Blogs

I am fired up.

I am sitting in the Best Western hotel room here in Minneapolis (I like this town, and affectionately refer to it as "Minny") with my old friend - ACME co-founder and co-president Bob McCannon.

We are preparing for ACME's first-ever TEACH-IN at the National Conference on Media Reform.

ACME has attended all four of Free Press' National Media Reform conferences, beginning with the one in Madison back in 2003, running workshops and an exhibit booth advocating the importance of media education for media reform.

Speaking of My Beautiful Mommy (see post below), in study after study we see the impact of a culture for girls so toxic that such a book is touted unapologetically on national news shows, ensuring the author millions in new clientele and books sales. A recent media survey of 3000 women found that appearance and weight trumped disease as cause for women's concern -- 84% of the women surveyed felt they were overweight and 56% were concerned about diet/weight, while just 20% express concern about heart health and 18% about diabetes.

In 2007 plastic surgeons performed nearly 11.7 million cosmetic procedures in the U.S. alone, 91% of them on women. That’s a lot of women, and since 67% of the procedures were done on 19-50 year olds, that’s a lot of mothers. Enter the new children’s book, My Beautiful Mommy, aimed at answering all sorts of questions that children 4-7 may have about mom’s operation.

Kingdom of the Crystal, Dull: Indiana Jones Jumps the Shark

Remember that old TV show “Happy Days”?

The one starring Henry Winkler as “the Fonz”?

Late in its run, the show featured an episode with Fonzie jumping a shark on water skis (and yes, he was wearing his trademark leather jacket).

Those of you who may have missed this magic moment can now watch it on YouTube – just search for “Fonzie Jumps the Shark.”

I can still remember the excruciating personal pain I felt when the news of Bobby Kennedy's assassination came over the radio of my VW bug . . . when that tinny little speaker extinguished another part of my idealism.

I am appalled at Hillary's continued use of assassination (four different speeches) as an explanation for why she is staying in the race. Certainly, I don't think she wishes that fate upon Barack, but the repeated use of the event and the word assassination is too _______ (fill in the blank) for me.

FILM REVIEW: Prince Caspian: C.S. Lewis Goes To New Zealand

Once upon a time Walden Media teamed up with Disney to make a film version of C.S. Lewis’ classic children’s tale: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Despite this cumbersome title, the film quickly became Walden Media’s biggest grossing movie of all time.

And if there is anything Hollywood likes, it is a good sequel, especially when there’s money to make.

So hard-working White Americans voted for Clinton last night.

What I find increasingly repugnant about the entire Clinton enterprise is not so much that she is willing to practice racially divisive politics. This should be no surprise. After all, her husband, the so-called "first Black President," made an art of this. (A random attack on the rapper Sister Souljah, reactionary approaches to social justice programs, a racially inspired crime bill, etc.)

Eating Oil: “The War On Bugs” Sounds A “Pharm Alarm” About the Toxic History of American Agriculture

By Rob Williams

Read more about this book at Chelsea Green Publishing.

On Apr 29, 2008, at 10:20 AM, David Kleeman wrote:
DK: Am I then to conclude you believe that every act of aggression or violence is directly caused by violent media exposure? 

--Not any more than I think a girl with an eating disorder has been affected by the culture, or that a kid who smokes has been affected by movies or a child that is overweight has been affected by advertising. I think that due to the exposure, each act becomes more likely, even if just a tiny bit more likely.

This article below, posted by Neil Anderson, is probably public relations from the gaming industry, which is bigger than the movie industry, and even less responsible.

-- To suggest that all the carefully controlled video game studies are obsolete and to minimize the careful work of many independent researchers is an injustice that flies in the face of reality. The violent video game parasites continue to exploit our most vulnerable youth.