America’s Next Top Model (ANTM), yet another reality television show where young woman try to become “someone” is infamous for the subversive topics they have covered throughout the years.  The show (ahem, read: Tyra Banks) prides itself on choosing diverse models to compete for the prize of a $100,000 modeling contract and a spread in Seventeen Magazine.  The show has featured individuals who’ve shared their stories of physical and sexual abuse, homelessness, female circumcision, and being gay.  All of which are very important topics to bring to light.  And now, America’s Next Top Model has announced that one of its contestants of Cycle 11 (they call the seasons “cycles” instead of seasons), is transgender.   The question is, will this woman be respected or exploited throughout this competition, and what will her appearance on the show mean for the LGBTQ community?

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Come on down!

The third week in July was a busy one for the folks over at The Price Is Right. Aside from the regular greasing of the big wheel, stocking up on tubes of Ben-Gay, covering everything in velvet and gold to retain the look and feel of the 70’s, and making sure there’s plenty of green glitter around the 5 and 15, PIR producers had their hands quite full. Having recently switched hosts, from the immortal (literally) Bob Barker to Drew Carey, maintaining the brand identity of the show is more important than ever. Let’s face it, Carey has some big shoes and a skinny little microphone to fill. Lots of fans are having a hard time adjusting to the new look and host. So, PIR producers are really pushing the brand, hard. For the first time in quite a while, PIR is shooting commercials and exploring other avenues to increase brand loyalty.

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Let’s be real. It is not at all an exaggeration to say that Asian Pacific Islanders (APIs) are not represented in the media. Though the API population makes up a large and diverse percentage of our population (look at our schools, universities, workplace), we are limited to very narrow and stereotypical representations of what an Asian American is. Though many may want to believe it, not all Asian Americans know kung fu, nor are they ninjas by night, geishas, computer geeks, perpetual foreigners, and only oriented towards academics. The colorful diversity of the API population yields a vast population with very different cultures and histories. But when we turn on our televisions, open up magazines, we are stuck with the typical fortune-cookie-mushu-pork standard.  However, a popular television show, America’s Best Dance Crew, is helping to break APIs into a new and refreshing visibility.

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"Bxtch, I'm the Boss, and I'm laughing at your blogs."  A beefy chuckle from a beefy man.  Platinum selling Miami rapper, Rick Ross claims he's "the Boss" ad nauseum.  While Ross may be splitting Miami ports at 60mph in his dimed-out speed boat these days, his tourettes-like proclimations of lifelong bosshood could be some deep-seeded overcompensation.  The Smoking Gun has recently confirmed that at age 19, Ross was Corrections Officer.  In other words: Ross has been frontin.'

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The recent uproar concerning the comment made by the irreverent Rev. Jesse Jackson towards Senator Barack Obama is not surprising nor is it as shocking as the media has portrayed... 

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 Studies have been made that prove just how manipulative and ruthless tobacco companies are.  These studies have shown that tobacco companies disproportionately target the African American population by specifically flooding them with cigarette advertisements and sponsorships in different black community spaces, such as billboards in black neighborhoods.  Because the industry promotes highly addictive tobacco products to the community, more African Americans smoke, become increasingly addicted, and develop health problems and greater illnesses than other population sectors.  The racially-specific marketing strategies employed by the tobacco industry means big money for corporate tycoons as they develop a population-based market, but it also reveals the social injustices and discrimination that is inherently a part of the industry’s marketing plan. 

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Beginning this July, tobacco advertising of any kind will be banned in the Philippines and they aren’t messing around. No commercials, radio ads, billboards, point of purchase ads, print ads….NOTHING. A 2003 study showed that over one-third of Filipino adults are smokers (34%). That same study also showed that 22 thousand Filipinos die every year from tobacco-related illnesses; that’s 2 to 3 dead Filipinos an hour.

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Oh, the inevitable backlash.  Prohibition, Disco, The Hills, and now energy drinks are all cultural bubbles that burst and incited some sass-back, from SNL parodies to torching album covers in the middle of a baseball field.  But energy drinks?  That's right. The backlash to the your Red Bull, Rockstar, Monster, Who's Your Daddy?, Crunk Juice, and on and on, has landed with heavy implications for Social Branding...

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