‘Nike, I am done with you’: Woman sets her Nike sports bra alight in ‘Burn Bra Challenge’ on TikTok as the gymwear giant faces boycott over Dylan Mulvaney partnership
- The video was made in response to Nike’s sponsorship deal with Mulvaney
- Mulvaney’s deal with Bud Light also led to social media backlash
- ‘Chatterbox Mama’ burned two bras and said Nike ‘should be ashamed’
A woman declared herself ‘done with’ apparel giant Nike and burned a sports bra made by the company in response to its sponsorship deal with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.
Last week, Mulvaney posted images of herself on Instagram in what was labelled a ‘paid partnership’ wearing a Nike Women sports bra and leggings and going through a workout routine. The choice to hire Mulvaney proved controversial, partly because she is not an athlete and has not yet had gender-reassignment surgery.
A TikTok user who goes by the handle ‘Chatterbox Mama’ who describes herself as a ‘Southern mama’ posted to the app burning her Nike sports bra and protesting Mulvaney’s sponsorship.
‘Nike, you should be ashamed of yourself,’ she said in the video. You chose a little boy with no breasts and some junk in his pants to represent real women.’
The account, which has over 140,000 followers and has now been viewed by thousands seeing her protest, has said she feels like Nike is ‘pushing us around’ in the ways women have been oppressed in the past.
A woman declared herself ‘done with’ apparel giant Nike and burned a sports bra made by the company in response to their sponsorship deal with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney
BOYCOTT NIKE! BURN BRA CHALLENGE! 🔥 BACK TO THE 1960’S! THE FIGHT FOR WOMENS RIGHTS!!! LET’S GO VIRAL GALS! #challenge #nike #boycottnike #womensrights #womensupportingwomen #protectwomenssports #budlightboycott #burnbrachallenge #chatterboxmama @livingright26 @justjenyt @wishcandaceowens @11butterflies @maga.queen.25 @brettcooper_ @tired.as.a.mother93 @megynkellyshow @livinfree20.1 @chocolaterepublican @margoinnc @independentwomensforum @officialcandanceowens @thecommentssectionwbc @nursemelissa73official1 @tulsigabbard
Mulvaney, 26, came out as a trans woman in March 2022 and began chronicling her ‘Days of Girlhood’ on TikTok , detailing her experience of transitioning
‘Since the 1960s, we have been fighting for the right to be women,’ she said. ‘Nike, you should be ashamed of yourself.’
She then declared: ‘I will never, ever buy a Nike product for as long as I live and there are millions and millions and millions of women just like me.’
The account is now asking other women to do the same ‘as a way of showing our solidarity and how serious we are that we will be recognized.’
She promised that they would make Nike’s problem a financial one as she put two of the bras into the fire by her backyard pool.
‘We are the queens, your consumers hit you where it hurts, and that’s right in your pocket,’ she said. ‘I challenge every real woman that is sick of this nonsense. It’s a great night to burn my Nike bras.’
It’s the latest social media backlash to Mulvaney’s online ads, after some women posted videos in response to Mulvaney’s Bud Light deal drinking a beer that celebrated her ‘365 days of girlhood’ by sharing their own ‘days of womanhood’ online with posts beginning with the phrase ‘Today, I celebrate’.
Mulvaney, 26, who transitioned from male to female beginning in March 2021 and documented her experiences on social media, has won a legion of fans and an invite to meet Joe Biden at the White House – reportedly earning a million dollars in endorsements so far, including with Nike.
A video showed her dancing about the yard in her bare feet doing mock workouts while an upbeat song played over the performance.
The account, which has over 140,000 followers and has now been viewed by thousands seeing her protest, has said she feels like Nike is ‘pushing us around’ in the ways women have been oppressed in the past before buring two bras in the firepit aside her backyard pool
Last week, Mulvaney posted images of herself on Instagram in what was labelled a ‘paid partnership’ with Nike
Mulvaney could earn up to $150,000 per post for her tie-up with Nike. In a series of posts, she shared video and images of herself wearing Nike leggings and a sports bra
Many also referenced Nike’s history with female athletes – among them the most decorated gymnast ever, Simone Biles; ten-time Olympic medalist Allyson Felix; and Colleen Quigley, a 2016 Olympian who completed in the steeplechase.
It was their previous record with women, however, that seemed to cause the most consternation.
One person said: ‘Let’s talk about Nike…a brand that treats men like Dylan Mulvaney that pretend to be women better than it treats women.
‘In 2018, Nike Brand Ambassador and Model + 10 x Olympic Medallist Allyson Felix got pregnant. Nike then offered her 70% less pay than her original…’
Another added: ‘See? Nike knows falling pregnant isn’t a problem they’ll ever have with Dylan!’
A third said: ‘Remember when Nike threatened to reduce Allyson Felix’s pay by 70% for getting pregnant? At least Dylan won’t have the problem. Great news for women everywhere.’
Another added: ‘Nike is probably fine using Dylan rather than a real woman because at least they know he will never get pregnant.
It remains unclear how much money Mulvaney was paid for the postings, but insiders dealing with social media sponsorships previously told DailyMail.com she could be making more than $50,000 per paid post.
Neither Mulvaney nor Nike responded to DailyMail.com requests for comment on the deal. In an interview with DailyMail.com Monday, Mulvaney said she’s ‘doing great’ amid the backlash.
Her appearance on Ulta Beauty in October also led to controversy and calls to boycott the cosmetics firm. Critics called her ‘misogynistic’ for ‘appropriating’ womanhood.
In the past, Mulvaney has been accused of ‘womanface’ by some feminists, who claim she is play-acting the parts of a woman she enjoys, with none of the misogyny faced by females on a day-to-day basis.
Mulvaney is an outspoken advocate for transgender individuals after undergoing her own transition.
Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer on social media, was chosen as a brand ambassador for Bud Light
Dressed in a Burberry skirt, Dylan Mulvaney said she was unbothered by the fallout from her endorsements she’s now facing – happily asserting that ‘life is good’
Dylan Mulvaney was seen arriving at a studio in Hollywood on Tuesday
She has also used TikTok to detail her own self-growth as an inspiration to others.
While living with her parents during the Coronavirus pandemic, Mulvaney used the platform to continue discussions on gender.
‘I finally asked myself these questions about gender,’ Mulvaney told GirlBoss.
‘I had never asked myself those dark questions because when I was four, I tried coming out to my mom as a girl, but it just wasn’t a thing then. Being trans was very taboo.’
She added: ‘I come from a very conservative part of California – and not even to my family’s fault, it just wasn’t really in the cards for me.
‘Then, during the pandemic, I was back at home living with my family and asking myself, ‘Dylan, do you feel like a boy?’ It was really during that period of unemployment that I finally asked myself, ‘Who am I without this career?”’
Mulvaney attended the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music and graduated in 2019.
At that time, she identified as trans and found it difficult to break into the entertainment industry.
Mulvaney said that she dislocated from her identity to some extent to make advancements in the industry.
She said: ‘I struggled for so long in having the entertainment industry accept me and have a place for me… now because the internet and all these followers have decided to love me, it’s creating these opportunities that I didn’t have before.’
Mulvaney has more than 10 million followers on TikTok and her videos have attracted praise from celebrities such as Lady Gaga and Paris Hilton. Mulvaney also has more than 1 million followers on Instagram.
She also met President Joe Biden in October 2022 in the Oval Office to discuss her transition and transgender issues in the US.
Topics of discussion included anti-trans legislation being passed by states and how gender-affirming healthcare was being banned.
TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney, who is documenting her transition on the app, was one of the six progressive panelists to speak with President Joe Biden
Dylan Mulvaney attends the Kate Spade Presentation during the September 2022 New York Fashion Week at 3 World Trade Center
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