Kids and Kommercialism – The Boob Tube, pt 1

I wanted to return to the topic of “kids and kommercialism” that I discussed in a number of earlier posts (cf, here, here, here), and in particular to talk a bit more about some ways of addressing problems associated with the pervasive marketing aimed at kids.

Blaxploitation Pride: The Boondocks [Season 1]

Blaxploitation Pride: The Boondocks [Season 1] (2005).

Another ranting revolutionary… because we can’t be serious all the time – and “I know you don’t read.”

Media Literacy: Chase’s Bad Karma

You’ve seen it if you watch primetime TV here in California: the ad for the bank Chase, to announce their “arrival” in the state via their takeover of WaMu, featuring a cover of John Lennon’s “Instant Karma! (We All Shine On).”

Kids and Kommercialism – Infants and TV

TV-watching tots miss out on vital chat – health – 01 June 2009 – New Scientist

A study being reported on in New Scientist looks at the way that TV viewing interferes with the exposure to the human voice and human words necessary for infants’ proper development. When the TV is on, infants vocalise less and hear fewer words from nearby adults who are presumably too absorbed in watching TV to interact properly with the babies.

Even TV programming designed for infants – like various baby DVDs designed to stimulate mental activity or promote parent-child interaction – interfered with development. A 2007 study showed that infants who watched such programs scored lower on tests of language development than infants who didn’t watch such programs.

What is it about that Lowe’s ad?

Searches on some combination of terms referring to the Lowe’s “calming green” ad featuring Valspar paint continue to be a major source of visits to this blog (to the post on “Kids and Kommercialism IV” in which I discuss the ad), and I can’t for the life of me figure out what it is about this ad that has everyone so excited.

It’s an okay ad – though only because of that “calming green” moment, which makes it memorable and effective – but it isn’t close to being the best or most interesting ad on TV at the moment. Just off the top of my head, the competing Honda Insight and Prius ads seem much more appealing. So what is it about that Lowe’s ad?

I have this fantasy that all these searches for information on the ad are being conducted by harried parents around the country, one step away from infanticide, who are leaping at the promise of a paint that will get their kids to sit down, shut up and do their homework. They weren’t able to convince the doctor to put the kids on Ritalin, so this is their last hope.

Morningside 4 Life!

Everybody always complains about global warming as if it was nothing but bad news. I’m as guilty here as the next person. So I wanted to take a moment to set the record straight, by bringing to your attention one of the major benefits of global warming.

Kids and Kommercialism IV

lit•er•a•cy |ˈlitərəsē; ˈlitrə-| – noun – the ability to read and write; competence or knowledge in a specified area

Critical Media Literacy

In a previous incarnation, I taught for a course on “gender and popular culture.” The first assignment given to the students was to visit the Toys R Us store in the local mall and write a short analysis of what they saw in terms of gender issues. This was generally a real eye-opener for the students, who were shocked and dismayed by what they observed. While they were for the most part familiar with issues of gender discourse and sexism in TV and movies (this was a university course), they were often stunned at how extensive it was, all-pervasive even, in children’s lives – in everyday stuff like toy packages, the styling of kids’ bicycles and even the layout of the store.

Kids and Kommercialism II

To continue…

Here are some factoids on children and television and advertising: