http://movieclips.com/c4D9-john-tucker-must-die-movie-wrong-room/

This is a video clip from the movie John Tucker Must Die, a popular movie about a group of high school girls attempting to embarrass a male classmate in front of the entire school.  The clip depicts a girl, Brittany Snow, who, with the help of her friends, tries to tempt John Tucker to climb across several balconies to her room.  In the clip she puts a lot of effort into portraying herself as “sexy,” sporting lingerie and subtly hinting that they won’t just be hanging out if he comes to her room.  However, when he finally climbs through the door to a dark room it turns out the room is not Brittany’s but instead a parental figure who proceeds to drag him down the hallway to the coach’s room.  After an embarrassing encounter with the majority of his classmates in the hallway, Brittany tells him she must have counted wrong and gives a dainty “sorry” in return for the mistake. 

Do you think that sex draws people to do outrageous things like climb across several balconies to be rewarded with sex?  Do you think that guys are more likely to react to sex appeal than women because of the extremes taken by John Tucker in the movie?  The music playing in the background claims “I want you so hard, I want you so good,” so would it be fair to say that even though John gets caught, that some actions are worth taken if the reward is great enough?  Do you think producers use sex to sell movies?

Jim's Dad in American Pie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlSuj6YIG94

This is a video clip from the movie American Pie, a well known movie that depicts a lot of teenagers partying and having sex. It is of the character Jim returning home. As he walks into his room he sees a picture of a girl that he once liked, and then his father walks into the room and refers to her as "the one that got away". Then he goes in to talk to Jim about how he knew about his unpleasant incident involving her on the Internet. His dad then basically gives him a pep talk about sex and encourages him not to give up on it.

Does it seem odd that a fatherly figure in a movie would encourage sex? Would this seem to be and accurate portrayal of the relationship between a father and a son? And do you think that a teenager watching this clip would believe that it is okay for them to have sex just because this Jim's father encourages it?

The Secret Life of the American Teenager

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrLTOPPcYq0

The Secret Life of the American Teenager is one of the most popular teen shows.  The above link is to a clip from season 2 of the show.  In the clip, Adrienne and Grace, two high school students, talk about the sex they've had with their significant others.  While they are talking some of the other students begin listening in.  This clip is just one example of sex shown in this popular teen show.  The entire show is based around high school teens having sex, teen pregnancies, and teen marriage.  While the teens in the show do face many obstacles, they all are doing well in school and most are still on track for graduation.   

Do you think the students listening in were fascinated or disgusted by the conversation? Do you feel that secret life encourages teen sex or has the opposite effect?   Do you feel that teens who watch the show are more or less likely to have sex, end up pregnant, and get married in high school? Were the students at your high school similar to the students on this show?  Do you think this show gives a good portrayal of how teenage life really is?

"Alcopops"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIxYmdxo4UA

This link will show you a commercial for new Smirnoff beverages that are marshmallow and whipped cream flavored. Smirnoff drinks are considered to be "alcopops." Alcoholic marketers are trying to appeal to a younger audience by developing new, sweet-tasting products. They are producing lemonade and other fruit-flavored drinks that strongly resemble other non-alcoholic drinks not only in taste, but also in their look (alcopops). Some kids were quoted saying that these drinks "go down easy" and "help introduce young people to alcoholic drinks." Data also supports that underage consumers use these alcoholic beverages. Super Market Research estimate that "one fourth of people age 19 to 20 drink coolers accounting for seven percent of all cooler drinkers."

Do you think that the look of the cans or bottles these beverages come in attract consumers under 21? Or do you believe that only the fruity taste of these beverages is so popular? Or both? Do you think the producers of these alcoholic beverages should be made to change the look of the canisters they produce their beverages in?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a2lxZZCgM0&feature=related

This link will take you to a Mikes Hard Lemonade commercial. As some of you may know, Mikes claims that they offer a nice switch up from beer. The commercial displays the creator of Mike's apparently in the dark talking so his face can't be revealed, as he explains how they create the lemonade with cartoon like lemons being shown. It portrays the lemons in a nice little fun way that certainly seems to be something that the youth would like, and not something that is so much for an adult audience. At the very end is the first time alcohol is somewhat mentioned about the drink when the creator says "and then we make the lemonade 'hard' if you know what I mean."

Do you think using this type of commercial makes Mike's Hard appealing to kids? Does the fact that Mike's advertises being mostly lemonade make it seem okay for kids to drink it? Do you think that since a lot kids don't like the taste of beer, using this lemonade type alcohol drink encourages kids to try different types of alcoholic drinks?

Meme Project: Joe Camel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ERvuMxTWUk

This is a slideshow of Joe Camel ads found on youtube. Joe Camel was a character on a children television show advertising cigarettes to kids, even though you have to be 18 years old or older to buy cigarettes and smoke legally. One of the pictures even showed a little boy wearing a camel t-shirt while smoking a cigarette. The cigarette brand he was advertising was Camel cigarettes and a camel is still shown on the Camel cigarette boxes till this day. Some viewers who have commented on the slideshow said they believe Joe Camel was cool, they did not care if he was advertising cigarettes to kids, and think he should be brought back. On the other hand, a few viewers were against Joe Camel  and smoking.

Do you think if kids were to see this slideshow they would want to smoke cigarettes? Why or why not? Do you believe Camel cigarettes should change their brandname and logo to something that does include a camel or any other animals?  What is your opinion about the comments made on this video? Do you agree or disagree that Joe Camel should be brought back? If so, why do you agree that he should come back?

Portrayal of Alcohol in Ads

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHGMcQJxgRA

The following link presents an advertisement of the portrayal of alcohol in ads. In this advertisement a party is going on. The people in the ad appear to be in their late teens and they appear to be having fun as they dance around smiling as bright colors of light continue to flash. While the people in the ad appear to be having a good time dancing, the sound of music fades out and is replaced by the sound of car noises, followed by the sound of a car crashing, and ending with the sound of police sirens. At the very end of the ad the words “Alcohol ads show the world one way. Are you listening?”  flashes on the screen followed by the logo for the World Health Organization. This wording could be understood as a way to say that the effects of drinking makes situations “look” as though they are okay, when in reality they are not.

What do you think these words mean? Do you think the words flashed at the end of this ad are true? If so, what do you think it will take for teens to wake up and see the dangers of drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, especially if they are not 21?