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The end of the month is full of award shows: the Teen Choice Awards (Aug. 20), the Emmy Awards (Aug. 27), the MTV Video Music Awards (Aug. 31). And while it can be fun to see who’s wearing the
most outrageous outfit -- or making the sappiest speech -- these shows also provide a perfect opportunity to talk to your kids about commercialism, body image, and our obsession with celebrity. Here
are some ideas for getting the conversation started:
1. Who chooses which movies/TV shows/albums are nominated for awards like the Oscars, the Emmys, the Grammys, and so on? A lot of award
shows have a long, complicated nomination process and/or only let members of an exclusive group vote on nominees and winners. And many studios actively campaign to get their titles included, spending
lots of money on ads in trade publications. Does that make it more likely that smaller independent media will be excluded? What long-term effects could that process have?
2. How are the awards really given out? Who gets to vote? Many shows imply that their awards are decided solely by the people (the Teen Choice Awards, the People's Choice Awards, the Kids' Choice
Awards, etc.), but sometimes other people -- or market research firms -- are involved in the nomination process. Is that fair?
3. Who gets to present the awards? Why do you think certain
celebrities are chosen? Why are actors and musicians with a new movie/TV show/album coming out more likely to be picked?
Latest Reviews:
Video/DVD
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Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abominable Snowman
A smart interactive adventure for kids.
Television
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Pet MDs
Some blood and tears; OK for older tweens.
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The Flavor of Love
Cringe-inducing reality show leaves a bad taste.
Video Game
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Leapster 2nd Grade: Musical Menace
Fun game challenges brains -- and reflexes.
Website
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LemonySnicket.com
OK, but not as much fun as the books.
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September 11th remains a difficult day to remember, even as it's increasingly mythologized and recast in media images. While it may not be time for all viewers to see the images of devastation in this
movie, others will appreciate the uplifting point as it focuses on a small group of people to recount a vast tragedy.
Common Sense Note: Parents should know that the film isn't appropriate for younger kids and may be too much for sensitive teens. It includes explicit images of the World Trade Center Towers collapsing, mostly from inside the buildings (with crashing/exploding sound effects). It also features potentially upsetting television footage and recreations of Ground Zero, the air filled with smoke and dust, with fires burning. Early on, you see a body falling from a tower (and cops' horrified reactions); later, several men are crushed by the falling building; one dies on screen, gurgling blood from his mouth as another observes (again, horrified). At the hospital the victims' injuries are visible (broken limbs, bloody faces). Family members waiting for news are tense and sad, and some argue; a woman cries about her lost son; a pregnant woman vomits; some characters smoke cigarettes and use occasional harsh language.
Families can discuss the relationship that develops between the two survivors, John and Will: How do they keep each other alive by sharing personal stories? How does the community get through the waiting and grieving? How do the kids react to their fathers' unknown status? How do their mothers answer their questions in ways that are honest and also comforting?
Families can also talk about their own recollections of the day and answer any questions kids may have about the tragic events.
Common Sense Note: Parents should know that the film isn't appropriate for younger kids and may be too much for sensitive teens. It includes explicit images of the World Trade Center Towers collapsing, mostly from inside the buildings (with crashing/exploding sound effects). It also features potentially upsetting television footage and recreations of Ground Zero, the air filled with smoke and dust, with fires burning. Early on, you see a body falling from a tower (and cops' horrified reactions); later, several men are crushed by the falling building; one dies on screen, gurgling blood from his mouth as another observes (again, horrified). At the hospital the victims' injuries are visible (broken limbs, bloody faces). Family members waiting for news are tense and sad, and some argue; a woman cries about her lost son; a pregnant woman vomits; some characters smoke cigarettes and use occasional harsh language.
Families can discuss the relationship that develops between the two survivors, John and Will: How do they keep each other alive by sharing personal stories? How does the community get through the waiting and grieving? How do the kids react to their fathers' unknown status? How do their mothers answer their questions in ways that are honest and also comforting?
Families can also talk about their own recollections of the day and answer any questions kids may have about the tragic events.
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We've seen all this before: Guy from the wrong side of the tracks connects with girl through the power of dancing. She needs him to break into the next phase of her dance life, and he needs her to
lift him out of his pathetic life. And it all culminates in The Big Dance Number. Sure, the storyline is tired and cheesy, but what saves this movie from cliché-dom are the fun dance numbers
that make YOU want to get up and dance.
Common Sense Note: Parents need to know that this movie contains references to gang violence, racial unrest, and tragedies resulting from a life of poverty. Social classes are prevalent (the "privileged" and the "poor"), and lies and betrayal are part of the storyline. Tyler comes from a low-income foster home, and his life is all about parties, thugs, and criminal behavior, including a run-in with a chop-shop owner. There's some profanity and sexual innuendo.
Families can talk about what Tyler could have done differently in his life, rather than resorting to crime. How could Tyler have found different friends? How do you avoid "going along with the crowd" when you know they're in the wrong?
Common Sense Note: Parents need to know that this movie contains references to gang violence, racial unrest, and tragedies resulting from a life of poverty. Social classes are prevalent (the "privileged" and the "poor"), and lies and betrayal are part of the storyline. Tyler comes from a low-income foster home, and his life is all about parties, thugs, and criminal behavior, including a run-in with a chop-shop owner. There's some profanity and sexual innuendo.
Families can talk about what Tyler could have done differently in his life, rather than resorting to crime. How could Tyler have found different friends? How do you avoid "going along with the crowd" when you know they're in the wrong?
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KISS wild man shows his milder side. Teens OK. |
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Review before sharing with fashion-crazed teens. |
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Pop-culture fun, but not for the whole family. |
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Older tweens will dig high-energy reality show. |
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Sport-centric reality show is OK for tweens. |
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Fun-filled, family-friendly reality show. |
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According to a new study by the RAND Corporation, a nonpartisan research group, sexually explicit music makes a big impact on teens. Teens who tuned into songs with degrading sexual lyrics were more
likely to become sexually active earlier.
What can parents do? Check out this article from the Christian Science Monitor to find out more about the RAND study -- including what Common Sense Media's CEO Jim Steyer has to say. Or visit our newsletter archive to get quick tips for dealing with racy lyrics.
What can parents do? Check out this article from the Christian Science Monitor to find out more about the RAND study -- including what Common Sense Media's CEO Jim Steyer has to say. Or visit our newsletter archive to get quick tips for dealing with racy lyrics.
