Through New Initiative #TheTalk, MTV to Engage its Audiences
in a "Color Brave" Conversation Led by Cultural Figures Including
Kendrick Lamar, Common, Big Sean, Ava DuVernay, David Oyelowo, Penn
Badgley, Jordin Sparks, Pete Wentz, Sen. Rand Paul, Rep. John Lewis,
Sen. Cory Booker and more
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
MTV
today announced an expansion of its Look Different anti-bias
campaign called #TheTalk, a multiscreen effort to encourage its
audience to have candid, confident and "color brave" conversations on
race with family and friends. According to a 2014 MTV study*, 73% of
Millennials believe having more open constructive conversations about
bias would help people become less prejudiced.
Artist and activist Common shares his perspective on race as part of MTV's #TheTalk. (Photo: Business Wire)
"Millennials believe strongly in fairness, but they can also find it
difficult to talk openly about race - to be not simply ‘color blind' but
‘color brave,'" said Stephen Friedman, President of MTV. "Our audience
is looking for a way to bring the national conversation on race into
their homes and this campaign will give them a forum to express true
color bravery."
#TheTalk will begin at 9:00 a.m. ET/PT on Martin Luther
King, Jr. Day when MTV will kick off a 12-hour period in which all
programming will air in black and white for the first time in the
network's history. Every commercial block will begin with personal
reflections on race from luminaries including Kendrick Lamar, Common,
Big Sean, Ava DuVernay, David Oyelowo, Penn Badgley, Jordin Sparks, Pete
Wentz, Sen. Rand Paul, Rep. John Lewis, Sen. Cory Booker and more.
An excerpt from MTV's "Talk" with Ava DuVernay:
"To be color blind is not a thing I think that one should boast
about. See color and celebrate it. See our differences and celebrate it.
When someone says to me ‘I'm color blind, I don't see color', I'm
thinking they're missing out..."
On-air creative on MTV, MTV2, mtvU, MTV Hits, MTV Jams and a
comprehensive editorial push across MTV's online, mobile and social
platforms will encourage audience members to share their own reflections
using the #thetalk and get involved through the Look Different
website, LookDifferent.org.
MTV will share many of the audience contributions on-air and online.
MTV's Look Different campaign launched in April 2014, and
continues to be shaped by the network's research and insights on young
people and race, gender and sexual orientation. According to the same
2014 MTV study*, many Millennials were raised to believe they shouldn't
acknowledge racial differences with 84% saying their family taught them
that everyone should be treated the same, regardless of race.
However, this well-intentioned approach has its drawbacks. Millennials
often feel blinded to lingering historical inequities because they've so
seldom discussed race openly. The MTV study found that 63% of
Millennials rarely talk with their family about race and 54% agree that
it is hard to have a respectful conversation about bias in person or
online. However, 69% of Millennials would love the opportunity to have
an open respectful and judgment-free conversation about bias. These
findings, coupled with the recent events in Ferguson, Cleveland, New
York and elsewhere, inspired the creation of The Talk.
To learn more about #TheTalk and view embeddable video
testimonials from artists and activists, please visit MTVNews.com
and Lookdifferent.org/videos/the-talk.
LookDifferent.org
will also provide resources for learning more about racial
stereotypes, tips on how to take action on issues of racial bias, and
different conversations other young people have had on race. Resources
include an Implicit Bias Quiz, shareable media and opportunities to get
involved with leading organizations fighting bias.
*2014 MTV/David Binder Research Study. For full results,
please click here.
About MTV:
MTV is the world's premier youth entertainment brand. With a global
reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home
of the Millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in
creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and
creates pop culture with its Emmy®, Grammy® and Peabody® award-winning
content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and
activism across TV, online and mobile. MTV's sibling networks MTV2 and
mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music
fans and college students, and its online hub MTV.com
is a leading destination for music, news and pop culture. MTV, a unit of
Viacom Inc. (NASDAQ: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world's leading creators of
programming and content across all media platforms. For more
information, go to www.mtvpress.com.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20150118005022/en/
MTV:
Mark Jafar, 212-846-8961
Mark.Jafar@mtvstaff.com
or
Stephanie
Perez, 212-846-6924
Stephanie.Perez@mtvstaff.com
Source: MTV
News Provided by Acquire Media