The past two weeks have been filled with examples of the power of consumers and our ability to use our wallets and voices for change. Together, we forced Pepsi to take down their latest ad. The tone-deaf spot featuring Kendall Jenner as the leader of a generic resistance movement. The ad co-opted and commodified imagery from #BlackLivesMatter protests and other movements. That’s why we sprang into action, tweeting at Pepsi that we’re #NotBuyingIt. Hundreds of tweets and less than twenty-four hours later, the company was forced to apologize and pull the ad!
And we’re still fighting to hold others accountable. Thanks to you, fifty companies have suspended their advertising on The O’Reilly Factor once it came to light that Fox paid a combined $13 million to settle sexual harassment claims against the host. With more than 1,750 companies having blacklisted hate-speech website Breitbart, consumers continue to pressure Amazon and others to publicly remove their ads from the website. This week, let’s celebrate the power of our voice by sharing how we got Pepsi to remove their ad and use it as inspiration to engage your family and friends in the movement. Together, let’s continue to hold brands accountable for the messages and values they promote and propagate.
Onwards,
Jennifer Siebel Newsom & The Representation Project Team
Join Us in NYC for a Free Screening of The Mask You Live In with Special Guest Matt McGorry
Join Axe, The Representation Project, and special guest Matt McGorry, for a conversation following a screening of Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s award-winning film, The Mask You Live In. This powerful documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2015 and follows boys and young men as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America’s narrow definition of masculinity.
Axe, Unilever’s leading male grooming brand, and The Representation Project are launching #Unmasked: The Mask You Live In Global Tour in New York with screenings and activations in the US, UK, and Mexico. Together, we want to tackle outdated ideas and definitions of masculinity and the pressures to conform to these labels. We want to inspire guys to define “man” for themselves and express their own individuality. Through screenings of The Mask You Live In, pro-social messaging, and the power of the Axe brand, boys and men can redefine what it means to “Be a Man,” express their true selves, and be liberated from toxic labels. Register today.
Thank You for Applying to Our 2017 Global Youth Advisory Council
Thanks to all who applied to our 2017 Global Youth Advisory Council! We received many great applicants and will be selecting the twenty members for this year’s class, along with five alternates. Keep an eye on your email the week of April 24th to see if you’ll be joining us as part of the 2017 Global Youth Advisory Council.
Representation Around the Web
“”I am a strong, black woman and I cannot be intimidated, I cannot be undermined, I cannot be thought to be afraid of Bill O’Reilly or anybody. And I’d like to say to women out there everywhere, don’t allow these right-wing talking heads, these dishonorable people to intimidate you or scare you. Be who you are. Do what you do. And let us get on with discussing the real issues of this country. Bill O’Reilly and Roger Ailes have no credibility. They have been sued by women. They’ve had to pay millions of dollars out in fines for harassment and other kinds of things. And so we know about that checkered past. We also know that when a woman stands up and speaks truth to power that there will be attempts to put her down. And so I’m not going to be put down, I’m not going to go anywhere. I’m going to stay on the issues.” – Congresswoman Maxine Waters, via MSNBC
- Adweek: This Funny Down Syndrome Ad Will Change the Way You Feel About “Special Needs”
- Mamalode: An Interview With Jennifer Siebel Newsom
- Mic: Joe Biden Just Released a Powerful PSA about Rape Culture
- The New York Times: Giant Breast Erected on Top of London Building to Counter Stigma Over Breastfeeding
- Teen Vogue: Sexist Prom Dress Code Posters Put Up at Florida High School
- Vanity Fair: Research Shows Donald Trump Is Making Men More Sexist
Hundreds question GQ‘s story describing Roger Federer as
the “greatest tennis player of all time” instead of Serena Williams.
Image via Miss Representation‘s Instagram