The ‘Got Milk?’ campaign has a long history of featuring celebrities and athletes who encourage consumers to increase milk consumption for improved health. 
Athletes for example such as, Diana Taurasi, Steve Nash, Serena Williams, and David Beckham have appeared in the campaign. With the release of her new book Age is Just a Number, swimming Olympian Dara Torres seems to be everywhere, including in the most recent Got Milk? ad pictured here.
While this ad is just one of many Torres’ sexy “see my body at 42” pictures (See TIME cover also pictured here) what ‘Got Me’ is the ad copy.
Torres is not featured as Dara Torres…but “Dairy” Torres. Why is this a problem? Dara Torres is a five-time Olympian with 12 medals. Dairy Torres is a fictional character…she does not exist. The play on words at the end of the ad copy also sexualizes Torres (“Lap it up” and Dairy…I don’t need to make the connection for you do I?). These two ad copy examples demonstrate how even the most successful female athletes can be marginalized, often in subtle (or not so subtle) ways.
I looked at numerous other Got Milk? ads featuring athletes, and I did not see one ad that referred to a person by a name other than their own—male or female. For example David Beckham’s ad says “Goal By Beckham. Body by Milk”. Why is it that one of THE most decorated female Olympians who has defied assumptions about optimal performance, age and motherhood is portrayed in this way? To prove my point would a similar ad featuring male Olympic swimmer Micheal Phelps say “Milky Phelps” and end with a tag line saying “Lap it up” or “Suck it up”? The ad for Torres could of simply said, “(Alot of) Medals by Torres. Body by Milk”.
One Sport Voice 
I read “Dairy” Torres “Got Milk” ad that says “Lap it up” as a play on “swimming laps” and nothing else. I’d send the “Got Milk” folks your suggestion of “Milky Phelps/Lap it up” and they might view it as the same type of corny wit. They went to “Liquid Gold” with him. Although, they may not jump at the Phelps endorsement if it came around now. I had my wife read it and her first blink was a kitty cat “lapping it up”. My two daughters (both collegiate athletes) were split on the same two comparisons.
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Get a life. No one was twisting her arm to shoot the ad and approve the copy. She obviously did it on her own and was fine with the copy. Man, everyone is so politically correct now. Can no one have any fun any more or have a clever play on words without someone being offended and crying.
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I took the add exactly as Ray did. Swimming a Lap and Lapping up some milk.. What a waste of commentary to complain of something that seems to be a figment of your imagination.
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Hello. Given that the ‘Got Milk’ ads are plays on post-oral sex to begin with, I, unfortunately, think of a way more pornographic reference to ‘lap it up.’ Eww.
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The ‘got milk’ commercials, while initially smart, have dropped to a lower and lower standard over time. What annoys me most is that I am constantly answering questions on my blog about nutrition – namely milk and bones – it is not MILK that builds stronger bones, but CALCIUM (theoretically depending on what research you look at) that builds bones. Milk can often cause more trouble than good depending on how your body reacts to it. We are the only animal that continues to drink milk past infancy. Want calcium? Try eating green vegetables. They are a much higher source of calcium than any glass of milk (and have a large range of other benefits as well!) Sorry for the rant – these milk ads just get me fired up!
Jamie Atlas of Fitness Insights
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Milk is awesome. Political correctness is not. Drink milk and shut the [I had to edit this word out…but it started with “f”] up.
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My first thought was “Dairy Torres. She likes milk. She drinks a lot of milk.”
Honestly if she were busty it would have been very inappropriate. Since she isn’t obviously female from the neck down, it never even entered my mind that this could be a mammary reference.
“Lap it up” even less so, because breast-feeding isn’t just “lapping it up”, it’s hard work for the baby. “Lap it up” made me think of a cat drinking milk from a bowl. I didn’t put it together with swimming laps.
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I also agree that ads are witty and are doing exactly what they are designed to do, garnish attention. I’m in the advertising industry and I can guarantee they want to arouse any sexual thought they can without coming right out and saying it. Sex sells, hence the responses in this forum.
I think Jamie’s point (Milk is not really that good for you and can even be bad) is the real problem with this ad. It’s playing with your health in the most devious way….Making you think you’re doing something so very healthy, when in fact Milk can actually attribute to long term health issues. This is false advertising in my view and should be seen for what it really is…false propaganda by the dairy farmers. I think all you need to do is ask yourself this. Am I a bovine, no then why drink bovine milk. Your probably human, so consume things that humans are designed to consume….Vegetables.
Health Wealth and Hapiness to everyone.
Mitch.
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Milk haters drink this…
http://www.newser.com/story/65445/got-milk-kids-who-eat-more-dairy-live-longer.html
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