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.
2 Comments
Wonderful documentary. I’m a journalist, and think that just these voices offer an innovative way to deal with such urgent social issues. Ask the kids! They may be smarter or more sincere than what you think. Thanks for the post.
Seeing as how I am a lower middle class female living in LA, I can attest to how these girls feel. Money is literally always on my mind, and its hard to not think about how money and material things influence so much on how I feel and how I see others. This documentary short is right on target, I would love to see more people interviewed…its a fascinating topic. Makes me feel sick to think about how much money these kids have.