Scandalous Commercial – Bad Manning

Have you seen the new Peyton Manning, DirecTV – NFL  Sunday Ticket Commercial?  I saw it today.  Blah.  The commercial has Manning not “manning up” but instead, giving into the all-mighty-endorsement-deal-dollar – and NOT being anything even remotely close to a TrueMan.  I used to have so much more respect for him.  The commercial is supposed to be about watching football, and seeing every game on NFL Sunday Ticket, in HD.  Yet, there isn’t a single scene of a football player, play, ball or locker room.  The entire commercial is scenes of scantily clad cheerleaders strutting around, doing high kicks and bouncing up and down.

Manning has the opportunity to endorse lots of products, and some of his endorsements have been great.  (Most of his commercial spots are hilarious.)  What I don’t understand is why Manning, and society in general, thinks that it’s okay to objectify women by showing them in this manner?  I fault the cheerleaders for objectifying themselves, but they’re only doing what appears to be glamorous by society’s standards.  I want to call to action the men involved; if men step up, women will gladly follow suit.  That means Peyton, the men at DirecTV, men watching that network and men reading this post.

Come on Peyton.  Did you have to stoop to this level?  Why didn’t you say, “There’s no football in this commercial.”?  Why didn’t you say, “Nope, I won’t make sexual innuendos, they’re unnecessary.  People will lose respect for me.”  You didn’t.  Next time, man up.

How does this affect the rest of us?  How do we make a change?  By starting in the home, then branching out to schools, work and in the public arena, men who hold women to a higher level of respect must first stand up to this sort of societal objectification of women.  Be strong, stand firm.  Your example will challenge others and will change hearts.  Once a man has truly cherished a woman, in a manner most fitting within God’s plan, he’ll realize the importance of his actions.  Men, we can make the difference.  Change starts with you.  Do it today.

Man up!