Masculinity in Disney Films

What do you think of the following videos analysis of masculinity in Disney movies?  I share my thoughts below the video. Please share your feedback after watching the complete video!



While this short documentary does not acknowledge many of the characters its relying on are the “Bad Guys” in the film, the analysis does hold true for the “Good Guys” too. Think of how good looking by magazine standards all the “Good Guy” characters are in Disney Films (true of female characters also). Even after the Beast returns to being human in “Beauty in the Beast,” he remains a strong male with the physique described in the documentary above .

Does such imagery affect consent and respect?  If you grow up thinking its the “Man’s Job” to take control, are you likely to “Ask First” and give your partner a choice?  Share your thoughts below.

High school students discuss dating, sex, & bystander intervention

High school students at West Allis Central High School discuss their reactions after the “Can I Kiss You?” show at their school where the entire student body participated in the General Assembly.  Academic Dean Laura Wescott and Principal Paul Mielke did a great job insuring everything ran smoothly!

VOTE for FINAL “Want Some Action?” Shirt

Below are the T-shirt designs selected by our website visitors to be the TOP 5 FINALISTS for becoming the new “Want Some Action?” T-shirt.  You get to choose and help pick the new shirt for the upcoming 2010-2011 School Year!  Plus, you get the chances to win the #1 shirt.

LOTS of input is what we are looking for – from both MALES and FEMALES, especially between the ages of 17 years old and 23  years old.  Invite family, friends, colleagues, and neighbors to VOTE and get their chance to WIN!!  Use FaceBook, email, and Twitter to invite people. Here is the website to send them to:  http://www.datesafeproject.org/2010/vote-for-favorite-want-some-action-shirts/

For the “Can I Kiss You?” shirt, we needed more votes from males and so please encourage males to participate.  As a reward for helping, we are going to give out a bunch of free shirts by drawing the names of participants!

Here are the 3 quick steps to the voting process:

1. Pick the #1 Shirt below you would be FIRST TO PURCHASE.  PLEASE LOOK AT THE LARGER VERSION OF EACH SHIRT BEFORE VOTING.  To see larger versions of the shirts, click on the images below. Toward the bottom of the image, you’ll notice arrows to enable you to move back and forth through the images. When you are done looking at the images, click on the middle of the picture again (the pictures will disappear and you’ll be back on this page).

The key wording is you have to like the shirt sooo much you want to buy it for yourself and wear it!   Remember you are not buying anything. You are simply sharing your opinion. The key feedback is what shirt do you like soo much that you would pay to get it more than the other shirts.

**Please know all the designs are copyright protected and owned by The Date Project Inc.

2. Fill out the below survey questions located BELOW the pictures of the shirts and then hit SUBMIT.

3. Click on the SUBMIT button below the survey!

5 T-SHIRT DESIGNS to CHOOSE FROM (these will ALL BE LONG-SLEEVE SHIRTS):

BEFORE VOTING, CLICK ON SMALLER IMAGES FOR LARGER VIEW &

THEN CLICK AGAIN TO COME BACK TO THIS PAGE!!

……Design #1…………….Design #2…………..Design #3…………Design #4…………….Design #5

VOTE BELOW NOW – ALL INFORMATION IS KEPT CONFIDENTIAL

SPECIAL REWARD: For participating in the survey below, you will be put in the drawing to win the new shirts AND will receive a special code to get a discount off  the shirts when they are ready to be delivered to you.

Name
Email
Age
Gender
#1 T-shirt you would PURCHASE:
How much would you pay for the shirt?
Feedback & WHY your choice?

Boy Scouts Share Important Message

Are you ever asked, “How do you know you are making a difference? How do you know your audience (or students) actually remembers your message?”  Speakers in the education world and teachers particularly get this question a lot because so many people wonder if teens retain the messages being shared with them.  Yesterday, audience members surprised me.

For the past week, my son was in the Northern Woods camping with his Boy Scout Troop (6 hours from our home).  When he arrived home with his Troop, he began sharing all his great stories from the week (catching a 25″ Northern and getting the “Lumberjack” Award). In mid-sentence, he suddenly said, “Dad, try to guess what happened?

What?” I asked.

Son: “I got some free food and extra stuff from the store for free because they knew you.

Me:  ”WHO knew me?

Son:  ”The boys working in the store.

Me:  ”Who were they?

Son:  ”I don’t know.  They saw my name ‘Domitrz’ and asked if I was related to you. When I said, ‘Yes,’ they talked about your program and how awesome it was. Then they gave me some stuff and EXTRA FOOD!!

Me:  ”Were the boys from around here and working all the way up there for the summer?

Son: “No, but they knew you.

Me:  ”How old were they?

Son:  ”High school age guys.

While I’ve been blessed to hear stories of people seeing students wearing my “Can I Kiss You?” and “Want Some Action?” shirts in fun locations (Disney World, etc…), this quick conversation was soo much cooler. To know high school students in the middle of the Northern woods at a Boy Scout camp (6 hours away) KNEW MY NAME was the surprise. Had my son been wearing one of my shirts and these boys thought of the connection to me, I would have still have been pleasantly honored to know my audience had such a positive memory.  To know they knew my LAST NAME was the shocker.  They simply saw “Domitrz” and started talking to my son.

Neither I nor my son are the focus of this story.  This small group of audience members get and deserve all the credit. Each of these young men made a CHOICE to open their minds and commit to change (not letting an important message be forgotten – even months after originally hear the concept).  Regardless of what friends said, the entertainment world displayed before them, and their peers who tried to influence them otherwise, these students stuck to  message they believed in!  Kudos to each of them.

I only wish I had way to say, “Thanks” to each of them personally.  Thanks for sharing with my son. Thanks for believing in a positive message.

Why do I share this quick story?  With the amazing talent you possess, I know you have peers and/or audience members you never knew you impacted – those same individuals who are excited to tell others they heard you and want to spread the message.  Here is to the blessings of being a speaker, educator, activist, and/or  caring individual making an impact.  Thank you for all you do to make this world a better place.

This high school student Asks First & Supports Sexual Assault Survivors

This Senior student at Bitburg Air Force Base High School makes a strong statement about asking first and supporting sexual assault survivors.  The last 2 weeks was filled with speaking to wonderful groups of high school students throughout Air Force Bases in Europe.

LEAVE A COMMENT to let him know what you think (he is excited to see your comments)!

Share your thoughts by LEAVING A COMMENT!

Watch School Assembly with over 600 Students at 8am!

In this video, you are watching over 600 students at 8am in a School Assembly of the “Can I Kiss You? program engaged, thinking, opening their minds, and making decisions to change their actions.

Bring the “Can I Kiss You?” program to your community and witness your students talking nonstop about the positive changes they WANT to make. You’ll hear them saying how much the presentation “blew their mind” and “really has me thinking about how I need to change the way I date.

SPECIAL OFFER: By calling 800-329-9390 today, you will receive a complimentary copy of the critically-acclaimed book “May I Kiss You?” by Mike Domitrz.  Schools throughout the country use this book as curriculum in the classroom and for creating positive change with their students.  Click here to send us an email.

INSURING A GREAT ASSEMBLY FOR YOUR SCHOOL:

One of the biggest fears many middle schools and high schools have is “How can we know this speaker is going to capture our students attention AND do so appropriately while giving them needed tools for making a difference?”  The answer is:  You need an expert with a proven track record of excellence with schools of all sizes, demographics, and cultures.  You require a quick thinking professional who is gifted at reacting specifically to your students’ reactions and comments.

Your presentation to the two junior highs: 500 and 440 teens, were outstanding.  These teens were rowdy audiences, but you handled them expertly, got and held their attention and really made an impact.  Even the School Principals who are somewhat conservative were very impressed.
Anne Smith, RN, BSN, Yuma County Public Health Services District (AZ)

1500 students at NW Missouri State University captivated

For over 2 decades, Mike Domitrz has been inspiring students, educators and parents with the unique combination of his hilarious sense of humor along with his uncanny ability to draw hard-hitting emotion from audiences.  School districts constantly share what a lasting impact he has with people of all ages.

It has been 3 months since you presented your ‘Can I Kiss You?‘ Program to high school students, and separately to parents, in our communities of Lake Forest and Lake Bluff, Illinois.  To my surprise, and immense satisifaction, people are still talking about it!

…three students at a local coffee shop were overheard recently, two full months after your visit, discussing the idea of ‘asking’ that had been presented by ‘that dude we heard at school in the Fall.
Lydia Backer, Program Director, LEAD (IL)

With Mike, you get a critically-acclaimed author and passionate educator on healthy dating, consent, bystander intervention, and supporting survivors who is leading the way by constantly changing and further improving each presentation he gives.  You get a professional presenter who studies exactly how each audience member reacts to different techniques and learning styles.  You get a dedicated advocate who commits to always respecting every aspect of a very sensitive topic.

Mike Domitrz brought his powerful presentation to Mahnomen, Wauban and Circle of Life Schoos on the White Earth Ojibwe Nation and to an Alternative Learning Center near the reservation reaching 870 students…His method of not putting words into their mouths but instead using their words and language was absolutely incredible

It is important to recognize that never before has there been a National Speaker who has ever promised our youth that he would respond to their emails within 24 hours. His commitment to make effective changes in the lives of our youth is to be commended.”
Lisa Brunner, Executive Director, Community Resource Alliance Tribal Alliance (MN)

To be an effective and powerful educator, you need to always be learning new approaches and concepts of working with people of all ages (students, staff, and parents).  Yes, the educator needs to be a STUDENT.  The #1 source for teaching better speaking techniques and presentation skills is the National Speakers Association (NSA) – the professional trade organization for speakers around the world.

Certified Speaking Professional with the National Speakers AssociationMike Domitrz is an active and involved member of NSA.  In fact, he is one of the few Certified Speaker Professionals (CSP) across the globe specifically working in Education.  Each year, the National Speakers Association gives this earned recognition to those speakers who accomplish all of the following criteria:

  • At least 50 speaking events each year for 5 consecutive years.
  • A score of at least 7.5 on evaluations from clients over the past 5 years (on a 10 point scale).
  • Minimum level of professional credits earned by attending NSA Educational Events (shows commitment to the craft of working with audiences and making a difference).

What does Mike being a Certified Speaking Professional mean to you?  You are getting a leading authority, author and ally who is also one of the top speaking professionals in the world.

Mike understands not only his message but the interests and needs of the audiences he serves. He has a very energetic and entertaining style that engages all audiences. His message is powerful and the people in his audience naturally gravitate to him.”  Sam Silverstein, former President of the National Speakers Association.

Best of all, you are working with a devoted professional who CARES about you, your organization, your community, and each person in the audience.  Individuals and organizations who have brought Mike to speak are continually telling us here at The Date Safe Project how wonderful he is to bring to their schools.

He made my job very easy. He answered my numerous inquiries promptly, respected and honored our requests regarding his presentations and took the time to get know our audience before he arrived.”
Jayne Giroux, Making Good Choices Council, Bradenton (FL)

SCHEDULING MIKE TO SPEAK. Due the long lasting impact Mike’s program has on communities, his available dates tend to quickly be taken each year.  How can you insure a date is held for you?

Call Rita in our offices at 800-329-9390 TODAY!

**You can click here to send us an email.

SPECIAL OFFER: By calling 800-329-9390 today, you will receive a complimentary copy of the critically-acclaimed book “May I Kiss You?” by Mike Domitrz.  Schools throughout the country use this book as curriculum in the classroom and for creating positive change with their students.

High school students take action on intimacy & sexual assault!

Too often, the media and entertainment industry (TV news shows, gossip magazines, & online new sources) focuses so much attention on negative and/or dangerous choices male and female teenagers engage in – that they miss a lot of the positive choices high school students make concerning intimacy, dating, sexual activity, and supporting sexual assault survivors every day in our country.   We were honored to hear our “Can I Kiss You?” program inspired teenage students in Wisconsin at Lodi High School, Portage High School and Wisconsin Dells High School to continue the messages of “Asking First,” “Opening a Door,” and “Being a Friend” throughout their high school careers. They created an “AWARENESS DAY” at their schools and in their communities.  In addition, they are already working on creating ideas for next school year AND concepts to be practiced over this summer which encourage safer and healthier decisions for everyone.  They shared pictures with us of males and females taking active roles in making educational posters addressing consent, respect, boundaries, supporting sexual assault survivors ,and dealing with sexual intimacy in high schools. The posters were being put up around the schools AND in popular community places of business for students to see throughout the summer.  The teenagers told us the poster making was motivated by the “Do You Ask?” posters addressing consent at http://www.DoYouAsk.org

Regardless of where you are located geographically, send a note to their Principals and give them a big Kudos for being role models to others.  Here are the 3 e-mail addresses:

lovela@lodi.k12.wi.us
exok@portage.k12.wi.us
ckunau@sdwd.k12.wi.us

Share your thoughts and encourage more students to follow these ideas by leaving your comments in the “Leave a Reply” box below.

Speaking on Air Force Base is an Honor and a Rush!

This past Monday, I spoke to many of the men and women at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.  From the leaders of the base to the newest of the enlisted, everyone was wonderful to work with.  Often non-military people will ask me the following two questions about speaking to the military, "Who brings you to a base and what is it like?"

Offutt_afb In the military, SARC stands for "Sexual Assault Response Coordinator" and is a position designated to address the many issues surrounding sexual assault.  When I have been brought onto a military base, it has always been by the SARC contact (or someone from that office).  These professionals are passionate individuals who fully understand the need for this content to be given for all levels of the military.  Due to timing and other restrictions, we are not able to talk with every single person and so each base must choose which of their members will attend.

As to the "What is it like speaking to the military" question people love to ask me, the answer is simple — it is FANTASTIC!!  Why wouldn’t it be?  Typically, the audience is 18 – 24 years old (almost exactly the same as a college audience).  They are in the "dating world" or married.  Consequenlty, they see and/or experience all the problems and struggles that exist in relationships and intimacy.  Plus, they enter the program with a positive attitude of wanting to be entertained and challenged — all while displaying respect for you as a presenter.  The e-mails and comments we receive from the attendees afterwards prove how attentive of an audience they are AND how much they wanted the material.

Every time I get to speak to our military, I am honored!!  As I told the men and women on Monday, "My work depends on me being able to speak freely and being able to challenge society’s norms.  I am forever grateful for your willingness to fight for those freedoms!!!"

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