Childish Things
From Battleship to Barbie, how culture for young consumers shapes the identities they construct
Coming of Age With The Legend of Zelda
The franchise’s evolving complexity, its young protagonists, and its accessibility make it a particularly apt reflection of entering adulthood.
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Christy Radecic / Invision for Warner Bros. Consumer ... Imagining a Black Wonder Woman
Growing up, I was told my favorite comic-book heroine was white. And yet her struggles always seemed uniquely similar to my own.
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Fox Searchlight Bend It Like Beckham and the Art of Balancing Cultures
When the film debuted 15 years ago, it taught me that shaping a hybrid identity could be a beautiful, inventive, and at times lonely experience.
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Studio Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki and the Art of Being a Woman
The famed Japanese animator and director created heroines who defied feminine stereotypes and showed me how to be at home in my own skin.
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Scholastic / Amazon Dear America: Reading Through History
In the aftermath of 9/11, the young-adult historical fiction series showed me how people move forward after earth-shattering moments.
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PBS Ghostwriter: The Most Literary '90s Kids Show
The children’s series inspired its young audience to appreciate the mysteries and power of language.
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TriStar Pictures Labyrinth and the Dark Heart of Childhood
Jim Henson’s 1986 film understands at its core that youth is full of mystery, tricks, and danger.
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Bettmann / Getty Little House and the Art of Hiding Your Feelings
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s popular book series championed emotional restraint—an approach I’ve come to both question and appreciate in adulthood.
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Filmation She-Ra and the Fight Against the Token Girl
Decades before the outcry against the Ghostbusters remake, a 1980s kids show tried—and failed—to subvert male-centric stories.
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TriStar Pictures Why Hollywood Doesn’t Tell More Stories for—and About—Girls
It has partly to do with a dearth of women behind the scenes, changing audience tastes, and an evolving industry.
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Little, Brown Coming to Terms With Tintin
The scrappy Belgian reporter was my childhood hero. Reading his books as an adult is a little more complicated.
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Discussing the Gender Politics of Legos
Last week, Adrienne explored recent efforts by toy giant Lego to reach young girls. For example: In…
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Fabian Bimmer / Reuters How to Play Like a Girl
For toymakers like Lego, where is the line between making products children love and telling kids how they should play?
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NBC Finding My Identity Via The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The ’90s American sitcom was crucial in helping me understand blackness as a young girl of Nigerian descent growing up in Scotland.
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Barnes and Noble Frog and Toad and the Self
Arnold Lobel’s beloved books taught children to understand and appreciate their individuality.
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Robb D. Cohen / AP Chance the Rapper and the Lessons of Childhood
The uplifting Coloring Book makes profound use of Millennial nostalgia.
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Fitzgerald Publishing Company Harriet Tubman Was My Wonder Woman
The black history icons I learned about as a child were larger-than-life—and they prepared me to grapple with America’s racial past.
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Hasbro Optimus Prime and Me
As a young girl in a new country, I looked to the leader of the Autobots for lessons in fitting in.
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BBC / Anton_Ivanov / Rich Carey / Neirfy ... Every Episode of David Attenborough’s Life Series, Ranked
A long love letter to the creator of the world’s greatest nature documentaries, on the eve of his 90th birthday.
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Jeff Chiu / AP Will Toys Ever Go Beyond Blue and Pink?
Products marketed to children are more divided by gender stereotypes than ever, but the Internet is increasingly offering alternatives to Hot Wheels and Barbies.
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David W. Cerny / Reuters The Kids’ Show That Taught Me to Ask 'Why?'
The PBS-aired educational program 3-2-1 Contact was one of the best things on TV in the 1980s.
