DC Super Hero Girls: Heroes Girls Can Believe In?
Super hero stories are often stories that empower and inspire. They tell of imperfect heroes, flawed but powerfully rooted in moral codes. We cheer heroes on as they fight against the dark forces of the world. Their stories lead us to want to be like them, to make the world a better place. Just like the rest of us, girls and young women want characters that can inspire them. Can DC Super Hero Girls rise to the challenge?
On National Super Hero Day: Can DC Super Hero Girls be What Girls Need?
It is imperative that these characters have a wide range of interests and skills that mirror the diversity found within the real girls that they hope to empower. Sexy stereotypes are not empowering.
What harm can media do?
Looking at our Brave Girls Want campaign, which calls for less gender stereotyped media and marketing to children, you may be wondering what harm it can do for kids to … Continue reading
Fear of Fat: Preschool Girls and the Thin Ideal
In a study published in 2010, Dr. Jennifer Harriger, a colleague at Pepperdine University, looked at how much girls aged 3-5 had internalized the thin ideal (the idea that beauty … Continue reading
Are Princesses Really so Bad?!
If you read the review or information about the book Cinderella Ate my Daughter, you may be wondering, are princesses really that bad? Are they evil? Is it wrong to … Continue reading
Dr. Jennifer W. Shewmaker 