This post has nothing to do with feminism specifically, but all sorts of things to do with douchebaggery, so it gets a pass.
This video, “Make it Count” has been making the rounds online today. People seem to find it inspiring. It isn’t. Watch at your own risk (so, yeah, don’t watch it if you don’t like watching Nike ads but do watch if you enjoy ranting!).
Okay so let me get this straight. The opening shot is of the Nike logo and yet we are to believe that this guy, Casey Niestat, totally screwed Nike over, taking the $50,000 given to him to make a Nike ad and instead traveled the world made a Nike ad while blowing $50,000 traveling the world? SO REBELLIOUS YOU GUYS!
The first goddamned line we see is: “Life is a sport. Make it count” – a Nike slogan.
Aside from the fact that this ad is still an ad for Nike, but pretends not to be, the video is brimming over with Eurocentric, middle class, clueless marketing-cheese. Basically we are to believe, as Gabe over at Videogum put it: “that the rest of us our living our lives wrong because we didn’t GET A FREE TRIP AROUND THE WORLD.”
Because we weren’t given $50,000 to burn as quickly as possible, point out funny foreign signs (HA HA! If you don’t write in English you aren’t using real words!), and be the free spirits that only middle class white men can truly be in this world, we are all wasting our lives, you know, working and paying rent and trying to survive and all those stupid things that only boring, uptight people do.
Anyone equipped with the ability to critically assess marketing campaigns, advertising, and mass media probably won’t be fooled by this video but my irritation goes beyond the attempt to trick the public into believing that this video is an act of rebellion rather than an ad.
MOST PEOPLE can’t afford to travel around the world. Actually, get this! Most people can’t afford to travel. Most people can’t afford to go on vacations. I know this because I can’t afford to travel and go on vacations – and I am relatively privileged in comparison to many people in other parts of the world as well as in my own city. If you are going to tell me that I am not really living my life, that I am not really free, that I’m wasting days because I have to work and eat and figure out ways to pay my rent, I’m going to tell you that you are a huge, self-centered, moron.
Anyway, you work for Nike, so please shut the fuck up with this “you only live once” crap. EVERYONE only lives once. But lucky you! You were born a privileged, idiot, white dude and you decided to spend your time doing marketing campaigns for Nike and shoving the fact that you threw away $50,000 (which is more than most people make in a year) in ten days in people’s faces. Freeeeeeeeedom!