BYU has been running a new ad campaign for it's football team this year. The billboards are all over the valley and they are quite a sight to see. A picture of an offensive lineman (or so I'm told, I wouldn't know an offensive lineman from a hole in the ground) is in his ready position next to the words "Weapons of Mass Destruction."
Yowza.
I think the sign is not only stupid, but very telling of the conservative paradigm at BYU. No WMD found in Iraq? Well, we'll just downgrade the definition of WMD. Now, all you have to be is mediocre at tackling another guy and you've got yourself a whole team of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
At their best, the ads are laughable, at their worst, they're disrespectful.
It also plays in to my theories about sports causing aggression in people. It seems as though BYU and it's footbal fans would mustard gas an opposing team if it meant winning.
I suppose that at the very least in that situation there'd be a victory, which is more than I can say for the conflicts the U.S. is engaged in with our irresponsible use of Weapons of Mass Destruction (real ones, not fake ones like linebackers.)
NOTE: I tried to take a picture with my phone, but it was too high up to turn out well.
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12 comments:
Bryan,
I have to disagree with you on this one. Well, actually I agree that the signs are in bad taste, but I don't think sports cause aggression. In fact, I think they provide an alternative to much less healthy forms of aggression (war and violence).
I'm a huge sports fan (including BYU football) and whatever natural inclinations I might have for "battle" are taken care of through sports. I think most guys have some kind of innate "battle/competition" mentality so why not let it play out in a harmless game of football, as opposed to a full-out war that results in death and destruction.
No, it's interesting though, because I just saw that bilboard the other day and thought about it. I'm not sure exactly how I feel about it, but I think it's probably tasteless all things considered. Kind of like calling the BYU-Utah rivalry the Holy War.
I suppose. I just can't wrap my head around sports. Personally, I can't figure why people would rather beat each other up on a football field than be creative.
I suppose it just takes all kinds
Bryan,
Do you feel that this footbal team should be censored? Is it to much for you to handle? Are you really that squimish?
Well, I do Roller Derby which I feel is both creative and agressive which I happen to enjoy a lot. What if I were to tell you that I was going to pose for an ad wearing a tight tube top and my derby gear with the words "Weapons of Mass Destruction" across my chest?
Judging from the crap you and your sidekick pretty-boy put on this blog, you wouldn't have any problem with that at all.
And if you wanna piss and moan about it, tough shit!
Kitty
I think that it would at the least be laughable and at the most disrespectful.
I didn't say anyone should be censored. I said their ad campaign was silly.
I can understand hostility toward Steve, but I'm not here to piss anyone off.
About what Joe said, What would you say about the horrible, ridiculous riots and all-out brawls that occur at Baseball, Basketball, and Football (both kinds) games? To me they represent the aspects of our society I am most ashamed of.
Cody,
While I was at work I was thinking a lot about that myself. I was at Yankee Stadium when a fight broke out once (Daryl Strawberry was involved, big surprise) and it was quite unnerving...
I was ashamed that something as trivial as a sports event could cause such fictitious loyalty to something that a slight against it would come to blows.
Bryan,
When you talk about the violence that broke out at Yankee Stadium and try to pin it all on Daryl Strawberry just 'cause he's black, you really come off like some sort of racist.
My sister-in-law always starts stories off by saying: "The other day I was at the mall and there was this black guy ..... "
The fact that the guy was black never has anything to do with the story but she insists on sharing that little tidbit.
I went off on her today at my mom's house when she started telling us all one of her "black guy" stories.
I consider myself a pretty laid back dude but I can't keep quiet when I hear people spreading their racism. I have to speak up.
Duckie
You got me. I was totally being racist.
Next time I should be tarred and feathered.
Bryan,
I think that you are being a little too hard on yourself. Racial profiling is something that happens quite a bit so it sometimes feels natural and ok even though it's not.
No tar nor feathers needed to remedy this situation in my opinion. Just try and learn from it and move on.
Your pal,
Duckie
What if being tarred and feathered is a turn on Duckie? Answer me that one...
Bryan,
What does "What if being tarred and feathered is a turn on Duckie?" supposed to mean? Answer ME that one...
Your pal,
Duckie
What if that sort of deviant behaviour gets your engines going... so to speak?
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