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Read on! Check out these resources
This is a very partial list of resources on these subjects. They present interesting information and perspectives; all views of these authors do not necessarily reflect those of the Girls, Women + Media Project. Some books contain mature subject matter.
BOOKS:
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Images of women/girls in popular culture and entertainment
Brave Dames and Wimpettes; What Women are Really Doing on Page and Screen (Susan Isaacs, 1999)
Novelist Isaacs takes a clever look at the female heroes, and hero wanna-be’s in recent film, TV and books. Short, but insightful and funny.
Where the Girls Are; Growing Up Female with the Mass Media (Susan J. Douglas, 1994) One of the books that started it all--the study of girls, women and media, that is. A funny and smart classic.
Popcorn Venus; Women, Movies and the American Dream (Marjorie Rosen, 1973) This is an extremely detailed and perceptive book which traces the development of movies considering cultural and historical changes of the 20th century, especially regarding women. Sadly out of print but it can still be purchased at on-line bookstores.
Reel to Real: Race, Sex and Class at the Movies (by bell hooks) Not reviewed at this time.
When Women Call the Shots: The Developing Power and Influence of Women in Television and Film (Linda Seger, 1996)
While the title may be overly optimistic, this book by Hollywood insider Seger is well-researched and written, providing thoughts and experiences of prominent women in Hollywood as well as historical information and commentary.
Is That A Gun In Your Pocket? Women's Experience of Power in Hollywood (Rachel Abramowitz, 2001) (not reviewed at this time)
Great Women of Film (Helena Lumme, 2002); coincides with major exhibit at Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences(not reviewed at this time)
Women Who Run The Show (Mollie Gregory, 2002) (not reviewed at this time)
News:
Women In Television News Revisited (Judith Marlane, 1999) (not reviewed at this time)
A Place in the News (Kay Mills, 1990) A thorough history of women in the newspaper business, and insight into the facts and challenges of being a woman in news from a former L.A. Times reporter.
And So It Goes; Adventures in Television (Linda Ellerbee, 1986) With her sharp wit and wisdom, veteran journalist and trailblazer Ellerbee writes about her experience in television news in the 1970’s and 80’s.
Music Journalism:
Rock She Wrote: Women Write about Rock, Pop, and Rap (ed. Evelyn McDonnell and Ann Powers, 1995): Wild, sometimes wise writing by women about pop music, and more.(note: graphic language/content)
Picture Perfect A contemporary film that can be used as a learning and teaching tool for body image, eating disorders, and issues of stereotyping of girls and women in popular media.
Body Wars; Making Peace with Women's Bodies--An Activists Guide (Margo Maine, Ph.D, 2000) A director at Eating Disorders Awareness and Prevention (EDAP) and psychotherapist who treats adolescent girls, Maine gives information on the obstacles to physical and emotional health and self-esteem most common in young women, and ideas about activism.
Can’t Buy My Love: Why Women and Girls Must Fight the Addictive Power of Advertising (Jean Kilbourne, Ed.D., 2000) Highly popular campus speaker and educator Jean Kilbourne deconstructs the negative messages for women that are represented through some advertising. Kilbourne has been studying this area for over 20 years.
Adios, Barbie: Young Women Write About Body Image and Indentity(1998)
An anthology of writing by young women of various backgrounds, ethnicities, and sexual orientations on body image; the stories can be stark, radical, painfully blunt, and powerful.
Real Gorgeous: The Truth About Body and Beauty (Kaz Cooke, 1994, 1996 in USA) This is an entertaining and often funny look by Australian author and cartoonist Cooke at how messages about appearance, health, beauty and sex in media and culture are distorted . . . and those cartoons!
The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women (Naomi Wolf, 1991) This widely read book looks at how industry and cultural pressure encourage women to meet constantly more demanding beauty expectations.
Rich Media, Poor Democracy: Communication Politics in Dubious Times(Robert W. McChesney, 1999, new preface in paperback 2000) A dense, very thorough look at the history of media, and media policy, with an critical look at the inequities fostered by our current system.
No Logo (Naomi Klein, 2000)
The book chronicles the growing globalization of corporate commercial culture as well as the growing popular resistance to it.
Understanding Media (Marshall McCluhan, 1964) The classic book which many believe to represent the beginning of the media literacy movement in the U.S. is still full of interesting thoughts and history, though not in the language of today’s popular media criticism.
About Face
www.about-face.org
Mediawatch
www.mediawatch.com
Mediascope
www.mediascope.org
Site of Jean Kilbourne
www.jeankilbourne.com
New Moon Magazine ("For Girls and Their Dreams") and New Moon Network
www.newmoon.org
(For Fathers) Dads and Daughters ("DaDs")
www.dadsanddaughters.org
Mind on the Media
("To inspire independent thinking and foster critical analysis of media messages ")
www.mindonthemedia.org
Merge (online ‘zine; "back to basics" feminist media/cultural criticism )
www.mergemag.org
www.reclaimyourculture.com (a colorful general media literacy site with inspiration and information)
Children Now, see their "Children and the Media Program"; studies "Reflections of Girls and the Media (1997) ; Girls and Gaming (2000); also "Boys to Men" (1999) and others
www.childrennow.org
American Academy of Pediatarics (AAP); Public Education program, position statements and materials for health care professionals, parents, public on "Media Matters"
www.aap.org
Parents Television Council (PTC)
www.parentstv.org
The Media Center, at Judge Baker Children’s Center
http://www.jbcc.harvard.edu/
The Lion & Lamb Project
www.lionlamb.org
Working to stop the marketing of violent toys and entertainment to children
Brutality Isn't Child's Play
www.bicp.org
Advocates for reducing the marketing and sale of violent toys and programming and specifically those that offer degrading images of women
Common Sense Media
www.commonsensemedia.org
Film and Television:
50/50
(An initiative by filmmakers to secure better employment opportunities for female directors and raise awareness)
www.5050summit.com
New York Women in Film and Television
www.nywift.org/
Women Make Movies
(promoting and distributing films by women)
www.wmm.com
Women in the Directors Chair
www.widc.org
Guerrilla Girls
www.guerrillagirls.com
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News/Information:
Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting ("FAIR"); see Womens Desk
www.fair.org
Women’s ENews
www.womensenews.org
Mediachannel (see Women and Media)
www.mediachannel.org
Media Report to Women (subscription mail-order publication)
www.mediareporttowomen.com
International Womens Media Foundation
www.iwmf.org
Women in Periodical Publishing
www.wipp.net
Commercial Alert:
www.commercialalert.org
Stay Free Magazine (print magazine, cultural criticism against excessive commercialism)
www.stayfreemagazine.org
Adbusters ("culture jammers" who spoof and critique ads, etc.)
www.adbusters.org
NoLogo
Nologo.org
(interactive website based on principles in book "No Logo"
Center for Media Literacy (CML)
www.medialit.org
Just Think
www.justthink.org
New Mexico Media Literacy Project
www.nmmlp.org
Project Look Sharp
www.ithaca.edu/looksharp
Media Literacy
www.medialiteracy.com
Media Awareness
www.media-awareness.com
Northwest Media Literacy Center
www.mediathink.org
Alliance for a Media Literate America (AMLA)
(membership open; next conference Spring 2003)
www.nmec.org
Action Coalition for Media Education (ACME)
(membership open; next conference Fall 2002)
www.acmecoalition.org