#LikeAGirl Final Paper

Always: Breaking Stereotypes and Rethinking #LikeAGirl

Growing up a girl in the 21st century, it’s very common to hear statements like “you run like a girl” or “you throw like a girl,”  phrases most used by men or boys as an insult, to girls or to each other. In a classic movie from 1993, The Sandlot, one of the most famous scenes is when there is a fight between two rival baseball groups. In the clip, they are throwing insults back and forth, until one boy says, “You play ball like a GIRL.” All of the boys are in shock following this, and the boy who was told this was at a loss for words, ending the fight and the scene. When did telling someone they do something like a girl become an insult or humiliation tactic? 

The advertisement by Always, which had its major debut during the 2015 Super Bowl, asks its viewers to discard their prior beliefs to rethink what it means to be a girl. In this PSA- styled advertisement, a director begins by asking women, a young boy, and a grown man to do certain actions, such as running or fighting, “like a girl.” They went on to do the actions mocking the women, like fake running, being more worried about their hair, and dropping the ball instead of pretending to throw it. The director asked the young boy if he insulted his sister, and he said that he insulted girls, but not his sister. They then asked young girls. All of the young girls ran as fast as they could and threw the imaginary ball as far as they could. I think it is important to note how the age of the girls impacted how they answered the questions. All of the women said or implied how hurtful the phrase “like a girl” is, and how it can hurt their self confidence and puts them down, but when the young girls answered they said that “like a girl” means to do things as best they can. This advertisement by Always has encouraged many to rethink stereotypes as well as promoting teaching positive messages as kids grow up. I also think that sometimes if the insult doesn’t offend you personally, or it’s not being said directly to you, sometimes you don’t really think when you use it. Along with this, the phrase “like a girl” can also be construed as sexist. Looking back at the clip from The Sandlot, the boys were so offended when someone said that they played like a girl, because it was the same as telling them they were weak and bad at baseball.

Always’ ad was released in June of 2014, and then re-aired during the following Super Bowl. This is extremely important to the message that they were trying to get across, for a number of different reasons. The Super Bowl is practically equivalent to a national holiday here in the United States. Just about everyone tunes in, if not for the game itself, then the halftime show or its famous commercials. This means that the audience this commercial went out to was not only large, but diverse. Super Bowl Sunday is a day dedicated to male athleticism and masculinity, so Always airing this again during this speaks volumes. Not only is it an advertisement combating stereotypes, it also shows girls they can be anything they want, which almost, in a way, goes against the origin behind the Super Bowl- male athleticism.

In the comment section of Always’ ad on YouTube, it was really refreshing to see the positive change that is being made. Of course there were the people mocking the ad, or leaving negative comments, as to be expected with something that goes against peoples’ prior knowledge. The most popular of comments, though, were the ones of people changing their mindset. One male user writes, “This video is an eye opener. In childhood, everyone would say to me ‘why are you so shy like a girl?’ I thought they insulted me. But actually they insulted a girl.” I think this comment, especially since it was written by a male, drives across the change that is happening, how someones’ perspective on a phrase like this changes its entire meaning. Another user more recently wrote, “6 years later this ad still brings tears to my face, I felt it hard... Thank you so much for such amazing content and as a Marketer, I am inspired to carry on the message. Thank you so much…” This is another important message to take away from this advertisement. Not only did it get the message out to the public, but it started a new wave of reform. Since Always’ ad ws on such a large scale, it inspired many other brands as well as other people to speak up and stand up for what they believe in. Even though the company Dove has been doing similar projects since 2002, some of their more well known pieces aired following the Always commercial, which just shows how much influence it had.  

A perfect example of redefining the phrase “like a girl” was demonstrated very recently in December of 2020. Sarah Fuller, the Vanderbilt University women's soccer goalie, was the first female to play in a Power 5 football game. She kicked off for the team in the second half, which shattered the glass ceiling. Sarah also wore a very important message that game. On the back of her helmet were the words “play like a girl.” Showing that the time for change is now, as well as breaking the stereotypes surrounding American football was very powerful, and a great inspiration for young girls that they can do anything they set their minds to. Not only does it display that message, but it also is a reference to a nonprofit organization she supports that promotes sports and STEM opportunities for girls, says New York Times author Margaret Renki (par. 7). And while Sarah faced hatred and backlash for kicking through that ceiling, which just shows that breaking through these stereotypes and changing how people view women is something that needs attention, both in the media and how people teach their children. 

Always’ ad “#LikeAGirl” sparked a new wave of ideas and rethinking stereotypes and norms. By airing during one of the most watched events on television, their message of erasing stereotypes and promoting positive messages to kids as they grow up was seen by many. This showed the world the consequences of your words and the effect it has on young girls and their development and confidence.