Lexibook Partners with ViacomCBS for Baby Shark Children's Electronics in France

Lexibook has announced a partnership with ViacomCBS Consumer Products to produce an exciting range of children's electronics inspired by the iconic Baby Shark brand in France!

Under the licensing agreement, Lexibook will launch three flagship products by the end of the year: a bilingual talking children's tablet, a CD player and stereo headphones.

The Bilingual French/English Baby Shark tablet will offers users the opportunity to learn while having fun thanks to a "quiz" mode. With their CD player, children will be able to sing alone or in duet with friends and family thanks to two microphones. Finally, the adjustable headphones have been specially adapted with a volume limiter for children.

Following the launch of the initial three products, Lexibook is slated to expand its range of Baby Shark products in 2021.

Baby Shark launched on YouTube in November 2015 and took the world by storm, amassing 5.7 billion views and becoming the second most-watched video in the platform’s history. With music, characters, story and dance all combined together, the song recorded a 20-week-streak on the Billboard Hot 100 and spawned a viral phenomenon #BabySharkChallenge, generating over one million cover videos around the globe.

Nickelodeon, a division of ViacomCBS Networks, and SmartStudy, the global entertainment company behind the beloved children’s brand, Pinkfong, announced in June 2019 that they are partnering to develop a new original animated series based on Baby Shark for global distribution, while ViacomCBS Consumer Products (VCP) will be managing consumer products licensing worldwide, excluding Asia, for the property. Titled Baby Shark’s Big Show!, Nickelodeon's Baby Shark animated series is currently in production, and set to debut on Nickelodeon in the U.S. with an all-new original holiday special this December, with premieres rolling out across its preschool platforms in spring 2021. Following the U.S. launch, the series will roll out on Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. channels internationally.

Lexibook previously partnered with Nickelodeon France for PAW Patrol-branded children's electronics in France.

From CercleFinance.com:

LEXIBOOK: TROIS NOUVEAUX PRODUITS SOUS LICENCE BABY SHARK

Lexibook annonce la signature avec Viacom International de la licence Baby Shark, une série d'animation destinée aux plus jeunes.

Trois nouveaux produits phares seont lancés sous cette licence à la fin de l'année, une tablette éducative parlante, un lecteur CD ainsi qu'un casque audio stéréo.

Bilingue français/anglais, la tablette offre la possibilité d'apprendre tout en s'amusant grâce à un mode " quizz ". Avec leur lecteur CD les enfants pourront chanter seuls ou en duo grâce à deux microphones. Enfin, le casque ajustable a été spécialement adapté aux enfants avec une puissance sonore limitée.

Ces produits sont les premiers d'une gamme qui sera étoffée pour 2021.

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From Bourse Direct:

Lexibook licencié Baby Shark

Lexibook a signé avec Viacom International une licence Baby Shark, la série d'animation coproduite par les studios Nickelodeon.

Parmi les nouveautés, trois nouveaux produits Baby Shark phares lancés sur la fin d'année : une tablette éducative parlante, un lecteur CD et un casque audio stéréo.

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Plus Nick: Nickelodeon Dives In With All-New 'Baby Shark' Animated Preschool Series 'Baby Shark’s Big Show!' !

Additional source: TradingSat.

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October 2020 on Noggin Brazil: Top Wing | Tinpo | PAW Patrol | Halloween + More

This October, Noggin, the learning subscription service for pre-schoolers from Nickelodeon's preschool brand Nick Jr., will be treating subscribers to the all new show Top Wing as well brand new episodes Tinpo and PAW Patrol: Ultimate Rescue, plus a spooktacular Halloween season feature spooky specials of fan-favourite Noggin shows, including: Paw Patrol, Kiva Can Do, Becca's Bunch and Dora and Friends: Into The City!

From TudoCelular.com:

Novidades no Noggin: veja o que chega ao catálogo em outubro de 2020

Plataforma da Nickelodeon lançada em 2015, o Noggin anunciou quais são as novidades para o mês de outubro, disponíveis aos assinantes. O serviço de streaming tem o foco voltado ao público infantil.

Os destaques para o décimo mês de 2020 são a estreia de Top Wing, novos episódios de Tinpo e o especial Patrulha Canina: Resgate Supremo. Ainda haverá uma sessão exclusiva no especial Halloween, com episódios temáticos de animações.

O Noggin conta com jogos, vídeos, músicas e desenhos do canal Nick Jr. O conteúdo é desenvolvido por especialistas que combinam entretenimento de crianças com conteúdos educacionais.

A plataforma pode ser baixada para Android e iOS, por operadoras a cabo, internet e celular. Vale lembrar que ela também foi inserida nos canais da Apple TV e Amazon Prime Video. Confira os destaques:

Top Wing

“Melhores amigos e cadetes em treinamento Swift, Penny, Rod e Brody se reúnem na Top Wing Academy, onde aprendem o que é preciso para ganhar suas asas e se tornarem pássaros de resgate na Ilha Big Swirl. Os quatro amigos são acompanhados por seu mentor Speedy, que ajuda os cadetes em suas diferentes missões. Top Wing reforça a importância do trabalho em equipe e a habilidade de resolver problemas com sucesso.”

Tinpo

“Tinpo e sua equipe resolvem problemas utilizando a questão: "E se tentássemos isso ..?" E, se não funcionar, eles continuam fazendo essa pergunta até que o trabalho esteja concluído! Desde a construção de playgrounds até o resgate de um filhote, nenhum trabalho é grande ou pequeno demais para Tinpo e sua turma.”

Patrulha Canina: Resgate Supremo

“Patrulha Canina faz enorme o sucesso entre as crianças em idade pré-escolar. Com viés educativo, a atração é uma série animada de ação e aventura que envolve o conceito de cidadania ao mostrar o trabalho de seis filhotes heroicos Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Zuma, Rubble e Skye, que são liderados por um menino de 10 anos chamado Ryder e que atuam em conjunto para proteger a comunidade.

Patrulha Canina: Resgate Supremo vai contar com 5 episódios especiais, incluindo Resgate Supremo: Os Filhotes Salvam o Monstro do Filme, Resgate Supremo: Os Filhotes Salvam um Monstro do Pântano, Resgate Supremo: Os Filhotes Salvam um Observatório de Estrelas Fujão, Resgate Supremo: Os Filhotes Salvam os Escaladores de Montanhas e Resgate Supremo: Os Filhotes Salvam a Cerimônia de Abertura.”

Sessão Exclusiva – Halloween

Patrulha Canina

Kiva Can Do

Becca E Sua Turma

Dora E Seus Amigos, Na Cidade

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Mais Nick: Nickelodeon Brazil Announces 'Meus Prêmios Nick 2020' Winners!

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Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for Wednesday, September 30, 2020 | Nickelodeon

Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for Wednesday, September 30, 2020 | NickRewind

Rugrats, provided to Creators Syndicate by Nickelodeon, based off the popular animated television series has been created for children and family's to laugh and enjoy together.

Follow these comics and their take on real episodes of the show and their own spin on hilarious adventures.

Read more Rugrats comic strips!: https://www.creators.com/features/rugrats

More Nick: Nickelodeon and Paramount to Bring 'Rugrats' Back for the Next Generation of Kids!

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SnooZzoo Partners with Nickelodeon for 'SpongeBob SquarePants' Sleeping Bags

SnooZzoo Announces Partnership with Nickelodeon to Commemorate the 20th Anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants With Special Sleeping Bag

Make naptime more fun with a SpongeBob sleeping bag!

SnooZzoo, creator of novelty sleeping bags, is pleased to announce a partnership with Nickelodeon through a licensing arrangement to produce a special SpongeBob SquarePants Sleeping Bag to Commemorate the 20th anniversary of Nickelodeon's beloved animated series, SpongeBob SquarePants!

“We are excited for the opportunity to partner with Nickelodeon, a globally recognized brand, to help celebrate the 20th Anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants which is still the number-one kids’ animated series!” says Cameron Jones of SnooZzoo. “We envision adults and children alike watching their favorite SpongeBob episode inside this special sleeping bag to commemorate this milestone in the life of this iconic Nickelodeon franchise.”

The SpongeBob sleeping bags will feature designs inspired by SpongeBob himself and a Krabby Patty from the Krusty Krab. The sleeping bags will be available in kid and adult sizes.

This special SpongeBob SquarePants sleeping bag will be available for children and adults at www.snoozzoo.com, spongebobshop.com, and Amazon starting at the end of October.  Perfect timing, because they can even double as Halloween costumes!

Additionally, the partnership and licensing agreement allows for production of sleeping bags featuring other Nickelodeon character brands including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. “We are thrilled to be able to offer more beloved Nickelodeon characters in the future!” says Jones.

"We are SO excited to reveal our big announcement to you... Introducing the SpongeBob SquarePants SnooZzoo!!," the company said on Facebook. "We partnered with Nickelodeon to bring you this special edition SnooZzoo celebrating the 20th anniversary of the classic cartoon favorite. Now you don't have to live in a pineapple under the sea to be the snuggliest snoozer in Bikini Bottom! SpongeBob is available in three sizes so the entire family can join in on the fun. Stay tuned for details on how and when to order your very own SpongeBob SnooZzoo!"

More Nick: CBS All Access to Premiere 'Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years' During Early 2021!

Originally published: Wednesday, September 30, 2020.

Sources: aNb Media, The Toy Insider.

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Deer Squad | Goodnight Central Forest | Nick Jr. UK

Deer Squad | Goodnight Central Forest | Nick Jr. UK


A giant pair of sunglasses is blocking the sunlight from the city. Thankfully the Deer Squad are already at the scene. Will they be able to save the city? The brand new show Deer Squad premieres Thursday 1st October 2020 on Nick Jr. UK & Ireland! Click the following link for more details!: http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2020/09/nick-jr-uk-to-premiere-deer-squad-on.html


More Nick: Nickelodeon International Sets India Co-Production 'The Twisted Timeline of Sammy & Raj'!

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Nickelodeon Draws Up New Animation Leadership Team with Three Promotions, VP Hire

Nickelodeon has bolstered its toon team with the hire of Conrad Montgomery as Vice President (VP) of Current Series, Animation, and three promotions: Dana Cluverius to Senior Vice President (SVP) Current Series Animation, Claudia Spinelli as SVP Animation Development and Kelley Gardner as VP Current Series Animation.

The announcement was made by Ramsey Naito, President, Nickelodeon Animation, to whom Cluverius and Spinelli will continue to report. Gardner reports to Cluverius, and Montgomery reports to Cluverius.. All executives are based at the Nickelodeon Animation Studio headquarters in Burbank, California.

“I am incredibly excited to see Conrad, Dana, Claudia and Kelley take on these roles as we grow our original and franchise animation slate,” said Ramsey Naito, President of Nickelodeon Animation. “Over time, they have demonstrated their undying passion for developing new content and delivering successful shows to Nick’s lineup. These animation veterans are invaluable members of our creative team, and I look forward to their leadership in our animation group.”

Dana Cluverius, left, and Claudia Spinelli. Credit: Nickelodeon.

Montgomery will be the Executive in Charge (EIC) of Nickelodeon's animation division, overseeing the production of various animation series from greenlight to final delivery, and working in tandem with creators, executive producers and key leadership to help drive the creative vision of animation series for both Nickelodeon and its burgeoning studio business.

Prior to joining Nickelodeon, Montgomery was Senior Director, Current Series, at Cartoon Network, where he supervised shows including the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning Adventure Time, the Emmy Award-winning Regular Show, the Peabody Award-winning and GLAAD Media Award-winning Steven Universe. and the Daytime Emmy-nominated Craig of the Creek. Montgomery also served as a development and current series executive at Walt Disney Television where he worked on Fish Hooks, Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil and Motor City. Earlier in his career, he was a creative executive at Lionsgate Films where he worked on such films as Confidence and Monster’s Ball.

In her new role, Cluverius, formerly VP, Current Series Animation, oversees the Current Series department and continues to serve as Executive in Charge of the Emmy Award-winning animated series The Loud House, which was just renewed for a sixth season, and the top-rated The Casagrandes, which has just been renewed for season three. She also collaborates with Nickelodeon’s network colleagues to produce ancillary content, while also ensuring episodes successfully deliver for a global audience. Cluverius previously worked on the long-standing fan favorite The Fairly OddParents, Breadwinners and The Penguins of Madagascar. Prior to joining Nickelodeon, Cluverius was VP, Current Programming and Scheduling at Kids’ WB and worked closely with Warner Bros. Animation. While there, she supervised over ten years of kids programming and was responsible for several award-winning series including Tom & Jerry, X-Men: Evolution, Static Shock and Scooby-Doo.

Spinelli, formerly VP, Animation Development, manages the development pipeline of all-new animated franchise content, while identifying potential creators, showrunners, writers and directors. Some of her current projects include: Star Trek: Prodigy, the upcoming Rugrats reboot, the first-ever SpongeBob SquarePants spinoff Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years (premiering on CBS All Access/Paramount+ in 2021) Big Nate and Middlemost Post. Over the years, Spinelli has served as EIC on SpongeBob SquarePants, Sanjay and Craig and Harvey Beaks. Spinelli’s work on SpongeBob SquarePants has extended beyond the show as she helped to initiate projects throughout other areas of the company as well. Her career began at Nickelodeon in 2000 in the development department, before expanding her role by joining the Current Series group as a creative executive overseeing the brand management of SpongeBob SquarePants, The Fairly OddParents and Avatar: The Last Airbender.

Gardner, formerly Director, Current Series Animation, is EIC on SpongeBob SquarePants, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years and the upcoming Star Trek: Prodigy. She has worked on over a dozen hit animated series, including The Fairly OddParents, Sanjay and Craig, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness and The Penguins of Madagascar. Gardner first joined Nickelodeon as an assistant in the Current Series Department in 2006. Prior to joining Nickelodeon, Gardner served as a production assistant on the feature Over the Hedge where she supported film production in all stages. Gardner is a member of Colour Entertainment and she is the Women in Animation (WIA) Ambassador for Nickelodeon Animation.

Conrad Montgomery, left, and Kelley Gardner. Credit: Nickelodeon.

More Nick: Nickelodeon Upfront 2020 Roundup!

Originally published: Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at 18.57 BST.

Sources: Deadline, WrapPro, Animation Magazine; H/T: @NickSchedules.

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Nickelodeon and TIME Kick Off Search For One Extraordinary Young Leader to Receive First-Ever Kid of the Year Honor

Update (7/24) - Are you Kid of the Year material? There's only one week left to nominate yourself or someone you know! http://kidoftheyear2020.com #KOTY

NICKELODEON AND TIME KICK OFF SEARCH

FOR ONE EXTRAORDINARY YOUNG LEADER TO RECEIVE

FIRST-EVER KID OF THE YEAR HONOR

Submissions Open Now Through Aug. 1, at KidoftheYear2020.com

Kid of the Year TV Special, Hosted by Trevor Noah and Produced by TIME Studios,

will Simulcast on Nick and CBS in December

Share it: @Nickelodeon #KidoftheYear

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—May 18, 2020--Nickelodeon, TIME and TIME for Kids today announced that submissions have opened for the first-ever Kid of the Year honor, a multiplatform initiative recognizing extraordinary young leaders who are making a positive impact in their communities. Now through Aug. 1, parents, teachers, friends and more, can nominate a kid (aged 8-16) who is doing incredible and inspiring things to make the world a better place. Five honorees will be featured in a TV special—hosted by Trevor Noah (The Daily Show with Trevor Noah) and simulcast on Nick and the CBS Television Network in December--with one kid ultimately being recognized as TIME Kid of the Year and featured on a cover of TIME with a companion story in TIME For Kids.

The Kid of the Year TV special will also feature stars from entertainment, sports and pop culture surprising the honorees, as well as musical performances. Each of the finalists will receive funds to further their respective causes and have the opportunity to serve as a Kid Reporter for TIME for Kids with exclusive access to a Nickelodeon event. For official submission rules and additional information about the initiative, visit KidoftheYear2020.com.


Said Noah, “In the unprecedented times that we are living in today, it has been inspiring to see humanity come together to help one another, and I’ve been especially drawn to the stories of kids using their creativity to bring resources to their communities. After all, the person who’s going to bring us a better tomorrow is a kid who’s out there doing it today!”

Nickelodeon’s Kid of the Year TV special is a co-production of TIME Studios, Day Zero Productions, Mainstay Entertainment and Nickelodeon. Executive Producers include Andrea Delbanco (TIME for Kids), Ian Orefice and Mike Beck (TIME Studios), Trevor Noah and Haroon Saleem (Day Zero Productions), Norm Aladjem, Derek Van Pelt and Sanaz Yamin (Mainstay Entertainment) and Rob Bagshaw, Paul J. Medford and Stacey Carr (Nickelodeon). Production of Nickelodeon’s Kid of the Year is overseen by Rob Bagshaw, Executive Vice President, Unscripted Content.

About TIME

TIME is a global media brand that reaches a combined audience of more than 90 million around the world, including over 40 million digital visitors each month and 44 million social followers. A trusted destination for reporting and insight, TIME’s mission is to tell the stories that matter most, to lead conversations that change the world and to deepen understanding of the ideas and events that define our time. With unparalleled access to the world’s most influential people, the immeasurable trust of consumers globally, an unrivaled power to convene, TIME is one of the world’s most recognizable media brands with renowned franchises that include the TIME 100 Most Influential People, Person of the Year, Firsts, Best Inventions, World’s Greatest Places and premium events including the TIME 100 Summit and Gala, TIME 100 Health Summit, TIME 100 Next and more.

About TIME For Kids

Since 1995, TIME for Kids has delivered current events from TIME news bureaus around the world to millions of students in elementary and middle school classrooms across the U.S. Each week, TIME for Kids presents news in a format that teaches young readers to become critical thinkers and informed citizens. As an educational publication, the mission of TIME for Kids is to help teachers engage students with the world around them and inspire kids to join the conversation about current events.

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 41st year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com/. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC).

# # #

Update (9/4) - Nickelodeon and TIME have named Jayda Washington-Boothe as a Top 50 Finalist for Kid of the Year 2020, and is now awaiting word if she has made the Top 20! The 12-year-old from Coral Springs, Florida was recently was awarded an opportunity to have an out-of-this-world experience: the opportunity via a scholarship to attend Space Camp located at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama. As a recipient of the 2020 U.S. Rocket and Space Center Hall of Fame Scholarship, it is an honor given to only a select number of students across America. Boothe is a seventh-grader at Sawgrass Middle School. Congratulations and good luck, Jayda!

Update (9/30) - 10-year-old Ife Joseph has been selected for the top 50 out of thousands nominated for Time magazine and Nickelodeon’s first “ Kid of the Year” award! The fifth-grader from Montclair, New Jersey created an app relating to mental health and social justice.

Are you Kid of the Year material? There's only one week left to nominate yourself or someone you know! 🏆 https://t.co/blHhr53JN8 #KOTY pic.twitter.com/po6Sicw14U

— Nickelodeon (@Nickelodeon) July 24, 2020

More Nick: Nickelodeon Launches 'Slime In Space: A Virtual Field Trip'!

Originally published: Monday, May 18, 2020 at 18:13 BST.

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Fans Are Debating How Many 'Nicks' There Are in the Nickelodeon Jingle

A new debate has taken over the internet: just how many "Nicks" are in the the iconic Nickelodeon jingle?

The iconic tune, performed by the late Eugene Pitt & The Jive Five, was introduced to Nickelodeon viewers in the '80s, and is still used in network IDs (idents) today. But fans on social media can't decide how many "Nicks" are used, and are debating whether you count the 'Nick' in 'Nickelodeon'. Now, the network has responded to the latest debate on social media to help fans who are determined to figure it out (pun intended).

The debate first sparked on social media this week and led to people listening to the classic jingle quite a bit. For the most part, the internet can’t agree on if the theme song has 7, 8 or 9 “nicks” in it.

Now, Nickelodeon is finally settling the debate. The network took to Twitter to share a cheeky tweet that doesn’t actually say how many “nicks” are in the theme song.

“There are as many ‘Nicks’ in the Nickelodeon song as you need there to be.”

there are as many "Nicks" in the Nickelodeon song as you need there to be 🧡

— Nickelodeon (@Nickelodeon) September 29, 2020

idk who needs to hear this but it’s 8 nicks before nickelodeon

— jess (@mermaid_soulll) September 27, 2020

How many nicks in it in nickelodeon??? It’s 7 right ?

— kee🧚🏼‍♂️ (@thatgaalkaay) September 28, 2020

By the way it’s 7 Nicks before Nickelodeon. Don’t argue

— E-boy | JAY (@jaysixhund0) September 26, 2020

Oh and btw it’s 8 nicks before Nickelodeon 😒 ya need to be a shamed of yourselves 🤦🏻‍♂️

— HOVITOOO 🥶 (@fat_hov) September 27, 2020

Bruh.... 🔊THERE ARE 8 NICKS BEFORE NICKELODEON 🔊

Don’t believe me? Count how many times they wrote it ⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/AnKw0jLCz6

— Kari J 🥶🥵 (@Comed1c_Benji) September 28, 2020

However, if you look in the tweet’s comments section, Nickelodeon seems to confirm just how many “nicks” there truly are. In the thread, the network responds to a few tweets that say there are 8 “nicks” in the song, hinting that they may agree with this answer.

Follow your heart 🧡

— Nickelodeon (@Nickelodeon) September 29, 2020

Sure

— Nickelodeon (@Nickelodeon) September 29, 2020

However, some people still aren’t convinced about the true number of “nicks” in the theme song. As well, others aren’t sure why this is up for debate at all.

The Nickelodeon song has 9 NICKS IN IT‼️ not 7 not 8...........9. Yes you include the nick in Nickelodeon pic.twitter.com/cqpgLILn0I

— Witnel Dubreus (@WitnelDubreus) September 29, 2020

You not helping bro tell the truth

— Dessaw (@dessawX) September 29, 2020

If you don’t know how many Nicks come before Nickelodeon we can’t be friends.

— B🐝 (@_GottaLoveBritt) September 28, 2020

Listen to the theme song below and let me know how many “nicks” you hear in the comments below!

More Nick: Nickelodeon Upfront 2020 Roundup!
Original source: Alternative Press.

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iam8bit Unveils Limited Edition Bodacious Blacklight TMNT Poster by Jim Rugg

Indie cartoonist/illustrator Jim Rugg is known for his penchant towards retro pop culture. So it comes has no huge surprise that iam8bit enlisted his talents to produce the first in a series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles art prints in collaboration with Nickelodeon and Skybound! Adding to the retro flair, this specific TMNT poster is blacklight responsive, a hallmark of the halcyon days of ’60s and ’70s cinema.

The Lean/Mean/Green: A TMNT Limited Edition Art Print Series runs from today (October 29) until October 13, so get this TMNT poster while it’s still available! Details below:

In collaboration with Nickelodeon, iam8bit and Skybound are thrilled to announce Lean/Mean/Green: A TMNT Limited Edition Art Print Series, launching today with the timed release of a totally tubular, eye-poppingly colorful take on the heroes in a half shell by the incomparable Jim Rugg (Street Angel, the PLAIN Janes). The print is now available on iam8bit.com for $75.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Underground by JIM RUGG (Lean/Mean/Green: A TMNT Limited Edition Art Print Series)

https://www.iam8bit.com/products/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-by-jim-rugg-tmnt-limited-edition-print-series

Rugg’s retro-styled, 18×24” screenprint, only available for a limited time exclusively via iam8bit, finds the Turtles in battle formation: Raphael leading the pack with twin sais at the ready, Michelangelo and his lethal nunchaku close behind, Donatello third at base with his trademark bo, and Leonardo bringing up the rear with one katana gleaming in each outstretched hand. Working within the iconic green-and-purple color palette that has accompanied these subterranean supers across virtually every artistic incarnation, Rugg has devised a sense of immediacy and dynamic motion for this print that perfectly embodies the Turtles’ kinetic, irreverent ethos.

This “black light responsive” screenprint honors the Turtles in particularly radical fashion, enhancing Rugg’s dazzling recreation of all four reptilian rock-stars with a fluorescent pop of color that makes the illustration glow, ooze-like, under special conditions. All prints will be numbered and hand-signed.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Underground by JIM RUGG (Lean/Mean/Green: A TMNT Limited Edition Art Print Series)

Price: $ 75.00

• Super Limited Timed Release!
• Available to order until 10/13
• 18x24” Hand-pulled Screen Print 
• Illustrated by indie comics legend, Jim Rugg
• Black Light Responsive
• Signed and Hand-Numbered by the Artist
• Officially licensed by Nickelodeon

 It’s no secret that we’re superfans of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, so in celebration of the iam8bit 15th Anniversary, we’ve teamed up with our friends at Skybound and a bunch of really awesome artists for a limited edition print series. We’re kicking things off with one of our all-time favorite illustrators, the incomparable Jim Rugg (Street Angel, the PLAIN Janes), who sets some seriously retro vibes with this “black light responsive” screenprint. It’s unlike any print we’ve released before because of this special sensitivity, which provides for a really cool fluorescent pop of color. 

What’s screen-printing? It’s an archival printing method that deploys  individual layers of ink via “screens” to produce vibrant and detailed artwork. The layers are deliberately ordered, as to interact with each other to create new color combinations and complexities that would otherwise be impossible in standard printing. The inks used are specially mixed to Jim Rugg’s specifications to achieve maximum perfection.

What’s a “Timed Release”? This means this print will only be available for a very limited time, and it’s production run will be determined by the number of orders received. After October 13th, 2020, this edition will be closed and the print will never be produced again. This is, quite literally, your only opportunity to acquire this beauty!

ABOUT JIM RUGG:

Jim Rugg is a human of many talents - a comic book artist, book maker, illustrator, and designer. His legendary books include Street Angel, the PLAIN Janes, Afrodisiac, Notebook Drawings, Rambo 3.5, and Supermag. He loves comic books, zines, lettering, podcasts, running, pro-wrestling, pizza, and cats. He lives and draws in Pittsburgh. He teaches visual storytelling at the School of Visual Arts and the Animation Workshop in Denmark. Accolades include the much-lauded Eisner and Ignatz Awards, AIGA 50/50, Society of Illustrators Annual, and Investing in Professional Artists: The Pittsburgh-Region Artists Grants Program, a partnership of The Heinz Endowments and The Pittsburgh Foundation. Visit jimrugg.com or follow him on instagram and twitter @jimruggart.

This print ships rolled.

More Nick: Nickelodeon Readies Next Chapter of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with All-New CG-Animated Theatrical Release Produced By Point Grey Pictures!

Originally published: Wednesday, September 30, 2020.

Original source: The Beat.

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How a Iconic SpongeBob Quote Has Taken Over TikTok - and Became a Breakout Meme

Nickelodeon superstar SpongeBob SquarePants seems to taking over TikTok!

Hundreds of thousands of TikTokers have been uploading lip-synced videos with the sound “M to the Gary” on TikTok, based on an audio clip from one of the beloved character's most classic moments of rage.

The audio clip of SpongeBob yelling originates from the hit 2001 episode of SpongeBob SquarePants titled “Dying for Pie,” when, thinking SpongeBob has eaten an bomb in the shape of a pie, Squidward tries to get the titular character to “explode”. SpongeBob, not realizing that Squidward meant to physically blow up, attempts to get angry and rants about Gary finishing his dessert.

The clip was sampled and merged over the chorus of the song “M to the B” by Blackpool Grime Media artist, Millie B. According to the Tab, the song was originally recorded and released in 2016 as a diss track to Sophie Aspin, another British rapper, amidst a previous beef where the two artists shared a series of songs “sending for” one another via YouTube.

The status of the two artist’s current relationship is now cordial, as the two were recently seen in a new music video for a song which allegedly replies to outside beef with another artist called Little T. They have been widely accused of allegedly faking beef for views online.

Last week, Aspin uploaded a series of TikTok’s mocking the reappropriation of the song, specifically calling out Americans’ misunderstanding of its origin. The trend of SpongeBob TikTok’s using the years-old diss track directed at her has taken off mostly among stateside users on the platform.

“Can someone please tell all these Americans what’s going on?,” she said in a video. “They’re doing all this M to the B, M to the B, and like they’re following a bee. It’s not [dolphin noise] about a bee?! It’s about me.”

The song has been re-released on streaming services this month and has already racked up over 4 million streams on Spotify.

With that, the short clip from the track has gained serious traction on TikTok and sparked a new trend on the platform.

In the videos, users are seen nodding along to the dance-electronic style bassline of “M to the B” while mouthing SpongeBob’s famous quote with angry, exacerbated facial expressions. Many users place the face zoom effect on their videos to add in a focused motion style on their clips. Afterward, users return back to a calm state and nod along to the rest of the track innocently, just like SpongeBob does after mocking Squidward’s notoriously agitated disposition.

The sound “M to the Gary by Napkin” on TikTok has been used to create over 154,000 videos from users on the platform. The original video posted to TikTok in August comes from user @itsmenapkin.

Perhaps the most influential video to help create a surge of SpongeBob TikTok’s is popular creator @BellaPoarch‘s take on the trend. With 29.7 million followers, her video has garnered over 40 million views and 6.5 million likes within four days. The video is now being called the “most liked” video in TikTok’s history.

With that, the “M to the Gary,” sound took off, with tons of users following suit and creating similar styles of video.

The “M to the Gary” sound on TikTok currently touts a massive usage with more than 166,400 videos created.

@itsmenapkin

I think we are onto to something here with this sound ##FitCheck ##SmallBite ##newtrend ##spongebob

♬ M to the Gary - Napkin

@bellapoarch

“Meow” -Gary🐌

♬ M to the Gary - Napkin

@pierson

new favorite sound😍☺️

♬ M to the Gary - Napkin

@kierapleaze

don’t scroll past, just wait for it..

♬ M to the Gary - Napkin

@sierrakai.1

GARYYYYY!!!!!!!!!🐌

♬ M to the Gary - Napkin

@willywongka_

##voiceeffects

♬ M to the Gary - Napkin

More Nick: CBS All Access to Premiere 'Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years' During Early 2021!

Original source: Daily Dot; Additional source: Know Your Meme.

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Nickelodeon Brazil Announces 'Meus Prêmios Nick 2020' Winners

Nickelodeon Brazil (Brasil) has announced the WINNERS of Meus Prêmios Nick 2020, Nickelodeon's Brasil's 21st annual local version of the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards!

Meus Prêmios Nick is Brazil's largest children's and teen awards, and celebrates kids’ favourites from the worlds of entertainment, music, sports and more.

This year's MPN will be a little different than previous years. Due to the on-going COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, Nickelodeon Brasil will be foregoing their annual on-the-ground Meus Prêmios Nick event, and instead will be hosting the event from a studio setting, following in the footsteps of Nickelodeon Germany (Deutschland), Switzerland (Schweiz) and Austria (Österreich), and Nickelodeon USA, who held their editions of Kids' Choice Awards in a virtual setting. However, Nick is still promising fans lots of stars, orange blimps and, of course, slime! For the first time ever, Meus Prêmios Nick will be produced and aired live across Nickelodeon's linear and digital channels.

Over the past month, NickHeads in Brazil cast more than 75 million votes for their favourites to become finalists in each category, with the top four (out of eight) most voted for nominees in each of the voting categories going onto the final stage of voting.

Kids across Brazil can now vote for who they want to see win a coveted Nickelodeon Blimp Award across 24 award categories by voting online at meuspremiosnick.com.br, on selected posts on Instagram and on Twitter using the hashtags below. Fans can vote as many times as they wish to support their favourites from the worlds of entertainment, music, sports and more!

Voting will happen in two stages. In stage one, each category has eight nominees and is open until Thursday 13th August 2020. The four nominees with the most votes in each category will then move onto the final stage of voting.

Each voting Tweet must feature both the unique hashtag and #MPN in it for the vote to be counted:

#Nominee + #MPN
For example, if you want to see The Loud House win the orange blimp for "Desenho Animado Favorito", your Tweet should look similar to:

#MPN #TheLoudHouse
* In the Tweet, you can write whatever you want as long as the hashtags are also present! Even if you use the same hashtag 3 times in the same Tweet, it will only count one vote!

* Each retweet counts as one vote!

Fans can now vote for their favourites on Instagram! Voting on Instagram is the same as voting on Twitter: comment in Nick's Instagram posts @NickelodeonBR with #MPN and the hashtag of who you're voting for (example: to vote for Bob Esponja in the “Desenho Animado Favorito” category, use #MPN + #BobEsponja in your comment).

This years Meus Prêmios Nick will feature the "Melhore Seu Mundo" award, in which fans can vote for the celebrity who they think has had a positive impact on the world in which we live.

Nickelodeon will reveal the winners of Meus Prêmios Nick 2020 on Sunday 27th September 2020 at 19h!

This year, Meus Prêmios Nick will feature the MPN Squad, a team of fan-favourite influencers! In addition to being responsible for presenting the awards, they will also produce exclusive content about MPN on social networks. Nickelodeon will reveal the MPN Squad in the coming weeks on Instagram, @NickelodeonBr and @TrendyByNickBr! The first members of the MPN Squad to be announced are Bibi Tatto, Klara Castanho and Raissa Chaddad. Bibi will host the digital categories.

Meus Prêmios Nick 2020 is sponsored by Acrilex, Batavo Kids, Netflix, Playstation, Riachuelo and Samsung. Each of the sponsors will be involved in the live show.

Update (17/9) - Nickelodeon Brasil has announced that Larissa Manoela will be performing during Meus Prêmios Nick 2020!

Update (24/9) - Now United will be performing at Meus Prêmios Nick 2020!

Update (24/9) - Foquinha will be covering this year's MPN Orange Carpet! Orange Carpet coverage will air across Nickelodeon's linear and social media channels the same day at 17:00. Confirmed guests include: Mario Jr, Pequena Lo, and the MPN Squad —  formed ofAny Gabrielly, Bibi Tatto, Raissa Chadad and Klara Castanho.

Update (26/9) - Nickelodeon has annnounced Bruno Gagliasso as the host of Meus Prêmios Nick 2020! Additionally, Nick has added Gustavo Mioto to the show's performers list!

Below are the nominees WINNERS for Meus Prêmios Nick 2020 - remember, only YOU have the last word about who wins a orange blimp award!

Artista de TV Feminina (Female TV Artist)

Larissa Manoela - #LarissaManoela
Maisa - #Maisa
Marina Ruy Barbosa - #MarinaRuyBarbosa - WINNER
Sophia Valverde - #SophiaValverde

Artista de TV Masculino (Male TV Artist)

Caio Castro - #CaioCastro
Felipe Simas - #FelipeSimas
João Guilherme - #JoaoGuilherme - WINNER
Lucas Burgatti - #LucasBurgatti

Programa da Nick Favorito (Favourite Nickelodeon Show)

Bob Esponja - #BobEsponjaNick
Henry Danger - #HenryDangerNick - WINNER
Sam & Cat - #SamECatNick
The Thundermans - #TheThundermansNick

Programa de TV Favorito (Favorite TV Show)

As Aventuras De Poliana - #AsAventurasDePoliana
Bia - #Bia - WINNER
Henry Danger - #HenryDanger
Programa da Maisa - #ProgramaDaMaisa

Desenho Animado Favorito (Favorite Animated Series)

Bob Esponja (SpongeBob SquarePants) - #BobEsponja - WINNER
O Incrível Mundo de Gumball (The Amazing World of Gumball) - #OIncrivelMundoDeGumball
Os Jovens Titãs (Teen Titans) - #JovensTitas
The Loud House - #TheLoudHouse

Filme do Ano (Movie of the Year)

Ela Disse, Ele Disse (She Said, He Said) - #ElaDisseEleDisse
Frozen 2 - #Frozen2
Jumanji: Próxima Fase - #JumanjiProximaFase
Modo Avião (Airplane Mode) - #ModoAviao - WINNER

Style do Ano

João Guilherme - #JoaoGuilhermeStyle
JP Mota - #JPMotaStyle
Luh Setra - #LuhSetraStyle
Manu Gavassi - #ManuGavassiStyle - WINNER

Inspiração do Ano (Inspiration of the Year)

Any Gabrielly - #AnyGabriellyInspiracao
Bruna Marquezine - #BrunaMarquezineInspiracao
Larissa Manoela - #LarissaManoelaInspiracao
Manu Gavassi - #ManuGavassiInspiracao - WINNER

Challenger do Ano (formally TikToker do Ano (TikToker of the Year))

Any Gabrielly - #AnyGabriellyTikTok - WINNER
Camilla de Lucas - #CamilladeLucasTikTok
Doarda - #DoardaTikTok
Maisa - #MaisaTikTok

Ship do Ano (Ship of the Year)

Giovanna Ewbank e Bruno Gagliasso - #GioeBruno
João Guilherme e Jade Picon - #JoaoEJade - WINNER
Ludmilla e Brunna Gonçalves - #LudEBru
Tatá Werneck e Rafael Vitti - #TataeRafa

Aposta Trendy By Nick

Esdras Saturnino - #EsdrasSaturnino
Lisandra Barcelos - #LisandraBarcelos
Lorena Queiroz - #LorenaQueiroz - WINNER
Taby - #Taby

Canal de Youtube do Ano (YouTube Channel of the Year)

Camila Loures - #CamilaLoures
Enaldinho - #Enaldinho - WINNER
Loud - #Loud
Rezendeevil - #Rezendeevil

Criador do Ano (formally Instagram do Ano (Instagrammer of the Year))

Any Gabrielly - #AnyGabriellyIG
Larissa Manoela - #LarissaManoelaIG
Maisa - #MaisaIG
Manu Gavassi - #ManuGavassiIG - WINNER

Gamer do Ano (Gamer of the Year)

Cherryrar - #Cherryrar
Flakes Power - #FlakesPower - WINNER
Ingredy Barbi Games - #IngredyBarbiGames
TazerCraft - #TazerCraft

Conteúdo Digital do Ano (Digital Content of the Year)

Any Gabrielly Convida (Any Gabrielly) - #AnyGabriellyConvida
Bolívia Talk Show (Desimpedidos) - #BoliviaTalkShow
Garota Errada (Manu Gavassi) - #GarotaErrada - WINNER
Websérie Por trás da Música (BFF Girls) - #PorTrasdaMusica

Live do Ano (Live of the Year)

Alok (#AlokEmCasa) - #AlokEmCasa
Larissa Manoela (#MinhaEscolha) - #MinhaEscolha
Marília Mendonça (#LiveLocalMariliaMendonca) - #LiveLocalMariliaMendonca - WINNER
Melim (#EuFeatVocê) - #LiveMelimEuFeatVoce

Fandom do Ano (Fandom of the Year)

Avocados (Billie Eilish) - #Avocados
Blink (BLACKPINK) - #Blink
BTS Army (BTS) - #Army
Uniters (Now United) - #Uniters - WINNERS

Artista Musical Favorito (Favorite Musical Artist)

Anitta #Anitta
Manu Gavassi #ManuGavassi - WINNER
MelimMelim #Melim
Pabllo Vittar #PablloVittar

Artista Internacional Favorito (Favourite International Artist)

Billie Eilish #BillieEilish
BTS #BTS
Camila Cabello #CamilaCabello
Now United #NowUnited - WINNER

Hit Nacional Favorito

BFF Girls - Fica #Fica
Camila Loures e MC WM - Bambolê #Bambole
Giulia Be - Menina Solta #MeninaSolta
Manu Gavassi - Áudio De Desculpas #AudioDeDesculpas - WINNER

Hit Internacional Favorito

Billie Eilish - Everything I Wanted - #EverythingIWanted
Blackpink - How You Like That - #HowYouLikeThat
Dua Lipa - Break My Heart - #BreakMyHeart
Now United - Come Together - #ComeTogether - WINNER

In addition to the categories from the first round, Nickelodeon has added three new categories, honouring past Meus Prêmios Nick ceremonies in round two!:

Agradecimento Épico - Epic Acknowledgement

Renato Aragão (2019) - #RenatoAragao
Xuxa Meneghel (2018) - #Xuxa
Luan Santana (2016) - #LuanSantana
Turma da Mônica (2019) - #TurmadaMonica - WINNER

Vencedores Épicos do KCA - Epic KCA Winners

Bibi Tatto (2019) - #BibiKCA
Maisa (2019) - #MaisaKCA
BFF Girls (2018) - #BFFGirlsKCA
Now United (2020) - #NowUnitedKCA - WINNER

Slime Épico

Alok (2017) - #AlokSlime - WINNER

Eduardo Sterblitch (2014) - #EduSterblitchSlime

Manual do Mundo (2016) - #ManualdoMundoSlime

Maisa e Matheus e Kauan (2018) - #MaisaMatheusKauanSlime

Slime Épico - Epic Slime

João Guilherme e Melim (2019) - #JoaoeMelimSlime
Anitta (2015) - #AnittaSlime
Manual do Mundo (2016) - #ManualdoMundoSlime
Maisa e Mateus e Kauã (2018) - #MaisaMateusKauaSlime

Who do you want to see win a coveted Nickelodeon Orange Blimp Award? Vote for your MPN 2020 favorites NOW at meuspremiosnick.com.br and on Twitter!

Show Notes:

- SpongeBob gave an acceptance speech for winning Desenho Animado Favorito (Favorite Animated Series)!

- Millie Bobby Brown made a special appearance to introduce the Artista de TV Feminina (Female TV Artist) award!

- A sneak peek of Netflix's Enola Holmes!

Meus Prêmios Nick 2020 COMPLETO! | Brasil | Nickelodeon em Português

Meus Prêmios Nick 2020 COMPLETO! | Brasil | Nickelodeon em Português


Assista aqui ao #MPN2020 completo ao vivo! Torça para o seu artista preferido ganhar todos os zeppies, acompanhe as atrações musicais mais incríveis e vibre com os banhos de slime mais melecados do ano! O MPN este ano é apresentado por Bruno Gagliasso e o MPN Squad mais girl power do mundo: Any Gabrielly, do @NOW UNITED , @BIBI Klara Castanho e @Raissa Chaddad!

Vencedores - http://nickalive.blogspot.com/2020/08/nickelodeon-brazil-announces-meus.html

https://www.meuspremiosnick.com.br/

Mais Nick: Nickelodeon Brazil Announces 'Meus Prêmios Nick 2020' Winners!

MPN 2020 Fotos:

Nickelodeon Japan to Premiere 'Just Add Magic' Very Soon

Nickelodeon Japan (ニコロデオン 日本)  will be premiering the magical brand new series Just Add Magic (まほうのレシピ) very soon! Click here to watch the trailer and here to find out more about the show!

"ケリーと彼女の親友２人は不思議な料理本を見つけ、その中のレシピには魔法がかけられていることを知る。ケリーのおばあちゃんにかけられた呪いを解くために３人は次々と料理を作っていく。そして魔法の料理を作る者はその効果の代わりに特別なことが起きることを知る…。

「まほうのレシピ」お楽しみに✨

ニコロデオンは以下で配信されています：

Amazon Prime Videoチャンネル、dTVチャンネル、Hulu、music.jp（テレビコース）※ABC順"

More Nick: TV Tokyo to Release 'PAW Patrol: Ready, Race, Rescue!' in Cinemas in Japan on Friday 13th November 2020!

Originally published: Tuesday, September 29, 2020.

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ViacomCBS Kicks Off Inclusion Week Amid Industrywide Calls to Action: ‘We Can Leave Nothing to Chance’

ViacomCBS Kicks Off Inclusion Week Amid Industrywide Calls to Action: ‘We Can Leave Nothing to Chance’

Amid a year of the entertainment industry — and the U.S. as a whole — reckoning with the way it approaches issues of racial representation and gender parity, ViacomCBS is kicking off its annual inclusion week with an eye toward tackling those issues head on.

This year it will do so as an enlarged company following the merger of Viacom and CBS, and in a newly virtual environment due to the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. The company’s inclusion week is a continuation of a similar event that first took place in the U.K. three years ago.

“This year, our goals are to continue this cadence of intentionality around demonstrate through our employees, our commitment to championing a culture that’s diverse, inclusive, and that actually creates a sense of belonging for them,” Marva Smalls, ViacomCBS’ global head of inclusion, told Variety.

“We also see it as a way of establishing a competitive landscape as a company that’s willing to not only have a steady drumbeat, but also especially now in the zeitgeist of a moment, to really build a tool kit for managers and employees alike, to become even smarter and well-versed and more informed in this space,” she added.

In discussing how the merger between Viacom and CBS impacts inclusion efforts, Smalls notes that the individual companies were “at different levels of readiness” in approaching issues of diversity, but that ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion at the combined entity.

The week includes over 50 virtual sessions, including a keynote from Dr. Robing DiAngelo, author of “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism,” as well as a conversation between Ford Foundation president Darren Walker and NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund head Sherrilyn Ifill about social justice in the U.S. Other speakers include Time’s Up CEO Tina Tchen, professor Ibram X. Kendi, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, LL Cool J, plus new CBS chief George Cheeks. Bakish last week engaged in a talk with Tyler Perry, creator of Nickelodeon's Young Dylan, and will also speak in other sessions during the week.

On the CBS side, the network and studio have been the center of a number of high-profile allegations of misconduct in past years — most recently, accusations of workplace toxicity and sexism against Magnum P.I. and MacGyver showrunner Peter Lenkov, which resulted in the producer’s ouster, and in 2018, the firing of NCIS: New Orleans producer Brad Kern following investigations into racially charged comments and verbal harassment against women.

CBS has since created initiatives to foster more diversity, including with a 25% allocation of future script development budgets to projects created by or co-created by BIPOC, and ensure that CBS writers’ rooms staffs are at least 40% black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC).

And amid conversations around how on-screen storylines centering on law enforcement influences the public perception of the police, CBS TV Studios has signed an exclusive agreement with with law enforcement and public safety advisory group 21CP Solutions to consult with the writing staffs of CBS crime procedurals and legal dramas.

“I think what we continue to learn is that our intentionality — we have to continue to be diligent and disciplined and focused, and letting those partners with whom we engage, with whom we partner with to build out what our content looks like across platforms, that we expect for them to show up and adopt the values that we have,” said Smalls, when asked about the challenges in addressing the issues at CBS.

That approach ranges from being mindful of any potential implicit bias that might make its way into children’s content on Nickelodeon to CBS’ new partnership with the NAACP, announced in July, to develop and produce scripted, unscripted and documentary content for its linear and streaming platforms.

“We are learning now that we can leave nothing to chance,” she added.

From the ViacomCBS Newsroom:

Spark Inclusion

8 REASONS WHY DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION SPUR CREATIVITY

Executives and talent from Paramount Pictures, MTV, and Nickelodeon reveal the moments that propelled their projects.

In the panels, workshops, and conversations held for employees during Viacom’s Inclusion Week, the executives and talent behind some of the company’s biggest hits were honest about the biases and institutionalized obstacles they’ve encountered in their personal and professional lives. They also offered advice on how individuals can assert themselves and empathize with those who come from different backgrounds and cultures.

“Inclusion Week gives us an opportunity to showcase programming that creates ‘aha’ moments and that stretches the thinking of employees, that gets them more grounded in the issues du jour,” says Viacom Executive Vice President of Global Inclusion Strategy Marva Smalls. “It’s also a reminder that you can’t just have diversity, you also have to have inclusion, and ultimately Inclusion Week will help to further cement the sense of belonging we hope that employees have here at Viacom.”

Here is a look at some of the week’s most resonant lessons:

Your differences are your superpowers.

Niki Lopez, creator and producer of Nick Jr.’s Santiago of the Seas

In a time of booming animation production, opportunities for young creatives abound. But the rewards aren’t evenly distributed: women make up 70% of animation students but hold only 25% of creative leadership positions in animation studios. To change that, companies need to nurture talent from within, as a panel of women said that Nickelodeon has been doing for some time. “Nickelodeon is very pro- the evolution of the people that work here,” said Niki Lopez, creator and producer of Nick Jr.’s Santiago of the Seas, whose first animation job was as a Nick intern in 2010. But, there’s always room for additional voices and perspectives. “The seat of power needs to be held by diverse hands,” said Lopez. “You have to strive for a culture where your differences are fundamentally your superpowers.”

Empathy expands creativity.

Paramount Chief Operating Officer Andrew Gumpert

Parents of children with special needs have a secret weapon to face the stereotypes and misnomers they face daily: the rich perspective their kids give them. “The lessons we can learn from these specials kids is really amazing,” said Paramount Chief Operating Officer Andrew Gumpert, whose daughter Chloe was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth. “The perspective you get in life, the appreciation to have them, to be able to care for them, and what they can do for you is so simplistic and basic and yet at the essence, to me, human life.” Ignorance is where the problem lies, and the more people know, the more open and understanding they are to autistic individuals and their families. “There’s a saying we like to say in the autism community, ‘If you’ve met one person with autism, you’ve met one person with autism,’” said Kristin Kucia, a manager of student affairs at VFX and animation training studio Exceptional Minds whose son has autism. “Knowledge is power. When people don’t know, that’s when anger or resentment or miscommunication happens.”

For stories to be universal, they must be diverse.

Filmmaker Angela Robinson

When filmmaker Angela Robinson was younger, it was rare she saw herself—a gay bi-racial woman—portrayed in media, so she would rewrite the plots of movies in her head. Instead of a woman falling in love with a man, it was another woman. Or, she’d replace the mainly white cast with black men or women. Soon, she realized she could make these changes real. “I decided I wanted to be a filmmaker… my whole goal was to make something the way I wanted to see it.” Her 2017 film, Professor Marston & The Wonder Women, features a couple in a polyamorous with a young woman. “When it’s at its best, storytelling is universal,” said Paramount Pictures CEO Jim Gianopulos. “It’s more important than ever that our storytelling reflects the cultural diversity of our country, community, and audiences.”

Being real means showing unhappy endings.

MTV Staying Alive Foundation's Georgia Arnold

When Georgia Arnold started out at MTV in London 25 years ago, then-international network head Bill Roedy gave her a $5,000 charitable budget and told her to, “find something we can care about.” It was the 1990s and HIV was ravaging youth populations throughout the world. The MTV Staying Alive Foundation was born. “We realized that what we could do best is use our brand to tell real-life stories, but in a way that young people would really trust and want to watch.” A George Michael-hosted documentary begat a load of rights-cleared HIV awareness content that MTV made available for free to any broadcaster that wanted it. Today, MTV Shuga, a television drama about the lives of African youth dealing with the risks and consequences of HIV infection, is the independent charitable organization’s flagship effort in Africa. The show is resonating: a World Bank study found that teens who watched the show were more likely to get tested for HIV, showed lower rates of chlamydia infection, and were less likely to have multiple concurrent sexual partners. To maintain a sense of authenticity, the show is written, produced and directed almost entirely in Africa. “We have to get the storytelling right because otherwise, we lose our audience,” said Arnold. This sometimes requires hard conversations. One fan in South Africa insisted to Arnold that a character on the show had to die. “MTV Shuga is all about our lives,” Arnold recalled the girl saying, “and in our lives, someone always dies.”

Personal experiences can affect how you approach work—and that’s a good thing.

At center: Jyoti Menon Varkey, VP of Marketing, Media Strategy, and Partnerships

The Creative & Marketing Team for the Viacom brands MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo hosted a discussion with some of its working mothers called “Wonder Women Roundtable: The Modern Shero.” The chat, moderated by Sarah DeFilippis and featuring Sharita Petersen, Deb Bart, Jyoti Menon Varkey, Elizabeth Black, Sharyn Flanagan, Kyle Hepp, and Electra Stratigaki, focused on making time for creativity and productivity while attempting a work-life balance. During the panel, Menon Varkey, VP of Marketing, Media Strategy, and Partnerships mentioned that her inter-personal perspective changed with parenthood. “The word empathy truly resonated with me after becoming a mom,” she said.

It’s crazy not to talk about mental illness.

Love and Hip Hop: New York’s Cyn Santana

For too many people in minority communities, one of the biggest obstacles to dealing with mental health is that no one talks about it. And when they do, mental illness is often conflated with the stereotypical “crazy” person yelling in the streets. It helps to reframe the language. “I think our biggest issue is that for a long time, the language we’ve used to talk about mental health has been so bad and so stigmatized, that I think we just need to change the way we talk about it and know that any place should be a safe space for me to say, ‘Hey, I’m anxious, all the time,’” said Aneesa Ferreira, star of multiple MTV reality series, including The Challenge. Once that river is forded, it opens the table for conversation. “It’s not the easiest thing to open up about, but once you get it out there and talk to someone, you feel a lot better,” said Black Ink Crew: Chicago’s Phor Brumfield, who opened up about his depression and suicidal thoughts on the show. The confession resonated not only with viewers but with Love and Hip Hop: New York’s Cyn Santana, whose brother committed suicide. “I was so proud of you for speaking about that, because, damn, I wish my brother was here to see a man who looks just like him feeling the way he felt and getting through it.”

Content can change lives.

GLAAD’s Associate Director of Transgender Representation Alex Schmider

When MTV’s Are You The One? debuted with an all-gender-fluid cast for its eighth season, it rapidly grew a cult following for what The New York Times called its, “frank, nonjudgmental portrayal of queer relationships.” Still, television representation of the LGBTQ+ community lags in many areas. According to GLAAD, 8.8% of broadcast scripted series regulars were LGBTQ+ characters on primetime scripted broadcasting for the 2018-2019 television season. Bisexual characters make up just 29% of these regular and recurring LGBTQ+ characters, and transgender characters make up an even lower 5.4%. Having equal representation matters. MTV, with its broad reach and influence, is in a position to expose larger audiences to the kind of diverse perspectives that can tilt the culture more broadly toward diversity and inclusion. “Television and family can be life and death for so many people, I’m not exaggerating,” explained GLAAD’s Associate Director of Transgender Representation Alex Schmider. “Content creators are in a position of power to truly make a difference in people’s lives.”

There’s nothing wrong with gray hair.

Martha Stewart

When 19-time Emmy Award-winner Martha Stewart sat down with a partner recently to discuss what she thought was a potential board seat, the company insisted that it had an age cutoff of 62. “You’re just getting started at 62,” said an exasperated 78-year-old Stewart, who launched Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, which later sold for more than $350 million, in her mid-50s. “Age shouldn’t matter,” she said. “Talent should matter.” Still, many go to great lengths to cover up their age. “How many women do you see on television with gray hair?” asked celebrity chef Carla Hall, who deliberately let her hair go gray against the advice of a television executive advising on one of her shows. “I did it for all the women who feel like they have to color it for someone else.” Older generations are hardly the only ones to face age discrimination. Stewart’s own lawyer didn’t believe in her when she was starting out, and critics savaged her first book because she was, “just a caterer.” Stewart cautions that it’s important to keep things in perspective and maintain your belief in yourself. “You can’t get devastated over that kind of stuff,” she said.

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Originally published: Tuesday, September 29, 2020.

Additional source: The New York Times.

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