"You Throw Like a Girl": Sports, (Wo)men & the Gender Order II

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkt0Q6p33fo

I was extremely taken aback by this commercial, due to the fact that it shows women athletes like they really are. It does not sexualize or use them as a product, which I enjoyed. The gendered messages shown in this commercial are that women are strong athletes, that can almost endure any obstacle, no matter how brutal. Men could be doing the same commercial with the same tasks and it would be considered normal, but the fact that women are doing it makes the audience think it is "out of the ordinary." This commercial also masculinizes the women athletes and shows them as a strong force. I do not believe there are any major consequences of these messages for young people. Maybe that in order to be a successful athlete, one must push themselves to extreme limits. In my opinion I do not see that as a consequence. I watched many commercials before choosing this one. Maybe because Under Armor is not a very feminine company, could contribute to the style of this commercial. Others I looked at were women athletes that used makeup or hair products that helped them perform better. This is where these women stereotypes come in and how people get the idea that women are sexualized in the media and treated differently than men.