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Thursday, April 30. 2009
Does the idea of an African-American actress playing Wonder Woman make you uneasy? I know it does ( as here, scroll down for comments) many traditionalists; i.e., those who would view negatively any deviation from the established image, a position that isn't altogether ungraspable. Wonder Woman, much like Superman, is a symbol of strength, only more vital than him, for women have had few such symbols. Any impulse to reinvent Wonder Woman should concern all who care about her, or Amazon feminism in general.
Yet I differ with my fellow traditionalists (and I do consider myself one). The essence of Wonder Woman is what must be preserved; the strength, the goodness, the majesty—these are the indispensable qualities; the rest, mere gloss without them.
It would, however, be foolish to say that her iconic image isn't important. Someone who captures both image and essence would be the logical, admittedly ideal choice (why I consider Jodi Lyn O'Keefe a good bet).
That said, there are undoubtedly black actresses capable of filling the role masterfully; and a tall, athletic black actress would make a much better Wonder Woman than a scrawny white one—and knowing Hollywood's track record, the latter is a very real possibility.
Not long ago I panned Beyoncé when she expressed desire to play Wonder Woman. But it wasn't her ethnicity that put me off; rather it was her foppish take on the role; exactly the sort of thing we don't need.
And still my mind is open. How about yours?
Tuesday, April 28. 2009
Janet Raloff of Science News reports on the recent findings concerning oral contraceptives and female athletes. To some of you, her account may be more intelligible than the one I referenced last week. If so, it's worth more space here to direct attention to it. Why? I give three reasons. First, because there are precious few sports where strength training is not at all relevant, both for athletic performance and for injury prevention. Second, because the findings present something more nuanced than an either-or dilemma ("should I take the pill or not?"); i.e., some pills, those with low-androgenicity progestins, don't produce the problem. Third, because there are other considerations beyond those related to athletics. The best possible advice to female athletes: stay informed and consult your doctor.
The free market, much maligned lately for political hay, though to her credit not by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, does something really well: it makes clear the value society places on things. For example, this weekend I learned that a 21-year-old quarterback, unproven in the NFL, is worth $72 million ($41.7 million guaranteed, with incentives as much as $78 million over the next six years). Meanwhile, Serena Williams, the highest paid female athlete ever, has career earnings of $24 million. Says something, doesn't it?
Oh, well. The IWFL season is under way, which means football played for the love of the game.
Friday, April 24. 2009
Respect these powerful women—or else:
Monday, April 20. 2009
This is so according to findings from a recent study. Frankly, I am not surprised by the findings, and I suspect few who have given the matter much thought are.
Nevertheless, it would be hard to overstate the importance of this study to female athletes:
"I think the implications are that so many women are taking BCP, and if they are active or competing, and want to achieve the highest level of performance, they need to consider whether birth control is a negative influence on that," said senior investigator Steven Riechman, Ph.D., also of Texas A&M.
Keep in mind, too, that the type of oral contraceptive used made a difference: low-androgenicity pills may be a better option for female athletes.
Certainly something to consult your doctor about if you are an athletic woman.
Friday, April 17. 2009
Wonder Woman ( Olivia Munn) lends sage advice on keeping safe at work:
Thursday, April 16. 2009
An utterance you might expect when a relatively unathletic actress is slated to play a superheroine, arguably the most common Hollywood casting blunder. This comes from Scarlett Johansson, who is trying to transform herself so she can play Black Widow in Iron Man II, and finding it not an easy thing.
I have tremendous respect for Johansson; she is, in my view, among the finest actors of her generation. But I also know there are women far better suited to play Black Widow. Her getting the role, then, is another unfortunate instance of athletic actresses being passed over for bad reasons.
In this case, however, I do side somewhat with Johansson. Her recent piece on Huffington Post does a good job making clear the inanity of tabloid journalism's obsession with body weight. Furthermore, her new, deeper appreciation for the importance of fitness rings true: "I've realized through this process that no matter how busy my life may be, I feel better when I take a little time to focus on staying active. We can all pledge to have healthy bodies no matter how diverse our lifestyles may be."
And what brought forth her wrath is, indeed, nothing but pure drivel (even worse, their response). It's easy to see why she is upset.
Much as I wish someone else were playing Black Widow, I find myself rooting for Johansson in her battle against tabloid imbecilities.
Tuesday, April 14. 2009
Tax Day draws near. This may be a difficult time for some of you. If you're a politician, I'm guessing probably not. The rest, however, might be needing some relief.
The New York Liberty, so aptly named for a post close to tax time, is doing its part to help by giving away free popcorn to fans who purchase tickets $34.50 and up. Mention code SHAMEKA when you order tickets at ticketmaster.com, 877-WNBA-TIX, or the Garden Box Office, and you'll get a free small popcorn to enjoy while watching some great WNBA action (offer expires September 14).
Visit the Liberty website to see what else is planned for the upcoming season.
Tuesday, April 14. 2009
 Fight Night (aka Rigged), which stars former taekwondo champion Rebecca Neuenswander, comes out on DVD today. You will find it at not only the usual outlets— Amazon, Best Buy, Netflix, etc.—but also the official website, where your purchase will most profit the people responsible for this delightful little film.
Not one to purchase many DVDs, I look forward to owning this one.
Friday, April 10. 2009
WNBA star Chantelle Anderson has shared her thoughts about a much-debated topic: "Can a woman realistically expect [to] be seen as a great athlete AND a sex symbol?" Often I find that what she says agrees with my own views; and ultimately, we arrive at pretty much the same conclusion:
it's a great thing that men's magazines are stepping away from the stick skinny models and not only featuring curvier women like Beyonce and Kim Kardashian, but also tall, lean, muscular women like the Team USA Olympians that did the cover shoot for FHM in 2004. As long as the pictures are classy and not raunchy, I don't have a problem with it at all.
Not always, but quite often, the clamor over some perceived objectification of female athletes betrays a "sex is dirty" mentality. Objectification, held to such strict interpretation, takes place millions of times a day, in many facets of life beyond those only of a sexual nature. To focus so heavily on instances associated with libido is fitting only if one has a Puritan's worldview.
Thus I share Chantelle's opinion: I see no reason to think that a woman can't be seen as strong, athletic, and sexy all at once. Moreover, that would be a welcome change.
Sex is inescapably a part of life, rather like food. And while true that now we typically eat in a civilized manner—with forks and spoons as opposed to hands, for example—when last I checked, we still make a big deal of eating. In moderation—that is, minus tangible harm and vulgarity—celebrating our sexuality is no more "wrong" than celebrating our ability to prepare and consume a fine meal.
Wednesday, April 8. 2009
Congratulations, UConn Huskies!
And kudos to ESPN for their superb coverage of the women's tournament!
Tuesday, April 7. 2009
Her new book, just out today:
Dara will be signing books—perhaps in your part of the country?
Monday, April 6. 2009
A live-action Wonder Woman movie may finally be on the way, though with so many false starts and ill-founded rumors in the past we shouldn't get too excited just yet. But if things are as they appear, soon it will be time to post a "Who should be Wonder Woman?" poll. I have already put forth a few suggestions—e.g., Jodi Lyn O'Keefe; of course, I'm not the only one to have noticed that she is uniquely suited for the part—but now it is time for your suggestions.
Have someone in mind to play the Amazon? Want her listed in the poll? Post a comment here, or send in your suggestion by email.
Monday, April 6. 2009
Kym (Saigh) of Championing Ourselves has written a piece that goes beyond the hoopla and sets forth the most plausible reason for the recent attention paid to Michelle Obama's arms—often missed, despite all the talk—along with several other worthwhile observations. I will add only two things.
First, there are the disparaging remarks about Madonna. I find these particularly absurd. There may be things Madonna can fairly be criticized for, but her commitment to fitness and nicely muscled arms aren't among them.
Then, a thought that occurred to me. What if Michelle Obama had Tina Lockwood's pythons? Can you imagine what talk there would be then?
Friday, April 3. 2009
Search Google for "sports memorabilia" (with the quote marks) and you'll get, as of today, 7,820,000 results. Obviously, there is a substantial market for sports memorabilia. How much of it, though, is dedicated to female athletes? From what I can tell, not so much.
Sportsmemorabilia.com seemed a good place to do research, inasmuch as it came up first in the search results. I was pleased to find memorabilia for Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Mia Hamm, Annika Sorenstam, Venus and Serena Williams. Not so surprisingly, Maria Sharapova and Danica Patrick were there as well. Still, many were missing. No Mary Lou Retton. No Sheryl Swoopes. No Lisa Leslie. No Jessica Mendoza. No Cat Osterman. No Candace Parker. And to be honest, there are, by my reckoning, two dozen male athletes for every one female athlete.
I've talked before of the lopsided, and in my view perverse, obsession our society has with male athletes, and its parallel: the marginalization of female athletes. The world of sports memorabilia, I submit, is further evidence of how skewed we have things.
Nowadays, boys and men are informed that it is "manly" to worship male athletes but somehow the opposite with female athletes. This is nonsense. The 300 Spartan men who defended the Pass of Thermopylae certainly would have understood it as such. Spartan women were expected to "exercise their bodies in running, wrestling, casting the discus, and hurling the javelin." Strong women they were, and their men respected them for it. All of Sparta took pride in the hard physiques and athleticism of its women. The men of Sparta, nourished by physically capable sisters, wives, mothers, grew to be hard, brave men. Gorgo, Queen of Sparta and wife of Leonidas, who led the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae, articulated this best. When a foreign (probably Athenian) woman said to her, "You Spartan women are the only ones who rule their men," Gorgo replied: "Yes, we are the only ones that give birth to men." (Plutarch, Life of Lycurgus, 14.1-4.)
Sparta wasn't a paradise, for women or men; it was, in fact, harsh and authoritarian. Primitive as it was, though, we could still learn something valuable from the Spartans: reverence for athletic women.
Oh, and with so much going on, this weekend would be a good time to put that lesson into practice.
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latest comments
Wed, 10.02.2010 14:59
Nothing has proven through rep etitive appearance to be more "natural" than human warfare ( regardless of gender). [...]
Mon, 04.01.2010 11:25
That women fighting men seems unnatural to you is perhaps un derstandable, since it is unco mmon in your experience. [...]
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You know, men and men killing each other is horrible, women and women doing awful things t o each other, even killi [...]