This post has been brewing for a while. Probably since the summer? At the very least. Over the summer Rogers released posters for the Rogers Cup Tennis tournament. And when I saw it, my jaw just dropped. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am no feminist. Hell, I make terrible jokes all the time re: femininity et al. But this was no joke. Rogers’s poster was so damn sexist, it made me really mad. I acutally stopped and had to stare at it to make sure I was really reading it correctly, that I was not seeing things. (This has happened before, we drove by a church and I misread it as Christ’s Apocalyptic Church, it was Apostolic).
“Come for the ladies, stay for the legends.” I am amazed that this idea for a poster slogan actually went through! How could no one have been like “uhm… hello? That is so damn sexist?” I am no bra-burner (which is a lie, they never actually burned the bras) but this is ridiculous. But in reading stuff, I found out that the poster campaign got pulled. Still, it should not have run in the first place.
Why am I only writing about this now? Months later? Because I was watching TV and an Adidas ad came on. Well actually, in total that day I saw two. First was one featuring male athletes. They were being competitive and aggressive, playing sports like soccer and basketball (I think), and maybe some other contact sports. Then later I saw another Adidas commercial, except this time it featured female athletes. And what sports were they partaking in? Oh, I don’t know, how about some ballet? Twirling in tutus? Or some tennis being played in short little skirts? Goddammit. I really don’t want to have to burn my sports bra. (Aerie has discontinued their F.I.T. line which featured decent workout gear, including cross-trainers from New Balance, and instead has brought us Slim Gym, cute little outfits you can wear to yoga while you walk across the gym so guys can check out your tight ass. I am not kidding. The two sports bras they now have on offer: one is padded, the other has a lace overlay. Great for lifting weights and doing push-ups! *giggle* NOT).
So the men are aggressive and the women are… I don’t even know. Look at the boxing in both ads. In the men’s ad, the men punch each other, one guy is all bloody at the end. The women? Oh they just lightly punch the punching bag or just punch the air. Not cool.
“male”
“female”
NOTE: what the hell does Katy Perry have to do with athletics?!
Inside My Head 