Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Expect Great

I recently saw a commercial on television advertising the upcoming 2008 WNBA season. The commercial starts of with Candace Parker, whom is the number one pick coming out of the draft. Parker played basketball for the University of Tennessee, and now she is a rookie on the Los Angeles Sparks. The reason this commercial stood out to me so much was because in the commercial she is speaking to the camera stating things such as, “ I’m Sorry, but you couldn’t pay me to watch women’s basketball, nothing exciting ever happens, look at the WNBA, the league has stayed the same for ten years, there’s no new blood, what kind of future does the league have? Known that I can see.” Then at the end of the commercial the words flash, “She wouldn’t say, would you?” The finally scene shows Parker saying expect great things. To me this commercial just pretty much touched on every topic and issue that we have discussed in class with the negative atmosphere surrounding with women in sports. Hearing Candace Parker saying those words, not only makes me realize that this is a reality outside of class, it is not a unheard of topic. I think it is very important that those types of stereotypes are addressed is as they were in the commercial.

Christopher Hicks

Kin 338 - 930/1045
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2 comments:

Kerrie Kauer said...

There are countless commercials that usually have a negative stereotype towards women. This stereotype also includes women in sports. The reason for these kind of commercials could be an effect of hegemony where the advertising firms are usually white males. I recently also saw a commericial that states why women hate sports and it shows a women smelling something bad around the house and she goes towards the tv where a soccer game is on and finds her husband watching the game from the toilet in the restroom. This commercial is sexist and generalizes that women hate sports. When in reality more women are filling up the stadiums and turning on the tv to watch sports. This would not be a reason for a woman to start hating sports however, the commericial shows the wife in the kitchen and turning off the tv with a soccer game on. These type of commercials demonstrate how women have to get in the advertising field and change these stereotypical commercials including female sports commercials.
Diana Camarena
Kin 338I 9:30

May 20, 2008 at 10:16 AM
Kerrie Kauer said...

It is great to see that society is beginning to address the stereotypes surrounding women in sport. I also viewed the "Expect Great" advertisements and I feel its a great reminder of how ReaL these discriminations are. Society tends to dismiss these stereotypes as if they are not present but these ads allow society to understand that female athletes are aware of these discerning views. But what i feel is most refreshing is that these female basketball players address the problems and instead of creating these sense of sympathy they remain strong and personify what it means to be a strong woman. These ads are much more than a promotion for The WNBA but instead they're relaying the message that yes as females we are different from males, but we are still athletes and have amazing ability. It very encouraging to see that the major corporations/ televisions companies are now promoting women empowerment because I can remember a time where you would never see a commercial like this. Now im not saying that these advertisements will change societies perception of women but it is another important step in closing the gap between male and female athletes.
F. Aguirre (kin 338I.S6)

May 21, 2008 at 1:20 PM

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