YouthWorker Journal - March/April 2009 - (Page 10)

Youth Culture Update idea of an adorable, little, animated mouse becoming a beloved worldwide icon is—well, just wrong. “Even creatures that are repulsive by nature, by logic and according to Islamic law have become wonderful and are loved by children,” Munajid says. “Mickey Mouse has become an awesome character, even though according to Islamic law, Mickey Mouse should be killed in all cases.” (London Telegraph) online at least once. No wonder, the authors argue more teens are sending nude or semi-nude pictures of themselves. (Newsweek) Victoria’s Real Secret It’s not just women who can feel a little less-than-beautiful looking at today’s uber-glamorous fashion models. As it turns out, guys get a complex, too. At least that’s what University of Missouri professor Jennifer Aubrey found during a recent study. Guys who leaf through magazines populated by beautiful women (think Maxim, FHM, etc.) felt insecure—presuming, apparently—that these hotties wouldn’t have any interest in losers like them. If, on the other hand, they were shown pictures of these beautiful women cavorting with average-looking blokes, they felt much better about themselves. (Salon.com) audiences propelled three movies to box office gold—Sex and the City ($152 million), Mamma Mia! ($144 million) and High School Musical 3: Senior Year ($84 million and counting). And that was before Twilight—a potential franchise with millions of zealous teen girls already in tow—was released and earned nearly $70 million in its first weekend. “[Films appealing to women] used to be counterprogramming to something extremely male in the marketplace,” says Chuck Viane, Disney’s president of distribution. “Now they’ve become the gorilla in the marketplace.” (Time) EDUCATION School of Economics The country’s international woes are hitting colleges and universities hard. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed that the state’s university systems cut a collective $132 million from their budgets, and New York Governor David Paterson will demand the State University of New York system trim $70 million. Other state systems are slicing, as well. Those cuts are leading universities to drop classes, restrict enrollment and lay off staff. Arizona State University recently let go 200 faculty associates to help deal with a $24 million cut. “This has been a very difficult time,” says Virgil Renzulli, ASU’s vice president of public affairs. “This is the third cut we’ve taken in just about four months. We don’t know if this is the last cut.” (ABC News) Quantum of Facebook M16, the British foreign intelligence service (and employer of James Bond) is now recruiting agents on the British version of Facebook. “A career in world events?” one ad reads. “Help influence world events, protect the UK. Operational officer roles collecting and analyzing global intelligence.” No word about whether you get an Aston Martin as your own company car. (Fox News) Get Moving SEX AND SEXUALITY Risky Business Kevin Scott and Carmine Sarracino believe porn and its accoutrements have gone mainstream, and it’s having some significant impact on youth. Scott and Sarracino, authors of The Porning of America, contend that sexuality has become more overt, and far more of a commodity, than it was in past decades. They point to thongs geared for tweens, ads for Axe shower gel (“How Dirty Boys Get Clean“) and even Bratz dolls as evidence. Celebrities get caught in sex tapes and hire porn producers to shoot music videos; and porn stars, such as Jenna Jameson (a best-selling author) are finding mainstream success. A recent study found 90 percent of boys ages 1314, and 70 percent of girls in the same age group, accessed sexual content Adolescent girls are only half as likely to be physically active as boys, according to a new study by the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport. While more girls than ever are participating in organized sports, girls who aren’t involved tend to—well, sit around. “You could argue that kids just don’t know how to participate in unstructured play because there is so much focus on organized activities these days,” says Nicole LaVoi of the Tucker Center. (Time) Dumb Jock? Not So Much. About 79 percent of college athletes in Division 1 NCAA schools graduate these days—a rate actually higher than students as a whole. It’s a sign, according to NCAA President Myles Brand, that schools are serious about educating their athletes. “Academic reform is alive and well on campuses nationwide,” he said. The NCAA found three of this year’s Final Four women’s qualifiers (Tennessee, Stanford and Connecticut) had fouryear graduation rates of 100 percent. Fangirls Once upon a time, boys ruled the hearts and minds of Hollywood. Potential blockbusters needed car chases and explosions, not relationships and (ick) romance. Some experts say the times are changing. In 2008 alone, female 10 March/April 2009 | YouthWorkerJournal.com http://www.Salon.com http://www.YouthWorkerJournal.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of YouthWorker Journal - March/April 2009

YouthWorker Journal - March/April 2009 Contents Feedback Youth Culture Update Culture Watch Encountering God Campus Ministry The Urban Take Sight Unseen Worldview Soul Care Managing Your Ministry 10 Minutes in God's Word From IQ to CQ Caring Amidst Crisis Risky Business When Tragedy Gets Personal Deaths in the Family Stopping Suicide Blessed Are They Who Mourn Healing the Healer Resources for Working with Crisis Tools Stirring it Up

YouthWorker Journal - March/April 2009

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