Watching today’s rugby test between South Africa and Australia, there was a certain irony in an ad that ran during a break. It was for a Ford bakkie, and features a proud dad-to-be making the Fords do all sorts of tough bakkie-like things to build a rugby field, presumably as a gift for his soon-to-be-born son.
The punchline comes from the pregnant mom: but what if it’s a girl? Fair enough for a contrived laugh, but I wonder how many people watching were aware that the Women’s Rugby World Cup was being contested by South Africa in Canada the very same day. The advert is surely a bit of a slap for the contestants.
We’ve a long way to go before this kind of sexism disappears, and people can feel free to choose their activities based on interest, not on perceived gender roles.
I’ve jokingly broached the subject of my (slightly behind on the size bell curve) son being a Springbok prop forward, but I think I’d have a better chance with mom if he was a girl.