++ play the ad or read the text ++
The latest Nike ad has been on my mind since I heard it - it’s inspiring and so spot on.
With the voice-over from Serena Williams, the women in this clip are working in different sports, with their emotions on display. It should not matter and yet it does. For centuries, women are held accountable on a whole different level then men. Even today, in 2019, women are called many things - ‘behaving crazy' is just one of them. Simply for doing what they want, fighting for what they believe in, or for demanding to be treated and paid equally as men. So, especially today - on International Women’s Day - it is time that this negative narrative changes for the better, starting with the last sentence of the clip.
“If we show emotion, we’re called dramatic.
If we want to play against men, we’re nuts.
And if we dream of equal opportunity, delusional.
When we stand for something, we’re unhinged.
When we’re too good, there’s something wrong with us.
And if we get angry, we’re hysterical or irrational or just being crazy.
But, a woman running a marathon was crazy.
A woman boxing was crazy.
A woman dunking? Crazy.
Coaching an NBA team? Crazy.
A woman competing in a hijab, changing her sport, landing a double-cork 1080 or winning 23 grand slams,
having a baby and then coming back for more?
Crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy and crazy.
So if they want to call you crazy?
Fine.
Show them what crazy can do.”
++ this is part of a series of videos from nike
