Tackling the Beer Barons!

For Immediate Release and universal distribution
January 20, 2006
Contact Bob McCannon, ACME Vice President
Phone: (505) 839-9702 or mccannon@flash.net

Tackling The Beer Barons!
They dominate the Super Bowl.
Why? A Powerful Media Literacy Lesson!

Action Coalition For Media Education’s (ACME) 3rd Annual Super Bowl “Media Literacy Monday” initiative targets the alcohol industry’s predatory domination of advertising during the most watched television show of the year.

Free Downloadable Lesson and Materials At www.acmecoalition.org

On Sunday, February 5th, 2006, millions of Americans will participate in the single most watched media event of the year: the Super Bowl. The big game is a tremendous source of advertising revenue. A 30 second advertising spot for this year’s game runs a record $2.5 million. With millions of American children watching, the Super Bowl is a “must-advertise” media event for industries seeking the money, loyalty and values of American kids, especially the alcohol industry.

It is time to throw a flag on this play and have an instant educational replay. To combat the alcohol industry’s predatory Super Bowl advertising practices, the Action Coalition for Media Education (www.acmecoalition.org) produced “Tackling the Beer Barons,” a free downloadable set of classroom lessons and activities.

The initiative is based on the pioneering work of ACME Vice President Bob McCannon, and it provides critical viewing activities for students who watch the Super Bowl. It also gives important background information, charts, other reproducibles, and follow-up questions and answers -- all of the necessary tools to turn the big game into a provocative media literacy experience that explores commerce, targeting and values. "If students don’t receive this information, not only do they know less about the world’s most powerful medium--TV ads,” explains McCannon, “but we allow the alcohol companies to continue their near-monopoly on the socialization of our children through sports advertising."

University of New Mexico pediatrician and ACME advisory Board member Victor Strasburger explains, “Every year, the alcohol industry about $6 billion to get kids to "just say yes" to drinking, and the alcohol industry will use nearly any technique to entice children and teenagers to their product. They use sophomoric, misogynistic humor, cute animals, cartoons, whatever works! To allow alcohol manufacturers this kind of media access to our most precious resource represents a sort of electronic child abuse.”

Super Bowl Sunday is the single most powerful example of this kind of mistreatment with Budweiser leading the abuse with its usual 8 to 12 advertisements, costing $2.5 million dollar each per stupor bowl.

Download your free “Tackling the Beer Barons” classroom activities at www.acmecoalition.org, and spread the word!