STORY #1
“Hawk, Tua.” Thought I’d get your attention the same way it is being gripped by the recent TikTok phenomenon. Yes, a girl describing a particular technique has captured the attention of the masses and become fodder for the meme machine.
Oh, there is a bird called a “hawk” and a player in the NFL named Tua. Let’s put them together in a clever cryptic puzzle. Wow. This is what passes for creative thought and artistry? I have seen better puzzles on the caps of Haffenreffer. You know, the bulky green bottles filled with a mixture of wine and beer and…mystery ingredients. Whoever invented that product had creative vision and a solid marketing strategy.
As I am not on Tik Tok, I was late to the dance on this one. I texted my son to ask him what all the fuss was about, and he kindly sent me the video. I did not need to watch it to get the gist. Therein, lies the problem. The girl was accosted on the street, asked a provocative question and gave an authentic response. But is this progress?
Today, I encountered another video that had a man asking two young ladies to recognize famous faces in Black History. The one girl who responded got them all except for not recalling Frederick Douglass. She got close. She was well-spoken and intelligent. How many views will she get? How many people will blazon her knowledge on a t-shirt?
MAKING HISTORY
Rhetorical question, but some Edmonton Oilers fans are already sporting jerseys with “Hawk Tua” on the backs. So, why does that matter? Here’s why. Game 7 is tonight. I am rooting for Florida as Paul Maurice is a funny man, and he once coached The Whalers. Regardless of who wins, the series has been historical, and I don’t mean historically bad like the NBA finals.
The Oilers have come back from a 3-0 deficit and forced a game 7. They have a chance to be only the second team to win the Cup after falling this far behind. Connor McDavid is setting scoring records, and the Oilers won game 6 without McJesus registering a point OR a shot on goal- another historical first. The two teams have flown back and forth from Sunrise to Edmonton covering the most distance in the history of the playoffs.
Those are just the top stories; there are a million other subplots and nuances occurring, but much of the press for the Oilers and their success is linked to Kait Flynn, the fan who flashed her chesticles after too many drinks. Now, they (I mean she) is famous.
She has signed a deal with Playboy, was a guest of the Spittin Chiclets in a luxury box, and she has daters, haters and imitators. I am sure she has made the trip to Florida for tonight’s game and will garner at least three check-ins during the contest.
After a brief silence, the aforementioned Flynn, responded to her detractors with the pithy, “F…-you, if you don’t like it.”
Why the hostility? Why the vulgarity? In the age of cell phones and social media, what were the chances this would not impinge on her privacy? The answer. None.
TWO STEPS BACK
What is the common denominator these two stories share? The objectification and sexualization of women still captivating the mainstream. Both of these ladies brought something intimate and personal into the public domain, and they have both gone viral whether they like it or not.
As a middle-aged male, I was initially intrigued by Flynn’s story. Not for the event, but its setting, her audacity, and the philosophical questions it generates. How do women gain equality when these are the types of stories that catch like a brush fire? I do not know the backstory of these two young ladies, but I am not sure anyone will spend considerable time seeking it out. Why bother? We already have the jokes and catch phrases.
I have worked with my share of phenomenal women. Phenomenally talented, phenomenally intelligent, phenomenally driven. Few of their accomplishments have gone viral, but then again, most of them are not Oilers fans.
Love and laughter,
P.
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