Maria, I just met a girl named Maria

Okay, here's the first thing.

Maria Sharapova is a very talented tennis player. Right now, she's ranked No. 14 in the world. That's fantastic.

Let's not kid ourselves. At No. 14, the main reason she gets so much attention is not so much for her backhand but for her backside.

The way I see it, the Williams sisters, far better players, have even better back. But Sharapova is white, blonde, and conventionally pretty in that sort-of East Europe-meets-USA runway model way.

Can you imagine Venus or Serena getting an ad like this? (Although, admittedly, Serena did just pose for this.)

The other thing is, no way would a male sports star would be celebrated in a commercial for his looks. It would be for his prowess, speed, agility, power, ferocity and/or, yes, maybe his size if it's relevant -- say like in basketball. 

Sure Sharapova is unsmiling in this, yes she ignores the people singing about her, and yeah, she caps it off with a slamming swing, but ultimately it still is about her looks which she exploits for mucho dinero.

Sure it's a great ad. But what is it selling?

(H/T to my friend Joanne Thomas Yaccato)

Comments

[pov]

Until the *author* approves them??? That's great and of course she's going to be unbiased. Well here goes

This article is, of course, your opinion. One to which you are entitled Still, I think what you've expressed is inane. Sharapova, though good-looking, is not in favor because of her butt. Yes, I realize you thought you were being cute and funny. Sorry, that attempt failed.And she's only down at #14 because of a being out for a year with an injury.

BTW the Williams sisters do get ads and yes male sports figures do get ads based on their looks . what world are you in? Ever hear of David Beckham?

I find myself wondering if your entire post isn't driven by your own petty jealousy. The principal was right on 2 ot of 3. Being vapid and uniformed doesn't constitute bold.

[Sandra MacKay]

Maybe she swung so hard cause she was tired of the stupid song and was bascially saying "shut up!"

But you hit the nail on the head as usual Antonia.

[Antonia]

Thanks for your comments.

I wonder if you might produce a link to an ad that celebrates Beckham solely for his looks. (His wife's looks and/or celebrity don't count.) I can think of maybe one, the Armani campaign, part of which includes Victoria Beckham.

I wonder how many Beckham is beautiful ads there are, compared with Sharapova's collection.

Do you suppose Sharapova got to be the world's top paid female athlete because of her backhand?

Yes, Sharapova is young, rich, talented and pretty. But to call me jealous because of her considerable gifts is also sexist. Not that you would understand that.

For the record, I do not approve of the comments. The Star's staff mods do. If I did, I'd allow everything but hate speech and libel through.

[Connie Donoghue, in Calgary]

I LOVE that commercial! I saw it a couple weeks ago and I LAUGHED and LAUGHED. In fact, I think there should be a sequel to this commercial with 'Dolce', the little dog that co-stars with Maria in the Canon commercials. And as for looks, EVERYTIME I see Maria S. I think,..."you know, in a few years when she's finished with tennis....she's gonna look EXACTLY like my Auntie Laurie....." My aunt's still pretty, but she's not ....a sports model, shall we say. (Life is life...with an eastern euro genetic inheritance).

And as for the Williams sisters .... no I cant imagine the Williams sisters promoting any clothing companies except their own. ? (thinking....). Nope. Cant imagine it. But I am curious.....when did the Williams' buy out ESPN?

[Bina]

I know what Maria's selling--Nike clothes. They hang a lot better on her frame than on the much more formidably built Williams sisters!

Conversely, I suspect that's why Serena posed nude--pricey workout clothes, even ones with a swoosh logo, don't flatter her muscular curves half as much as her own birthday suit does.

[Jim M]

There is an interesting link trail that starts with the name of tennis player "Venus" above in this post, and then ends about four clicks later with the name of Harriet Tubman, a noted abolitionist leader. Between those two links are Billie Jean King and the song that Elton John wrote for her called Philadelphia Freedom. It appears that Harriet Tubman also inspired the Elton John song.
Apparently, as a runaway slave herself, Tubman also enabled hundreds of other slaves to escape like she did, so they called her "Moses of her people." Same as it seems fair to say that Billy Jean King is like a Moses of women to the professional sports world. Also knowing of Harriet Tubman, though, makes the lyrics of Philadelphia Freedom more interesting than just knowing of the Moses of women's tennis.
http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/song/Philadelphia_Freedom/404538

[mozo]

Beckham gets lots of advertising lolly because he's good looking in the British meets USA underwear model way. Compare him with Wayne Rooney (another star Brit footballer) and ask yourself if Rooney would be as likely to get an Armani commercial, with or without Posh.

Looks sell, and what we consider outstanding conventional looks sells better. I may prefer Molly Parker to Angelina Jolie but guess who would get the ad for Givenchy or Chanel.

[F Lloyd]

Seems pretty simple - she happens to be very attractive AND a high-level sports star; and she just happens to have the features that many Western and European fashionistas look for. The Williams sisters are far better tennis players, and attractive in their own ways, but not nearly as physically attractive or with the model-type looks of Sharapova. Like it or not, think it's "fair" or not - That's how the world works right now.

[William Hayes]

What to do? What to do?

How about a pie in the face? Whatever happened to those guys? Their antics got lots of publicity?

Why not some gals doing the same? Or is that just a greasy kid stuff kind of idea?