As Bruce Springsteen plays in the background and the wife and I work on dualing laptops, I HAD to add a few thoughts about the Super Bowl. I’ve been a waxing and waning football fan since my early youth. Diehard Redskins fan. Then not so much. Then in college and a bit after it wasn’t “cool” to admit you liked football. Too violent for a Quaker college, you know? Living now in Massachusetts, I am fond of the Patriots, but not avidly so. But I always enjoy a good Super Bowl. I think because of the hype. And the often-hilarious, over-the-top commercials.
Today, as I tuned in late, the very first commercial I saw was about a new diet Pepsi — just for men. What? Excuse me? It’s the diet drink just for men. Yes, those men definitely need their own diet drink. Yes, I know that the viewer demographic for the SB is overwhelmingly male. And of course the commercials are created with that audience in mind, but come on. Ridiculous. How emasculating to drink “regular” diet beverages (mind you, I’m not a fan of anyone drinking any diet beverages — got that X? — because of the horrible fake sweeteners)….of course a man needs a diet beverage that will make him feel manly, even if he’s trying to cut the calories.
Don’t really know what else to say, but yowza! this world is insisting on becoming more and more gendered and divided along gender lines every moment. Ugh!
Know how you feel. Went into payless to get Oliver and Graham ballet slippers. At least the display was in the “kids” section, but drowning in pink with a big poster talking about how the American Ballet Theater is encouraging girls to go after their dreams. Funny, if you ask people to name one famous ballet dancer, they’ll probably name a male one.
Miss you all! Heidi
I love that last point that you made! The truest of ironies.
at the risk of missing the point of this post entirely (which happens anyway, because while we get the game in canada, we just get our run-of-the-mill everyday canadian commercials) … the REDSKINS?!? and i used to have such respect for you!
as a dallas-ite, born and raised, i will do my best to get past my upbringing (and its default cowboy fandom) and forgive you!
(and i do love myself some football – any kind – CFL, NCAA, NFL. about the only kind that is completely unsatisfying is the canadian college league.)
Well, thanks for overlooking that one MAJOR point to keep on hanging around here….
Part of it is definitely a DC born and bred thing for me (which, you know, comes with a total distaste for your lovely cowboys).
and need I mention the HORRENDOUS nature of all of these names? (general aside, here)
Oy!