Culture Vulture alert

If you want to know what's coming 'next' with the trend starters of our culture, young people, then join me in subscribing to the e-letter from Youth Intelligence by clicking on http://www.trendcentral.com/newsletter/.

Samples:

The past year has seen an increase in political discussion and activism and even those that aren’t old enough to vote yet are now expressing a high interest in politics. An online surveyamong 400 14-18 year olds conducted by Youth Intelligence and OTX found that:

Politics are on the lips and minds of teens: • 89% have discussed the election with friends in the past 3 months. • 85% would vote in the election if they could.• 74% have followed the election coverage in the media. • 61% are interested in keeping up with politics.• 45% say that it is important for them to share their political viewswith others.

Despite what's going on in the world, teens continue to feel empowered and optimistic about their future:• 80% feel that their voice counts.• 83% feel that they can make a difference.• 76% feel optimistic that “things will be okay”.• 62% believe that we can beat terrorism.

Teens want their news to be entertaining...and they want more of it. • 73% of young people would be interested in a news program geared specifically for their generation.• Jon Stewart is considered the favorite new presenter by almost 1/3 (28%) of young people due, in no doubt, to his humor and relatability.They may consider The Daily Show the closest thing they have to “news for them”.

Oprah for president!• When asked who they would most like to see as president (given a list):• Oprah Winfrey 24%• Hilary Clinton 22%• Arnold Schwarzenegger 22%• Jay-Z 10%• Jon Stewart 10%• Drew Barrymore 7%• Michael Moore 5%

Family Bonds: Desperate Housewives is getting all the attention, but another new winner this season is this HBO documentary series about an eccentric, New York-based bounty-hunting family. This is a side of reality TV you definitely won’t see on a major network. www.hbo.com/familybonds

Youth Intelligence has just completed its first Latino Intelligence Report, a comprehensive study of 14-24-year-old Hispanics in the US, covering identity, language, media, shopping, entertainment, style and beyond. The Latino Intelligence Report will be available this week, and was co-directed with Christy Haubegger, a noted authority on Hispanic trends and founder of Latina magazine.

Here are a few findings from the report:

Language: Today, most young Hispanics don't define their Latino Identity by the language they speak. Instead, they define being Hispanic more in terms of maintaining their community's traditions and cultures through family, music, and food.

Pioneers: Young Hispanics often see themselves as pioneers. Many young Latinos are the first in their families to finish high school or ollege, making them feel "different" at home and puts them in somewhat onely position in that their parents are not able to offer guidance onmany of the issues they're dealing with. As the first in their families nd community to succeed, they feel they are acutely marking a path for uture generations of Latinos.

Setting trends for the Mainstream Public: Young Latinos take great pride n the fact that they are setting trends for general population onsumers. As African-American culture becomes mainstream, the general opulation is looking to Hispanic culture for the next generation oftrends. Shows such as Pimp My Ride speak to the acceptance of Hispanics’ ongstanding interest in car-culture, and reggaeton is making its mark n the music world with artists such as Tego Calderon. Watch for more rends to emerge from this space.

Party Crews: Almost a high school version of the Greek system, many Latino teens are into forming “party crews”. These crews work together to create elaborate flyers, promotion, and music for regular parties. Like fraternities and sororities, there are brother and sister crews who support each others parties (where they charge admission to make money). These crews speak to the fact that community is so important to young Latinos.

Celebrities: Dave Chappelle and Angelina Jolie were consistent celebrity favorites among young Latinos. In general, young Hispanics say that they admire celebrities that exhibit core vales they can relate to on a cultural level. Both Dave Chappelle and Angelina Jolie fit this ideal, and are well-liked because there is a perception that they speak their minds and are not concerned with what others think.

Movies: Hispanics are disproportionate moviegoers and see approximately 33% more movies per year than their non-Hispanic counterparts. Their tastes in movies, however, are fairly consistent with the general population, with action/adventure and comedy movies both ranking highly among young Latinos. Qualitatively, horror films were spoken of passionately and “car movies” were of notable interest.