HBO is broadcasting the Billie Jean King Cup live on Monday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. EST. The photo on the HBO site looks more like a "want to be a model"? reality show ad than an ad promoting some of the world's leading athletes. God forbid we should ever promote female athletes as athletes. And the HBO promotional video itself is about as cheesy as they come. This is HBO!--ccouldn't they have done better?
But that isn't as bad as one of the other promotional videos floating about, in which Billie Jean King mispronounces Jelena Jankovic's name. (Almost all Americans mispronounce Jankovic's first name, but King mangaes to mispronounce, a la Justin Gimelstob, her last name.)
As with the Tour's Hero campaign, I believe HBO was trying to touch on the idea that these women are beautiful... and can kick your ass. It's a promo that resonates a lot of interest among people that don't necessarily watch tennis. Hopefully, we'll gain some new fans in the process.
ReplyDeleteAs for BJK, there's no helping that situation. Let's hope the new fans aren't as inept.
There is a perception that such photographs generate interest among people who do not watch tennis, but there is no proof of that whatsoever. The obvious beneficiaries are websites who violate copyright, and the losers are women in general, since sex is being used--once again--to sell female achievement. Sex is not used to sell male achievement, because male achievement is valued on its own.
ReplyDeleteAfter looking up the Federer|Sampras promo, your argument has officially won me over. Especially, since Men's Vogue was a sponsor.
ReplyDeleteHowever, those photos are promoted by Sony Ericsson and the WTA themselves. Although this is a problem that's already embedded in society, we can only look to those that govern women's tennis as a source of its proliferation.
I agree with you, and I do not see the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour putting a stop to it.
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