In 2020, a French indie movie called Cuties somehow found itself at the epicentre of the US culture wars. Outraged conservatives accused the filmmakers and Netflix of encouraging paedophilia and stoking the fires of global child sex trafficking trade. But were they right? Rich’s deep dive into the controversy takes Ben on a journey through “sexualisation,” twerking, Tucker Carlson’s gormless face, School of Rock, QAnon, and yes... even paedophilic robots.  Show Notes:  Sources and links  Barker, Martin, Jane Arthurs, Jane and Ramaswami Harindranath (2001) The Crash Controversy: Censorship Campaigns and Film Reception. Wallflower Press.  Barker, Martin (2009) “The Challenge of Censorship: ‘Figuring’ Out the Audience,” Velvet Light Trap, 63.  Barker, Martin, with Thomas Austin (2000) From Antz to Titanic: Reinventing Film Analysis. Pluto Press.  Buchanan, Vern (2020) “Buchanan Slams Netflix Film ‘Cuties’ for Exploiting Young Girls,” September 13. [Press Release]  Carlson, Tucker (2020) “From ‘WAP’ to an 11-year-old twerking girl,” Tucker Carlson Tonight, August 21. [Twitter/X video clip, posted by @ColumbiaBugle]  Carlson, Tucker (2020) “Netflix Slammed for Sexualizing Young Girls,” Tucker Carlson Tonight, September 11. [Facebook video]  Cassam, Quassim (2019) Conspiracy Theories. Polity.  Cruz, Ted (2020) “SEN. CRUZ CALLS FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION INTO NETFLIX’S ‘CUTIES’,” September 11. [Press Release]   Dickson, E.J. (2020) “How ‘Cuties’ Is Fueling the Far Right’s Obsession With Pedophilia,” Rolling Stone, September 14.  Dickson, E.J. (2020) “Netflix’s Cuties Was Just Charged With Lewdness. But That’s Not the Full Story,” Rolling Stone, October 8.  Egan, R. Danielle (2013) Becoming Sexual: A Critical Appraisal of the Sexualization of Girls. Polity Press.  Egan, R. Danielle and Gail L. Hawkes (2007) “Producing the Prurient through the Pedagogy of Purity: Childhood Sexuality and the Social Purity Movement,” Journal of Historical Sociology, 20(4).  Egan, R. Danielle and Gail L. Hawkes (2008) “Endangered Girls and Incendiary Objects: Unpacking the Discourse on Sexualization," Sexuality and Culture, 12.  Egan, R. Danielle and Gail L. Hawkes (2008) “Girls, Sexuality and the Strange Carnalities of Advertisements: Deconstructing the Discourse of Corporate Paedophilia,” Australian Feminist Studies, 23(57).  Egan, R. Danielle and Gail L. Hawkes (2009) “The problem with protection: Or, why we need to move towards recognition and the sexual agency of children,” Continuum, 23(3).  Egan, R. Danielle and Gail L. Hawkes (2013) “Disavowal and foundational fantasies: A psychosocial exploration of the class, race and the social construction of the sexual child in the Anglophone West,” Sexualities, 16(5/6).  Gallagher, Danny (2022) “District Attorney Lucas Babin? Where Have We Heard That Name? Oh, Right! School of Rock!” Dallas Observer, April 4.   Givas, Nick (2020) “Rep. Ken Buck calls for investigation into 'exploitation of children' in letter to DOJ regarding Netflix film 'Cuties',” Fox News, September 14.  Grater, Tom (2020) “‘Cuties’ Director Says She Received Death Threats After Netflix Poster Backlash; Ted Sarandos Called Her To Apologize,” Deadline, September 3. [Contains images of the contrasting French and American posters]   Gray, Jonathan (2010) Show Sold Separately: Promos, Spoilers, and Other Media Paratexts. New York University Press.  McCulloch, Richard, and William Proctor (2023) “The Cuties Controversy: Prefiguration, ‘Sexualisation’ and the New Conspiracism,” Participations, 19(3).  Netflix (2020) “Cuties | Official Trailer | Netflix,” [YouTube]  Paasonen, Susanna, et al. (2020) Objectification: On the Difference between Sex and Sexism. Routledge.   Rosen, Christopher (2020) “Netflix Apologizes for “Inappropriate” Cuties Poster That Sexualized Child Stars,” Vanity Fair, August 20.  Rosenblum, Nancy L., and Russell Muirhead (2019) A Lot of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy. Princeton University Press.  Schiffer, Zoë (2021) “Netflix scrambled internally to suppress a controversial movie from search results,” The Verge, October 27.    Note: Journal articles are often behind paywalls. If you don't have institutional access but would like a copy of these papers please email Illeffectspod@gmail.com and we will happily send you a copy  Credits:  Hosts – Rich McCulloch and Ben Litherland   Music by -  Brutalust (Colin Frank and Maria Sappho), recorded and mixed by Joe Christman  Creative producer – Rachel Wood  Technical producer – Caroline Pringle  Technical production – Colin Frank

From Death Race to Grand Theft Auto, driving games have long fuelled claims that players might be inspired to start mowing down pedestrians outside of the game. Starting with a story about a Toronto police officer linking a hit and run to a copy of Need for Speed found on the offender’s passenger seat, Ben talks Rich through the surprisingly longstanding history of links between video games and reckless driving. We encounter early arcade video games, clowns being run over at anti-car carnivals, and Adam West’s Batman doing British road safety videos. Crash! Bang! Wallop! What a podcast!  Show Notes:  [Video] 1967 Adam West Batman UK Public Service Announcement  Beullens, K., Roe, K., & Van den Bulck, J. (2008). Video games and adolescents' intentions to take risks in traffic. Journal of Adolescent Health, 43(1), 87-90.  Carsten, O., & Jamson, A. H. (2011). Driving simulators as research tools in traffic psychology. In Handbook of traffic psychology (pp. 87-96). Academic Press.  [Video] Death Race News Report  Fischer, P., Greitemeyer, T., Morton, T., Kastenmüller, A., Postmes, T., Frey, D., ... & Odenwälder, J. (2009). The racing-game effect why do video racing games increase risk-taking inclinations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 35(10), 1395-1409.  Howard, J., Bowden, V. K., & Visser, T. (2023). Do action video games make safer drivers? The effects of video game experience on simulated driving performance. Transportation research part F: traffic psychology and behaviour, 97, 170-180.  Hull, J. G., Draghici, A. M., & Sargent, J. D. (2012). A longitudinal study of risk-glorifying video games and reckless driving. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 1(4), 244.  Kocurek, C. A. (2012). The agony and the Exidy: a history of video game violence and the legacy of Death Race. Game Studies, 12(1).  Lumsden, K. (2013). Boy racer culture: Youth, masculinity and deviance. Routledge.  (2006) “NFS found in fatal drag-racing car crash”, Game Spot, Jan 26th.  Norton, P. D. (2007). Street rivals: Jaywalking and the invention of the motor age street. Technology and culture, 48(2), 331-359.  Redshaw, S. (2017). In the company of cars: Driving as a social and cultural practice. CRC Press.  Sala, G., Tatlidil, K. S., & Gobet, F. (2018). Video game training does not enhance cognitive ability: A comprehensive meta-analytic investigation. Psychological bulletin, 144(2), 111..  Stinchcombe, A., Kadulina, Y., Lemieux, C., Aljied, R., & Gagnon, S. (2017). Driving is not a game: Video game experience is associated with risk-taking behaviours in the driving simulator. Computers in Human Behavior, 69, 415-420.  Vingilis, E., Seeley, J., Wiesenthal, D. L., Wickens, C. M., Fischer, P., & Mann, R. E. (2013). Street racing video games and risk-taking driving: An Internet survey of automobile enthusiasts. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 50, 1-7.  Note: Journal articles are often behind paywalls. If you don't have institutional access but would like a copy of these papers please email Illeffectspod@gmail.com and we will happily send you a copy  Credits:  Hosts – Ben Litherland & Rich McCulloch  Music by -  Brutalust (Colin Frank and Maria Sappho), recorded and mixed by Joe Christman  Creative producer – Rachel Wood  Technical producer – Caroline Pringle  Technical production – Colin Frank

Before “deep focus” and “study beats” playlists came muzak—one of the most widespread (and widely hated) forms of music of the 20th Century. But does background music really have the power to improve worker productivity? To dictate our wine preferences? Or, God forbid, even affect how long we spend in our favourite brothel?!? Rich shows Ben that the genre’s history doesn’t always make for easy listening.  Show Notes: Sources and links:  Advertising Cliche (n.d.) “The Visual Primer of Advertising Cliches: Muzak Corporation” [amazing online archive of historical print ads]  Allan, David (2008) “Sound retailing: A Review of Experimental Evidence on the Effects of Music on Shopping Behavior,” in Tina M. Lowrey, ed. Brick & Mortar Shopping in the 21st Century. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.  Anderson, Paul Allen (2015) “Neo-muzak and the business of mood,” Critical Inquiry, 41(4).  Bradshaw, Alan, and Morris B. Holbrook (2008) “Must we have Muzak wherever we go? A critical consideration of the consumer culture,” Consumption, Markets and Culture, 11(1).  Camp, Gregory (2017) "Mickey Mouse Muzak: Shaping Experience Musically at Walt Disney World,” Journal of the Society for American Music, 11(1).  Chebat, Jean-Charles, Dominique Valiant, and Gelinas-Chebat (2000) “Does Background Music in a Store Enhance Salespersons' Persuasiveness?” Perceptual and Motor Skills, 91.  Hulyer, Jake (2018) “Inside the booming business of background music,” Guardian, 6th November.  Illouz, Eva (2018) “Introduction: emodities or the making of emotional commodities.” In Illouz, ed. Emotions as Commodities: Capitalism, Consumption and Authenticity. Routledge.   Inside the Score (2022) “Satie's Furniture Music: Designed to be Ignored?” [YouTube]  Gorbman, Claudia (1987) Unheard Melodies: Narrative Film Music. Indiana University Press.  Jones, Simon C. and Thomas G. Schumacher (1992) “Muzak: On Functional Music and Power,” Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 9(2).  Kotler, Philip (1974) “Atmospherics as a Marketing Tool,” Journal of Retailing, 49(4).  Lanza, Joseph (1994) Elevator Music: A Surreal History of Muzak, Easy-Listening, and Other Moodsong. 1st ed. Picador.   Mercer, Jason C. (2018) “Elevator Music -- MUZAK -- Stimulus Progression” [YouTube]  [Muzak ads archived]  North, Adrian C., David J. Hargreaves and Jennifer McKendrick (1999) “The Influence of In-Store Music on Wine Selections,” Journal of Applied Psychology, 84(2).  [Satie, Carrelage Phonique]   Veix, Joe (2019) “Fitter, happier, more productive: The odd history of ‘productivity music’” Dropbox: Work in Progress.   Incidental Music: Best of lofi hip hop 2023 🎉 - beats to relax/study to Artist(s) name – squeeda x tonbo - Inertia Provided by Lofi Girl – Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmKguZohAck Listen: Spotify Local Forecast - Elevator by Kevin MacLeod https://incompetech.com/ Promoted by MrSnooze  Creative Commons — CC BY 3.0 I https://goo.gl/Yibru5 Credits:  Hosts – Rich McCulloch and Ben Litherland   Music by -  Brutalust (Colin Frank and Maria Sappho), recorded and mixed by Joe Christman  Creative producer – Rachel Wood  Technical producer – Caroline Pringle  Technical production – Colin Frank

Ben takes Rich back to the landmark case study of a book that was accused of changing the world forever by containing descriptions of sex and swearwords. Join us for a 150-year history of obscenity laws, the power of literature to corrupt, swinging 60s, explicit fan fiction, and whether you’d want YOUR wife or servant reading this filth.   Show Notes:  Chandos, John (1962) To deprave and corrupt...”. Original Studies in the Nature and Definition of 'Obscenity' Associated Press.  Erlanson, Erik, et al. (2020) Forbidden Literature: Case Studies on Censorship. Kriterium.  [Video] Hawes, James (2006) The Chatterley Affair, BBC  Hilliard, Christopher (2013). “Is It a Book That You Would Even Wish Your Wife or Your Servants to Read?” Obscenity Law and the Politics of Reading in Modern England. The American Historical Review, 118(3), 653-678.  [Video] 1960: Lady Chatterley's Lover Goes on Sale  Ozimek, John and Julian Petley (2009) ‘Our outdated obscenity law’, The Guardian, 1st July.  Roberts, M. J. D. (1985). ‘Morals, Art, and the Law: The Passing of the Obscene Publications Act, 1857’, Victorian Studies, 28(4), 609-629.  Rolph, C. H. (1991). The Trial of Lady Chatterley: Regina V. Penguin Books Limited: The Transcript of the Trial. Penguin  Thomas, Nick (2013). “‘To-Night's Big Talking Point is Still that Book’ Popular Responses to the Lady Chatterley Trial”, Cultural and Social History, 10(4), 619-634.  Note: Journal articles are often behind paywalls. If you don't have institutional access but would like a copy of these papers please email Illeffectspod@gmail.com and we will happily send you one.  Credits:  Hosts – Rich McCulloch and Ben Litherland   Music by -  Brutalust (Colin Frank and Maria Sappho), recorded and mixed by Joe Christman  Creative producer – Rachel Wood  Technical producer – Caroline Pringle  Technical production – Colin Frank

Can the YouTube algorithm really turn you into a Flat Earther, or some other kind of radical conspiracy theorist? Rich takes Ben on a journey through terrible poetry, evangelical newsletters and 9/11 Truther videos. It turns out the “filter bubble” is an idea that might need bursting.   Show Notes:  Sources and links:  Blount, Lady Elizabeth (1898) “The ‘Why’ and ‘Because’” [poem included in her novel Adrian Galilio; Or, a Song Writer’s Story]  Bruns, Axel. (2019) Are Filter Bubbles Real? Polity Press.  Flat Earth News (1976-1994) [Newsletter of the Flat Earth Society]  Garwood, Christine (2008) Flat Earth: The History of an Infamous Idea. Pan Books.  Grusauskaite, Kamile, Luca Carbone, Jaron Harambam, and Stef Aupers (2023). “Debating (in) echo chambers: How culture shapes communication in conspiracy theory networks on YouTube,” New Media & Society. Online First.   Loose Change (2005) Dir. Dylan Avery. [Film]  Olshansky, Alex, Robert M. Peaslee and Asheley R. Landrum (2020) “Flat- Smacked! Converting to Flat Eartherism,” Journal of Media and Religion, 19(2).  Paolillo, John C. (2018) “The Flat Earth phenomenon on YouTube,” First Monday.   Pariser, Eli (2011) The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You. Penguin Books.  “Phillip Is Absolutely Baffled by the Men Who Believe the Earth Is Flat | This Morning” [Video]   Roose, Kevin (2020) Rabbit Hole, New York Times [Podcast]   Roose, Kevin (2021) “How a Viral Video Bent Reality,” New York Times, September 8.  Russell, Jeffrey Burton (1991) Inventing the Flat Earth. Praeger.   Sales, Nancy Jo (2006) “Click Here for Conspiracy”, Vanity Fair, October 10.   Sunstein, Cass R. (2001) Republic.com. Princeton University Press.  Note: Journal articles are often behind paywalls. If you don't have institutional access but would like a copy of these papers please email Illeffectspod@gmail.com and we will happily send you a copy  Credits:  Hosts – Rich McCulloch and Ben Litherland   Music by -  Brutalust (Colin Frank and Maria Sappho), recorded and mixed by Joe Christman  Creative producer – Rachel Wood  Technical producer – Caroline Pringle  Technical production – Colin Frank

Barbie has been accused of a lot over the last 7 decades, but her most enduring criticism is that she sets unrealistic beauty standards for young girls. Ben talks Rich through the curious history of Barbie as a toy and a “role model”, the sometimes-warped world of body image research, and a creepy life-size doll that walks on all fours.    Show Notes:  Anschutz, Doeschka J., and Rutger CME Engels (2010). "The effects of playing with thin dolls on body image and food intake in young girls." Sex Roles 63, 621-630.  [Video] CNN: Woman Makes Life-Size Barbie Look-Alike  Blood, S. K. (2004). Body Work: The Social Construction of Women's Body Image, Routledge.  Brownell, Kelly D., and Melissa A. Napolitano (1995). "Distorting reality for children: Body size proportions of Barbie and Ken dolls." International Journal of Eating Disorders 18.3, 295-298.  Dittmar, Helga, Emma Halliwell, and Suzanne Ive (2006). "Does Barbie make girls want to be thin? The effect of experimental exposure to images of dolls on the body image of 5-to 8-year-old girls." Developmental Psychology 42.2, 283.  Dockterman, Eliana (2016) ‘Barbie’s Got a New Body’, Time  Driscoll, Catherine. (2002). Girls: Feminine Adolescence in Popular Culture and Cultural Theory. Columbia University Press.  ‘Get Real Barbie Fact Sheet’  Henfield, M. (1990) ‘The Anorexics Aged Eight’, Daily Mail.  [Video] Mattel Barbie Commercial (1959)  Pearson, Marlys, and Paul R. Mullins (1999). "Domesticating Barbie: An archaeology of Barbie material culture and domestic ideology." International Journal of Historical Archaeology 3, 225-259.  Rand, Erica. (1995). Barbie's Queer Accessories. Duke University Press.  Note: Journal articles are often behind paywalls. If you don't have institutional access but would like a copy of these papers please email Illeffectspod@gmail.com and we will happily send you a copy Credits:  Hosts – Rich McCulloch and Ben Litherland   Music by -  Brutalust (Colin Frank and Maria Sappho), recorded and mixed by Joe Christman  Creative producer – Rachel Wood  Technical producer – Caroline Pringle  Technical production – Colin Frank

When two children murdered toddler James Bulger in 1993, the British media lost their damn minds and tried to blame a horror video. Rich tells Ben that this argument really started a decade earlier with the “video nasties” panic. Join us as we unravel a tangled web of sensationalism, fraudulent research, and some truly bizarre claims about dogs.   Show Notes:  Links and references:  Bailey, Susan (1996) “Adolescents who murder,” Journal of Adolescence, 19, 19-39.   Barker, Martin and Julian Petley, eds. (2001) Ill Effects: The Media/Violence Debate. Routledge. (Especially Barker’s chapter on the Newson Report)  Barker, Martin, ed. (1984) Video Nasties: Freedom and Censorship in the Media. Pluto Press. (Check out Brian Brown’s chapter for the incredible full story about Clifford Hill’s research)  Barlow, Geoffrey and Alison Hill, eds. (1985) Video Violence and Children. Hodder & Stoughton.  Cumberbatch, Guy (1994) “Legislating mythology: Video violence and children,” Journal of Mental Health, 3:4, 485-494.  Newson, Elizabeth (1994) “Video violence and the protection of children,” Journal of Mental Health, 3:2, 221-227  [Video] 'Suitable For Viewing In The Home ?' (Video Censorship & Video Nasties Documentary). YouTube.  [Film] Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape (2010). Dir. Jake West.  Note: Journal articles are often behind paywalls. If you don't have institutional access but would like a copy of these papers please email Illeffectspod@gmail.com and we will happily send you a copy. Credits:  Hosts – Rich McCulloch and Ben Litherland   Music by  - Brutalust (Colin Frank and Maria Sappho), recorded and mixed by Joe Christman  Creative producer – Rachel Wood  Technical producer – Caroline Pringle  Technical production – Colin Frank

Welcome to ILL EFFECTS - the good podcast about bad media influences. Can a horror film turn kids into killers? Can music make you more productive? Can a video game cause dangerous driving? Dr Rich McCulloch and Dr Ben Litherland investigate the bad faith arguments, dodgy data, and moral panics behind claims that the media influence our behaviour and manipulate our minds. Each episode they take a deep dive into the past and present of the media that have been said to cause any number of effects, researching music, video games, movies, books, toys, and more. What power does the media really have? Find out in the first series of bi-weekly discussions of Ill Effects. First two episodes released 29th February 2024