My Butt is Big

! The My Butt is Big ad by Nike explicitly tells the reader that this woman likes the

way her body is, and that she could care less what other people think. The ad implies

that she is some sort of pro athlete because no ordinary gym attendee performs “ten

thousand lunges.” She also seems passionate about sport in itself, not simply as a way

of staying fit. Another present implication is that a “big butt” is typically seen as a flaw -

and in contemporary society it is. This Womenʼs ad takes a spin on the way that women

harp on the figure of their behind. Instead of saying “does this make my butt look big?”

the proud woman is praising her larger asset. This is something that almost everyone

over the age of 10 can understand. The choice of word - butt - is an informal, kind, and

kid-friendly way of referring to the ass. It seems more polite, and I think that most

people would agree with me. Using the word “skinny” to describe the women that are

herded away from the best deals, connotes that they are too small to fill out certain

articles of clothing - almost unhealthily thin.

! This ad uses informal language bringing commonality, casualness, and

friendliness to the text. The common expression of confidence, ʻkiss my assʼ is - in

essence - used on the second last line. Utilizing informal language makes the ad

relatable and approachable.

! The text of the ad seems to fit around the curves of the womanʼs body,

accentuating her curves. As well, “MY BUTT” is in much larger capital letters than the

rest of the text which is in fact all in capital letters too. These are both used to

emphasize the focus - her butt. The corners and borders of the page are shaded so as

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to cause the readerʼs eye to focus on the center (this is a film technique). Oneʼs eye is

immediately drawn to the crux of the ad - the image and text.

! The use of three metaphors in this ad may cause the language to be ambiguous

to the common reader - although the ad seems to clear up any confusion at the

beginning and end of the text, which is smart to ensure understanding. The ad

compares her behind to a “space heater for [her] side of the bed.” Women tend not to

deal with the cold as well as men, because they do not have as much muscle mass.

The woman in the ad - on the other hand - is built, and is represented as separate from

other women - as an individual. In addition, the reference to a space heater - a middle to

lower class product - may be an attempt by the ad to target those classes. This is a

great possibility because I saw a Nike ad before this that displayed a women tying her

shoelaces in front of a filthy broken-down car that was supposedly hers. The third

metaphor involves herded skinny women and clothing sales. In this day of American

culture - which is what I assume this article is directed at - fashion and consumerism are

large pieces of many womenʼs lives. Staying in physical shape and maintaining oneʼs

health are dominant contemporary concepts. In addition, more and more women are

strongly standing out as dignified, productive members of society. The most respected

people today are those who are confident in being who they are regardless of what

others think. This notion has more recently become popular as issues such as bullying

have become more common. After reading the ad, most readers would have a reaction

comparable to that of someone saying, “good for her” or “you go girl.”

! The advertisement makes the reader trust it for two main reasons. Firstly, the

reader wants to trust it because it conveys a heartening message and there is no good

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that will come from distrusting it. On the other hand, if the message was too joyous or

depressing, the reader would speculate. Secondly, we have a pre-conceived notion that

good-looking people are good and honest people (I personally find the woman in the ad

good-looking). We have this because we want them to be. If a very attractive woman

walks up to a man and says she likes him, he is going to believe it (of course there may

be flaws with that example).

! This ad conveys that Nikeʼs female products are for strong, proud, self-respecting

women - or women who intend on becoming that way with the use of Nike products. I

think that only uneducated people or very inexperienced people would interpret it

differently. Even those who find the woman in the ad repulsive would take my side.

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