Monday Morning Motivation – Deal with it!
There are too many stereotypes about what men and women are capable of/’should be’ doing.
What are you doing to challenge stereotypes?
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That commercial, that line in particularly, makes me want to shun women (with the exception of my wife and those like her who also find the ad abhorrent) entirely. Oh, the righteous anger if men made a commercial advocating the abuse of women. The double standard is repugnant.
I would never have interpreted the ad in the way that you have and do not condone the abuse of anyone.
Perhaps the differing interpretations are context and language specific? In the UK, the sport is always referred to as ‘football’ and never soccer… and for a long time it has been seen as a sport that is exclusively for men. Men’s football is frequently shown on television, whereas we might get to see the highlights of the women’s FA Cup, but that’s about it. (Even a film like ‘Bend it Like Beckham’ showing girls playing football was quite controversial – I understand that in the US many girls and young women play soccer). So, a woman playing football is something that is seen as abnormal by many people.
I’ve just asked my office how they would interpret the advert and all of them perceived it in the same way that I did.
I take umbrage with the double entendre. I remember now, the difference in language between the UK and US. On the other hand, we all hate how men hide behind the misinterpretation of certain taboos, take “cat calling” or whistling. We are expected to be above that now. I understand your perspective, I simply disagree with the way that commercial chose to put it. They should have put that a different way.
My apologies for forgetting the language difference.
Looks like the language of the locker room cuts both ways!
I don’t know if this is what you mean but, I ran a half marathon as a fat girl. More accurately, an obese fat girl. People don’t expect someone with my body to be capable of that. Quite the contrary, they assume I’m lazy. I’ll admit I’m not trying to stay obese; it’s not been good for my health, but that’s why I choose to be active and say “who cares what people think of me” when I’m out running.
I can see how some women would find the campaign a little patronising. And I can see why it would also annoy some blokes too. Perhaps it would be fair to say that if you fall into either of these camps, you are probably not the the target audience, and you can relax safe in the knowledge that you are both ahead of the curve. Overall, it’s a positive campaign, and it’s not trying to sell anyone sports gear or sugary drinks, and it also starts a conversation about body image without proselytizing.
The stereotype I’m trying to challenge is the grumpy elitist runner/cyclist who refuses to wave back to me out on the road. What, are ya’ too busy checking your Garmin to acknowledge the presence of a fellow human being? Come on down and join the hoi polloi; we won’t bite you 😉
(P.S. they are ‘equal opportunities’ snubs by the way, though I find blokes are worse)
I think the double entendre was intended , ie to say ‘ im tough and independent’ in the way that tough women are described as ‘ball breakers’. I sort of agree with bdgddyjim that we need to promote equality between the sexes but by promoting the stereotypes that are good: so strength, physical and mental, caring , teamwork but not physical aggression or misuse of strength or power. So saying ‘ I kick balls’ is tough, but has an aggressive/violent tone. It isn’t acceptable for a girl to think that kicking a guy in the balls is a good thing, except if absolutely necessary in self defence. But I can also see tamsyns point, in the UK it’s about the stereotype of girls playing soccer, it’s still not widely accepted and considered to be a bit un-feminine, for no good reason, and the poster is really saying ‘get over it’, which I agree with.
Sorry Tamsiyn, you only wanted to get people thinking about stereotypes in sport and ended up with a discussion about the poster! But at least it got people thinking !!!!!