The Beaver Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 I found this on Elaine's kick-ass site. Must admit I was a bit shocked. Yes, these young women are having some good clean fun--mostly--but some of the shots are surprisingly provocative. (Hey, if woman can lust after Beckham and Jose Theodore and other sports hunks, why can't we admire female athletes?) Check this out: http://www.gobigred.ca/u19/gallery/index.php?spgmGal=19._Canadian_Fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 Just to give those pics some context ... it's a U19 tradition to have a "bad kit" day in which players just dress up awfully and have a practice with the outfits on. This time around, the players didn't have practice with the outfits but rather went to dinner with the outfits on etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beaver Posted June 18, 2004 Author Share Posted June 18, 2004 quote:Originally posted by Elaine Just to give those pics some context ... it's a U19 tradition to have a "bad kit" day in which players just dress up awfully and have a practice with the outfits on. This time around, the players didn't have practice with the outfits but rather went to dinner with the outfits on etc. They went to dinner in those outfits? And who is the young woman with the fake ass cheeks sticking outta her shorts? Her hair covers her face and I can't tell who she is. Looks like they had a good deal of fun. Nice to see. Did Mr. Bridge don whacky gear, too? Or was this a team-only dinner? Great shots, and great site, Elaine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 quote:Originally posted by The Beaver They went to dinner in those outfits? yup .. dinner at the UofO cafeteriaquote:And who is the young woman with the fake ass cheeks sticking outta her shorts? Her hair covers her face and I can't tell who she is.that would be selenia iachelli ... she's definitely the team "clown" (so to speak)quote:Did Mr. Bridge don whacky gear, too? Or was this a team-only dinner?yup ... the entire staff was dressed up too ... i forget what coach brdige was wearing, but i do remember that shel was dressed up as a norewegian soccer player etc. elaine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seether Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 Scandalous? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ed Posted June 18, 2004 Share Posted June 18, 2004 I guess the Beaver finds Halloween SCANDALOUS. I suggest he get out more often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian B. Posted June 20, 2004 Share Posted June 20, 2004 Nothing scandalous. What's the problem? It's a bunch of girls having fun together. It's only good for the team's spirit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beaver Posted June 20, 2004 Author Share Posted June 20, 2004 My goodness, lads, I'm having a piss-take. I guess I've got to start posting more often so you guys remember my modus operandi--thick irony. Yes, they are having fun, and they are so damned cute doing so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattbin Posted June 21, 2004 Share Posted June 21, 2004 Not to take the fun out of the whole situation or anything [though such a preamble inevitably does so]... But isn't it funny how quickly a discussion of women's sport sexualizes the participants? And I don't even mean on informal chat sites like this. I remember recently hearing a sports journalist -- can't even remember whether it was a soccer event, or whether it was something else, athletics maybe -- praise a female athlete's "beautiful, beautiful legs". Now, I have a female friend who is often mesmerised by the physical attributes of muscular male athletes in short, clingy uniforms running around a football pitch. But it's much more common that male players be praised for skill, and female players be praised for looks. Keep it in mind, if you doubt me; you'll be surprised, I think. I was. Again, not taking a poke at anyone on this thread. Just thought it a good time to bring the subject up. Allez les Rouges, M@ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beaver Posted June 21, 2004 Author Share Posted June 21, 2004 Matt, I think the issue is a helluva lot more complex than that. Male athletes are not sexualized in the media as often or as quickly as female athletes for numerous reasons, the largest and foremost being that the press--especially the sports press--is still very much driven and owned by men. I would say, too, that our hyper-awareness of gender bias and other gender issues makes us especially prone to pick out the sexualization of female athletes and mostly ignore or poo-poo the same sexualization of male athletes. Beckham is a star on the world stage--a super-media-star--because he is a good soccer player AND a great looking guy. The difference, generally, is that the media we read is owned and editorially driven by men, with male writers and commentators who would be loathe, if not downright embarrassed, to admit that Becks has beautiful legs etc. Gay friends of mine think he is beautiful, as do my female friends, but none of them can tell me if he is a good footballer or not. That, frankly, is beside the point in their minds. And they are unapologetic about it, too. Do I find this annoying? Not really. Who does it hurt, really? Not Beckham. Yes, there are female sports fans soley interested in male athletes for their skill, but many women will notice the looks, too, and some will notice only the looks. Are we offended as men? Not usually. Some of us get jealous, but the standard response to this is basically, "Get over it, he's just a (insert sport here) player." We could write a book on this issue, Matt, but we don't have time for it. All I wanted to note is that the issue offers much debate and many other angles of interpretation and critical reality than any summary could offer. (As you well know, I realize.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soju Posted June 22, 2004 Share Posted June 22, 2004 I'd just like to thank Elaine for turning me onto the Go Big Red homepage, it has a lot of content and up to date photos. Now why can't the CSA take their website more seriously? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Champ Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 I like the pics, too. They're really cute. I was watching EURO 2004 at the Youth Hostle I was staying at with a few girls (it's a ladies dorm for Queen's U. 9 months a year) and they all went bananas when the guys traded shirts after the game. "THAT IS SOOOO HOT!" they said. I laughed. I feel no shame in appreciating the attributes of female athletes, and am amused when the tables are turned. Had I not been so charmed by the U-19's in Edmonton and been inspired to go see them live, I would probably still have a negative attitude towards women's sports instead of being a bag fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matthew Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 I think this is a really interesting topic and I'm glad to see it's been discussed pretty maturely. I agree with The Beaver that it's changing and male athletes are being more sexualized. I wish it would go the other way, but I guess I'd rather it be equal. I no a girl who would only watch World Cup games with her husband if Paraguay was playing because she'd become smitten with Roque Santa Cruz. Another friend went to the World Cup and one of the first things she brought up was how good the Danish keeper's bottom looked from behind the goal. Heck I even heard a member of the women's team talking about the cuteness of a few of the men's nats. My favourite players have always had some attribute about them that I admired. Usually it was intelligence or poise or grit, but in female athletes it's usually similar qualities, but looks factor in. I guess this is normal. That being said, I don't like that Anna Kournikova is more famous than Mouresmo because of her looks. I also changed my view on the new trend of tasteful nude calendars. I thought the Matildas and some of the Canadian women (the ski team, etc) were taking charge of their funding woes and trying to find a way to raise money without exploiting themselves. Then I saw the women's rugby callendar. Very nicely done, tasteful and they seem happy to do it. Except I grew up with one of the players. We played football together every recess for years. I think about how she took pride in my football achievements and now that's she totally surpassed anything I ever did, I'm super proud of her, but I think about all of these opportunities that I had or could have had and I didn't work half as hard and now she's having to take her clothes off to try to keep her dreams afloat. Anyway sorry for the rambling. cheers, matthew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeffery S. Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 quote:Originally posted by matthew I think this is a really interesting topic and I'm glad to see it's been discussed pretty maturely. I agree with The Beaver that it's changing and male athletes are being more sexualized. I wish it would go the other way, but I guess I'd rather it be equal. I no a girl who would only watch World Cup games with her husband if Paraguay was playing because she'd become smitten with Roque Santa Cruz. Another friend went to the World Cup and one of the first things she brought up was how good the Danish keeper's bottom looked from behind the goal. Heck I even heard a member of the women's team talking about the cuteness of a few of the men's nats. My favourite players have always had some attribute about them that I admired. Usually it was intelligence or poise or grit, but in female athletes it's usually similar qualities, but looks factor in. I guess this is normal. That being said, I don't like that Anna Kournikova is more famous than Mouresmo because of her looks. I also changed my view on the new trend of tasteful nude calendars. I thought the Matildas and some of the Canadian women (the ski team, etc) were taking charge of their funding woes and trying to find a way to raise money without exploiting themselves. Then I saw the women's rugby callendar. Very nicely done, tasteful and they seem happy to do it. Except I grew up with one of the players. We played football together every recess for years. I think about how she took pride in my football achievements and now that's she totally surpassed anything I ever did, I'm super proud of her, but I think about all of these opportunities that I had or could have had and I didn't work half as hard and now she's having to take her clothes off to try to keep her dreams afloat. Anyway sorry for the rambling. cheers, matthew Good points. There is no doubt that many international federations are playing up the sex-appeal factor to add audience and thus sponsors and money to the women's game. I agree to that there was a point where I was really disturbed by the less-favoured players on the WTA circuit getting less attention in spite of better results than Anna K. Maybe I shouldn't have been, not long ago Conchita Martínez, a grand slam winner with a heavy and not very attractive physique, invited Kournikova to her home province (Saragossa) for an exhibition match to promote the game there. I happen to know the head of sports for the city of Barcelona (not a big footie fan by the way), and he was commenting on the recent presentation (last Thursday I think) of the International Tennis Federation's Beach Tennis competition, here on the shores of BCN. He mentioned that tv audiences for beach volleyball are way over that of normal volleyball, and that the Tennis folks (who are not the ATP) are also looking for something similar. Turns out that this "works" more in those sports where you can see the body in a variety of athletic poses (tennis and volleyball being good examples; in waterpolo it is unlikely to happen). I can accept it if the men have a similar treatment, if there are no restrictions on what they wear (I think that banning of the Cameroon kit was dumb, it was modern and at least innovative). You can't have loose rules for women and tougher ones for men. Nor expect a certain prudish behaviour from men (the new rule carding taking your shirt off to celebrate a goal, totally silly) and then go out and encourage women to show it off. Having said that, I can say I now have Sharapova's white layered Nike dress-culotte memorized down to the last detail -must be my habitual interest in women's fashion in general. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Champ Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 Having come out on the positive, let me give my opinion a little balance. I also don't appreciate some aspects of women's sports such as Anna K. (she just had a good press agent) and that bull**** with the US player and her sports bra at the end the one World Cup was just sexploitation to sell products (selling sex makes you something else right?) Don't show off your tits for personal gain and call it empowerment. And I will also never respect Beckham as a soccer player as he is not nearly as good as other players who get much less attention (just like Anna K). He just sells a lot of merchandise to the most powerful purchasing demographic (W 15-34). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattbin Posted July 7, 2004 Share Posted July 7, 2004 I've given this issue a lot of thought, and I've read all the responses to it. I'm still not convinced, though. It's one thing to sexualize people in casual conversation; it's another for it to happen in reputable media outlets. There was a book out a couple of years ago, called Black Spandex or something, that dealt with this very issue. Anyone had a look at that? I'm not sure how much use it would be, as it took a decidedly feminist viewpoint -- it may be good work, but it could also just be screed. I never opened it (though I looked at the back cover once I think) so I can't really say. I'm thinking of designing a study for this. I could get a couple of tapes (or transcripts) of comparable women's and men's matches, and look for statements that could be construed as sexualizing the participants. I'm thinking some Canada or USA national team matches would work -- with the advantage, if I used Canadian matches, that the commentary would come under the same (Sportsnet's) editorial policy. I'd also take a selection of articles on soccer, from a variety of reputable sources (newspapers and magazines). I don't think I'd take match reports for that; I would take more descriptive pieces, covering players or team camps. The trick, of course, is in determining the sexualizing terms. I think any gender-typical terms (e.g. comments on legs or hair for women, comments on muscle or power for men) would be included, but I'm not sure how to standardize this. And it has to be done before the study can take place. My hypothesis is that I will find significantly more sexualizing comments in both media about female players than male. (Also need to define what "significantly more" means.) Anyhow, any thoughts on this? I'm sure the results of this study would be publishable -- in fact I think there's a new magazine on the market that deals specifically with women's sports. I dunno. I'll keep thinking about it. Allez les Rouges, M@ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Champ Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 Remember Blatter's comment that he wanted women to wear tighter uniforms? Everyone screamed the sexism issue. My honest opinion though is that some womens' uniforms are too loose and they look really sloppy. Is that what he meant? We'll never know because everyone is so reactionary these days. It's hypocracy all round! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ref Posted July 12, 2004 Share Posted July 12, 2004 quote:Originally posted by Current Champ It's hypocracy all round! Not everybody [:0] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beaver Posted July 14, 2004 Author Share Posted July 14, 2004 I suppose it is all a question of balance. We certainly expect the media, sports federations and governments to NOT exploit human sexuality for the sake of publicity or profits, but at the same time we must admit that we as fans will find some athletes physically attractive, and that is not an evil or immoral thing on to itself. Our U-19 women are very beautiful, but none of us are crossing the line into exploitation or degradation in our words or actions. Like I said, we've become hypersensitive to this issue, especially when it comes to the exploitation of women--especially young women. At the same time, when you hear Blatter's comments or hear of instances where women are marginalized because of how they look, rather than how they perform--at work, on the field etc--then one can't really blame our hypersensitivity. Better to be ulracautious and keep the wild lads in check, rather than be lax and have women suffer as a result. I am glad to see such intelligent and dynamic thinking here. Keep cheering for our women (and men)--they are all very talented, they all represent us well, and they are all fricking good looking...(SOUNDS LIKE A MOLSON COMMERCIAL, EH) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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