giving chocolate candy classics the Jessica Rabbit treatment is another. Do we REALLY need more sexualization of childhood now coming in jewel-tone rich candy colors with a lip-licking ‘take it all off’ stripper vibe? You know my answer. The video’s after the jump … [Read more...]