Nebraska athletics not a fan of Fox Sports' "Children of the Corn" send-up

[Saunders]

Quote

 

Nebraska’s athletic department has requested Fox Sports stop running a 30-second ad as part of the network’s promotion of its new TV contract with Big Ten football.

Fox Sports produced 14 30-second videos — one for each Big Ten team — and released the videos on Twitter. For Nebraska’s video, Fox had a camera tracking through a cornfield until it reached a circle of players wearing Nebraska football jerseys — NU provided the jerseys for Fox’s use — performing a cult-like sacrifice.

“When you’re lost in a cornfield, everything looks the same for miles, and miles, and miles,” the video’s narration reads. “Until finally, you come upon a circle of empty ground. And for a second, you feel relief, until you realize, this is where the sacrifices are made.”

The promotion is a clear takeoff on the 1977 Stephen King short horror story “Children of the Corn.” The story was made into a 1984 movie starring Linda Hamilton and Peter Horton. ESPN’s College GameDay host Rece Davis has, at times, referred to NU’s team as the “Children of the Corn.”

http://www.omaha.com/huskers/nebraska-athletics-not-a-fan-of-fox-sports-children-of/article_935f685a-8c1b-11e7-bfa3-1f7ad7f9980a.html

 

 

[Saunders]

Here's the video in question. It's been quite popular on social media.

 

 

[teachercd]

I am a fan and I think you embrace it.  

[arkstfan]

An outsider's view?

I think it's pretty dadgum slick.

But coming from a rural state that is firmly in flyover country, I get why Nebraska fans don't like it. You get sick of the everyone lives in the country and is a farmer trope that doesn't reflect the reality of the economy or development of the state and reinforces the stereotype people hold.

 

It really is good but I 100% understand the distaste.

[Street Novelist]

interesting that the university took the step of officially asking FOX to stop running that commercial...I understand not liking it and playing to the stereotype of Nebraska being nothing but a huge cornfield, but to officially ask FOX to stop playing it...

[StPaulHusker]

I'm glad they asked for it to come down.  This is just another step in the direction of Nebraska being more assertive in being treated the way they want to be treated in the B1G.  I'm glad the AD is advocating for us so much.

[Scratchtown]

Maybe they need to rethink the mascot name if it bothers them so much.

 

 

[StPaulHusker]

1 hour ago, Coach Power'T said:

Maybe they need to rethink the mascot name if it bothers them so much.

 

 

Iowa had a commercial about a pink locker room.  

Minnesota had a commercial about an axe.

Illinois had a commercial about Red Grange

 

The name of our mascot is irrelevant to Fox making a commercial 

 

[Landlord]

I don't like it just because it's a poorly written commercial. 

 

"Hmm..this team is the cornhuskers?"

 

"Yeah and you know what else is corn? That bad movie from 30 years ago with kids in a cornfield."
 

"Oh yeah! Hmm I wonder how we could tie them together?"
 

"Well the kids stand in a cornfield, so I guess the football players could too? Then we can have voiceover that says something about sacrificing, which I guess would make sense in the movie, but the football players don't look like they're actually sacrificing anything? They're just standing there? Either way it doesn't matter I'm sure everyone will figure it out."

[Fru]

Meh. I don't mind it. I thought the balloons were a nice touch. 

[Moiraine]

I liked it.

[wiuhusker]

Is there anyway they asked this to be stopped to help get rid of the narrative of "all it is out there is cornfields". I mean you hear recruits all the time talk about how Lincoln is a lot nicer and bigger than they expected and that it's not just cornfields. Maybe that had something to do with the university having asked them to take it down.

[arkstfan]

7 minutes ago, wiuhusker said:

Is there anyway they asked this to be stopped to help get rid of the narrative of "all it is out there is cornfields". I mean you hear recruits all the time talk about how Lincoln is a lot nicer and bigger than they expected and that it's not just cornfields. Maybe that had something to do with the university having asked them to take it down.

 

Playing devils advocate

 

What is better for recruiting?
Oh, yeah Lincoln is exactly like I thought it would be

or

Wow Lincoln was so nice much more than I expected.

[JJ Husker]

IDK, I like that video. I don't see anything wrong with it and think it's pretty good.

 

I agree that if the powers that be don't like it then they should probably be looking at changing a lot of stuff like the nickname (Cornhuskers/Huskers)which is directly related to corn, the mascot, who obviously works with corn and is named Harry or Herbie Husker, and the location of the school which is in a corn production state and primarily ag related area. What the hell else are they supposed to showcase?

 

And about it being a poorly written bad commercial with no relation to sacrifice.... Really?  We sacrifice our opponents (hopefully), the players sacrifice in practice and games. If you don't like it fine but don't disparage it because you failed to connect the dots. I'd be interested to hear the better ideas some may have. If it involves 20 year old Natty trophies, count me out.

[STL Husker]

4 minutes ago, arkstfan said:

 

Playing devils advocate

 

What is better for recruiting?
Oh, yeah Lincoln is exactly like I thought it would be

or

Wow Lincoln was so nice much more than I expected.

Lincoln can be better than expected without making it seem like it's in the middle of cornfields.  Your comparison is a little insulting