You are the current U.S. Open Champion and her equally-as-talented sister. People the world over adore you. You’ve made unprecedented strides in both of your athletic careers and at the same time managed to keep your personal lives on an even keel. Kudos all around. So what do you do? If you are Venus & Serena Williams, you become the official spokespeople for Oreos, the cookie that made transfat famous.
I know, I know, before I start with the obligatory pearl clutching and histrionic “think of the children!”s , it is just a cookie. I get that. Nobody ever died of eating one Oreo. I’m sure everyone has a grandfather that licked a pack of double-stufs a day (along with his slab of bacon and pack of cigs) and is still kickin’ it whole-milk style at 98. But in a day and age when the question really should be “Why isn’t everyone obese?” is it really responsible to link a junk food of such notoriety to sports? It’s on par with those ridiculous McDonald’s ads featuring Olympians.
The truth is that those athletes don’t eat that kind of crap. Well, not much of it anyhow if you are interested in staying at the top of your game. An occasional Oreo or other treat won’t kill you but moderation is not the message of this ad:
Besides making next to no sense – Why are the Williams sisters competing against the Manning Brothers? What exactly does being on the “Double Stuf Racing League” mean besides they are bad at spelling? And what do you get if you win – bragging rights in the bulimia ward? It endorses a method of eating that can only be described as, well, icky. Didn’t your mother teach you to eat slowly or you will choke? To death?? In unclean underwear?!?
When asked about their decision, the sisters replied with an unapologetic, “Oreo cookies and milk were a tradition in our house growing up, and my sister and I fondly remember twisting, licking and dunking them together. It was only natural to continue that tradition as adults, which is why we jumped at the chance to be a part of the DSRL.”
Brighter minds than mine have tackled the sports-figure-as-fallible-role-model idea before and come up with either condemnation of the Faustian pact or a devil-may-care shrug but there is a third option: teaching people to eat moderately. Like your mother did. (Or tried to do. I don’t know your mother.)
What do you think? Do I have my tennis undies in a bunch over nothing? Or is there a better way to market junk food and keep the Williams sisters from rotting in the poor house?
I don’t think I have a comment on the appropriateness of the Williams’ sisters doing a junk food commercial, but the commercial itself is stupid. Why they jumped at being a part of that is beyond me.
What a stupid ad! I mean really, like you said, in moderation the cookies are fine. But it gives a false impression to the younger generation, these sisters are amazing athletes and they eat junk! Who says you have to eat healthy to be an awesome athlete?? Whatever. I have a feeling were going to be seeing more and more of these ads, they make money and they blur the line between being fit and healthy and eating junk food.
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I’m with you Charlotte! I wish more athletes, given their notoriety, and visibility, would set a better example. Very few can resist the money. Though not exactly the same as the Williams sisters, Eric Heiden of skating fame was noteworthy in staying out of the limelight and having a career that is worthy.
I think I’m going to be in the minority on this, but I think this ad campaign is pretty innocent and aimed less at children and more at teens and older. The Pro Oreo campaign is over a year old, and the original commercials are more parody of pro sports and less about mass food consumption.
Pro athletes get paid to play a child’s game, and their persuit of the DSRL is looked upon as silly and foolish, even though what they are known for is getting paid to play a game.
All in all, I think the ads are meant to be goofy light-hearted fun, to be looked at as a farse on pro sports, and whose targetted audience is not kids. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to train for the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
I agree that it is in poor taste. However I also think that in the end it is up to the parents to teach their children that the stuff on television is not real. Athlete’s and actors as role models is not a great idea. What happened to role models like teachers, parents, church leaders and so on? Why are kids not saying ” I want to grow up to be just like (insert intelligent role model here)”? I am not necessarily saying that these people are not intelligent, but I am saying that they are not appropriate role models for children because they are making decisions based solely on money instead of values or insight.
Sorry, I just realized that I went into rant mode in your comments. My apologies!
Well, after reading this post I was all ready to be uber critical of the ad,
but actually, uhh, I thought it was kinda, um,
funny.
I’m actually getting behind Ted c. Williams on this one.
“And what do you get if you win – bragging rights in the bulimia ward?”
Just made me choke on my coffee from laughing.
The advert is ridiculous, as 99% of ads seem to be nowadays anyway, it’s just this “zany” style that seems to be popular. The ad alone does not offend me.
What DOES offend me is the way it contributes to enormously conflicting media messages about obesity – DON’T EAT COOKIES YOU’LL GET FAT/EAT COOKIES YOU’LL GET FIT/BEAUTIFUL. We’re constantly bombarded with variations of these conflicting messages. I wonder how much further we could progress with health, fitness and body image if we just (heaven forbid) SAID NOTHING AT ALL.
Imagine. Silence. Enabling us to make our own decisions about our own bodies without all that background noise.
TA x (whose is well aware her wages are paid by advertisers. Umm.)
well… why not link cookies to sports?
Since you should be exercising if you’re eating cookies, that is.
(I didn’t watch the commercial. I download most of the TV I watch so I won’t have to watch commercials)
(stupid ad indeed) this all brings back to mind charles barkley and his I DIDNT ASK TO BE A ROLE MODEL line (I need to google it to better recall).
in that I could sell oreos and it would be fine IMO (coming! soon! new! triplestuff!!) but Im not a public figure (forgetting MizFit for a moment) who has made my fame & fortune representing myself as an athlete.
with great athletic skillz comes great responsibility in the health realm.
ist that the line? 🙂
I think that their ad should be followed immediately by a public service surgeon general’s warning, or in this case a General Charlotte’s warning:
“Sucking on hard candy can reduce the urges to eat cookies and their corresponding dough. This is a public service announcement to keep your kids, and you from getting fat!”
😉
Most celebrities fall victim to endorsing something – we have to face the reality that they get paid a lot (OMGALOT) of money for that stuff and it must be hard to pass up. I can understand that.
And, some of those athletes DO eat that stuff. I don’t remember if you commented, but many bloggers have talked about Phelps’ ridiculous diet – they can eat that stuff because they are active 16 out of the 24 hours in the day and burn thousands of calories more than the average Joe and Josephine. So, maybe they do eat Oreos – and if they do, they are only getting paid to advertise something they love. You see where I’m going with this?
Your point is, of course, well taken. Athletes perhaps should be better role models for everyone – and to be really true to themselves they, like celebrities that weigh 85 pounds or look good in a vinyl cat suit, should be honest to the public about how they live and get those bodies. But I doubt that any of us is ever true to ourselves 100% of the time; it’s just life. And money talks. (PS and related – we had a long conversation about the Madonna 5lb. dumbbell workout in a member’s forum I belong to – it’s still interesting.)
I mostly believe everything I hear/see and if I’m told something is good for me (even in a subliminal way), I will probably believe it.
For me personally, the idea that I’m so easily fooled is a little upsetting.
So if adults (like me) are so easily swayed, how are children affected?
I love Oreos, and seeing a celebrity or even -gasp!- an athlete market them is not going to make or break my habit. I eat them twice a year, so I don’t even know if you could call it a habit. I think the commercial is just all in good fun! Besides, who doesn’t love the Manning brothers or the Williams sisters? I think it’s fun to see them “out of their element” having a good time. They could be marketing grasshoppers, but it doesn’t mean I’d buy them…but I may slow down my TiVo to watch the commercial and get a good laugh.
This ad didn’t make me want to go buy oreos, but it did remind me of the SNL skit about the Michael Phepls Diet. (that even if athletes do eat junk food, they’re performing at such a high level that they need thousands more calories a day).
I think that kids are very impressionable to the ads they see. However, it’s just a fact of life that celebrities make a fair portion of their income doing ads, and they can’t all advocate healthy stuff (given the unhealthy food lobby out there). So I have to agree with the previous poster who said that it’s the parent’s responsibility to teach their kids that what they see on tv isn’t real, and teach them how to exercise and eat healthy.
Sure, I see kids screaming at the market “I want that! I want that! I want that!” and it seems like that’s a prime parenting opportunity – teach the kid that they can’t always get what the want, and tell them why they can’t have it (not that a 4 year old is going to understand rational reasons when they want it RIGHT now). And stand your ground. Because giving in to the junk food just because the kid saw it on tv and wants it is going to set a bad precedent for eating later on…
The caveat, I don’t have kids, and I’m sure it’s terribly hard to stand fast when a kid is screaming and wailing in front of you…
Well, I guess I didn’t see anything wrong with the ads, but then I *love* the Mannings (Go, Colts!) and the Williams sisters as well. Plus, I’m not a mom so I might view it differently if I were…
Maybe they could do a follow-up, in which the Williams sisters and Manning brothers have to put their Oreos in a blender, because none of them have any teeth left.
Oh jeez, too good. “Bragging rights in the bulimia ward” – that’s classic.
I hear ya all the way!
As someone who has recently posted on her blog about preservative-packed faux weight watchers twinkies, solely in order to try to pump up blog traffic with reader giveaways, I can’t say I’m exactly in a position to judge.
But yeah, I’d rather see them find a healthier product to pimp than Oreos.
(Oh crap, now I want an Oreo. Good thing there are none in the house!)
Maybe I’m a freak with zero attention span but I swear, I saw this commercial a few days ago and had NO IDEA it was for Oreos. I thought it was sports related and laughed at the whole Manning brothers vs Williams sisters thing. Now that I rewatch it, I think they did a good job of downplaying the fact they ARE pimping Oreos (at least in the first 75% of the video – the dancing oreo mascot at the end, while very adorable, kinda gives it away.) I don’t feel any ill will towards them for being in the commercial because, let’s face it, it’s an opportunity to make some fierce money. I don’t think their role model status was a big concern for them, and I do think the Williams sisters are tremendous role models in general. For every 50 girls they’ve inspired to play tennis or become active, I bet only one or two stats eating Oreos because of this commercial.
That said, I think this is one of your most well-written and funniest commentaries, Charlotte. So, so good.
I just don’t think the ad is entertaining…it makes no sense to me…maybe I’m missing the funny bone or something.
Regardless, while not quite along the same lines, it kind of reminds me of the Magnum ads with Eva Longoria (I’m not sure if they’re playing in the US), but the idea that one of the Desperate Housewives would eat belgian chocolate covered ice cream just seemed laughable…remember Marcia Cross saying she gets paid not to eat??
Or there’s an ad for chocolate here with Smith from Sex and the City in all his naked gorgeousness…sigh…sorry, that’s not really that relevant, jut wanted to put it out there.
Anyway, it’s just not realistic. Junk food will not make you look fit and fabulous, it’s almost false advertising!
I don’t think its appropriate for them to do it. I see it as them sacrificing ethics- athletes should be leaders in the health community. Instead, they’re promoting something which is the opposite of that.
And I think its awful how McDonalds sponsers the Olympics. I mean, come on. There’s no healthy company that can sponsor the Olympics instead? It’s disgraceful!
I love Oreos and double stuf are my favorite. I don’t just eat one or two…I eat a whole sleeve and I’m not sorry. Sure I don’t do it every day, or even every month, but if I want to eat a whole thing of cookies…who cares?
I am so tired of reading about childhood obesity and blah blah blah. Last time I checked, children didn’t go out and purchase their own oreos. It’s the parent’s responsibility to instill in their children the ideas of healthy eating and that cookies can be occasional snacks to be enjoyed by both adults and children alike.
I just fail to see why people think ads like this somehow make an impression on children. I think children are far smarter than they get credit for. Because I’m not that old and growing up I remember athletes, actors, etc. sponsoring both healthy and nonhealthy foods and never once would I have watched a commercial or seen an ad and said “Wow, Venus eats Oreos. I will too” and then promptly demand my mom to buy them, let alone her agreeing to buy them and then have her allow me to eat a whole bag of them every day until I became obese after years and years and years. I grew up with some of my favorite athletes on Wheaties boxes and I never once requested my mother to buy a box of those either.
And I don’t even necessarily think it’s about selling out as an athlete/role model. Sure I have no doubt that Oreo is paying them well, but I love Oreos…I mean LOVE them and maybe just maybe the Williams sisters do too. So if Oreo asked me to be in their commercials I’d do it in a heartbeat, mostly because I truly adore the product and would gladly have my name associated with it and why should I feel guilty about sponsoring a product I love?!? Because god forbid a child might actually try an oreo and *gasp* like it and that’s some akin to drugs?!? Maybe Oreos do remind the Williams sisters of their childhoods and that makes them happy. Why is that so wrong?
I’d rather athletes be honest and sponsor products they might actually eat then ones they don’t. Just like Michael Phelps choose Frosted Flakes over Wheaties, good for him. Wheaties are nasty and I’d like to think Phelps agrees.
Charlotte sorry for the rant, but I just get so frustrated with articles like this. I always read the rant about some celebrity sponsoring a *gasp* unhealthy food followed with “I know all things in moderation, but……”. Grrr, apparently no one does know this because nowhere in any of these kinds of ads does it say eat our product every day in vast quantities nor is it even implied and yet automatically someone will say “OMG, childhood obesity” or “OMG obesity” followed by “How could they?”
You can get obese eating salads all day too, we should ban salads. Seriously, I think I saw Angelina Jolie eat one and can you believe her…what kind of message is she sending our children. She’s a role model for crying out loud! She needs to be spending a little less time promoting the eating of salads and thinking about the welfare of her children and the fact that they might get fat. See how ridiculous that sounds?
Just a follow-up comment. What a small world. I had mentioned Eric Heiden in my first comment. I mentioned him again today in a small group of people, and one of them said, “I worked with him in Sacramento during his Orthopedic fellowship, he was a really nice, quality individual!” I should have asked if Eric liked Oreo cookies 🙂
I have issues with that but they are very small since we haven’t bought oreos in over 5 years. Ultimately it’s the parents that are buying them for their young children.
i can’t even tell what those williams sisters/manning brothers oreo commercials are about.
so, i’ll just comment by saying the following:
– i like double stuf oreos.
– and mini oreos.
– the 100 calorie packs of oreo crisps seem somehow sacreligious.
It IS just a cookie, but you know what – there is an obesity epidemic and I don’t think athletes should be endorsing junk food! It’s bad enough out there and I think ads like these with their role models in them just make it harder for kids to turn away from the junk.
“It’s the league of the future, for the mighty and the bold!” Did anyone else notice the lyrics to the little diddy that played at the end while the Oreo man danced around?
i’m pretty sure the dsrl thing is a race to eat ONE cookie in a certain way. i can’t really argue with that.
can’t really compare oreos to meth…..I don’t see any problem with this commercial. It’s kinda funny.
I was surprised, however with the McDonald’s ads during the olympics showing many athletes chowing down on the food. They made it look like they made it to the olympics eating McDonalds! Goodness.
MODERATION in everything. I eat cookies, ice cream, even stuff with trans fat….OH MY! However, I am aware and of what I put into my body, don’t feel guilty about it because overall I eat very healthy.
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