The
Center for Parent/Youth Understanding’s
Today’s Youth Culture
E-Update
Edition #20:
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Contents:
I. Youth Culture Stats and Trends:
1) Teen Choice Award Winners
2) VMA 2002 Winners
3) Top Selling Magazine Titles
4) Best & Worst Prime
Time TV
5) Teen TV Viewing Post
6) Internet Video Games
7) Phony Tattoos
8) Frozen Tongue Piercing
9) Light Zapping Acne
10) Beverage Sales Growth
11) Ecstasy and Loneliness
12) Teen Alcohol A-peer-ances
13) Lying Undergrads
14) Free Falling
CD’s
II. CPYU Resources
III. Pop Culture Quotes:
Asia Argento, Neil Young, Michael Medved, Kevin Bacon,
Britney Spears and Tionne Watkins.
IV. Lyrical Expressions: Counting Crows,
Bruce Springsteen, and Korn
V. Current Culture Image
VI. Culture Links:
VII. Walt Mueller’s “CQ” (Commentary/Quote)
VIII. E-update & CPYU information
Youth Culture
Stats and Trends:
) Teen Choice Award
Winners
Winners from Seventeen
magazine’s Teen Choice Awards, which appeared on FOX August
19.
http://home.seventeen.com/teenchoice/winners.html?SessionCookie=66776451-1-0-F03
) VMA 2002 Winners
The winners from MTV’s 2002
Video Music Awards held
http://www.mtv.com/bands/v/news_feature_vma_noms02/vma02list_flat.jhtml
) Top Selling Magazine
Titles
The Magazine Publishers of
America reports on the top mid-year 2002, and year-end 2001, magazine
circulation. Top teen girl magazines Seventeen, YM, and Teen People ranked number 28, 32, and
46, respectively. Most publications have
a higher subscription base compared to single-copy sales, with the exception of
Cosmopolitan (2,043,873 single-copy
sales vs. 919,478 subscribers), National
Enquirer (333,896 vs. 1,467,702), and 3 others. http://magazine.org/resources/fact_sheets/cs9_14_02.html (Jan-July
2002)
http://magazine.org/resources/fact_sheets/cs2_9_02.html (Year end 2001
and 2000)
) Best & Worst Prime Time
TV
The Parents Television
Council’s “Top Ten Best & Worst Shows on Prime Time Network Television” for
the 2001/2002 season.
|
|
Worst |
Best |
|
1 |
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (UPN) |
Doc (Pax) |
|
2 |
Off Centre (WB) |
Touched by an Angel (CBS) |
|
3 |
Will & Grace (NBC) |
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (WB) |
|
4 |
Friends (NBC) |
7th Heaven (WB) |
|
5 |
WWE Smackdown! (UPN) |
Baby Bob (CBS) |
|
6 |
Big Brother II (CBS) |
Smallville (WB) |
|
7 |
C.S.I. (CBS) |
Reba (WB) |
|
8 |
|
The Ponderosa (Pax) |
|
9 |
That ‘70’s Show |
George Lopez (ABC) |
|
10 |
|
Bernie Mac (Fox) |
http://www.parentstv.org/PTC/publications/release/2002/pr082202.asp
) Teen TV
Viewing Post
Global Strategy Group
conducted a poll of 750 12-18 year old teens in May 2002 regarding their TV
viewing habits after
- 77% (21.9 million) of teens
watch TV after
- 82% of 14+ year old teens
and 67% of 12-13 year old teens watch TV after
- 62% of teens say they have
no rules for TV viewing
- 27% have a curfew on school
night TV viewing
- 62% of teens have a TV in
their bedroom (66% boys and 58% girls)
http://www.cspinet.org/booze/liquor_branded_summary.htm (cited below in
“Malternative”)
) Internet Video
Games
Sony’s Playstation 2, the
leading video game console, is the first to launch online access to 13 video
games with a Network Adaptor, while Microsoft’s Xbox Live is scheduled for
release on November 15. Nintendo’s GameCube plans to release its network adapter
by year end.
http://reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=technologynews&StoryID=1373538
See also: Technology use and shyness
linked from this 2000 report
http://www.shyness.com/documents/2000/shy-tech-adol.pdf
) Phony Tattoos
Film critic Michael Medved
commenting about the use of temporary tattoos by tattoo-less actor Vin Diesel in
the movie XXX.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/2002-08-25-opin-tattoos_x.htm
See also:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-204.html
) Frozen Tongue
Piercing
A 7-Eleven ad promoting the
Mountain Dew Blue Shock Slurpee, shows a teen slurping down a blue drink while a
man impatiently watches. The teen
eventually says, “Okay, I’m ready” and sticks out his tongue to the rubber
gloved gentleman who grabs his tongue and motions to pierce the now frozen
tongue before the camera cuts out.
View the ad: http://www.ads.com/ads/adInfo.jsp?ad_id=2790&us=315550&pt=0&sr=5
) Light Zapping Acne
The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration, as reported by Reuters, approved CureLight’s ClearLight high
intensity light treatment for moderate acne. The treatments require two 15
minute doctor visits per week for one month at a cost of $50-$100 per treatment.
According to the article, studies indicate that $1.4 billion is spent annually
for acne treatment.
http://reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=sciencenews&StoryID=1355155
) Beverage Sales
Growth
ACNielsen says prepared
alcoholic beverages (spirit/wine based drinks and malternatives) were the
fastest growing category in the food and beverage industry for 2001, growing 33%
from the prior year. USA Today, using ACNielsen data, reports malternative
beverage sales, through
http://acnielsen.com/news/corp/2002/20020605.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20020826/4391140s.htm
See also: Teen “alcopop” ad exposure
article from the Center for Science in the Public
Interest
http://www.cspinet.org/new/200207161.html and
http://www.cspinet.org/booze/liquor_branded_summary.htm
See also:
“Malternative” sales growth article from the May/June 2002 issue of Beverage
Dynamics
http://www.beveragenet.net/bd/2002/0206/0206malt.asp
See also: The
American Journal of Public Health, as reported by Reuters, published a study on
the daily food and liquid intake of 505, 4th-6th graders.
Sweetened beverages made up 51% of the children’s daily liquid intake.
http://reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=healthnews&StoryID=1378931
See also: LA schools vote to ban soft
drink sales
) Ecstasy and
Loneliness
Canadian researchers, in a
study of 818 drug and non-drug users (106 regular ecstasy users, 88 users of
other drugs like marijuana, cocaine and alcohol, and 624 non-drug users), found
a difference in coping strategies to combat loneliness for ecstasy users
compared to non-drug users. Ecstasy users scored lowest on the two factors
(reflection/acceptance and religion/faith) where non-drug users scored
highest.
http://www.apa.org/releases/ecstasy_lonely.html
) Teen Alcohol Consumption
A-peer-ances
Teen peers drink alcohol
twice as often and consumed more at one sitting (4.5 drinks vs. 7 or 8 drinks)
during the past month, according to a survey of 209 high school sophomores
conducted by researchers from
) Lying Undergrads
College students fabricate
the truth 70% of the time in regards to excuses used for late academic
assignments, according to research by Dr. Joseph Ferrari of
) Free Falling CD’s
CD shipments are down 7%
for first half of 2002 and record industry officials are blaming the Internet.
According to the findings of a survey of 860 music consumers released by the
Recording Industry Association of America, 35% of 12-18 year olds who like a
song they hear by an unfamiliar artist will download it for free compared to 10%
who would buy the album. The RIAA web-site was recently hacked. www.riaa.com
http://reuters.com/news_article.jhtml?type=entertainmentnews&StoryID=1375229
CPYU
Resources:
NEW
MUSIC RESOURCE from CPYU’s Walt
Mueller: A colorful 12 page resource titled, “How to use your HEAD to guard
your HEART: a 3-D Guide to making responsible music choices”. Prices, including shipping and handling, are $3 each
for 1-5 copies and $2 each for 6+ copies. To order, contact CPYU at 717-361-8429
(voice), 717-361-8964 (fax), or e-mail cpyuinfo@cpyu.org
Newsletter: “youthculture@today” is the Center for
Parent/Youth Understanding’s quarterly 24-page newsletter that’s full of
up-to-date information and in-depth analysis on today’s youth culture. Order now
and we’ll send you a copy of our Summer
2002 newsletter featuring Pink and much
more. Available for a donation of $15 a year, you can sign up by
either calling CPYU on the phone (717-361-8429), or by using the downloadable
order form found on our website at http://www.cpyu.org/ycorder.htm and faxing it to CPYU
at 717-361-8964.
Website:
Check out the CPYU website (www.cpyu.org), which is loaded with all kinds of
current information and analysis on today’s youth culture. You’ll find a
searchable database of back issues of “youthculture @ today” an extensive
bibliography, culture facts, a youth culture bulletin board, links to dozens of
valuable youth culture oriented websites, a listing of CPYU resources, and much
more. The site is constantly changing so be sure to visit often. A searchable
“e-Update” archive is available at http://www.cpyu.org/bboard.htm
On-Line
Discussion Group: Sign up for our
youth culture e-mail discussion group at www.cpyu.org/bboard.htm With one e-mail, you will be
able to share questions, comments, and answers with youthworkers, parents and
educators from around the world.
Pop Culture
Quotes
“Most people see a shrink. I get to explore my dark side
through cinema and be a good girl in life.”
- Actress Asia Argento (from
movie XXX), Teen People, September
2002, p. 99.
“But I always
had this feeling of never being a part of anything, not even of my family. My
parents forgot about me. I did everything I could to get their attention . . .
At twenty-two, I did a movie where I was losing my virginity and my
(film director) father was there filming all this. I don’t
want to investigate very much why my father wanted me to do this in a film. We
don’t speak about these things.”
-Actress Asia Argento, Rolling
Stone cover feature,
“Music is fulfilling. The next day you feel better.
Drugs, the next day you feel terrible—unless you have more
drugs.”
-NEIL YOUNG from Rolling
Stone Daily,
“In this context, the examples of pop music stars, pro
basketball players and big-screen heroes undoubtedly play a role in defining
bodily graffiti as hip, daring and stylish. Experts may argue interminably about
whether movie imagery encourages violence or irresponsible sex, but no one can
question the film world's ability to influence styles of dress and grooming . .
.
If his (Diesel’s) young fans follow the actor's actual
tattooless example rather than feel inspired by the image conveyed on screen,
they can avoid the risk of acting as if their best-developed muscles are in
their heads.”
- Film critic Michael Medved
writing about actor Vin Diesel’s “phony tattoos” from the movie XXX.
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20020826/4391144s.htm
“I fell in
love with her right away. I had to work on her for a while. But we had a very
romantic courtship and began living together in a little
- Actor/singer Kevin Bacon
talking about the progression of his relationship with his wife, Parade
magazine. http://www.parade.com/mediarelations/index.lasso (scroll down to
Aug 22 and click on “Fatherhood most important role for Kevin
Bacon”)
“It's the best thing that's ever happened to my family.
My mom and dad, bottom line, do not get along. When I was a baby, they argued. I
wanted this to happen 10 years ago.”
Britney Spears speaking about
the breakup of her parents' 30-year marriage from People
Magazine.
“Smoking, drinking, sex—why is it such a big deal for me?
As you get to 20, you grow up, you experiment. You feel more comfortable in your
own skin. I don’t have trouble with nudity or sex. When I was younger, honestly,
I walked around the house naked. Bottom line, I think it’s the way you carry
yourself.”
Read the Britney Spears
interview excerpt from People magazine at:
http://people.aol.com/people/magazine/coverstoryexcerpt/0,11369,339050,00.html
“I want to start off by saying God is good. That’s the
only reason we’re able to stand here tonight.”
- Tionne “T-Boz”
Watkins’—one of the two remaining TLC members—acceptance speech for the
establishment of a scholarship in memory of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes at the 2002
MTV Video Music Awards on August 29.
Lyrical
Expression
You’ve been waiting a long
time to fall down on your knees
Cut your hands, cut
yourself until you bleed, but fall asleep next to
me
Wait for everyone to go
away and in a dimly lit room where you got nothing to
hide
Say your goodbyes, tell
yourself we’ll read a note that says,
“I’m sorry everyone. I’m
tired of feeling nothing. Goodbye.”
Wash your face, dry your
eyes.
- “Black and Blue” by the
Counting Crows from the Hard Candy
album
May your strength give us
strength, May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope,
May your love bring us love
- Chorus from “Into the
Fire” by Bruce Springsteen from The
Rising album.
Now with these hands . . .
I pray Lord . . . for the strength, Lord.
With these hands . . . I
pray for the faith, Lord.
With these hands . . . I
pray for your love, Lord . . .
Come on, rise
up
- “My City of
Pick me up been bleeding
too long, Right here, right now, I'll stop it somehow
I will make it go
away, Can't be here no more, Seems this is the only way
I will soon be gone,
These feelings will be gone, These feelings will be gone
Now I see the times
they change, Leaving us, it seems so strange
I am hoping I can find, Where
to leave my hurt behind, All the s___ I seem to take
All alone I seem to
break, I have lived the best I can, Does this make me not a man?
Shut me
off, I'm ready, Heart stops, I stand alone, Can't be my own . .
.
- “Alone I Break” by Korn from
the Untouchables
album
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/korn/aloneibreak.html
Current Culture Image
This
ad for Red Hots and Lemonhead candy appeared in the May 2002 issue of
Nickelodeon magazine, p. 53. The ad shows 2 girls and 1 guy with their tongues
sticking out with the caption, “Pierce your tongue with two intense tastes.”
Discussion could focus on the prominence and acceptability of tongue
piercings.
Check out the Nike ad for
Brand
See the ad at http://jumpman23.nike.com/jumpman23/love/main.jsp (click on
Jeter’s love)
Culture Links
http://www.breakpoint.org/
Chuck Colson's daily guide to developing a Christian
Worldview in post-Christian culture hits the net with Colson's insightful
commentary on news and trends. Visitors can search the archives for scripts from
past commentaries or listen to the day's broadcast.
The Web site for
Mattingly's syndicated column offers cutting-edge cultural commentary from a
Christian perspective. Includes an archive of columns and additional writings
from Mattingly.
Boasting 3 million members, “gURL.com is the leading
online community for teenage girls. It contains stories, games and interactive
content.”
Links to these and many
other sites can be found at CPYU’s web-site:
http://www.cpyu.org/links.htm
Walt Mueller’s
“CQ” (Commentary/Quote)
Cheating is everywhere . .
. How is it that our culture’s collective heart is marked by acceptance of a
behavior (cheating) which the dictionary defines with the words deceive,
defraud, violate, mislead, dupe, and delude? And why are our emerging
generations so quick to assimilate cheating into their lives with little or no
thought?
While the reasons are many
and complex, a few stand out from the rest. First, they’ve lived with and
watched the examples of adult cheaters. For some, they’ve grown up in homes
where mom and dad cut ethical corners on the “little” things - for instance,
telling a “white” lie. For others, life in our media-saturated world means that
they can’t help but see leaders, heroes, and role models who stretch the truth
or engage in deception - usually without conscience or consequence.
Second, kids are growing up
in a world where matters of right and wrong are determined personally on a
case-by-case basis. If it “makes me feel good” or “get ahead,” then it’s
“right.” This moral climate is perfect for growing new rules of morality where
the chasm’s growing wider between what we say we believe with our lips, and what
we show we believe through our actions.
- Walt Mueller from the
Spring 2000 issue of CPYU’s quarterly newletter, “Youth Culture @
Today”
http://www.cpyu.org/news/00springl.htm
ATTENTION: Walt Mueller was interviewed recently on the
100th program of Parenting Teenagers. Listen to the interview or
print out the transcript at: http://www.parentministry.org/
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The CPYU “Today’s Youth Culture E-Update” is a bi-weekly
e-mail resource on relevant topics of interest for youthworkers, parents, and
educators. The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding is a non-profit
organization providing information and analysis on today’s rapidly changing
youth culture. To contact us, write to Eupdate@cpyu.org or
“Browser
Discretion Advisory”: CPYU does not
necessarily endorse, support, or condone the organizations/sites for which we've
provided you with links, nor does CPYU necessarily agree with the conclusions
and/or recommendations of studies cited. Some are listed for informational and
research purposes only as they are prevalent in youth culture
today.