If you missed the Oscars last weekend, then you may have missed the debut of Nike’s latest campaign, “Dream Crazier.” I’ve been holding onto this video all week with the intent on sharing it, but now it seems more fitting today because of International Women’s Day on March 8th. Narrated by Serena Williams, the campaign goes against the negative stigmatism women feel when we get called crazy. That crazy can actually be amazing and it’s true because women have done these amazing things.
“If we show emotion, we’re called ‘dramatic.’ If we want to play against men, we’re ‘nuts.’ And if we dream of equal opportunity? ‘Delusional.’ When we stand for something, we’re ‘unhinged.’ When we’re too good, there’s ‘something wrong with us.’ And if we get angry, we’re ‘hysterical,’ ‘irrational,’ or ‘just being crazy.’
But a woman running a marathon was crazy. A woman boxing was crazy. A woman dunking, crazy. Coaching an NBA team, crazy. A woman competing in a hijab; changing her sport; landing a double-cork 1080; or winning 23 grand slams, having a baby, and then coming back for more? Crazy, crazy, crazy, crazy and crazy.
So if they want to call you crazy? Fine. Show them what crazy can do.”
Personally, I have some strong feelings whenever I hear my guy friends call a girl ‘crazy.’ And I correct them. It’s not fair when guys do this and it’s not fair that the women aren’t there to defend themselves. We all can be better by removing this word from our vocabulary and I commend Nike for putting a positive spin on it.