Norton-Cruz says the ad harms both women and men
Laura Norton-CruzSocial worker and public health writer, in a signed column
Norton-Cruz says sexist marketing like this ad harms women and girls and does men no favors.
“So while sexist marketing like this is harmful to women and girls, it isn’t doing men any favors either.”
Analysis
Where this statement fits
Sydney Sweeney’s Novig "Just Sports" ad draws backlash over sexualizing women’s sport
Novig, a U.S. sports prediction market in which Sydney Sweeney is a strategic partner and equity holder, released a "Just Sports" ad campaign on September 9, 2026, in which Sweeney appears nude or minimally clothed while covering herself with sports equipment. The ad drew public criticism from a number of female athletes, who said it sexualizes women’s sport; Novig’s CEO and at least one columnist publicly disputed that characterization.
Source and context
Analysis
About this source
Norton-Cruz argues that the campaign sexualizes women and promotes harmful expectations among men.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Norton-Cruz argues that men should be angry about the ad, too.
After the quotation
She also criticizes sports-betting companies for harming men.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The matter under scrutiny is Novig's sexualized use of sports imagery. Norton-Cruz explicitly criticizes it as harmful.
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More from this case
Read the full caseJones and co-authors criticize sexualization and gambling appeals in Novig's ad
“The ad captures two troubling trends: how routinely women’s bodies are sexualized in digital media and how gambling companies use sexual appeal, and the implied promise of romantic or sexual reward, to target young men.”Read statement
Fortinsky renews his defense of Novig's Sweeney ad
“Ultimately, I think we have nothing to apologize for and are very proud of the work that we did,”Read statement
Calkins defends the ad as sex-appeal marketing
“It was an ad that used sex appeal to catch the eye of a mostly-male market — not a "kick in the face" to female athletes, as four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Ariarne Titmus suggested.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Norton-Cruz says the ad harms both women and men". First published: 2026-10-25. Last updated: 2026-10-25. https://disputeindex.com/events/6697-norton-cruz-says-sexist-marketing-like-this-ad