REGINA — The Saskatchewan Roughriders sent an email to season ticket holders Wednesday apologizing for the backlash they caused from fans.
In an email to season ticket holders with the title “Girls in math when tickets are cheap = free drinks!”, part of the marketing campaign included an advertisement that read, “If girls are good at math, it's basically free” It had been.
It also includes phrases like “Literally the perfect excuse to wear cute matching outfits” and “Get up the stairs and earn some seltzer.”
Some Riders fans, many women, argued that the ad reinforced negative stereotypes and alluded to body shaming and a toxic diet culture. The campaign was also criticized for patronizing and insulting women.
“What are you thinking?! This is abhorrent, disrespectful, misogynistic and disgusting. Total retraction, whoever did this,” one fan wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Fire him and rebuild strong trust since you lost this.” I've been a lifelong fan. ”
Another posted: “Try harder! There is no place for misogynistic ads! Shame on you!”
The Roughriders released a statement Wednesday apologizing for the content of the ad.
“(Tuesday) the Saskatchewan Roughriders sent an email to their fan base that missed the mark,” Riders marketing director Jacqueline Hurlburt said in a statement. “(Wednesday) we emailed them again and apologized unequivocally.
“The Roughriders staff is 50% female, and while the 'Girl Mass' email was conceived, developed and deployed by women within our marketing team, the message resonated with our female fans. We will use this as a learning opportunity and strive to improve in the future.
“We value the contributions of women in our fan base, the world of football and our communities and are grateful for their guidance and feedback.”
Mathematics for Girls is a reference often seen on social media Tik Tok.
This is used to explain accounting decisions that don't add up from an earnings perspective.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 28, 2024.
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