and local Seattle resident) presented doctoral work from her time spent with
ReelGrrls (2005) at the The Reimagining Girlhood: Communities, Identities, Self-Portrayals. This conference at State University of New York College atCortland, New York featured papers from over 150 interdisciplinary GirlsStudies scholars from over 14 countries. Additionally, A Participatory Media Workshop for girls was led by Mary Celeste Kearney, Associate Professor of Radio-Television-Film at University of Texas at Austin. Mary is a leading Girls’ Studies scholar and author of Girls Make Media (Routledge, 2006), and several other books and articles. She also is the founding director of
Cinemakids, a program for aspiring young media producers in Austin.
The Media Show is an excellent web series starring two puppet siblings. They've made an incredible 72 videos covering all manner of media literacy topics. The creators have also put together an excellent site documenting their experiences making videos for YouTube and teaching media literacy to youth. An incredible resource for anyone teaching media literacy!
Check out on of their latest episodes below, discussing how Hollister sells us an idea of California glamour that may not live up to the reality.
We love all kinds of youth media at Reel Grrls- not just video. We want to see youth embracing their creativity in any way that makes them happy. Check out this great piece from a young woman in Kentucky about the difficulty of finding health care as a low-income adult.
BarnMaven writes a great story on BlogHer about why she's glad her little girl punched a boy in the privates.
You may have heard the upsetting news- Comcast is seriously challenging net neutrality. Make your voice heard by signing Media Reforms petition to the FCC.
You've probably heard of the Bechdel Test before. Our friend Anita Sarkeesian made this great video explaining exactly what it is:
Well, right now at Bitch Magazine, Alyx Vesey is doing a great series called Bechdel Test Canon, cataloging some of the best films that pass the test. Check it out next time you're trying to figure out what to rent!
It's the end of the year. And I know that has a lot of you thinking, "Yeah, 2010 was great and all, but in 2011 I am looking for a way to really make a difference." Well, look no further!
Reel Grrls is currently seeking committed mentors for our after-school and school-break programs in early 2011.
What is a Reel Grrls mentor? Reel Grrls relies on the support and commitment of phenomenal adult women volunteers who mentor, train, and learn alongside our participants. We value mentors with a variety of backgrounds and skills to share: the main requirement is a commitment to empowering young women through media production.
In exchange for their hard work and time commitment, mentors gain access to Reel Grrls video equipment and the opportunity to network with other Seattle-based filmmakers, artists, activists, and educators.
We are seeking mentors for the following programs:
Lights, Camera, Reel Grrls! Wednesdays, January 19 - April 27, 4:00 - 6:30 PM Saturdays, Jan 22, Feb 19, Mar 19, Apr 9, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Mentor Orientation: Wed, Jan 12, 5:30 - 7:30 PM All meetings to be held at the Reel Grrls office in the Central District - LCRG is the signature intro video production program. Volunteer mentors work will small teams of 3-4 girls on short video pieces, usually on personal topics. - If you are interested, contact Maile (maile at reelgrrls dot org) for the full program calendar - we do not meet on certain weeks due to school breaks.
Winter Break Animation Camp Monday - Friday, February 21 - 25, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Mentor Orientation: Tuesday, Feb 15, 5:30 - 7:30 All meetings to be held at the Reel Grrls office in the Central District - Reel Grrls has some positions for paid animation instructors, and some stipended positions for mentors who will guide small groups of 3-4 girls (ages 9-19) through the process of making short animated videos.
Spring Break Camp: Topic TBA Monday - Friday, April 18 - 22, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM Mentor Orientation: Monday, April 11, 5:30 - 7:30 All meetings to be held at the Reel Grrls office in the Central District - Additional program details coming soon.
If you are interested in any of these opportunities, or if you have questions, please contact Maile for details (maile at reelgrrls dot org).
Reel Grrls mentors are a vital part of our community. But don't take my word for it!
Whenever I see someone taking on the challenge of teaching media literacy in a fun, new way, I can't help but sit up and clap my hands with glee. Second City's hilarious web series Advice from a Cartoon Princess does such a fine job, I didn't just cheer, I laughed like crazy, too.
In the videos comedian Danielle Uhlarik portrays a number of different cartoon princesses. So far she's been Ariel, Belle, and Snow White. Her quips are short lines, describing accurately how things take place for Disney princesses. In the Belle video she tells us "candlesticks are really good at love advice. Because they're French!" Overall, she does a great job of pointing out how ludicrous the roles for women in princess movies really are. The Belle video ends with her reminding us that "the lesson here is that beauty is in the eye of the beholder... as long as the woman is good looking."
I really love this series because it takes a complex discussion (gender roles in Disney movies), and makes them easy to understand, humorous, and enjoyable. If only all media literacy discussions could be this fun!
Look below to check out Snow White's advice for you. (Please note, some of these videos do contain a little profanity.)
We hope you are having a wonderful thanksgiving. You know what we're thankful for around here? All the amazing work our foremothers did to ensure that women have the right to vote.
This past summer some of our advanced grrls in the apprentice program made this great video about how women won the right to vote here in Washington state. Check it out!
Our friend Anita Sarkeesian, who does the great Feminist Frequency vlog, just posted this new video about how kids learn gender through toy ads. She makes some great points, and includes a clip that some of grrls made in the video remix workshop last winter.
Check it out! Maile and I made a new video blog, all about the recent high-profile weight loss of Jennifer Hudson, Kelly Osborne, and Sara Rue. What kind of message does their weight loss send? Do we focus too much on weight as an indicator of health? What do YOU think?
Read about Health at Every Size on wikipedia. And if you'd like to read the article about body image and chronic dieters that I cited in the video, you can download the PDF here.
Hello RG friends & followers! For today's Tech Tip Tuesday I made my first ever vlog (video blog), inspired by friend of Reel Grrls and feminist vlogger Anita Sarkeesian of Feminist Frequency! I'll let the vlog, about backing up your computer (the why & the how), starring me and Carrie Bradshaw of Sex & the City, speak for itself:
And as promised, here is a brief list of backup programs I have heard good things about. Be warned: I have not tried all of these personally, and I encourage you to do some research for yourself to decide which is the best option for you. Please also leave comments on this blog post if you have other suggestions or want to weigh in on which is the best backup program in your opinion.
PC users
• MiMedia
• SOS Online Backup
• Norton Online Backup
• Acronis True Image
