I thought the Axe/Dove campaign link quite interesting. To start, I personally do not take anything on the Axe commercials literally, but rather humorous. I find it thoroughly entertaining that women are seen as sexual objects ready to mate with anyone if they're wearing a scent such as Axe. However, at the same time I can see why critics are upset. To begin with, you children and even some teenage girls may find the Axe advertisements enlightening and attempt to follow the example it depicts with a young man. I thought it was even more alarming that both Axe and Dove are represented by the same advertising company yet they appear to be arch enemies. It did not surprised me to learn that the creator of this controversy works for campaigns with both companies and perhaps even had this entire confrontation planned ahead of time. While I do agree that Dove does an excellent job of portraying real beauty and a real women, it is conflicting for people who want to support Dove's campaign but are also indirectly profiting Axe. It takes a child or teenager of thorough understanding that the message depicted in the Axe commercials are not to be taken literally, but from a rather humorous approach

This week's readings were so interesting and so true!!! Don't even get me started, the Disney princess stereotype is pathetic! 90% of them are all white, skinny, vulnerable, and dependent on a man (cinderella, snow white, sleeping beauty, belle) and only recently have we seen a different race with princess Jasmine. Slightly off topic, I was watching TV last night and there was a commercial for DKNY watches and it showed a stunning woman rushing from her taxi cab and a sexy-looking man rushing from his own car. It appears that they are going to meet each other other, but then they ran past each other into the arms of a sexy man and woman. They then show the two women, obviously a homosexual couple, embracing, and the men holding hands if I remember correctly. The whole point of the ad was to say that with a DKNY watch, you won't be late for your date with that "someone special." But it was TOTALLY geared to the gay and lesbian community!! I thought this was relevant since we have been discussing this lately in class. Back to the Disney princesses and commercializing race, I think it's pathetic that Disney has so many stereotypical depictions of their female princesses. Even further, the Mickey Mouse Monopoly has dominated this industry making it virtually impossible to insert any other race depictions or representations. As a result, I think this is totally teaching our children only one dimension of a bigger picture. Little kids are taught to think that only pretty white girls can be princesses.

Both articles from the NY Times present debatable topics that are not easily answered. I thought the class discussion was very interesting in the sense that some people truly felt video games, music videos, hip hop and other forms of media truly had adverse effects on teenagers. I happen to strongly agree with this argument. After reading both articles, the chapters in the text for this week, and considering the discussions in class from last week, I really think there needs to be a change in certain types of media projections. Hip hop for one thing constantly portrays women as oriental flowers or brown sugar, while men are depicted as wealthy, controlling and they consider women to be sexual objects; nothing more. I really think that with continuous exposure to such images, as well as violent video games, the effects on teenagers are detrimental. Although this debate will continue to flourish until solid proof is available for either side, until then I hold my ground!