Please take a moment to listen to this amazing TEDx Talk by Christopher Bell, a father and an Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. He specializes in the study of popular culture, focusing on the ways in which race, class and gender intersect in different forms of media. Dr. Bell’s primary research areas are young adult culture, particularly dystopian young adult literature and comic books. He serves as the chair of the Southwest/Texas Popular Culture Association’s Harry Potter Studies division.
TED Talk
TEDx: Girls Can Be Their Own Superheroes
John Marcotte, founder of Heroic Girls, challenges the audience to look beyond what is labeled as “girly” or “feminine” to explore how such labels limit the potential of future generations.
The talk includes a clip from an earlier Heroic Girls video, Anya and Stella vs. Action Figures.
Studies and Research Cited
- Cuddy, Amy J.C., Caroline A. Wilmuth, and Dana R. Carney. “The Benefit of Power Posing Before a High-Stakes Social Evaluation.” Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 13- 027, September 2012.
- Aurora M. Sherman, Eileen L. Zurbriggen. “ ‘Boys Can Be Anything’: Effect of Barbie Play on Girls’ Career Cognitions.” Sex Roles, Volume 70, Issue 5-6, pp 195-208, March 2014
- Sweet, Elizabeth. “Toys Are More Divided by Gender Now Than They Were 50 Years Ago.” The Atlantic. 2014.
- Chase Magnett. “Ms. Marvel Tops the October Sales Charts (Because Ms. Marvel is Amazing).” Comicbook.com. Nov. 17, 2014.
- Gabe Toro. “Guardians Of The Galaxy Did Better With Women Than Any Other Marvel Movie.” CinemaBlend, August 2014