Highlighted
Resource:
Looking for a great book that will
shake you out of complacency and into the world with a life-shaking Biblically
informed faith? This month I'm recommending one of the best books I've read in
the last couple of years. It is John Fischer's Fearless Faith: Living
Beyond The Walls of "Safe" Christianity. In this phenomenal and
practical exposition of Jesus' prayer in John 17, Fischer reminds Christians
that Jesus never called us to form a Christian subculture to protect ourselves
from being challenged or offended by a sinful and fallen world. Instead, Jesus
prayed and willed that we fearlessly engage our culture at every possible level
with the hope and promise of the Gospel. For those of you working with
students, you'll find Fearless Faith to be a great book to read and
discuss with your kids. You can order a copy of Fearless Faith from CPYU.
Call us at 800-807-CPYU to order your copy. Your $13 donation will cover the
cost of the book and shipping. Proceeds from your donation will support the
ministry of CPYU.
The
Center for Parent/Youth
Understanding’s
Youth Culture
E-Update
Edition #40:
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SUBSCRIBE for FREE!
Go to
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Contents:
I. Youth Culture Stats and Trends:
1) Cigarette Sales Down, Ads Up
2) African-American Youth Alcohol Ad
Exposure
3) Pot Smoking and Brain Damage?
4) Downloading Up, Music Sales Down
5) Video Games Ratings Enhancement
6) Faith Anti-Drug
7) Pre-Marital Sex Beliefs
8)
Marriage in
9)
Junk Food in Schools
II. CPYU Resources
V. Current Culture Image
VII.
“VCR/DVR
Alert”
IX. E-update & CPYU information
Youth Culture
Stats and Trends:
1) Cigarette Sales Down,
Ads Up
The Federal Trade Commission reports that major cigarette
manufacturers sold 398.3 billion—and gave away 3.9 billion—cigarettes
domestically in 2001, down 15.6 billion from 2000. The six largest manufacturers
increased advertisement and promotional spending by 17% ($9.59 billion in 2000
to $11.22 billion in 2001). An additional $79.4 million was spent to help reduce
teen smoking.
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2003/06/2001cigrpt.htm
http://www.ftc.gov/os/2003/06/2001cigreport.pdf (full 20-page
pdf file report)
See also: Non-tobacco NASCAR
sponsor
http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/Script/DisplayPressRelease.php3?Display=658
See also: Education and income linked
with adolescent smoking
http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/93/7/1155
2) African-American Youth
Alcohol Ad Exposure
The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at
http://camy.org/research/afam0603/
3) Pot Smoking and Brain
Damage?
According to University of California at San Diego
researchers, as reported by Reuters, smoking marijuana does not cause permanent
brain damage, from analysis of 15 studies on 704 long-term pot smokers and 484
non-smokers.
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=3002439
See
also: Hallucinogenic herb, salvia divinorum, attracting
teens
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030623/5265277s.htm
4) Downloading Up, Music
Sales Down
Music sales are plagued by downloading and burning,
according to Edison Research which conducted a survey of 1,003 Americans, ages
12 to 44, in May 2003. Some of the key
findings:
http://www.edisonresearch.com/RecordBuyersIIIPress.htm
See
also: 47% of 13-17 year-olds said they use the Internet to
download music, according to survey findings published in the June 24, 2003 Gallup Tuesday
Briefing.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/tb/educayouth/20030624.asp (fee to
access)
See
also: “Global sales of pirate music CD’s top 1
billion”
http://www.ifpi.org/site-content/press/20030710.html
See
also: Selling 99 cent digital
downloads
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=3043640
See also: 40 million Broadband Internet
users
http://www.nielsen-netratings.com/pr/pr_030618_us.pdf and
similar
http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=90
See also: “Rap is radio’s biggest hit
source”
http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2003-07-02-airplay_x.htm
See also: Pollstar’s mid-year 2003
music concert industry update
http://www.pollstaronline.com/my2003biz.asp
5) Video Games Ratings
Enhancement
The Entertainment Software Ratings Board will expand the
content descriptions for video games.
http://esrb.org/esrbratings_guide.asp#symbols
See also: “Video games enhance college
social life”
http://www.pewinternet.org/reports/toc.asp?Report=93
See also: “Game sparks anti-social
behavior online”
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/MISBEHAVING_ONLINE?
See also: “PG-13 is secret to film
success”
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030701/5287229s.htm
6) Faith
Anti-Drug
The Gallup Tuesday
Briefing reports that 43% of teens (46% girls and 40% boys) attended
religious services in the past week from a survey of 1,200 13-17 year old teens
conducted in early 2003. Other key findings:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/tb/religvalue/20030617.asp (fee to
access)
See
also: “Faith plays key role in keeping kids
drug-free
http://ncadi.samhsa.gov/newsroom/releases/2003/july03/1.aspx
http://www.theantidrug.com/faith/pdfs/FaithFactsSheet.pdf (2 page pdf
file)
See
also: Teens reflect back on church ministry as
children
http://www.barna.org/cgi-bin/PagePressRelease.asp?PressReleaseID=143&Reference=A
See also: “Religious Participation and
Parental Moral Expectations and Supervision of American
Youth”
http://www.youthandreligion.org/news/2003-0708.html
7) Pre-Marital Sex
Beliefs
The June 24, 2003 Gallup Tuesday Briefing reports that 41%
of
http://www.gallup.com/poll/tb/religvalue/20030624.asp (fee to
access)
See also:
Online dating service says 60+% of first-dates include
sex.
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/06-19-2003/0001968455&EDATE=
See
also: The August 2003 edition of Seventeen magazine (pp. 218-221) reports
that 56% of the 4,853 respondents from an online survey said oral sex is not
really sex.
8)
Marriage in
The 5th annual “State of our Unions” report,
released by the National Marriage Project at
http://marriage.rutgers.edu/Publications/SOOU/SOOU2003.pdf (36 page pdf
file)
See also: Newsweek cover story, “Is Gay Marriage
Next?”
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/06-29-2003/0001973557&EDATE=
See also: “Post-divorce move can be bad
for kids”
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/67/80074.htm
See
also: According to the Tuesday Gallup Briefing, 77% of 13-17
year old teens say getting a divorce is too
easy.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/tb/educayouth/20030617b.asp (fee to
access)
See
also: The “good divorce”?
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030714/5320195s.htm and
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030714/5320194s.htm
9) Junk Food in
Schools
http://www.healthday.com/view.cfm?id=513915
See
also: Soda consumption and “caffeine induced”
headaches
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=2981214
CPYU
Resources:
“How to
use your HEAD to guard your HEART: a 3-D Guide to making
responsible music choices” is a colorful 12
page resource by CPYU’s Walt Mueller. 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
Music
Resource: If you want to know and influence kids in
today's culture, you've got to know and respond to their music. In the “More
Than Noise” video, CPYU's Walt Mueller takes viewers on an informative and
practical journey through the confusing maze of today's popular music. The video
is broken up into 5 parts for classroom use, and includes a helpful study-guide.
Copies are available for a suggested donation of $15. Order your copy with a
credit card by calling CPYU at 717-361-8429.
Magazine: “YouthCulture @ Today” is the Center for
Parent/Youth Understanding’s 24-page, ad-free, quarterly magazine that is full
of up-to-date information and in-depth analysis on today’s youth culture.
Available for a donation of $15 a year, you can sign up
by either calling CPYU on the phone, 800-807-CPYU, or by downloading the order
form from 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/cultquest.htm
On-Line
Discussion Group: Sign up for our
youth culture e-mail discussion group (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.
Speakers: CPYU Speakers are
available to speak at your church, school or organization. Our "Understanding Today's Youth Culture"
seminars are presentations designed for parents, youth workers, teachers and
others dealing with the specific challenges associated with understanding the
world of pre-teens and adolescents. To book a CPYU seminar, contact CPYU at
717-361-8429 or check out the seminar page on the CPYU website
http://www.cpyu.org/seminars.htm
Pop Culture
Quotes
“I think it’s unhealthy for girls to see these images of
‘perfect’ celebrities because photos are often airbrushed. It’s not
reality.”
-
Country singer Faith Hill, Glamour,
July 2003, p. 199.
“I disappoint people who meet me in person because I
don't look like me. But the public is really hard on people in the industry, and
your image has to be perfect, and I openly admit that I have cellulite and I get
that touched off.”
-
Model Tyra Banks speaking about airbrushing in
magazines.
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030617/5248107s.htm
See also: “Ideal vs Real Women”
article
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030618/5252353s.htm
“Part of the magic is that I look so totally artificial
but I am so totally real . . . It's important because I don't want someone to
see me and be disappointed. What they’re seeing reflects the phony that I
am.”
- Dolly Parton explaining why she is never seen without
her wig and makeup, Associated Press,
“People assumed it was me trying to be provocative, or
trying to help my career, when really it was an effort to overcome huge, huge
insecurities with my body, and having had huge struggles with my
weight.”
- Actress Demi Moore explaining why she stripped for
movies and magazines during the 1990’s, USA Today,
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030618/5252390s.htm
“My mother was beaten by this man. And he never tried to
be a father to me, ever. And now he wishes me the best? I don’t want to give him
the time of day.”
- American Idol runner-up Clay Aiken commenting about
his biological father on Entertainment Weekly’s website (posted on EW.com,
“My own personal position is that it’s much more special
to wait for the person who you’re married
to.”
-
Clay Aiken sharing his views about premarital sex, Rolling Stone,
“I’ve only slept with one person my whole life. It was
two years into my relationship with Justin, and I thought he was the one. But I
was wrong.”
-
Britney Spears admits to having sex with former boyfriend Justin
Timberlake.
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=3056734
“We're committed to being great parents and having a
friendship, as parents, going forward . . . We intend to keep our son's
happiness as our foremost priority.”
- Actress Sharon Stone and husband Phil Bronstein’s
statement about plans to raise their 3 year old adopted son following their
divorce.
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030707/5301617s.htm
“When you have a baby, it's like a veil is lifted
suddenly. [Before,] I did stuff and I smiled and I laughed, but it's like I
didn't experience it until I had kids. You can't imagine the degree of joy and
love and life that's available until you have a kid. I just didn't get
it.”
- Actor Johnny Depp, who has two children with girlfriend
Vanessa Paradis, USA Weekend, July
4-6, 2003, p. 7.
http://usaweekend.com/03_issues/030706/030706johnny_depp.html
“The birth of a child changes you. Suddenly, you’re in
the presence of a kind of purity. Everything shifts and is honed down to its
essence, and you realize that the things you thought were so important are
ridiculous. You begin to see what really
matters.”
-
Actress Michelle Pfeiffer, Parade
magazine,
“The most precious thing I have in my life is my marriage
and my children and now someone is trying to destroy the
harmony.”
- Ozzy Osbourne responding to allegations that he
fathered a child out-of-wedlock, USA Today,
“I’m not a guy who believes in 100 percent abstinence
(from drugs) unless you want to give a blessing. I’ve offered up certain
chemicals as a sacrifice, but that’s mysticism. I still drink and smoke
[marijuana]. But I moderate. I would never be drunk when I have to take care of
my kid. I had a little boy [Yobel], and there is no room for that when you have
a kid who is helpless and need to be taken care
of.”
-
Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction, Spin, August 2003, p.
84.
“You show up. It's all between you and God. You don't owe
these brothers and sisters anything. I don't think I've ever had more peace and
more confidence and just plain love in my life than I have received from this,
Alcoholics Anonymous. It's just fantastic.”
-
Weatherman Willard Scott, Associated Press,
“AA is no-frills spirituality. There are no hokey
traditions.”
-
Actor Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man) as
reported by USA Today,
“I refer to rehab as college for my soul . . . I had to
let go. Trust was a big thing. And my priorities were way out of
whack.”
-
Metallica lead singer James Hetfield, USA Today,
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030609/5224750s.htm
“Harry and his friends strike me as real children, not
proto-Christian tin gods out of a Sunday-school comic
book.”
-
Writer Stephen King commenting about Harry Potter, Entertainment Weekly, July
11, 2003, p. 81.
“Once we got into a video game, we knew we'd made
it.”
-
Good
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/newsarticle.asp?nid=18239
“I ain’t into the church all damn day, but God is real
important to me ‘cause without God we wouldn’t be here right now. That’s my
opinion. I talk to him like he is my best friend and he understands
me.”
-
Rapper Gotti of Boo & Gotti, The
Source, July 2003, p. 66.
“God gave me this ability. I’m trying to do the best I
can with it. Prayer helps me. I pray before big meets. I pray a little more
before really hard workouts.”
-
17 year old sprinter Allyson Felix, Sports Illustrated,
“I don't want to be restricted how I can go about my
religion and my life. And I just, again, want to know what's going to make me
happy. So I think that (religion is) still part of me, it always will be, but I
might not be as public about it.”
-
NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon, as quoted by USA Today,
http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20030703/5295332s.htm
“People have this image of me as wholesome, and that’s
very much who I am. But for some reason, I love to cuss. I don’t do it in front
of my parents, because they don’t like it at all—my dad says it’s not proper for
a young lady. But I just love the F word.”
-
Singer/Actress Mandy Moore, Seventeen, August 2003, p.
185
“A friend once told me it made her sad to think that if
we were to pass away, I would go to heaven but our Jewish friend wouldn’t
because she doesn’t believe in Jesus. That totally sent me over the edge! I’m
happy with what I believe, but I’m open to the fact that there are people who
have different faiths, and they might be as passionate about theirs as I am
about mine.”
-
Singer/actress Mandy Moore, Seventeen, August 2003, p.
187
“The director wanted to do a take where I talk about
Jesus—all of this was kept from me when I signed on. I wouldn’t do it . . . I’m
Jewish—I’m not going to say that stuff.”
-
Actor Paul Rudd describing his worst job, Entertainment Weekly, June
27/
Lyrical
Expression
All day staring at the ceiling, Making friends with
shadows on my wall
All night hearing voices telling me, That I should get
some sleep
Because tomorrow might be good for something
Hold on, Feeling like I'm headed for a breakdown, And I
don't know why
[Chorus]
But I'm not crazy, I'm just
a little unwell, I know right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe
then you'll see a different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little
impaired, I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think
of me, And how I used to be...me
-
Unwell by Matchbox Twenty from the
More Than You Think You Are album.
The song is at its peak (#5 position) after 18 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100™
chart, dated
http://www.billboard.com/bb/charts/hot100.jsp
http://www.tophitsonline.com/lyrics/m/matchboxtwenty/unwell.htm
. . . So shine the light on all of your friends because
it all amounts to nothing in the end.
I won’t worry my life away, I won’t worry my life away .
. .
- Portion of Jason Mraz’s song “The Remedy (I won’t
worry)”, which is #46 on the Billboard Hot 100™ chart, dated
http://www.tophitsonline.com/lyrics.php?songid=104
http://launch.yahoo.com/artist/default.asp?artistID=1098650 (link to
video)
Current
Culture Image
This Miller Genuine Draft ad appeared in the July 2003
edition of Vibe, p. 69. The ad shows
an urban housing building with a voyeuristic view into the various rooms. Two
awnings on the street level read, “Healy’s Bike Shop” and “Original Brick Oven
Pizza”. On the 2nd floor, four underwear clad females are playfully
tugging on what appears to be a rolled up bedsheet in one room, while across the
way, four guys are drinking beer and watching TV. On the 3rd floor,
an old man and his dog sit on a couch, while on the opposite end of the building
there is a buxom blonde. The ad instructs viewers to fold the ad so the arrows
at the top and bottom of the page meet. The result is for the blond and old man
to be drawn together on the 3rd floor, the guys to be pulled in by
the girls on the 2nd floor, and the awnings to read, “HEA…VEN”. Youth
leaders could use this ad to facilitate a discussion on the biblical heaven.
Culture Links
This site provides charts of the top playing Christian
music.
http://www.radioandrecords.com/Charts/christ_Home.htm
See also: http://www.20countdown.com/weekly_top20.htm
TopHitsOnline puts together a weekly compilation chart of
the top songs, which also includes lyrics, reviews and song
samples.
“VCR/DVR
Alert”
The 2003 “Teen Choice Awards” are set to air on Fox on
Wednesday August 6,
http://www.fox.com/tca2003/home.htm
Nominees listing:
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=musicNews&storyID=2944838
Walt Mueller’s
“CQ” (Commentary/Quote)
“The Dave Matthews Bands’ music and all that goes with it
provides devotees a sort of ‘surrogate family’ and place to belong in a world
where so many families are broken and so many individuals feel alone. By
default—not choice—Matthews serves as the mentor, guide, director and, at times,
even a father. The music is the glue that holds the package together. The
concerts function like family reunions or church gatherings where the members
come together to experience a place of belonging and fellowship. The music gives
listeners a chance to interact, forget about their problems and feel good—if
only for a short period of time.”
-From Walt Mueller's “In the Hotlight” article on the
Dave Matthews Band from the Summer 2003 edition of “YouthCulture @
Today”, p.
10.
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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 youth workers, 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.
CPYU grants permission to cite or quote the “Youth
Culture e-Update” electronically or in print as long as the source is cited as
“the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding's Youth Culture e-Update - Doug West,
ed.”