Monday is never a good day to analyze why so many commercials featuring athletes always portray said athletes as mindless idiots. Poor Vinny Testaverde, back-up quarterback for the New England Patriots is the latest to receive the jock-as-buffoon treatment. Setting aside for a moment the lunacy of a professional football player ordering food from a stadium’s fast food counter while in full uniform, MasterCard, while promoting its PayPass card, felt it necessary (with advice from McCann-Erickson/New York) to capitalize on the stereotype of athlete as slave to coach.
Oh sure, it’s funny but would any actual overpaid, ego-centric, self-important professional athlete ever put up with menial shit like this? Oh wait, this is a commercial. We’re sorry. Of course they would. How else can a struggling creative make themselves feel superior if they don’t chastise everyone they can through their work? And after all, Vinny’s second string. He needs the money.
