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Guidance for Grown-Ups
May 2007
Speak Up! Don't Let Media Get You Down!

Teen Voices' Poll: America's Next Top Dead Model?
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This Discussion Guide contains the following Activity Sections:

  1. The Answers to Your Questions


  2. Problem Solving: Exploring Options, Giving Advice


  3. Make a Historical and Global Connection: Changing Options



I. The Answers to Your Questions

The purpose of this activity is to read about and contemplate two media events that frustrated, even outraged Teen Voices' writers.
  1. Have the teens in your group witnessed slanted, offensive, inaccurate, or otherwise infuriating media coverage or representations, particularly of young women? Ask the teens to raise their hands if so and then share examples.


  2. A recent episode of America's Next Top Model sparked a lot of discussion at Teen Voices. Ask the teens to read "America's Next Top Dead Model?" and participate in the online poll.


  3. Next, ask the teens to pair off and write three more polling questions to ascertain what their peers think about the ANTP episode in question.


  4. Jasmine Nasser, a Teen Voices' writer from California, expresses her frustration at 1) media's description of the Virgina Tech shooter as "South Korean" and 2) the racism expressed in public forums after the fact. Ask the teens to read her article "Don't Choose More Violence and Hate." Give the teens 5-10 minutes to write down their thoughts, feelings, and questions about the Virginia Tech shooting. Let them know that they can write free form, keeping pen to paper at all times, and that what they write can be kept personal.

II. Problem Solving: Exploring Options, Giving Advice

The purpose of this activity is to help teens identify troubling media representations of women and girls and to help them articulate and express their concerns.
  1. Feminists actively critique media for dichotomous* depictions of women as either one stereotypical extreme or another because the result is an oversimplified version of who women are or what they should be; often women are judged harshly or punished no matter which choice they make. Examples of common dichotomies include: girls can only be mean or nice, sexy or prudish, victims or manipulators. In the case of the judges' comments alongside the ANTM slideshow, it seems that they wanted the models to appear both alive and dead. Sounds impossible, huh? Can the teens find examples of this double bind* in the judges' comments? [For reference, in slide ten, "Decapitated by a Model," judge Nigel criticizes, "All the other girls managed to have some sort of spark even in this sort of morbid situation. I think I look at you in this picture, and you actually just look dead." In slide four, "Stabbed by a Model," Nigel criticizes, "You don't look dead to me. You look like you're dying." Note, too. that most of the scenes are dubbed as acts of model on model violence, perpetuating the myth that women hate other beautiful women.]


  2. Ask the teens to write a letter to express their opinion about this episode to producers of ANTM. They can work alone or in groups. Next, give them time to research where to send the letter. Can they find additional public forums for their opinions? See resources below for assistance.


  3. Ask the teens to return to the examples of media frustration they shared at the beginning of this exercise. Or ask them to turn their attention to racism expressed after the Virginia Tech shooting, or another media depiction that feels narrow, stereotypical, or unjust. Give them time to write a two-sentence summary of the aggravating media moment, a two-sentence critique of why the depiction bothered them, and a two-sentence call to action. Ask each teen to read these six sentences aloud to their peers. Can they figure out where to post this opinion? Ask them to discuss the pros and cons of keeping their critique short and to the point.


    Resources
  • Video and teacher resources on gender depictions in the media from the Media Education Foundation at www.mediaed.org. Especially note: videos by Jean Kilbourne.

  • Speaking Out
    Email ANTM's host network, The CW at feedback@CWTV.com.
    Post on ANTM's message boards at the CW — lounge.cwtv.com (though your message may be filtered!)

  • Read a summary of media coverage, follow the leads and post messages to respective outlets and/or post a comment to WIMN's Voices at www.wimnonline.org.

  • Read about how Chicago Women Speak Out Against "Entertainment Violence Against Women" at www.chicagomediaaction.org.



Vocabulary
*Dichotomous — Divided or dividing into two parts.
*Double bind — A situation in which a person must choose between equally unsatisfactory alternatives so that no matter which directive is followed, the response will be construed as incorrect.

III. Make a Historical and Global Connection: Changing Options

The purpose of this activity is to encourage youth to see their media activism as part of a collective movement to give voice to people and issues that are under and/or misrepresented.
  1. What is media activism? Ask the teens to come up with a list of "Top 10 Ways to Speak Out Against Media Stereotypes."


  2. Are the teens familiar with the multiple forms of public access to media that certain activists lobby for on a regular basis? If not, ask them to learn more by visiting the Media Access Project at www.mediaaccess.org.


  3. One thing every activist needs is a reminder that what she is doing can make a difference. Ask the teens to write a scene, with dialogue for two or more characters, about how a particular action taken by youth media activists creates positive social change.


  4. Sometimes groups take nontraditional tactics when trying to influence public conversation. For further positive reinforcement, ask teens to read one or more of the success stories of guerrilla activism on behalf of women artists at www.guerrillagirls.com.


  5. One great way to insure the media says what teens want it to say is by becoming media makers! Ask the teens to review the following list of tools for citizen journalists: www.sourcewatch.org. Ask them to make a list of what they would need to get started as a citizen journalist.
Have you used Guidance for Grown-ups with your class or teen group? Tell us which ones you used and what kind of success you had with it. Did you put your own spin on it? Let us know.

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