Political Media Review

After reading No Logo, you may feel that Bill Hicks was understating things a little: by the end of the first chapter you’ll be en route to the nearest McDonalds with a crate of Molotov cocktails. No Logo is a book about brands, which means it’s a book about popular culture – Golden Arches, the Nike “swoosh”, Tommy Hilfiger jackets and Starbucks coffee. It’s about the television you watch and the newspapers you read, the theme parks you visit and the films you go to see. It’s about magazines and rock music, universities and the Internet. In short, it’s a book about everyday reality – or, rather, what lies behind it.

Though you might not know it judging from the tenor of “post-feminist” discourse, young women’s positive conceptions of themselves and their futures are the result of the first- to third-wave feminist movements. Such is the blessing and curse of many a successful campaign — gains are so positive, people can take them and the organizing, fearlessness and sacrifice that got us here for granted.

Before You Enlist!: The Real Deal on Joining the Military, is an outstanding short documentary about the reality of enlisting in the U.S. military. The film starts with youth of color being interviewed in an urban setting, with hip hop music playing, and makes clear who the military is targeting to enlist.

From the Noble Peace Prize winning American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) comes It’s My Life! an outstanding resource for any middle school, high school, community center, religion center, peace organization, and even youth detention facility. As a teacher at a youth detention facility I order ten of these amazing books to use every month.