outside the (toy) box

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.) and look at this partial list of confirmed speakers:

• Morgan Spurlock, Director: Supersize Me

• Michael Brody, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

• Nancy Carlsson Paige, author, Taking Back Childhood

• Gail Dines, co-author, Pornography: The Production and Consumption of Inequality

• Allen Kanner, co-editor, Psychology and Consumer Culture

• Tim Kasser, author, the High Price of Materialism

• Joe Kelly, author, Dads and Daughters

• Jean Kilbourne, author, Can’t Buy My Love

• Diane Levin, author, Remote Control Childhood

• Susan Linn, author Consuming Kids

• Alex Molnar, author,  School Commercialism: From Democratic Ideal to Market Commodity

• Michele Simon, the Marin Institute; author, Appetite for Profit

• Juliet Schor, author, Born to Buy

• Susan Gregory Thomas, author Buy, Buy, Baby

• Ginger Carlson, author, Child of Wonder

• Rebecca Randall, Common Sense Media

• Jason Smith, Public Health Advocacy Institute

• Lynn Ziegler, author, Spongeheadz: U and Media

Yowza. That’s great. I registered last year and never attended because I ended up in the hospital with pneumonia (I was pregnant too).  I was crushed (not to mention out the registration fee).

Anyway, this is not an academic-only kind of affair. As the website says,

As in year’s past, the 2008 summit will combine activism with education.  Since 2001 we have been bringing together distinguished scholars, activists, parents, and educators to talk about how marketing undermines children’s health and well-being and what we can do about it. The 2008 summit will feature a special focus on how marketing contributes to the sexualization of young children.

So, if you even think you might be interested and live in the Northeast (or if you are affluent and live anywhere else…or if you have always wanted to go to Boston and think it would make a great dual trip…or if you are one of my friends IRL and think, “hey why not humor her and check it out?”), let me know.

I think TwoKnives is going, right TK? I would love to have a meet up.

Anyone else going? Amy? Izzy? You two seem like possible suspects.  Not Quite Crunchy, Marjorie, Simple Family — this seems like something that might interest you…? Blue Milk, c’mon, I know you want to make the trip from Australia. Academama, something to give you even more ammunition against those half shirts?  Stewgad, now that you have a daughter, you’re screwed too, best join the fight early!  Ms. Ronny in Bawlmer? This must be something that your employer would fund! And how about you, Elizabeth — as a mom/policy wonk interested in gender, you could (should! should!) add this issue to your hit list…and Redstar and Amy, you’re in Boston anyway (I’m not outing them, they say so on their blogs)!  Subarctic Mama, you abhor advertising, plus, it’ll still be snowing in Alaska come April.  And, well, of course the venerable feminist bloggers at Feministe should attend!

This is not my area of research, either, I’m going as an interested parent (and anti-commercialization blogger, I suppose) and wannabe activist on this issue, come with!

And if you aren’t going — what info should we dig up for you?