Kids Off The Couch: Memorial Day Weekend 2011!

Summer is Upon Us

Good news: it's going to be sunny by Monday, so get your BBQ prep done early (while the kids are studying for exams or finishing up their spring sports). We've had a chance to look at most of the new art shows around town, so you can have the summer's cultural outings planned before June even begins.

MOVIES in THEATERS: There's plenty of raunch in the theaters for adults, from Bridesmaids to Hangover Part II so if that's not your thing, drop in on a worthy kid option (Kung Fu Panda 2) or check out the films that were well received in Cannes last week: Midnight in Paris from Woody Allen (starring Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams) or Terrance Malick's much awaited The Tree of Life.

ART AROUND TOWN: We got a sneak peek at what will surely be this summer's must-see show, LACMA's Tim Burton, which is lots of fun. We will write up a comprehensive report next week, but mark your calendar to take advantage of a fabulous line-up of Burton films, screening at the museum throughout June. Show is expected to be a blockbuster, so get your advance entry tickets now. The Getty Center's Paris: Life and Luxury employs an engaging organizing theory, with objects from a Parisian household presented by the "Four Times of Day." We were particularly impressed with a spectacular golden bed where the women of the household performed their "toilette" while receiving (what a concept!). The Skirball Cultural Center's Houdini: Art and Magic is great for magic-loving tweens, and we also loved The Annenberg Space for Photography's Beauty Culture. Be sure to head downtown for MOCA's Art in the Streets, showcasing large-scale, colorful graffiti art that is a hit with everyone from 8-80. If your kids are into street culture, check out a related show at the Pasadena Museum of California Art featuring the work of the Clayton Brothers. And, while you're sipping lemonade by the pool, don't forget to peruse this season's Hollywood Bowl schedule which includes a Grease Sing-A-Long, Hall and Oats for the July 4th Fireworks Spectacular and Hairspray with the original Broadway cast of Harvey Fierstein and Marissa Jaret Winokur.

Subscriber Tip: A loyal KOTC-er gave us the heads up about a new show at the Santa Monica Museum of Art -- a video installation by filmmaker Marco Brambilla, called The Dark Lining, that uses film clips in pastiche to create a new narrative. Our subscriber's kids, who are 11 and 13, thought it was the "coolest art show ever".

MEMORIAL DAY ACTIVITIES: In lieu of parades, LA has wonderful regional celebrations starting today, such as Topanga Days, the Valley Greek Festival and a Jazz Reggae Festival at UCLA.

Ideas: Stumped by what to get a graduate in your life? Check out Flavorpill's grad gift guide. While you're thinking about college and careers, consider that PayPal's Peter Thiel is plucking kids out of college and supporting their entrepreneurial ideas with $100,000. Not a bad idea considering this sobering report on the highest (and lowest) paying careers.

And, Finally: We were moved by this YouTube video about the dangers of melanoma. Titled "Dear 16 year-old Me," it's a powerful reminder to young people that their "skin never forgets". Good-bye tanning beds, hello sunscreen.

We'll be back next week with the June Radar Screen.

Kids Off The Couch

If you like what we do, please tell a friend to sign up! info@kidsoffthecouch.com

www.kidsoffthecouch.com

Kids (Teens) Off The Couch: Beauty Culture at The Annenberg Space for Photography

Thinking About our Beauty Obsession

For Parents and Teens

At a certain point, young girls pick up fashion magazines and the longing begins. By the time they get to their Senior Prom, they are capable of turning themselves out as the epitome of youth and beauty. High-school girls can flaunt their Facebook status this month, but they know just how many hours of work (dress and shoe shopping, hair and nail appointments) went into presenting their pretty faces.

A new show at The Annenberg Space for Photography,Beauty Culture, reminds us that we have always had a cult of beauty, from Marilyn Monroe to Elizabeth Taylor to Gisele Bundchen. As a parent, it's easy to blame the media stranglehold that inundates our children at an early age, and perhaps we react strongly because images of perfect models are so prevalent in our kids' lives. The proliferation of plastic surgery and the advanced technology that allows a photograph to be altered create a juggernaut of perfection that squeezes us all, no matter how old we are. As our children grow up, and as parents deal with their own aging parents (and as we ourselves get older!), it's especially important to retain power over our own sense of self.

Beauty Culture happens to open during a week of stunning news about image and sexuality, starting with the startling news that a mother had given her nine year-old Botox before competition in a beauty pageant, Arnold Schwarzenegger's infidelity and the arrest of the head of the IMF for sexually assaulting a maid in his NYC hotel. More than ever, it's tricky to talk with kids about these topics. The Annenberg's new show, which will be on display through Thanksgiving, aims to create a discussion about just these problems. The images, from over 170 photographers, are organized around questions such as: "What Size is Beauty?" and "What Color is Beauty?" In the gallery's inner sanctum visitors may watch a half-hour film by Lauren Greenfield that goes behind the glossy magazine images to deconstruct the messages that are delivered nonstop by the advertising and cosmetic industries; Greenfield interviews models who are struggling with weight and age issues, older models and photographers who spend their lives making the images that create such a culture of beauty. The Annenberg is a cozy space, so we like to drop in and look at the images before heading off to lunch at one of the restaurants that are nestled into the park between the office towers.

Red Flag: Because these topics are intense, it's not a show for kids under fourteen. Recommended for teenagers and their parents, and parents on a date night.

What: Beauty Culture opens this weekend and runs through November 27. Don't miss the Microsoft Surface Tables, where visitors can interact with additional images. Also, a workshop in the back room of the gallery allows guests to alter their own image digitally. The Annenberg Space for Photography, 2000 Avenue of the Stars in Century City (LA 90069). Open from 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM; closed Monday and Tuesday. Parking is EASY, under the building. Admission is FREE.

Lauren Greenfield: We're big fans of Lauren Greenfield's work in documentary photography and film making, where she has tackled contemporary issues, such as kids and money and our obsession with being thin. Click here to visit her website and view more images from her previous books, Girl Culture and Fast Forward: Growing up in the Shadow of Hollywood.

Kids Off The Couch

If you like what we do, please tell a friend to sign up! info@kidsoffthecouch.com

www.kidsoffthecouch.com

Watch "Glory" + Civil War Reenactments = Kids Off The Couch

Bringing History to Life

Heritage Days This Weekend at Pierce College May 14-15

On the edge of the Boston Common, facing the gold-domed State House, is a bronze frieze that commemorates the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. Tourists gazing at the State House inevitably find themselves drawn to Augustus Saint-Gaudens's handsome bronze relief. The 54th Massachusetts was the first African American contingent of the US Army, led by Bostonian Robert Gould Shaw. We recently stood before the gorgeous memorial which, in fact, inspired screenwriter Kevin Jarre to research and write Glory, an enduring film that immortalizes this brave regiment.

The first shots of the civil war were fired at Fort Sumter 150 years ago last month, and the South's grand battle sites, such as Gettysburg, Fredericksburg and Manassas, are experiencing record tourist traffic this spring. The need to review our history is, perhaps, even more powerful at a time when war continues to dominate the headlines. Californians can explore the Civil War's legacy as well. This weekend, Pierce College hosts its annual Civil War Heritage Days(Saturday and Sunday, May 14-15), where hundreds of volunteers stage cavalry charges, artillery barrages, infantry assaults, Victorian dancing and military drills, and demonstrate skills and crafts from the era -- all designed to bring history to life for a new generation. An afternoon of watching a battle reenactment will enable elementary school-aged kids to think about the basics of a soldier's life, and compare them to changes in weaponry, battle planning and medical assistance over the past 150 years.

The Movie: Glory (rated R) is a graphic tale of war and, therefore, not necessarily a match for your fifth grader studying the Civil War. That being said, it's a powerful tale about how a band of black soldiers came together under a white commanding officer in the days immediately preceding Lincoln's decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation. The 54th Massachusetts' final march to Fort Wagner is nearly a suicide mission, and the film portrays difficult battle scenes. Powerfully told and made with meticulous attention to historical detail, Glory is recommended viewing for tweens and teens, if you think they can handle the violence. Watching the film as a family can stimulate valuable discussions about racism and war. Starring Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington and Morgan Freeman, directed by Edward Zwick and featuring the music of James Horner,Glory garnered five Oscar nominations and took home three gold statues; Washington took home the Best Supporting Actor award. (1989, Rated R, 122 minutes).

Visit Fort Tejon: Fort Tejon (70 miles north of LA in the Grapevine) has a robust Civil War history program. This link, to Calfornia's Civil War Alliance, provides more information on Civil War reenactment in CA.

On screenwriter Kevin Jarre: Glory's screenwriter, Kevin Jarre, died this past spring.Click here for his obituary, which details how a love of history led him to research this story and bring it to the world.

Your Reading List: Click here for a blog about good Civil War literature for kids, including Soldier's Heart by Gary Paulson for fifth graders and up.

More from the New York Times: Here is a great article detailing trips to lesser known historical sites throughout the South and a slide show of stunning images from contemporary reenactments.

Kids Off The Couch

If you like what we do, please tell a friend to sign up! info@kidsoffthecouch.com

www.kidsoffthecouch.com

Kids OFF The Couch: Houdini at the Skirball Cultural Center

Magic and Mystery from an Icon

There are figures in history for whom fascination never fades. Houdini sits high atop that list -- albeit, with shackles around his wrists! The famed magician and escape artist is such an icon of popular culture that when we saw photographs of him at Houdini: Art and Magic, a fabulous new show at the Skirball Cultural Center, we were shocked into remembering that he was actually a real person. Somehow, he always seemed like a figment of our collective imagination.

The show, which is the first to explore Houdini's life and legacy, includes the most wondrous of Houdini's props: a straightjacket, the Metamorphosis Trunk, the Milk Can that was part of his "greatest trick," and a faithful reproduction of The Water Torture Cell, one of the tanks into which he was padlocked and submerged. We stood before each object and imagined how cramped his body must have been in each vessel, and wondered what would make a man risk his life to perform such a feat. The colorful show is full of artifacts, such as never-before-seen personal diaries and photographs and a slew of contemporary art inspired by his antics. Grown-ups can pore over these rarities but kids will be more interested in footage of Houdini escaping from a straightjacket above Times Square, clips from his numerous silent films and Penn and Teller's hilarious send-up of the Water Torture Cell trick.

Best Houdini Facts: Houdini died on Halloween Day, 1926. His collection of books on magic was so extensive that his widow donated it to the Library of Congress after his death.

Best Houdini Feat: We could debate this forever, but no one would argue that Houdini was a master at marketing and self-promotion. Even if that were his most finely tuned skill, it's still incredible that he captured the imagination of the world, and continues to do so to this day. His humble origins and seemingly super-human ability to escape from bondage are thought to have represented a freedom from tyranny, an idea that captured the hearts of a generation of immigrants.

Accompanying Show: A side-bar to the Houdini show is Masters of Illusion: Jewish Magicians of the Golden Age, which is chock-full of magical toys and colorful circus-like posters that helped us understand how Houdini fit into a long history of magic. In ancient times, folks thought that magicians were practicing witchcraft. Houdini's mastery of his tricks helped popularize the skill of illusion, which led to the more modern view of magic as entertainment.

Programming Through the Summer: Check the Skirball's website for a complete listing of worthy lectures and screenings that expand upon the topic of Houdini, including strolling magicians on summer Sundays, and extensive family programing, including a Sleepover in July, and Presto Change-O, a day full of magic on Sunday, May 15 that includes a wonderful documentary called Make Believe.

Related Movies and Books for Adults: Houdini starred in several silent films, clips of which are on view in the exhibit and also on the big screen at the Skirball in July. (You can purchase them on DVD at the gift shop, too). A few interesting movies have been made about him, but none seems to have been able to truly capture the mystery that was the man. Notably, Tony Curtis played Houdini in 1953, and the esteemed director Gillian Armstrong made a film called Death Defying Acts in 2008 starring Guy Pearce and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Fiction seems to have captured the magician's aura much better, at least for our taste. We loved all three of these books, and think the trio would make an excellent summer reading list: Ragtime: A Novel by E.L. Doctorow,Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold, and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon.

Both shows will be at the Skirball Cultural Center through Labor Day weekend, so be sure to catch them before they... disappear!

Kids Off The Couch

If you like what we do, please tell a friend to sign up! info@kidsoffthecouch.com

www.kidsoffthecouch.com

Kids Off The Couch: What's On Our Los Angeles May Radar Screen

No More Showers, it's Time for Flowers

Train Day Ticket Giveaway

May, how do we love thee? Let us count the ways: Mother's Day, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Cinco de Mayo and a three-day weekend for Memorial Day. As much as we may revel, we know that the end of the month means just one thing: School's out in one second flat!

Train Day Invitation: PBS Kids and the Jim Henson Company have organized a special day to celebrate National Train Day at the Los Angeles Live Steamers -- Your junior conductors and engineers can spend the afternoon riding the trains and singing along with DINOSAUR TRAIN creator Craig Bartlett. Kids Off the Couch has 10 sets of Family Four-Packs to give away to our subscribers. The event takes place on Saturday, May 7 from 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM. The event is not open to the public, so send us a note if you want to be in the ticket giveaway for this fun afternoon.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Two days of bugs and other crawly things mark the Natural History Museum's wildly popular Bug Fair, Saturday and Sunday, May 14-15. Fair is free to members, or with museum admission. If bugs aren't your thing, come by the Hammer on May 15 and participate in theKids Art Museum Project, in which artists help kids make art (all to benefit kids programming at the Hammer!). Finally, the Skirball Cultural Center is hosting an afternoon of magic in conjunction with their new show Houdini: Art and Magic(which we'll tell you more about next week) so mark your calenders for Presto Chango: Magic Day at the Skirball on May 14 from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM.

MIDDLE SCHOOL: The Los Angeles Times Festival of Bookstakes place this weekend (April 30-May 1). Check out the festival's iPhone or Android App, that will help your family navigate the event's new location, at USC. We love to go to this annual event and discover new books, ideas and authors - it's all FREE! Click here for the Target Children's Stage line-up for Saturday, and here for Sunday. If you're a history buff, make some time to check out the Magna Carta, on view at LACMA until May 5. Or, tee-up the topic of European history digital style, and soak up The Royal Wedding -- Kate marries William tomorrow -- it's practically Wedding Day in London already, so set those DVRs!

TEENS: If your teens are trying to fulfill their community service hours, jump aboard the citywide volunteer effort that is BIG SUNDAY, May 15. MOCA's graffiti show, Art in the Streets, is sure to stir up some controversy, so let them form their own opinion. Oh, and there happens to be a little stage show they might like -- the GLEE LIVE tour is coming to Staples on May 28 (with an afternoon and evening show).

Mothers and Other Favorite Mammals: One of our most-viewed Popcorn Adventures teaches how to explore the downtown Flower Mart. We paired it with My Fair Lady, so take a look and we promise you'll never pay flower shop prices for anyone (even Mom) again. Also, local seals and dolphin are suffering from another outbreak of an algae that affects their nervous system. We visited the Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro a few years back, on another Popcorn Adventure, and you can do the same. Call ahead to see what supplies the kids can bring to donate.

PARENTS: Here's a worthy date night event: Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson gather friends for a reading of The Merry Wives of Windsor to benefit The Shakespeare Company of Los Angeles, at UCLA Live on Monday, May 9.

Pasadena Lovers: Pasadenans love their neighborhood so much that it can make a Westsider jealous. We just read a hilarious new book by Lian Dolan called Helen of Pasadena, a breezy romance about a woman who returns to work after her husband drops dead -- it's set at the Huntington Gardens and full of spot-on observations about the mommy wars and parenting in Southern California. And, for a taste of the neighborhood, you can explore all the Museums of the Arroyo for free on Sunday, May 15 from noon to 5:00 PM.

Food News The Market at Santa Monica Place is set to open on May 20, presumably in time for summer. We're very excited that Homeboy Industries -- a company formed by Father Greg Boyle to put gang kids back to work -- is selling their salsa and chips at Ralph's. Support them by purchasing their products or by donating online.

Kids Off The Couch

If you like what we do, please tell a friend to sign up! info@kidsoffthecouch.com

www.kidsoffthecouch.com

Kids Off The Couch LA: Secretariat + Santa Anita Park

A Visit to the Winner's Circle

Everything changes so fast in Los Angeles that it can be a real treat to experience something that's been around for ages. Our kids loved hearing stories about their grandmother's trips to Santa Anita Park with her friends way back in ancient times (i.e., the 1970s). When we decided to go visit Santa Anita, it was like reliving Grandma's stories. We visited the Winner's Circle and the infield, then we hung out at the rail to watch the buglers play and the horses speed by. We had a wonderful day even though (unlike Grandma) we didn't place a single bet! And we got another visit to the past when we checked out Secretariat, the 2010 movie about the greatest race horse of all time. Starring Diane Lane and John Malkovich, Secretariat took us into the world of horse racing as well as right down onto the race track itself, as we followed the story of the great Triple Crown winner. We found the movie inspiring and exciting, and it had a special meaning to us when we watched it right after seeing Thoroughbreds in action at the track! (Click here for our tips on visiting the track, a Food Truck Festival on May 14, and our experience taking the Tram Tour which concentrates on another great racehorse, Seabiscuit).

Kids Off The Couch

If you like what we do, please tell a friend to sign up!info@kidsoffthecouch.com

www.kidsoffthecouch.com