General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy not boycott the NFL?
When I think of the anti-consumerist movement, I think about white men. The notion of not buying on one particular day strikes me as something thats fairly easy to do so long as you dont need anything (food, diapers, whatever). Busy, overworked people particularly those with families may or may not have the luxury of picking the days upon which they spend money. Its relevant to note, also, that for single mothers (and, really, mothers in general single or not), this consumption will rest solely on their shoulders, whether its buying gifts for the kids or groceries for dinner. How nice that a bunch of radical white men have invented a form of activism that completely ignores the realities of many womens lives. Women, I suppose, should feel guilty for perpetuating capitalism and consumer culture because they had to use their days off to do their Christmas/grocery shopping. If Kalle Lasn can avoid the mall, we all should!
Beyond the fact that Buy Nothing Day is both a classist and sexist invention, I find it interesting that certain factions of the left focus so much on Black Friday and on consumption around the holidays, but conveniently ignore the sexist, capitalist, violent, ridiculousness that is the Super Bowl a decidedly male-centered celebration. Watching professional football is now a tradition intricately tied to American Thanksgiving and the Super Bowl, specifically, is basically a holiday for men.
Im not anti-sport. Yes, Id rather stare at the wall than watch sports on TV, but I understand that others enjoy watching, and thats fine. But the NFL is not merely about sport. Its about profit and its about advertisers. And it is, therefore, about consumption. And not just the consumption of products, but the consumption of womens bodies.
....
So why does a violent, sexist, franchise that exists for men and is primarily about corporate profit get a pass while shopping doesnt? Oh right. Dude culture.
It isnt complicated. The Super Bowl is about celebrating masculine culture, corporate profit, and objectifying women. At least the holidays are for men and women.
I didn't see any new porn threads so...
hobbit709
(41,694 posts)badtoworse
(5,957 posts)I have season's tickets for the Jets (yeah, I know; we're having another crappy season) and there are large numbers of women there for every game. Have fun boycotting; I'll be at Sunday's game against the Raiders.
el_bryanto
(11,804 posts)Should anything that men enjoy in our culture be boycotted?
GETTINGTIRED
(330 posts)el_bryanto
(11,804 posts)Obviously they also want to make a consumerist point; but they could make that in any number of ways - the targeting of the Super Bowl is intended to attack men or the patriarchal order.
I can't speak for whoever wrote this, but if I were to hazard a guess, if presented with a woman who enjoyed the superbowl they'd comment on how she has bought too much into the patriarchal system.
Bryant
In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)CBGLuthier
(12,723 posts)I do not buy their merchandise, I do not watch their games. I also do not buy the weak, alleged beer sold by their major advertisers.
I view american football as a very artificial and boring sport and a league that allows one of its teams to use an ugly racist word for its name can kiss all of my ass.
sharp_stick
(14,400 posts)and shit?
I mean there's nothing like watching a superior test match on the pitch hoping to catch a great googly around the wicket while drinking a triple IPA from some obscure little brewery founded in the basement of an old insane asylum to make it all hip and stuff.
LibertyLover
(4,788 posts)Thank you.
obnoxiousdrunk
(2,910 posts)tkmorris
(11,138 posts)And it's still funny as hell.
sharp_stick
(14,400 posts)that's how I came up with so easily.
zappaman
(20,606 posts)LordGlenconner
(1,348 posts)GETTINGTIRED
(330 posts)GO BEARS-
Love the game..
Scuba
(53,475 posts)Omaha Steve
(99,632 posts)There is a lot of public debt for the teams the 1%ers own!
dionysus
(26,467 posts)JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,340 posts)I almost prefer measuring the fan count by "the notebook full".
There are plenty of female fans at baseball games. I measure those by the decibel. And there's lots.
(pro football games are a little outside my entertainment budget. but I grill bratwurst)
dionysus
(26,467 posts)JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,340 posts)... "Notebooks" is just demeaning, and I apologize for it.
Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)dionysus
(26,467 posts)JoePhilly
(27,787 posts)We should end it all now.
Well, after the Super Bowl.
Tanuki
(14,918 posts)on its bizarre "nonprofit" status and the fact that the capitalization is heavily subsidized by taxpayers (who may or may not be fans---why the fuck am I paying for a football stadium when I have zero interest in the sport?) but the profits go to the owners. We are rightly outraged when Walmart does this. Why the willful blind spot for sports franchises?
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/10/how-the-nfl-fleeces-taxpayers/309448/
pipi_k
(21,020 posts)the NFL making money from the stadiums.
It's all the other local businesses as well, like hotels and restaurants and other stores and shops, whenever there's a home game.
People are working. People have jobs.
If a Superbowl is being played in a particular stadium, it could mean a whole week's worth of local economy boosting.
Granted, the locals aren't making the vulgar millions/billions the NFL is, but still, if one were to ask a local, I don't think too many of them would refuse extra cash based on principle.
You can't clothe or feed your family with principles. Try explaining principles to a hungry kid...
Tanuki
(14,918 posts)Sissyk
(12,665 posts)NFL is union. Walmart, not so much.
The reason for boycotting Walmart and the fast food industry is the poor working conditions for poor pay and no benefits. I don't think that applies to the NFL.
Tanuki
(14,918 posts)As you can see from my post, I actually said "I don't buy this particular angle," but questioned why the NFL is given a pass on being a phony nonprofit and exploiting sweetheart tax subsidies. The reason I mentioned Walmart is that they try to deflect criticism by pointing out that they create jobs, which Pipi also did in defending the NFL. I am well aware of the fact that NFL players are unionized and that their star players are very well paid, but that doesn't absolve the owners of other issues of accountability to the taxpayers who heavily subsidize the owners' immense profits. Did you read the article from the Atlantic that I linked in my post? As for working conditions, I would wager that a higher proportion of NFL players have suffered life altering injuries on the job. Have you been following the coverage of concussion and chronic traumatic encephalopathy?
https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=ie7&q=nfl+concussion&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7TSNF_enUS461
https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=ie7&q=cte+traumatic&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7TSNF_enUS461
City Lights
(25,171 posts)Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)pipi_k
(21,020 posts)Sort of like someone who doesn't drink giving up beer and wine during Lent.
Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)are ones where I don't have to do anything.
sharp_stick
(14,400 posts)makes it easy and I don't even need to change the channel.
LibertyLover
(4,788 posts)there are lots of women who appreciate a well-thrown pass, a well-executed pass rush or a clean tackle. I came late to my enjoyment of football but I most certainly will be watching the Superbowl, even if I don't think my beloved Ravens will make it all the way again this year. In fact, my family may very well be one of those buying a larger tv just before the game to watch it (only because our venerable, 8 year old, 50 inch Sony died a few weeks ago and fixing it would be more expensive than buying a newer, more energy efficient model).
RedstDem
(1,239 posts)they're on the bubble, but, just look at last season for hope...
LibertyLover
(4,788 posts)It would be amazing and heck, I'm up for it!
Ron Green
(9,822 posts)to corporate sportsbiz could be in support of symphony orchestras around the country, but I often don't get my wish.
cali
(114,904 posts)Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)RedstDem
(1,239 posts)since they saw fit to invite Romney during the campaign, they canceled it, but damage done.
plus they have sucked since the boy king bought them...
The2ndWheel
(7,947 posts)It stops nothing, and has done nothing.
Capt. Obvious
(9,002 posts)that the, "Don't buy gas for a day" boycotts don't actually cause the oil companies to choke on their spigots.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)college football for 10 solid years now....
NuclearDem
(16,184 posts)America's gladiator games aren't my thing. I strongly prefer my sports to be TBI-free, or at least not directly engineered in a way that makes life-threatening injuries so possible.
Kingofalldems
(38,458 posts)Tired of being insulted with so many commercials. (Among other things)
RandiFan1290
(6,232 posts)I have no problem avoiding that garbage.
Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)LordGlenconner
(1,348 posts)Jamaal510
(10,893 posts)until the Raiders make the playoffs again.
LittleBlue
(10,362 posts)All women must have diapers (they all have small children) to buy and apparently none of them watch football. Men apparently don't need food or water and don't have kids. It's like reading an article with assumptions straight from the 1940s.
Is the author on drugs or just dumb?
Kurska
(5,739 posts)Got it
Counterpoint: The author of this piece is a jerkoff
Gay anal sex is primarily enjoyed by men, better ban that too right?