#LikeAGirl SOAPSTone

Here is a photo of Ronda Rousey, if you haven't heard of her, watch this video. Then you'll definitely understand why she is being used as my photo representation for this blog post. :)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/zennie62/11580465183

During class, we had the opportunity to take a look at the Super Bowl XLIX commercial that helped to revive the #LikeAGirl campaign. The campaign itself (in my opinion) is very intriguing and opened up my eyes a little bit. In truth, I always was be a little offended if someone would say I did something like a girl; I was always wondering well, what is that supposed to mean? After taking a close look at the ad (especially the longer version) I found that it truly was rather influencing; there is nothing wrong with doing things like a girl because well, I am one.

The #LikeAGirl commercials were created by Always, a Proctor and Gamble enterprise, that is distinctly known for producing feminine hygiene products. The occasion for the ad is to call for a change in society's views as to what it truly means to, well, act #LikeAGirl. The commercial centers around female subjects (what a surprise!) and first starts out by asking girls what they think it means to do certain activities like a female would. The reactions are quite stereotypical from both genders. Both women and men make actions like running and fighting overly difficult, they hyperbolically act out the activities weakly, as if to say that they cannot do the task asked of them because the gender they are pretending to be prevents them from doing so. Soon though, young girls are asked what it means to act like themselves (girls). They say it means to be the best at what you do, and when they are asked to perform the same actions that the adults were, they put a new twist on it. Go figure, these girls act like themselves and perform the activities with determination and power flaring from their eyes. In this way, the targeted audience is both men and women. For women, the purpose is to encourage them to strive to be their best; in fact, it is almost like a battle cry- never let anything hold you back. For men, the purpose is to show them that women are in fact not a weaker gender, they hold extreme potential, and it is time to stop treating them like they cannot be viewed as equals in today's society. There are two tones in this commercial; the first one comes at the beginning, and it is a mocking tone due to the insults. However, when the young girls come in and the powerful music in the background begins to swell, the tone changes to one of empowerment. Girls show that they are not a force to be reckoned with, they can do anything a boy can; their bodies and gender should not and do not hold them back.