Comments on: Commercialized Schools, The Other Side of the Equation http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/ Anyone else find childhood a little stifling these days? Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:10:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: mom http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-590 mom Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:32:30 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-590 Did I get what off MSN, Danny? The post? Of course not! Did I get what off MSN, Danny? The post? Of course not!

]]> By: Danny T. http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-589 Danny T. Tue, 15 Jan 2008 09:41:40 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-589 <strong>Danny T....</strong> Did you get this off MSN?... Danny T….

Did you get this off MSN?…

]]> By: MamaMo http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-452 MamaMo Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:51:31 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-452 Let me second "asrai"'s recommendation of the book Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers - awesome read! For more insight on consumerism and marketing with the teen population (you think princesses are bad - wait 'til it's the latest incarnation of Britney Spears they're oggling) - I recommend watching PBS' Frontline: The Merchants of Cool. Let me second “asrai”’s recommendation of the book Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers - awesome read! For more insight on consumerism and marketing with the teen population (you think princesses are bad - wait ’til it’s the latest incarnation of Britney Spears they’re oggling) - I recommend watching PBS’ Frontline: The Merchants of Cool.

]]> By: blue milk http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-429 blue milk Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:44:54 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-429 Yes, yes, yes - what a brilliant post! Yes, yes, yes - what a brilliant post!

]]> By: dware http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-424 dware Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:55:07 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-424 Just wait until the folks Junior Achievement show up in your kids' class and start them earning and saving and buying little tzotzkes (some "branded," some not). On one level, teaching about earning and purchasing not being unrelated isn't a bad idea, but I'm leery of the logical extension of this, which is to assign a cash value for every chore or bit of particpation in the "domestic economy." My kindergardener came home a few weeks ago babbling about earning and buyinmg things in class and she was obviously revved about it, so JA has some good missionaries out there. We've drasticaly limited TV exposure (yeah, a shame about PBS...) but haven't as much control over what she sees in daycare or at her friends' houses. So, she wants the Princess stuff, has an embryonic louche taste for Bratz and Barboids and would kill for tickets to High School Musical, but still loves horses and dogs (real, plastic and plush) and was smart enough to ask me why General Jinjur was willing to go back to being "just a girl" after her all-female Army of Revolt lost (ref: the Marvelous City of Oz). Just wait until the folks Junior Achievement show up in your kids’ class and start them earning and saving and buying little tzotzkes (some “branded,” some not). On one level, teaching about earning and purchasing not being unrelated isn’t a bad idea, but I’m leery of the logical extension of this, which is to assign a cash value for every chore or bit of particpation in the “domestic economy.” My kindergardener came home a few weeks ago babbling about earning and buyinmg things in class and she was obviously revved about it, so JA has some good missionaries out there.

We’ve drasticaly limited TV exposure (yeah, a shame about PBS…) but haven’t as much control over what she sees in daycare or at her friends’ houses. So, she wants the Princess stuff, has an embryonic louche taste for Bratz and Barboids and would kill for tickets to High School Musical, but still loves horses and dogs (real, plastic and plush) and was smart enough to ask me why General Jinjur was willing to go back to being “just a girl” after her all-female Army of Revolt lost (ref: the Marvelous City of Oz).

]]> By: ShortWoman http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-423 ShortWoman Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:11:39 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-423 As soon as my son was old enough to tell the difference between the show and the commercial, I made sure he understood that the purpose of a commercial is to get him to do something: buy this; use X credit card; say no to drugs. Unfortunately, I am one mom, and I don't exactly see the schools stepping up with this message. <i>that advertisers explicitly use techniques that undermine parental and teacher authority, to ally themselves with children. The adults in your life are controlling morons, but fruit by the foot understands you. </i> I have never undedrstood the ad concept of "Hi Kids! Your parents are idiots! Make them buy you this!" Hello, most kids don't have income, and why exactly should I spend money on a product whose marketing pitch is <i>you are stupid</i>. I am, however, just cynical enough to think that <a href="http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/underground/toc1.htm" rel="nofollow">most schools and teachers undermine parental authority</a>, and quietly teach the idea that "your parents are idiots." Think about this. Mom and Dad have, since birth, made sure you were strapped into the car -- first in a car seat, and then when you were bigger, a seat belt. The first day of school, before you even get there, you get on a school bus. The bus has no seat belts at all. Why should I wear a seat belt in the family car? As soon as my son was old enough to tell the difference between the show and the commercial, I made sure he understood that the purpose of a commercial is to get him to do something: buy this; use X credit card; say no to drugs. Unfortunately, I am one mom, and I don’t exactly see the schools stepping up with this message.

that advertisers explicitly use techniques that undermine parental and teacher authority, to ally themselves with children. The adults in your life are controlling morons, but fruit by the foot understands you.

I have never undedrstood the ad concept of “Hi Kids! Your parents are idiots! Make them buy you this!” Hello, most kids don’t have income, and why exactly should I spend money on a product whose marketing pitch is you are stupid. I am, however, just cynical enough to think that most schools and teachers undermine parental authority, and quietly teach the idea that “your parents are idiots.” Think about this. Mom and Dad have, since birth, made sure you were strapped into the car — first in a car seat, and then when you were bigger, a seat belt. The first day of school, before you even get there, you get on a school bus. The bus has no seat belts at all. Why should I wear a seat belt in the family car?

]]> By: radical mama http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-422 radical mama Fri, 07 Dec 2007 15:41:40 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-422 This is one of the things that keeps me coming to the Quaker meetings. Surrounding my kids my people who are critical of marketing and consumption, and these are people my kids truly love and admire. I just hope hope hope that they continue to look up to them as they grow into young adults. You bring out so many of the things that concern me about becoming a teacher. I will be fired before I pass out Clearasil samples. (And I am not kidding about that.) But on the other hand, I was talking to my neighbor kid the other day and he said he is failing German. I said, "I don't know German but bring your book over and I can give you some tips on learning a foreign language." He is NOT ALLOWED to bring his book home from school because they don't have enough. . Yet, he is somehow supposed to learn. I don't know what schools are supposed to do. Taxpayers refuse to fund them, and they need to get money somehow. This is one of the things that keeps me coming to the Quaker meetings. Surrounding my kids my people who are critical of marketing and consumption, and these are people my kids truly love and admire. I just hope hope hope that they continue to look up to them as they grow into young adults.

You bring out so many of the things that concern me about becoming a teacher. I will be fired before I pass out Clearasil samples. (And I am not kidding about that.) But on the other hand, I was talking to my neighbor kid the other day and he said he is failing German. I said, “I don’t know German but bring your book over and I can give you some tips on learning a foreign language.” He is NOT ALLOWED to bring his book home from school because they don’t have enough. . Yet, he is somehow supposed to learn. I don’t know what schools are supposed to do. Taxpayers refuse to fund them, and they need to get money somehow.

]]> By: bitchphd http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-419 bitchphd Fri, 07 Dec 2007 03:41:01 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-419 <i>I’m the woman whose son has eaten dog food twice.</i> At least he's cheap to feed. I’m the woman whose son has eaten dog food twice.

At least he’s cheap to feed.

]]> By: Brianna http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-417 Brianna Thu, 06 Dec 2007 20:46:47 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-417 Just as a side note re: developing other sources of supplementary funding for public schools, check out DonorsChoose.org. I'm a big fan of their model--allowing public school teachers to post specific proposals for their classroom needs, and citizen-philanthropists can then select and fund proposals based on their interests. It's a great way to get, for example, a new library for a classroom (I know, I've funded several) while avoiding the whole "But Scholastic will PAY for it [if we just push their brands and characters and marketing materials etc. etc.]" issue. I was so overwhelmed by the overly-branded, Disney-cult, prosti-tot (seriously? what is up with little girls in t-shirts that say "Smokin' Hot!" and "Naughty!" GOOD GOD!) atmosphere in our area preschools that we sent in an application to our local Waldorf school. They ask you to sign a no TV pledge, and the school refuses all ad/marketing dollars, period. But the $12k a year it's going to cost us is not an easy commitment for us as a family, and it certainly doesn't address the larger problem. Thanks for the great post. Just as a side note re: developing other sources of supplementary funding for public schools, check out DonorsChoose.org. I’m a big fan of their model–allowing public school teachers to post specific proposals for their classroom needs, and citizen-philanthropists can then select and fund proposals based on their interests. It’s a great way to get, for example, a new library for a classroom (I know, I’ve funded several) while avoiding the whole “But Scholastic will PAY for it [if we just push their brands and characters and marketing materials etc. etc.]” issue.

I was so overwhelmed by the overly-branded, Disney-cult, prosti-tot (seriously? what is up with little girls in t-shirts that say “Smokin’ Hot!” and “Naughty!” GOOD GOD!) atmosphere in our area preschools that we sent in an application to our local Waldorf school. They ask you to sign a no TV pledge, and the school refuses all ad/marketing dollars, period. But the $12k a year it’s going to cost us is not an easy commitment for us as a family, and it certainly doesn’t address the larger problem.

Thanks for the great post.

]]> By: mom http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-414 mom Thu, 06 Dec 2007 19:19:51 +0000 http://outside-the-toybox.com/commercialized-schools-the-other-side-of-the-equation/2007/12/06/#comment-414 Thanks, Rebecca - what great info. As "the other half of the equation" occurred to me, I really did have a "duh" moment and knew someone, somewhere had to be on this. Without a doubt you should pick up the banner. And bphd, exactly -- this is my situation. My kids are protected in the reasonable ways (e.g., no commercial tv, minimal shopping), plenty of commentary from me on media issues, but others aren't. Isn't it odd that I have to think things like, "well, kindergarten starts in spetember, I'm going to have to deal with the marketing implications" ??? AB - give yourself a break and certainly withold your praise on my parenting skills. I'm the woman whose son has eaten dog food twice. Thanks, Rebecca - what great info. As “the other half of the equation” occurred to me, I really did have a “duh” moment and knew someone, somewhere had to be on this. Without a doubt you should pick up the banner.

And bphd, exactly — this is my situation. My kids are protected in the reasonable ways (e.g., no commercial tv, minimal shopping), plenty of commentary from me on media issues, but others aren’t. Isn’t it odd that I have to think things like, “well, kindergarten starts in spetember, I’m going to have to deal with the marketing implications” ???

AB - give yourself a break and certainly withold your praise on my parenting skills. I’m the woman whose son has eaten dog food twice.

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