The Afterschool Alliance (www.afterschoolnow.org), supported by the Ad Council and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, are running a public service ad campaign that appears to ridicule Masters swimmers. According to Alliance’s website, “These PSAs use humor to communicate the importance of taking action to support afterschool programs. The campaign includes TV and radio spots, newspaper ads, billboards, web banners and more.”
One print ad has a facial portrait of a smiling, senior gentleman in a pool, obviously a happy swimmer, with swimming goggles on. Superimposed over the portrait are the following words: “There’s nothing more REFRESHING than neglecting our nation’s YOUTH.” At the bottom, the ad continues to say: “When I don’t support afterschool programs, I feel so relaxed and carefree. It’s like I’m doing nothing at all! Unless you call depriving 15 million kids something…”
You can download a copy of the ad from the following website:
www.afterschoolnow.org/print_ads.cfm
Parents
Former Member
I've looked at the site in question. I do not think they are singling out swimmers. If you look at all the adds, they seem to be trying to criticize a care-free, "I got mine" attitude. However, I agree with Lainey's point that this stuff is likely to be misunderstood by children and teens who may come across it, and the very negative impression it will make on them is likely to cancel out the positive message we hope they are getting from the dedicated adult volunteers who are in fact working for this and other similar organizations. I'd nominate this ad campaign for the Arianna Huffington Bone-Head PR Award.
There is one theme some folks have raised that I would like to examine a bit. Several have suggested that Masters Swimmers are good role models because kids notice that we have made exercise and fitness a lifetime habbit. Yes, it's a good thing, and a fine example for the teeny-tiny segment of the population under 18 that is aware of Masters swimming. But, are you seriously suggesting that simply showing up for workouts and meets and pursuing your own goals is at all comparable to being a volunteer for youth activities, or other charitable/community volunteer work?! (Oh really, Mr. Affleck/Ms. Lopez? We should all feel uplifted because you two deign to be your cool selves for the rest of us to see?) Even Charles Barkley realizes that being a role model is more than being an accomplished athlete.
Last point, then I'll crawl off my soap-box. Shakey, I see your point about a particular Organzation that feels like the general public OWES it volunteers (or contributions that permit the paid staff to live in the style to which they have become accustomed). However, DARN STRAIGHT you better believe that every adult member of the community is obliged to ensure its youth get a reasonable start. Not everyone can have children, or choose to be parents. It takes a strong stomach to live in the same house with kids, or teen-agers. But, if you are planning on living in a community where there are people who are more than a few years younger than you who will: provide emeregency or medical services, take on all those entry level jobs you have left behind in your career, buy your old house when your lifestyle has moved on, provide fresh members to you masters team or YMCA when the old guard drops out or moves away, or pay the taxes that pay for your social security and your other benefits, you'd best be interested in how they are brought up. Put it another way (and I appreciate that you have not suggested that we do any of these things, I'm just pushing the point of "it's not my responsibility" to its illogical extreme): if we shut down their recreational activities for lack of $ or volunteers, if we defund their schools, if we let the wages they earn for their first real jobs fall to the point they work twice as long to live in poverty, if we turn their medical coverage into a joke, if we choke off their opportunities for advancement to the point where they have to "know somebody" to get ahead, if we structure the pension system so it goes backrupt 5 years before they retire, then we should not be surprised if they learn from us (by our actions) the importance of looking out for number 1. Don't count on a comfortable retirement in that case.
Matt
I've looked at the site in question. I do not think they are singling out swimmers. If you look at all the adds, they seem to be trying to criticize a care-free, "I got mine" attitude. However, I agree with Lainey's point that this stuff is likely to be misunderstood by children and teens who may come across it, and the very negative impression it will make on them is likely to cancel out the positive message we hope they are getting from the dedicated adult volunteers who are in fact working for this and other similar organizations. I'd nominate this ad campaign for the Arianna Huffington Bone-Head PR Award.
There is one theme some folks have raised that I would like to examine a bit. Several have suggested that Masters Swimmers are good role models because kids notice that we have made exercise and fitness a lifetime habbit. Yes, it's a good thing, and a fine example for the teeny-tiny segment of the population under 18 that is aware of Masters swimming. But, are you seriously suggesting that simply showing up for workouts and meets and pursuing your own goals is at all comparable to being a volunteer for youth activities, or other charitable/community volunteer work?! (Oh really, Mr. Affleck/Ms. Lopez? We should all feel uplifted because you two deign to be your cool selves for the rest of us to see?) Even Charles Barkley realizes that being a role model is more than being an accomplished athlete.
Last point, then I'll crawl off my soap-box. Shakey, I see your point about a particular Organzation that feels like the general public OWES it volunteers (or contributions that permit the paid staff to live in the style to which they have become accustomed). However, DARN STRAIGHT you better believe that every adult member of the community is obliged to ensure its youth get a reasonable start. Not everyone can have children, or choose to be parents. It takes a strong stomach to live in the same house with kids, or teen-agers. But, if you are planning on living in a community where there are people who are more than a few years younger than you who will: provide emeregency or medical services, take on all those entry level jobs you have left behind in your career, buy your old house when your lifestyle has moved on, provide fresh members to you masters team or YMCA when the old guard drops out or moves away, or pay the taxes that pay for your social security and your other benefits, you'd best be interested in how they are brought up. Put it another way (and I appreciate that you have not suggested that we do any of these things, I'm just pushing the point of "it's not my responsibility" to its illogical extreme): if we shut down their recreational activities for lack of $ or volunteers, if we defund their schools, if we let the wages they earn for their first real jobs fall to the point they work twice as long to live in poverty, if we turn their medical coverage into a joke, if we choke off their opportunities for advancement to the point where they have to "know somebody" to get ahead, if we structure the pension system so it goes backrupt 5 years before they retire, then we should not be surprised if they learn from us (by our actions) the importance of looking out for number 1. Don't count on a comfortable retirement in that case.
Matt
