Multimedia Project: 'My Super Sweet 16!!' - Working Outline

Women’s Studies Teenagers and the Media

Multimedia Project: Assignment 1 Working Outline

Members of the group: Briana Simonian, Ashlee Burns, Sarah Buckley, and Stephanie Shock.

Focus: ‘My Super Sweet 16’ What it takes? The Fame, the Goods, the Popular kids, the money, the Car…but does it all add up? What is the message behind the show? Why is it so popular?

Our plan is to teach our audience that the show is teaching middle age teens in society they are not good enough. Essentially, if you blend out you loose a state of normalcy among teens.

Ideas integrated into project focus:

1. Why are the kids on the show children of celebrities?
2. How is ‘My Super Sweet 16’ played out in other countries such as Britain?
3. Why the focus is kids modeling celebrities?
4. Incorporate textual evidence of the media on teens today.
References Greenfield, ‘Bad Boys,’ Hines, Ferguson, Christensen, and Boyd.
5. Clips from ‘You Tube’ ‘MTV’
6. Why the theme of every episode is significant? Importance of sequence of events?
7. Just how much is the budget for each ‘super sweet sixteen party’?
8. How do kids apply to get on the show? Incorporate evidence from Kid Nation application process?
9. Aspects of Teen “Freak Outs” on each episode. I.E. hype of each party. Why is it so exciting?
10. Message is the teens always get their way.
11. Identity production through media.
12. Importance of the ‘invites’ on the show.
13. Key themes of sexuality, race, drama (with and/or against the dominant discourse), parents roles or lack there of!?, materialistic things, guest star, and unrealistic expectations.
14. Target audience -middle class America?


Tasks due for our meeting the week of April 21, 2008

Briana – Outline Posted w/ details
Look at all references and class notes to find textual evidence to connect to the project.

Stephanie- Clips to add to project

Sarah- Articles pertaining to project.

Ashlee- Aspect of International ‘My Super Sweet 16’