http://https://youtu.be/-grjIUWKoBA
Video via The Guardian
Colin Kaepernick has become a very symbolic person in our lives when it comes to protesting and standing up for what we believe in. Kaepernick is an American football player who in 2016 protested racial injustices by kneeling during the national anthem before the start of NFL games. By kneeling during the national anthem he caused a lot of controversy. People began to call his actions unpatriotic and disrespectful.Ultimately Kaepernick became a free agent and filed a grievance against the NFL accusing them of collusion after not being hired after the protests.Fast Forward to now. Colin Kaepernick is still advocating for equality and social justice and has won multiple awards.
This Nike commercial was released September 5, 2018 and is titled “Dream Crazy”. The ad enforces the importance of acting now no matter the hardships or sacrifices. The ad features Colin Kaepernick, Serena Williams and Lebron James who have all been through struggles but have been successful in the end and has earned multiple awards. This commercial comes at a time where people are scared to speak up, follow their dreams, or do what they believe is right in fear of what others may say or think.
The commercial was released before the start of the NFL football season. The kairos of the commercial comes from the fact that Colin Kaepernick who is the narrator of the commercial still doesn’t has a job because he spoke up about injustices. It is relevant now because as the beginning of football season starts it is a reminder that Kaepernick has sacrificed his football career by protesting. Nike’s slogan is “Just Do It.” and the message is to do whatever you believe in and do it now. Colin Kaepernick’s message is still relevant, there are still injustices and he is still dealing with the effects of protesting. Kaepernick’s message at the end of the video was to ” Believe in Something. Even it it Means Sacrificing Everything”, this means that you have to take action now no matter what may happen. Kaepernick’s way of protesting definitely gave him attention so that he could make his message clear, he didn’t wait around thinking about if he should do it not, he just did it. The video sends the message that if he can do it, so can you and you should do it now.
I really appreciate the theme of this video, especially given current social issues. For me, a big component of the video was “if you’re a girl from Compton, become the greatest athlete ever.” I really admire Serena Williams’s athleticism—she is absolutely inspiring. Much of the video was about overcoming adversity, and the current political climate certainly suggests these issues are ongoing.
I love that quote. “Believe in Something. Even if it Means Sacrificing Everything.” To me, it embodies the whole idea of being civic. Standing up for what you believe in isn’t always easy, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not worth doing… especially if you’re standing up for others. It takes courage to stick your neck out, but that’s exactly the kind of courage our society needs, especially going forward into the future.
It’s so wild to me that there are so many people who value an abstract ideal of patriotism over people’s real material lives. My favorite things to come out of this campaign is watching people get mad about it. I think its great how influential Kaepernick has become, but I’m also skeptical of Nike’s sincerity at being an advocate for justice. I really think they are just exploiting and commoditizing the movement, but that is a primary way that companies tend to use kairos.