March 19, 2002

by Lisa Bennett, Communications Director

The Good

"Once and Again" (airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on ABC)

If you're not already watching "Once and Again," now's a good time to hop on board. This drama is one of the best shows on television. The writing is excellent and so are the performances. While all the characters are extremely believable and fully-drawn, the teenagers are the most realistic I've ever seen on TV.

A new storyline has emerged involving 14-year-old Jessie Sammler, played by the super-talented Evan Rachel Wood. Last season Jessie suffered from anorexia and she continues to see a therapist. Recently, Jessie's mom spiraled into a serious depression, which was depicted in a chillingly authentic way. On the March 11 episode, Jessie's high school formed a gay-straight alliance and she learned that her close friend is a lesbian. The two then admitted that they have feelings for each other. Because the girls shared a brief kiss at the end of the episode, ABC felt the need to put up a warning at the opening that the show would contain "adult content." And a local station in Lynchburg, Va. — home of Jerry Falwell, by the way — even refused to air the episode.

"Once and Again" has not had the best of support from ABC — despite its high marks from critics — because of its less-than-blockbuster ratings. Watch the show, and if you agree it's a rare example of high-quality television taking on important family and social issues, call or write the ABC network and your local ABC affiliate urging them to keep "Once and Again" on the air. Click here to write a letter to ABC.

"Guilt by Association" (Court TV on Sat., March 23 at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. and Sun., March 24 at 5 p.m.)

Happily, we have another "good" to share with you: Court TV's first original movie, "Guilt by Association," starring Mercedes Ruehl. The movie tackles the subject of mandatory minimum drug-sentencing laws, which have contributed to an 888 percent rise in the number of women incarcerated in state prisons for drug offenses from 1986 to 1996. (Source: Families Against Mandatory Minimums). Part of the U.S. "War on Drugs," these laws have resulted in the imprisonment of a large number of women who were unwittingly involved with a boyfriend or husband who was selling drugs. "Guilt by Association" takes a hard look at what a 20-year sentence can mean to an innocent woman and her children. The premiere was Weds., March 13, but the movie will air again on the dates listed above. After watching the movie, congratulate Court TV on its strong first effort in the made-for-cable movie business.

The Bad

Boy Crazy! (trading cards, magazine, www.boycrazy.com)

A small game company called Decipher Inc. wants to make boys an even bigger part of pre-teen and young teen girls' lives. Believing that girls can't obsess too much about boys, Decipher created a magazine, web site and even a line of trading cards which feature photos and personal profiles of "real guys." On the Boy Crazy! web site, girls can use the "boy finder" to search for a guy according to their own specifications, by choosing an astrological sign, hair and eye color, place of residence, and age — between 12 and 22 years. Okay, first of all, should young girls really be searching for guys 18 and older? And what kind of 22-year-old guy is going to pose for Boy Crazy!? Creepy.

The site brags that these boys are not "some famous star you may never meet but a real guy that you may see in school, at the mall or even next door," to make them seem more attainable to girls. The web site allows girls to send fan mail to the boys through a bulletin board system. The boys even write back, although it seems unlikely that the actual boys are reading all this fan mail and crafting the responses.

Yes, many girls do develop crushes on boys and talk about them with their friends — it's a common part of growing up. But the world of Boy Crazy! invites girls to think of nothing else, except how they might attract one of these "hotties." Fortunately, there are magazines that challenge the minds of girls and young women, inviting them to dream of something other than a hot romance. Check them out and subscribe at http://www.newmoon.org, http://www.teenvoices.com and http://www.moxiemag.com.

The Ugly

American Advertising Federation (national campaign running in magazines, newspapers and on TV)

Not enough advertising in our media and culture for you? Have no fear, because we are now being subjected to advertisements about advertising. The American Advertising Federation (AAF) began this campaign in October 2000 with print ads in magazines and newspapers. This came to my attention last week when I paused to ponder a full-page ad in USA Today — a photo of a familiar-looking soda bottle, except that instead of saying "Enjoy Coca-Cola," the label read "Enjoy Adver-tising" in the distinct Coke script.

Huh? Well, the industry is in a serious slump. So ad agencies and media owners pitched in to convince the CEOs of big businesses, like Budweiser and Intel, to keep making and buying lots of ads.

The ads themselves were created for free by agency Carmichael Lynch. Corporations loaned out their logos and well-known product designs. Magazines and newspapers have given away $4 million in free space for the ads thus far, and network and cable stations — like CBS, ESPN, CNN, A&E and the History Channel — are handing out $20 million in free air time. All this work at no charge? For what? Not ads for charity, public service or information critical to a functioning democracy, but for the sole purpose of generating millions for their creators. Unbelievable.

Even more incredible is the campaign's sales strategy. The Intel spot asks "What makes one computer more powerful than another?" and then it answers "Advertising. The way great brands get to be great brands." So, we're being told that the quality of a product is not really important — the real reason we, the consumers, have made these products so popular is because we've been brainwashed by a constant flow of ads. The creators of this campaign agree that we're all mindless sheep and they can buy and sell us at will.

What does this have to do with women's rights, you may ask. The media's increasing focus on the bottom line is squeezing out diverse viewpoints and thoughtful content, further diminishing the profile of women and people of color and the issues that concern them. Quite simply, when it's all about money, those with less of it suffer. If you see one of these ads, contact the publication or station where you saw it and ask them if they're donating a similar amount of free space or time to public service announcements.

Click here to speak your mind by writing a letter to anyone in the media. And if have your own media praises and gripes — about TV, movies, radio, magazines, newspapers or the web — send them to communications@now.org and you just might find your suggestions and thoughts in future columns.

Go to Archives >>