Gooners look to kick homophobia out of football in light-hearted ad

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Mikel Arteta, Santi Cazorla, Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain and Olivier Giroud are featured in a 30-second advert for Arsenal's #RainbowLaces campaign.

From the Arsenal website:

"Arsenal’s participation in the campaign falls under the Arsenal for Everyone initiative which strives to ensure everyone connected to Arsenal - regardless of race, religion, sex, age, sexuality or disability - feels an equal sense of belonging to the club.

Arteta said: "We’re very happy to support the campaign and, while the advert is a light-hearted look at the things we can’t change, discrimination in football cannot be tolerated and we need to work together to change this."

Stewart Selby, co-ordinator and founder of the GayGooners said: "Arsenal’s participation in the advert and the campaign means so much to Arsenal’s LGBT fans and the community. The campaign sends the message that attitudes should and can change. It’s about changing the language and creating an environment where LGBT players and supporters should feel comfortable being themselves and being out in the game.""

[link to the rest of the article]


It started with a somewhat-nervous pitch in the Arsenal boardroom. We asked the club to play a lead role in Paddy Power’s Rainbow Laces campaign with Stonewall, aimed at tackling homophobia in football.

Arsenal takes the issue very seriously, from grass-roots up, and makes huge efforts to improve the football environment for gay players and fans.

Arsene Wenger recently told the Arsenal Magazine: “It’s very sad that some people think that this sport should only be reserved for those who have certain characteristics. It’s open to everybody who loves football and when that doesn’t happen, it’s not acceptable.”

So Paddy Power put forward one idea from the Lucky Generals agency to Arsenal chiefs for a video to launch Rainbow Laces. The concept was simple: there are some things we can never change about ourselves. But together we can change the game.

The film was shot at Emirates Stadium in August and it ran like a dream, thanks to the players. Each footballer had just 20 minutes for their take.

The director, Jim Gilchrist, asked Olivier Giroud to take inspiration for his line from a certain Hollywood blockbuster.

“What is Zoolander? I do not know Zoolander,” came the bewildered reply from the 27-year-old Chambery-born striker.

“Should I just act more French?”

Spot on, Olivier. Nailed it, pal.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (21) came up with the ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle’ line himself, brushing aside his fears that people might not fancy him if he admitted resembling a fictional, pizza-loving reptilian crime-fighter. We think you’ll do alright, Ox.

Of the other Arsenal players, Theo Walcott (25) couldn’t stop laughing, while diminutive Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla deserves special credit for his performance (especially as we just asked him to pretend he was a kid looking over a wall).

Director Jim told the Paddy Power Blog: “The Arsenal players were so laid back and the performances were great. They made it easy for me.”

[source #2]

Cazorla is a cutie pie and Giroud is gorgeous and he knows it. The little shit.