Culture Clips: Books and Magazines

Did You Know?

• Over the space of a single week, 15-year-old Disney star Miley Cyrus has become embroiled in not one but two dustups involving immodest photos. Round one: Images circulate online of Cyrus pulling down her tank top to reveal part of her bra; she also bares her midriff while lounging on top of a young man People identified as Cyrus' "then-boyfriend, her producer's son." Round two: In a Vanity Fair shoot, she uses a sheet to cover her front while exposing a bare back, thus appearing to be topless. (Next week, look for Plugged In Online's "Up Front" story connecting the dots between our print publication's May cover story and these events.) [Source: AP, 4/21/08; mtv.com, 4/23/08]
• MTV News recently profiled witchcraft in a detailed online article and commented that many of those drawn to it first became intrigued by various entertainment influences. "So how does one become a witch?" asked writer Alex Mar. Her answer? "A surprising number of young witches MTV spoke with ... said that they became curious about their faith through misguiding pop-culture fare like the camp Neve Campbell vehicle The Craft and the Harry Potter series. (Guess a few conservative Christian groups were right about that one.)" [Source: mtv.com, 3/25/08 c&e]

Quotes

"If there's violence to be had, the kids are gonna find a way to get it. ... The most effective bar against what was called 'the seduction of the innocent' when this hot-button issue centered on violent comic books 60 years ago is still parents who know and care not just about what their kids are watching and reading, but what they're doing and who they're hanging with. Parents need to have the guts to forbid material they find objectionable ... and then explain why it's being forbidden. They also need to monitor their children's lives in the pop culture—which means a lot more than seeing what games they're renting down the street." —horror writer and Entertainment Weekly columnist Stephen King [Source: Entertainment Weekly, 4/11/08]

More Culture Clips

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