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NPR. Date Broadcasted: Febubary 3, 2011. Genre: Pop culture A show like Gossip Girl is generally considered a girls' show while South Park is considered a boys' show. However, there are some shows that can go either way. Nickelodeon's iCarly does just that. The show is centered around a teenage girl with two best friends and her older brother. One would typically think that a show with the name iCarly, a girls' name, would cater only to girls. However, 45 percent of iCarly viewers are boys. Why? The fact that one of those best friends is a boy and the addition of the older brother evens out the cast gender-wise, making the show more appealing to boys. The comedy in the show also contributes towards that goal. Like Disney's popular show The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, iCarly has a gender-neutral cast with a great sense of humor that make the show entertaining to watch for both girls and boys and that is why it has become such a favorite among kids.

Obesity as many of us know, is a growing problem in the United States. It is extremely prevalent among the younger generation, as kids are more susceptible to advertisements on television and on the Internet. As this article states, children have a great influence over the food their parents buy. To put it bluntly, children can be annoying. They can scream and yell, essentially embarrassing you into buying them whatever they want. Years ago, discipline amongst parents was much stricter and a child who mouthed off would be subject to corporal punishment. However, society has greatly evolved, and in many families, the power balance among children and adults has shifted. Fast food advertisers are aware of this and take full advantage by placing commercials during popular television networks like Disney channel and Nickelodeon. Also, as the Internet has become more popular amongst young adults, advertisements for sugary snacks and greasy fried food have also increased. Obesity will continue to be a big issue in the United States but we can no longer only place the blame on the lack of options in supermarkets or parents themselves but rather advertisements in media that are negatively influencing children causing them to make bad decisions.