Op-ed by Haika Mrema
From Christian mockery to blatant nudity, Adidas has taken its part in the culture war against women in recent years.
Now, enter their newest promotion: a male model in a swimsuit designed for women.
South African designer Rich Mnisi partnered with Adidas to promote the swimsuit under the women's sportswear section as part of the “Pride” 2023 collection titled “Let Love Be Your Legacy." Mnisi’s goal with the collection is to “encourage allyship and freedom of expression without bias, in all spaces of sport and culture.”
“We're all unique, but we're all connected by love,” Adidas stated in the “Pride Swimsuit” advertisement featuring the male model.
This effort by Adidas contributes to the perversion penetrating our society through large companies.
How “loving” is it to delude customers into believing biological men can accurately resemble real women? Especially in swimwear?
From the visible “bulges” to the hairy chests, the advertisement fails to depict actual women who don’t possess those physical attributes. Instead, Adidas decides to push men into spaces dedicated to women and disregard the offense it causes to their female customers.
However, it is crucial to recognize the message that Adidas is evidently conveying to its customers, which is that: they don't care. Adidas, with its successful influence and marketing experience, is aware of its actions and impact on its consumers.
Instead, it panders to a radical and “woke'' mob that accounts for a mere fraction of the general population. It disregards its relationship with its average consumer by throwing its integrity and morality out the window.
So, how should women respond? We fight back with our dollars. Women nationwide must continue to support alternative companies that align with their values to send the message that we will not tolerate the erasure of women permeating our culture.
Adidas may have societal prominence and influence over our country, but only because of the consumers who produce their bread and butter. Any business will react when its financial standing is at risk, and we must recognize the undeniable power we hold on its effect. Let’s show Adidas what women really think.