“Mom, I wanna stay hydrated but I ALSO wanna rock n roll!! Why doesn’t dad live with us anymore? And why do you drink white wine out of a coffee mug in the car? I HATE my new computer!”

via the very funny Nick Kroll

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1. George Saunders on Stay Free!
2. The Cute Boy on the CTA
3. Is the Ad Porn more Ad Creep?

I was recently reminded of the work of Lauren Greenfield (wikipedia) when I came across an excellent video she made for the New York Times Magazine.

Her photography show, “Girl Culture,” was at a museum in Tucson several years ago when I coincidentally wandered in and became a fan on the spot. My wife and I were stunned by how the show was so powerful, insightful, and subtle all at once. Greenfield’s work spoke volumes by collectively presenting various moments in women’s lives for the viewer to consider. The combined effect of all the photos created a new context in which one could look at the culture. Check out the “Girl Culture” section of her website for more.

It’s my understanding that Greenfield considers herself a journalist before a photographer, so it makes sense that she has moved into video. The “Kids & Money” short for the Times is a 14 minute piece where kids in Los Angeles talk about their relationship to money, buying things, and how this impacts their interpersonal relationships. The first interview features two wealthy girls who talk about “four figure” bags and consider shopping a personal hobby (which made my stomach turn a bit). The other subjects come from various economic backgrounds and each story is troubling in its own way.

One of my former professors believed that adults tend to dismiss the media’s personal effect on them and wouldn’t truly consider the impact of the media and advertising until they thought about its effect on children. If that’s the case, this video will get a lot of people thinking. Highly recommended – check it out.

Related posts:

1. From the New York Times
2. NY Times on Saturation Advertising
3. AddArt in NY Times