This video is a commercial for a new set of toys for girls that challenges limited views of what girls want to play with. Watch these great kids sing and build a dream-like Rube Goldberg device. Girls rock!
Easily analyze a film's portrayal of women
A colleague shared this amazingly simple test with me. It demonstrates how to quickly analyze a film to see how women are portrayed. It is actually quite upsetting and frightening the more that I think about it.
Is this part of your media literacy program? If not, why not?
Ellen Degeneres takes Bic pens for women to task
via youtube.com
Ellen Degeneres uses her sharp wit to critique Bic pens new line for women. I am always amazed when major companies can have results like this given their enormous decision-making chains. Understanding gender norms is a complex thing, but this seems so basic as to not even be believed.
One of my favorite things about this is how Ellen uses video and social media for social critique and change. Are our students prepare to do the same things to combat steretypes? If Ellen's 1.4 million views (as of 11/3/12) are any indication, they should be.
Preventing racist Halloween costumes
I am thankful for the work of Ohio University's Students Teaching About Racism in Society (STARS) who came up with this poster campaign. It's a small group that has suddenly become a bit of an internet sensation (Colorlines).
They are college students making strong statements about how we can each make healthy choices over hurtful choices for Halloween. While keeping race and ethnicity in mind, it is important to talk to students about provocative costumes, and how objectification of women (in particular) is equally problematic.
How does your school go about getting into a mess with costumes?