Women

New Kids' Book on Plastic Surgery Skirts Breasts

by Anne Landman — April 28, 2008 - 2:04pm

How does a mother explain to her children why she's having a breast augmentation, a tummy tuck or a nose job? Help is on the way -- a new book for kids about plastic surgery, My Beautiful Mommy. The story features a handsome, musclebound, superhero-type male doctor and a Mommy who says that as she got older, she couldn't fit into her clothes any more. Mom explains to her child that the doctor is going to help her fix all that. Mom comes home after surgery looking slightly bruised and bandaged, but with fuller, higher breasts.

Main Source: 
Newsweek, April 15, 2008

Auto Racing for Clean Air?

by Diane Farsetta — April 22, 2008 - 12:15pm

Swiss auto racer Simona De Silvestro isn't only "the second woman in the 34-year history of the Cooper Tires Presents The Atlantic Championship Powered by Mazda to win a race with her victory in the Imperial Capital Bank Atlantic Challenge of Long Beach." Believe it or not, there's another sponsor involved -- the U.S.

Main Source: 
Champ Car Atlantic News, April 20, 2008

Less Cause, More Marketing for Unilever

by Diane Farsetta — April 10, 2008 - 3:47pm

In 2004, the Unilever company Dove got lots of attention for using "ordinary-looking -- in some cases heavyset -- women in its ads for shampoos and beauty products.

Main Source: 
Wall Street Journal (sub req'd), April 10, 2008

University Helps Censor "One-Sided" Science

by Diane Farsetta — April 7, 2008 - 12:38pm

Administrators of "Popline," the "world's largest scientific database on reproductive health," which is housed at the Johns Hopkins University's School of Public Health, "blocked the word 'abortion' as a search term after receiving a complaint from the Bush administration over two abortion-related articles listed in the database." The search block has since been remov

Main Source: 
Wired blog "Threat Level," April 4, 2008

When "Civil Rights" Means Ending Affirmative Action

by Anne Landman — April 2, 2008 - 12:07pm

People in Colorado who signed an anti-affirmative action ballot initiative petition are charging that petition circulators deceived them about the measure's real purpose and intent.

Main Source: 
New York Times, April 1, 2008

Anti-Abortionists Hijack "Horton"

by Anne Landman — March 14, 2008 - 12:21pm

When some people in the audience at the premiere of the new Dr. Suess movie "Horton Hears a Who" started yelling "A person's a person no matter how small," others thought they were just over-enthusiastic Dr. Suess fans. Instead, it turned out that a pack of anti-abortion activists had hijacked the elephant star's famous line to promote their view that abortion should be banned.

Main Source: 
Slate.com, March 14, 2008

A Star Is Born: Spitzer's Downfall Gives Rise to Ashley Alexandra Dupré

by John Stauber — March 13, 2008 - 10:21am

In the brave new world of seemingly everyone having a MySpace page, publicity over alleged prostitution gave rise to a new online star at MySpace.

Main Source: 
MySpace.com, March 13, 2008

Beyond Advertising: The Pharmaceutical Industry's Hidden Marketing Tactics

by Mary Ebeling — February 21, 2008 - 1:00pm
  • Topics: Corporations, Health, Marketing, Pharmaceuticals, Science, U.S. Government, Women

    • In early January, the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce began investigating celebrity endorsements in television ads for brand-name drugs. The investigation was sparked by Pfizer's commercials for its best-selling cholesterol drug Lipitor. These direct-to-consumer (DTC) ads feature Dr. Robert Jarvik, a pioneer in the development of the artificial heart. Viewers are not told that Jarvik is not a cardiologist, nor is he licensed to practice medicine. His presentation as a trusted expert, Pfizer presumably hopes, is enough to persuade viewers to ask their doctors for Lipitor by name. And that would help erode the increasing competition from generic alternatives.

    Motor Mouths

    by Sheldon Rampton — January 27, 2008 - 5:32pm

    The Hotrodders.com website has launched a satirical spinoff, SpankMyMarketer.com, aimed at exposing "illegal stealth marketing" on behalf of companies including General Motors, Holley, Comp Cams and Dynomax, which they say has been posted on theirs and other auto-related websites.

    Main Source: 
    SpankMyMarketer.com

    Marketing Drugs for a Disputed Condition

    by Diane Farsetta — January 14, 2008 - 1:59pm

    "Fibromyalgia is a real, widespread pain condition," stresses a woman in a television ad for Lyrica, a Pfizer drug that recently became "the first medicine approved to treat the pain condition." But some doctors have their doubts. These skeptics "say vague complaints of chronic pain do not add up to a disease. ... The condition cannot be linked to any environmental or biological causes." Even Dr.

    Main Source: 
    New York Times, January 14, 2008
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