“I came bursting into the world during one of New York’s
worst snow storms.
So my mother named me Winter.”

These are the words that begin The Coldest Winter Ever, by Sister Souljah. The Teen Advocates of Planned Parenthood of New York City give this book a rating of 5 s out of 5 s.  Here is a courageous story about a young adolescent who believes that her top priorities are living the fast life of money, guys, and sex. The main character, Winter Santiaga, grew up in Brooklyn. Winter was always told by her father that a fast life like the one he lived as a drug dealer always leads to a dead end. She insisted on pursuing the street life that surrounded her. She thought she would be able to use her good looks to pursue the life she always wanted.  This was a world of wealth and popularity that she eventually paid for in the end.  She never stopped to listen to those who were trying to help her in her life.

Family relationships play an important role in The Coldest Winter Ever. Winter’s family begins to fall apart once her father is removed from the household. Without her father, her family is left in distress.  They eventually lose their land, leaving them homeless. Being a homeless adolescent takes a toll on Winter and leaves her unsure of what to do. Winter makes certain choices that place her in dangerous situations in order to survive in the streets. Any teens who find themselves homeless can turn to places like Covenant House that help homeless youth. Covenant House can be reached by phone at 1-800-999-9999.

Drugs also play a huge role in Winter’s life because they both build and destroy her life. Initially, they gave her a luxurious life of clothes, jewels, and cars.  But in the end, drugs took it all away and hurt her loved ones.

The Coldest Winter Ever teaches us that we should all stop and re-evaluate our lives and our actions.  We should listen to the advice that others give and not take for granted those who offer support. Obstacles, like the ones Winter and her entire family faced, are a part of life.  We must all learn to deal with challenges, and at the same time, make smart decisions.  This means not always choosing the easy path. The story of Winter Santiaga shows us that life is not all about external beauty and money; instead, loyalty to one’s self worth should always be a priority.  The value of people is not based on their bodies, how much money they make, or what they wear.  Things of true value cannot be purchased or sold.  These things include family, friendship, and self-respect.  The fast and easy life of drugs, money, and sex is a fleeting illusion.  When you wake up, you may find out that what truly matters is no longer there.

The 40-Year-Old Virgin is about a 40-year-old man named Andy who is pressured by his younger co-workers to have sex for the first time. The Teen Advocates of Planned Parenthood of New York City give the movie a rating of 3½ s out of 5 s.  The 40-Year-Old Virgin touches on a lot of issues and concerns that teens have today.

One of the topics covered in the movie is abstinence, which means choosing not to have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.  Andy was abstinent and was ridiculed for not having sex at his age. The moral is that being abstinent is a personal choice and if a person chooses to be abstinent, he or she shouldn’t be ashamed of it.

The topic of gender roles comes up a couple of times in the movie. Andy didn’t know how to drive and when he went on a date, his date had to come and pick him up. This made him seem inferior to his friends because, traditionally, a man usually has a good car and money and is the one to pick up the date. Also, one of Andy’s friends was emotionally attached to a woman who he had stopped dating two years ago, while, stereotypically, the female is the one who stays attached for a long time after the end of a relationship. A lesson that we can take from this is that there is no specific role that males and females have to follow when it comes to relationships.  We don’t have to be limited by how society expects us to behave.

Peer pressure can be very persuasive. When Andy revealed that he was a virgin to his friends, they tried to persuade him to have sex quickly. A person does not have to have sex until they are mentally, physically, and emotionally ready.  Birth control was something that the main character struggled with. He was unfamiliar with how to use birth control, specifically condoms. If you are uninformed about how to use birth control, you should learn about it before having sex. The website of Planned Parenthood of New York City offers information about birth control, and there is even more detailed information at Planned Parenthood birth control.

Female and male anatomy were shown in the movie when Andy visited a health clinic and was unfamiliar with the female genitalia. A person should not be afraid to examine his or her own body, as well as learning about the anatomy of the opposite sex.

Last but not least, the issue of homophobia came up throughout the movie.  Homophobia is irrational fear, hatred, and prejudice toward people who are homosexual. Throughout the movie, the characters made homophobic comments/jokes. In contrast to the way these characters behaved, we should accept people for who they are and homophobic remarks should not be tolerated.

We encourage teens to watch this film with a parent/trusted adult and have conversations about all the themes we have highlighted in this review.

Recently we’ve been bombarded by big blockbuster movies with story lines that leave us bored and confused, and we sit in the theater for two whole hours hoping for a good ending to make up for the horrible beginning. Fortunately, Transamerica is not one of those films. This is a movie that you may have missed, just like most people our age. Transamerica’s honesty, irony, and confusion all lead to a message of acceptance. The Teen Advocates of Planned Parenthood of New York City give this movie a rating of 4 s out of 5 s.

In Transamerica, the main character is Bree (who was born as Stanley), a transsexual played by Felicity Huffman. Felicity Huffman’s performance as Stanley/Bree is very persuasive; her make-up, wardrobe, and attitude all make her a convincing transsexual. In the beginning, we find Stanley/Bree sitting in a doctor’s office describing all of the surgeries that his surgeon had performed on him in the past to make him look more feminine. The number of surgeries was remarkable. What’s impressive is that the illusion of masculinity underneath the feminine exterior is not achieved entirely in the make-up department but by the amazing performance of Felicity Huffman.

Two weeks before Stanley/Bree is scheduled for his biggest surgery, the surgery that will forever make him Bree, he gets a call about a 17-year-old boy at a police precinct, who claims to be his son, Toby. Stanley/Bree tells his therapist, played by Elizabeth Peña, about the call and that he is not in fact a virgin (describing the one-time sexual incident as "tragically lesbian").  The therapist tells Stanley/Bree to make sure the boy, Toby, is taken care of or he will not get her approval to have the surgery.

Now forced to meet this alleged son of his, Stanley/Bree goes to the precinct to meet Toby. When told that Toby has been arrested for prostituting himself and possession of a "suspicious" drug, Stanley/Bree pretends to be a missionary woman sent from a church. With the intention of not letting anything get in the way of his surgery, which he had to schedule a year in advance, Stanley/Bree agrees to help Toby. What ensues is a cross-country odyssey full of painful memories, triumphs, and discovery. The film is full of twists that will keep you interested as the story unfolds.  Each character has his/her own distinct personality that seems to just fit into the story line. It’s a story of growth that momentarily almost turns into a twisted love story.  No matter how bizarre the plot may seem to teens our age, the reality in it makes it worth watching. The lives of Stanley/Bree and Toby are sensitively revealed to the audience during their cross-country journey, and, if we may say so, it was a hell of a trip!

We encourage teens to watch this film with a parent/trusted adult and have conversations about all the themes we have highlighted in this review.

Music has long been an essential part of life. People often perceive music as a way of  escape. Music is also a chance to “go with the rhythm” and dance. The artists, however, use lyrics as a way to convey a message or tell a story from their point of view. For example, in the famous song I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor, the lyrics tell the story of an independent woman standing up for her dignity and respect. Nowadays, many music artists have taken a different road in their messages, based on the fact that “sex sells.”

A perfect example of this theory is the song called I Wanna Love You by Akon, featuring Snoop Dogg, which originally had an explicit title. The Teen Advocates of Planned Parenthood of New York City give this song a rating of 1 out of 5 s. The song is written from a man’s point of view that fantasizes about being intimate with a stripper. The words view women as a means of satisfaction and encourage stripping as a way of gaining sex appeal and the only way of having beauty. The verses also describe the perfect figure that’s attractive, reducing the woman to a body part: “…baby u got a phatty, the type I like to marry, wantin to just give u everythin….”

Not only does the song define how a woman should look, but it also defines what men should possess. Money is mentioned throughout the song as a way of showing dominance and a way to get women. The lyrics make men feel that they have to behave a certain way or society will frown on them. The song looks at sex as something easy and “cool,” making a statement to all men that women exist only to satisfy men’s needs.

One can compare and contrast the music of the old days to the music of the new era and see a dramatic difference. Although music from both periods was a source of relaxation, the lyrics reveal different messages. The song I Wanna Love You offers a negative view of women and their role in society. It also tells men that money and sex are the most important factors in life. Although the song is very popular due to its beat, the messages of the song’s lyrics are offensive and can influence real-life situations in a harmful way.