Kendra Corbin. SSH Intern
This year’s Super Bowl XLVIII will air on Sunday, February 2 at 6:30 PM. Millions of viewers will lounge in front of their TVs with junk food and beer. Instead, I will be parked on my couch, rolling my eyes and making that, “ugh,” sound under my breath, awaiting the inevitable sexism that plagues Super Bowl commercials.
In the past, Super Bowl Sunday has been a breeding ground for sexist ads. Go Daddy notoriously receives backlash for its ill-fated attempts at making Internet domain names sexy. Take a look at last year’s cringe-worthy commercial. As a warning, it’s painfully awkward to watch. The slogan is, “When sexy meets smart, your small business scores.” Aside from being genuinely gross, this commercial implies that beautiful people, women in particular, cannot be smart and smart people cannot be beautiful.
In 2012, Teleflora released a steamy commercial with questionable implications. The flower company’s commercial features a beautiful woman slowly slipping into lingerie. She looks into the camera and seductively says, “Guys, Valentine’s Day is not that complicated. Give and you shall receive.” Get it? If you buy a woman flowers, you’ll automatically get laid. What an adorable message to send to millions of Super Bowl viewers.
Also in 2012, Fiat released a commercial that features a woman that catches a man gawking at her in the streets. At first she is angered, though her anger quickly turns into heated passion. The man then wakes up from his daydream just as the beautiful woman turns back into a car. This commercial is problematic because it objectifies women while simultaneously making light of street harassment. Leering at women in streets is not a sexy turn-on. It’s creepy.
Luckily, this year viewers can combat sexist commercials by using The Representation Project’s new #NotBuyingIt app. During the Super Bowl, viewers can publicly call out companies for their offensive advertising tactics. Although #NotBuyingIt has previously been available on Twitter, it is now easily accessible via the iPhone app. The goal is to spread the word about sexist advertisements, grab the attention of the offending companies, and spark a positive change within the media and society.
Stop Street Harassment’s similar operation Campaign Against Companies calls out offensive ads that specifically trivialize street harassment. Along with using the #NotBuyingIt app, we encourage viewers to submit offensive ads related to street harassment, as well. In the past, Stop Street Harassment and supporters have been able to convince several companies to refine their distasteful advertisements.
During the game, I do not want to see any scantily clad women used as a marketing ploy. I do not want to see women objectified for profit. I do not want to see female actresses pretending to be strippers. The hypersexual Super Bowl commercials say a great deal about how the public views real life women. The media has the influential power to make us view women as sexualized objects. This alarming mindset can have a tremendous impact on the amount of street harassment that real life women experience.
This Sunday, take note of the messages that companies are sending to their consumers. If you spot sexism in a commercial and it offends you, tell someone about it! #NotBuyingIt is a great way to start spreading the word. If you plan on traveling to Super Bowl parties, stay safe.
Kendra Corbin is senior at Shenandoah University. She is majoring in Mass Communications and minoring in Women’s Studies.
