When Violence Against Women Becomes the Punchline: What Sports Culture Is Teaching Us

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Sports have always had a relationship with humor. Trash talk, pranks, exaggerated

celebrations, rivalries, and locker-room jokes are all part of sports culture. But there is a line between joking about competition and turning violence against women into entertainment.

Recent incidents involving golf brands Good Good Golf and Callaway and an AI-generated video falsely depicting ESPN reporter Holly Rowe being slapped by University of Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian have brought that line into sharp focus.

The two incidents are different. One was a scripted advertisement, while the other was fabricated with artificial intelligence. Neither depicted an actual assault, yet both used an image of violence against a woman as a source of humor.

When violence against women is repeatedly presented as funny, absurd, or entertaining, it can contribute to a culture in which violence is minimized rather than recognized for what it is. When we stand up and speak out against this type of “humor” (that isn’t actually funny at all), we can help to change this culture and the normalization of violence against women.

The Callaway and Good Good Golf Advertisement

In August 2026, Callaway and Good Good Golf faced widespread criticism over a promotional video for a co-branded Callaway driver. The advertisement showed Good Good Golf co-founder Garrett Clark rushing toward fellow Good Good Golf creator Alexis Miestowski after she reached for his golf club. Clark shoved Miestowski to the ground and told her not to touch his new driver. The video was posted online and subsequently removed after criticism that it trivialized violence against women.

The fact that the scene was scripted does not eliminate the cultural issue. Advertising routinely uses fictional situations to communicate an idea. A commercial can depict an argument, a prank, a dangerous situation, or an exaggerated reaction without viewers believing that the events actually happened.

The question here is why violence was selected as the joke. A golf club could have been protected through almost any exaggerated comedic scenario. Instead, the premise relied on a man physically knocking a woman to the ground because she attempted to pick up his driver.

After a backlash, the companies apologized. Callaway's CEO acknowledged the advertisement had been approved and described its release as a mistake. Callaway later ended its relationship with Good Good Golf and announced a $1 million commitment to organizations addressing violence against women. The controversy illustrates an important distinction: something can be fictional without being harmless.

When Violence Against Women Becomes Entertainment

Domestic violence and other forms of violence against women are not abstract concepts for millions of people. They affect survivors, victims, children who witness violence, families, friends, coworkers, and communities. Domestic violence can have physical, emotional, financial, and long-term consequences.

When an act of violence is stripped down to a punchline, these realities disappear. A viewer may see a man shove a woman in a commercial and think, "It's obviously fake." A survivor may see something very different: a familiar act of aggression presented as amusing. That difference in perspective is important.

The images, language, and behaviors that become normalized in entertainment contribute to the broader culture in which people understand relationships, gender, power, and violence. This type of humor does not exist in a vacuum.

This does not mean that every fictional depiction of violence causes someone to become violent. It does mean that creators, advertisers, athletes, broadcasters, and sports organizations should think carefully about what they are asking audiences to laugh at.

The Holly Rowe AI Video: When Fake Violence Becomes a Joke

Just weeks after the Callaway controversy, another example of violence against women being treated as a joke emerged in college football. Following Texas' September 2026 victory over Ohio State, an AI-generated video circulated online that falsely depicted Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian slapping ESPN reporter Holly Rowe. The video manipulated footage of a real interaction between Sarkisian and Rowe. The fictional assault never occurred, but the fabricated image spread online.

During a subsequent press conference, Texas quarterback Arch Manning was asked about the AI video and laughed while referring to it as "hilarious." A room full of male reporters seemingly laughed alongside of him. Manning later apologized publicly to Rowe, calling his comments insensitive. Rowe accepted the apology and said that the two had spoken privately.

Here, distinction between reality and artificial intelligence is crucial. Sarkisian did not slap Rowe, and the AI video did not document an actual assault. But the fact that the assault was fictional does not make the image meaningless.

The video was created to be seen, shared, and reacted to online. Its humor depended on viewers recognizing a real person and imagining her being physically assaulted by a man in a position of authority. That is one way that AI-generated content creates new challenges for conversations about violence against women. It is part of a larger trend of misogyny in sports.

AI Can Make Harmful "Jokes" Easier to Create and Spread

Before generative AI became widely accessible, creating a convincing fake video of a public figure being assaulted required considerable technical skill. That barrier has been obliterated with the widespread availability of AI.

AI tools can now be used to manipulate images, voices, and video in ways that can make fabricated events appear convincing. Even when viewers understand that a video is fake, the content can still spread rapidly before context catches up. That creates several problems:

False violence can look real: A fabricated assault may be mistaken for an actual event, particularly when viewers encounter a short clip without context.
Fake content can target real people: Holly Rowe is a real journalist with a long career in sports broadcasting. The AI video did not depict an imaginary character. It placed a recognizable woman into a fabricated violent scenario.
Humor can obscure the harm: Calling something "just AI" or "just a joke" can shift attention away from what the content actually depicts: violence against women.
Viral content can outlive an apology: Once an image or video spreads across social media, deleting the original post does not necessarily remove the copies, screenshots, reposts, or reactions.

AI adds another layer to an existing problem: how society responds when violence against women becomes entertainment.

"It Was Just a Joke" Does Not End the Conversation

One of the most common defenses of offensive humor is that the audience should not take it seriously. However, the intent behind a joke isn’t as important as the impact of it on other people.

A person can intend to be funny without considering how a joke may affect someone who has experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or another form of abuse. Audiences are not required to find something funny simply because it was intended as comedy.

There is also a bigger question worth asking: Why is violence against women considered an acceptable vehicle for humor in the first place?

Sports culture has historically included aggressive behavior, physical competition, and intense rivalries. But there is a meaningful difference between celebrating athletic aggression within the rules of a sport and depicting interpersonal violence against women as entertainment. One is part of competition, while the other can reinforce harmful ideas about power and control. We shouldn’t allow the aggression that can exist within sports to become content about harming women.

Men in Sports Have an Important Role to Play

Because many major sports remain heavily male-dominated, men in positions of influence can play an important role in challenging jokes and behavior that trivialize violence against women. That can mean:

Not laughing along when violence is presented as entertainment
Speaking up when a teammate or colleague crosses a line
Avoiding content that sexualizes, humiliates, or threatens women
Correcting misinformation about violence
Supporting survivors rather than questioning or mocking them
Thinking critically before sharing viral videos
Recognizing that "just a joke" can still reinforce harmful attitudes

The reaction does not have to be dramatic. Sometimes it is simply refusing to participate.

What Can Fans Do?

Fans also have influence over sports culture. Before sharing a video, meme, or joke, ask yourself why exactly it is funny. If the humor depends on someone being threatened, assaulted, humiliated, or degraded because she is a woman, it is worth reconsidering whether the content deserves another share.

Fans can also:

Call out harmful content without directing harassment at the people involved
Support organizations working to prevent violence
Teach young people to distinguish healthy competition from abuse
Challenge jokes that normalize violence
Report abusive or threatening content on social media
Verify whether viral videos are authentic before sharing them
Support women working and competing in sports

Small choices can influence what kinds of content receive attention and can ultimately change the culture.

We Can Change What Gets the Laugh

The Callaway and Good Good Golf advertisement and the AI-generated Holly Rowe video were created in very different circumstances. One was a commercial production; the other was fabricated digital content. But both raise the same fundamental question: What happens when violence against women is treated as a joke?

Sports can be competitive without being cruel. Marketing can be funny without using gender-based violence as a punchline. AI can be creative without fabricating assaults. Fans can enjoy their teams without accepting harassment or abuse as part of the entertainment. Most importantly, we can create a culture where violence against women is recognized for what it is. It is not a punchline, a meme, or something that becomes acceptable simply because someone says it was funny.

At Blackburn Center, we believe everyone deserves to live free from violence and abuse. Creating safer communities requires more than responding after violence occurs. It also means challenging the attitudes and behaviors that minimize, excuse, or normalize violence in the first place.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, sexual violence, or another form of abuse, support is available. Blackburn Center provides advocacy, counseling, education, and other services for survivors and victims and their loved ones. For help, call anytime at 1-888-832-2272 (TDD Available).