Disney XD is premiering a new program about lab rats tonight… (well sort of! The show is about three super-human teens who grew up in a lab where they slept in vertical tubes and ate protein pellets until their “step-brother” discovers them and tries to integrate them in normal high school life. Is it just us or are kids’ TV shows getting more complex?) (NY Times, reg required)
– Although the Oscars is considered the top award show, we think Bullett Media has a point that the Grammys have become more culturally relevant (serving as a mega concert and award show whereas the Oscars didn’t even feature the Original Song performances this year! And this year the Grammys even had a better following on Twitter than the Academy Awards. Nevertheless, there were some entertaining moments during the Oscars like Angelina Jolie’s leg having a lead role and sparking an Internet sensation via legbombing memes. Yet overall, this year’s Oscars were lacking in both surprises and innovation; as our Youth Advisory Board member Amanda explains, it’s time for a change) (All Things Digital) (LA Times) (Oobly)
– Good news Potter fans! (OverDrive will distribute the Harry Potter series in eBook and audio book format in more than 18,000 schools and libraries around the world. There’s no word yet on when they’ll become available, but we think this is a great way to share the magic of Harry Potter! In other publishing news, Figment, an online reading and writing community for teens, is taking over HarperCollins’ Inkpop as of next month, merging both online writing platforms particularly popular with teens. Speaking of teen reads, we love Lucky Magazine’s fashion spread inspired by past and present YA novels from “The Babysitters Club†and “Goosebumps†to “The Hunger Games†and “Twilightâ€) (Huff Po) (GalleyCat)
- The term ‘Millennial’ says a lot about its generation (and isn’t just a reflection of the time in which individuals were born. Rather, Millennial refers to Millennium, a monumental time which is a lot like Gen Y as their abilities, size, and attitudes are also a “big dealâ€; a modern version of the “Greatest Generation.†Moreover, the mark of a new century signals hope and this is exactly what Millennials stand for — they’re an optimistic group despite the difficult times they face as they enter the working world. Nielsen however thinks they should be called Generation C for connected, but we have to disagree that this isn’t a revolutionary realization) (MediaPost) (Mashable)
– In what’s definitely an interesting marketing move to promote safe sex (Planned Parenthood is distributing condoms in college health centers with QR codes allowing students to anonymously check in and reveal where they’ve practiced safe sex. Asking students “Where Did You Wear It†is pretty personal and although they don’t publicly display the address — we’d hope not! — the check ins are mapped out by users’ general location. Reminding students to practice safe sex is important, but we’re not so sure this is the best way to get the message across…) (The Blaze)
– Although science is often considered a more male-dominated subject, a study from the Girl Scout Research Institute reaffirms (that girls like science too! In fact, nearly three-quarters of girls are interested in science, technology, engineering, and math but fully 60% say they know more about other types of careers and almost this same percentage believe there is a gender barrier for such career paths. Yet that doesn’t stop females who are passionate about the sciences since eight in 10 feel confident they are smart enough to have a career in these subjects!) (iHeartDaily)
– According to Gen Digital’s latest survey on Millennials’ favorite celebrities and athletes, Mila Kunis is at the top of the list for both males and females (with Bradley Cooper, Rachel McAdams, and Ryan Gosling also ranking as top picks. They mostly prefer stars who stay out of trouble and are good role models with Tim Tebow coming in as males’ favorite athlete. Speaking of celebrities, last night during a post-Oscars special, Jimmy Kimmel debuted a hilarious spoof trailer — which has since gone viral — for “Movie: The Movie,†a joke film merging every genre and starring dozens of A-listers. Sadly “The Movie†is not a real film, but speaking of star-studded casts, DreamWorks Animation cast Ryan Reynolds, Maya Rudolph, Paul Giamatti, Snoop Dogg and a slew of other celebs to lend their voice to the upcoming flick “Turbo†about a speed racing snail) (Gen Digital) (Hollywire) (EW)
