Some great intellectual minds have recently panned this commercial as a return to that riotgrrrl / “post-feminism” trope that never seems to quite die. The basic sentiment going around is: “Look – Maria’s a great tennis player and Nike just had to go and focus on her prettiness. As if no matter how gifted you are, as long as you’re female, you have to still make sure you’re beautiful.”
I think that’s crazy! The people looking at Maria in this commercial are clearly the ones focused on her prettiness, not her. She doesn’t say a word while they a) judge her as shallow and obsessed with her looks and b) assume she has nothing more to offer than a pretty face. Instead, she bides her time then simply walks onto the court, does her thing, and silences them instantly with her first stroke. All along SHE knows that it’s not about prettiness – and within the first few seconds of the game she makes sure everyone else knows it too.
The commercial actually reminds me of the opening scene from Natural Born Killers. Juliette Lewis is in a bar and everyone’s leering at her. Then she guns them down and asks one of them, “Think I’m sexy now, motherfucker?” Maria’s work on the court is basically the same question, and “Think I’m pretty now, motherfucker?” is hardly powderpuff “empowerment”.
And yes, Raveo, I guess I should go post this one on my secret blog too.
did you know the ad is for the nike preformance DRESS- not a shoe or an attitude- but a dress- with that in mind- i love the juxtaposition – a agree with you -oh sisohmine
yeah i did – they’re actually selling something called the “sports corset” right now which is what (justifiably) got everyone up in arms. but the leap to denigrating this commercial wasn’t logical to me. hence the post. i’m all about the sports dress by the way. it’s the salinger in me.
Ima be devil’s advocate here….
It seems more like it’s “oh yeah she’s pretty and she’s plays a good game too! You can be pretty when you play tennis when you wear this dress too! And it might even make you a great tennis player! Tennis players are pretty!”
I’m just arguing cuz I like to argue though – not sure I really agree with what I said.
But it bet that’s the way lots of young girls will look at the commercial.
oh yeah- definitely plays on several levels- age and class are just 2- everything about advertisements is subjective