90,000 signatures, 10,000 phone calls: Reebok drops rapper Rick Ross over rape lyrics
‘We showed companies all over the world that rewarding rape is not just wrong, it’s a bad marketing strategy’ So happy to report some good news. U.S based women’s protest movement UltraViolet led a massive protest against rapper Rick Ross and his endorsement deal with Reebok, prompted by his lyrics in the Rocco song ‘U.O.E.N.O’., […]
A call for consistency: stop the mixed messages to girls
Girlfriend February Review Many girls and young women look to girl’s magazines for advice on life, relationships, bodies, health and sexuality. But too often they receive conflicting advice and mixed messages and even, sometimes, outright contradiction. Take for example, information provided in the sealed section of Girlfriend this month, where, within four pages of each […]
Defense of ‘the selfie’ confirms that this era will forever be known as the stupidest of all eras
This would have to be the best analysis of the rise of the ‘selfie’ phenomena I have read. Meghan Murphy, love your work. Clearly the world is engaged in an elaborate plot to make me LOSE MY MIND. You win, world! You are the dumbest and the worst at everything. I concede. This morning’s episode of […]
You Only Live Once – why not make it count? Dolly February review
Girl Mag Watch As always, I’m confused about teen girls’ magazines approach to airbrushing and photo-shop (see here for a past example of my confusion). This issue contains an explanation of the ‘Retouch Free Zone’. “DOLLY is all about healthy body image – that’s why we only feature photos of girls that haven’t been altered […]
Right to Childhood conference Friday: The impact of violence, porn, media representations on kids
Friday 19 October, 2012 • 9am-5pm: Sydney NSW Parliament House, 6 Macquarie Street, Sydney The erosion of childhood is becoming a social and cultural trend of great concern to child development experts as well as the broader community. Commercialisation, sexualisation, body image dissatisfaction and over exposure to violent imagery are some of the key factors. […]
Target faces ‘backlash’ over inappropriate girls clothing
Target has drawn fire from campaigners against the sexualisation of children for selling clothes considered sexually inappropriate for young girls Click on image to watch interview on ABC’s Lateline (just as an aside, I don’t ‘run’ Collective Shout. I am part of a founding board which takes responsibility for the organisation. The day to […]
Social media a free-fire zone for cyber hate
As published in the Canberra Times Jan 22, 2012 Most days when I turn on my computer I am offered wisdom on what would make me less angry about the treatment of women and girls, the issue I most care about. This can be summarised as ‘MTR really needs a good f**k’. And that’s a […]
The power of social media: ‘I’m too pretty to do homework’ t.shirt pulled
I hope you are encouraged by this clip from the CBC Early Show about the campaign to remove a T-shirt marketed to young girls with the logo ‘”I’m too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me.” It was great to see how quickly this took off, after one woman, […]