Danica Patrick has appeared in a commercial for Boost Mobile, a phone service provider. The commercial features a pit crew wearing women’s clothing (high heels, skirts – you know the drill), and it has angered some transgender people who say that showing men in women’s clothing can lead to attacks on transgender rights. Others seem to have no problem with it. One blog complains that the commercials “also uses men in women’s clothes in a negative context.” Negative context? They’re efficiently getting Patrick in and out of a pit stop. How is that a negative context? You might not like that they’re wearing high heels, but the context just isn’t negative.
Patrick is a woman in a male-dominated sport. Her entire career and persona has been built on bending gender stereotypes. If it was Tony Stewart or Dale Earnhardt Jr., I might buy more into the complaints; But the commercial is playing on who Patrick is. I just don't have a problem with it anymore than I have a problem with Bruno. As one blog commentor said:
See the commercial and quote after the jump.
Patrick is a woman in a male-dominated sport. Her entire career and persona has been built on bending gender stereotypes. If it was Tony Stewart or Dale Earnhardt Jr., I might buy more into the complaints; But the commercial is playing on who Patrick is. I just don’t have a problem with it anymore than I have a problem with Bruno. As one blog commentor said:
See the commercial and quote after the jump.
Danica is arguing for the acceptance of her cross-dressing pit crew. I don’t see the problem. Rather, she’s doing some serious genderf**k on the racing world, breaking into an all-male sport with style. Let’s not position ourselves in opposition to this barrier-smashing woman. She’s not going after us, and I don’t think this has anything to do with us.
I watched the piece three times before I could find something “wrong” with it. At one point, Patrick says, “Think this is wrong? This is just teamwork.” You could say that Patrick is acknowledging that some people may think men in women’s clothing is wrong, but that is a reality. But she dismisses that notion and says “It’s just teamwork.”
I’m generally pretty sensitive when it comes to transgender equality, since I think trans people are really left out in the cold and endure so many issues far beyond what I have ever had to deal with. But I just don’t think this one is worthy of much complaint. Still, I’m so tired of Danica Patrick, I’m not upset that she’s stirred up yet another controversy.
Hat tip to Deadspin.
