MEDIAWATCH FOR JANUARY - As of 1/30/02

Menstuff® reports on what the press and/or some corporations are saying for January. Also, see comments for December, November, October, and September and Archive for our response to the media's portrayal of men.

After reviewing some of these topics, we encourage you to write the corporations and the government and give them your viewpoint. Change doesn't usually take place when only one complaint is received. If you want to be part of the solution, let them hear from you! Here's how. Updated 1/22/02.

DORITOS LACK TASTE

The new television commercial for Doritos Extreme featuring cheerleaders and another "dare". It claims that you might think of yourself as bold but are you daring enough to look up a woman's skirt. What is Frito Lay and BBDO, their advertising agency thinking? Bold taste? Rather no taste at all.

IT'S NOT A DARE, IT'S A HAMBURGER

"Come grab a hot 'n juicy Wendy's Classic Double. If you're hungry enough." Playing on men's insecurities to sell all that extra grease. Go ahead. Take the dare, if you heart's man enough.

HE'S YOUR LITTLE BROTHER

Great ad in MH-18 (Men's Health for Teens) saying "Don't do anything you wouldn't want him doing. In essence, don't smoke weed.

BLAZE SEEMS TO SET FIRES

Parenting, which is really a women's magazine, ran this ad 11/01 for Harlequin books titled "Has he been reading your Harlequin books?" and touting a "scorching" new series of books called Blaze. Just another fantasy.

GOT QUESTIONS? GET ANSWERS?

This is an ad for Planned Parenthood's teenwire.com web site. that is safe, private and real. It reads "He wants to have sex, but I'm not ready. What should I do?" Great site for girls and boys and it wouldn't hurt parents to get on-line and find out what your kids are really thinking about!

BE VOCAL. SAY NO WAY

Here is another in a series of ads from Candie's (www.candiesfoundation.org). It features Macy Gray and comments that "Four in ten girls will experience at least one pregnancy before reaching age 20." It's time to wake up now.

KIDS GROW SO FAST THESE DAYS.

A lot faster than you might think: almost one million teens get pregnant every year. So the best time to talk to your kids about teenage pregnancy is before they're teenagers. After all, they won't be babies forever. But they'll always need you. Find out more about preventing teen pregnancy at www.teenpregnancy.org. 12/01 YM magazine

ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH?

Again, from MH-18, "Barry Bonds Wears the Bracelet. Until there's a cure, there's the bracelet." Available at The Body Shop, Kenneth Cole, Tower Records, Virgin Megastore, Ben Dridge Jewelers, etc or www.until.org or 800.88-UNTIL. Bringing awareness about HIV/AIDS care services, education and vaccine development. Are you man enough?

HEROIN: DYING'S THE EASY PART

This ad reads "Happy Heroin Hints: Share needles and risk HIV rather than miss a single opportunity to get high." We applaud Jane magazine for donating a full page color ad to support the Partnership for a Drug-Free America.

SPECIAL OFFER

For each copy of Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul you purchase from us at the regular price, we will send a copy to two prison libraries. (Our goal is to get at least one copy in every prison in the U.S., which total over 8,000 facilities.) Updates on Chicken Soul for the Prisoner's Soul

MEN, IT'S TIME TO ACT

It's happening. Chicken Soup for the Soul® has an edition about men and they are looking for stories.