Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Women Are Brutally Savaging Discovery's New Sexist Campaign In The Best Way

Women Are Brutally Savaging Discovery's New Sexist Campaign In The Best Way
Discovery Channel, @Julia_SCI/Twitter

Women call out the channel for its tone deaf new ad.

For a brand dedicated to science, learning and exploration, Discovery Channel's new ad campaign seems to have skipped over one pretty important fact:

the existence of women.


For over 30 years the Discovery Channel has been celebrating the beauty and craziness of this tiny planet we call home, but somehow in its latest ad campaign the educational channel managed to forget about half of the people who live here.

As part of its global re-branding this week Discovery launched a TV spot featuring its new tagline "The world is ours."

The only problem, except for one naked women the ad featured nothing but men.

Set to the tune of Hooked on a Feeling male stars from a number of Discovery Channel shows laughed, danced and sang along in an unmitigated "bro-fest."



Now women all over, including a group of female scientists are calling out the channel for its tone deaf "bro-down", reminding the brand that women like discovering things too.






Science communicator and aspiring wildlife host Ashley Gary was one of the many women disappointed by the ad.

Gary told CNET in an interview:

"So many girls and women look to that channel for not only entertainment, but information about our world, but yet we weren't included."

So Gary and a group of other women scientists teamed up and put together their own video.

Gary said:

"If no one else will promote us and our work, we'll be our own cheerleader and promote ourselves."

Lead by biologist Sarah McAnulty a group of women scientists, communicators and researchers set out to remind Discovery that the world was a much bigger place as they lip-synced and danced to Eve's Let Me Blow Ya Mind in their labs and out in the field.

Watch their video here.


Needless to say minds were blown by the amazing celebration of women in the STEM fields.









As amazing as the response was, many were disappointed that it was necessary in the first place. Though for many women in the STEM fields exclusionary thinking like that shown in Discovery's ad is nothing new.

Before the ad aired Vulcanologist Jess Phoenix was already familiar with Discovery's attitude towards women in STEM.

Phoenix told CNET:

"When members of my team have pitched me as a show host to Discovery and other networks, we've been told that their audiences won't believe I'm a scientist."

Women like neuroscientist BethAnn McLaughlin who is leading the #MeTooSTEM movement keep McAnulty feeling optimistic about the future for women in STEM though.

"These groups make me feel hopeful for the future women in STEM, even if it feels depressing from the trenches right now."
"These women turned one more negative in a long line of exclusionary nonsense into a funny, light-hearted, defiant reminder that women in science are not going anywhere."

And with "mind blowing" efforts like the response to Discovery's ad it's obvious the amazing women of STEM aren't going to take being forgotten about any more.

More from Trending

Daniel Radcliffe
ANGELA WEISS / AFP via Getty Images

Fans Are Loving 'Short King' Daniel Radcliffe's Tony Awards Red Carpet Photos With His Taller Girlfriend

We've all known a man or two who's hypersensitive and obsessed with his height, perhaps with good reason: the "short kings" among us are often the butts of lots of jokes online.

And many are the short men who say they're unbothered by their height but would never dare date someone taller than them.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Rosie O'Donnell; Donald Trump
Variety; Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Rosie O'Donnell Skewers 'Psychopath' Trump In Unfiltered Red Carpet Interview At The Tony Awards—And She's Spot On

Actor and comedian Rosie O'Donnell called President Donald Trump a "psychopath" when asked about him by a reporter for Variety on the red carpet at the Tony Awards on Sunday night.

O'Donnell and Trump have feuded for years and O'Donnell, fearing the worst once Trump won the 2024 election, moved to Ireland shortly before he was inaugurated. She has cited the risks Project 2025 and Trump's potential retribution pose to her and her nonbinary child.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pete Hegseth
Kiran Ridley/Getty Images

Pete Hegseth Blasted After Using D-Day Remembrance Speech To Gripe About Immigrants In Europe

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was criticized after using a D-Day remembrance speech to complain about immigrants coming to Europe.

The D-Day operation on June 6, 1944, united the land, air, and sea forces of the Allied armies in what became the largest amphibious invasion in military history. Codenamed Operation OVERLORD, this massive endeavor landed five naval assault divisions on the beaches of Normandy.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Donald Trump and Kristen Welker
NBC

Trump Just Tried To Blame His 'Meet The Press' Tantrum On The Weather—And Nobody's Buying It

President Donald Trump was criticized after he abruptly stormed out of an interview on Meet the Press on Sunday only to blame his tantrum on the rain.

Trump left after repeatedly insisting, without evidence, that both the 2020 presidential election and California's gubernatorial race were rigged. During the exchange, moderator Kristen Welker noted that California's lengthy ballot-counting process is routine, but Trump pointed to the ongoing tally as proof of wrongdoing.

Keep ReadingShow less
Woman putting cupcakes in oven; Message from u/Duskymoonlight/Reddit
BongkarnThanyakij/Getty Images; u/Duskymoonlight/Reddit

Beginner Baker Didn't Realize You're Not Supposed To Put Decorations On Until After Baking—And The Photos Are Priceless

We all have our own unique talents, and it's actually kind of awesome that they're not all the same.

That said, one of the best reasons to try something new is the potential laughs we'll get out of it.

Keep ReadingShow less