Parlor Spider...Step In, Little Fly

Insightful thoughts and/or rants from atop the soapbox from one who wishes to share the "right" opinion with everyone.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

What Would Gloria Say?







Equal Opportunity for a Concussion?



Recently, it was noted that the United States ranked 19th in the world as far as the so-called "gender gap" was concerned, getting a high ranking for education but not so hot scores in other areas. Women in this country have had the right to vote for almost a hundred years, and women have been granted "equal" opportunity to compete in athletics since the 1972 Title IX ruling that made it a criminal offense to deny women such opportunities. Despite these gains, I am certain there are many professional women who know the reality of the "glass ceiling" and bemoan the fact that even in the political arena, there are far more rich, white men than there are of any other racial or gender demographic. But at least they have football.
Green Bay is one of many places that lives and breathes the sport...a place where church services and school schedules are arranged around those important playing dates on the calendar. Water cooler discussions would hardly be noted if it were not for dissecting every minute detail of the team. For example, in today's local paper six of the top eight most-read/shared stories involved the Green Bay Packers...and, that's not unusual. But I am a bit nonplussed by the sudden need to have the Lingerie League's Green Bay Chill as an entertainment option.
That's not to diminish the possibility that women could play such a game. I am certain they can, but the allure is sexual, not athletic, as evidenced by the publicity photos displayed on the newspaper's website. I'm not sure I can agree with that. Brandy Chastain can tear off her jersey in a mad celebration of a World Cup goal...and show an athlete dressed to compete (far more modestly, I might add, than what we see here). Put pads and a helmet on these players and let them bang heads like their male counterparts...fine....but to be titillated by the thought of women shoving each other around in skimpy outfits just is not what I think we need for entertainment; nor do I think it furthers the cause of women closing any type of gender gap we have in this country.
But maybe I'm old-fashioned or heard too much from Steinhem in her day.
Whatever the case, I will not be taking in any of the Chill's games at any time in the near future.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home