Listen Up! Youth Media Network Reactions

Listen Up is a powerful site! (That's the very first thought that came to my head). It offers teens a space to reveal the true realities they live everyday through their voices and perspectives. I had the opportunity to watch "A Struggle Beyond Borders," "A Girl Like Me," "Slip of the Tongue" and "La Historia de una Joven" (The story of a young girl). A common theme within these videos was this idea of "self identity" through their personal expressions of their experiences. I think this site is a great opportunity for teens to express their feelings and emotions.

There was one video that I thought talked about the dominant discourses we been discussing in class in regards to having sex as a teen. However, it balanced the discussion out with experiences of teens who are virgins as well.

Here is the link:
http://www.listenup.org/screeningroom/index.php?view=67c3c6daefe0f6839ea75e2cbacdb0af#

Somethings I did not like:

The website was somewhat difficult to access and the flow of the videos was a little confusing. I think since the content is created by teens it should be a little more easy to access.

I really could not find a site that compares to this one.

Final Project Working Outline

Names: Benelix, Priscilla

Project Idea: Messaging and image of in magazines about beauty targeting teenage girls.

Tools/Resources:

• Killing Us Softly, Jean Kilbourne (Benelix)
• Ads in 2 teen magazines (Priscilla)
• Research on beauty and teens (Benelix)
• Dove campaign for real beauty (Priscilla)

Update: we are in the process of gathering up all our information and organizing it by our themes that we want to discuss.

Choice # 3, 13 Going on 30... Flirty & Thriving

13 going on 30 is a movie based on a teenage girl named Jenna Rink who wishes to be 30 to overcome her unpopularity at school. Jenna is celebrating her 13th birthday in her house and decides to invite the famous “Six Chicks” school group in hopes of joining their clique. Jenna’s best friend and neighbor Matt makes her a “dream doll house” and a packet of magic wishing dust. Miraculously after the head of six chicks Tom-Tom pulls a bad joke on Jenna she wishes to be “thirty, flirty and thriving” and seconds later awakens as a 30 year old in 2004.

This movie portrays how a teenage girl who feels unpopular, nerdy and disliked by her school friends is trapped finding ways to fit in to the “norm” at her school. For example, before her birthday begins she puts on makeup and tissue paper on her breasts to make them look larger. She begs her parents to stay in their room because her “friends” are coming over.

30 year old Jenna awakens with no memory from the past 15 years of her life and discovers she works for Poise, her favorite magazine as a teenager and realizes Matt no longer exist in her life since her 13th birthday. The complication of this story is that Jenna is still 13 yet trapped in a 30 year old body. She realizes that she has become a bad person and disliked by many because of her obnoxious actions.

Finally, Jenna decides to move away from all the negative aspects of her life and tries to restore her life again where she left of 15 years ago. The movie ends as Jenna discovers Matt’s engagement and rapid marriage and goes back to her “dream house” filled of magic wishing dust and wishes to go back in time and her wish is granted. Jenna is given the opportunity to build her life again and marries Matt.

This movie connects directly with the discussion in Laura Greenfield’s “Fast Forward.” She explains “Whether it is a desire to be an adult when one is a child, to be a gangster when one is privileged, to be famous when one is unknown, or to look like a model when one does not, young people are preoccupied with becoming other than they are.” Jenna Rink throughout the film is preoccupied with becoming something else.

The intention of 13 going on 30 is to portray a young girl who in the midst of complications and loss of her own self still gets what she wants, love, respect, beauty and wealth. However, the implication about young “white” teenage girls is a transition of body dissatisfactions, lack of normalcy and popularity and girls competing against other girls in the hopes of becoming number one in their schools popularity and beauty standards.

Project Ideas

I thought of looking at magazines, social networks online like myspace and facebook to dissect the messaging about what it is to be a teenage girl (body image, beauty, looks and style) in today's society and probably the differences in areas where they live or ethnicity. Any thoughts or suggestions guys?

Kid Nation

Going thru all of the readings about the show Kid Nation I could interpret that the authors of these commentaries were not referring to the kids in this show in a positive way. They hadn’t even started the show and they already doubted whether the kids would make it or not based upon their personal attitudes about teens.

I found several comments that support this negative attitude about these kids in the articles. For example:

“Through it all. They’ll cope with regular childhood emotions and situations: homesickness, peer pressure, and the urge to break every rule they’ve ever known.”
“There is nothing particularly new about the conflicting images of children as innocents and children as beasts.” “Parent bashing is the favorite indoor sports these days.” “With nary a thong, video game or cellphone in sight, the children on the “Kid Nation” promo appear more physically active, intellectually engaged and (no small thing) appropriately dressed than most kids on T.V. (and in real life) these day’s.”

These comments are clear insults to kids on this show and teens nationally drawing from this dominant discourse about teenagers.