I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the XXIX Olympiad. The 2008 Olympic Games are being held in Beijing, China right now, and I have been struggling with my views and feelings about China’s human rights record, Tibet etc, so I have started to note down some of my thoughts: however I realise that my views are sometimes contradictory and my arguments are not nuanced enough, so I will save them for a blog post at the end of the Olympics, when I have a had a chance to think some more.
This post is a special mention to the glorious Team GB. Third in the medals table today? Sixteen gold medals and thirty six medals overall at the time of writing this post. Who’d have thought it!?! The Great British Team has certainly proven to us and the world what they are capable of. Bring on London 2012 I say
However, I do have an issue with so many of the BBC commentators. Why why why do so many of them insist on referring to the Team GB women as ‘girls’??? It makes me so mad. Do the men get referred to as boys? No. It’s derogatory and infuriating for the listener.
I am not a sportswoman, but I know that in sports, as in most other avenues of life, women have to struggle that little bit more for recognition – why do sportswomen get comments and questions on their outfits (e.g. the Williams sisters) why do women have fewer opportunities to compete (as explored by Kira Cohcrane in the Guardian)
This attitude completely builds on and compounds stereotypes about females being weak young things who are not capable of activity - the other day I ran a canal boat into the bank – and two louts started yelling something about female drivers. I cannot drive a car, never mind a boat and you know what – that’s ok – cos that’s me. I should have laughed but it made me so mad. Not all women would have done that! Just me! And that’s ok! One of the best drivers I know is my little sister – yes she is much much better then quite a few of the male drivers I know but the fact is that she is a great driver.
My point is that it is not shocking that women are good at things – sports, driving whatever. People are different. And as far as the sportswomen in team GB they are women – treat them with some respect for they have surely earned it.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Me too, I am good-ish driver too it just took me longer to get there, he he he he! You are right though its infuriating, what is positive about the Olympics is that it is the one time where womens sport is given nearly as much exposure as the male events, as opposed to the womens world cup etc which is really not.
Post a Comment