Posts Tagged ‘Teens’

The Vogue Point of View, Translated

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Take a look at this page from the July 2010 issue of Vogue:
And now let’s take it apart:

  • “I am woman. Hear me roar.”

    • Reference to women’s lib anthem: Check.

  • “Hear me issue stock-purchase orders from the Wall Street trading floor.”

    • According to Federal Bureau of Labor statistics from last year, just 29% of American traders were women. While the growth of women in the financial services industry is not to be mocked, there is still a long way to go. Are the only roaring women the ones who work in a male-dominated industry, and are they roaring only because they are doing a job which has traditionally been done by men? I think not.

  • “I am woman; I am not girl. I do not emulate the pop-burlesque fashion stylings of Ke$ha or Katy Perry.”

    • Just a few lines in, we’re already talking about what a woman is not. Plus, Katy Perry’s style was already celebrated in June’s Teen Vogue, and Ke$ha was featured in Teen Vogue’s May music issue. In a few years, Big Girl Vogue will tell former Teen Vogue readers that the “Katy and Ke$ha are awesome!” thing was all a joke.

  • “I do not aspire to passe morning-after chic, with bird’s-nest hair and shredded leather leggings. No.”

    • Vogue suggests you try this look instead.

  • “Of Lana Turner and Barbara Stanwyck–and Lena Horne–I sing.”

    • You, the same magazine whose French edition did a photo shoot of Lara Stone in blackface; you, the same magazine that ran a questionable cover of LeBron James and Gisele Bundchen; you, with a notorious tendency to debut international editions with white girls at the cover’s focal point–you sing of Lena Horne? Not to mention that a search for Lana Turner on vogue.com turned up just 2 results, and 1 for Barbara Stanwyck. Sure, I hear you singing.

  • “(Have you felt the smooth, snug tug of fine leather gloves being pulled on? Have you considered the rebellion, the nonconformity, inherent today in a Mamie Eisenhower knit suit? Have you worn a crinoline lately?)”

    • So–we can wear leather gloves but not leather leggings? And you ask the Woman Who Roars if she knows anything of rebellion? I’m also not sure Vogue gets to send a shout-out crinoline in the same space where they criticize burlesque-inspired fashion.

  • “Reader, if you’re older than fourteen, fashion for fall 2010 offers more wearable options than it has in eons.”

    • Yes, Vogue is talking to you, teens who should not be reading Teen Vogue! The wearable fashions–nay, “2010 Fall Essentials”–recommended by Vogue include a $250 Michael Kors belt, a $380 sweater by Inhabit and a Cynthia Rowley feather tutu for $410. In fairness, I suppose they did say ‘wearable,’ not ‘affordable.’ Though that still doesn’t explain the feather tutu.

  • “Skirts fall below mid-thigh.”

    • In the fall fashion collections? You don’t say!

  • “Designers are giving us dead-cool-but-still-practical streetwear uniforms for work or school.”

    • See: feather tutu; sweater that costs more than half of what the average family of 5 spent on groceries each month as of 2009.

  • “Can we get an ‘Amen’ up in here?”

    • In a word: No.

    –Emily Long

    (more…)

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    LAMPcamp – Day three

    Thursday, July 16th, 2009

    We’d built up so much momentum with the excitement our LAMPers had shown for the video projects, that we found ourselves as we prepared for Day 3 pulling back on our plans to explore digital media. We created a completely closed and private social network for LAMPcamp on ning.com where our LAMPers would be able to post their own pics, video, music, where they could chat and even start discussion topics – all completely within the confines of the relatively safe environs of LAMPcamp. With only a day left for us with them, we decided that we didn’t have enough time to really explore this like we’d hoped. Nonetheless, we still invited all of them to the LAMPcamp ning, as well as spoke about it at the beginning of the discussion. And then, we flipped the entire LAMPcamp on its head.

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    D.C. asked the LAMPers again if they remembered to bring their cellphones. Like an excited crowd rushing through the opening gates of a brand new amusement park, the LAMPers quickly shuffled into their backpacks, pockets and purses retrieving their favored devices. Holding them at the ready, the LAMPers waited to see why we had prepped them so much for this moment. D.C. explained to them that he wanted them to text him any question they wanted to ask him, and if he felt the question would benefit the group as a whole, he would read it out loud. The person who asked the question would remain completely anonymous.

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    Honestly, we didn’t know what to expect, and we’re certain that if we hadn’t logged the many hours already with the LAMPers, this exercise wouldn’t have worked the way that it did. As it was, we’d developed relationships with them, started conversations and narratives which was reflected in the dozens and dozens of questions D.C. received on his phone.

    All told, in a period of 15 minutes, over 45 questions were sent to D.C.’s phone. Some of them silly, some of them revealing and some of them very, excitingly poignant. For the most part, they were read out loud. Those that D.C. felt were too private and deserved a private response, were replied to directly by D.C. with a text.

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    Following here is a sample of the questions from the LAMPers (all spelling and grammar kept in context):
    - “Do u like catherine?” (Katherine Fry – Our Education Director and LAMP co-Founder with D.C.)
    - “Do you think kids in this generation text way to much”
    - “r u married?” (Specifically, asked to D.C.)
    - “Are u a happi person?”
    - “Do you likee beinq heree ?”
    - “How many dates did u go on” (with some clarification, this question was referring to how many dates he went on with his wife before they got married)
    - “Do you like to live inn ny? If so why? :)
    - “Is yur wife hot” (also directed at D.C.)
    - “Why are we doing this?”
    - “How long have you been married??”
    - “Do u like 2 fart in a bag and then smell it ? (It was decided that this was not appropriate to read out loud and was only meant to cause a stir)
    - “Wat is yor favorite color”
    - “Do you find LAMP boring?”
    - “What did u do in skool wen u were little??
    - “Has someone sent ya a text that ever sacred you?” (“scared” not “sacred”)
    - “should there be a cutoff time for texting like a bedtime fot texting”
    - “If you had kids, would you let them text as much as we do?”

    Throughout this texting exercise, we continued to have a discussion about their texting habits, how they felt it benefitted them/damaged them, how they viewed their parent’s involvement in their cyber lives, and how unsafe they felt overall. Universally, they all agreed they texted too much. That said, they didn’t think this was necessarily a bad thing. When pressed, they found themselves often bored, and having a constant jingle in their pocket of a quick quip from a friend made them feel more grounded and connected with their world. They also agreed that they didn’t understand nor appreciated the ban on cellphones in school.

    As the questions rolled in, some of them were asked out loud to the LAMPers, which would shape the discussion, leading to more questions sent via text. It’s our finding that texting isn’t just something they do in order to avoid face-to-face communication, but it’s also something they are very good at. It’s very natural to send their thoughts, emotions and opinions out into the ether. We noticed since we allowed them to use their devices while we chatted, they didn’t become more withdrawn, but in fact more relaxed – more themselves. These devices are very much a part of how they connect with the world and retract from it. They stayed even more engaged in the discussion than they did the previous days. Things did not roil into chaos as it might’ve, but in fact stayed very organic and fluid.

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    One of the most surprising responses to a question we asked was the overwhelming “Yes!” when we asked if they felt they should be able to use their mobile devices in class, especially on tests in order to look up answers to a question ( An aside: Here lies an incredibly interesting conundrum. As it is understood, not everything on the Internet is accurate, just like asking their buddy for the answer, the kids understood that the answers they might find online would also be false. We thought this would be an excellent exercise in media literacy).

    We were very grateful for the opportunity to explore this kind of learning environment, and though we only got to dip for a few minutes into this digital pool, it was incredibly fulfilling and rewarding.

    Tomorrow, LAMPers get treated to a presentation by a renowned comic book artist for DC Comics and the completion of our media projects. We’re really looking forward to seeing how things look as we wrap LAMPcamp up, but are saddened we only get this short period of time to work with everyone.

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    LAMPcamp – Day one

    Monday, July 13th, 2009

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    When we walked into the room, the first thing we thought was “Oh my goodness, so many kids!” Originally, we had contracted to do LAMPcamp for the Prospect Park YMCA, we had figured on 12-15 kids (even split between boys and girls). Well, the room was brimming with 29 future LAMPers who looked at us with a little confusion. We didn’t have much time so we started right in (and so much we hoped to accomplish on our first day), passed out their LAMPackets for the week and moved everyone into a circle.

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    We showed them some basic interview techniques and then handed them the camera. They were supposed to switch back and forth interviewing the person seated next to them, then handing off the camera, and going around the circle. With so many kids, we pulled out another camera and got the other side involved in the same activity.

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    And even while this was going on, we still had kids idling doing nothing. So we chatted them up. Asking them about all sorts of things regarding media: Facebook vs. MySpace (“MySpace is so boring” “Facebook is for adults” etc.), Sidekicks vs. Smartphones (They all decided that DC’s phone needed a massive upgrade), TV vs. hulu/youtube/limewire (“Why would you need to listen to the song on your phone when you can get it for free at limewire?”), etc. Finally, we made it through the opening interviews, which meant it was time for our Media Scavenger Hunt.

    Once out on the street, the LAMPers really engaged with the urban environment, trading off taking pictures and videos of different instances of media they encountered. Scav_6 And because we had such a short period of time to work with, we really had to cut short the full exploration. But every single kid had the exact same thing to say at the end of the Hunt: “I never realized how many advertisements and media there are in the neighborhood before we stopped to look today.” Score!

    We broke into smaller groups (2 boy groups, 2 girl groups) and discussed the media projects each group will be working on for the rest of the week. Here we’ll really be able to engage in a deeper exploration and conversation about topics that really interest them. We’re looking forward to what these obviously creative LAMPers will come up with.

    Some of the best lessons and interesting experiences from the 1st day:
    - On the Scavenger Hunt, our LAMPers found a bodega that had a wall panel overflowing with cigarette ads (who didn’t know why they’d never seen a cigarette ad on TV), sitting next to another panel that was advertising NY State’s “Quit Smoking” campaign.

    - When we broke into girls-only and boys-only groups, one of our male LAMPers asked why we did. It was stated to allow us the opportunity to explore topics and to talk about things that we don’t feel comfortable saying in front of the opposite gender. He replied “I don’t act differently around girls.” Really? Don’t you say things with other guys that you don’t say in front of girls? “Oh, yeah, i guess i do.”

    - During a short discussion about “What defines a guy?”, after answers like “your father, your brother, your uncle, etc.” we got ‘Michael Jackson’. Someone replied to that “Michael Jackson ain’t a man, he talks like a girl.” Many were quick to defend Michael but it also led to an incredibly rich discussion about what makes a “guy” (deep voice, big muscles, anger, etc.) and how did they derive this image.

    Already we can see that time is a very precious commodity, and we have so much to accomplish by the end of this week. On Wednesday, we’re getting a presentation from Daniela Capistrano on her work at MTV, and then we’re going to break back into our small boys/girls groups and really get to cracking on our media projects.

    If any of you would like us to explore anything in particular with our LAMPers, leave us a comment on this site or drop as a line on Twitter: @thelampnyc

    Catch ya on Wednesday!

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    Too young to have rights?

    Friday, April 17th, 2009

    It’s been over twenty years since DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince wrote their award-winning song “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” but you’d be hard-pressed to find a kid that it doesn’t resonate with. Arguing with your parents isn’t just a common experience for youth — it’s practically a rite of passage.

    Granted I’m only a few years out of adolescence, and about five times as many from having my own kids, but I’ve always sympathized with teens. Before you turn eighteen, you have very little agency over your own life. Whether it’s your parents or your teachers, adults are pretty much always telling you what to do, from what you wear to school in the morning to what you eat for dinner to how much time you spend with your friends. And while most parents have their children’s best interests at heart, some don’t. Or they do, but their good intentions aren’t enough to mitigate their misguided attempts to do what they think is right.

    Legally speaking, parents and schools still retain many rights over their children and students. But, if ratified, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child might change that. According to Politico, this treaty “sets international standards for government obligations to children in areas that range from protection from abuse and exploitation to ensuring a child’s right to free expression.”

    Sounds like a good idea, right? Well, not everyone thinks so. Like Somalia, the only other country besides the US that hasn’t ratified the treaty. And Michael Farris, president of ParentalRights.org, who worries that

    Parents would no longer be able to administer reasonable spankings to their children. … A child’s “right to be heard” would allow him (or her) to seek governmental review of every parental decision with which the child disagreed, … and children would have the ability to choose their own religion while parents would only have the authority to give their children advice about religion.

    Also, Rep. Pete Hoekstra, who recently introduced a bill in the House — sponsored by 70 members of the House — that would cement a place for parents’ rights in our Constitution.

    Don’t get me wrong — Although I am in support of the treaty, I am a little wary of any piece of legislation that might expand the reach of the government at the expense of citizens’ rights. I am certainly not suggesting we hand over our children to the government to rear — but neither is this treaty. It’s an interesting dichotomy that adults in our society will do so much to protect the safety and welfare of their children, but then dismiss and trivialize their personal concerns, interests, and ideas. In my opinion, any treaty that aims to protect — and therefore legitimize — youth expression deserves, at the very least, a closer look. And if nearly 200 countries manage to ratify this treaty without blood running in the streets, then I think we can handle it.

    Unfortunately, chances are that this issue will languish in bureaucratic limbo for years to come. In the meantime, it’s my hope that all the teens out there can find solace in the wise words of DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince:

    You know parents are the same / No matter time nor place / They don’t understand that us kids / Are going to make mistakes / So to you, all the kids all across the land / There’s no need to argue / Parents just don’t understand

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    Fast food marketing studies embedded in the omnibus bill?

    Thursday, March 12th, 2009

    Who knew? According to a piece by Advertising Age’s Ira Teinowitz, the omnibus spending bill signed yesterday by President Obama contains a provision for studying which foods are healthy and can be marketed to teens. The study will be conducted by “The Interagency Working Group on Food Marketed to Children,” which will be comprised of members of the Federal Trade Commission, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, and the Secretary of Agriculture. The Working Group is supposed to report back to Congress in 2010 with its findings and recommendations.

    Let’s stop for a second and imagine a world where junk food goes the way of the cigarette, and can no longer be advertised on TV, in youth magazines, in theatres showing movies with a rating lower than an R. Let’s also think about how the Working Group will determine which foods are healthy and which foods are not–remember that back in 2003, the USDA determined that frozen french fries should be defined as a fresh vegetable. Depending on how it is prepared, almost any food can be made less healthy; slather an apple in caramel and peanut butter, and it’s suddenly no good at keeping that doctor away.

    I applaud measures that challenge advertisers to be responsible in their tactics, but such measures are not enough without the education to accompany it. Where is the U.S. Department of Education in all of this to determine the impact of junk food ads on young minds? Who is going to look at how unhealthy foods and beverages are marketed in public schools? You can censor, ban and regulate all you want, but that doesn’t make junk food disappear, any more than it has made cigarettes go away. Education–in this case, specifically and especially media education–is the key for real and lasting change from within.

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