"Feed the big man!" - Revisiting Betty White and Shaquille O'Neal's hilarious and insightful PSA as the former breathes her last at 99
Shaquille O’Neal and Betty White were involved in one of the most important, selfless and endearing advertisements ever made ten years ago. While campaigning for ChildHelp, the two iconic names in entertainment and sports collaborated to bring child abuse awareness to the masses.
Man-mountain and LA LA Lakers legend Shaquille O’Neal and the pint-sized Betty White naturally brought it off. ChildHelp’s advertisement oozed genuine care and stark reality. White, as ChildHelp's head coach, inserted Shaq into the lineup at one point. She instructed her team to execute one of the most iconic lines in basketball:
“Feed the big man!”
"Feed the big man (@SHAQ)!" - @BettyMWhite
Join the team and fight child abuse today. #RespondsAbility https://t.co/a73dQc3gev
The line was partly in reference to Shaquille O’Neal’s well-deserved reputation as the most dominant inside force the NBA has ever seen. Shaq made his living inside the paint, playing the kind of bully-ball the league has not seen before or is likely to see again.
The late Betty White’s very sensible instruction was also in reference to the ChildHelp Foundation’s fight against child abuse. While the advert was on the funny side, the dark reality was aptly explained by Shaquille O'Neal's character in the PSA. “Get in the game. Fight child abuse. Five children die every day.”
The PSA was made 10 years ago and brings back a mixed bag of joy and sadness as Betty White just passed away. White was 80 at this time while Shaquille O’Neal was just 39. One of the unlikeliest pairings ever featured on screen also captured one of the most critical events that children are facing. ChildHelp could not have chosen two of the most affable and caring individuals to represent their cause.
Shaquille O’Neal continues to work for the good of the children
Shaquille O’Neal’s Shaq-A-Claus started in 1992, which was about nine years before the Shaq-Betty White collaboration. Every holiday since Shaq-A-Claus started, the NBA legend regularly gives toys to thousands of children.
The simple request coming from his mother has turned out to be one of the most anticipated events by children across the USA every Christmas. Shaquille O’Neal shape shifts into a real Santa Claus to bring joy and hope to underprivileged kids in different parts of the country.
Recently, the Shaquille O’Neal Foundation collaborated with Notables for another charity work that’s surely going to make this pandemic-hit season more meaningful. Shaq and partners were able to raise more than $1,000,000 in just 24 hours in an effort to give back to the community.
Betty White would surely have said something nice to the Big Diesel for his unending drive to make the lives of children better.