The
Mini Cooper’s Super Bowl 50 add with Serena Williams was more than a car
commercial. Its theme was ‘defying labels’. Serena Williams, obviously a spokes
person for the brand, talked about personal stories of being labeled and trying
to defy them. She is arguably the best women’s tennis player in the world and
even with this high position she is still labeled, judged, and stereotyped. For
her to address the public about individuality and breaking standards,
stereotypes, and labels was really powerful. I loved this advertisement because
it was not just addressing women or black people; it was addressing everyone
who becomes defined by labels. She mentions that often time’s people label her
as angry, tough, mean, too focused, or too strong. These are negative labels that
categorize her in specific ways. Labels, like stereotypes, confines people and
primes other people to think of certain groups and individuals in a certain way.
The labels that Williams mentions make her out to be something she is not and
primes people to think of her in certain ways. I argue that people stereotyped
her as angry and mean because her talent threatened the female image of an athlete.
Because
she is a woman she is labeled in certain, negative ways. It made me think about
the way in which we define women athletes and women in general. If Serena were
a man, she would not be labeled in this way; instead she would be praised for
her fight, her grit, her athleticism, and her drive. Our patriarchal society
does not allow women to portray certain qualities and never gives them credit
in the same way that men get credit. Even though Serena is one of the best
female tennis players she gets negatively labeled because she is not a man. Our
male-controlled, hegemonic standards make negative comments and set negative
standards on her because she is defying the stereotypes of ‘weak, un-athletic
women’. So I really liked this add because it encouraged people to defy the
labels that men in powerful positions set. Serena Williams encouraged people to
be different and not to give into the labels that the media or that people put
upon us. She says, “no one can define you. Only you can define you”.
I definitely agree that it is important to rise above the concept of labeling ourselves and others. To do so is to continue to give in to the roles that society has constructed for us. I believe that differences are also important and should be celebrating, but not within the confines of stereotypes and traditional race and gender roles.
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