October 11, 2007

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – When it came to media from a kids-and-family perspective this year, there was good, there was bad, and there was truly ugly.

Common Sense Media, the nation's leading nonpartisan organization dedicated to giving parents the tools and information they need to make sure that they – and not the media – remain the primary influence on their kids' lives, today released its list of the 2007 Common Sense Media Award winners and losers.

"Our winners get an 'ONnie' award for bringing us great, family-friendly entertainment, and providing leadership on kids and media issues," said Common Sense Media CEO James Steyer. "Our losers get an 'OFFul' award for contributing to a 24/7 media landscape filled with anti-role models and mixed messages, ultimately making it harder for parents to raise their kids the way they want."

The complete list of award winners and losers is as follows:

2007 Common Sense Media "OFFul" Awards

Gaming the System Award

The nominees included:

• The MPAA for changing its standards behind closed doors and with no explanation so that a movie that would have gotten an R rating a decade ago gets a PG-13 rating today.
• Broadcast networks for tinkering with their own standards and practices and allowing ads for erectile dysfunction drugs and condoms during afternoon and primetime shows when kids are watching.

And the winner is:

• Rockstar Games for resubmitting Manhunt 2 to the ESRB and getting the rating reduced from "Adults Only" to "Mature," ensuring that the game will be widely accessible to teens.

OFFully Mixed Messages Award

The nominees included:

• Transformers: The beloved kids' toys were resurrected for a summer blockbuster movie, which was marketed to little kids across the country through fast food and commercials. But the movie had so much violent content and booming explosions that it was only OK for kids 12 and older.
• The Bratz: The dolls are aimed at the littlest girls but come with the physiques and attitudes of sassy teens. And then, to really confuse things, a live-action Bratz movie came to the big screen -- it was aimed at older girls, but the characters had a much cleaner image than the oversexed dolls. You need a score card to follow this toy.

And the winner is:

• Shrek: One minute, Shrek is starring in a Health and Human Services PSA encouraging kids to lead healthy lives and avoid childhood obesity. The next, he's appearing on sugary cereal boxes and fast food commercials.

The Anti-Role Model Award

The nominees included:

• The Celebutantes of Hollywood: From DUIs to rehab to jail, the exploits of Britney, Paris, Nicole, and Lindsay have made front-page news – and made it hard for parents to explain to their kids why their favorite stars keep getting in trouble. (Dishonorable mention goes to the stars' parents. Sure, the celebutantes are bad, but you can argue that a teen or 20-something caught up in the celebrity world might not be thinking clearly. So if they look for guidance, where should they turn? Lindsay Lohan's mother, Dina Lohan, was often seen out at clubs with her troubled daughter.)

And the winner is:

• Celebrity-obsessed media: We wouldn't hear about the celebutantes if it weren't for the people who document these girls' journeys through jail, rehab, and denial on every Web page and magazine cover. The 2007 OFFul Award for Anti-Role Model goes to the celebrity media – US Weekly, Star, In Touch, Perez Hilton, and TMZ – and even mainstream media that perpetuate this behavior by reveling in it and exalting it for all the world to see.

2007 Common Sense Media "ONnie" Awards

TV and Music
High School Musical: It's made history and it's broken records, but most importantly, it's made millions of kids happy.

Movies
The Pursuit of Happyness: It's hard to show hard truths. It's even harder to show them in an age-appropriate way that appeals to kids and families. Steve Tisch's movie, starring Will Smith and his son Jayden, did just that.

Books
J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter series: At a time when reading has never faced more competition for kids' time and attention, this series single-handedly reversed a worldwide trend. The Harry Potter series has enthralled a generation of kids (and their parents).

Video Games
Nintendo's Wii Sports: Nintendo truly revolutionized gaming with the introduction of Wii Sports. Kids got off the couch – and the fun, user-friendly controls meant that parents and grandparents could actually play video games with their kids.

Outstanding Media Educator
Renee Hobbs, Temple University: Hobbs has guided the development of media literacy education in the United States since the early 1990s, when she created the Harvard Institute in Media Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is undisputedly one of the nation’s leading authorities on media literacy and was a co-founder of the Alliance for a Media Literate America. She currently directs the Media Education Lab at Temple University.

Outstanding Public Leadership
Deborah Taylor Tate, FCC: As the "kids commissioner" on the FCC, Tate looks at every issue that comes before the FCC through the prism of whether or not something is good for our nation's children.