It seems Pop Chips has gotten a fresh face for its new ad line. Within the past month, Katy Perry has begun to promote the all-natural potato snacks, popping up on billboards around the country. Unfortunately, as much as I’d love to endorse anything Katy Perry-related, these recent ads promote unhealthy rhetoric that perpetuates diet-obsessed… Continue Reading →
NBC takes a step forward in gender and race representation with Revolution
On September 17, NBC aired its newest television series Revolution. The premise of the show is pretty simple: One day, every single piece of technology completely blacks out, permanently. Fifteen years later on the outskirts of Chicago, families are living feudally, relying on farming and hunting to sustain themselves. We learn that Ben Matheson may… Continue Reading →
When did nude become news?
Kate Middleton’s breasts got suddenly famous, and the uproar ensued. As you know by now, on September 14, the French magazine Closer printed photographs of Kate Middleton sunbathing topless on a vacation with Prince William — without Kate’s knowledge or approval. Consumers of gossip mags know that this is hardly unusual. We fawn over pictures… Continue Reading →
Axe does it again – disembodiment and sexism galore
Unsurprisingly, media critics have always had a tough time with Axe advertisements. Their overtly sexual nature and not-so-subtle caress of the male ego make it hard to believe that they’re selling body sprays and hair gels. But the commercial “Office Love,” just out on August 20th, takes Axe’s advertising to a whole new level. And… Continue Reading →
According to Old Navy, new clothes make a “new you”
I’ve never been a big fan of Old Navy commercials. The music is cheesy, everyone’s way too happy, and the clothing quality just doesn’t seem to match the price. But this month, Old Navy released their newest commercial, “New Girl” — and this one takes the cake. Basically, the premise of this commercial is that… Continue Reading →
Mommy vs. media in sexualization of girls: Where are the dads?
An article on AlterNet about sexualization of young girls concluded “Mothers are a strong predictor — even more than the amount of media consumption alone — of whether a girl will regard herself as a sex object.” But I couldn’t help but wonder: What role do fathers play in their daughters’ sexualization? The article, titled “I Want… Continue Reading →
Yahoo! News paints women as just haircuts and heels
As the world of media becomes increasingly digitalized, most people are giving up the Sunday morning paper for an online news peruse. Suddenly, newspapers seem too long and burdensome compared to the brief, scandalous sound bites and one-liners that online headlines provide — Yahoo! News headlines, in particular. But what happens when “top news” becomes a… Continue Reading →