Okey doke. I had been thinking about how infrequently I mention Thing 2 on this blog and how you probably all think I am a neglectful, uncaring mother incapable of loving her baby. So, I was going to post a little memo about how much I adore him (I do, I do, I do - it’s SICK how much I love that baby) and all his adorable quirks (he has a intense hair fetish and likes to pull my eyelashes while we snuggle), and how I am actually very focused on him for a number of reasons (e.g., not the least of which is that he has “THE Read the complete Post.
Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood is having their annual summit in Boston in April.
The topic is sexualization of children(read as BRATZ et al - that image above is of Bratz Babyz, btw - I know my dd always wore a LOT of liquid eyeliner when she was part of the under 1 set.) Read the complete Post.
Hmmm. I am summoning the powers of teh internets to help me strategize.
My daughter goes to a wonderful, wonderful preschool that impresses me every day. The profoundly qualified and committed teachers, the curriculum, the director, the families - it’s a place that I feel great about. Not only do they provide a rich setting and ample resources for social and intellectual development, they are also very progressive and deal brilliantly with issues of diversity - racial and ethnic, class, gender, ability, family structure etc etc.
The only complaint I have is that they currently Read the complete Post.
Well, since I was the proud winner of a gift from Stewgad, I am required by blogging good karma law to make the same offer to you all…
I hereby promise to send some sort of tangible, physical gift before the end of this calendar year to the first 5 commenters on this post. In light of my desire to not consume Read the complete Post.
Thanks to The Curvature for cluing me into National Organization of Women’s Love Your Body Day! In honor of this you can choose to be:
A.) Pissed off (by watching a very good slideshow from NOW that follows in the Jean Kilborne tradition.) All the beauty image nonsense that we gripe about illustrated beautifully.
or
B.) Happy/Accepting/Celebratory (”This Little Bod of Mine, I’m Gonna Let it Shine…”). Think about all the marvelous things your body does for you. I give mine such a hard time, seriously taking it for granted (sorry body). If you prefer option B, I recommend the Shape of a Mother blog, that bluemilk introduced to me, kudos Shape of a Mother for showing us what real bodies actually look like. If you are a self-helping kind of gal, you might like to also take the I Love My Body Pledge. And without a doubt, no matter who you are, watch the Mika video for Big Girl.
(btw — BOTH A and B highly recommended. Send all that trash talk outward)
Okay, so I need to get to work, but sometimes you have moments, you know?
I get Blender magazine. Not maybe what you’d expect, but people are funny. At any rate, this was the cover photo that I found on my doorstep today:
In case you do other things with your leisure time, that’s the former lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls (and also former member of “Eden’s Crush” — remember them?) who is now releasing her solo album. At any rate, I grabbed it just as Thing 1 said, what was on that “maz-a-geen”? I said - nothing - just a picture that was pretty inappropriate. “I saw it” she giggles. Most of the time the cover is fine, but I’m pissed at Blender, and at myself.
I distracted her with a different piece of mail – from her younger cousin — she opened it - it was a thank you card. This thank you card to be specific: Read the complete Post.
Hey — Thanks for all the great comments lately everyone - such witty and smart visitors! I have a serious case of infatuation with you all and the time I spend on this blog and on the clever blogs of others (that person in your analytics who visits 6 times a day waiting for you to post — it’s me — I’m an addict)! I’m in love with the blogosphere. Do I have to tell my husband? Also, if you’re lurking, c’mon, no need to be shy. Say hi! Read the complete Post.
Advertisers generally respond to critiques of marketing to kids by calling it an issue of parental responsibility. If you don’t want your kids to see advertising, just don’t let them watch TV. Simple as that.
I’ve tried it — it helps a lot. Thing 1 has never seen commercial television, and I also work hard to keep her out of shopping environments (sometimes with comic outcomes…). I have also tried to have playdates at parks and playgrounds or museums or sporting events instead of at other kids’ homes where the world of Disney, Bratz, etc. may reign supreme.
Well, Friday, Thing 1 had her first playdate at a friends’ home. Janie is Read the complete Post.
Today I took Thing 1 and Thing 2 to a women’s soccer game on campus, with friends (hi SA!) and it wasn’t exactly the perfect outing - it was extremely hot, there was no shade, we had a long walk each way, and because we had to get back for swimming, we were tight on time. Non-optimal. Significant whining ensued and we didn’t see very much of the game, but you know what, I’m still glad we went, because it reminded me about what an antidote women’s collegiate sports are for so many of the things that fry me. Read the complete Post.
Dove’s newest viral video “film,” Onslaught is making the rounds. In case you haven’t seen it, it’s certainly well worth the 1 minute and 15 second time investment. Check it out here.
But, poor Onslaught is getting shredded by the feminist blogosphere, and yesterday even some of my very, very faves like Jill over at Feministe and Two Knives… had at it — both making extremely good Read the complete Post.