Stories by Alicia Rebensdorf

Alicia Rebensdorf is a freelance writer and author of the recently published, Chick Flick Road Kill: A Behind the Scenes Odyssey into Movie-Made America.subscribe to Alicia Rebensdorf's rss feed

Feminism Vs. Fembots

Posted on Sep 26, 2007, Source: AlterNet

Fembots have long been known for promoting retrograde sexist ideals. Will the ad and entertainment industries' latest round of robotic women be any different?

The Entertainment Industry's Love Affair With Immature Men

Posted on Sep 13, 2007, Source: AlterNet

In Hollywood, a pudgy slacker man can always get a hot can-do woman.

The Animal Kingdom Storms Reality TV and the Documentary Industry

Posted on Aug 27, 2007, Source: AlterNet

With the rise of "reality" TV shows like Meerkat Manor and the explosion of animal documentaries such as Arctic Circle, wildlife is finding new popularity in Hollywood -- but so is the dangerous idea that nature exists to entertain us.

50 Years on, Kerouac's 'On The Road' Reveals the Beatnik as a Tender, Geeky Romantic

Posted on Aug 21, 2007, Source: AlterNet

A revisit to Jack Kerouac's On the Road on its 50th anniversary reveals a man more suited to the role of a romantic than the epitome of cool.

How Big Pharma Learned To Seduce You

Posted on Jun 19, 2007, Source: AlterNet

As recent legislation shows, drug companies and their direct-to-consumer marketing campaigns need diligent monitoring -- especially when it looks like they need it the least.

Has Product Placement Made Our Television Viewing Experience Worse?

Posted on May 19, 2007, Source: AlterNet

In a world of Tivo and Youtube, the traditional commercial is passe. In its place we have product integration, which may feed a culture of consumption, compromise artistic freedom and erode consumer choice ... or not. You decide.

When Tourists Meet an Open Grave

Posted on Oct 11, 2001, Source: AlterNet

I visited the site of the Twin Towers, and it felt like being at a tourist attraction, not a grave. Am I jaded, or is my emotional distance, dare I say, normal?

John Cusack in 2004?

Posted on Aug 14, 2001, Source: AlterNet

A grassroots campaign to get John Cusack to run for president -- no kidding -- illustrates the escalating affair between Hollywood and the White House.

Capitalizing on the Anti-Capitalist Movement

Posted on Aug 7, 2001, Source: AlterNet

Corporations have become expert at co-opting even the most subversive of cultural movements. But can they capitalize on today's radical anti-capitalist protests? Nike hopes so.

George W.al-Mart and the Corporate Grab at Your Tax Rebate

Posted on Jul 25, 2001, Source: AlterNet

No sooner are Bush's $300 bribes in the mail than corporations are scheming to take the cash out of your hands. Fortunately, the "Donate the Rebate" campaign is taking off.

The Network Brown-Out

Posted on Jul 18, 2001, Source: AlterNet

When it comes to Latinos, our televisions might as well be broadcasting in black and white.

Denying Dubya's Bribe: The Push to Reject the Tax Rebate

Posted on Jul 3, 2001, Source: AlterNet

Those of you who voted against George W. and his tax cut can now put your money where your mouths is -- donate the $300 you'll soon get to a group hit by federal budget cuts.

Sarafem: The Pimping of Prozac for PMS

Posted on Jun 12, 2001, Source: AlterNet

Sarafem, a new FDA-approved treatment from Eli Lilly, promises to make you "more like the woman you are."

Poisoned Playgrounds

Posted on May 24, 2001, Source: AlterNet

One 12-foot-long board of pressure-treated wood -- the material of many playgrounds -- contains enough arsenic to kill 250 adults. Imagine what it does to kids playing there.

Welfare: The New Corporate Playground

Posted on May 22, 2001, Source: AlterNet

Corporate social services providers, which claimed they could replace state-run welfare programs, have fattened corporate profits but left the needy out in the cold.

TO A TEE: a Rant

Posted on May 1, 2001, Source: WireTap

We've all seen them. Accented with bright colors and 80's studs, they boast from girl's bosoms with pride. Hip little tees with hip little logos like "Sex Kitten," "Princess," or "Ghetto Fabulous." They replace the swooshes of corporate logos with self-proclaiming slogans: "Sexy," "Hot," "Cutie Pie." They display adjectives as if they were a sandwich board of today's specials.

What Really Divides High Schools?

Posted on Nov 13, 2000, Source: WireTap

A young writer reviews one veteran author's take on high school segregation in America. Can one progressive school undo years of racial oppression?
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