Sydney Sweeney ad gets swift reaction from women athletes globally

By SBS News

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"Kick in the face": Australian sporting stars Ariarne Titmus, Tilly Kearns and former Olympian turned Independent MP Zali Steggall are just some of the voices that have criticised US actor Sydney Sweeney's new sexualised sports gambling advertisement, calling it "disappointing" and "a trope we need to do away with". While many have dismissed the backlash as "jealousy", a flood of women athletes around the globe have shared videos of themselves playing their sport with the text: "Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like". Speaking on the harms of sexualised advertising, Gender Equity Victoria CEO Micaela Drieberg said ads like this perpetuate an unacceptable view that this is how women's bodies should be portrayed and used, adding "we're still looking at at least 123 years to reach gender equality ... this adds to that number". "This campaign has sparked bigger conversation about how we see women in sport, and it's been great to see the pushback (to the ad)," said Drie