The View’s Audience, Hosts Erupt in Cheers After Playing Kaepernick Nike Ad: ‘YES!’
Nike unveiled their new ad campaign featuring former 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick this week, resulting in controversy and even a boycott, with some who oppose Kaepernick’s national anthem protest burning their own Nike products. But on The View, the new video spot for the campaign aired to rave review.
They began by playing the ad in its entirety. Immediately after, co-host Sunny Hostin raised her arms to cheer as the audience likewise cheered and applauded.
“It is an inspiring ad,” said co-host Whoopi Goldberg. “It focuses on inspiring athletes, and it avoids the knee controversy. It is everything that Nike has stood for.”
“Be — be — be the best. Do it. Just do it. Don’t be afraid of it. Do it,” she added, invoking the brand slogan. “And know that sometimes there are consequences to what you do.”
“As Americans, we do just do it, so what do you think people will think of it once they actually see it?” Whoopi wondered. “You might be a little pissed of you burned your stuff.”
“I think that it will make people angry again,” said Joy Behar. “It just makes people angry on the right who don’t like this, the people who burn their sneakers, who insist upon the flag must never be burned and y ou must never take a knee during the anthem because it’s not patriotic. Not realizing that is one of the most patriotic things you can do in this country.”
Newest co-host Abby Huntsman said it’s impossible not to like the ad, and that this is what Nike is best at.
“They make these really inspiring ads, they motivate you the want to be your best, and they highlight stories,” she said.
Huntsman turned to the kneeling controversy itself, saying you can like the ad and still find the protest disrespectful, as she does.
“I was thinking this morning about what the national anthem means to me, and I realized it means something different for everybody. Everyone is going to have a different reaction,” said Huntsman. “The reason I feel you should always stand and put your hand on your heart. I think about this country fighting against evil and how we have come up ahead every time.”
“I think about the men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice. And I think about the coffin that comes home with the flag over it. I think about all the mistakes this country has made and all the times we have bettered ourselves because of those mistakes,” she said. “That’s why I stand and that’s why I put my hand over my heart.”
The audience was silent through Huntsman’s remarks, but applauded enthusiastically when Behar repeated that it’s patriotic to burn the flag.
Whoopi Goldberg reminded everyone that NFL players, too, can be patriotic and the children of veterans of American wars, too.
“When you think about all of the things that have been happening and — this sort of — lackadaisical idea that it’s okay for people to say you’re not American because you’re not doing what — you know, fascists do that. They say either you do this or you do that. We can — we can all — we can love our country. We can be patriotic. We can be heroes. We can also be angry at some of the things, as I said the other day, the flag doesn’t cover everybody, she said.
“The flag doesn’t always cover everybody the right, the same way. So I never want people to forget – the people who are burning shoes or the people who are celebrating these athletes – that these athletes have a history and they have families, too. And a lot of their families served in our past wars at a time when they were not considered to be good enough to march and be with white soldiers, so… we have a lot of history.”
“Thank God the founding fathers said ‘listen, you have the right to protest, you can protest and as long as you are not hitting anybody, hurting anybody, we’re not mad at you, we know you’re pissed off, we get it.'” she added. “That’s why I keep saying the best way for us to talk about this is to be able to say,here’s why folks are pissed off, here’s why they may be angry.”
“And I can say I totally understand where you’re coming from,” said Whoopi to Huntsman, “but I can also say I understand that.”
Watch the clip above, courtesy of ABC.
[Featured image via screengrab]
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