Pretty Face Vs Pretty Voice at the Olympic Opening Ceremonies

Hey New Moon Girls!

How many of you have been watching the Olympics!? Well if you watched the Opening Ceremony you may have noticed a cute Chinese girl in a red dress singing "Ode to the Motherland."

However, did you know that the girl, Lin Miaoke (pictured on right), was actually lipsynching?

As it turns out another young girl, Yang Peyi (pictured on left), was chosen for her voice and it was the voice used for the song. However, they picked Lin Miaoke to "sing" in the ceremony because she was the prettier of the two.

The musical director of the show, Chen Qigang, said that "After several tests, we decided to put Lin Miaoke on the live picture, while using Yang Peiyi's voice." "The reason for this is that we must put our country's interest first," he added.

He also said ,"the girl appearing on the picture must be flawless in terms of her facial expression and the great feeling she can give to people."

I don't know about you girls, but I find it very upsetting that China would do something like this. The girl with the best voice should have been the one to sing in the ceremony. I don't think it's fair for Yang Peiyi to have a supposedly "prettier" girl use her voice.

In the Olympics if you're the lead gymnast, volleyball player, or runner you're still going to be shown and be recognized for your talent no matter what you look like. Shouldn't the same rules apply to these Chinese girls? What are your thoughts on this? Should China have let Yang Peiyi sing instead?

Sony's New Video Game-"Fat Princess!?"

Hey New Moon Girls!

Do any of you like video games? I know I do once in a while, but I find this new one created by Sony too be very offensive.

The game sounds intriguing enough- you and your teammates battle another team in what’s meant to be a comic medieval battle. The goal is to rescue a princess from a dungeon and bring her back safely. Each of the two teams has a princess on either side that needs rescuing. However your enemy, has been stuffing her with pastries, so she gains weight and it’s harder for your army to carry her back across the battlefield. You can do this to your enemy’s princess as well. The princess can grow to be at least twice her usual size (pictured above), and this is why the game is called “Fat Princess.”

Being overweight is unhealthy and can lead to a number of health problems. I feel like Sony is making a joke out of overeating and obesity by creating a game where the object on one side of the team is to force a girl to gain weight and be “too fat” so your opponent will lose. It’s supposed to be “comical” how enlarged the princess can become, yet I don’t think overeating or weight problems is a laughing matter.

Many feminists are upset over the game claiming it “furthers inappropriate gender stereotypes” and continues a culture of ridicule that many obese people have to endure.

James Green, the lead art director for “Fat Princess” asks “Does it make it better or worse that the concept artist (who designed the look, characters, everything) is a girl?”

I feel like it shouldn’t matter whether or not the game was created by a man or a woman, it is still an offensive game either way. Just because a woman created it doesn’t undermine the feminist critiques of it.

What do you girls think about this game? Do you find it offensive? Would you still play it?

Celebrities Defend Their Body Types!

Hey Girl Bloggers!
Did you know that so many photos you see of celebrities and models have been digitally altered by their photographers? Men are shown with larger than life muscles, and women’s breasts are enhanced by a cup or more and thighs and stomachs are trimmed down. Most of the time models and celebrities accept this as the norm and even expect it.

That’s why I found this story very inspirational.

Actress Keira Knightley star of “Atonement” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” has refused to have her breasts digitally enhanced in publicity photos for her new film “Duchess.” She claims she doesn’t need the added cleavage to feel sexy.

In previous movies like 2004’s “King Arthur,” Knightley’s A-cup breasts were enhanced into C-cup breasts, and Knightley admitted the photos had been altered. She still went along with the campaign, but this time four years later she is stepping up! Courtney Martin author of “Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters” thinks, “that's incredibly brave and could have a huge impact on young women."

Martin also claims that "Keira Knightly is essentially giving young women permission to stand up in their communities and their schools and their families and say, 'Look, this is the way I look and it is OK."

Actress Kate Winslet has also spoken out about photo alteration after she appeared on GQ looking much thinner than usual. She openly criticized the picture claiming the size of her thighs were cut down by a third.

Go Kate and Keira for stepping up and defending your bodies!

NewMoonGirls.com: Polls & Quizzes Created by You!

Hey Girls!

So the new online community for girls, NewMoonGirls.com, is coming up fast and set to launch September 1st! Right now all of us are having lots of fun adding tons of new and exciting features to the website. One of these features is going to be weekly polls and quizzes for all members to participate in.

An example of this is pictured above. So for example, we might ask you your thoughts on an issue like global warming where you can vote and then see how other girls are voting too. Or you can take a quiz about famous women in history and see how much you know!

The coolest part is that we want YOU to submit your own polls and quizzes for other girls! So whether you're interested in politics, movies, the environment, books, sports, whatever, you can invent your own quiz or poll for the site!
Just send your quiz or poll to: newmoon@newmoongirlmedia.com

After you send it in you'll see it on NewMoonGirls.com this fall! We're all looking forward to hearing your great ideas!

Girls' math scores=Boys' math scores!

Hey Girl Bloggers!
Have you ever had someone tell you that boys are better than girls at math!? Well guess what! It’s not true, and there are new studies to prove it! These studies are the largest compilation of math scores ever recorded. Researchers looked at yearly math tests required by the No Child Left Behind education law in 2002. In these tests over seven million children’s statistical test score information was reviewed by gender. These tests were collected from ten different states.
After viewing all these different scores and comparing the boys’ to the girls’, researchers found no difference in the scores of girls versus boys in elementary and high school. Twenty years ago studies showed that scores were equal in elementary school, but boys had better math scores than girls in high school.

Some researchers claim that many parents and teachers tend to think boys have better math skills, so then they are the ones who end up in professional science and technology careers. Hopefully this new study changes things and will give more opportunities to girls in these exciting jobs!

What do you think girls?! Do you like the math classes you have in high school? Do any of you want jobs someday where you need to use math skills?
Let’s here your thoughts on this exciting breakthrough!

New Moon Girl Media YouTube Channel!

Hi everyone,

This is Julia, guest blogging to share my excitement about our new New Moon Girl Media YouTube Channel! The first video posted is a trailer for our orb28 blog for teen girls, which shows New Moon girls in action--brainstorming, working together, speaking out, and making their dreams for orb28 into a reality. I am so honored and inspired to work with these girls, and it was quite nostalgic editing the footage from the retreat into this trailer! (I also really enjoy the accompanying song, "Race You Back Home," and am glad indie female songwriter, Elizabeth Ziman let us use it! Check her out with her band, Elizabeth and the Catapult.)


The New Moon Girl Media YouTube channel is also the kick-off to more multi-media-filled days at New Moon. We'd love to receive your videos on why YOU love New Moon! Why do you think New Moon is positively unique? Why is it important in your life and for girls everywhere?You can submit your video to add to the trailer excitement! And we of course welcome your written testimonials of why you value New Moon as well.Please help us spread the word about this video and our YouTube channel by rating, commenting, and sharing the trailer with family and friends. I'm excited to hear your feedback...Thanks!

Check out the video here!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFdV5ZZuoQU)?

Hey Girls!
Are any of you going on summer vacation with your families this month or next month? My family went out west when I was in junior high, and we had so much fun! We went to the Black Hills, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, and a lot more sites! The only bad part of the trip was when I got food poisoning in Wyoming! The day we got there I had eaten a chef salad at a restaurant where the meat tasted kind of funny. Right afterwards we went to Yellowstone where I started feeling dizzy and nauseous, but I thought it was just from the change in elevation. Then I ended up being sick the whole night, it was awful! Also it was right before the day we were all supposed to go on a big white water rafting trip which I had been looking forward to all summer. Since I was sick all night before, I was too exhausted to go the next morning, so my whole family went without me! I was sad, but we still had a lot of trip time left so we did many other cool things. Other than having food poisoning, it was a great family vacation! Where are the best places you girls have traveled to? Do you have any exciting trips planned for this summer!?

The MyPyramid~A Great Way to Stay Healthy!

Hey Girl Bloggers!
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I worry that I’m not eating the right foods to stay healthy. That’s why I find the MyPyramid (pictured above) to be incredibly helpful! You can go to the online interactive MyPyramid Plan to help you choose the right foods and amounts for you. You just enter your age, gender, and how often you exercise to find out what you should be doing. It helps you to make healthy choices and find a balance between food and exercise.
If you don’t already know about the MyPyramid it’s an updated version of the old U.S. Food Guide Pyramid. The different colors stand for the different food groups and how much you need from each of them. Orange stands for grains, green for vegetables, red for fruits, yellow for oils and fats, blue for dairy, and purple for meats, beans, fish, and poultry.
Also you can tell from the picture that all the colors are different widths. For example green is a lot wider than yellow because you need lots of vegetables every day, but you should limit how much oils and fats you have. The reason why all these colors are there is because you need to choose a variety of foods from each group. Also the figure going up the steps alongside the colors is a reminder to get daily exercise. Teen girls should get at least 60 minutes of exercise every day. I like riding my bike, taking my dogs for walks, and playing badminton. Do any of you girls have fun exercises you like to do?
Sometimes I find it hard to get enough fruits every day. If you have a blender at home making a smoothie is a great way to get your “red” colors! This is one I particularly like:

Strawberry Smoothie:
2 cups ice cubes
3 cups fresh strawberries
3 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup cranberry juice

Be sure to use 100% real cranberry juice, not the sugary cocktail kind. Real cranberry juice is great for your urinary tract and helps keep you healthy. Strawberries are rich in Vitamin C and in phenols and antioxidants which protect the cell structures in your body.
Do you girls have any great healthy recipes you’d like to share?

Classic Cartoon Characters Revamped!

Hey Girls!
Have you heard about how some old cartoon characters are being redesigned for the 21st century? The cartoon character Strawberry Shortcake from the 1980s now looks quite different with tighter clothes, longer hair, bigger eyes, and lipstick. She also appears to be older than her past self, and instead of carrying around a calico cat she sports a cell phone. The pictures above show how incredibly different she looks from her 1980s character!

The Care Bears are going to be changed too. American Greetings is going to be putting out a new line of bears this fall which have less belly fat and longer eyelashes. But aren’t teddy bears supposed to have big bellies? Why are they promoting "thinner" bears?

Probably most of you don’t know the character Angelina Ballerina, but if you check out the pictures on the right you’ll notice what a different look she has now then she did in the 1980s. It seems to me that she has slimmed down a lot!

Even the teenage mutant ninja turtles will be changed by their creators, 4Kids Entertainment, so next year they will have bigger muscles in video games.

Walt Disney Company is even planning on changing Mickey Mouse! According to Robert A. Iger, Disney's chief executive, Mikey "needs to evolve to be relevant to new generations of kids."

Corporate owners of these fictional stars seem to think that their characters will sell more if they have an updated look for children of today, but still remind parents of the characters they grew up with. They think it will appeal to parent’s nostalgia to see the characters from old shows they used to watch and lead them to buy the character's products for their children.

What do you think? Will this marketing plan be a success? Was it a good idea to change these classic characters or should corporations have kept them as they were? Are corporations putting too much emphasis on slimness and looks? Let's here your thoughts on this girls!

Video Contest with a Cash Prize for Kids!

Hey Girls! Do any of you enjoy making home videos? If you do check out this amazing opportunity! MeetMeAtTheCorner.org is a website dedicated to kids (ages 7-13), and is offering a two hundred and fifty dollar prize to whoever creates the best short video of a special summertime event or activity that happens in their hometown! This could be a festival, or a parade, or any kind of summer happening! You can click on the link above to watch a video podcast on how to make a documentary and get more instructions on the contest.

When you make your video it’s a good idea to use “voiceovers” once you’re done filming. In the voiceover you’ll be explaining what is going on in the video without actually being on camera, sort of like being the narrator of a story. There are tips on how to do voiceovers at the website. You need to have five voiceovers at the end of your footage which include:

1.) What and Where your event is.
2.) What the event is like and what kind of people attend it
3.) Why the event is held in your hometown
4.) What your favorite part of the event is
5.) And just anything else you can think of to say about the event!


The video you send in must be postmarked by August 31st, and it must be ten minutes or less. Also the video has to be submitted on a MiniDV tape. In addition to the two hundred fifty dollars the winner gets their video podcast added to the website, so everyone can view it! This is a great way to learn about documentaries and the community you live in. Go to summerinmytowncontest to read more about this exciting competition!

Getting Involved: The 2008 Election

Hey Girl Bloggers!
I’ve noticed a lot of you expressing your concern over the upcoming 2008 presidential election. Issues that seem to be most important to you based on your articles and comments in the Girls Blog include concerns about the environment, gay marriage, civil rights, and the war in Iraq.

Although most of you can’t vote yet it’s still important to be informed about the presidential candidates. You can make a difference in the election by discussing your opinions with those who can vote and influence the election like your parents, older friends and siblings, and teachers. Encourage them to vote on Election Day. Put posters and signs in your house’s yards and windows of the candidate you support. You can write a letter to your hometown newspaper or school newspaper expressing your thoughts on the candidates. If you find a parent or older friend to accompany you, you could even volunteer for one of the candidates by distributing flyers and yard signs around your neighborhood.

To find out more about the Democratic candidate Barack Obama click on this link.
To find out more about the Republican candidate John McCain click on this link.

If you girls have any other ideas about how to become more involved in the election feel free to post a comment!

All Your Ear Piercing Questions Answered!

Hey Girls! I’ve noticed a lot of you in the New Moon Girls message board have had some questions and comments about ear piercings. Let me give you some information so you know what the dangers are and what to expect!

The most common dangerous side effect of a piercing is bacterial infection. This is when the area around your new piercing turns red and swells and is often very painful! Be sure to clean it regularly with saline solution and soap and water in the shower, or with antibiotics.

Some areas with a lot of cartilage, like the top of your ear, can be much more dangerous to pierce because they can be harder to treat if they get infected. Antibiotics aren’t enough to treat the infection and sometimes the area will develop an abscess ( a collection of pus in the tissue) which then has to be drained by medical professionals. Yikes!

It’s also very important that you go to a well-known piercing parlor where the piercers wear plastic gloves and use sterilized needles. Be sure the place looks clean and make sure the autoclave (the machine that sterilizes needles) is working properly. If it is they should have a current Spore test that shows that the autoclave has been tested and approved. When needles aren’t sterilized infections can be easily transmitted. That’s why it is dangerous to try to pierce yourself or have a friend do it. Also be sure to get a set of aftercare instructions, so you know how to care for your piercing!
Piercings can be expensive too, usually at least fifty dollars, and if you’re not eighteen you need a parent to come to the piercing parlor with you.

Piercings can be fun and exciting, but I recommend waiting till you’re older to know for sure whether you want one or not! If you get a piercing and take it out later, it can sometimes leave an ugly scar! And yes piercings can hurt! Basic ear piercings in your earlobe aren’t too painful, but cartilage can hurt a lot! Also a lot of the time the initial piercing isn’t too bad, but the weeks and even months it can take to heal can be painful.

So be sure you think a long time about whether you really want a piercing, and always ask your parents for permission first! If you have any other questions about piercings or stories to share feel free to post a comment!

Grandma's Marathon Women Champions!

Hey Girl Bloggers! Check out these women’s amazing athletic accomplishments!

For those of you out there from Minnesota you may have heard of the Grandma’s Marathon which takes place in Duluth, Minnesota every summer. If you haven’t heard of it let me explain! Grandma’s, is a 26.2 mile race which has been going on every June for the last 32 years. Every year thousands of runners race off at 7:30 in the morning intent on finishing the course. In addition to Grandma’s, a half marathon called the Gary Bjorkland takes place earlier in the day as well.

Thirty-one year old Mary Akor (pictured on right) was the first woman to cross the finish line this year with a time of 2 hours, 38 minutes, and 50 seconds, and she won the grand prize of ten thousand dollars! She was the previous woman champion from last year’s race as well. Mary is from Nigeria and currently resides in California.
The second place runner, Margaret Toroitich, from Kenya was less than three minutes behind her.

Another champion woman was twenty-four year old Sally Meyerhoff (pictured on left) from Arizona who finished third out of the women. An American born woman hasn’t made the top three finishers since 1998, so this was a big triumph for her as well.

It inspires me to hear of the amazing athletic accomplishments of these women. Running a marathon is such a great triumph! It’s incredible to think of the physical feats your body can accomplish when you put your mind to it! Do any of you girls have dreams of running a marathon someday? What athletic accomplishments are you proud of!?

The Body Project Study~ Promoting Positive Body Image!

Great news girls!
The Body Project Study which started in 2001 and is funded by the National Institute of Health has shown very promising results for young girls. In this project girls realized just how much the media has tried to promote the outrageous ideal that thinness equals happiness.

The girls critiqued this idea through writing and discussing with peers, and they realized that companies are benefiting by encouraging girls to be thin because they then profit from the sales of all the weight loss products out on the market. The girls in the study chose to counter this notion through their own small actions which they called “body activism.” Some of the girls slipped encouraging notes like, “Love your body the way it is” into diet books at bookstores, and some wrote letters to the maker of Barbie dolls, Mattel, and encouraged them to make their Barbie’s bodies more realistically proportioned. Other girls put up notes in their school’s bathrooms telling girls that they are beautiful and should be themselves.

According to the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology the participants in this Study reduced the risk of developing eating disorders by 61 percent! Also the girls continued to have a positive attitude about their body image even after three years of completion of the program. Because of the positive results of this study, sororities and other groups are launching similar programs.

Do you ever feel pressured by the media to be thin? What do you girl bloggers think about this Body Project? Do you think it was worthwhile? How would you feel if your school started a similar program?

High Heels for Babies!?

A company called Heelarious has recently come out with a new product-miniature high heeled shoes for baby girls up to six months old. They range in colors from hot pink to leopard print and cost thirty five to forty dollars. The company claims they aren’t actually intended for walking and that the shoe is completely soft, so no harm can come to the baby.

However many people are upset by this new fashion trend and claim that high heels take away a baby’s innocence and promote sexuality at far too young an age. They think babies shouldn’t be dressed like teenagers or adult women. Also some people worry that the pointed toe on the shoe could cramp a baby’s growing foot.

On the packaging the slogan “her first high heels is printed.” I personally find this rather disturbing because of all the health problems heels can cause in the future with extended use. High heeled shoes place your feet and legs into unnatural positions and inflame and aggravate your Achilles tendon. Also high heels cause numerous breaks and sprains every year in women’s feet.
Should little girls really be encouraged to wear high heels at such a young age when they can be so dangerous? Although these baby heels aren't actually walked in do they promote high heel use in the future?

What are your thoughts on this girl bloggers? Do you think these heels are a bad idea or just a cute and harmless gift for baby girls? Let’s hear your comments on this new baby fashion style!

Seventeen Magazine's Body Peace Vows Clash with Advertisments

Hey Girl Bloggers!
I just wanted your opinion on something I find very contradictory. Seventeen magazine recently started a “Body Peace Project” to encourage girls to accept their bodies for the way they are and sign a treaty online that lists various body vows such as:
“Know that I’m beautiful just the way I am,” and “Remind myself that what you see isn’t always what you get on TV and in ads-it takes a lot of airbrushing , dieting, money, and work to look like that.”
These are just a couple examples of the dozen vows listed by Seventeen. I think all the vows are great and represent important and positive messages for girls. It’s important to love your body and appreciate it for all the amazing things it does for you everyday! Already over 37,000 girls have signed the treaty!

However I can’t help but feel that Seventeen is sending a conflicting message when most of the other aspects of their magazine, especially their advertisements, feature extremely thin models and celebrities who are most likely on an intense diet or possibly suffering from an eating disorder and have been airbrushed to the extreme. While one of the vows stated by Seventeen says that you should respect your body “by feeding it well” then why don’t these models look like they feed themselves well? Why don’t these ads themselves reinforce the Body Peace vows Seventeen is trying to promote?

Also so many articles in Seventeen seem to focus on ways to change your exterior image through makeovers and shopping trips. The treaty encourages girls not to judge people based on how they look, yet they’re constantly promoting new products to improve your looks. I don’t know about you guys, but I feel frustrated that Seventeen isn’t doing more to endorse the vows they’re encouraging their readers to take. What do you think? Is Seventeen being hypocritical?

If you would like to have a look for yourself at the Body Peace Treaty, just visit this website.
Thanks for reading, and I hope to hear some of your thoughts on this conflicting subject!