Youth Culture Archives - Page 43 of 57 - Jonathan's Blog From The Source

92% More 12-34-year-olds Watched the MTV Movie Awards

Posted on: 06/10/09 9:54 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Last week I posted my recap of this year’s raunchy MTV Movie Awards… a show that always seems to slip under the radar of most parents.

Apparently this is true. Because 92% more people in the 12-34 demographic watched the show this year. Online, the show generated a 205% increase from last year. By Midday Monday, the show had already logged 3.5 million streams. Add that to the 5.3 million viewers the night before.

That’s a lot of kids getting a glimpse of the “junk” MTV was showing (Click here for my description of what most parents had no idea that their kids were watching)

Last week I chatted about the show with a few parents I knew from church. Several of them admitted that their kids watched it… the parents had no idea what kind of content their kids were watching (along with literally millions of other kids across the country).

A lot of the show’s hype had to do with the movie Twilight and its fanatical band of followers. MTV showed an exclusive preview for it’s new movie “New Moon,” and that, combined with the many other “moons” we saw that night created quite a buzz … hence the high number of downloads the next few days.

You can see all the numbers here and here.

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Surprised Once Again By MTV

Posted on: 06/3/09 9:37 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Those of you who are EZINE subscribers saw the article yesterday-it’s all over the front page of our web site. It was time for my annual recap of the MTV MOVIE AWARDS, aired last Sunday night. I recap this vulgar show every year to give us a glimpse of the easy-access programming that teenagers are watching. And every year I ask church teenagers the following week, “Did you see the MTV MOVIE AWARDS?” Over 50% say yes.

And this year?

Wow! Just when I thought it couldn’t get much worse.

I think I was the most shocked when there was a commercial for “Balls Out Comedy” coming to MTV, and they showed a skateboarder skating with “something” hanging out of his pants. It’s hard to even describe this. This is MTV… so they can’t show nudity, right? But they literally showed the words “Balls Out Comedy” across the screen, and then a video of a guy with his “junk” hanging out of his pants- pixelated, so we couldn’t see the details.

And this was just a commerical that ran during the show. The show… sigh. Plenty of “junk” in that show as well.

Catch my entire recap here.

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Set Your Recorders…

Posted on: 05/29/09 1:54 PM | by Jonathan McKee

I don’t tell you to set your DVR’s (and VCR’s) very often. But this Sunday night is one of those times I think it’s worth it.

Three times a year a show comes on TV that gives you a glimpse of the role models (or lack thereof) that your kids are watching and emulating. One of those shows is this Sunday’s MTV Movie Awards. (the other two shows are the MTV VMAs, and the Teen Choice Awards)

David wrote this week’s Youth Culture Window to give us a glimpse of what to expect this year from this “typically- racy” show. Here’s a glimpse at David’s… er… glimpse:

The Golden Popcorn Crowd
A Glimpse of Our Kid’s Role Models from the 2009 MTV MOVIE AWARDS

An article from David R. Smith

If only we could choose our kids’ role models…

This Sunday night, we’ll get a pretty accurate glimpse of our teens’ role models. Andy Samberg. Lil Wayne. Eminem. Put the kids to bed…it’s time for the annual MTV Movie Awards.

The 2009 MTV Movie Awards
Broadcasting live from Los Angeles on May 31st at 9:00pm (EST), the MTV Movie Awards will bring in millions of young viewers from all across the country (and world). Teenagers will not only tune in to see the on-stage antics of A-List celebrities and the live performances of today’s biggest stars, but also to see who wins the Golden Popcorn…the “award” given to winners for categories such as “Best Kiss,” “Best Villain,” and “Best Movie,” to name a few.

With all the movie stars and music icons that will hit the stage this year, along with the fact that viewers actually get to select the winners, teenagers will have tons of reasons to watch this year. And that means you probably have a good reason to watch, as well.

Big Names…As Usual
MTV is bringing out the big guns this year. Andy Samberg, one of Gen Y’s favorite personas from Saturday Night Live, will be hosting the event. Samberg is the guy who brought us those wonderful toe-tappin’ tunes like “D–k in a Box” and “J–z in My Pants,” (which was one of the top music videos on iTunes when it was released), and the most recent digital short featuring Justin Timberlake which has the chorus, “We should f*** each other’s mother.”

But Samberg won’t be the only star on stage. He’ll be surrounded by other big names who’ll function as presenters throughout the evening. Lil Wayne (winner of Best Hip Hop video from 2008 VMA’s), Will Ferrell (Talladega Nights), Denzel Washington, Cameron Diaz, Ryan Reynolds, Vanessa Hudgens, Jonah Hill, Sandra Bullock, Dwayne Johnson (a.k.a. The Rock), and Channing Tatum (Star Trek) are just a few of the celebs that will grab the mic to pass out the popcorn…

CLICK HERE FOR THE ENTIRE ARTICLE

OR CLICK HERE FOR JONATHAN’S TWO CENTS
AFTER LAST YEAR’S SHOW

…OR THE YEAR PRIOR

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Colleges Using Facebook & Twitter to Recruit

Posted on: 05/21/09 8:25 AM | by Jonathan McKee

I always find it interesting to see where kids hang out, “virtually” as well as physically. I also find it interesting to see where companies and institutions perceive kids to be- as well as the methods they use to connect with or attract students.

My mom is a prof at California State University in Sacramento. She shot me over an email that she received in her department about recruiting students:

“Facebook & Twitter Recruitment Tools to Engage Prospective Students”

Facebook, Twitter & blogs are the latest, inexpensive necessities to recruit students to your campus. Discover how to best use these ‘tools’ to connect with potential students and guide them through the college application process.
Please join us for a 60-minute webinar to hear our subject expert reveal secrets
including:

** How to use Facebook, Twitter & blogs to recruit potential students
** 5 vital Facebook communication tools to boost your school image
** Ways to remind students of vital acceptance dates: Free apps you need
** Critical tips to monitor buzz about your institution online

Not that the day of the “college fair” is gone, but Universities are obviously realizing that some of their recruiting efforts need to be virtual.

Hmmmmm.

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Katy Perry Does It Again

Posted on: 05/15/09 6:52 AM | by Jonathan McKee

Last week Katy Perry made a guest appearance on American Idol, elevating yet another one of her songs to the top of the charts, Waking Up in Vegas. Not a bad marketing move for Perry. Most people that appear on Idol are on the charts days to follow. No exception here, as of today the song is #5 most downloaded song on iTunes and the #10 most downloaded video. (Monday morning update- now #2 downloaded song on iTunes)

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems that Idol‘s content this year has been a little less “family friendly.” Not the contestants… but the guest stars. Just a few weeks ago Jamie Foxx sang the song, Blame It (you decide what you think of the lyrics). This week, Katy did her thing. Sure… these songs meet the standards of what is “acceptable” for T.V… but parents should probably make the decision of what is really acceptable for their kids’ ears.

Katy’s song started with these lyrics…

You gotta help me out
It’s all a blur last night
We need a taxi ’cause you’re
Hung over and I’m broke

I lost my fake ID
But you lost the motel key
Spare me your freaking
Dirty looks now don’t blame me

You wanna cash out
And get the hell outta town
Don’t be a baby
Remember what you told me

Shut up and put your money where your mouth is
That’s what you get for waking up in Vegas…

Nice. Huh?

Katy’s background is interesting, a flop as a Christian singer who adjusted her content to go mainstream. I blogged about her before when her I Kissed a Girl song first came out (and received heated responses from internet readers), she’s definitely one to keep your eyes on. Her journey as a young artist is reminding me of Madonna’s legacy– creative, controversial, and sexual… just what young people want to hear.

It would be nice to think that our kids are not hearing this music outside of our houses… but, think again. My son came home from school yesterday and announced, “Guess what song they (the school) were playing at lunch today. If You Seek Amy.” (If you’re not familiar with that song… you’ll want to read this article) The song wasn’t edited. The school plays songs as long as they aren’t “explicit.” (and that song only ‘spells’ the F word… it doesn’t say it. Nice!) This isn’t my first experience with this kind of music slipping under the radar at my kids’ schools.

So how should we respond?

Unfortunately, a letter to your congressman will probably do very little. But David offers parents and youth workers some advice at the bottom of our past Youth Culture Window article on the subject– check it out for more about the lyrics our kids hear, how the lyrics affect them, and how we should respond.

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No Dancing

Posted on: 05/12/09 1:10 PM | by Jonathan McKee

Sigh. No matter how this one turns out… it won’t be pretty. Christians are going to be dragged through the mud once again. It’s the age ol’ story:

Kid goes to strict Christian school that doesn’t allow dancing.

Kid signs contract agreeing he won’t dance.

Kid gets asked to prom at other school.

Kid asks principal if he can go.

Principal basically tells him, “If you don’t want to graduate.”

Kid goes to prom anyway (years of TV have taught him well).

School says, “Your suspended, you can’t take finals, and you can’t graduate.”

Kid shows up on CBS News whining about school, announcing he is going to sue the school.

There it is. Here’s the video:

Who’s wrong here? (how’s that for a discussion starter with your kids?)

The Christian school is definitely going to take a beating by the press with this one (the comments below the CBS video are hilarious. Wow. They remind me of the comments from 12-year-olds to my recent blog about ‘Twilight’)

Stupid rules aside… it’s sad… people’s word (even contracts) just doesn’t mean much to anyone any more.

That’s right. Even though I think this school might have some rules that are way more strict than I would have… the kid agreed to a contract. Don’t sign up for something if you don’t plan on sticking with it.

(ht to David R. Smith for the link)

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Twilight or Slumdog?

Posted on: 05/5/09 3:06 PM | by Jonathan McKee

MTV is entrusting their web viewers with the task of choosing the nominees for their upcoming MTV Movie Awards. I love seeing what kids choose… it provides a realistic glimpse into their world.

I’m not a betting man, but if I was, I’d bet Twilight is going to take all! Twilight and Slumdog Millionaire took the lead with the most nominations. But I predict that at THIS award’s show, Slumdog won’t come out on top.

It’s a no-brainer. I have personal experience with the type of dedicated (or brainwashed) fans that Twilight draws. When i blogged about Twilight recently, somehow my blog came up on the number one page whenever someone searched the word “Twilight” under Google images. Within a couple weeks, I actually had over a hundred thousand people (let me guess: tween girls?) click through my blog… a blog with the opening line, “Should I let me kids see Twilight?” And then the comments started pouring in. (If you want to peek into the mind of the average 12-year-old Twilight fan with internet access… just click on that blog and read the comments starting at the bottom. Very interesting stuff.)

That being said, when MTV announced the fact that viewers can vote for the winner in every category at the MTV Movies Awards Site… my guess is that those same millions of kids (of which only a small percentage probably clicked through my blog) are now going to go crazy on MTV’s site. Hence my guess, Twilight’s gonna sweep the awards.

We’ll find out at the MTV Movie Awards Sunday night, May 31st. (and I’ll be writing my annual “two cents” about this youth culture porthole in the days to follow)

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Adam in the Bottom Two?

Posted on: 04/30/09 5:30 PM | by Jonathan McKee

Okay… I admit it. I watch American Idol (me and half the nation).

I guess I could admit to worse. I really enjoy the singing, I enjoy getting to know most of the top 10, I enjoy hearing Simon’s criticism (which is usually right on)… but I hate the “reality TV” drama! (i.e. Ryan playing mind-games with the contestants as he’s announcing the bottom three).

This year my prediction has been Adam or Danny as the winner, with Chris as number three.

I’ve correctly predicted who would leave the last 5 weeks, including last night, predicting that Allison will go next week (sad, she’s really good). But last night I was a little scared when Adam made the bottom three. I actually started having a Daughtry flashback when Adam was in the bottom two. (Interesting… some think that Adam was NOT actually the second lowest and that the whole thing is a PR scam)

This year the top 10 have probably impressed me more than any year past. Last night I literally thought, “None of these 5 deserve to be voted off.”

We’ll see what happens!

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Miley’s Reaction to Miss California

Posted on: 04/28/09 12:14 PM | by Jonathan McKee

Most of us are aware of Miss California’s statement about Gay Marriage. But how many of us have heard what Miley said just days after? Read below… because I want your feedback!

It all started when Miss California, Carrie Prejean, answered a question about same sex marriages. I quote:

“We live in a land that you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what in my country, in my family I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody there, but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be, between a man and a woman.”

You can read all about it here.

As a guy who is very sensitive about this issue (because we as Christians have really messed up and said hateful and judgmental things), I was actually really pleased with Miss California’s response. I think she was not condemning, and at the same time, she shared her honest opinion based on her Biblical values. She has come across really strong through this whole ordeal.

I’m not going to debate the issue in this blog. I’ve shared my two cents on the homosexuality issue before in blogs and articles. But I was very interested in Miley’s response to this whole thing.

I keep an eye on Miley because… well… most of the young girls of this nation are doing the same. Miley has had some ups and downs in the press. She is a proclaimed believer, and I think she’s been a pretty good role model overall.

A couple days after Miss California’s comments, Miley twittered about the subject. Her words:

“Jesus loves you and your partner and wants you to know how much he cares! That’s like a daddy not loving his lil boy cuz he’s gay and that is wrong and very sad! Like I said everyone deserves to be happy. I am a Christian and I love you — gay or not. Because you are no different that anyone else! We are all God’s children!” (MTV News)

Hmmmmmm.

We, as Christians need to follow Christ’s example on this issue. That means

1. Showing love and compassion.

2. Pointing to the truth in love (not changing our morals to be politically correct)

Unfortunately, we (Christians) have failed on both extremes in recent years (you’ve heard me rant about this recently).

Where do you think Miley’s comments fall?

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Pose Nude… Wait… Don’t! Post Pics… Wait… Don’t!

Posted on: 04/16/09 11:06 AM | by Jonathan McKee

And we wonder why our kids are making bad decisions.

Let me start by highlighting a story from my son’s high school that made national news. I’m referring to the cheerleading coach, Carlie Beck, that was just fired after it was discovered that she posed nude for Playboy.

The website of one of my local Sacramento news stations reports the story with feedback from parents. One parent, Sue Feather, said…

…she felt sorry for Beck, but added it was a lesson for students, including her own freshman daughter at Casa Roble.

“Be careful what you get out there because it will follow you all the way through your life. And this is a great example for this gal and it’s a great teaching moment as a mom for my child,” Feather said.

I guess life is just full of these examples right now… ask your local Dominos Pizza employee (that article here).

Hmmmm.

So it seems that today’s message from the media is simply, “Be careful what you take pictures of!”

Is this the correct message? Is this even the message our kids always here? I’m not sure. Because just a little while ago Jennifer Aniston got naked on the front of GQ magazine and CNN said, “Good for her!” (I blogged about that here.)

Everyone has a different opinion on what’s okay. Cheerleading coach Beck added her two cents to the issue. Take it from her, I quote from the Sacramento Bee this morning:

“As far as Playboy pictures, people categorize them as being pornographic,” she said. “I kind of disagree. I think it’s artistic … We all shower naked. We all do a lot of things naked.”

Wow… it’s hard to ever respond to that. (So many cheerleader jokes are coming to mind right now…)

Joking aside… our kids are probably a little confused. Which is it? “Shame on you!” or “Good for you!” Our kids certainly don’t know…

…which leads to this article, Vermont Lawmakers Look to Legalize Teen ‘Sexting.’ I’ve heard both sides of the issue, and maybe child pornography charges might sound severe… but come on folks. What are our kids to think when we’re actually going as far as passing laws saying, “It’s now legal for kids to send graphic sexual images of ourselves to each other.”

Sigh.

So what can we take away from all of this?

Parents… let’s talk with our kids. Engage in healthy conversations about these issues. Use life lessons like these to dialogue about integrity, character and the consequences of our behavior. Don’t be afraid to use discussion starters that point to the Biblical truth about these issues.

Or… you could leave it up to the media to teach these lessons.

You choose.

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