Prepare . . . for total domination.
Latest Entry Older Entries
10.10.00
Guess What? I'm Irate Again!

I found this on the AP wire the other day:

SPORTS BRAS

(Hartford, Connecticut-AP) -- Members of the U-Conn women's indoor track team have to keep their shirts on. Coach Jackie Adams says running in just a sports bra is now a no-no. Adams instituted the rule after noticing that guys were taking a particular interest in watching the team workout. But she realized they weren't checking out the runners' split times. Adams says her runners aren't there to be ogled.

The story was in a ha-ha, light little blurb section.

Do you know what the problem with that is?

I'll tell you.

I am sick and tired of the automatic solution to a problem with sexist behavior being a change in the female compontent.

Why do you think the runners were wearing sports bras? They were cooler and more comfortable that way, right?

So why are the women being punished for the behavior of males? Why should they suffer more, sweat more, simply be more uncomfortable, just because some morons can't keep their eyes where they should be?

And how come the automatic response to the problem wasn't to reprimand the oglers, but to negatively adjust the conditions for the female runners?

Let's look at this a couple of different ways.

First, let's pretend it was the men's track team, running shirtless. And there's a group of women there, checking out some pecs and abs. Rowr.

Anyway, what do you think the response, if any, would be? I personally think nothing would happen. (And if anything DID happen, you KNOW those male runners wouldn't be required to put on shirts. They would just forbid the distracting females from attending practice. I'll bet you a dollar.) My sneaking suspicion is that putting the women in shirts is in part an extension of old-school attitudes where the delicate female flowers need protection. They need to be hidden. Jeez. You know these women are tough. You know they are fast athletes with muscles and sweat and strength and speed. And they're still being sheltered.

If the men continue to watch the runners legs, will the women be required to don ankle-length skirts and high boots? Once the lower half is safely under wraps, and the men continue to hang around to ogle some pretty faces and graceful necks, will the runners be reuired to put on veils (imported directly from Lybia) for every practice?

Now, here's what really gets me.

Disclaimer: I realize checking someone out and sexual crimes are on completely different ends of the violation spectrum.

But doesn't that reaction sound like the classic:

"Well, what was she wearing? Just a sports bra? She had it coming."

response to a rape?

That makes me want to climb the walls.

P.S. In case you haven't had enough feminist ranting today-- Go read Maggie's entry about the evils of fashion magazines. She's so foxy.

The Realm of Monkey Love
chatty chat about news and such
buy stuff; feed poor kids