The Best Superbowl Commercial

Source: Forbes

Happy February, Valentines! 

As a proud Bostonian, nothing made me happier last night (besides maybe devouring two plates of nachos and a whole row of Oreos) than watching the Patriots' epic Super Bowl win. (In case you missed it, check out the miracle interception on Youtube here.) But perhaps even sweeter than the Pats' victory was the victory for female-kind last night when Always launched their #LikeaGirl campaign in front of a record-breaking 112.2 million viewers. 

Source: YouTube

We all remember that classic "insult" from the Sandlot: "You play ball like a girl!" And when I think of how many Americans were called out last night for using those three little words in a negative light, my heart positively soars. As the ad is apt to point out, girls' confidence drops after puberty - and it's thanks to hurtful phrases like "#LikeaGirl" that we suffer so dramatically. And as we see in Always' campaign, it's not just boys who are to blame: the young women perpetuated the stereotypes of the flailing runner, the weak hitter, and the wimpy thrower just as much as the men. 

Last night, 112.2 million people were reminded of what it truly means to do something #LikeaGirl. The fact of the matter is that it's not the over-thirteens who are right: the kids have us beat. Throwing #LikeaGirl means whipping it across home plate. Hitting #LikeaGirl means kicking butt. And running #LikeaGirl means dashing to the finish line. And that's what I want my little girl, someday, to believe with all of her heart: before and after puberty. 

The Patriots, like all NFL teams, have no girls on their team (besides the cheerleaders, of course - but I think their skimpy uniforms will refute rather than prove my point here). Even so, I think that last night, each and every Patriot played #LikeaGirl...Brady most of all. As a loyal New England fan, I can only hope that each and every one of them, especially those with daughters, would agree.

Anyways, sorry for getting a little heavy here - I know this isn't the celebratory Super Bowl post you may have hoped for (or dreaded, if you're a Seahawks fan...and, by the way, if you're a Seahawks fan, power to you for that awesome catch - you know the one. As my dad said, it's gotta be destiny if a ball just falls into your hands like that!). But I couldn't ignore the most feminist thing to happen on Super Bowl Sunday since Beyonce performed at the half-time show. It was just Meant to Be. 

Coming up here at the CLK, I've got a bunch of Cupid-approved Valentine's Day posts lined up (and the first installment of my Holden & I series...eek!) for you to share with your loved ones, be they your best guys, gals, kittens, or pups. And, in case you didn't catch the newest additions to the site, I'm now on social media! You can follow me @chicklitkitchen on everything or simply click one of the handy buttons in the sidebar, located just below my pic to your right! 

As always, thank you, my darlings, for reading - and I look forward to sharing more and more amorous adventures over the next 12 days! 

XOXO, Haley.