Antidotes to pop culture poison

Policy Review, Nov/Dec 1997 by Napier, Kristine

Parents Music Resource Center Founded in 1985 to educate adults about the content of popular music, the center was responsible for persuading the recording industry to voluntarily affix warning labels to those tapes, CDs, and albums containing offensive material. Be advised, though, that the content of albums without a warning label isn't necessarily good, and minors aren't prohibited from purchasing albums with warning labels. Write for PMRC's video "Rising to the Challenge," which exposes common themes of popular music: suicide, rape, murder, et cetera. Write PMRC, 1500 Arlington Blvd., Arlington, Va. 22209, or call 703-527-9466; $27.45 with shipping and handling.

Teen Magazines

Would you trust your teenagers with a publication that includes birth-control guides, an essay by a teenaged author in praise of her mom's abortion practice, advice on how to make your date feel comfortable with sex, and, woven throughout, seductive advertising? Unfortunately, these are common editorial themes in nearly every issue of most teen magazines, including YM, Teen, and Seventeen. There are alternatives to these magazines, and they're doing a great job of addressing popular culture in a manner acceptable to sav y adolescents. Excellent choices include:

Boy's Life Published monthly by the Boy Scouts of America, this magazine contains a wide range of articles of interest to all boys (notjust Scouts), including some on sports, science fiction, history, science, traveling, and hobbies. There's also quality fiction, jokes, and information on scouting. There are two editions, one for boys ages 7 to 11, and one for boys 11 and up. Write to Boy Scouts of America, 1325 West Walnut Hill Ln., Irving, Tex. 75015; $15.60 per year.

Brio * A monthly magazine for teenage girls published by Focus on the Family. Possibly the magazine that best emulates its more popular (but objectionable) sister magazines, Brio does a fabulous job of capturing its readers' attention with information on fashion, celebrities, music, hair, nutrition, and exercise. It also covers deeper issues in the moralistic manner of the most con cerned parent, yet avoids preaching. To subscribe, call 1-800-232-6459, or write to 8605 Explorer Dr, Colorado Springs, Colo. 80920; $15 per year.

Breakaway A monthly similar to Brio, Breakaway covers topics that interest teenage boys-sports, dating, music, and the entertainment media in a fun, enticing way without compromising moral standards. As with Brio, it does so while preserving the parent as the most important educator of values and morals (without the kids noticing). Contact Focus on the Family (above); $15 per year.

Campus Life A bimonthly for students in junior high school through college, Campus Life offers all the information and advice on dating, relationships, friendships, and music that adolescents crave, but couches it in the moral context of family and Christian values. A parent can feel safe that difficult questions directed to the advice columnist will be answered as the most discerning parent would, with a tone that reinforces parents as the most important authority figures for their children. Write toP.O. Box 3706, Boone, Iowa 50037-0060; $19.95 per year.