LEGO & Gender Part 1: Lego Friends

January 30, 2012

Also available on Blip.tv

LEGO announced that after 4 years of intensive research, they have finally come up with a LEGO product that fulfills the desires of “how girls naturally build and play.” This new theme is called LEGO Friends and it’s a pink and purple, gender segregated, suburban wasteland populated by Barbie/Bratz style dolls.  …

Top 5 Creepy and Sexist Christmas Songs

December 21, 2011

You’ve heard them about a bagillion times before, and every December they are played over and over again, yup, it’s the same old Christmas and Holiday songs. But have you ever noticed that some of the lyrics are just down right creepy? Check out this video for my Top 5 Creepy and Sexist Christmas …

Toy Ads and Learning Gender

November 16, 2010

Created for Bitch Magazine’s Mad World Virtual Symposium

I recently watched afternoon cartoons on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network and I was shocked to find a flood of highly gendered toy commercials. These ads not only market toys to children but it also promotes and encourages gender specific values that are very limiting to boys and …

Retro Sexism and Uber Ironic Advertising

September 21, 2010

Created for and originally posted at Bitch Magazine’s Mad World Virtual Symposium

Marketers are increasingly using Retro Sexism to sell products.  This form of advertising uses irony and humour as a way to distance itself from the sexist and/or racist representations and stereotypes they perpetuate.

Retro Sexism (n.): Modern attitudes and behaviors that mimic or …

No Girls Allowed: File Sharing Culture and BitTorrent

July 20, 2010

Created for and originally posted at Bitch Magazine’s Mad World Virtual Symposium

UPDATE: The YouTube version of this video has been taken down due to apparent “Inappropriate Content”, I am currently contesting the take down.  In the mean time, you can read about how I had another video taken down and …

Interview: Jennifer Berger on About Face and American Apparel

June 29, 2010

Recently I sat down with Jennifer Berger, the executive director of About Face, a media literacy organization, helping girls and women resist harmful media messages. They currently have a campaign against American Apparel’s advertising.
Related Links and Articles:

About Face and visit American Apparel in their Gallery of Offenders.
Views photos from an …

Bayonetta: Innovative Advertising or Sexual Harassment Training?

May 18, 2010

Created for and originally posted at Bitch Magazine’s Mad World Virtual Symposium

The widely popular video game Bayonetta has had an advertising campaign that matches the on screen sexism of the game itself.  In Tokyo a large billboard in the subway invited passersby to literally strip off  flyers to reveal Bayonetta naked underneath.  …