JWT, Emma Watson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Viacom and More: Gender News Weekly

Viacom Takes Over NYC Buildings for Social Change

Viacom has launched a series of PSAs in a campaign titled “Witness the Power of the Story” to combat gender and racial bias, Adweek reports. Each of Viacom’s networks, including MTV, CMT, VH1, Spike and BET, will roll out a different message of social good targeted at their audience. After strategically picking NYC buildings related to each cause, common stereotypes and stats were projected onto them creating the effect of giant digital billboards. MTV’s video, for example, tackled sexism, highlighting the destructive messages that both men and women hear, including, “She’s so sensitive,” “This is a man’s job,” and “Man up.” “Ending bias starts with seeing it,” the video concludes. CMT’s campaign, projected on the side of an armory, focused on veterans; VH1’s asked passersby at the Brooklyn Academy of Music to “Save the Music,” and BET’s message sought to empower African American Millennials. Viacom viewers and passerby were encouraged to share their own #story4change on social media. Click on the images below to watch MTV’s and BET’s videos.

Beer and Diapers? Baby Showers for Dads-to-Be On the Rise

According to new research from Pinterest, baby showers that are more inclusive of men are more popular than ever, and traditionally masculine pleasures -- i.e. beer, BBQ and poker -- are emerging as popular party themes, Mashable reports. Last year, the search for “man showers” increased by 149% and the gender-neutral “co-ed showers” increased by 255%. While baby showers are still largely female-only events, new dads and couples are slowly challenging this long-lasting tradition, and more and more brands are coming out with male-friendly childcare necessities, including stylish diaper bags for men. "There's a lot of 'American' tradition around bridal showers and baby showers for women, so it was nice to put something on the calendar for my friends. I'm sure a lot of other men would enjoy the same. Some of my guy friends who are now parents had planned something similar (like a gathering or a weekend trip with their friends)," one dad told Mashable. Check out how some dads prepared for their “Dad-chelor” party below.