Transmedia 101 at the Made in NY Media Center

I'm teaching a course, IN NEW YORK! for those of you who have always dreamed of me revealing all of the secrets of the media business to you, your dream is closer than ever! Let me know if you want to attend, and use the code: STARLIGHT75 for a special discount. Spots are limited, sign up now!

Our Dolls, Ourselves? The History of the American Girl Company

"In July, American Girl announced that it would “archive” Molly, one of the original three characters, as well as Emily, her “best friend,” introduced in 2006. There’s no specific retirement date set, but they’ll likely be gone by the end of this year, Julie Parks, a spokesperson, told me. Molly’s journey to the big doll box in the sky means that none of the earliest three dolls introduced by the manufacturer that launched the American Girl brand, Pleasant Company, will be available. (Samantha was retired in 2009, Kirsten in 2010.) Felicity Merriman, introduced in 1991, has also been archived. Addy Walker is the only character from Pleasant Company’s first ten years of existence that remains in active circulation."

Our Dolls, Ourselves? at The New Yorker

LINKSTORM: Reign and the Female Masturbation Controversey

 Reign courted controversy during it's pilot with a scene where one of Mary Queen of Scots, or as I will now and forever refer to her on this show, Mary Teen of Scots.  This contraversey is not about the show's historicity (which is almost nil, though it is watchable despite, or possibly because of it's extremely loose relationship with facts and period)

The controversy centered on the decision to cut a scene where a fully clothed teenage lady-in-waiting masturbates in a hallway. This is despite some pretty violent poisonings and beheadings, and a fairly racy sex scene with nudity (network tv nudity) that did make the final cut. 

The internet has thoughts, What are Yours? 

 Why female pleasure — not sex — is the real taboo on primetime television

The CW's racy new period drama Reign received criticism last week after the network edited out a female masturbation scene but allowed several other equally explicit scenes to air. In the original, the teen in question and her peers get all hot and bothered after witnessing a bedding ceremony. She finds an empty stairwell and decides to quite literally take matters into her own hands... Singling out female masturbation for censorship gets even more absurd when you consider the graphic stuff on television that is streamed every day without controversy. Consensual, stylized sex scenes between two attractive, heterosexual characters are so abundant they're hardly worth mentioning. And sexual violence is incredibly prevalent in primetime; it is the central premise of shows like Law and Order SVU and CSI, which week after week churn out episodes focused on rape, abduction, and violence against children. [The Week]

"Voyeuristic sex, prolific infidelity, a teenage girl seduced by a grown man — Reign. So too are scenes of extreme violence, including one featuring a decapitated head spewing blood these things are tame enough for the CW's period drama.  But a young woman masturbating? Good heavens, no." [Salon]

"This is not about slamming TV-decency advocates as prudes. If you're against the depiction of sex on TV altogether — particularly on a network aimed largely at teens — fine; I may not agree with you but that's a consistent position and your prerogative. But the idea that masturbation is somehow dirtier and more outrageous than full-on sex is absurd." [TIME]

 

 

I can't promise to review every episode, but I will be watching, anyone who wants to join me should hit me up at @Caitlin_Burns on twitter and we can snark together. 

Slutoween 2013: Take Back Halloween

So, I usually do a roundup of inappropriate Halloween Costumes, or a roundup of roundups of such costumes, but this year I simply cannot be bothered. Also, SPOILER they're all Sexy Walter White (unless you're a Marvel GIRL!)

Instead, be inspired by:

 Take Back Halloween

Girls Toys are Raising Toy Company's Profits By Leaps and Bounds

"Boys' products sales, the biggest category by revenue, fell 17% in the latest quarter to $392 million. The games category's sales improved 5.9% to $387.5 million, while sales in the girls' category climbed 29% to $388.7 million."

Hasbro's Earnings Rise on Improved Sales of Girls Toys 

Sexualized avatars affect the real world, Stanford researchers find

"A Stanford study shows that after women wear sexualized avatars in a virtual reality world, they feel objectified and are more likely to accept rape myths in the real world. The research could have implications for the role of female characters in video games."

 -Read more at Stanford News

Is This the Grossest Advertising Strategy of All Time? -The Atlantic

A new study claims to identify the times of the week that women are feeling the most insecure about their bodies, and recommends that brands "concentrate media during prime vulnerability moments."

                             Read more at The Atlantic