It isn't on YouTube yet, but it has some very interesting phrases: "Women with real hair and real bodies." "Who will take womankind three steps forward instead of three steps back?" These are things that need to be said in these days of Lohan, Spears, Winehouse, Hudgens, Cyrus, and Hilton.
I saw the commercial as well. I swear that they said something like "no fake boobs" as well. Or did I imagine that?
One thing that kind of irked me about the com. was that as they said "with real values", they cut to someone's wedding band. I don't think it was that big of a deal, and I can't think of another uber-simple way to demonstrate values in a single shot, but it was annoying nonetheless. I suppose I may be a little biased, though.
If someone does find an online link to that commercial, please post it. I need to watch it again before I decide how offended, if offended, I'm going to be by that. Some of us are not legally allowed to marry the people we love and from what I gather some people who have played, and do play, for this team are in the same boat. I think they could have found another way to say 'we are good people' without the ‘look how hetro and married we are' imagery. You can argue that’s not what they were trying to do, but we all look at things like this through our own filters. My filter happens to have a lot of emotion connected to the ‘marriage and values’ talk. I'm not trying to start a big political kerfuffle and I respect people’s right to disagree with me and who I am, even though those same people seem rarely able to pay me similar respect. I also reiterate that I need to watch that again before I make up my mind about what I’m seeing, but the idea of it has me very disappointed in US Soccer, YET AGAIN. I know their target audience is the suburban soccer mom, but can they not choose their words and deeds with a little more deft and grace?
And yet, suburban soccer moms and their kids aren't reading Role Models Monthly, they're reading gossip rags like US Weekly and People. They aren't watching the Hallmark Channel, they're watching Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, The Hills. People want role models? Right. Or maybe they do, but they just don't want to pay for them.
The mention of the wedding ring shot for the 'values' part does strike me as a bit, um ... It definitely rubs, not just because it doesn't exactly fit the team, but it doesn't fit a good deal of their fans, either. [rant] They seriously need to get their heads out of their asses about who and what their fan base is. It may have been the MIIIIAAAAAA!!! set 8 years ago, but c'mon ... I'm not saying have a PRIDE night like some of the WNBA teams, but at least target some adults in your ads.[ /rant] But at least that kind of marketing worked for the WUSA, right? (Sorry, I'm in a foul mood.)
Just got done watching it. I'm not married so I guess I don't have any real values. The commercial would've been just fine without that wedding ring shot. What a joke. God forbid USSF actually branch out and acknowledge that not all the women on the WNT and their fans are cookie cutter happily married hetero women or 12 year old girls. Maybe it's just cuz I had a really crappy day but for some reason, that commercial has really pissed me off.
From my admittedly hetro point of view, I probably wouldn't have noticed what you guys have picked up on. I viewed the "message" as one trying to contrast soccer players being dedicated atheletes to Paris Hilton-type skanks with empty values. I agree that marketing to the non-soccer mom crowd ihas been a problematic defect in the attempt to sell women's soccer. Just wondering, though, had they not included the scene with the wedding ring would you have been similarly pissed off? It does have a subtle message I will admit.
Apart from the wedding ring shot, I thought the same thing. It seems, though, that ussoccer can't do anything without bashing someone. If it's not blatantly ignoring the women's teams, it's taking cheapshots at homosexuals or single women. It seems like there's got to be something we can do to force a little respect out of them. I just can't figure out what.
I wouldn't say I'm pissed off about the ad. Like I said, it just rubs the wrong way. I really don't think it was meant as a cheap shot against gays and lesbians, I just don't think anyone paid much attention to the various ways one could interpret it.
I don't take it as a cheap shot against anyone really, I just don't think it was necessary. Gay, straight, white, black, red, whatever, there are many different ways to show "real values" without flashing a wedding ring. Blame it on my crappy day though. Sorry.
When I think about it, I don't really think it was an intentional slight, either. It just seems like ussoccer as a whole just doesn't give a damn what it's putting out there, and when you've got such varied players and fans, a little sensitivity toward different groups should be in order. Normally I hate PC crap, but when the target audience is a bunch of young girls trying to figure themselves out, you need to show acceptance of differences, instead of creating a mold for kids to cram into. Little things like that really do add up very quickly. If there are players on the team who are comfortable being open about their orientation, they should be allowed to do so. I'm more pissed about that whole situation than the actual commercial.
If the USSF were to ever do a commercial showcasing the players individualality within the team, it would be a hit. Why do a lot of people like Natasha Kai? Because she's different, she's a rebel, she's got more ink than my newspaper, and she's still good at soccer. People like Abby for the same reason, she's not your girl next door, wholesome look at me I'm married and I have 2.5 kids. The USSF needs to give the fans some credit. We can accept different personalities. We actually welcome it! Because somewhere out there, there is a girl, heck, maybe even a boy, that can, and should, be able to relate to at least one person on that team and if used correctly, that is a hell of a marketing tool!!!
Real hair???!!! What an insult to bald women everywhere! Real bodies? If their bodies were imaginary, then they would have to wear imaginary numbers on their jerseys. And everyone knows there is no i in team. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbknGnZXHUk
I'm not sure the "values" things means heterosexuality vs. homosexuality, but committment vs. sleeping around.
Ellertson had a child BEFORE she got married. She kept it and kept going to school and later married her "baby daddy." Does that mean she doesn't have values. I'm not going to lie that part of the commerical made me roll my eyes because I feel like there's more to having good values than just being married. kcguru has a point, that's one of the main things that made me latch on to Kai, she's so different but most importantly she's the one player that I can point to and be able to indentify with. I never had that before that's why I was never really big on the 91ers.
The problem is that the word 'values' has been hijacked by a certain group of busy bodies with to much free time on their hands. I had taped saturday's game and finally had a chance to watch it last night. While folding my laundry and fast forwarding through the commercials recognized the players and stopped, rewind and watched the commerical twice. I actually thought it was pretty good and positive. I don't believe there was any intent to insult those of us who don't engage in 'traditional' lifestyles. Its just nice that they are advertising the game in DC at all. But the new pro league better have a damn beer sponsor.
I don't want it to seem like I completely hate the commercial and I'm going to get up on my soapbox preaching because for me, gay, straight, whatever, that wasn't the point I was trying to make. I was trying to emphasize that there are many ways that they could've shown "real values" other than showing a wedding ring. That was what bugged me and unfortunately, after a really crappy day, I probably should've worded my original post better and just left out the word hetero. I am glad, however, that there is an actual WNT commercial and I suppose in the bigger picture, that's what matters. It's a start. Maybe they should just let fans make their own commercials.
there is absolutely no way it was an intentional slam or slight to anyone. They have picked "family values" to be a point they want to stress, simple as that, that is the target audience, they simply cannot exists without a family target audience. I do see how some would be put off by the words/images chosen, but I doubt that was the intent. You have 30 seconds to get a message across, more often than not, someone will take it in a way you didn't intend. they are trying to show family values, not party girl, rehab skanks, simple as that. If you family is homosexual, which marriages are legal in parts of the country, that's fine, I would say you are included, had they picked a different image I doubt we'd be having this discussion.
That's exactly the point. If they couldn't do something non-exclusive, they shouldn't have done it. But I've said my piece on, I'm done with it.
Warning rant alert***** NH ref, Thats the problem. THIS IS A SOCCER TEAM NOT A FREAKING GROUP OF LIFE COACHES. You have some of the best players in the game PROMOTE THAT. This whole wholesome marketing thing is a bunch of BS. Do you think they 99s got famous because they were wholesome? NO! They go famous because they were some of the best soccer players in the world and were WINNING. The fact that they were mothers, and goodie two-shoes didn't create that fame. USSF needs to be slapped silly. This is the lamest thing i have ever heard of. Its clear they are trying to distinguish themselves from the Lindsy's and Paris of the world, but wtf does that have to do with soccer?? and to be honest there were several ignorant comments/suggestions in there. I can tell you many African American women do have hair extensions not to be like Paris, but because their hair grows slower and they lack volume. are they not real girls? I bet you Ellertson's dew isn't 100% natural. The whole thing was stupid. including the shot of the wedding ring. How about promoting women to a point where they do not have to feel they NEED to be married to be a REAL WOMAN. Honest to god the moron who made this should be put out of their misery. If your going to promote the team promote the play. It speaks for itself.
interesting... not too sure about the comparisons with lindsay and paris is though. they have nothing to do with soccer in my opinion.