#KindMonsters, Unite!
As our fans can attest, being a monster isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, it can be awesome.
That’s why we’re so excited to announce our #KindMonsters movement with Monster High. Together, we’re launching a new Monster High doll and a year-long campaign to promote kindness and acceptance.
We're so excited for our partnership with @MonsterHigh to promote kindness! https://t.co/6RAv79yJct #KindMonsters
— Born This Way Foundation (@BTWFoundation) February 12, 2016
Join us & RT this pledge using #KindMonsters to build a kinder world & enter to win a @LadyGaga @BTWFoundation doll! pic.twitter.com/leorkybnQk
— Monster High (@MonsterHigh) February 12, 2016
We kicked off last week at the New York City Toy Fair, where we unveiled our Kindness Pledge and Monster High showed off their plans for a new doll. In fall 2016, Monster High will release a new Monster, designed by Lady Gaga and her sister, Natali Germanotta. Based off a character from the “Born This Way” music video, this new Monster High student is all about encouraging bravery, honesty, and kindness. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the foundation and help us build a kinder, braver world.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BBsy0JMpz7B/
Building off of the successes of our prior partnerships with great groups like LIFE IS GOOD and Exploring the Arts, we’re looking forward to igniting a new movement to change the world with our Monster High friends. But we can’t do this alone.
You can join the movement by signing the pledge and promising to be one of our #KindMonsters. We’ve committed to kindness online and offline. We’re ready to practice kindness every day. And we want YOU to join us by pledging here:
http://bornthisway.foundation/
This is just the first part of an exciting campaign. We have more news on the way so stay tuned for updates – and in the meantime, share the pledge with your friends!
Bringing Up Barbie
Recently, we’ve had a lot to get excited about—the start to a new year, the launch of the #HackHarassment initiative, and our co-founder Lady Gaga’s Oscar nomination and Golden Globe win, to name just a few. And now we’re adding Barbie to our list. Last week, Mattel re-launched Barbie with three new body types: curvy, tall, and petite. With hundreds of skin tones, eye colors, and hairstyle combinations, we think Barbie has never looked better.
By increasing the visual diversity of Barbie, Mattel is making the iconic doll more relatable to young people all over the country. Richard Dickson, Mattel’s President and COO, said, “I think today, frankly more so than any other time, Barbie is truly representing what girls see.” We agree – although we’d add that playing with Barbie isn’t just for one gender!
Part of the reason this change is so important is because of for the past 57 years, Barbie has been an icon. Many young people grow up idolizing Barbie, and seeing her as a friend. These new looks will go a long way towards empowering people of all ages to accept acceptance and to embrace individuality.
It’s inspiring to imagine how brave children will feel playing with a doll that looks like them, or the people they see every day. At Born This Way Foundation, we love that – and we can’t wait to see more toys that reflect a vision of a braver, kinder world.
Help Us #HackHarassment
As we know from the young people we talk to each day, online harassment is a pervasive, and vicious, problem. In fact, 4 in 10 Internet users say they’ve experienced harassment of some kind. 84% of people believe there is a real-life risk and emotional impact from online harassment. And crucially, people between the ages of 18 to 29 are most at risk. Despite these disheartening numbers, I believe we can change the way people interact online and create a kinder and braver community, and luckily, I’m not alone.
When my daughter and I founded Born This Way Foundation, we did so with the understanding that making a kinder, braver world requires collaboration and real action. That’s why I’m excited to announce a new partnership that embodies both of those elements of our mission.
Intel, Vox Media, Re/code and Born This Way Foundation are coming together to launch Hack Harassment (#hackharassment), a new, collaborative initiative to fight online harassment and provide safer, more inclusive online experiences. The goal of this project is not just one of awareness but to also increase accountability, advance technology solutions, and affect positive change.
For the thousands of young people who have experienced some form of online harassment, the time for action is now. The issue has gone under reported, and unaddressed, for too long, and too often, with very real consequences.
We have the collective capability to #HackHarassment — now we just need you to join us to make the internet and kinder place for all.
Mental Illness on Trial Documentary
In the U.S., 3.3.% of the population (7.9 million people) live with severe mental illness. Watch this short documentary to learn more about how our country can improve mental health treatment.