DON'T CALL ME A TWEEN

Cannon Suits Up, Focuses On New Role

2009-10-12T11:22:00.003-04:00

NEW YORK — The first thing Nick Cannon does every morning is kiss his wife, Mariah Carey. Then comes meditation and prayer, maybe a workout. After that, it's the suit.

These days you'd be hard-pressed to catch Cannon, erstwhile teenage comedy star and current would-be media mogul, wearing anything but, though sometimes he'll take the jacket off.

It was a three-piece number on a recent episode of the MTV Jams game show “Hood Fab,” on which he answered hip-hop trivia questions outside the Marcy Houses in Brooklyn. In a shaky hand-held clip recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, he struts into a Best Buy, in suspenders, to buy 10 copies of his wife's new album, “one for every room in the house.”

And of course, he wore one to work on a Monday late last month when he met with executives at Nickelodeon, where he recently took on the position of chairman of the network's TeenNick division.

Over the last decade, Cannon has been a stand-up comic, a rapper, an actor, a DJ, a screenwriter and a television host. For a stretch early this decade he was a Nickelodeon mainstay, one of the most recognizable personalities in teen media. And he's still a popular one: He has 1.2 million followers on Twitter, placing him in the Top 100 of all users.

But currently most of Cannon's energies are focused behind the scenes — he runs a movie and television production company, a record label and a clothing line. And now, at 29, he's returned to the Nickelodeon fold.

Late last month Nickelodeon rebranded its teenage-oriented channel, the N, as TeenNick. Cannon is both a celebrity engine and a hands-on executive with responsibilities in front of the camera and behind a desk. He has an office, an assistant, a business card and a marketing pitch on how best to reach young people: “Instead of trying to create something, it's about being involved in something they're already doing. They create their own media channel among themselves.”

In TeenNick, Cannon has, effectively, a blank slate upon which to test his ideas about what kids want. At the moment TeenNick is more of an idea than a fully formed channel; like the N, it has an emphasis on second-run programming. It's best known for “Degrassi: The Next Generation,” the Canadian import.

A decade ago, when Cannon was a gawky teenager plucked out of Hollywood comedy clubs to be a staff writer for Nickelodeon shows like “Kenan & Kel,” teen media wasn't as culturally prominent as it is today. Now entrepreneurs are entranced by the demographic's allure and cash.

That's something Cannon has been aware of for years. He began earning audiences' trust at a young age, when he turned to performing as a refuge from a difficult, scattered upbringing.

Cannon was shuttled between North Carolina and Southern California as a child. In North Carolina, where he stayed with his father, a television minister, he would work the camera, interview ministers and record rap songs in the studio. In California he was raised largely by his grandmother. “Section 8 homes,” he recalled. “I wanted to be part of the gang life, tried it. Entertainment saved me from that world.”

He graduated from high school early so that he could pursue his career full time. He wrote for Nickelodeon shows and sold a pilot to WB that was never broadcast. Later came “The Nick Cannon Show,” which ran for two seasons on Nickelodeon. He had star turns in the films “Drumline” and “Love Don't Cost a Thing,” but more substantive roles eluded him. A 2003 hip-hop album was coolly received.

Learning how to translate his experience for a mainstream boardroom didn't come easily to Cannon.

But after trial by fire on comedy club stages and in writers' rooms, he eased into the gift for slick talk. “I'm the nonthreatening guy,” he said. “I'm the safe guy.”

DJ AM Offered Help To Teens, But Couldn't Save Himself

2009-10-12T11:07:00.002-04:00

Source: The Toronto Star

After Adam Goldstein (a.k.a. DJ AM) was found dead of a drug overdose in August, was there really ever any doubt that his recently shot reality series, Gone Too Far, would be broadcast?

It's like questioning why there are so many posthumous Tupac Shakur albums. The heady mixture of death, art and commerce is just too intoxicating for the companies involved in making the decisions to pass up.

In this case, after a moment of concerned hand-wringing, MTV moved back the premiere of the eight-episode series – in which the former addict counsels teenage users and their families and offers them a stint in rehab – from its original start date of Oct.5 until tonight, an entire week later. The press release touted that it had the "consent and support" of Goldstein's family, but the broadcaster did not send out screeners for review, so like many people out there, I'll be watching out of morbid curiosity. After all, it's not like AM was an artist of any real note.

Really, the club owner and mash-up deejay was famous for his liaisons and celebrity friends as opposed to his musical impact. He started out as a member of Crazy Town and co-owned the nightclub LAX. His initial fame came from dating people like Mandy Moore and Nicole Richie, alongside whom he appeared on The Simple Life. He also did an Entourage cameo.

He was likely best known for surviving a plane crash last year along with his friend and collaborator, Travis Barker from Blink 182. He's a very "now" celebrity, in that his fame was fuelled by the tabloid and paparazzi culture that had him as the go-to celebrity party deejay. Even his Wikipedia page states that "DJ AM had evolved into a prominent brand ..."

I saw and heard DJ AM play at Toronto's Ultra a few years ago and, fittingly, Paris Hilton was in the house. The snob in me is glad to say I was there on assignment, as opposed to desire. He did know what he was doing, rocking the club and getting the crowd into it, although I'd say he didn't sound all that different or all that much better than what you'd hear in almost any club in town.

But then, people were there for the scene, and they enjoyed basking in the refracted glow of dubious L.A. celebrity.

If you can get past the sordid details of AM's death, what I find interesting is the seemingly dichotomous nature of drug-related shows on television. They are either high-end cable series like Weeds, Breaking Bad and (to a lesser extent) Bored to Death, or they're brutal reality series like A&E's Intervention.

The former provide a supposedly sophisticated area of distinction from network shows (which generally avoid drugs as a plot device other than in sanitized addiction storylines) and, despite showing some consequences, they can't help but glamorize aspects of the drug life.

Gone Too Far falls into the rehab show category, but what I am curious about is how much of AM's jet-set deejay life will get into the series, which, more than being a recovering addict, is what might make kids pay attention.

Come to think of it, perhaps TV is not doing such a bad job of conveying the reality of drugs. The two messages seemingly getting through with both types of shows are that drugs can be fun and amusing or they can destroy your life. That may be simplistic, but it's hard to argue with.

The irony here, of course, is that the host of a drug-intervention television series died of an overdose shortly after the series wrapped. Goldstein was an admitted crack cocaine addict who kicked the habit before he became famous. He was sober for 11 years, which is impressive considering his life in and out of clubs and parties. He credited his cleaning up to a friend, another recovering addict, which likely served as the inspiration for the series.

Here's how he described Gone Too Far to the Associated Press: "Basically, it is pretty much like teen Intervention. I do an intervention for the MTV generation. A sibling reaches out to me, asks for help. Or a parent reaches out, asks for help. I show up, I offer them help. I'm a recovering addict so, to me, that's the one bond that we have. I can tell them what I did. I offer them 90 days in treatment. I follow up with them and help them get sober."

It's a noble goal. If anyone watches this show, and is motivated to get help, then it's absolutely worth it.

In interviews, Goldstein talked about the show as his "second chance" and his redemption.

Too bad he won't see if it has any effect, or whether the object lesson of his life – and death – may overshadow the desired message.

Gone Too Far airs tonight on MTV at 10 p.m.

Report: Habbo Parent Sulake Lays Off 40

2009-10-09T11:58:00.000-04:00

Source: Gamasutra

Finnish developer Sulake, creator of popular social virtual world Habbo, will lay off about 40 staffers, according to media reports.

The company will engage in redundancy negotiations with the affected workers, who represent about 20 percent of its global staff, reports PaidContent, citing Finnish media and Twitter users claiming the reductions are centered in Helsinki.

Sulake, which employs about 300 staff across 13 countries, claims about 12 million monthly uniques worldwide for the 'tween-friendly Habbo. In 2008, it reported €50 million ($73.6 million) in revenue for the year, but profits of €1 million ($1.5 million).

The company also operates Finnish social networking company IRC-Galleria, and recently launched Bobba, a virtual world for smartphones, a version of which it hopes to bring to PC, aimed at an older demographic than Habbo.

Gamasutra has contacted Sulake for comment and will update with any details we receive.

Zac Efron Is Bored By Most Of The Movies He Makes

2009-10-09T11:43:00.000-04:00

By Nicole Carter; Source NY Daily News

Get this: Zac Efron admits that he is bored by most of his own movies.

Whaaaa?

The 21-year-old "High School Musical" star tells the November issue of Nylon Guys that he was absolutely thrilled with his performance in his latest film, "Me and Orson Wells." But not so much his other work.

"It's the first time I've ever watched a movie [that I'm in] and in the end I'm like 'OK! I didn't check my watch once!' " he tells the mag.

He also says he's trying to ignore much of the fame brought on by starring in tween pop movies.

"I try not to look at all of it. You can't enjoy or celebrate it; it's not a real thing. The face on the lunchbox and s*** - you can't share that with your friends," he says.

There are at least two people who will keep Efron's ego in check: his parents. He recalls their reaction to his childhood gift of song.

"My parents were like 'Shut up. Please stop singing. It's annoying.'

Miley, Tweens and Twitter

2009-10-08T11:39:00.000-04:00

By DC Tweens Examiner
Ms Twixt;
Source: The Examiner

The top trending topic on Twitter this morning is “#mileycomeback”. For all the non-tweeters out there, that translates to this: the number one most popular/messaged topic by all of Twitter’s approximately 7 million members (stat from Nielsen Wire) is that tween pop idol Miley Cyrus announced last night that she has deleted her Twitter account (and as of this afternoon, the account was still deleted despite reports to the contrary on some blogs).

Most people are still trying to figure out what Twitter is, how it works, and does it matter. Few if any tweens Tweet (recent studies show that less than 16% of all Twitter users are under the age of 25) – but moms do tweet – and this trend is rising. A DC Metro area church youth group pastor uses Twitter to give parents updates on his youth group’s outings. Parents seem to appreciate the immediate updates and sometimes receiving pictures via Twitter links – it gives new meaning to staying in touch. One parent interviewed shared that she loves knowing where her kids are when they are on field trips, and Twitter updates provides an easy way for the pastor to broadcast updates with a single click to his group’s parents.

Celebs love to tweet – it has changed the nature of publicity by giving stars a direct communication channel with their fans. Ms. Cyrus’ 1 million plus followers on Twitter were quick to voice their opinions on her leaving the community with many bemoaning the lack of updates on her status. Notably, Ms. Cyrus tweeted about a recent publicity photo taken of her in which her legs were re-touched. She posted the photo to Twitter and told fans that “This is NOT how my legs look in real life. Just wanted you to know.” It was refreshing to hear a star speak out about the publicity machine and demonstrate to her fans that even she is not as perfect as Hollywood would have her appear.

OMG! AOL Launches New Teen Site

2009-10-08T11:17:00.000-04:00

By Emily Steel; Source: Wall Street Journal

Cupcakes! Twitter! Twilight! Selena Gomez!

AOL is plunging into the world of all things tween with the launch of new pop culture blog JSYK.

Text-speak for “just so you know,” JSYK features the latest on celebrities, technology and general news for the 9- to 15-year-old set. Recent posts — punctuated with plenty of exclamation points!!! — include stories about a record-breaking 1,316-pound chocolate cupcake and “breaking news” updates on Miley Cyrus’s visit to the emergency room. Visitors can see indie-rock band Death Cab for Cutie’s new video, “Meet Me on the Equinox,” and take a quiz about whether 21-year-old “Harry Potter” star Rupert Grint is a “real estate wizard.”

Two AOL staffers are writing for the site, which also includes contributions from tweens themselves. Five girls are blogging from the first Tween Girl Summit in Washington this weekend, as part of AOL’s sponsorship of the event. JSYK also features submissions from Teen Ink, a national magazine featuring poetry, fiction and nonfiction written by 13- to 19-year-olds.

JSYK adds to AOL’s growing stable of content targeted at kids and parents, including KOL.com and ParentDish.com. In July, AOL announced a partnership with children’s media company A Squared Entertainment to publish Web cartoons, featuring Warren Buffett, Martha Stewart, Giselle Bündchen and Carl Sagan.

AOL has been ramping up its production of original content in the past year as part of a broader strategy under CEO Tim Armstrong. It is in the midst of its transition from a subscription-based ISP to an advertising-based digital-media company and is preparing to separate from media giant Time Warner later this year.

At this time last year, about 70% of the content on AOL’s sites came from outside publishers. Today, that ratio has flipped, with AOL creating about 70% of the content on its sites, said Bill Wilson, president of AOL Media. AOL has focused most of its publishing efforts on text-based content and now is boosting its production of videos, mobile and other interactive content.

“We think there’s a big opportunity. Traditional media has obviously had difficulties there with its cost structures. For us, we can leverage the size of our audience and our technology,” he said.

AOL is hoping to replicate the success of its gadget site Engadget and entertainment joint-venture TMZ with a flurry of new ones, such as Politics Daily and DailyFinance. But its previous efforts in the teen area have flopped.

It has seen steep declines in traffic to its teen-focused site BeRed.com, which will be folded into JSYK. The site attracted 371,000 unique U.S. visitors in August, down 68% from the 1.2 million it attracted during the same period last year, according to comScore. Mr. Wilson said that BeRed.com primarily aggregated content from other publishers, and that JSYK will feature more original content.

“This audience is akin to any audience we are targeting. You have to be pretty authentic,” he said.

JYSK faces steep competition. Alloy Media + Marketing, the New York company behind the “Gossip Girl” book-turned-TV series, as well as the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” book-to movie series, is becoming a major force on the Web. It operates the largest teen network on the Web, attracting 11.3 million unique U.S. visitors in August, more than double its audience in the same period last year, according to comScore.

Report: Habbo Parent Sulake Lays Off 40

2009-10-07T11:58:00.003-04:00

Source: Gamasutra

Finnish developer Sulake, creator of popular social virtual world Habbo, will lay off about 40 staffers, according to media reports.

The company will engage in redundancy negotiations with the affected workers, who represent about 20 percent of its global staff, reports PaidContent, citing Finnish media and Twitter users claiming the reductions are centered in Helsinki.

Sulake, which employs about 300 staff across 13 countries, claims about 12 million monthly uniques worldwide for the 'tween-friendly Habbo. In 2008, it reported €50 million ($73.6 million) in revenue for the year, but profits of €1 million ($1.5 million).

The company also operates Finnish social networking company IRC-Galleria, and recently launched Bobba, a virtual world for smartphones, a version of which it hopes to bring to PC, aimed at an older demographic than Habbo.

Gamasutra has contacted Sulake for comment and will update with any details we receive.

Tween Pop Stars Inspire A Younger, Greener Generation

2009-10-02T11:54:00.000-04:00

Source: Ocala.com

As I write these words, there are a zillion empty toilet paper rolls in our garage. I use the qualifier "as I write these words" because the number may reach 8 kazillion by the end of this column.

They are stuffed in shoeboxes and lurking in all corners of the garage. They mingle with empty plastic bottles, egg cartons and bottle caps.

Now and then, when the Mighty Junk Collector is asleep, my wife and I will try to thin the ranks, quietly putting trash in trash cans and burying recyclables deep under old newspapers.

This requires precise strategy. Throw away too much, and the Mighty Junk Collector immediately senses an atmospheric imbalance and bellows with indignation; throw away too little, and the effort doesn't make a dent.

You see, our garage is a shelter for abandoned trash rescued from the landfill. My 10-year-old daughter, Katie, is the shelter's executive director.

She is the Fred Sanford of Chalet Schlenker, and I have the Jonas Brothers to thank.

Yet while my wife and I bemoan the collections, we know her efforts are admirable. Thanks in large part to PSAs from her favorite Disney Channel stars, Katie has gone green in a major way.

This means our daughter - whose disposable diapers we once changed - is now picking through our trash and condemning our waste selections. Cardboard and cartons are extricated from trash cans and relocated.

They will be used for crafts and new inventions, such as the lava lamp-baton thing (very cool, actually) and the always-useful bottle-cap tower. Katie discussed another pending invention with me, although I do not understand her blueprints.

We are exceptionally proud of her. Prior to Katie going green, my wife and I considered ourselves proper stewards of the environment. We recycle, taking the goods to the recycling center after we can no longer find the van in our garage. We unplug appliances, and no longer burn tires and paint thinner in our backyard.

However, we never have put buckets in a shower and water the plants after they are full.

Katie takes this very seriously.

And say what you will about Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana and Disney Channel's other cash cows who absorb 75 percent of my annual income, but they are the ones who prompted Katie to reduce our landfill contributions. The pop stars anchor the Friends for Change movement, which is powered by the anthem/music video "Send It On" starring Cyrus, the JoBros and Selena Gomez,

As many parents know, these stars performing together is the equivalent of a Tween Live Aid. Disney's marketing machine is a powerful force in the marketplace, but this effort truly is making a difference. The song is a hot seller, with sales benefitting environmental associations.

It has changed the way we do things, with Katie leading the charge. This is significant; my wife and I can't get Katie out of bed in the morning, yet the Jonas Brothers can get her to save the world.

I can live with that.

If only the Jonas Brothers would clean our garage.

EA's New CHARM GIRLS CLUB Website Provides Tween Girls With the Ultimate Online Experience

2009-10-01T11:50:00.000-04:00

(October 01, 2009) LOS ANGELES, BUSINESS WIRE --Source: Hollywood Industry

The Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced the launch of the CHARM GIRLS CLUB' website www.charmgirlsclub.com, an online destination specially designed for girls, where they can play games, design fashions, socialize, collect charms, and immerse themselves into the world of EA's Charm Girls. Live today, the site is the first of its kind and will be fully integrated with EA's CHARM GIRLS CLUB video games for Wii' and Nintendo DS' when the games become available in the US on October 20, 2009.

'We are excited to provide tween girls with a safe, engaging online experience that truly extends the Charm Girls Club video games and appeals to girls' interests,' said Sarah Handley, Senior Marketing Director, EA Play Label. 'Through the unique, connected console and online game play, girls' experiences will be enriched the more they play with Charm Girls Club.'

The CHARM GIRLS CLUB website provides a safe place for tween girls to create and share cool fashions and connect with friends in a social online environment. On the site, girls can choose from thousands of combinations to create their personalized Charm Girl that reflects their head-to-toe style including hair, facial features, makeup, fashions and accessories. They can design a virtual charm bracelet with hundreds of shimmering charms that are earned by playing games. Girls can also create their personal profile page, update their status, see what's going on with their friends in the news feed, take fun polls and learn about the Charm Girls and the associated video games.

Girls who visit the site will find a multitude of totally girl appealing activities that they can participate in for free. They can play mini-games like 'Mall Mania' and 'Accessorize It' to earn virtual charms and Charm Coins, the website's virtual currency. Earning Charm Coins allows girls to purchase more outfits and accessories for their Charm Girl in the online Shopping Mall. The Design Studio fashion tool allows girls to design their own fabric patterns, choose silhouettes, and create their own unique fashions. These elite user generated designs can be submitted to the Design Gallery for other girls in the Charm Girls Club community to vote on.

Girls who purchase CHARM GIRLS CLUB games when they become available in October will have access to even more content on the website. As girls play through the video games, they will earn Charm Codes that can be used online. By entering Charm Codes online, girls can unlock hundreds of super cool fashions, virtual charms and Charm Coins that will enhance the online Charm Girls Club experience. The more girls play with Charm Girls Club games and the website, the more access they will have in the Charm Girls Club games and website.

CHARM GIRLS CLUB is EA's new, original property for tween girls. Through the games and the website, tween girls are immersed into the world of the Charm Girls where they will show off their unique style, meet friends and complete games and activities to see who can collect the most charms. EA will release four CHARM GIRLS CLUB video games in the US on October 20^th including CHARM GIRLS CLUB Pajama Party for the Wii, and three titles for the Nintendo DS: CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Fashion Mall, CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Perfect Prom and CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Fashion Show. All four CHARM GIRLS CLUB video games are rated 'E' for 'Everyone.'

To see what CHARM GIRLS CLUB is all about, visit http://www.charmgirlsclub.com.

Contacts:

EA
Lilit Baron,
650-628-9247
PR Manager
lbaron@ea.com
Brooke Bauguess,
310-754-7312
Senior PR Manager
bbauguess@ea.com

'Twilight's' Taylor Lautner and Selena Gomez hit Teen Vogue bash! R they or RNT they?

2009-09-26T11:32:00.001-04:00

There have been ongoing rumors about "Twilight" hunk Taylor Lautner dating "Wizards of Waverly Place" cutie Selena Gomez for weeks and weeks.

But Taylor was flying solo Friday night at the seventh annual Teen Vogue Young Hollywood bash. Kind of.

Selena was also there. And Radaronline.com talked to her about Taylor's arrival, whether he was nervous and about his Teen Vogue cover. All things a girlfriend would definitely know.

She says she saw the photos from the shoot and thought they rocked. Surely he only showed his girlfriend?

Check out Taylor's Teen Vogue photos here!

When pressed, Selena admits she would prefer to be a vampire, not a werewolf.

Taylor has to have a talk with that girl and get her on his team.

Does 'Wizards of Waverly Place' Have The Magic Emmy Touch?

2009-09-09T12:11:00.002-04:00

Gold Derby by Tom O'Neil (LA Times)

In past years there wasn't much hope for traditional drama and comedy series to win the Emmy Award for best children's program. Sometimes shows like "Hannah Montana" and "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody" — even mega-hot movie "High School Musical 2" — got nominated, but they usually lost to high-minded, real-life fare like "Nick News with Linda Ellerbee."

This year, however — presto, change-o — "Nick News" has been zapped off into a newly created category for nonfiction children's shows, leaving the main slot to nominees "The Wizards of Waverly Place," "iCarly" and Miley Cyrus' "Hannah Montana."

"Wizards of Waverly Place" is a popular new show about a magical family that includes one smart-cookie girl and her two brothers (one bright, one dimwitted). It was created by Todd J. Greenwald, who once wrote for "Hannah Montana" and other tween hits like "Saved by the Bell."

Greenwald is happy about the new Emmy rule change. "The fact that they split the categories makes it a fun and level playing field now," he says in our podcast. Click the arrow below to listen to our chat.

In our dishfest, we cover what makes shows like "Wizards of Waverly Place" and "Hannah Montana" such hits: They give frustrated tweens the feeling of secret empowerment.

"'Hannah Montana' is a genius formula," Greenwald says. "Kids love music and they love being popular. Imagine being popular in your own school, but nobody knows about it. It's a fantasy for every kid to have.

"As far as wizards go, you can do whatever you want whenever you want, but if it's against the rules, that makes it more exciting for the audience. There's a little rebel in every kid."

Photo: Disney Channel

Disney's Effort To Draw Male Audience Wins Over Girls

2009-09-09T12:07:00.001-04:00

By Ryan Nakashima; Source: Associated Press

In this undated promotional photo released by Disney, actors Adam hicks, left, and Hutch Dano are shown in a scene from "Zeke and Luther." Disney recently revamped its Toon Disney network with an array of programs to cater to tween boys, a largely untapped demographic for them, and rebranded the channel Disney XD. (AP Photo/Disney XD, Jaimie Trueblood)

BURBANK, Calif. -- A funny thing happened on the way to remaking the Toon Disney channel into one that catered to "tween" boys: It got a lot more popular with girls.

Perhaps it's because teenagers Hutch Dano and Adam Hicks, the stars of the channel's most popular new show, "Zeke and Luther," exude a goofy innocence in a scrubbed-clean environment.

Whatever the reason, the slightly off-kilter rebranding effort at the channel now called Disney XD highlights a larger problem at The Walt Disney Co.: It has had difficulty winning over young male audiences.

Disney recently announced part of the solution, agreeing to buy comic book giant Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion, bringing characters like Iron Man and Spider-Man into the house of Hannah Montana, Cinderella and Pocahontas.

A closer look at Disney's ongoing efforts with the XD channel - where prime-time ratings this summer nearly doubled among boys aged 9 to 14 but tripled among girls the same age - helps explain why the company wanted Marvel's outside firepower in its quest for boy-focused content.

While there's no harm in attracting more girls to the channel, Disney also wants to draw more advertising for boy-focused products like video games and action figure toys.

That might have taken years on its own. Now Marvel is expected to bring more superhero power to Disney XD, adding to the 20 hours per week that Marvel content already runs on the network.

But going after a more male audience is a tough slog. Boys are fickle. They demand authenticity and appreciate a snarky sense of humor, while at other times, they just want to immerse themselves in fantasy worlds and animation.

Rich Ross, president of Disney Channels Worldwide, said the goal of rebranding Toon Disney as Disney XD was always "to create this destination for boys that is still inclusive of girls."

And the shift has already helped bring in some new ads.

Electronic Arts Inc. boosted its advertising spending about 30 percent this year on Disney XD after its switch, mainly to advertise kid-friendly video games such as "MySims Racing" and "Madden NFL 10."

One big challenge for Disney is that the boys market is well served.

More 'Star Wars'

Time Warner Inc.'s Cartoon Network, whose audience is more than 70 percent boys, plans to roll out the second season of George Lucas' popular "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" series this fall.

Cartoon Network is also branching into live-action and reality TV shows that leave little doubt about their target audience. "Dude, What Would Happen" features a group of teenage boys who try stunts like installing a lemonade tank into the hood of a car. "My Dad's a Pro" follows the Boston Celtics' Eddie House through the eyes of his 8-year-old son, Jaelen.

Ron Geraci, a senior vice president of research for the Nickelodeon kids and family group, questioned Disney's focus on boys.

Nickelodeon's tween audience draws almost equally between boys and girls on such shows as "SpongeBob Squarepants," "iCarly," and "Penguins of Madagascar."

"One of the fallacies in the kids marketplace has been that you can't program to both boys and girls," Geraci said. "We think the commonality among boys and girls is comedy and we've proved it time and again."

Small Firms, Like Disney, Can Sell to Tweens

2009-09-09T12:04:00.001-04:00

By Elizabeth Blackwell; Source: TheStreet

No longer children but not yet teenagers, "tweens" are now considered a powerful consumer demographic in their own right. Between the ages of 8 to 12, kids begin to develop into independent consumers: spending their own allowance money and showing specific brand preferences when shopping with Mom or Dad.

Walt Disney(DIS Quote) has been especially successful appealing to tween girls. The company helped launch the careers of actress Miley Cyrus and pop stars the Jonas Brothers, turning them into international brands available on everything from backpacks to snacks.

But Burbank, Calif.-based Disney hasn't had a comparable hit with tween boys, which might help explain this week's announcement that it will buy Marvel Entertainment(MVL Quote), home of iconic male-oriented characters such as Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk. The Disney marketing machine has convinced tween girls to spend millions on merchandise from Cyrus's show, Hannah Montana; it can probably spin superheroes into a massive new revenue stream.

But there's no reason small companies can't get into the boy business, too. Tween boys have been somewhat overlooked compared to girls. Companies that understand how to appeal to their interests have the advantage of relatively few competitors.

According to youth marketing company Alloy Media + Marketing, tweens spend $51 billion each year, with their families kicking in an additional $170 billion.

To get in on that market, you must understand how tween boys think, says Adriann Fonstein, consumer strategist for AMP Agency, a unit of Alloy. "For them, life is about play. They like silly, physical humor. You have to make them feel like they're in on the joke."

Retailers Banking on Star Power to Sell Styles

2009-09-09T12:01:00.002-04:00

By BETSY TAYLOR; Associated Press

MAPLEWOOD, Mo. — Summer Johnson’s back-to-school wardrobe includes shiny wet-looking leggings, a tie-dye camisole and basic tees — all part of a new collection by Miley Cyrus and designer Max Azria at Wal-Mart.

Stores are hoping a touch of star quality will inspire back-to-school shoppers — and their parents — to look beyond basics and seek out clothing lines with ties to celebrity actors and singers, from clean-cut Disney shows to the racier Gossip Girl.

Johnson, a 22-year-old college student from suburban St. Louis, was drawn to the Cyrus collection’s rock-star edge and under $20 prices, but the star power didn’t hurt.

“Celebrities are great, but I go toward a celebrity line because they’re reading up on fashion, teaming up with a good designer,” she said. “They know a thing or two about fashion. They’re our fashion template.”

And the templates abound. A “JONAS” line, inspired by the television show featuring the Jonas Brothers, mixes prep school styles with a rocker twist. A second Disney line based on the show Wizards of Waverly Place is being billed as a “boho chic” collection including tunic-length tops with print scarves and miniskirts that draw inspiration from the show’s Alex Russo character, who happens to be played by Selena Gomez, the newly named Teen Choice red-carpet fashion icon. They’re selling at JC Penney, Kmart, Sears, Wal-Mart and Target.

Star power alone won’t sustain a successful clothing line.

“I’ve seen the peaks and valleys of it,” said Tina Knowles, the mother of singer and actress Beyoncé. Tina Knowles serves as creative director for Dereon, a clothing line that draws from her famous daughter’s style. “The celebrity being attached is a plus, but the clothes have to be good quality,” she said.

Customers respond to Beyoncé, but they come back when they like the fit, style and value, Knowles said.

This fall, the Dereon line includes a Sasha Fierce collection with some back-to-school looks inspired by Beyoncé’s tougher, alter-ego character.

Not all of it screams classroom, but pieces that would make a splash at school include skinny jeans, a houndstooth-print jacket and a lightweight leather jacket that Knowles calls one of her favorites. Sasha Fierce items sell for $25 to $125, and are currently available at some specialty retailers and about 100 Macy’s stores.

Another line that’s new for back-to-school is “Mad Style for True Jackson,” designed by Jane Siskin, perhaps best known for her work on 7 for All Mankind’s famously fitting jeans. The “Mad Style” clothes at Wal-Mart draw from Nickelodeon’s popular tween show, True Jackson, VP, which stars young actress Keke Palmer, whose character lands a dream job as a vice president at a fashion company.

“The thing that excited me was to bring fashion to a tween customer in a collection and in a way that’s already styled,” Siskin said. A gray V-neck dress, for instance, includes a built-in plaid shirt underneath and a black-patent belt with silver charms hanging from it for $12.

Palmer, the tween star of True Jackson, says she’s thrilled about the line. “Wow, words cannot express how exciting it is to know that little girls will be wearing clothes that originated from the show, amazing!” she said by e-mail.

Celebrity clothing lines don’t capture all shoppers’ interest in the same way.

With clothes selling, in some cases, for just a few dollars, industry watchers say it’s safe to say a lot of celebrity lines were manufactured to catch a right-now trend and not intended to last forever.

And if people don’t like a star, they’re probably not going to like the clothes.

An older back-to-school shopper like Johnson says she gets interested based on a designer’s reputation — she knew of Azria, for instance, from his stylish BCBG clothes. She’s not a huge Cyrus fan, but assumes she’ll get trendy looks at good prices when a star works with a designer and a mass retailer.

A high schooler might follow a celebrity’s look in magazines and on the Internet and then shop for a similar style. And young tweens respond to a show, its storyline and its fictional characters, not so much the real-life performers.

“As long as the shows are relevant, the products are relevant,” said Disney Consumer Products’ vice president for global fashion and home, Pamela Lifford.

Target plans to unveil a line by designer Anna Sui inspired by the Gossip Girl television show from Sept. 13-Oct. 17 in more than 600 stores. And in October, Nordstrom will offer Twilight: New Moon-inspired apparel.

Disney in Deal For Gamers

2009-09-09T11:57:00.002-04:00

BOB IGER Disney boss.

By PETER LAURIA; Source: NY Post

Disney is in a buying mood.

Less than a week after stunning the entertainment industry with its $4 billion deal to buy Marvel Comics, the Mouse house yesterday said it agreed to buy edgy videogame developer Wideload Games.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

As part of the deal, Wideload Games founder and CEO Alexander Seropian will join Disney's Interactive Studios unit in the newly created role of vice president of creative.

Seropian is considered a videogame visionary, who helped create the successful "Halo" franchise for Microsoft's Xbox after selling his former company, Bungie Software, to the software giant in 2000.

With the two purchases, Disney is attempting to make inroads into what has been an elusive demographic: 'tween males. Though it has a hold on 'tween girls with Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers and other properties, appealing to boys has been a bigger challenge for the company.

The purchases underscore Disney's perception that videogames are the way to bring young men back into the fold.

Indeed, the Marvel deal was done not just because of the movie potential of comic book characters like Spider-Man and Iron-Man, but also because of the videogame franchises that can be developed.

In buying Wideload Games, Disney is betting that Seropian -- like a successful movie producer -- can develop another hit on the order of "Halo."

Wideload's Games include "Stubbs the Zombie," in which gamers take the role of a "rebel without a pulse," "Hail to the Chimp" and "Texas Cheat' Em."

Teen Vogue Launches Its Haute Spot at South Coast Plaza

2009-09-09T11:48:00.001-04:00

By Emili Vesilind; Source: LA Times

Orange County ’tweens and teens flooded South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa on Saturday morning to shop (or contentedly loiter) at Teen Vogue’s new pop-up event space, Teen Vogue Haute Spot, which opened over the weekend in its own storefront at the swanky mall.

Opening day featured a fashion presentation with models illustrating a handful of fall trends: leather, glam-rock and something called “homeward bound” (“Teen Vogue’s way of camping,” explained the moderator).

The buzzing outpost, which is open through Sept. 27, boasts a grab bag of teen merch—including a table brimming with Laura Mercier and Bobbi Brown makeup and teen-targeted perfumes like Marc Jacobs Daisy, along with scattered racks of clothes culled from retailers around the mall, including H&M, Paul Frank, Roxy, Coach and Gucci.

But none of it’s for sale in the pop-up. If shoppers want to purchase an item, they head to the store that carries it, then return with their receipt to pick up a swag bag full of makeup and fashion odds and ends valued at $200.

Friends Carly and Sophie, 13-year-old Newport Beach residents with matching blue rubber bands on their braces, weren’t sold on any of the merchandise, but were happy to hang out, play on the computers and scope out “the models!”

A DJ kicked out the tunes (Ne-Yo, Justin Timberlake) from one corner, while models twirled on a small stage set up in another. After the presentation, a gaggle of giggling teens took pictures in front of the Teen Vogue-branded Step-and-Repeat. Scattered throughout the pop-up are computer stations supporting HP laptops—“Twitter your friends right now and have them come down here,” suggested the moderator.

Stephanie Ceveba, a shy 15-year-old from Garden Grove, wandered in with her dad, Javier, who encouraged her to look around. “I think it’s pretty fun in here and I think the models are really pretty,” she said, while rifling through a rack of clothes.

Aya Kanai, contributing editor for Teen Vogue, said the 9-year-old magazine opened an Haute Spot in Short Hills Mall in New Jersey recently, and the company was so thrilled with the response, it was looking to replicate the promotional event out West.

“It’s really a way to show girls how they can take stores in the mall and create the Teen Vogue look,” she said. “The editors create a look that’s very specific – it’s Vogue, but it’s for a younger girl. Girls shop and consume media culture in completely different ways than they have in any other time. That’s the most crucial element in keeping Teen Vogue relevant—keeping up with that.”

The outpost will be buzzing with events over the next three weeks—including the chance to customize your Uggs with an airbrush artist (2 p.m. Sept. 13) and special appearances by “Gossip Girl’s” lead stylist Eric Daman (Sept. 20) and Amy Astley, Teen Vogue’s editor-in-chief (Sept. 26.) Visit TeenVoguePromo.com for the complete schedule of events.

Top photo: Teens killing time (stylishly) at Teen Vogue’s Haute Spot. Bottom: A model shows off the "glam-rock" trend for fall. Credit: Emili Vesilind / Los Angeles Times

Michael Pitt, Elissa Sursara, to be MTV's Teen Wolf cast?

2009-09-08T13:29:00.002-04:00

By Ellen Cromanche; Source: The Examiner

The anticipated MTV series adaption of Teen Wolf is seemingly closer to fruition than presumed, as the network orders a pilot presentation with two actors rumored to be on board. Announced in January, the new Teen Wolf is part of a developmental slate, suggested to be executed in light of the network's attempts to abandon its reality TV programming in favor of scripted television.

According to film insiders, actor Michael Pitt and relatively unknown actress Elissa Sursara, have both read, and been secured for the roles of Teen Wolf and his beloved Boof.

MTV has not yet confirmed the casting.

Pitt, who shot to fame in 2001 as the lover of a transgendered rocker in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, is set to play the role of Scott Howard, the high school misfit who discovers he is a Werewolf. Using this to his advdantage, Wolf gains the attention of the popular Pamela, despite the long-time affections of Boof; to be played by Elissa Sursara. Sursara, 21, began her career as a child model before making the transition to television, however prominent photographs of the actress in search results instead show Mexican model Katarina Vargas.

The roles of best friend Stiles and popular Pamela have not yet been cast and no further details have been released.

The re-vamped film turned television series is promised to have an 'American Werewolf in Paris' feel, according to Liz Gateley, Senior Vice President of Series Development at MTV. "It's a dramatic thriller with two best friends in the centre who provide a great comedy element: They are two very relatable characters on the outer circles of popular cliques."

Gateley said teen elements such as dating will be explored, and that the series will feature a love-triangle romance between Wolf, Boof and Pamela, as well as having a comedy back bone and horror themes. According to the BBC, the new Teen Wolf will be "set in a high school. The show will be drawn from the horror genre to explore werewolf mythology and will also include a romantic plot line."

The new Teen Wolf was written by Criminal Minds creator Jeff Davis.

Taylor Momsen To Perform At Teen Vogue Party

2009-09-08T13:21:00.002-04:00

Source: Angry Ape

Gossip Girl actress Taylor Momsen will be performing at a party for Teen Vogue.

The 16-year-old, who plays Jenny Humphrey on the TV series, fronts the band The Pretty Reckless when she's not filming for the show.

According to the New York Post, the group are due to perform tonight (8th September) at the Teen Vogue event in New York. "She's been practicing for it all week," a source told the publication.

The gig isn't the first for Momsen and band - they recently toured with The Veronicas (opening up for the Aussie siblings).

The Pretty Reckless have also inked a deal with Interscope Records and their debut album should be out this year.

Teen Fall 2009 Fashion Trends

2009-09-08T13:16:00.002-04:00

Neon sneakers are in style

By Evelyn Block; Source: The Examiner

As schools in Los Angeles start the fall semester, teens are busy planning their fall wardrobes. Because many teens are hyper aware of what their peers are wearing, they often prefer to start the school year in last season’s styles until they determine what’s “in” among their friends. A wise parent encourages a “wait and see” attitude, as many teens discover they can adapt last season’s clothes to this season’s styles.

The look this season harkens back to the 80s. People were leery then as they are now about spending a lot of money on clothes. Staple pieces, in this case skinny jeans for both boys and girls, paired with clothes influenced by punk rock and heavy metal music is the defining style.

Plaids are big. Not the preppy plaids, but rather grungier plaids, Buffalo plaids and even plaid leggings for girls. Long sleeved plaid shirts over skinny jeans is a look likely to be seen on many middle and high school campuses this fall. There will also be lots of graphic t-shirts, especially on the guys. The t-shirts are great to layer under a new plaid long sleeved shirt or a hoodie.

Neon colors are all the rage and they are showing up in solids, plaids and even stripes on clothing. Neon accessories are hot as well as are skinny neon belts that can be worn over a dress or shirt.

Shoes may make the biggest fashion statement on campuses this year as plaids and argyle patterns in all colors, some even in neon colors, adorn the feet of the fashion conscious. Converse has taken the concept a step further, allowing purchasers to select the color, patterns, heel stripe, tongue and even laces for their shoes with a 2-4 week shipping time.

While you may find your teen’s style a bit on the grungy side, remember that as a teen struggles to find his or her own identity his choice of clothing and the message he believes his clothing sends becomes very important to him. Even though it seems as if your teen and her friends all look alike, your child has likely gone to a great deal of effort to be different while still fitting in with her friends. Those differences sometimes are only visible to teens themselves. Unless the clothing is objectionable, it's best to tolerate a teen's clothing choices and save the arguments for something more significant.

Fantasy and Education Top Best-Selling Teen Books

2009-09-08T13:10:00.003-04:00

By Sara Gundell; Source: Examiner

Online retailer Amazon.com released its best-selling titles in teen books today, and it was a surprising mix of fantasy-adventure based Young Adult Literature and educational texts. Two classroom reading list books also made the top 8 list. The combination signals the beginning of the school year – and the ever-growing popularity of fantasy literature amongst teens.

The number-one book on the list was Suzanne Collins’ Catching Fire, the second book in her Hunger Games series, which just came out last week. More surprising was the number two book – Stephenie Meyer’s Eclipse, which has been out for a couple years now. It could be fans have a renewed interest in the book, since the movie version is now filming in Vancouver, B.C. A paperback version of Eclipse was also recently released.

The number three book was Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater – another supernatural teen romance, this time featuring the next big thing in creature of the night love interests, a werewolf. The book takes an interesting spin on the werewolf storyline, and has storyline appeal to Twilight Saga fans. The author herself even created a haunting trailer for the book:

The next books on the list are standard assigned reading fare – Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 and Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street. Either teens are finishing some really last-minute summer reading, or these books are big on teachers’ lists for the start of the school year. It’s also possible that teens have discovered that some of their assigned reading books are also just really good reads (like Fahrenheit 451 and The House on Mango street). Or is that just wishful thinking?

Also amongst the top six books for teens are two prep guides for standardized tests – showing that teens (or at least their book-buying parents) are gearing up for this Fall’s round of SATs and ACTs.

New Moon: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion (Twilight Saga) is also one of the best-selling teen books. The book isn’t actually out yet – so it made the list based on presales alone, once again proving the buying power of teens and the fan fervor for anything Twilight Saga-related. The New Moon movie hits theaters November 20th.

Here’s the complete list:

LG Seeks 'Fame' With Teens

2009-09-08T12:58:00.007-04:00

The phone maker is partnering with the remake of ''Fame'' to reach teen consumers.

LG is working hard to stay the teenage cellphone of choice. The South Korean electronics giant already sells nine of the 20 most popular cellphones among teens, according to Comscore. But rivals like Samsung, Sanyo and Pantech are making their own affordable, text-centric phones, threatening LG's dominance.

To bond with its teen audience, LG is partnering with MGM to promote a remake of the hit 1980s film Fame, which centers on a group of artsy New York high school students. Under the deal, LG will launch a special Fame-themed Web site, LGFameUs that will host a video contest and quizzes. LG phones will also be sprinkled throughout the film, which opens on Sept. 25.

LG says the tie-in is designed to show teens and tweens that LG respects their "view of the world." "Teens are becoming a major force in mobile communications … we need to figure out a way to connect to them," says Ehtisham Rabbani, LG's vice president of product strategy and marketing. According to the company, more than 70% of American teenagers 17 and under have a cellphone--up from 45% in 2004.

The cornerstone of LG's campaign is a personality quiz that will be unveiled on Sept. 8. The quiz, which is being billed as, "What LG Cellphone are you?" will pose questions like "You're gonna live forever! How important are the following?" Answers will include "My career," "Having the latest technology" and "A phone that expresses who I really am, inside and out." After analyzing responses, the quiz will match participants with one of 12 LG phones. Interested consumers will be forwarded to LG's U.S. homepage, where they can learn more about the handsets and connect to carriers' sites to purchase them.

Rabbani says the quiz acknowledges that teens are individuals who want phones that match their lifestyles. (It will also collect useful--though anonymous--information about teen cellphone preferences.) LG's Fame video contest, which asks people to do their own interpretation of the film's iconic theme song, Live Forever, is designed to appeal to teens in a different way--by giving them a place to show off their personalities. "We want to be like a friend to teens, not talk down to them," says Rabbani.

Actress Launches New SHOWBIZ Teen Fragrance

2009-09-08T12:52:00.003-04:00

PRNewswire/ -- Kinda McCullough, an actress and former

child talent manager, has launched a new unisex fragrance just for teens.

SHOWBIZ, available at www.showbizteen.com, is a light, fresh fragrance perfect
or day or night. McCullough, who has always had a passion for fragrance and
cosmetics and a love for all things related to the entertainment industry, has
created a scent that she knew would specifically appeal to today's teenagers.

"Teens want to smell good like everyone else," McCullough notes. "But they
don't want to smell like their mother or father. They want a scent that's
mature enough for an adult to wear but light and fresh enough for all the
daily activities teens enjoy. Our scent embodies all of those qualities."

McCullough's original fragrance line, aimed at the younger set, is called
Kinda's Kidz, named after her former Los Angeles-based talent management
agency. SHOWBIZ is an extension of that and designed for the older, mature
young adult.

"SHOWBIZ is perfect for going on an audition or just hanging out with
friends," according to McCullough.

McCullough also embraces social networking, and gives out information about
her product lines and casting information for parents and teens at her Twitter
account at www.twitter.com/showbizteen. McCullough, who was a child talent
manager in Los Angeles, studied acting in New York at the Michael Howard
Acting Studio, and has had roles as an extra on Days Of Our Lives and other
hit television shows and major films.

In an effort to support the next generation of artists, McCullough is proud to
announce that 10% of all proceeds from sales of her fragrance line are donated
to charity benefiting children in the Performing Arts.

To order SHOWBIZ or to find out more, visit www.showbizteen.com.


SOURCE  SHOWBIZ

Kinda McCullough, +1-646-468-8887

Kajeet: Cell Phones with Training Wheels for Tweens

2009-09-02T12:15:00.002-04:00

By Michelle Lamar: Source: MamaGloss

Kajeet mobile phones are a great option for families who are considering a first cell phone — I call them “cell phones with training wheels.” If you want to get your tween a mobile phone but you’re worried about safety and usage, this phone is a great way to ease you and your child into the technology and the responsibilities that come with it.

Our family discovered Kajeet a few years ago, when we were looking for a phone for our then 12-year-old daughter. At a new school and playing on a basketball team with games and practices all over the place, my husband and I wanted her to have a way to call home if she needed to but we weren’t quite ready to let her have have her own phone. The company’s pay-as-you-go service and the parenting controls were a great solution for our family.

When our daughter entered high school, we switched her over to our family mobile plan—and “took the training wheels off” her cell phone. Our youngest daughter is 11-years-old and now she has a Kajeet cell phone. Just like her sister, we are taking it slowly, so she can learn how to use a cell phone responsibly.

Kajeet makes communicating with a cell phone easy and safe for kids thanks to a variety of free parental controls. Mom and Dad can block calls, picture messaging, and text messaging. The phone lets parents determine when, how and how much it can be used by their children.

The company was founded by three fathers, who wanted a service their tweens could use. Kajeet CEO Daniel Neal says they designed the service as dads first:

Thinking of our own kids, we designed a service to provide them with everything they need to safely explore the exciting new world of mobile tech.

Find out more about Kajeet on their website, Kajeet.com.

Samsung Launches S3650 Corby Touchscreen Cell Phone For Social Networking Teens

2009-09-01T10:12:00.002-04:00

Snapshot by Brian James Kirk ; Source: Mobile Burn

Samsung has launched the S3650 Corby, an affordable touchscreen handset designed for teen mobile users. The Corby has a contoured design and comes in yellow, white, orange, and pink with additional interchangeable and fashionable back covers available.

The device is built on Samsung's finger-friendly Touchwiz user interface. TouchWiz should look sharp on the Corby's 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen display, which also includes haptic feedback. Users can download new widgets for the user interface through Samsung's online store with the phone's GSM/EDGE data connectivity. Through Samsung's Social Networking Service, users can update their status across their favorite social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace.

Users can also upload content, like photos and videos created with the Corby's 2.0 megapixel camera, to YouTube, Flickr, Picasa, and even Photobucket. Music collections can be saved onto microSD^(INFO) cards. The Corby offers Bluetooth headsets support, as well.

The Samsung S3650 Corby will be available in a handful of colors Europe later this month for 150 EUR (US$214).

"Teen Wolf" In Pilot's Seat at MTV

2009-09-01T10:09:00.002-04:00

Source: Reuters

By Nellie Andreeva

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - MTV's reinvention of the 1985 movie "Teen Wolf" is inching closer to reality.

The cable network announced the project in January as part of its development slate. After seeing the script, MTV brass have picked it up as a pilot presentation.

The film starred Michael J. Fox as a teenager who discovers he is a werewolf. The MTV version will be set in high school, draw from the horror genre to explore werewolf mythology and include a romantic plot line.

"It has a fresh take and is very different from the original," said Liz Gateley, senior vp MTV series development. "It has more of an 'American Werewolf in Paris' feel to it. It's a dramatic thriller with two best friends in the center who provide a great comedy element: They are two very relatable characters on the outer circles of popular cliques."

The new "Wolf" was written by "Criminal Minds" creator Jeff Davis.

The '80s continue to be hot at the broadcast networks, with contemporary remakes of the feature "Parenthood" and miniseries "V" set to launch next season on NBC and ABC, respectively, and series in developments based on the films "St. Elmo's Fire" (ABC) and "Heathers" (Fox).

Comic Explosion: Disney Buys Marvel Entertainment

2009-08-31T18:34:00.002-04:00

by Wayne Friedman, Source: Media Post

Making a dramatic move to broaden its products/characters for more of an older boy/teen audience, Walt Disney has agreed to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion in stock and cash.

Marvel is the home of such high-profile, major comic-book characters as Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America and Fantastic Four. Disney will acquire Marvel Entertainment, taking control of more than 5,000 Marvel characters. The deal gives Marvel shareholders $30 a share in cash plus about three-quarters in Disney shares for each Marvel share they own.

This would be Disney's boldest and biggest move since buying up Pixar Animation Studios in 2006 for $7.4 billion. The computer animation company has had an unprecedented string of theatrical hits -- all of which has helped Disney expand to a broad range of audiences.

Pixar shifted Disney's emphasis, which traditionally relied on many animated and other entertainment properties catering to young girls/ teen girls. For example, Pixar's "Cars," the movie franchise, was a major hit for young boys.

The Marvel deal goes much further. Marvel's characters -- especially Iron Man, Spider-Man and X-Men -- have been major box-office theatrical sellers, giving Disney the audiences it has been seeking for some time.

"Now, Disney has properties to appeal for kids as they get older," says Gareb Shamus, CEO of Wizard Entertainment, which owns Wizard magazine.

On the television front, for example, TV analysts say Disney Channel has been highly successful with the "High School Musical" and "Hannah Montana" franchises, especially in targeting young girls/teen girls. Only recently has Disney moved to push more into boys/teen properties with its Jetix-brand programming, which runs on Toon Disney channel. Marvel brands could find their way to these platforms.

Good news for Disney is that Marvel has been successful in creating younger, more-friendly, more Disney-like characters for Iron Man and Spider-Man, says Shamus. Disney is already a powerhouse when it comes to licensing and merchandising. Having more powerful boy properties only adds to Disney's strength, he says.

Shamus adds that Disney has been successful in leveraging its toy licensees to help market its brands -- especially with its major Mattel toy licensee. Hasbro has been Marvel Entertainment's key toy licensee for its products. "Now they are going to get Hasbro leverage," he says.

Because of Marvel properties' attraction for young boys/men, Shamus says more marketing possibilities could occur with ESPN sports TV shows, for example, which also target young men.

Nirvana's Kurt Cobain Makes Post-Mortem Appearance As A Playable Avatar in 'Guitar Hero 5'

2009-08-31T18:29:00.002-04:00

Nirvana guitar player and singer Kurt Cobain makes his first ever video game appearance in 'Guitar Hero 5.'

By Eitan Gavish; Source: NY Daily News

Fans of Kurt Cobain will either be thrilled or annoyed at the latest exploitation of the late grunge rock icon.

In an official press release, gaming company Activision confirmed that the legendary Nirvana frontman will be a playable character in their September 1 release of ‘Guitar Hero 5.’

The game will feature two playable songs from Nirvana’s repertoire, the 1991 smash hit “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” and a live version of “Lithium” taken from a performance at England’s Reading festival in 1992.

“Kurt Cobain is one of the most recognizable frontmen in rock-and-roll history,” states the Activision press release, “and it’s an honor to have two of Nirvana’s masterpieces included.”

"'Smells Like Teen Spirit’ is a song that we’ve had at the top of our wish list ever since I came to Guitar Hero,” Tim Riley, Activision’s Vice President of Music Affairs, told Rolling Stone. “Then after three years of working with the different parties, it was like the perfect storm.”

Activision’s long process of acquiring the rights to Nirvana properties involved getting the seal of approval from Courtney Love, Cobain’s widow, as well as former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl and Universal Publishing.

“Courtney supplied us with photos and videos and knew exactly what she wanted Kurt to look like,” Riley told Rolling Stone. “She picked the wardrobe and hair style, which turned out to be the ‘Teen Spirit’ look.”

Nirvana was at the forefront of the Seattle grunge movement in the early ‘90s, and changed the face of music with their release of the teen angst anthem "Nevermind." The band’s fame was cut short when Cobain committed suicide in 1994, citing popularity as being a source of his woes in a final note written to fans.

In 2001, Love sued surviving band members Grohl and Krist Novoselic over ownership to Nirvana’s music. After a year of deliberation, the case ended in a settlement.

Guitar Hero, the popular video game series where players simulate the role of a guitar player in a live rock band, is played by matching a series of rhythms and patterns on a special guitar-shaped controller to an on-screen display.

Members from such bands as Metallica and Aerosmith have previously lent out their images to become playable avatars in the popular music game.

Taylor Lautner Shows Off His 'New Moon' Muscles In Teen Vogue: Cover Story

2009-08-31T18:19:00.001-04:00

by Amy Wilkinson; Source MTV

"Twilight" may have been Taylor Lautner's breakout movie, but "New Moon" will likely be the one that makes him a star. Anyone who's seen even a smidgen of promotion for the sequel knows this is the Taylor show—he even got his own "Meet Jacob Black" trailer. With his star on the rise, the 17-year-old sat down with Teen Vogue (see his full cover image after the jump!) to talk about how he got into acting, the kind of girl that digs Jacob (Selena Gomez, perhaps?) and the constant paparazzi attention.

Growing up in Michigan, Taylor never aspired to be an actor; in fact, his passion was Xtreme Martial Arts, a sport that involves acrobatic flips in addition to the usual punches and kicks. (If you want to see for yourself, just do a YouTube search and you'll find a tiny Taylor flaunting his moves). When he retired at all of 13-years-old he had four world champion titles to his name. It was his coach who suggested he give acting a try. "I liked it. Taking on roles that were the opposite of what I could be in real life? That's still my favorite thing," Taylor said.

Taylor's least favorite thing about his fairly fast rise to fame? The paparazzi. "There are twelve cars that camp outside my house," he marveled. "You can't ever really get used to it, because it's not normal to have people snapping pictures of everything you do. You just have to try not to let it affect you."

Though Taylor's humble about his "Twilight" saga success — "I think the fans would love anybody who played Jacob" — he does have a theory about the kind of girls who love Jacob. "If she likes having a really close friendship with a guy, being able to tell him anything, and then having that friendship slowly transform into something more ..." But Taylor was mum when asked if his relationship with Disney star Selena Gomez followed a similar trajectory, simply saying, "She's a great girl." And don't expect him to spill on that rumored Robert Pattinson-Kristen Stewart relationship either. "It's crazy," he admits, "but the fans help. They're a big part of the motivation."

Why Don't Teens Tweet? We Asked Over 10,000 of Them.

2009-08-31T18:01:00.000-04:00

Source: Washington Post

This guest post is written by Geoff Cook, cofounder and CEO of social networking site myYearbook. Everything about Twitter is looking up these days, except for a few pesky uptime issues of course. But a number of recent reports also suggest teens are one demographic that just doesn't seem to be embracing Twitter like the rest of us. So while I'm excited to see Robert Scoble proclaims that Twitter is worth a cool $10 billion, it might be a good idea to analyze a little data to try to understand why teens just don't think Twitter is as rad as the rest of us.

Over the last few months everyone has weighed in on the question of "Why Don't Teens Tweet" ? except, it would appear, teens. We recently ran a survey of 10,000+ US teens aged 13 ? 17 to see if we could add anything new to the question. As it turns out, the question itself is flawed.

To date, reasons given for the alleged aversion of teens to Twitter have ranged from the condescending "Because they have nothing to say," to the responsible "Because it doesn't feel safe," to the Letterman-like "Because they can't afford it" ? at least without a mobile data plan.

Of course, all of these reasons are predicated on the widely accepted notion that "Teens Don't Tweet" ? that there is a phenomenon that needs to be explained. As recently as last week even, the New York Times cited the fact that only 11% of Twitter is teen as evidence of Twitter's unpopularity to that group.

The implication is that 11% is a small number, but if we look deeper, it turns out that Twitter has a higher concentration of teens than Facebook. You can see in the chart below that Facebook is only 9% teen, so Twitter is actually more teen than Facebook, which rightly has never been perceived as having a "teen problem." Facebook has so many users that teens just can't be that large a percentage of the service, by definition.

Nielsen also suggested that "Teens Don't Tweet" in a report that was destined to become a trending topic on Twitter itself. Almost as quickly as it came out, a number of bloggers, including Danah Boyd, debunked the study for charting the age group 2 ? 24 and yet drawing conclusions about teens, noting there are not too many 2-year-olds on Twitter.

To be sure, the truthiness of the headline "Teens Don't Tweet" is persuasive. It really does feel true, and on one level it is: the vast majority of teens don't tweet. Of course, the vast majority of the adult population doesn't tweet either.

As it turns out, teens actually tweet more than the general population, prompting Silicon Valley Insider to say yesterday, "Kids Don't Hate Twitter Anymore." According to comScore, Twitter's unique visitor composition index in the 12 ? 17 age group is 118 (a value over 100 represents a higher concentration of unique visitors from that age group as compared to the age group's concentration across the entire web). More interestingly, Twitter's 12 ? 17 composition index of 118 is higher than its composition index in the 25 ? 34 and 35 ? 44 age groups. The bottom line: Twitter actually skews more teen than the average site, and much more teen than Facebook.

Similarly, the teens who visit Twitter do so 5.2 times per month, more often than users aged 25 ? 44, who visit fewer than 5 times per month.

But, there is a lot more to the story than widespread misinterpretation of data. After all, why don't the majority of teens tweet? The issue of teens and Twitter first got legs when Morgan Stanley published an influential report written by Matthew Robson, a 15-year-old intern from the UK, which became an instant hit. Here is the reason the report suggested that teens don't tweet:

Most have signed up to the service, but then just leave it as they realize that they are not going to update it (mostly because texting twitter uses up credit, and they would rather text friends with that credit).

To validate this explanation, we ran a survey asking thousands of US teens whether text messaging charges have anything to do with whether or not they use Twitter, and over 90% said: "No ? I wouldn't use Twitter anyway." (Note: unlimited texting plans are common in the US, whereas the Morgan Stanley report was written from the perspective of a UK teen.)

Robson also observed his friends and classmates in the UK signing up for the service and then never using it again, a pattern that proves very similar in the US. In fact, in our survey, we found that 45% of teens aged 13 ? 17 who have a Twitter account don't tweet. Most send a few and stop altogether, and 17% never sent a single one.

Similarly, we looked into the idea that maybe teens are turned off by Twitter's openness and consider it unsafe. We found no support for this hypothesis either, with almost no one citing "It's too open" or "It's not safe" as reasons they don't use Twitter, as the chart below shows.

So why? Why doesn't Twitter engender passion in even most of the teens who take the plunge and sign up for an account? The answer lies in the reasons teens do use Twitter. Of teens with a Twitter account, the top 4 reasons cited for using the service are, in order:

Update My StatusKeep Up With My Favorite Musicians, Bands, or CelebritiesStay Current with What's Going On in the WorldKeep Up with Friends I Know

If we break down those top reasons one by one, a clearer picture emerges of why Twitter is not more popular among teens.

Teens already update their status religiously on other sites like Facebook, MySpace, and myYearbook.Teens use MySpace to keep up with musicians and celebrities, which MySpace differentiates on.As a group, teens are not major consumers of news from any outlet, making "staying current" a poor driver of mainstream adoption ? though of course there are exceptions.Teens use both MySpace and Facebook to keep up with friends they know.

Given the above, it is no surprise that teen penetration is not higher. The value proposition of Twitter to the majority of teens is the issue.

No doubt, this is why most teens describe Twitter as "not for me", and also why most teens who are not on Twitter cite the generic reason why as "Because it's lame." Twitter doesn't help most of them do anything new, so to them, it is lame. Of course, for those teens who are celebrity hounds or compulsive news followers, or those looking for an audience for their status updates, Twitter is invaluable.

But now we have come full circle. Most teens don't use Twitter because it doesn't enable them to do anything they can't already do elsewhere, which is the same reason most adults don't use Twitter. It has nothing to do with any teen-specific concerns like texting plans or safety. It comes down to something more simple: delivering value beyond Facebook and MySpace ? a competitive moat that Facebook is bridging one move at a time, from the Everyone button to the acquisition of FriendFeed to the centrality of the stream itself.

The question of "Why Don't Teens Use Twitter?" is the question of "Why Doesn't Everyone Use Twitter?" The answer, it would seem, is both obvious and heretical ? maybe Twitter isn't for everyone.

Additional Teens & Twitter Survey Results:

Disclaimer: Here is some more info on the panel of teens we surveyed. We don't claim the 10,000+ survey results represent the definitive survey of teens in the US. We do, however, claim that our users look very much like the users of other social networks and that our audience overlaps significantly with MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter, and that the insights of myYearbook teens may be useful to this analysis.

Secrets of the King of Tween

2009-08-31T17:38:00.003-04:00

iCarly Creator, Dan Schneider (second from left).

By MICHAEL CAVNA, Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune

Fortunately, the show's creator, Dan Schneider, is a one-man comic spark. He barks out the order: Bring in the flash paper that will be placed inside one of the young actor's smoothie-shop cups. The scene starts again, the smoke effect goes off -- pop! -- without anyone getting singed, and hilarity ensues.

Meanwhile, the career of the man behind it all remains relentlessly, well, on fire.

Schneider, a former teen actor (TV's "Head of the Class"), is arguably the most successful tween-show creator/producer of his generation: He has shepherded seven straight hits, helping to launch the careers of such young actors as Amanda Bynes, Jamie Lynn Spears, Drake Bell and Josh Peck, and now Cosgrove. His latest Nickelodeon project, "Victorious," is a "Fame"-esque comedy that stars Victoria Justice.

What's his secret? Here are seven Ingredients for Success we came up with after cornering the creator, his stars and his colleagues:

It's acting, not 'drama.' As a veteran of some unpleasant sets while a young actor, Schneider has a rule: "There's no drama on set, even if the show is a drama." Jerry Trainor, the physically gifted actor (think a 30ish Jim Carrey) who plays Carly's elder brother/quasi-guardian, concurs. "It's so much fun on the set," he says.

Don't talk down to the kids. Even interacting with tweens on the set, Schneider has a knack for talking to them, not at them. "He knows what kids like," Cosgrove says. "It's really difficult -- it's harder than people think: to make kids laugh but not insult them. He's really good at that."

Have an uncanny eye for talent. Schneider discovered Cosgrove when she was 8 and soon cast her in "Drake & Josh." And he cast Justice in the Emmy-nominated "Zoey 101" when she was barely a teenager, the actress says. Now, Schneider is convinced Justice is poised to be a breakout performer.

Show loyalty. "The core of Dan the person is that he is loyal, and he looks [for ways] to use people he likes," says Trainor, whom Schneider first cast in "Drake & Josh." "He's got that memory."

Embrace techno toys. "I love the Web in a big way," says Schneider, who on set looks like a grown-up video-gamer, as he types script notes on a laptop, eyes the camera angles and posts Twitpics. He first tried to give a character a Web show about a decade ago, with "The Amanda Show" -- but he was too far ahead of the curve. With "iCarly," the timing dovetailed perfectly. "He dials in to what kids already do," Trainor says.

Find that funny word. As a writer, Schneider can offer a mini-thesis on why "banana" is funnier than "apple." And if he can't find that just-right word, well, he'll make it up. For one episode, "I made up the word 'hobknocker,'" recounts Schneider, citing a coinage meaning "fool."

Work around the clock. As he embarks on his eighth straight show, Schneider does admit to one downside: He feels like "an engine that never gets a chance to relax," and says he works 100 hours a week.

Study Suggests Alcohol Ads Target Teens

2009-08-27T12:21:00.002-04:00

Source: FOX News

The beer and spirits industries either deliberately advertise to underage children despite pledges otherwise, or they are really, really lousy at matching expensive ad time with the right demographics.

This is the conclusion of a study to be published in the October issue of American Journal of Public Health, which found a striking correlation between teenage viewership and the frequency of alcohol advertising on cable television.

The study could not prove nefarious intent. Maybe, upon reading the new study, alcohol marketers will be as red-faced as their intoxicated clientele, wasting hundreds of millions of advertising dollars on an audience they don't want to reach. That is, why advertise beer and liquor on shows that teenagers watch? You might as well advertise Omaha steak in Vegetarian Times.

Or it could be, as anyone not drunk on cheap beer could ascertain, these industries are directly marketing a product to a demographic largely too irresponsible to consume it.

Coincidentally, U.S. study in 2006 found that $23 billion is spent each year on alcohol that is consumed by underage drinkers.

Frank Coleman, of the Distilled Spirits Council, said he does not agree with the study.

"The Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth’s conclusion in its recent study that teens are 'over-exposed' to alcohol advertising obscures the fact that while advertising on cable television increased from 2001-2006, federal government statistics clearly show that alcohol consumption among eighth, tenth and twelfth graders has declined over the past decade," he said in a press release. "Simply put, their claim that an increase in alcohol advertising is causing teens to drink is unsupported by scientific data."

The Wink-Wink Ban

Broadcast television long maintained a voluntary ban on advertising spirits. This lasted even after the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States in 1996 ended its 60-year voluntary policy not to air TV and radio liquor ads. But broadcast television changed its tune this year, as CBS ran an Absolute Vodka ad during the Grammys in February.

Pressure abounds as alcohol advertisement dollars remain a reliable source of revenue for television in these dark economic times. And cable television, the Wild West of advertising, sucks them up. Back in the 1990s, MTV, with its audience almost entirely under age 21, was rife with beer and liquor ads.

According to the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth, which participated in this latest study, from 2001 to 2006 alcohol advertisements increased by 176 percent and expenditures increased by 137 percent, from $157 million to $372 million. Cable is home to 95 percent of all alcohol advertisements on national television networks.

Advocacy groups have complained about ads seemingly directed at underage drinkers. At issue is the high percentage of alcohol abuse among teenagers and its relationship with violence, injury and unintended sex and pregnancy. Studies have found one-third of 12th graders report recent binge drinking.

In 2003, the beer and spirits industries strengthened voluntary guidelines, withholding ads on shows with 30 percent or more viewers under age 21. Still, that leaves lots of wiggle room.

Know Thy Market

This latest study was done by researchers at several universities and institutes, including UCLA, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins and RAND. Using advertising industry data from Nielsen Media Research, they examined more than 608,000 national cable alcohol ads from 2001 through 2006 shown to audiences with fewer than 30 percent of viewers between the ages of 12 and 20. Here are a few of the funny coincidences they found:

Each one-percentage-point increase in adolescent viewership was associated with a 7-percent increase in beer ads, a 15-percent increase in spirits ads, and a 22-percent increase in ads for alcopops, those sweet alcoholic beverages popular with teenagers and girly-drink aficionados.

For alcopops, ad incidence was strongly associated with adolescent girl viewership; each one-point increase in the percentage of female adolescent audience was associated with a 5-percent increase in alcopop ads.

Ads for wine, which isn't popular among teenagers — even the kind of wine so bad that it is advertised on television — decreased by 8 percent with each one-percentage-point increase in adolescent viewership.

Coleman said the "distilled spirits industry is committed to responsible advertising guided by its rigourous Code of Responsible Practices, with its 70 percent 21 years of age and older demographic standard and transparant public reports."

Deductive Reasoning

One could argue that Spuds MacKenzie and the Budweiser frogs were targeted not at children watching the Super Bowl ads in which they debuted but rather at the sophisticated beer connoisseur, enamored and inspired by these fictional creatures.

You'd have a tougher time arguing that alcopop commercials on "The Simple Life," nominated for Teen Choice Awards four years in a row, were placed there for no other reason than to prime teenager girls for underage drinking.

Maybe you're fine with teenage drinking. Maybe you're fine with unchecked advertising of alcohol on television. But perhaps everyone should be irked by the alcohol industry's proclamation of social responsibility with a wink of the eye.

LiveScience contributed to this report.

Press Release: Teen Recording Artist Chantel 'Chani' Christie Announced to Present at the 19th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards

2009-08-27T12:08:00.000-04:00

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Recording artist, model, actress and author, Chantel "Chani" Christie, has been announced to join the star studded line up of presenters at the 19th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards, held August 31, 2009 at 7 P.M. (PT) at the Director's Guild of America in Los Angeles, California. Chani is the author of the bestselling book "I Want to Live: A Teenagers Guide to Finding Self Love," and has just released her hit web series "Chani's Story." Already a reality television star, she is currently in talks to co-star in a new yet untitled television show about two best friends.

"I'm truly honored to have been selected to present at this year's NAACP Theatre Awards," states Chani.

Chani is currently writing her new book "A Girl has to Look Good! A Teens beauty, fashion and lifestyle Guide." Her new book will be filled with important information. Written by a teen, for teens, it's full of information and advice that today's teens want. Illustrated throughout, this beauty and lifestyle guide will feature chapters on beauty, fashion, lifestyle, self-esteem, fitness and diet. Chantel, the United States Youth Ambassador on HIV/AIDS, continues to reach her peers through her acting, music and writing.

The 19th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards is celebrating the organization's 100th Year Anniversary and will honor a full slate of honorees including Audra McDonald (Tony Award-Winner/Grammy Award-Winner) for Trailblazer Award, Tichina Arnold (CW's "Everybody Hates Chris") for the Spirit Award, Ruben Santiago-Hudson (ABC's "Castle") for Lifetime Achievement, and Sheldon Epps (Director of UPN's "Girlfriends") for the Community Service Award. This year's award show will also include musical performances by Grammy-Nominated artist, Ledisi.

About Chantel "Chani" Christie: Chani is a 16 year old United States youth ambassador for HIV/AIDS awareness, as well as the 2009 Martin Luther King Jr. Excellence in Hip-Hop Award-Winner, and star of her new hit reality web series titled "Chani's Story," an original web series about her life. The teen pop sensation has a passion to inspire and encourage youth across the world to follow their dreams.

ABOUT NAACP: Founded on February 12, 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, and monitor equal opportunity in the public and private sectors. The NAACP Beverly Hills/Hollywood Branch is committed to the promotion of theatre in Southern California and to providing a viable program for performers and supporters of this art form. For more information on the NAACP, please visit http://www.naacp.org/.

For More Information:

http://www.chantelchristie.com

Research: Are the Brains of Reckless Teens More Mature Than Those of Their Prudent Peers?

2009-08-27T12:03:00.000-04:00

By Robert Epstein and Jennifer Ong
Source: Scientific American

SENSATION SEEKING: Teens are notorious for risky behavior and poor judgment.

Thrill seeking and poor judgment go hand in hand when it comes to teenagers—an inevitable part of human development determined by properties of a growing but immature brain. Right? Not so fast. A study being published tomorrow turns that thinking upside down: The brains of teens who behave dangerously are more like adult brains than are those of their more cautious peers.

Psychologists have long believed that the brain's judgment-control systems develop more slowly than emotion-governing systems, not maturing until people are in their mid-20s. Hence, teens end up taking far more risks than adults do. Evidence supporting this idea comes from studies looking at functional and structural properties of gray matter, the important part of the brain that contains the neurons that relay brain signals.

At least two observations undermine this theory, however. First, American-style teen turmoil is absent in more than 100 cultures around the world, suggesting that such mayhem is not biologically inevitable. Second, the brain itself changes in response to experiences, raising the question of whether adolescent brain characteristics are the cause of teen tumult or rather the result of lifestyle and experiences. Because brain research is virtually always correlational in design, determining whether brain properties are causes or effects is impossible.

Now neuroscientists Gregory S. Berns, Sara Moore and Monica Capra of Emory University suggest that teen risk-taking is associated not with an immature brain but with a mature, adultlike brain—exactly the opposite of conventional wisdom.

Risk and white matter

The researchers assessed 91 teens from ages 12 to 18 in two ways: First, teens completed the Adolescent Risk-Taking Questionnaire (ARQ), designed to measure their engagement in dangerous behaviors such as drinking, smoking, taking drugs, and having unprotected sex. Subjects were also screened for actual drug use, which was predicted well by test scores. Second, a technology known as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to assess the development of white matter in the frontal cortex of teens' brains. White matter consists of myelin, a fatty substance that coats the long axons, which carry brain signals; its main function is to increase the efficiency of neural signaling. Between childhood and adolescence, it grows in volume and becomes better organized, improving our ability to think and function.

According to Berns, DTI technology takes advantage of the fact that water molecules tend to move along myelin pathways. In an immature brain, water throughout the brain diffuses in a roughly spherical, cloudlike pattern, but as the brain matures and myelin "tracts" form and grow around axons, water starts to move along those tracts in patterns that the imaging technique picks up as lines radiating throughout the brain.

If the existing theory about the teen brain is correct, then the higher the ARQ score, the less developed the white matter should be—but that is not what the Berns team discovered. "It was surprising," Berns says. "I assumed we'd find that risk-taking would be associated with an immature brain." In fact, he found the opposite—a strong positive correlation between engagement in dangerous behaviors and the increased myelination typical of mature brains. In other words, young people who engage in dangerous behaviors generally have a more adultlike brain than their conservative peers.

Against conventional wisdom

As for the conventional thinking about the teen brain, according to Berns, "after reviewing all of the neurodevelopment stuff, I couldn't really find any link between brain development and adolescent risk-taking. Nobody denies that the brain develops or that teens take risks, but how the two got intertwined is beyond me." Nevertheless, the accepted view of the teen brain is so powerful, Berns says, that his paper faced a lengthy and tumultuous review process. It appears in Wednesday's PLoS ONE.

If valid, the study has important implications for interpreting risk-taking in teens. It suggests that the brains of many teens who behave dangerously are maturing early: Reckless behavior might in fact be a sign of adultness. Some adults do risky things (speeding, drinking, having unprotected sex) quite commonly without causing great alarm. Automatically considering such behaviors to be more objectionable just because someone is young runs into what the researchers call in their paper "a conundrum of defining risk (or dangerousness) based not on the objective attributes of the activity but on the person engaging in them."

Room for skepticism

Berns also acknowledges that the new study says nothing about causation, just like the gray matter studies. "Could someone whose brain develops earlier start to engage in adult activities earlier?" That is one possibility, he says, but it is also possible that "engaging in adult activities makes the brain mature faster," he says.

Not everyone thinks the new study will overturn thinking about the teenage brain. Developmental psychologist Laurence Steinberg of Temple University says he has been aware of the Berns research for several years and that it is flawed. "There are findings from other studies that in some respects contradict these findings," Steinberg says. "For instance, it's been shown that individuals with more developed white matter tracts are less oriented toward immediate rewards and less susceptible to peer pressure”—meaning they are probably less prone to risk-taking.

Michael S. Gazzaniga of the University of California, Santa Barbara, one of the pioneers in modern neuroscience, sees the Berns study more positively. The large number of subjects makes the results hard to ignore, he says, and they need to be taken seriously. Says Gazzaniga: "So much for the much touted model that the tumultuous teenage brain is that way because it is not fully developed. Back to the drawing board again."

Nick Jonas for President in 2040?

2009-08-25T12:05:00.001-04:00

Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers answers questions from National Press Club President Donna Leinwand.

By Nikki Schwab, Washington Whispers

Pop superstar Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers hinted that he wouldn't mind spending a lot more time in Washington: "I always had this dream that I would become president one day," he said to a chorus of giggles coming from the dozens of tween girls who came to see him speak at the National Press Club today, "2040 to be exact." And who could blame him? The 16-year-old has gotten a pretty fabulous tour of Washington thus far. First, over inauguration, the Jonas Brothers were invited to play a private acoustic set at the White House for Sasha and Malia Obama and friends. Then, Nick Jonas was invited in June to testify before Congress on type 1 diabetes alongside actress Mary Tyler Moore, a longtime advocate for people with juvenile diabetes. "I was a little nervous when I spoke," he admitted. "But it was great to see that it went over well." He returned today as one of the youngest speakers ever to talk from the Press Club podium and again described what it's like to live with type 1 diabetes to the mostly young crowd. While diabetes was the main topic, he revealed other things, too, which got some shrieks of glee from the packed audience: He's single, he would date a fan, and while meeting President Obama was "an honor," he'd rather have dinner with fellow musician Elvis Costello.

EVENTS: Make A Mark Tween Empowerment Event Announces Jellypop Shoes and Plum Denim as Sponsors

2009-08-25T11:52:00.003-04:00

Motivational speaker Jennifer Curtet headlines as feature speaker
October 10 event will host workshops on skin care, the active lifestyle, and arts and crafts

PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Make A Mark, an event designed to educate and empower tween girls on healthy body image and self-esteem, announces Jellypop Shoes and Plum Denim as sponsors and Jennifer Curtet as the event’s motivational speaker. Make A Mark kicks off on October 10 in Pasadena, inviting girls between the ages of 9–14 and their mothers to participate in an afternoon of entertainment and learning.

An authority in communication and leadership, speaker and author Jennifer Curtet will inspire tweens’ hearts and minds to rise up and lead their best lives.

Sponsors:

Jellypop Shoes – A flirty fresh collection of shoes for juniors officially launching in January 2010
Plum Denim – An online clothing boutique for kids, tweens, and juniors, carrying designer and indie brands
Fleuretica – A floral design studio located in Altadena, CA
Steven Lam Photography – A Los Angeles-based lifestyle photographer
Huntington Catering Company – A Pasadena-based caterer
Triple Cord Photography – A photography team specializing in the art of photographic narratives

Activities at the event will include:

Motivational speaker Jennifer Curtet;
Workshops on health, skin care, nutrition and active lifestyles;
Arts and crafts workshops, with a floral arrangement class from Fleuretica;
A panel discussion and workshop to help mothers build positive relationships with their daughters (a significant part of the campaign emphasizes the mother’s role);
A fashion show presented by Plum Denim and Jellypop Shoes; and
An array of exhibitor booths.

“I’m excited for the support of our Los Angeles area sponsors who are helping to bring tweens and their mothers together in a fun and educational atmosphere,” said Kelley Lee Gin, Make A Mark organizer. “Our sponsors will be able to interact with the girls, sharing the latest trends with them.”

WHEN:		October 10, 2009, 10:30am–3pm

WHERE:		Pasadena Convention Center
		300 E. Green St., Pasadena, CA 91101

MORE INFO:		www.mark-it.org, info@mark-it.org, 626-893-1054

DETAILS:		Tickets are $20/person and will include small bites and beverages, swag bag, and an opportunity to win one of many raffle prizes. Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at www.mark-it.org.

		A percentage of proceeds will benefit Pajama Program and Hearts 4 Africa.

		More details to be announced as more guests are confirmed.

SPONSORS:		For those interested in becoming a sponsor, contact Kelley Lee Gin, sponsor@mark-it.org, 626.893.1054

About Make A Mark

Make A Mark is a campaign that strives to educate tween girls between the ages of 9–14 about body image, self-esteem, and inner strength. Focusing on helping mothers build positive relationships with their daughters, the campaign also encourages mothers to be more aware of their influence as role models.

Behind Make A Mark is a team of women who strive to instill positive values of self-worth in the girls of today, the women of tomorrow. Dedicated to inspire girls to believe in the power of just being themselves, Make A Mark’s purpose is to bring tween girls together in a safe and fun environment where they can begin the process of self-discovery. The campaign encourages girls to dream big and live large—to carve their own path to success, no matter where they come from and what they want to achieve.

Contacts

Make A Mark
Sheila Montemayor, 832-287-7635
Sheila@mark-it.org

MTV to Remake E4 Hit Teen Drama Skins for the US Audience

2009-08-24T19:09:00.002-04:00

Leigh Holmwood; guardian.co.uk

Viacom-owned cable network will draft in teenagers to write series that will be relocated from Bristol to Baltimore

Cast members of Skins on set in Bristol. The US remake will be set in Baltimore.
Photograph: Richard Saker

Cast members of Skins on set in Bristol. The US remake will be set in Baltimore. Photograph: Richard Saker

US cable network MTV is to create an American version of hit E4 teen drama Skins and has promised to "preserve the authenticity" of the UK version, which included graphic scenes of drug taking, drinking, swearing and casual sex.

Viacom-owned MTV landed the rights to develop the drama – which regularly pulled in more than 1 million viewers during its three series on Channel 4's digital channel E4 – "after intense competition" over two years, according to the US broadcaster.

In a bid to maintain the original production's successful model of bringing in new young writers, MTV will also draft in teenagers to write and star in the series, which will be set in Baltimore, Maryland.

The UK version, which features the exploits of a group of young people in Bristol, has already aired in the US on cable channel BBC America. A fourth series is currently in production.

MTV, previously known for its music shows, has been moving into other areas of programming for some time, with series such as The Hills. The network's schedule also includes another former Channel 4 face, T4 presenter Alexa Chung, who currently fronts MTV's It's On with Alexa Chung.

Bryan Elsley, who co-created the original British version of Skins with his son Jamie Brittain, will write and executive produce the US version, which will be made by his independent production company, Stormdog, and Company Pictures, which is owned by All3Media. Company Pictures founders and managing directors Charlie Pattinson and George Faber will also executive produce the US version.

"Skins is one of those rare shows that cuts through to its core audience with unusually authentic stories due to the unique writing and casting process that Bryan pioneered," said Liz Gateley, senior vice president of MTV series development.

"Having personally pursued the UK project for almost two years, I am beyond thrilled to bring it to MTV in the US. We intend to preserve the authenticity of the British version and are excited to collaborate with the original team to develop stories that will speak to American youth."

Pattinson added: "We are delighted to be making Skins for the US and in particular, for MTV who have embraced the show and its ambitions and unusual production process. We are looking forward to talking to teenagers across the US and making a show that reflects their lives in every aspect."

The deal was brokered by Greg Lipstone, of management agency ICM, which represents Company Pictures and All3Media.

Spas Stepping Up Pampering For Teens

2009-08-24T19:04:00.003-04:00

By Eileen Ogintz (CNN)

Ahh! Ohh!

I'm face down on a massage table looking through glass at fish swimming in the lagoon, as the Polynesian masseuse caresses me with bags of seaweed and creams made from ground pearls and deep-sea water.

Polynesian music plays softly. Waves lap the shore. Can it get any better than this? We're at the Thalasso Spa at the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort, which I'm told is the largest spa in French Polynesia, the first in the world to use water drawn from deep in the Pacific, which they tell us is extremely pure and rich in minerals. It's just an average mom-and-daughter afternoon together, or once in a lifetime, in this case.

My friend, Pam Roza, her daughter, Orlee, my daughter, Mel, and their two friends, Margaret Bylsma and Lane Washburn -- all newly minted high school grads -- have taken an afternoon off from sailing on our chartered catamaran to enjoy a little spa action, followed by a real shower. The two dads have declined our invitation to join us and are snoozing by the pool at the resort.

As if the massage isn't enough, we luxuriate in a walk-through pool that pummels our legs with jets of water. There are also treatments with deep-sea water showers, baths with deep-sea water and hydro massages, marine scrubs and mud treatments ... too bad we only have an afternoon!

Of course, my mom never took me to a spa -- I don't think she's ever been to one herself -- but I've taken my wilderness-loving daughters to spas from the Caribbean to Colorado, from Arizona to Austria from the time they were young teens, and like others their age, they are perfectly at home getting facials and massages (as long as mom's paying). It turns out they've got plenty of company.

According to the International Spa Association, 4 million teens have been to a spa. More than half of the hotel resort spas with memberships in ISA now have teen programs, and new ones that include younger children are opening all the time. An increasing number of resorts have dedicated spaces just for kids and teens -- from Scoops Kid Spas at the 10 Great Wolf Lodges around the country (choose your own sherbet scrub) to the Wild Hare Youth Spa at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort in Texas where you can create your own lip gloss.

The teen spa area at Loews Coronado Bay Resort, designed with Pottery Barn PBTeen, offers young spa goers a chance to play video games or watch DVDs while they wait for their special acne facials, sports massages or skincare lessons.

The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia, meanwhile, advertises treatments suitable for several "generations" of your family, while the Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort in Costa Rica has a family spa bungalow that a family can use for an entire day, scheduling alternating treatments with dips in the river.

"Teens we see are experienced spa-goers," said Pat Liberto, manager at the Cloister Spa at Sea Island, Georgia. "The younger children who have older spa-goer siblings want to try something too."

(You'll find junior spa programs in cities (Trump International Hotel in Chicago), at ski resorts (The Sundance Resort in Utah), in Florida (Hawks Cay Island Resort) and Hawaii (Grand Hyatt Kauai), in Williamsburg, Virginia (Kingsmill Resort and Spa), where birthday party spa camps are all the rage and even on Royal Caribbean and Carnival cruise ships.

And the Four Seasons Bora Bora, which is making a huge effort to attract the family market, is developing an entire teen program to add to their special treatments for honeymooning couples.

This pampering won't necessarily break the bank either, since many "treatments," especially for younger kids, are substantially discounted. The spa treatments at Orlando's Nick Hotel start at just $6. Solace Spa at Boyne Mountain Resort in Michigan now hosts Family Nights with mini treatments. Admission is just $5 and includes yoga, steam, sauna and mini-treatments for as little as $10.

"At the age of six, it's not often you get to be a princess for an evening and receive royal treatments," said Danielle Donovan, from Petoskey, Michigan, who took her daughter Libby. "The special mommy/daughter time made Family Spa Night one of a kind!"

"It's an affordable luxury," added Carmen Gillett, an attorney from Sarasota, Florida, who takes her 9-year-old daughter, Rosie, to Longboat Key Club and Resort where kids' treatments might include a junior escape massage (strawberry kiwi body icing?). "She loves it," Gillett says, adding, it's a great way to share an experience and have a good time yourself!

While the International Spa Association reports that spa goers are opting for fewer and shorter treatments, youth spa programs continue to flourish -- likely because of the reduced fees. For that reason, said Anne Monnier, who took her daughter Hanna to the spa at Loews Lake Las Vegas Resort, "It was well worth the price. It made her feel like royalty. And just having some special mother/daughter time (no husband or son allowed) was special in itself."

For tweens and teens, spa treatments aren't just about indulgence either; they can have a lasting impact. "The teen facial made a difference. It also helps teach a young girl about taking care of her skin and about taking pride in her appearance," said Laura Patterson, who has been taking her daughter, Sara, to the Homestead's Kid Spa for years.

Carmen Gillett jokes she didn't even know what a spa was until she was in college. "I'm giving her everything I didn't have," she laughs.

Serenity Shower, anyone?

PacSun, Zumiez Swing To 2Q Losses On Lower Sales

2009-08-21T10:08:00.002-04:00

Teen retailers Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. (PSUN) and Zumiez Inc. (ZUMZ) each swung to a fiscal second-quarter loss, as the companies reported lower same-store sales and falling margins.

PacSun's shares were down 4.8% to $3.80 in after-hours trading, as the company projected a fiscal third-quarter loss on a another steep drop in same-store sales. Zumiez's stock was flat at $12.28. Both stocks have been improving in recent months.

Both retailers have been hurt by lower traffic at shopping malls, as well as their exposure to the struggling West Coast economy, although analysts have noted some improvement in the region.

PacSun, a teen beachwear retailer, posted a loss of $14.2 million, or 22 cents a share, compared with a year-ago profit of $2.8 million, or 4 cents a share. Last month, the company revised its projection, seeing a wider loss of 22 cents to 24 cents a share.

"Clearly, we have a lot of work to do to stem our decline in sales and ultimately return to profitability," said Chief Executive Gary Schoenfeld. PacSun named Schoenfeld to the top role in June after the former CEO, Sally Frame Kasaks, stepped down. The move followed calls for her resignation from a shareholder group. She also stepped down as chairman and was replaced by Peter Starrett.

Revenue decreased 22% to $242.8 million for the quarter ended Aug. 1 as same-store sales slumped 24%. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected $239.7 million.

Gross margin slumped to 23.8% from 30.5%.

Looking ahead, PacSun sees a fiscal third-quarter per-share loss of 16 cents to 23 cents on a same-store sales decline of in the high-teens to low twenties. That outlook included an asset impairment charge of about $10 million.

Fellow retailer Zumiez reported a loss of $3.1 million, or 10 cents a share, compared with a year-ago profit of $2.7 million, or 9 cents a share. The latest results included a 3-cent charge related to a lawsuit settlement.

For the quarter ended Aug. 1, net sales fell 7.7% to $85.2 million as same-store sales declined 18.8%.

In May, Zumiez projected a loss of 14 cents to 17 cents on revenue of $78 million to $82 million, below analysts' estimates at the time. Analysts have lowered their view since then, but still see slightly better results, projecting a loss of 12 cents on revenue of $84 million.

Gross margin fell to 28.9% from 32.6%.

Looking ahead, the company projected per-share earnings of 5 cents to 7 cents a share on a same-store sales decline in the mid-to-low teen percentage range. Wall Street expected 7 cents.

"As the second quarter progressed, we experienced improved sales trends throughout the majority of our store base," said Chief Executive Rick Brooks.

The retailer of sports-related fashion has been struggling with a steep decline in same-store sales for the past year as mall traffic slumped amid the recession. Zumiez's higher-priced branded product hasn't been selling well to bargain-minded shoppers, but its effort to provide more value for the back-to-school season is bearing some fruit, according to Caris & Co. The firm noted men's apparel, which makes up a larger share of the company's total business, was the biggest driver in same-store sales, but women's apparel is still weak.

-By John Kell, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2480; john.kell@dowjones.com

EA and Claire's Team Up to Promote CHARM GIRLS CLUB Video Games for Girls

2009-08-20T12:24:00.003-04:00

LOS ANGELES, Aug 20, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) ----

The Play Label of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS) today announced a promotion with retail store chain, Claire's, to cross-promote EA's upcoming series of video games for girls: CHARM GIRLS CLUB(TM). Claire's branding will be featured in CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Fashion Mall, one of the four games in the EA series which will be released this October, and on the CHARM GIRLS CLUB Web site as part of the outreach to attract the game's target consumer: tween girls, ages 8-12, many of whom shop Claire's stores for fashion accessories, jewelry, cosmetics and more.

"We're delighted to partner with Claire's," said Steve Seabolt, Vice President of Global Brand Development for EA. "The company is smart, global, forward-thinking, and have their fingers on the pulse of the tween girl audience. It's a relationship we believe will benefit Claire's customers, who we hope will also become fans of CHARM GIRLS CLUB."

In CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Fashion Mall, players help manage a mall and take it from drab to fab tackling wacky mall mishaps along the way. In the virtual mall, players will not only find a Claire's storefront and mentions throughout the game, they will participate in mini-game challenges at the store and add Claire's-branded charms to their virtual jewelry box. The title is one of three CHARM GIRLS CLUB games available for the Nintendo DS(TM), a popular gaming system among tween girls. EA will also promote Claire's on the CHARM GIRLS CLUB Web site at www.charmgirlsclub.com.

As part of the promotion, girls will be able to play the CHARM GIRLS CLUB "Accessorize It" mini-game on the Claire's Web site www.claires.com in the Fun & Games section. The mini-game will give visitors insight into the kind of fun, fashionable and interactive gaming experiences they can expect from EA's CHARM GIRLS CLUB titles. Claire's will also promote the CHARM GIRLS CLUB games by featuring the brand on its global Web sites.

CHARM GIRLS CLUB is a new, original series of games for tween girls that are all about fun, friendship and collecting charms. In the games, girls are immersed into the exciting world of the Charm Girls where they will complete challenges that are fresh, fun and relevant to their world, collecting sparkly virtual charms along the way. EA will release four CHARM GIRLS CLUB titles in October including CHARM GIRLS CLUB Pajama Party for the Wii(TM), and three titles for the Nintendo DS: CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Fashion Mall, CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Perfect Prom and CHARM GIRLS CLUB My Fashion Show.

For more information on CHARM GIRLS CLUB, visit http://www.charmgirlsclub.com or to download artwork, visit http://info.ea.com. For more information on Claire's, visit http://www.claires.com.

About Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts Inc. (EA), headquartered in Redwood City, California, is a leading global interactive entertainment software company. Founded in 1982, the Company develops, publishes, and distributes interactive software worldwide for video game systems, personal computers, wireless devices and the Internet. Electronic Arts markets its products under four brand names: EA(TM), EA SPORTS(TM), EA Mobile (TM) and POGO(TM). In fiscal 2009, EA posted GAAP net revenue of $4.2 billion and had 31 titles that sold more than one million copies. EA's homepage and online game site is www.ea.com. More information about EA's products and full text of press releases can be found on the Internet at http://info.ea.com.

EA, EA SPORTS, EA Mobile, POGO and Charm Girls Club are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Wii and Nintendo DS are trademarks of Nintendo.

About Claire's

Claire's Stores, Inc. is a leading specialty retailer of accessories and costume jewelry for girls and young women through its two store concepts: Claire's and ICING. In total, more than 2,500 Claire's and ICING stores can be found throughout the world. For more product related information, visit the Claire's website at www.claires.com.

SOURCE: Electronic Arts Inc.

   EA
Katie Carrico, 310-754-7190
Senior Publicist
kcarrico@ea.com
Brooke Bauguess, 310-754-7312
Senior PR Manager
bbauguess@ea.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009

Boo Boo Graces Eclipse With A Built-In Tween Fan Base

2009-08-20T12:20:00.001-04:00

By Kimberly Sherman; Source: The Examiner

Digging further into the background of newly cast Boo Boo Stewart as the highly anticipated role of Seth Clearwater reveals a bubblegum star with quite an established fan base of tweens, making him a perfect presentation for the role of Seth. Without the stigma of a trademarked name, but with a bit of a following, the casting of Boo Boo as Seth sounds like a perfect fit.

Aside from random roles in a variety of flicks, the fresh-faced teen has a blossoming musical career and has modeled, most recently, for Kohl’s; his multi-faceted background mirrors that of his multi-talented Eclipse cast members.

Born Nils Allen Stewart, Jr., the 15 year old actor/ martial artist resembles a slightly younger Taylor Lautner, having been named the 2002 and 2003 Martial Arts World Champion and inducted into the 2004 Martial Arts Junior Hall of Fame.

Boo Boo’s fan base may stem from his stint as a Radio Disney T-Squad Member. About Boo Boo and the T-Squad from Disney’s site:

Boo Boo Stewart
Hometown: Shadow Hills, CA
Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Food: McDonalds
Hobbies: Karate, Dance, Singing, Guitar, Stunts, Gymnastics
Pets: Pookie
Actor: Mel Gibson
Actress: Angelina Jolie
Favorite Ice Cream: Mint and Chip
Favorite Movie: Lord of the Rings 1,2 and 3
Favorite Sport: Karate

The T Squad
The T Squad is a vocal and dance hip hop/pop- "super group" -comprised of four uniquely talented young performers that individually have mad skills in dance, electric vocals, and an unbelievable presence.

They also share a unifying desire to fight lies and expose dishonesty. Pledging to stick together through thick and thin, the T Squad has set out to show how friendship and trust are the keys to a better world and best of all, they do it all through phat beats and tight moves.

Team BooBoo has a great compilation of amateur videos and fodder, including a forum, to interest teen fans. Here’s a complete list of official Boo Boo sites for your teen to delve into:

"Twilight" Hits The Road With Fan Convention Tour

2009-08-20T12:18:00.000-04:00

By Gregg Kilday

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Tween vampire lovers could soon be descending on a city near you.

Summit Entertainment, producer of the "Twilight" movies, has partnered with Creation Entertainment to produce a series of "Twilight" fan conventions, which will take place at various North American locations over the next three years.

Beginning August 28 at the Hilton Parsippany Hotel in Parsippany, N.J., weekend conventions will be held in such cities as Chicago; Miami; Seattle; Nashville; San Francisco; Atlanta; Los Angeles; Charlotte, N.C.; Minneapolis; Phoenix; Boston; Toronto; and Portland, Ore.

The conventions will feature onstage appearances by "Twilight" celebrities, screenings of exclusive footage, panel discussions, parties, musical performances, costume and trivia competitions, auctions, autographing, merchandising and photo opportunities. "Twilight" fan sites, including www.twilightlexicon.com and www.twilightmoms.com, will take part with special presentations at stops on the convention tour.

"The Twilight Saga: New Moon," the second movie in the franchise adapted from Stephenie Meyer's best-selling books, opens theatrically in North America on November 20.

Detailed information about the conventions is available at www.twilightconvention.com.

You Think You Know Teens!? Parents Don't!

2009-08-20T11:56:00.004-04:00

Compiled by: Dr. Neil Bernstein; The Examiner

Surveys have a way of shaking our commonly held beliefs. Check out these poll results when parents and teens are asked about the same issues.

• Fifty percent of teens who attend parties say alcohol, drugs, or both are available but eighty percent of parents believe their teens attend substance free parties.

Source: National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse

• Eighty five percent of parents report talking to their teens about sex and relationships but only forty one percent of teens feel they can talk to their parents.

Source: NBC News/ People Magazine poll

• Parents consistently underestimate how much time their kids spend on social networks and how often they engage in risky behavior.

Source: Common Sense Media

MTV Films Episode of 'Teen Cribs' at Palm City Home

2009-08-20T11:43:00.000-04:00

Photo by Alex Boerner

Field producer Rebecca Rasmussen, right, talks with McKenna Knipe, center, and her friends, sitting from left, Ella Callahan, Katie Convertini and Zach Cramer, while setting up a shot in McKenna's bedroom during filming of an episode of MTV "Teen Cribs" at the Palm City home. Field coordinator Casey Pierce is on the left.

By Mike Readling, Source: TC Palm

PALM CITY, FLA - Bobby Gomez knows a good thing when he sees it. Especially when what he sees is a castle.

Gomez, a coach at Ultimate Cheer and Dance Allstars in Port St. Lucie, has coached McKenna Knipe for the past four years. After a visit to her house in Palm City, Gomez’s mind began working overtime.

“He called me up and asked if I had ever seen ‘Teen Cribs’ on MTV,” said Knipe’s mother, Laura Crawford. “He said, ‘You’ve got to watch it,’ but I went home and forgot about it.

“He called that night and told me it was on right now and that they would take our house. I told him he was crazy. I mean, we don’t have bowling alleys and stuff like that in the house.”

What Crawford, her husband, Dean, and McKenna did have, however, was an 8,500-square-foot Tudor-style castle on 3.5 acres running alongside Bessey Creek. It is a teenager’s dream come true and it fit perfectly into MTV’s plans to continue to woo that audience.

“They said what they liked about it was it was different. It was a castle and they had never shot one of those. And there was so much for the kids to do outside. They had not ever filmed anything as expansive and kid-friendly outside,” Laura Crawford said.

“All the local kids are here and they’ll come and stay for days. We pretty much run a local laundry service and Dean is a short-order cook for breakfast.”

For two days last weekend, two film crews from the music network descended upon the Crawford castle on Southwest Winding Way. They filmed the lagoon-style pool, the five-car garage, the game room and the guest house.

When the episode airs toward the end of the year it will be the first “Teen Cribs” episode to take up the entire half hour.

McKenna, an aspiring model and actress who has two films coming out, hosted the show at her home. She led an on-camera tour, pointing out the things in the house that appeal to a teenager’s eye and the things that didn’t.

Among her favorites were the refrigerator and freezer in the kitchen, which are hidden behind a faade designed as an armoire; and the game house, which is located above the garage and features a movie theater, pool table, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom.

“When I have friends come over we mostly stay in the game house,” said McKenna, who is scheduled to be in Japan from October through December for several fashion and couture shoots and, she hopes, to sign a cosmetics deal. “It’s where we spend the night. It’s like our own little house.”

While she was leading MTV cameras through the expansive house, about 45 of her friends were holed up away from the sensitive microphones, waiting for their chance to get on TV. Laura Crawford credited the “mom wranglers” who showed up to help organize the chaos for helping the day go so smoothly.

At one point — after McKenna’s entrance on a monster golf cart with mud tires — the film crew chose three friends to join in the shoot.

Ella Callahan, Zach Cramer and Katie Convertini filmed a segment in Mckenna’s room, one of three master suites.

“It was fun. But it was really weird having to see behind the scenes and how they film a show like that,” Zach said. “Other than that, having the film crew follow you around was different.

Ella said, “There was a lot of sitting around while they set up for stuff. I thought there was going to be a lot more people there. I just like this house so much. It’s so much fun.”

MTV 'TEEN CRIBS'

What it is: A 30-minute show on MTV that features houses around the nation suited to teens. Many are customized spreads with indoor treehouses, large pools, gymnasiums, golf courses, skate parks and other unusual activities.

Airs: 4-4:30 p.m. weekdays on MTV. An air date has not been set for the Crawford episode, but it is tentatively scheduled to air at the end of the year.

Other featured cribs: While most “Teen Cribs” episodes have been shot at homes owned by non-superstar families, MTV filmed “Celebrity Teen Cribs” at houses owned by Shaun White, Teddy Geiger, AJ and Aly, Bow Wow and Omarion.

THE CRAWFORDS' 'CRIB'

Built: 1986 by local optician Brian Schmidt. The Crawfords bought the house in 2006 and took two years to renovate the inside, finally moving in to the estate in October 2008.

Dimensions: About 8,500 square feet of air-conditioned living space. Renovations turned it from a seven-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath house into a three-master-suite home with two offices, a guest house and 4 1/2 bathrooms.

Highlights: Five-car air conditioned garage, lagoon-style pool with rock waterfall and hot tub, trampoline, basketball court, game house with movie theater, pool table, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom, guest house with 80-inch television, 3.5 acres frontage on Bessey Creek.

Home trivia: The house was designed to be able to host photo shoots. Ed Hayslip of Hayslip Landscaping gave the front a traditional Tudor look with manicured trees and hedges, varying degrees of green and sharp angles. The property features an Old Florida section, a tropical area with rare and unusual palm trees, and a Florida Keys-style trail through the woods that leads to a 2,000-square-foot pavilion. The grounds can be rented for weddings or other events.

Photo by Alex Boerner

The front view of the home of McKenna Knipe and her parents, Laura Knipe-Crawford and Dean W. Crawford.

Photo by Alex Boerner

Rebecca Rasmussen, field producer for MTV "Teen Cribs," talks with McKenna Knipe, daughter of Laura Knipe-Crawford and Dean W. Crawford, during taping for an episode of the show in Palm City. The premise of the show is to profile the home of a teenager that is a fun hangout for other teens. For this episode, McKenna was giving a guided tour through the home and the other features of the property.

Press Release: Teen Celebrities Love Dum Dum Pops

2009-08-20T11:06:00.000-04:00

Debby Ryan, who played "Bailey Picket" on the "Suite Life on Deck" on the Disney Channel, poses with a new Mango-flavored Dum Dum Pop. (PRNewsFoto/Spangler Candy Company)

Attending the celebrity gifting suite were over 70 actors from movies and television shows such as Suite Life on Deck, Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, iCarly, Sonny with A Chance, and many others. See our Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/dumdumpops to see more photos of celebrities enjoying Dum Dum Pops.

Spangler Candy attended the event to promote Dum Dums, especially with the teen and tween (8-12 year old) demographic. Dum Dums, including our newest flavors Mango and Tangerine, and Dum Dum branded t-shirts, plush dolls, magnets, and keychains were handed out to the celebrities as they visited the gifting suite area. The gifting suite was held outdoors in a private tent area at the landmark Sportmen's Lodge & Resort in Studio City, California.

Most companies attending were cosmetics, jewelry, handbags, apparel, or other unique items. "The response to Dum Dums was wonderful," noted Jim Knight, VP-Marketing for Spangler, "the teen celebrities had an obvious fondness for the Dum Dum brand."

Dum Dum Pops have always been popular with younger children and toddlers, and adults too. With new fun promotions, new flavors, social media sites such as Facebook & the new Flick-A-Pop iPhone application, the Dum Dum brand's popularity continues to grow and expand even more to the older tween and teen set.

Dum Dum Pops are available at most local retailers (other Spangler products available at limited retailers). If you are unable to find any Spangler product at a retailer near you, you can order from our website at www.spanglercandy.com/order.

In business since 1906, Spangler Candy's line of quality confections includes Dum Dum Pops(R), Saf-T-Pops(R), Circus Peanuts and Marshmallow Treats, Spangler(R) Candy Canes, and Valentine, Easter, Halloween & Christmas candies. Spangler also manufactures candy under the Dreamworks(R) license.

myYearbook Turns A Profit By Getting Users To Pay

2009-08-19T11:08:00.003-04:00

By Tameka Kee; Source: Paid Content

While pure-play media sites try to figure out how to offset ad sales declines by charging readers, it seems that social networks—surprisingly—are making faster progress at getting their users to pay up. The latest example is teen-friendly social net myYearbook, which says it’s now profitable because of a subscription and virtual goods-based business model that has increased revenues by 120 percent vs. a year ago.

Other networks like hi5 have begun to diversify their revenue streams with virtual goods and even downloadable games, while social game and app developers have also been making money by getting users to pay for credits and virtual goods. The biggest challenge these sites face with getting these revenue streams to scale is that the payment platforms aren’t streamlined: users need to enter a credit card for every different app or subscription, and for younger users, getting their parents’ buy-in can be a deterrent.

Companies like PlaySpan are trying to create one-size-fits-all payment platforms that work across multiple apps and networks (and accept prepaid game cards); myYearbook made it easier for its younger user base to pay for these options by partnering with mobile payment service Zong.

The social net says roughly a third of its overall revenue is user-derived. Members can buy virtual currency called Lunch Money, which can be used for virtual gifts; performance-based ads also offer up Lunch Money as an incentive for watching videos and completing surveys; and the social net also rolled out a premium membership called the VIP Club, with monthly fees that range from $7 - $20 per month.

Founded by teen siblings Catherine and Dave Cook in 2005, myYearbook has raised nearly $19 million in funding from Norwest Venture Partners, US Venture Partners and First Round Capital.

Kristen Stewart Talks Soul-Sucking Paparazzi

2009-08-19T11:04:00.000-04:00

Source: Actress Archives

It's no secret that "Twilight" star Kristen Stewart is no fan of the paparazzi, or the out-of-control scrutiny regarding whatever is or isn't happening between her and co-star Robert Pattinson. In a new interview, Stewart says the paparazzi want her soul. Is it just us, or has Kristen been spending too much time around blood-sucking vampires?

Speaking to British magazine Dazed and Confused, Kristen Stewart said, "The fact is, the paparazzi and most interviewers, they want your soul. It's so scary because your persona... and I guess I now have one, because people think of me in a certain way... is all based entirely on quick snippets of crazed moments in your life. And that is what people then base their entire opinion of me on!"

Kristen Stewart continued, "Anything you say can come and bite you in the ass. It's not even like you say things you don't mean, it's just that sometimes they come out wrong."

We do feel a little bad for Kristen because she genuinely does seem like a person who just wants to act and genuinely hates everything that comes along with her fame. She probably had no idea when she signed up to be in the "Twilight" franchise that she'd end up becoming a tween obsession - as well as the love interest of the world's biggest tween obsession. The girl really doesn't stand a chance at having any sort of private life.

Kristen Stewart also spoke about choosing roles she can relate to. Said the actress, "With 'Adventureland,' and pretty much everything else I've done, I've been lucky because they're characters I really identified with. Sometimes, I'll read something and it has something about it that makes you need to live it, and if you don't, it's like an unconsummated relationship."

We've all heard enough about "Twilight." We know Kristen Stewart knows a thing or two about unconsummated relationships on screen...her and Pattinson in real life, however? Probably not so much.

Why Miley Cyrus is Stripping Down As She Grows Up

2009-08-19T10:57:00.001-04:00

By Wendy Shalit; Source: NY Daily News

The song may have been called "Party in the USA," but when Miley Cyrus recently treated her Teen Choice Awards audience to a pole dance atop an ice cream truck, dressed in extremely short shorts, black boots and a bra-revealing tank top, the general impression was that the party was taking place in a strip joint.

Mothers of little girls cringed: Who provided the pole? And since when do Miley's backup dancers gyrate like the Pussycat Dolls?

Then there is the August issue of Elle, which features America's favorite 16-year-old in a number of contrived poses. In one, she's in black stilettos, with an exposed midriff, striking a backbend-pelvic-thrust combo. On the cover, she's in a leather push-up bustier, her cleavage revealed.

The overall impression of the girl in these pictures is perhaps the opposite from what is intended: She projects not confident sexuality but confusion. Even when reclining on her back offering up her black thigh-high boots for inspection, Miley seems to be saying not "Take me!" but, "Do I really have to do this?"

We are told in the magazine's text that Miley was under the "watchful eye of her parents" the whole time, just as she was during last year's Vanity Fair naked-bedsheet photo shoot at 15 and, no doubt, during her recent pole dance. This is all supposed to be reassuring.

Not to me. Elle editor Robbie Myers is at pains to explain, in her sanctimonious "Editor's Letter," that Miley, in "facing the camera" this way, is "offering a very clear view of herself" and "trying on a more mature persona." You see, Miley exhibited more than mere cleavage on the set that day; in going along with Elle's plans for her, she showed "genuine openness."

Ah, yes. How prudish and "closed" girls can be when they refuse to disrobe for the public. But Miley was not like that.

Elle claims its interest in Miley is not titillation, but empowerment, "watching her take the wheel." Think about this for a second. Miley is a talented singer of chart-topping songs, a multimillionaire teen mogul and actress. She has launched a fashion line and is the envy of little girls around the world. Yet we are to believe the girl simply did not "have the wheel" until a fashion magazine induced her to pose with her pelvis thrust forward.

It's not difficult to read between the lines and see that, having pledged abstinence before marriage, Miley poses a threat to conventional wisdom. Many people - indeed, whole industries - are invested in "neutralizing" that threat by getting her to take her clothes off as much as possible, as soon as possible.

But the sexuality-industrial complex doesn't have to win. So it's sad and more than a little creepy when the adults in her life - up to and including her own parents - are onboard for the virtual deflowering. (We learn from the accompanying piece that her father shows Miley photographs of guys and asks, "You don't think he's really hot?")

Ironically, it's Miley's younger fans who are acting more mature. They are screaming not for stilettos and cleavage but to hear her inspirational hit "The Climb," which encourages them to be themselves and "keep the faith."

Despite all the self-serving banter about her "taking the wheel" by disrobing, the truth is that a confident, modest Miley would be far more rebellious than a Miley who takes the usual route of pornification. The Britney Spears path out of Disney has, after all, been well-worn. The road less traveled nowadays is for a child star to grow up without stripping down. The problem is thus not really with Miley but with the rest of us - specifically, with our false notions of female empowerment.

It will certainly be interesting to see how this battle for Miley's soul plays out. Will she be able to resist the script we adults are handing her? Does she even want to?

In the meantime, she ought to keep in mind that Audrey Hepburn never needed "hooker boots" or a pole to prove her maturity. And no amount of cleavage can ever reveal a clearer view of Miley than do her work, her leadership and her beautiful personality.

Shalit is the author of "The Good Girl Revolution: Young Rebels With Self-Esteem and High Standards."

What Recession? Economic Crisis Passes Teens By: Study

2009-08-18T10:16:00.003-04:00

Jeremy Conway, 13, sells apples while dressed in period costume outside the New York Stock Exchange in New York, September 30, 2008. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

SYDNEY (Reuters) - The world may be slowly emerging out of recession, but the global financial crisis appears to have gone unnoticed to a whole swathe of people: teenagers.

In spite of rising unemployment and economic uncertainty, Australian business information analyst IBISWorld said most teenagers -- who make up just over 5 percent of Australia's recession-hit 21 million population -- see the economic crisis as something their parents, not them, have to worry about.

It found most teens live a "highly subsidized life" with their parents while earning their own money through part-time or full-time jobs, which they use to buy the latest gadgets, clothes and for entertainment.

"Unless their parents have been made redundant, lost a business or had to sell the family pad, it's little wonder the younger generation's impression of the global financial crisis is distinctly indifferent," said IBISWorld General Manager Robert Bryant, adding that nearly 80 percent of teens work part-time.

Although youths in other Westernised countries, such as the United States and Britain, are more affected by the economic crisis because their countries have been worse hit than Australia and job opportunities diminished, they still spend their money is much the same way, according to analyst Raghu Rajakumar.

Bryant said today's teens have little qualms about spending all their income, think little about saving and appear to grow up faster, coveting designer labels, the latest electronics and overseas holidays much sooner than previous generations.

The popularity of the Internet and social networking sites such as YouTube and Facebook make gadgets such as cameras, the latest mobile phones and laptops must-have items for many teenagers, regardless of gender, the research report said.

High-end fashion is also something teens are snapping up, helping the whole sector grow by nearly two percent this financial year despite the overall economic doldrums.

Entertainment options such as music downloads, the cinema, videogames and travel to exotic locations that their parents probably only thought of visiting when they were middle-aged and more financial stable are also popular with teens, the research added.

(Writing by Miral Fahmy, editing by Belinda Goldsmith)

Walmart To Launch True Jackson Tween Apparel Line

2009-08-18T10:10:00.000-04:00

Source: just-style.com

A new tween apparel and accessories line inspired by Nickelodeon's hit live-action series True Jackson VP is being launched exclusively at Walmart stores.

The 'Mad Style by True Jackson' range touches on the trends from the fashionable TV show, and every item from sneakers to dresses retails at $14 or under.

Designed by Jane Siskin, president and chief executive officer of L'Koral LLC, the apparel line features long sleeved henley T-shirts, graphic knit tees, fashion leggings, jumper dresses, tunic dresses, Mary Jane shoes and ballet flats.

"Mad Style is a fashion collection filled with classic styles with a twist that can be customized to fit any tween's style mood," Siskin says.

A microsite has also been developed where kids can log on to view images of the line, get weekly style tips and play dress-up games.

Make It Ruby Launches Today for Tween Girls

2009-08-18T10:04:00.000-04:00

PRLog (Press Release) MakeItRuby.com, a new online magazine for tween girls, launches today with fresh content of fun “how-to” projects for at home arts and crafts. Each DIY project contains three simple steps with materials easily found around the home, encouraging impressionable youth with the reusable, renewable, and repurposed movement for an eco-friendly and economical approach. Basic materials for Ruby’s creations are approximately $5 or under with some of the larger items available at most thrift stores.

At the heart of the site is its namesake personality, Ruby, an animated precocious tween girl who encourages her friends to be creative and have fun. She is the representation of the target audience of tween girls who love to learn, enjoy making something with their hands, and have a desire to exercise some creative energy. “We have found that many young girls are starved for content that is produced especially for them, similar to items found in shelter magazines and do-it-yourslef web sites,” comments Make It Ruby co-founder Joie Gharrity. “The market is untapped and we found a way to provide a safe environment for these young girls and their moms, and still make advertisers and partners happy.”

Gharrity, a former creative executive for Disney-ABC Television Group’s Stage 9 Digital Media, partnered with long-time friend John Frazier for the venture. Frazier, an art director and stylist who has worked for companies like JC Penney, Land’s End, Kellwood, and others, is the creative director for Make It Ruby. “We wanted to create a wholesome magazine full of inspiring ideas for young girls that would cost little to nothing to produce,” states Frazier. “After working with clients like JC Penney and Kellwood, we have found ways to create thrifty ideas that empower these tweens during these uncertain economic times.”

With over $40 billion in purchasing power, the children of young Baby Boomers and Gen X-ers have considerable influence in today’s market and are receiving increased attention by various companies. Their tenacious tendencies result in high use of electronics and the Internet, providing advertisers with a unique opportunity to develop their brands with this target audience. At Make It Ruby, the online magazine is rich with content with plenty of opportunities for promotional partners.

# # #

About Make It Ruby, LLC
Make It Ruby is a Los Angeles-based company created to produce quality, rich content for the ever-growing tween market through a safe and fun online experience. Its first online magazine, MakeItRuby.com focuses on fun how-to’s and do-it-yourself (DIY) projects with materials easily found at home, making for a very cost-conscience approach for families experiencing some hardships during this economic climate. The company includes a management team that represents over 60s years of expertise in creative content development, publishing, marketing, design, and entertainment.

TV Company Makes Teen Thriller For Web Viewing

2009-08-17T09:51:00.003-04:00

By Richard Wray and Katie Allen; The Guardian, UK

•Programme to encourage audience participation to develop plot

•Move follows huge budget cuts on traditional TV channels

A new British teen thriller, from the makers of BBC hits Young Dracula and Tracy Beaker, will make its debut next month online instead of on television, as its producers follow their young audience who are switching off the set and focusing their attentions on the internet.

Po5t has been created by independent production house Barking Angel, founded by Joss Agnew and Mia Jupp, who have worked extensively on children's television dramas, and digital agency Worth whose previous output includes work for the government-backed youth-oriented drugs advice network Frank.

The first of six planned eight minute episodes of Po5t will appear next month and the producers are hoping to work with its teen audience to "tweak" future episodes before they come out so they can take in viewers' suggestions of how the suspense plot should evolve. Audience participation is expected to play an even greater role in the second series.

The series is part of a new breed of dramas that are being released straight to the web rather than relying on the declining youth audience on terrestrial TV. MySpace UK and Fremantle Media, the company behind The X Factor, have recently launched Freak, a new teen soap running online for 13 weeks.

The move was fired by the success of US sensation lonelygirl15, whose posting on YouTube three years ago became a cult hit. A Lonelygirl spin-off, the UK-based Kate Modern, was quickly commissioned and ran on Bebo in 2007, attracting 35m views. Since then digital production companies have increasingly expanded the format with online documentaries and reality shows such as The Gap Year. At the end of last year, the TV establishment gave the clearest sign yet that it was fully embracing the medium, with the BBC earmarking £1.3m for online drama.

The move by production companies to put dramas on the web follows huge cuts in the commissioning budgets available to traditional TV channels. It also reflects changing viewing habits.

Ofcom's annual snapshot of the UK's media and communications landscape published earlier this month showed Britons spent an average of 225 minutes a day watching TV last year, just a minute longer than in 2003, but internet usage has ballooned to 25 minutes a day from just nine minutes in 2003. The report indicated that TV reach among younger audiences, which was already lower than average, has been falling since at least 2003 as they divide their time between more media activities such as downloading music or watching TV online.

The Po5t series which throws together a group of teenagers when their lives are put in peril, stars three actors from the Young Dracula series – Clare Thomas, Ciaran Joyce and Harry Ferrier – as well as Darragh Mortell, whose credits include Tracy Beaker, and Alice Connor, who appeared in the Heath Ledger film A Knight's Tale."The way people view online is not only more immediate but more intimate and this led us to the conclusion that an internet only release would appeal to this audience who can log on and watch the series in their own time, in their own space and either on their own or with their friends," said Worth founder John Worth.

"It hasn't come as a surprise to us that even at this stage, when PO5T is yet to launch, that a buzz has been generated about it on social networking sites," added Joss Agnew. "This reflects the way its target audience – teens and young adults – are now communicating with each other."

Zac and Vanessa to Break Tween Hearts

2009-08-17T09:50:00.000-04:00

Source: Metro

GOSSIP. We can imagine many heartbroken tweens will be crying into their “High School Musical” duvets once they get word of the latest rumor circulating on the Internet, which claims that Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron are engaged.

Britain’s News of the World reports that nudie pic-posing Hudgens gushed to the paper, “We haven’t set a date, and if we did we’d keep it secret for as long as possible. Why? What if one of us was offered a major film part? Then we’d have to postpone our marriage and people would say we’d split up. And we don’t want that.”

No, no, we don’t want that, Vanessa. We also don’t want to see you all over the tabloid covers once you marry, have kids, divorce, develop drug problems and get married again. Please, didn’t you two learn anything from Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson? Twenty is too young to get married, especially for the sake of the latest bad comedy — ahem, “Bandslam” — you’re headlining.

– Today’s Word was written by Heidi Patalano

Jodelle Ferland: Eclipse's Nameless Teen Vamp

2009-08-17T09:47:00.002-04:00

by Marc Malkin, Source: E!

Jodelle Ferland has been sworn to secrecy. She's not allowed to say much about the part she just landed in the third Twilight movie, Eclipse.

"I'm allowed to tell people that I play a vampire who has just been turned," the 14-year-old Canadian actress tells me. "In other words, I'm a newborn vampire. I'm not allowed to say the name of the character."

So if she won't say whether her character is Team Edward or Team Jacob, what's her pick in real life?

It's Team Edward all the way for Jodelle.

Keep reading to find out why...

"I just think if maybe Jacob had been introduced first then everybody would like him better," she said. "It just seems that since Edward was the first one to be with Bella, people want him to stay with her. So, you know, that's the character that you start to like first! And then Jacob comes into the picture and everybody's like, 'Oh, no! Stay with Edward.'"

Jodelle says she's "really, really excited to meet Robert Pattinson." As are her friends. "Every single person I've told has asked me if they could come to the set," she said, adding with a laugh, "I've said, 'I'll have to think about that.'"

How did Jodelle celebrate snagging a part in what's destined to be one of the most successful movie franchises ever?

"You know, I was just thinking about that yesterday," she said. "I was just thinking that I haven't done anything yet. I need to think of something. Basically, I just jumped up and down and then I went into my room and watched a movie on my mini-DVD player.

"Actually, it wasn't a movie," she continued. "I was watching The Addams Family—the old ones, not the movie."

That sounds like a suitably ghoulish celebration for what could be the start of a monster career.

Miley Cyrus, Like Other Stars Before Her, Struggles Toward Adulthood

2009-08-17T09:31:00.000-04:00

By Monica Hesse; Source: The Washington Post

Was it or wasn’t it?

For the past several days, the Internets — the mommy bloggers, the celeb stalkers, the generally righteously indignant — have been studiously debating whether Miley Cyrus’ performance at the Teen Choice Awards, which aired last week, could be described as a pole dance.

A brief recap: Midway through the actress-singer’s choreographed routine, two stagehands lugged out an ice cream cart with a pole on the top. Miley, 16, jumped on and grabbed the pole, squatted to her haunches, stood up, was wheeled across the stage while holding the pole, jumped off. Some say the pole was there for balance, some say the pole was there to corrupt your children.

Whole thing took maybe 30 seconds, so the hubbub surrounding it (if Miley was pole-dancing, are all of the pole-holding subway commuters doing it, too?) leads one to conclude something: It’s not about the pole.

It’s about how awkward it can be for teen and tween stars, especially the freshly scrubbed ones, to transition to adulthood.

The cycle has played itself out again and again: There was Britney Spears going from schoolgirl pigtails to flesh-toned bodysuit at the 2000 MTV Video Music Awards, an act that made co-host Marlon Wayans exclaim “Girl done went from ‘The Mickey Mouse Club’ to the strip club!” There was Christina Aguilera, purringly instructing listeners to “rub me the right way,” just a few years after hanging up her own mouse ears. There was Vanessa Hudgens in lingerie, causing parents everywhere to have awkward teachable moments with their pint-size High School Musical fans. And there was, yes, Miley’s first shocker: Last year’s arty/creepy Vanity Fair spread, in which the star of wholesome Hannah Montana wore nothing but a bedsheet.

For every child star who has forged a smooth path to adulthood — Jodie Foster, Brooke Shields — there’s another who has taken the Lindsay Lohan path, which leads Directly to Video.

Miley’s booty-shorted performance might have had some parents cringing, but it also might have been a survival tactic. “Seventeen magazine isn’t read by 17-year-olds, it’s read by 11-year-olds who want to be 17,” says Joal Ryan, author of Former Child Stars: The Story of America’s Least Wanted, who adds, “And 17-year-olds want to be 25.”

The conundrum: When the tweens who now worship Hannah Montana age a year or two, they won’t want to be reminded that they once worshiped Hannah Montana. Miley, just like Britney or Debbie Gibson before her, will become an embarrassing relic of her fans’ childhood. “It behooves you to have an older audience,” says Ryan, one whose tastes have already matured. Often, the child stars who thrive are the ones whose careers have paradoxically never depended on a kid audience. Nobody would say E.T. was just a kids’ movie, but Drew Barrymore seems to have done OK.

Gaining an older audience, though, can mean booty shorts. It can mean posing on the cover of not Seventeen but Glamour, as Miley recently did. It means leaving the chaste constellation of other tween idols like Taylor Swift and Ashley Tisdale, and competing against adult performers with adult sensibilities, like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga.

The smartest stars have eschewed the issue altogether by stepping away from the spotlight to finish growing up privately. Foster took an acting hiatus to go to Yale; Shields went to Princeton. Harry Potter star Emma Watson, 19, seems to be trying that tactic — just as the leering fanboys began to beg for topless pics, she announced that she’d be absconding to Brown. She’ll be a freshman here in Providence this fall.

As for Miley, she’s committed to a fourth season of Hannah Montana, and is in the middle of filming The Last Song, co-starring Greg Kinnear.

It looks like a wholesome family affair.

The Boston Globe Painless fun with an animated dentist

2009-08-17T09:06:00.002-04:00

By Joanna Weiss; Source: Boston Globe

Nick at NiteKevin Nealon voices the title character, who hits the road with his family in an RV. (Nick At Nite)

There is no shortage of dysfunctional families in life - or in television. It’s just that the TV families tend to be cartoons - figuratively or literally - which means they can do things the rest of us generally can’t: you know, consort with talking dogs, cause meltdowns at nuclear power plants, plunder with Somali pirates.

By those standards, the Martins, the animated stars of Nickelodeon’s new “Glenn Martin, D.D.S.,’’ are fairly realistic; the most out-there character is 11-year-old Courtney, a budding CEO who already has a sycophantic personal assistant. Otherwise, this is a garden-variety nuclear family: Glenn, the dentist dad, well-meaning and slightly doofy; Jackie, his wife, cynical but supportive; Conor, his teenage son, awkward and hormonal; Canine, his dog, who acts like an actual dog.

They’re gentle - or, maybe, just edgy enough - which seems to be the operating vision for Nickelodeon’s “Nick at Nite’’ prime-time block. The network is aiming for fare that tweens and parents can watch together, and “Glenn Martin, D.D.S.,’’ which premieres tonight at 8, has that aura of cheerful togetherness about it, along with the sort of aggressive laugh track that still reigns on tween sitcoms like “iCarly’’ and “Hannah Montana.’’ It was created by Disney-chief-turned-producer Michael Eisner, who once came up with the idea of “Happy Days,’’ and while it’s updated to account for the texting and gaming that today’s tweens do, it feels deliberately old-fashioned.

That extends to its look, a stop-motion animation style created by Eric Fogel, the man behind MTV’s striking and much more cutting “Celebrity Deathmatch.’’ It’s a beautiful art form; the characters look like toys brought to life, and watching them makes you want to go out and buy modeling clay. And it’s well-suited to the premise: that Glenn, mourning a lack of connection with his kids, loads the family and his dentistry practice into an RV and hits the road. (The beauty of animation is that they can roam the nation freely, at no extra cost.)

In tonight’s premiere, Glenn decides the family needs a break from video games and cellphones, so he drives the RV to Amish country. What ensues isn’t particularly kind to the Amish - though how would they know? - and is moderately amusing. There’s a plot about Courtney corrupting Amish girls with a glowing celebrity magazine, a passable joke involving the Amish version of the “Sex and the City’’ women, and a funny bit involving a camera phone wielded as a weapon.

As Glenn, Kevin Nealon is likably clumsy, with a particular knack for delivering throwaway lines. “Hey, Google Maps. You guys don’t know what you’re missing,’’ he says as he fumbles with his cellphone, and it comes across well. It’s the grade of funny this show seems to have accepted - cute, giggle-worthy, and only a smidgen dangerous. To a family that has already shared the likes of Stewie on “Family Guy,’’ it must feel like some strange vestige of the rotary-phone past.

The Today Show's Brand Savvy Tweens Featuring Matt Lauer & Martin Lindstrom

2009-08-14T13:04:00.001-04:00

FRIDAY Movies: Tween Films Still Rule Box-Office: This Weekend: Bandslam vs. Time Traveler's Wife?

2009-08-14T13:00:00.000-04:00

New this week:

- "Bandslam": A new kid in town assembles a fledgling rock band to compete in a big battle of the bands. With Alyson Michalka, Vanessa Hudgens, Gaelan Connell, Scott Porter, Lisa Kudrow. GF, EGF. One hour, 51 minutes. (PG)

Returning this week:

- "Aliens in the Attic": A group of kids must save their vacation homes from invading aliens. EGF. One hour, 26 minutes. (PG)

- "G-Force 3D": A squad of guinea pigs must stop a diabolical billionaire from taking over the world. 2D version also showing. GF, EGF. One hour, 30 minutes. (PG)

- "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince": Harry begins his sixth year at Hogwarts and discovers a book leading to more about Voldemort's past. GF, EGF. (PG)

PayPal Focuses on Teen Buying With A New Student Account

2009-08-14T12:16:00.001-04:00

From Internet Retailer

PayPal, the third-party only payment service from eBay Inc., has launched a Student Account service that lets parents establish a separate PayPal account for their teenage children and set limits on their spending.

The new account system is designed to let parents use their mobile phones to check account balances and transfers funds to a student account on either a single or recurring basis. Parents can establish up to four sub-accounts for their teens and receive cell phone alerts whenever a specified maximum balance is reached.

And, of course, teens can check their student account balance and send a text message from the account asking Mom and Dad for more money.

"As a parent I understand the challenge and stress of raising kids that are financially responsible," says Don Fotsch, PayPal vice president of customer experience and design and parent of six, ranging in age from 8 to 19. "With the Student Account, I know I can give my kids a level of financial independence while remaining on top of my kids` spending."

"Twilight" actress Ashley Greene Gets Involved With DoSomething.org

2009-08-13T12:05:00.003-04:00

By Linda St.Cyr; Source: The Examiner

Actress Ashley Green won the Teen Choice Award for "Fresh Face Female" for her role as Alice Cullen in the "Twilight" sagas. "Twilight" and Greene fans should be pleased to learn that she is getting ready to launch a new cause-campaign with DoSomething.org.

Earlier this weekend, before the Teen Choice Awards, Greene attended DoSomething.org's "Power of Youth" event to celebrate the achievements of LA's best young leaders. Greene seems to be following in the footsteps of fellow actresses Kristen Bell and Rachel Bilson who also support DoSomething.org.

Details of Greene's new cause-campaign lauch are being kept under wraps at the moment. Greene did have some comments to make about DoSomething.org, "I think it's important to let young people and teens know that they should help other people now rather than later. DoSomething.org is a brilliant site. It's really easy and let's teens know all the little things they can do to help out. I'm so excited to be working with an organization that calls so many young people to action."

DoSomething.org's motto is "Powering Offline Action. Using the power of online to get teens to do good stuff offline." The website is an interactive place set up with a list of causes that can be clicked on and where teens can learn how to Do Something about them. Causes range from going green to battling HIV/AIDS and learning about Disaster Response and Relief.

Ashley Greene has been involved with other charitable organizations including DonateMyDress.org where she is the celebrity spokeswoman. DonateMyDress.org is a national program that sets up local dress drives across the nation where girls can donate prom dresses or recieve a prom dress free of charge to help them have a prom night to remember.

DoSomething.org has been featured as a Jeopardy! question recently in the "Good Stuff" category during the Teen Tournament and other celebrities have been proud to say that they support DoSomething. "American Idol" winner Jordan Sparks, Quarterback Peyton Manning, Singer Usher, Rock Group Fallout Boy, Actress Kristen Bell and many others support DoSomething.org. It's not a surprise that "Twilight" actress Ashley Greene would want to show her support for this incredible charity program.

We can all look forward to seeing the launch of Ashley Greene's cause-campaign with DoSomething.org.

Sources:

DoSomething.org

DonateMyDress.org

New Ford Safety Features Rein In Teen Drivers

2009-08-13T11:12:00.000-04:00

By Dan Sorenson; Arizona Daily Star

MyKey, left, a standard feature on all 2010 Taurus models, is a new safety device aimed at parents of teen drivers.

Safety doesn't make most car buyers' hearts race, but Ford is hoping a new safety feature aimed at parents of teen drivers will help drive sales of the 2010 Taurus.

MyKey, a standard feature on all 2010 Taurus models, lets parents turn on a feature that limits the car's top speed to 80 mph.

It also prevents a driver using the special MyKey from turning off the car's traction control. There's also an "insistent" seat belt reminder that has a nagging tone and mutes the radio; a low-fuel warning that comes on when the fuel level drops to 75 miles range instead of the standard 50 miles. It can also limit radio volume to 44 percent of maximum.

While those individual features, including so-called "smart keys," aren't entirely new, Ford appears to be the first to put them in a package aimed at parents.

MyKey is already available on the Ford Focus and will be available on much of the rest of the line soon, said Robert Parker, a Ford corporate product spokesman.

Parker said Ford's market research showed 67 percent of teens polled said they didn't like the MyKey features, but 64 percent said they would be "more accepting" if they resulted in greater driving privileges.

"I do think it's a good safety feature, but I think it's pretty invasive as well because I like to listen to my music really loud," said Stefan Cain, a senior at Tucson High School.

He said he's been driving about a year and a half and hasn't had any accidents.

"I don't speed. But I just think that's kind of invasive; it seems like something could go wrong with that (speed limiter) and screw up," Cain said.

But parent Lynda Gunn said the speed-limiting feature is attractive to her.

"I think it would be great. Anything to help the kids be safer. I like the idea of limiting them to 80 mph. But it would be nice, I don't know how you could do this," but said she'd like a feature that would stop a driver from "taking a curve to fast, taking a turn too quickly."

But she has a free idea borrowed from other parents that she may use when her son, Andrew, about to turn 16, starts to drive. "A lot of the families I know that have teens that drive already have their kids lock their cell phones in the trunk so that they can't get to them," Gunn said.

Her husband, Sven Gunn, wasn't quite as eager about the entire package. But he also had an idea on a further enhancement.

"Well, I think the speed thing would probably be a good feature. I don't know about the stereo. I don't know that that's critical. But the speed is more of a safety feature.

"I think it would be a good idea (to have) these breathalyzer things, if they had been drinking" they couldn't start the car.

Son Andrew Gunn, the soon-to-be-driver, said his parents have already given him another condition of driving, "Certain people I'm not allowed to drive with," the Catalina Foothills High School sophomore said.

Better ways to save lives

Local driving instructor Scott Cavell, said MyKey is a good feature, but he thinks there are better ways to save teens' — and others' — lives. He thinks forcing student drivers to put in more hours behind the wheel with an instructor, making it tougher to get a license, would be the best move.

Cavell is a retired school teacher with a drivers ed certification who owns Sonoran Driving School Inc. of Tucson.

"You can put rev limiters and all sorts of aftermarket things on a car, but most people aren't going to do it. So it's a good idea," Cavell said of the MyKey speed-limiting feature.

"I'll bet as an option it sells like hot cakes," said Cavell.

He said it would be better if it was programmable, so the top speed could be adjusted by the parent. But he said speed isn't his biggest concern.

"I hate speed cameras but I love red-light cameras. That should tell you something about me. Personally I wouldn't let 16-year-olds drive. You can get a license very easily in Arizona. But teenagers aren't the most dangerous group, it's impaired drivers," Cavell said.

Other safety features

The new Taurus is carrying a lot of Ford's hopes and the company is spreading the bet by including performance, fuel economy and luxury, as well as the safety feature.

But the MyKey feature is what Ford's marketing people have been leading with as the new Taurus is being rolled out around the country. Ford's public-relations team came to town with a pair of 2010 Taurus sedans for a presentation at Jim Click Ford Wednesday.

Ford's Parker said the Taurus is a completely new car, "there's not a piece of sheet metal carried over" from the previous version of the sedan.

MyKey isn't the only safety feature, though others — including radar-assisted adaptive cruise control and some other accident avoidance features — are optional or part of better equipped Taurus models and other cars in the Ford-Lincoln-Mercury family.

Although a feature blocking cell phone use altogether would probably please parents most, the new Taurus does have one safety-related option moving in that direction. It has an optional device that reads incoming text messages on the driver's cell phone.

Contact reporter Dan Sorenson at 573-4185 or dsorenson@azstarnet.com

Handbag Line Aims For Tween Customers

2009-08-13T10:32:00.003-04:00

By Keiko Morris keiko.morris@newsday.com Source: Newsday

Photo credit: Photo by Pablo Corradi for Newsday | Entrepreneur Daisy Cook, 29, of Atlantic Beach, NY, has launched a new 'tween brand which includes a line of handbags and backpacks aimed at young girls returning to school in a month.

Daisy Cook's line of handbags and backpacks is all about inciting rebellion among the tween girl populace -- well, the sort of rebellion she figures parents will support.

"The whole brand is centered around rebelling against the bimbocracy," said Cook, 29, a fashion designer and entrepreneur based in Atlantic Beach. "We live in a culture, unfortunately, that is so driven by sexualized images [with which] girls very young are trying to identify themselves."

Rebelle Friendship Bags, with its interactive Web site, is Cook's antidote. Cook's line of bags is designed to be split into two bags and shared, collected or traded. (Click here to see the girls and bags interact.)

The concept behind them is to teach sharing and to appeal to the dominant tween play pattern, which, for girls ages 8 to 12, is forming friendship circles, she said.

"There is just a sort of void in the market for wholesome products," she said.

The power of friendships is continued on the Web site, where a multiethnic cast of characters aspires to become Olympians and fashion designers and talks about crushes, sports and civic interests like recycling.

Despite a November launch in a tumultuous economy, the Rebelle brand has notched a number of successes.

Cook debuted the Rebelle Friendship Bags with a launch party at FAO Schwarz.

The line, which includes handbags and backpacks, is being carried by local stores like certain Matty's Toy Stop locations and Beverly Frills in Port Jefferson, and will be featured on the shopping channel QVC in October.

Department stores such as Nordstrom, Dillards and Von Maur, which have locations in the Midwest, also have ordered the Rebelle line for the upcoming holiday season, Cook said. And she is in talks about licensing the Rebelle characters.

Still, bringing a product to market has not been without its hurdles and lessons learned. Cook -- whose background includes working in sales for Norma Kamali and a baby product company -- had to find a factory that could produce her product line within her price points (the retail price for handbags ranges between $35 and $50, $70 for backpacks) without compromising its quality, detail and aesthetics.

Add to that the myriad new government regulations for children's products and testing procedures required.

"You have to be your own quality control, and if that means sending third-party inspectors at the beginning, middle and end of the production," Cook said, ". . . it will save you in the end."

Fashion Playtes Sews Up $1.5M In First VC Funding

2009-08-13T10:03:00.000-04:00

By Rodney H. Brown Source: Mass High Tech

Custom clothing design website maker Fashion Playtes Inc. reports it has closed on $1.5 million in a Series A financing led by New Atlantic Ventures and LaunchCapital, with a number of angel investors also participating in the round. The company, which runs www.fashionplaytes.com, landed the first cash in the financing in March, according to federal documents.

Officials at Salem-based Fashion Playtes say that the first round funds will be used to help the company expand its product line and customization options, further develop the social networking aspect of its website community and grow its customer base.

“We really want to make it more of a community so girls can share and collaborate,” said founder and CEO Sarah McIlroy. “We want to have a gallery — which we are working on right now — where girls can upload the clothing.”

New Atlantic‘s Scott Johnson and Bill McCullen of LaunchCapital have joined the Fashion Playtes board of directors.

On the Fashion Playtes website, users can design their own clothing items, then purchase their own designs. The social media aspect of the site comes in to play as users can collaborate on designs and share them, and Fashion Playtes will eventually incorporating game elements, officials say.

McIlroy said that Fashion Playtes has a number of partnerships in development to help it reach the target audience of online tween girls, but she declined to name any partners.

New Atlantic‘s Johnson said in a statement that the tween clothing market is valued at $11 billion per year. Fashion Playtes has recently moved into a closed beta period and plans to open up the beta in the fall. “We envision more of a hard launch in probably Q1 of 2010,” McIlroy said.

Decoding Teen Text Lingo

2009-08-12T11:09:00.005-04:00

Yahoo! Editor Tells What Text Message Abbreviations Mean, on "The Early Show"

(CBS) Keeping up with the ever-changing world of technology can prove challenging. That includes parents learning and deciphering a language full of abbreviations and symbols used by teens in text messaging.

But now, there's help. Heather Cabot, Web life editor for Yahoo!, appeared on "The Early Show" Tuesday with some insight into the world of teen texting.

Not sure what those super-short abbreviations mean? Cabot explained they're a unique shorthand for common expressions. She said "LOL," which "Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith thought meant "lot of love," actually means "laugh out loud." However, Cabot told Smith not to feel badly, because lots of people don't know what the expression means -- she said it's the second most-searched messaging term on Yahoo!.

The next abbreviation Cabot brought up was "ROFL," which means "rolling on the floor laughing."

Know what "TTYL" means?

"Talk to you later," Cabot said, is good for anyone to know.

Other abbreviations, Cabot noted, are based on the numbers of letters in the words, such as "143," which means "I love you."

And "BCNU" means "be seeing you."

However, there are some abbreviations meant to keep parents out of the loop.

Ever heard of "KPC"?

It means "keep parents clueless."

But if you don't know the lingo, Cabot says, that's OK: "The thing is this language is evolving so quickly that people are adding new words to the lexicon every day. You shouldn't feel badly if you don't know them."

Still, Cabot pointed out it's important for parents to know about these abbreviations because it's a great way to communicate with their children. She cited a recent AT&T study that found 82 percent of teens prefer to text with their parents to keep them up-to-date.

"It's their favorite form of communication. It's so easy and quick and convenient," Cabot said. "It doesn't feel invasive."

Cabot told CBS News that, if you haven't figured out how to text and Instant Message yet, maybe now is a good time to start. Kids, she said, often have active social lives, and it's how they communicate with friends.

She said, "If you've got kids headed off to college, it's a great way to just drop a quick line to say hello."

Disney Channel Ranks as Friday’s No. 1 TV Network in Target Kids

2009-08-12T10:38:00.001-04:00

via Disney Press Release:

Quick Take for Friday, August 7, 2009 – National Live + Same Day Ratings

Boasting All New Episodes of Hit Series “Wizards of Waverly Place,”
“The Suite Life on Deck” and “Phineas and Ferb,” Disney Channel
Ranks as Friday’s No. 1 TV Network in Target Kids

Owning 3 of Friday’s Top 4 Cable Telecasts, Disney Channel is
TV’s No. 1 Network from 8:00 – 9:30 P.M. in Total Viewers,
and Friday’s No. 1 Cable Network Overall

“Wizard of Waverly Place” and “The Suite Life on Deck” Are TVs Top 2 Shows in Target Kids, with the Net Home to Friday’s Top 10, and 19 of the Top 20

Growing its Audience for the 5th Straight Week and Posting Series Highs in Viewers and Kids 6-11, “Phineas and Ferb” is Friday’s No. 1 Animated TV Show

Friday, August 7, 2009

Featuring all-new episodes of “Wizards of Waverly Place,” “The Suite Life on Deck” and “Phineas and Ferb” from 8:00 – 9:30 p.m., Disney Channel ranked as TV’s No. 1 network in the time period in Total Viewers (4.7 million), Kids 6-11 (2.1 million/8.7 rating) and Tweens 9-14 (1.8 million/7.5 rating). In fact, Friday’s win marked Disney Channel’s 4th straight week as cable’s No. 1 network in Total Viewers in the time period, and 2nd time in 4 weeks the net clinched TV’s No. 1 spot.

On a Total Day basis, boasting TV’s Top 10 TV telecasts in key kids, and 19 of the Top 20 overall, Disney Channel qualified as TV’s No. 1 network in Kids 6-11 (932,000/3.8 rating) and Tweens 9-14 (779,000/3.2 rating). In Total Viewers (2.2 million), home to 3 of Friday’s Top 4 telecasts, Disney Channel was cable’s No. 1 network for the entire day.

“Wizard of Waverly Place” (8:00 – 8:30 p.m.)

Friday’s part 3 of “Wizards of Waverly Place’s” 4-episode saga “Wizards & Vampires” was TV’s No. 1 telecast in Tweens 9-14 (2.1 million/8.5 rating) and No. 2 in Kids 6-11 (2.1 million/8.7 rating). In Total Viewers, Friday’s outing stood as cable’s No. 2 telecast, falling just shy of USA’s highly promoted final season premiere of “Monk” (5.0 million vs. 5.1 million).

• TV’s dominant No. 1 program at 8 o’clock, “Wizards of Waverly Place” towered over second-place CBS by nearly 1 million viewers, or by 22% (5.0 million vs. 4.1 million). In kid measures, “Wizards” held a triple-digit percent advantage over No. 2 Nickelodeon in Kids 6-11 (196% – 2.1 million vs. 709,000) and Tweens 9-14 (359% – 2.1 million vs. 376,000).

“The Suite Life on Deck” (8:30 – 9:00 p.m.)

Friday’s original “The Suite Life on Deck” was TV’s No 1 telecast on Friday in Kids 6-11 (2.3 million/9.4 rating), and No. 2 telecast in Tweens 9-14 (2.0 million/8.2 rating), marking the show’s best outing since its premiere weekend in late-September 08. In Total Viewers (4.9 million), Friday’s outing also hit best-since-premiere levels, ranking No. 3 among the day’s cable telecasts.

• At 8:30 p.m., “The Suite Life on Deck” crushed all TV competition in the half hour, ranking No. 1 in Total Viewers (4.9 million), Kids 6-11 (2.3 million/9.4 rating) and Tweens 9-14 (2.0 million/8.2 rating).

o In target kids, Disney Channel more than tripled second-place Nickelodeon in the time period in Kids 6-11 (2.3 million vs. 647,000) and delivered more than six times the number of Tween 9-14 viewers (2.0 million vs. 323,000).

• Week to week, “The Suite Life on Deck” nearly doubled its delivery in Total Viewers (4.9 million vs. 2.6 million) and Kids 6-11 (2.3 million vs. 1.2 million), and more than doubled in Tweens 9-14 (2.0 million vs. 972,000).

“Phineas and Ferb” (9:00 – 9:30 p.m.)

Friday’s No. 1 animated TV telecast in Total Viewers and target kids, “Phineas and Ferb” grew its audience for the 5th consecutive week, ranking as the series’ most-watched telecast on record in Total Viewers (4.1 million) and Kids 6-11 (2.0 million – tied series premiere), and 3rd-most-watched episode ever in Tweens 9-14 (1.4 million).

• At 9 o’clock, “Phineas and Ferb” was easily TV’s No. 1 program with kids, nearly tripling runner up Nickelodeon in Kids 6-11 (2.0 million vs. 702,000) and Tweens 9-14 (1.4 million vs. 471,000). In Total Viewers, “Phineas and Ferb” was TV’s No. 1 animated show in the half hour, and cable’s No. 2 program.

(Source: Nielsen Media Research (8/7/09, Live + Same Day U.S. Ratings).

Stores Launch Celebrity-Inspired Back-To-School Clothes In Bid To Boost Sales

2009-08-12T10:23:00.001-04:00

This photo released by Walmart shows Max Azria, left and Miley Cyrus. The two have a line of clothes available exclusively at Walmart and includes tops, pants, graphic tees, shoes and accessories, all priced less than $20.THE ASSOCIATED PRESS/Walmart

By Betsy Taylor; Source: Canadian Press

MAPLEWOOD, Mo. — Summer Johnson's back-to-school wardrobe includes shiny wet-looking leggings, a tie-dye camisole and basic tees - all part of a new collection by Miley Cyrus and designer Max Azria at Wal-Mart.

Stores are hoping a touch of star quality will inspire back-to-school shoppers - and their parents - to look beyond basics and seek out clothing lines with ties to celebrity actors and singers, from clean-cut Disney shows to the racier "Gossip Girl."

Johnson, a 22-year-old college student from suburban St. Louis, was drawn to the Cyrus collection's rock-star edge and under-$20 prices, but the star power didn't hurt.

"Celebrities are great, but I go toward a celebrity line because they're reading up on fashion, teaming up with a good designer," she said. "They know a thing or two about fashion. They're our fashion template."

And the templates abound. A "Jonas" line, inspired by the television show featuring the Jonas Brothers, mixes prep school styles with a rocker twist. A second Disney line based on the show "Wizards of Waverly Place" is being billed as a "boho chic" collection including tunic-length tops with print scarves and miniskirts that draw inspiration from the show's Alex Russo character, who happens to be played by Selena Gomez, the newly named Teen Choice red-carpet fashion icon. They're selling at J.C. Penney, Kmart, Sears, Wal-Mart and Target.

Star power alone won't sustain a successful clothing line.

"I've seen the peaks and valleys of it," said Tina Knowles, the mother of singer and actress Beyonce. Tina Knowles serves as creative director for Dereon, a clothing line that draws from her famous daughter's style. "The celebrity being attached is a plus, but the clothes have to be good quality," she said.

Customers respond to Beyonce, but they come back when they like the fit, style and value, Knowles said.

This fall, the Dereon line includes a Sasha Fierce collection with some back-to-school looks inspired by Beyonce's tougher, alter-ego character.

Not all of it screams classroom, but pieces that would make a splash at school include skinny jeans, a houndstooth-print jacket and a lightweight leather jacket that Knowles calls one of her favourites. Sasha Fierce items sell for $25 to $125, and are currently available at some specialty retailers and about 100 Macy's Inc. stores.

Another line that's new for back-to-school is "Mad Style for True Jackson," designed by Jane Siskin, perhaps best known for her work on 7 for All Mankind's famously fitting jeans. The "Mad Style" clothes at Wal-Mart draw from Nickelodeon's popular tween show, "True Jackson, VP," which stars young actress Keke Palmer, whose character lands a dream job as a vice-president at a fashion company.

"The thing that excited me was to bring fashion to a tween customer in a collection and in a way that's already styled," Siskin said. A grey V-neck dress, for instance, includes a built-in plaid shirt underneath and a black-patent belt with silver charms hanging from it for $12.

Palmer, the tween star of True Jackson, says she's thrilled about the line. "Wow, words cannot express how exciting it is to know that little girls will be wearing clothes that originated from the show, amazing!" she said by email.

Celebrity clothing lines don't capture all shoppers' interest in the same way.

With clothes selling, in some cases, for just a few dollars, industry watchers say it's safe to say a lot of celebrity lines were manufactured to catch a right-now trend and not intended to last forever.

And if people don't like a star, they're probably not going to like the clothes.

An older back-to-school shopper like Johnson says she gets interested based on a designer's reputation - she knew of Azria, for instance, from his stylish BCBG clothes. She's not a huge Cyrus fan, but assumes she'll get trendy looks at good prices when a star works with a designer and a mass retailer.

A high schooler might follow a celebrity's look in magazines and on the Internet and then shop for a similar style. And young tweens respond to a show, its storyline and its fictional characters, not so much the real-life performers.

"As long as the shows are relevant, the products are relevant," said Disney Consumer Products' vice-president for global fashion and home, Pamela Lifford. She said Hannah Montana clothes, from the popular series starring Cyrus, continue to "go strong."

And back-to-school shoppers waiting for the next big thing need only wait, oh, a couple of weeks.

Target is unveiling a line by designer Anna Sui inspired by the "Gossip Girl" television show from Sept. 13-Oct. 17 in more than 600 stores. And in October, Nordstrom will offer "Twilight: New Moon"-inspired apparel.

Like anything that's tied to what's hot at the moment, it's hard to predict the staying power of clothing lines with celebrity ties. Earlier this year, Jennifer Lopez's contemporary "Sweetface" line went on hiatus, though there was talk of a later relaunch. A phone call to "Sweetface" was not returned.

Tween Girls Win Banana Republic® “Fashion World Day” with Project Runway® Judge, August 14, 2009

2009-08-12T10:16:00.001-04:00

Everyday girls have their #1 dream come true; learning first-hand what it takes to succeed as a top global fashion designer.

NEW YORK & OLD GREENWICH, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Banana Republic® and Miss O & Friends®. Seven girls, ages 8-15 from the Maryland, DC and NJ areas will have their #1 dream come true, learning what it’s takes to be a top global designer from the head designers at Banana Republic – the company that sets the pace for how the world dresses. The winners of the Miss O & Friends fashion contest will travel to Banana Republic’s headquarters in Manhattan to learn from Creative Director/EVP, Simon Kneen, and VP, Women’s Design, Alessandra Brunialti, also a Project Runway® (guest) judge.

“These girls will learn what it’s like to be a designer in the global fashion world, versus what they might perceive it to be,” said Alessandra Brunialti, VP Women’s Design, Banana Republic. “Girls will go through the process how a collection is created, from concept to execution, then “set up” the Summer 2010 collection in a store, along with how it is merchandised.”

Juliette Brindak (20), cofounder Miss O & Friends said, “We surveyed 2,000 Tween girls who told us their #1 dream is to be a fashion designer.” Paul Brindak, Miss O & Friends CEO, said, “Helping girls realize their dreams in a healthy, cool way, helps build self-esteem. Offering girls this opportunity in women’s fashion, at a top retailer, is an amazing opportunity that could not be purchased anywhere.”

About Miss O & Friends® By Girls…For Girls

Cool and age appropriate, the company fills the void for Tween girls who have outgrown Barbie® and are not ready for Britney. As one of the top, global, “Girls Only” lifestyle and socialization brands, (per Amazon’s Alexa data), Miss O & Friends® is managed by girls for girls, ages 8-14+, reflecting what girls want, helping girls realize their dreams, while building self-esteem. The authenticity created by Miss O’s real girls and the Miss O & Friends Tween girl community, yield billions of hits, exceeding many other popular websites.

The company’s largest investor is the Procter and Gamble Company’s PGP unit and features an impressive team, including Maxine Clark, Founder and CEO of Build-A-Bear Workshop, Leonard Lodish, Vice Dean, Wharton School and Gokul Rajaram, founder of Google’s “AdSense.”

About Banana Republic®

Banana Republic is a global accessible luxury brand that delivers the best in city style. Characterized by elevated design and luxurious fabrications, the Banana Republic lifestyle collections include apparel, handbags, jewelry, fragrance, and eyewear. Banana Republic, a division of San Francisco-based Gap Inc. (NYSE: GPS), can be found at over 500 retail locations in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Japan, on BananaRepublic.com and (888) BR-STYLE. For more information, please visit gapinc.com.

Contacts

Miss O & Friends
Paul Brindak, 203-698-1804
917-710-5820 (c)
pbrindak@missoandfriends.com

Vampires Turn Gentler With Eye Toward Teen Girls

2009-08-11T10:41:00.005-04:00

By Jill Serjeant (ABC)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Girls these days can't seem to get enough of dark, mysterious strangers -- especially if they have fangs and drink blood.

The age-old vampire genre is finding a new audience among angst-ridden teenage girls with romance on their minds, and as a result, the horrific undead are changing into kinder, gentler creatures who often curb their thirst for fresh, young blood.

Dark, dashing and brooding, today's young male vampires have a special allure for young women that goes beyond the escapist, fantasy appeal that the genre enjoyed for decades, and Hollywood is rushing to take advantage of it.

"There is something about a man who lurks in the dark", said actress Nina Dobrey, who plays high school student Elena Gilbert in the September TV series "The Vampire Diaries".

The show will air on the young female-oriented CW network with the promotional line "Love Sucks."

And the CW isn't the only media company getting in on the act. HBO's "True Blood" has become a darling of TV critics, and last year's hit vampire movie "Twilight" has spawned the sequel "New Moon" in theaters this fall.

"There is the appeal of the forbidden -- of 'who's that mysterious boy in my class'," said Richelle Mead, author of the best selling young adult book series "The Vampire Academy", which has been translated into 22 languages.

"There are also plenty of teens who feel that people don't quite understand them, and here is the other who is not quite the norm. That is very attractive," Mead told Reuters.

Stephenie Meyer's young adult romance novel "Twilight" has sold some 17 million copies, and fans of shy 17-year-old Bella Swan and outsider vampire Edward Cullen helped the movie bring in $383 million at global box offices.

VEGETARIAN VAMPIRES

"Twilight" vampires call themselves vegetarian because they only drink the blood of animals, and the fanged ones on "True Blood" have managed to integrate themselves into human society by drinking a synthetic blood substitute, called Tru Blood.

"You can't have a teen girl falling in love with a total monster," said Mead, whose books feature a non-killing race of vampires that exist alongside a more evil subset.

"They had to become a little more accessible versus the vampire movies of the 20th century, when they were quite gruesome. It's a safe scary," she said.

Compared to old-school vampires, as in Bela Lugosi's classic 1931 movie "Dracula," modern bloodsuckers have complex relationships and emotional entanglements -- often sexless -- with the objects of their desires, said Elayne Rapping, professor of American studies at the University of Buffalo.

Julie Plec, executive producer of "The Vampire Diaries" which is based novels of L.J. Smith and set in a high school, said young women want to believe vampires have "epic amounts of knowledge and soul and spirituality and intelligence lurking behind those eyes."

"So in a vampire, just by definition, you are getting the bad boy with the brain," Plec told reporters recently.

But older vampire fans have not warmed to the sensitive undead currently stalking bookshelves and airwaves. "Some people get quite vicious about it. They consider they have been ruined. They see vampires as being bastardized," said Mead.

Still, all hope is not lost. Although teen girls are dying to see the "New Moon" sequel to "Twilight" in November, the 2010 movie "Priest" is a dark action flick about a vampire-slaying priest and October sees the release of thriller "Cirque du Freak:The Vampire's Assistant."

(Additional reporting by Laura Isensee; Editing by Bob )

"Bandslam" in tune with teen sensibilities

2009-08-11T10:34:00.003-04:00

By Michael Rechtshaffen

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Had Cameron Crowe and the late John Hughes collaborated on a movie populated by Disney Channel superstars, the result might have looked and sounded a lot like Todd Graff's "Bandslam." And that's meant as a compliment.

An energetic, if overlong, music-driven comedy set against the backdrop of a high school battle-of-the-bands competition, the film manages to come up with a fresh backbeat for the familiar alienated teen refrain, boosted by a talented cast and authentic soundtrack.

Although the presence of "High School Musical" sensation Vanessa Hudgens and Aly Michalka (better known as the Aly half of pop music duo Aly & AJ) might be the main draw, there's plenty to keep post-tween audiences amused, though they might not know that from the marketing. Summit Entertainment releases the film Friday (August 14).

Relative newcomer Gaelan Connell, who comes across as a younger, less-assured John Cusack or Tom Hanks, is ideally cast as Will, a socially awkward kid with an exhaustive knowledge of music whose overprotective mom (Lisa Kudrow) relocates them to New Jersey at the beginning of his junior year.

The school's obsession with a Tri-State battle of the bands is all it takes to draw Will out of his iPod-connected shell, striking up budding friendships with Hudgens' Sa5m (the 5 is silent), the moody, outcast type, and Michalka's Charlotte, the aggressive it-girl leader of a three-piece garage band that becomes a real contender under Will's tutelage.

Actor-turned-director Graff, who made his behind-the-camera debut with 2003's "Camp," instills "Bandslam" with a truthful, youthful sensibility, and the script he penned with Josh A. Cagan really seems to know its stuff where its musical influences are concerned. Despite all its YouTube/MySpace trappings, there's something very throwback '80s about the glib, guarded tone of its young characters and the world they're reluctantly inheriting.

But there's nothing that isn't assured about the performances, whether spoken or sung, and cinematographer Eric Steelberg ("Juno") provides the requisite visual liveliness. It's matched by an eclectic soundtrack that runs the gamut from Bowie (who figures prominently in the script) to Violent Femmes to Bread, with the latter's "Everything I Own" given an uptempo ska/reggae reworking circa 1987 Boy George.

Press Release: Tween Girl Summit

2009-08-11T10:28:00.005-04:00

PBTEEN, DISNEY BOOK GROUP, SEPHORA USA, INC., POPSTAR! MAGAZINE, FUNDEX GAMES, LTD., DAISY ROCK GIRL GUITARS, D’ADDARIO STRINGS, AND CHIT CHAT BEAUTY JOIN ELECTRONIC ARTS INC. (EA) AS OFFICIAL SPONSORS OF THE FIRST EVER NATIONAL TWEEN GIRL SUMMIT

National Tween Girl Summit – Where Tweens Get to Talk – to be Held at the
Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC on October 10, 2009

New York, August 11, 2009 – National Tween Girl Summit founders and the nation’s leading tween girl research firm, AK Tweens , and AllyKatzz.com, the country’s largest COPPA compliant tween girl social networking site, today announce that PBteen, Disney Book Group, Sephora USA,Inc., Popstar! Magazine, Fundex Games, Ltd., Daisy Rock Girl Guitars, D’Addario Strings, and Chit Chat Beauty have joined Electronic Arts Inc., the leading global entertainment software company, as official sponsors of the first ever National Tween Girl Summit, planned for October 10, 2009 at the historic Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, DC.

The daylong Summit will examine the minds, motivation and lives of tween girls, giving them a platform to share their thoughts and opinions on a range of subjects. Over 300 tween girls from around the country will convene with policy makers, experts, and celebrities to discuss a wide range of topics including community service, personal safety online and off, tween pressure and self-image, what’s hot and what’s not in the world of tweens and much more. Parents, politicians and marketers will have the opportunity to hear directly from the girls about what’s important to them – from their struggles with peer and parental pressure, to government policy affecting their lives, to what motivates them to buy what they buy. Just four years away from legal voting age, and members of a demographic which spends billions of dollars each year, the goal of the Tween Summit is to help these girls understand their personal and collective power and to give them a voice. The day culminates with a celebrity filled night of entertainment for those in attendance. In addition, a virtual component will allow hundreds of thousands of additional girls to join the summit online via www.AllyKatzz.com.

The following companies join Electronic Arts in leading the way to support tween girls at the National Tween Girl Summit:

· PBteen – PBteen offers a fun and innovative line of furniture, bedding, lighting and accessories, designed just for teens, by Pottery Barn.

· Disney Book Group – Disney Book Group is part of Disney Publishing Worldwide (DPW). Disney Book Group's imprints include Disney Editions, Disney•Hyperion, Disney•Jump at the Sun and Disney Press. Headquartered in White Plains, NY and Milan, Italy, Disney Publishing Worldwide publishes books and magazines in 85 languages in 75 countries, reaching more than 100 million readers each month.

· Sephora USA, Inc. – Launched in the U.S. in 1998, Sephora North America today operates more than 230 stores in the U.S. and Canada, and the world’s top beauty website, Sephora.com. Sephora is well known for its unique retail concept, which is rooted in its distinctive store design, the beauty expertise of its sales consultants and, most importantly, its unparalleled combination of over 200 classic and emerging brands across a broad range of product categories including skincare, color, fragrance, bath & body, smilecare, and haircare, as well as Sephora's own private label.

· Popstar! Magazine – Popstar! Magazine is the oldest continuously published tween- and teen-entertainment magazine in the country, filled with positive news about today's biggest stars of music, movies and TV.

· Fundex Games, Ltd. – Creators of Dream Phone, Fundex Games is a leader in manufacturing and marketing innovative games for the entire family. From worldwide best-sellers like Phase10® to the award-winning What’s in Ned’s Head?™ and games based on some of your favorite characters like hoops & yoyo and FRED, Fundex connects friends, families and fans! Based near Indianapolis and with product all over the world, Fundex is “Where Fun Comes First.”

· Daisy Rock Girl Guitars – Daisy Rock Girl Guitars makes guitars made specifically for girls and is doing whatever it takes to help girls play guitar and enjoy music.

· D’Addario Strings – D'Addario Strings is the Player's Choice for all guitar, bass and fretted instruments.

· Chit Chat Beauty – Chit Chat Beauty is an inspirational bath and beauty line created especially for young girls, with the goal of
teaching girls from a young age that True Beauty Starts On the Inside. The company’s products are made with naturally derived ingredients and are free of Parabens, Sodium Laurel Sulfate, Harmful Phthalates and Dyes.

“We are beyond thrilled to have the participation of such amazing companies at the first ever National Tween Girl Summit,” said Denise Restauri, CEO and Founder of AK Tweens and AllyKatzz.com. “By sponsoring the Summit, these companies are letting tween girls know that they are supported and that their voices are genuinely valued by some of the most exciting and forward looking companies operating today.”

More information is available on the National Tween Girl Summit as follows:

GENERAL INFORMATION: For general information, agenda and more, visit http://www.tweensummit.com/ or email tweensummit@allykatzz.com.

SPONSORS: To be a sponsor, contact Rosie Mankes 732-817-0849, or Rosie@allykatzz.com

TWEENS AND PARENTS: To register online, visit http://www.tweensummit.com/about_registration.php.

PRESS: For more information or to register to attend visit http://www.tweensummit.com/press.php.For questions, contact Wendy Simmons (wendy@vendeloo.com) or Laura Camien (laura@vendeloo.com), Vendeloo PR, 718.522.9873.

ABOUT AK TWEENS
AK Tweens is the leading consulting, research and marketing company that captures the thoughts and opinions of tweenage girls and is built around the country’s largest COPPA compliant tween girl social networking site, AllyKatzz.com. 100,000 tweenage girl members come to AllyKatzz.com to share uncensored information about what's going on in their worlds: opinions, ideas, dreams, people, places, products and trends. AK Tweens is able to translate their thoughts and opinions from “tweenage chatter” into valuable feedback for companies seeking a more meaningful and beneficial relationship with the tween girl market. AK Tweens Founder and CEO, Denise Restauri, is the country’s foremost expert on tweenage girls and is a frequent commentator on national television, newspapers, magazines and radio programs including CBS Early Show, BBC America, The Today Show, ABC, NPR, E!Online, USA TODAY, People Magazine, and many other outlets. She is also the tween girl expert on TrueSlant.com. For more information visit www.aktweens.com <http://www.aktweens.com> .

iCarly's 'iFight Shelby Marx' Special is Basic Cable's Reigning Champ with 7.9 Million Total Viewers, a New Series Best

2009-08-10T14:14:00.003-04:00

NEW YORK, Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Nickelodeon's iCarly -- basic cable's number-one kids' program among total viewers quarter to date, was the champ with total viewers, kids and tweens with its "iFight Shelby Marx" special (Aug. 8, 8 p.m. ET/PT ), which drew 7.9 million viewers (P2+) and set a series record as the most watched iCarly special with viewers (P2+). "iFight" was basic cable's number-one telecast with kids and tweens on Saturday night, and lead the competition by triple-digits, with all kids and tween demos.

iCarly "iFight Shelby Marx" ratings highlights include:

iCarly ranks as basic cable's top kids program on Saturday night with 7.9 million total viewers (P2+), up +435% in delivery over last year and +146% ahead of its closest competitor in the same time period.
With K2-11, iCarly averaged a 12.1/4.3 million K2-11, up +384% in rating over last year's time period and +157% ahead of the competition during the same time period.
Kids 6-11 ratings were especially strong, garnering a 16.4/3.5 million K6-11, up +483% in rating and was +160% ahead of the competition during the same time period.
Among Tweens, the telecast averaged a 14.2/3.1 million T9-14 -- up +788% in rating, and +178% ahead of its nearest competitor during the same time period.

In iCarly "iFight Shelby Marx," it's the battle of teen sensations when reigning online queen Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove) squares off against teen fighting champion Shelby Marx (Victoria Justice). Carly jokingly challenges the champ to a fight during an iCarly webcast which Shelby thinks would be a promotional win-win for both girls to participate in a mixed-martial arts exhibition. However, when Carly accidentally pushes Shelby's grandmother at a press conference, Shelby is ready to throw off the gloves and knock out her opponent.

Nickelodeon, now in its 30th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 99 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 15 consecutive years. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).

Source: Nielsen Media Research, Fast Ratings, Live + Same Day 8/9/09. All numbers above are based on Nickelodeon's total programming day unless otherwise noted. Nickelodeon: M-Th: 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fr: 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sat: 6 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun: 6 a.m.-9 p.m. (ET/PT).

'Twilight,' Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers rock the Teen Choice Awards

2009-08-10T10:52:00.003-04:00

by Tom O'Neil (Source: LA Times)

Giving out surf boards as trophies turned out to be appropriate at the Teen Choice Awards, where "Twilight," Miley Cyrus, Zac Efron and the Jonas Brothers rode waves of victories.

"Twilight" won 11 of its 12 Teen Choice Awards nominations, even beating Oscar champ "Slumdog Millionaire" for best drama, Robert Pattinson crushed "Slumdog" star Dev Patel, and Kristen Stewart beat Freido Pinto in the performance races. "Twilight" also claimed more offbeat categories such as best romance, liplock, rumble, villain (Cam Giganget), fresh face female (Ashley Greene) and fresh face male (Taylor Lautner).

The Teen Choice Awards were held at Universal Studios' Gibson Amphitheatre and hosted by the Jonas Brothers, who performed "Much Better" and won five surf boards, including male red-carpet icons and breakout TV show ("Jonas").

Miley Cyrus performed "Party in the U.S.A." and claimed six kudos, including best comedy TV show ("Hannah Montana"), comedy actress, music/dance movie actress, hissy fit, music single ("The Climb") and summer song ("Before the Storm"). She also presented Britney Spears with the ultimate choice awards, crowing, "I'm a big fan of hers!"

"Gossip Girl" won a series prize plus surf boards for Chace Crawford, Leighton Meester and Ed Westwick as choice drama actor, actress and villain.

Zac Efron won best music/dance actor for "High School Musical 3" and comedy movie actor and rock-star moment for "17 Again."

There were also musical performances by Black Eyed Peas, and Sean Kingston. The awards show will air on Fox at 8 p.m. Monday night.

ABC Family teen star crossing over to R&B charts

2009-08-10T08:09:00.001-04:00

By Monica Herrera Source: Billboard

R&B singer/actor Mishon has co-starred on ABC Family's "Lincoln Heights" for four seasons. But the 16-year-old was still thrown for a loop when the video for his first single, "Just a Kiss," premiered on BET's "106 & Park."

"It was amazing to see myself on the TV screen with my new joint," Mishon says. "I've been doing this music thing since I was 9; it's my first passion."

"Just a Kiss" has climbed to No. 53 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart since debuting nine weeks ago, while its video is No. 5 on the "106 & Park" top 10 countdown. The song connects with teens because its lyrics about young romance are age-appropriate without being patronizing.

Born Mishon Ratliff, the southern California native signed with the independent label Dynasty Records at age 10 and released his first two albums at 11 and 13, respectively. His third album, "The Yearbook," will be distributed in October by Interscope in partnership with Dynasty and Streamline Records, the home of Lady GaGa.

Interscope has booked Mishon to perform at high schools and teen-centric events like Disney World Grad Night and Boys & Girls Club summer camps.

Additionally, SingersRoom.com launched a contest in which fans can submit their "first kiss" stories for the chance to win a date with Mishon. Similar promotions are in the works with TeenDiariesOnline.com and MyYearbook.

Meanwhile, Mishon, who plays a singer on the show and has performed his own songs as his character, Tay, is still getting used to being famous for all of his talents. "It's funny," he says, "because I started off singing, but now people are like, 'Oh, it's that kid from "Lincoln Heights"!'"