A few days ago a friend of mine posted an article on Facebook for me to mull over and share my thoughts about. The article was a response to the #LikeAGirl ad campaign. I shared the ad on Facebook because I supported the message and never thought someone would respond in such an overtly negative fashion. Oh was I wrong...
In his article "#LikeAGirl Cashes In On Womens' Insecurities," Rich Cromwell addresses what he believes are major issues with the ad campaign: it is a "smart and reasonably entertaining campaign;" the campaign suggests "that girls are too sensitive to handle anodyne playground taunts;" and "Always is selling women products made specifically for women by claiming that men and women are totally the same."
"Making that money!"
It's possible, likely in fact, that Always only cares about money. Most companies exist because of it...most politicians exist because of it! It is incredibly presumptuous of Mr. Cromwell to say that this campaign is merely "cashing in on Women's insecurities."
Even if the sole motivation for the campaign is profit, the ad still delivers a message of vital importance. Also, just because the ad uses actors in front of a camera, doesn't make it any less true. Cromwell’s response is an unnecessary statement about the intent of the company and the people behind the campaign and is purely ad hominem.
Personally, I found it refreshing to see a company addressing an issue like this. The brand name was mentioned but didn't detract from the message. It did not give off the impression that the products were going to "save women" or that a woman has to rely on their merchandise to achieve beauty or acceptance (as many make-up commercials do).
"It's just an insult. Get over it."
Mr. Cromwell brushes the insults off as playful banter even though he actually calls them insults. I would imagine that Cromwell would be a big advocate for the phrase, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." Most people have begun to realize that this old phrase, invented with the intent of helping kids cope with bullying and verbal oppression from peers, has only proven to keep kids from addressing the issue.
Honestly, I thought that journalists (and the non-government populous) had moved past the belief that sweeping things under the rug was a viable option for dealing with life. The ad isn't suggesting "that girls are too sensitive to handle anodyne playground taunts and need hygiene companies to save them." No, it's actually saying that girls are tough, as opposed to the ongoing insults used to motivate boys to act, play, work, or speak a certain way.
While the author suggests that such things aren't going to affect the way his girls act and live out their lives, his little "experiment" at the end of his article proves nothing about his thesis. His "experiment" is pointless and here is why:
"Boy's will be boys!"
Let's look at the bigger picture for a second. The problem is not just the use of term "like a girl." It is the mindset we are developing in our children's minds. Apart from insulting girls, we are subconsciously developing the way boys view women. I'm not going to go to the extreme and say that statements like these lead to higher occurrences of rape, but we are fooling ourselves if we say it doesn't have an affect on the way men view women or that it doesn't contribute to sexism in some way.
Additionally, we create false concepts of "manhood" for our boys to strive towards. Again, we have to look at this with the understanding of lifespan development. Children think and process differently than adults. In their early teens they begin to think abstractly, but usually by the time they reach that level the damage has already been done. We often deprive males of a beautiful, God-given tool for processing life: emotions. Furthermore, we add to the insecurities found in adult males when we demean and degrade them as boys.
Forget the term "like a girl" for just a moment and think about how we talk to boys in general. No, I'm not suggesting that we be mushy and say crap like "everyone's a winner." Everyone is most certainly not a winner! There are people who lose, and our kids need to know that. Our kids need to learn to be tough because life is tough, but at the same time we don't need to totally destroy them. Yelling, screaming, and pumping our kids full of toxic speech and behavior may make them tougher, but it also may be a significant factor to our suicide rates.
I realize that what I'm saying leaves a lot of questions about what is and is not harmful/acceptable. I don't claim to be an expert on the subject, but I do know the pain and hurt that comes from parenting full of hateful words and toxic speech and I know that we as a culture can do better...and without making a pendulum swing.
"We are the same!"
I wanted to quickly address the author's statement about the company suggesting men and women are the same. They are most certain not the same, and I don't believe that the ad suggests that they are. Honestly, I feel like Mr. Cromwell read too much into the commercial. The ad isn't breaking down gender differences or gender roles, it's addressing a social issue.
My Personal Opinion...
Quite frankly, I found Mr. Cromwell's entire article completely insulting. By the end of the article, I wasn't even sure that he had watched the whole video. It was a poor response that was highly insensitive, illogical, uninformed, and full of ad hominem, and it completely undermined the message of the campaign. Basically, it seemed more like an attempt to take a shot at a companies' intent and reputation than to give an honest response. I was severely disappointed by what I read.
Grace and Peace,
Stephen
In his article "#LikeAGirl Cashes In On Womens' Insecurities," Rich Cromwell addresses what he believes are major issues with the ad campaign: it is a "smart and reasonably entertaining campaign;" the campaign suggests "that girls are too sensitive to handle anodyne playground taunts;" and "Always is selling women products made specifically for women by claiming that men and women are totally the same."
"Making that money!"
It's possible, likely in fact, that Always only cares about money. Most companies exist because of it...most politicians exist because of it! It is incredibly presumptuous of Mr. Cromwell to say that this campaign is merely "cashing in on Women's insecurities."
Even if the sole motivation for the campaign is profit, the ad still delivers a message of vital importance. Also, just because the ad uses actors in front of a camera, doesn't make it any less true. Cromwell’s response is an unnecessary statement about the intent of the company and the people behind the campaign and is purely ad hominem.
Personally, I found it refreshing to see a company addressing an issue like this. The brand name was mentioned but didn't detract from the message. It did not give off the impression that the products were going to "save women" or that a woman has to rely on their merchandise to achieve beauty or acceptance (as many make-up commercials do).
"It's just an insult. Get over it."
Mr. Cromwell brushes the insults off as playful banter even though he actually calls them insults. I would imagine that Cromwell would be a big advocate for the phrase, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." Most people have begun to realize that this old phrase, invented with the intent of helping kids cope with bullying and verbal oppression from peers, has only proven to keep kids from addressing the issue.
Honestly, I thought that journalists (and the non-government populous) had moved past the belief that sweeping things under the rug was a viable option for dealing with life. The ad isn't suggesting "that girls are too sensitive to handle anodyne playground taunts and need hygiene companies to save them." No, it's actually saying that girls are tough, as opposed to the ongoing insults used to motivate boys to act, play, work, or speak a certain way.
While the author suggests that such things aren't going to affect the way his girls act and live out their lives, his little "experiment" at the end of his article proves nothing about his thesis. His "experiment" is pointless and here is why:
- Context. There is a difference between a father calmly saying "Hey, punch this couch like a girl" and the obviously demeaning tone of a boy (or another parent or P.E. teacher) telling another boy that he "______ like a girl!"
- Lack of observation over time. His one time may do nothing, but consistent exposure is what causes a true effect on the mind and soul of a human being. For Mr. Cromwell to really be able to do an honest experiment, he would have to risk involvement from the DHS.
- Recognition of Psycho-Social Development. Recognizing, and understanding, the mind of child makes a huge difference in how we approach something. We are adults, therefore our minds are more developed and we see the world in different. We often, as a result, forget what it is like to be a child and to hear and think like a child. Peers are going to have a completely different impact on a child's life than the parent is and that needs to be recognized.
"Boy's will be boys!"
Let's look at the bigger picture for a second. The problem is not just the use of term "like a girl." It is the mindset we are developing in our children's minds. Apart from insulting girls, we are subconsciously developing the way boys view women. I'm not going to go to the extreme and say that statements like these lead to higher occurrences of rape, but we are fooling ourselves if we say it doesn't have an affect on the way men view women or that it doesn't contribute to sexism in some way.
Additionally, we create false concepts of "manhood" for our boys to strive towards. Again, we have to look at this with the understanding of lifespan development. Children think and process differently than adults. In their early teens they begin to think abstractly, but usually by the time they reach that level the damage has already been done. We often deprive males of a beautiful, God-given tool for processing life: emotions. Furthermore, we add to the insecurities found in adult males when we demean and degrade them as boys.
Forget the term "like a girl" for just a moment and think about how we talk to boys in general. No, I'm not suggesting that we be mushy and say crap like "everyone's a winner." Everyone is most certainly not a winner! There are people who lose, and our kids need to know that. Our kids need to learn to be tough because life is tough, but at the same time we don't need to totally destroy them. Yelling, screaming, and pumping our kids full of toxic speech and behavior may make them tougher, but it also may be a significant factor to our suicide rates.
I realize that what I'm saying leaves a lot of questions about what is and is not harmful/acceptable. I don't claim to be an expert on the subject, but I do know the pain and hurt that comes from parenting full of hateful words and toxic speech and I know that we as a culture can do better...and without making a pendulum swing.
"We are the same!"
I wanted to quickly address the author's statement about the company suggesting men and women are the same. They are most certain not the same, and I don't believe that the ad suggests that they are. Honestly, I feel like Mr. Cromwell read too much into the commercial. The ad isn't breaking down gender differences or gender roles, it's addressing a social issue.
My Personal Opinion...
Quite frankly, I found Mr. Cromwell's entire article completely insulting. By the end of the article, I wasn't even sure that he had watched the whole video. It was a poor response that was highly insensitive, illogical, uninformed, and full of ad hominem, and it completely undermined the message of the campaign. Basically, it seemed more like an attempt to take a shot at a companies' intent and reputation than to give an honest response. I was severely disappointed by what I read.
Grace and Peace,
Stephen
