It could have been any generic Hollywood set but the fact that it was Chula Vista High School serving as the backdrop in a nationally broadcast commercial made the NFL ad particularly delightful and chortle worthy.
I imagine any President Trump acolyte, MAGA devotee or casual misogynist had to wait a few moments for their eye to stop twitching and their hands to quit trembling before they sent a scathing letter or social media post blasting Chula Vista Mayor John McCann for allowing what they see as DEI propaganda to be filmed within city limits, not to mention a public high school. (Hopefully someone close to them saved them from making a fool of themselves by telling them McCann had little to no say in the matter).
The roughly two minute ad promoting the National Football League’s Flag 50 campaign, called for making girls flag football a varsity sport in all 50 states. There are more pressing issues facing young women today but nevertheless it’s a a call for equality.
The commercial featured a girl standing up to two boys—Chad and Brad— who contend “girls can’t play football.” As you might have guessed the girl—who happens to be blessed with an abundance of melanin—out performs and embarrasses her pale-faced antagonists. Close to the end of the spot the words “Leave the Past Behind” fade on and off the screen.
It could have been an effective championing of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies: policies that provide for the fair and equitable treatment of women and underrepresented people in various fields and professions.
The same policies—Title IX, for example—that the Trump Administration wants to dismantle sooner rather than later, tearing them down at the federal level and exerting pressure on the state’s to comply with its backward way of thinking.
And the NFL’s message of leaving the past behind could have been more effective had it not just days before announced that it would remove the “End Racsim” message from the Super Bowl end zones.
So, on the one hand the NFL wants girls of all hues to be able to play flag football at the varsity level nationwide, but when it comes to calling for an end to racsim, the NFL will pass?
That’s funny stuff.
