Serena Williams is not the shy retiring sort. She is a strong and outspoken person who often speaks on behalf of women everywhere. She did this again recently when she spoke out via a Nike ad:
“Show them what crazy can do,” says Williams in the short video. It’s only crazy till you do it, says the Nike tagline at the end.
Women were calling out to all the ‘crazy’ women leading the way, expressing their appreciation for a ‘powerful’ ad. Many thought that it was the best ad from Nike in a long time.
Perhaps this one was a reference to Williams’ own sometimes unconventional fashion choices which have run afoul of the powers that be.
Of course there were those who felt that the ad was objectionable simply because it tried to make people understand the importance of women getting the same opportunities for expression - and otherwise - as men.
As many other commentators tried to explain, this reaction is exactly the point of the ad: the fact that men are not held up to the same standards of behaviour as women are. Men getting angry would be excused as them having a bad day, whereas women would be called hysterical. A woman would be accused of being objectionable; where man would be called a good leader.
Men with daughters tend to be more clued in about things that women go through and their struggle for equality. This one is quite clued in.
The idea behind the ad is to call out the habit of demeaning the valid reaction of a woman; by calling her emotional or crazy or any of the many other dismissive terms used.
More than one commentator thought that Serena Williams was perhaps not the best person to be in a commercial that sends out this message. This tweet refers to Williams’ on-court altercation at the US Open final and other rather public run-ins she has had over the years.
Williams is as fallible as any other player. however, it is important to understand what this ad is trying to convey. While women are condemned and even punished for ‘having a tantrum’ this is seen as somehow a positive thing in men.
In the end, this ad is all about change and the need to view men and women without the lens of gender; without gendered expectations. It is about a change; a social change that is ongoing. It is making some people uncomfortable, but it is happening and it is happening right now.
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