Self-Esteem for Girls

At last an advertiser is making an attempt to let girls know they don’t have to look like anorectic models. Dove is trying to stop the onslaught of messages that tell girls they should be thinner, prettier, better – and basically, that they need to change themselves to be acceptable. Dove’s “Evolution ” video and the associated campaign, shows a preteen redhead who is eclipsed by images of plastic surgery, weight obsession, bulimia, anorectic models in skimpy underwear, and other malicious messages. Dove (who has used real-looking older women in their Pro-Age campaigns) is now on track with kids and ways in which our ideas about beauty have become completely distorted. Their final message: “Talk to your daughters before the beauty industry does.”

Holy Halo 3

Churches are letting their youth groups play Halo 3, one of the most violent video games on the market. The New York Times front page report titled this phenomenon, “Thou Shalt Not Kill, Except in a Popular Video Game at Church.”

The Halo 3 game is rated M for “mature,” which means that children under 18 could not buy it on their own. But leaders at church and youth centers around the country feel that gathering young men together in the spirit of “teamwork” is a way to attract new customers and keep the flock together. Although many pastors are against the use of this game as a tool, others say that it’s possible to use the game’s themes as the basis for a discussion about good and evil.

Players of Halo 3 control the fate of Master Chief, a tough marine armed to the teeth, who battles opponents with missiles, lasers, guns that fire spikes, energy blasters, and other fantastical weapons. They can also play in teams, something the churches say allows communication and fellowship opportunities. The question remains, what type of fellowship can be fostered by killing, even the virtual kind?

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Issue: November 2007