Past Media Watch Items............................................................................................................ Stella Artois: Women and Beer Are One and the SameDo you like beautiful things? Do you like beautiful women? Stella Artois thinks you do. In fact, they think you like both so much that you may just confuse a Stella-filled beer glass with the woman drinking from that glass. Presumably, women and a glass of beer are both things, right? Except women are not things and they are certainly not the equivalent to a glass of beer. Please, Stella Artois, do the brew consuming public and yourselves a favor and find a better way to advertise your beer that does not simultaneously objectify women and insult our intelligence. Watch Stella's "She is a Thing of Beauty" commercial here.
See the billboard for yourself around on the streets in NYC (39th & 8th, 6th & 30th) and send your thoughts to contact@nownyc.org
Contact Stella and tell them women are not to be compared to a glass of beer and that women are more than "things of beauty":
Stella Artois
One Busch Place
St. Louis MO, 63118
1-800-342-5283
support@stellaartois.com 
(As seen on 6th & 30th in NYC)
............................................................................................................ The Truth About HappinessCould feminism have had adverse effects on women's happiness? According to a new study, which shamelessly appeared on Huffington Post and Slate's Double X, claims that feminism has in fact made women less happy since 1972 by forcing women to believe themselves victims of a patriarchal society- a belief that has led to adverse results, such as nipple piercings and promiscuity. Double X's Christine Rosen even goes as far as to claim that feminism's goal is to, "convince women that they were an oppressed class that should agitate for political change. Hold out the promise that political change would yield a world of greater freedom that would eventually bring them greater happiness." However, many women might contend that they did not need to be convinced of much; and furthermore, fighting for the right to express ones identity includes stereotypical men's roles, as well.
So now, in addition to working and raising families, women have added pressure to feel endlessly happy. But what is happiness, anyways? As Barbara Ehrenreich explores in this Salon article, "Did Feminism Make Women Miserable?" happiness is elusive, maybe even overrated. In her new book Bright Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America, she explores Americans' obsession with happiness. What she finds is that studies hinged on happiness, such as this study conducted by Wharton, have no real basis in fact or science; rather, the results have helped Marcus Buckingham, author of "Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently," form a marketing campaign geared towards making women think they both want and need to be happy, whatever that means.
But as NOW-NYC President Sonia Ossorio explains in this New York Post article, happiness is irrelevant to the fact that many women still carry the burden of raising a family and having a career, often in a workplace that is unsupportive of this very fact. Perhaps we should focus less on where feminism might have gone wrong, and rather on where we can all go right.
Contact Double X, and drop a hint: tips@doublex.com
............................................................................................................ Stand Up for Women Athletes!Serena Williams' recent victory at the Wimbledon singles final was met with the applause and congratulations of many and the not unexpected barbs of a few. In a Fox Sports article, Jason Whitlock calls Williams an "underachiever" whose "greatest feat might be avoiding establishing herself as the greatest tennis player of all time." Despite Williams' impressive career, in which she has won eleven major championships, Whitlock accuses her of "choosing to be a celebrity tennis player rather than a single-minded tennis assassin." Whitlock's ridiculous assessment of Williams' tennis career is a pathetic attempt to undervalue and undermine the life accomplishments of a phenomenal female athlete. Give Whitlock a piece of your mind by emailing him at ballstate0@aol.com, and let Fox Sports know that we won't tolerate this nonsense! Following the trend of insulting successful female athletes, shock jock Craig Carton of sports radio station WFAN invited Jennifer Capriati to his show, only to engage in sexual harassment and name-calling. Capriati, who once ranked No. 1 in the tennis world, was subjected to Carton's repulsive questions, such as whether she would consider a threesome with him and another woman. Phil Mushnick of the New York Post called Carton out in his article, and accurately characterized Carton's behavior for what is was: a slew of "cheap shots and low blows." Carton's assault on Capriati is another attempt to undervalue and objectify a successful female athlete. Take action: contact WFAN at 718-706-7690 to voice your disgust at Craig Carton's behavior, and support Phil Mushnick by emailing him at phil.mushnick@nypost.com. ............................................................................................................ Stop the Hypocrisy at CBS!Let CBS know that its last-minute "policy change" to allow advocacy ads is hypocritical, offensive and downright wrong! Despite the network's long-standing policy of rejecting "issue-oriented" advertisements on Super Bowl Sunday, CBS quickly reversed course once it had already inked a deal to air an anti-abortion ad with the ultra-conservative, anti-equality, anti-choice, homophobic Focus on the Family. By offering one of the most coveted advertising spots of the year to this ultra-conservative organization CBS is aligning itself with a political stance that will alienate many of its viewers.
CBS thinks it can get away with its unfair practice by announcing at the 11th hour that it has revised its policy. CBS apparently didn't think an ad submitted previously by the United Church of Christ showing the church welcoming a gay couple with open arms, was worth changing its policy for. That ad - along with ads from PETA and MoveOn.org - has also been flatly rejected.
Most galling, is that the hypocrisy and bias continues unabated. Just this past weekend, CBS rejected an ad from the gay dating site ManCrunch.com, on the grounds that it "is not within the Network's Broadcast Standards for Super Bowl Sunday."
What's up with CBS? Why is CBS so willing to align itself with an ultra-conservative and anti-equality organization? Help us send the message to CBS to STOP THE HYPOCRISY! If gay men's dating is too controversial, so is an anti-choice message. Let CBS know this is unacceptable!
Send your own message to CBS directly here or use NOW's e-letter.
Check out the growing pro-choice response from major athletes:
Video Response from Planned Parenthood with former Minnesota Vikings football player Sean James and former Olympic Gold Medalist Al Joyner.
New Orleans Saints linebacker Scott Fujita talks about his pro-choice and pro-LGBT rights stance.
................................................................................................................................ David Letterman Takes Things One Step Too FarLetterman is supposed to make us laugh, and he often does so at peoples' expense: playing up stereotypes, taking "cheap shots," (as he calls them) and perhaps not always thinking or understanding what the implications might be. He clearly took things too far in his continued jokes about Sarah Palin and her family. Sexism is sexism, and NOW-NYC calls it what it is. Get the whole scoop here, and be sure to take action by giving CBS an earful.
................................................................................................................................... Michelle Obama: Strength Under Fire To many Americans, First Lady Michelle Obama represents a positive image of female strength and beauty. However, in recent weeks, Michelle's fashion sense and body have been criticized and insulted. In an Op-Ed, New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd relayed a conversation with her colleague David Brooks, in which he said that Michelle's wardrobe choices are ostentatious and inappropriate, joked that Obama only ran for President so that Michelle could show off her biceps, and suggested that she "put away Thunder and Lightning." While perhaps Brooks is simply intimidated by Michelle Obama's impressive physical fitness, his statement that Michelle "should not be known for her physical presence, for one body part" hints at a deeper unease regarding powerful women who refuse to simply remain on the sidelines. Email David Brooks and let him know that you are proud to have a President who isn't afraid to share the spotlight with a powerful woman and a First Lady who embodies physical and mental strength. ................................................................................................................................... "The Female Jordan:" Candace Parker in ESPN The March issue of ESPN boldy and beautifuly featured pregnant Candace Parker on its cover. Parker, who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks is a WNBA MVP. While the accompanying article does not downplay Parker's good looks, the emphasis is on her impressive athletic ability and her reputation for being a "record-setter, a rule-breaker, a redefiner." 
Thank ESPN for its positive portrayal of Candace Parker and for highlighting women in sports.
................................................................................................................................... Duncan Quinn Advertisement Glamorizes Violence Against Women In the wake of recent, highly publicized attacks against women, Duncan Quinn's ad is particularly disturbing. Winner of Feministe's "Most Disturbing Ad of the Year" Award, the photograph shows a man dressed in a Duncan Quinn suit strangling a scantily-clad model on the hood of a car. Maybe the ad was supposed to be artistic, but we think it looks more like misogynistic soft-core. 
Contact Duncan Quinn and let them know that violence against women is NOT fashionable!
.................................................................................................................................... Univision Refuses to Run Condom Ads "Condom" is not a dirty word! The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health and Catholics for Choice launched the first-ever radio ads for the Condoms4Life campaign. Only Univision is claiming these ads include "controversial issues" and is refusing to run these important ads. We need to do as much as possible to reach out to communities and individuals to promote safe sex. Learn more about the issue and find out how to send an email to Univision Radio by going here. .................................................................................................................................... Finally some Good News: Keira Knightley Says No to Digital Enhancement Keira Knightley took an admirable stand against Hollywood when she told them to not digitally enhance her body in her next film. Knightley was shocked when she recognized her breasts were enhanced in her last movie, The Duchess, and now is ensuring Hollywood won’t do it again. Hollywood conglomerates continue to create unrealistic images of the female body and we thank Keira for being a Hollywood actress who is supporting positive body image by refusing the use of the airbrush. 
.................................................................................................................................... Italian Vogue Sheds Light Upon Racism in the Fashion Industry Italian Vogue decided to take a stance against discrimination and racism in the fashion world by creating a July issue that only includes black models. Italian Vogue brought to the forefront the fashion industry's racist pattern of featuring predominately white women and excluding women of color. The editor of Italian Vogue, Franca Sozzani, wanted to emphasize the beauty and power of black women in her 100 page July issue that along with pictures will also include articles that celebrate the achievements of black women in arts and entertainment. Hopefully Italian Vogue’s honorable July issue will serve as a model to both the fashion world and the media regarding the representation of women, specifically women of color. 
.................................................................................................................................... Showtime’s New Television Series “Secret Diary of a Call Girl” Glorifies Sex Work “Secret Diary of a Call Girl”, which premiered Monday June 16 on Showtime,attempts to glamorize sex work with its portrayal of a character named Belle who willingly sells her body, profits immensely and loves her job. In Belle’s video blog she refers to sex work as “profitable and pleasurable” and a line of work that gives her “power” and a “rush”. The show entirely ignores the fact that most women in sex work are women and young girls who have been abused, stripped of their agency and power as human beings,been trafficked both internationally and domestically and desperately want to escape the sex work industry. 
Go to the homepage of the show, watch Belle’s video blog and contact Showtime with your comments. .................................................................................................................................... MSNBC Broadcasts Sexist Commentary on Women’s Voting Strategies and Views Concerning Abortion Rights During Chris Matthew’s Hardball show on June 16th, Radio Host Heidi Harris accused most women of voting Democrat because they “think with their hearts and not their minds”. She also accused younger generations of women for taking Roe v. Wade for granted. Watch the absurd statements from Harris and contact MSNBC to comment. .................................................................................................................................... FOX News Attacks Michelle Obama with Derogatory Language Send Your Comments to Fox News Now! The sexist news coverage of prominent women continue, as the press increases its scrutiny of Michelle Obama. While she has endured sexist news coverage throughout her husband's campaign, she is beginning to recieve more abuse from the media now that Senator Obama has secured the Democractic nomination. FOX news, infamous for its bold and politically incorrect coverage, has recently referred to Michelle Obama as "Obama's Baby Momma" on the screen's tagline of the afternoon FOX news segment on June 11th. The term "baby momma" is a slang term for a woman that has had a child out of wedlock and has no long-term connection to the father of the child. Not only is the term offensive, but FOX news couldn't even get its use of such slang right. Help put a stop to this blatant sexism. Write to FOX News today! FOX Continues to Mischaracterize Michelle Obama Watch the video to see the racist, sexist generalizations of Michelle Obama and African American women in the media as "angry black women." .................................................................................................................................... Katie Couric Acknowledges the Role of Sexism in the Media Send Ms.Couric and CBS News a Thank You. Katie Couric made a bold move on June 11th during her "notebook" statement on the CBS Nightly News when she brought to light the role sexism played in the media's coverage of Hillary Clinton's campaign. Her commentary on how sexism affected Senator Clinton's campaign acknowledged the immense responsibility the media has in providing unbiased news coverage. Watch the video. Go to the tab "Couric & Co." and click on the video entitled "Notebook: Campaign Sexism". Thank Katie and CBS News for covering the issue! Go to the bottom of the page and click on contact us. .................................................................................................................................... Beyonce's Kid Clothing Line: Striking the Wrong Pose Beyonce's new clothing line for kids has launched an ad campaign with little girls in heels, boas, and suggestive poses. Read more about the ads here and here. 
....................................................................................................................................
Make Movies Account for Sexual Violence Sign our petition to the Motion Picture Association of America NOW-NYC is Rating the Ratings and uncovering how the MPAA ignores sexual violence in movies. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has repeatedly failed to warn movie-goers about rape scenes in films. The Women and Girls in the Media Committee conducted in-depth research to determine how often this happens and shared its findings in a report. The committee has also launched an online petition to pressure the MPAA into adopting guidelines about depictions of sexual violence. You can sign the petition by clicking here. .................................................................................................................................... Dog Fighting A Worse Crime Than Rape: CNN's Larry Smith Tell CNN What You Think. In a Nancy Grace segment on July 26th about Atlanta Falcons' Michael Vick and his recent arrest for running a dog fighting ring, CNN sports anchor Larry Smith said that Vick's crimes were worse than rape. Yeah. SMITH: "Keep in mind, too, that while Kobe Bryant is a situation we can sort of compare this to, this really is much worse. Not only can you argue that the crimes are much worse in terms of, you know, killing dogs and that kind of thing, but as an NFL starting quarterback, you are the most visible face in that city." GRACE: Did I just hear Larry Smith, CNN sports correspondent and anchor, state that crimes on a dog are much worse than crimes on a woman? Did I hear that? Tell CNN what you think about Larry Smith: Take Action! .................................................................................................................................... Katie Couric Jumps on the Sexism Bandwagon Send Your Comments Now
Rather then discussing issues that matter to women and to the voting public, Katie Couric decided to spend her limited interview time with Senator Clinton finding out whether or not she "likes" Obama and asking about Senator Clinton's alleged high school nickname, "Miss Frigidaire." Not only are these types of questions completely irrelevant for a frontrunner in the race for the democratic nomination for President of the United States, but they underscore a frightening trend of clear media bias that is just plain sexist. Just how lightly do the media take its responsibility of providing fair and balanced coverage? And what about the critical role that the media can play in providing useful information to best inform the electorate? An informed citizenry is one of the cornerstones of democracy, and here is another blatant example of how little information the media is willing to pass off as" coverage" of this historical and monumental election. Let Katie Couric know that this is unacceptable. Make sure CBS gets your comments. Click on "contact us" at the very bottom of the page. ................................................................................................................................... Plenty of Sex Scenes But No Condom Ads Protest CBS and FOX. That's right. Fox and CBS recently refused to broadcast Trojan's latest condom ad campaign. yet they have no problem raking i nthe profits from Viagra. Fox was concerned with the message that condoms can prevent pregnancy. Let Fox and CBS know that you are tired of hypocrisy! Tell them that if they are willing to cash in on sex, they should be willing to promote safe sex. CEO Leslie Moonves of CBS: 51 W. 52nd St. New York, NY 10019 Phone: 212.975.4321 Fax: 212.975.6699 Chairman Peter Liguori of Fox: 10201 West Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90064-2606 Phone: 310.369.3716 Fax: 310.369.8733 .................................................................................................................................... Applause for Manhattan Mini Storage NOW-NYC applauds Manhattan Mini Storage for its high-profile ad that highlights the chipping away of women's reproductive rights. A billboard on the West Side Highway exclaims, "Your closet space is shrinking as fast as her right to choose," and features an ominous hanger in the backdrop. The ad has drawn controversy (amazing how an accurate political statement can be deemed more offensive then the often exploitative ads featuring half-naked women). Give Manhattan Mini Storage your stamp of approval. Vote and let them know that you like their "edgy ads" or email your comments: tellus@manhattanministorage.com View NY1's coverage of the ad. .................................................................................................................................... FCC Threatens More Media Consolidation Support a Free & Diverse Media
Call for FCC transparency and Congressional oversight.
The FCC is threatening to loosen its regulations on media ownership limits, and it wants to conduct a vote to change its rules and regulations behind closed doors. Contact your representative today, and urge their oversight: Ask them to ensure that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin publicly discloses any proposed changes to media ownership rules.
Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard and ask for your rep 202.224.3121 or find your rep . And reach out to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin directly, too: KJMWEB@fcc.gov.
As the FCC has allowed giant corporations to buy up more and more local media outlets, this consolidation has affected the content we see, hear and read. Women's voices, perspectives and issues are marginalized and sometimes ignored entirely.
.................................................................................................................................... No Reward for Imus Imus back on the air? No way! Six months ago, Don Imus set off a firestorm by referring to the Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos." This wasn't the first time in Imus' career that racist and/or sexist comments had been used. The comment got Imus fired from his shows on CBS and NBC radio. Now, radio superpower Citadel Broadcasting (owner of ABC radio networks) thinks it's time that Don Imus be put back on the air. Let's show Citadel what women (and the men who care) think about putting Imus back on the air, just as we are about to enter women's college basketball season. Tell Citadel that Imus doesn't deserve another show: Take Action! ................................................................................................................................... NOW-NYC Tells Viacom That We Won't WatchAre you sick of seeing corporations make money off the degradation of women? Do you want to protest the growing conglomeration of the music industry and decreasing autonomy of artists?
Help NOW-NYC educate the public about this issue. ONE company, Viacom, controls nearly all of the music video market. This corporation owns numerous music TV networks, including MTV, VH1, BET and Country Music Television. And these mainstream conglomerates are profiting by exploiting women. ................................................................................................................................... Tudors Ad Sells Violence Have you seen the posters for the showtime show "The Tudors" plastered across the subway stations? The poster depicts a man standing behind a woman, ominously grasping her throat. If that isn't enough, the woman appears to be dropping a glass of red wine as the hand around her throat stretches to cover as much of the neck as possible. According to CBS Outdoor, the company in charge of subway advertising for the MTA, subway advertisements are a great opportunity because the "frequency of riding ensures a connection is made on the day the message is relevant." The message is loud and clear- tune into Showtime for violence against women! To lodge complaints about 'The Tudors" ad call: Howard Roberts, President, MTA
New York City Transit 646.252.5800 | Matthew C. Blank, CEO
Showtime Networks Inc. 212.708.1600 |
|
