Quick Links: What I’m reading, Part 2

Another set of links for you today.

Moms in the Media:

• “What ‘Modern Family’ Says About Modern Families” (NYTimes)–Interesting cultural reading of the popular comedy TV show.
• “The Path to Oscars Passes Through Motherhood” (Time)–Interesting take on how our culture glorifies/vilifies motherhood on film.
• “And Baby Makes Reality TV” (NYTimes)–Shudder. First line: “Death is scary, but it’s not nearly as frightening as birth.”

Commodification of Parenting, Birth, and Childhood:

• “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pop” (Bitch Media)–Dadbloggers, mombloggers, mom-exclusive advertising, and the next battle of gender roles.
• “Is Pink Necessary?” (NYTimes)–Review of the Peggy Orenstein Cinderella Ate My Daughter book on gender roles, commercialism, and the princess craze (also see this 2006 article arguing some of the main ideas of the book).
• “Disney Looking into Cradle for Consumers” (NYTimes)–Horrifying, or just, hey, free stuff?

Parenting Wars:

• “Cribs vs. Beds: Parenthood’s All-Out War” (Salon)–almost a year old, but a humorous take on one part of the parenting (not just “Mommy”) wars.
• “Perspective on the Parenting Debate: Rich Parents Don’t Matter” (Salon)–Nature vs. nurture, revisited.

–Christina