Athletic Women Blog

Methinks I'm overdue to post something frivolous (but with a nub all the same). Enjoy!—

In a San Jose State University Spartan Daily piece, Angela Marino writes of having overheard a male student complain about women's sports. He doesn't think that women can play sports. Fine. But why complain? Surely he's not being forced to watch women's sports, so why is he troubled by them?

I was asked about this strange phenomenon—this vehement aversion some men have for women's sports and female athletes—recently, not for the first time either, and I couldn't offer a concrete answer. Such behavior is to my mind perverse and incomprehensible.

Not that I haven't tried to understand it. And I perhaps can when it comes from a male athlete, since he may feel female athletes pose a threat; they could someday steal the spotlight away from him. But what of the ordinary male sports fan? So much of this hateful nonsense comes from him. He dotes on male athletes yet finds female athletes unworthy of his attention—or worse. Odd, isn't it?

It is fitting that Angela's piece should appear in something with Spartan in the title. Some time ago I wrote a piece in which I told of the lesson Sparta, 2,500 years hence, still holds out for us. Where men among the bravest, sturdiest this world has ever known held strong, athletic women in highest esteem.

I end here with Angela's trenchant conclusion:

Female athletes have the ability to be as influential as male athletes if given the same opportunities that male athletes have been given. In the 21st century, it is time to open our minds and get over the primal idea that men are the dominate source of physical strength.

Late is better than never. Bromides dispensed with, I can tell you that a deal has finally been made to get women's MMA pioneer Erin Toughill under contract with Strikeforce. And she already has her first fight lined up: she faces Marloes Coenen November 7 on the undercard of an event to be televised on CBS. (This will be a rematch—Toughill won by KO in their first meeting.)

Toughill is in fact replacing 145-pound champion Cris "Cyborg" Santos, who pulled out of her title fight with Coenen because of injury. This fight, then, will determine who is the foremost contender for Cyborg's title.

For now, the fight is slated for the undercard and won't be televised. Even so, there is a good chance the fight (taped) will air should the other fights run short.

Let's hope it makes the telecast. Another nationally televised fight, this time without Carano or Cyborg, would be a further boost to women's MMA.

Dancing with the Stars gave the wrong verdict last night, by eliminating Natalie Coughlin from the competition. My opinion, one shared by others I see, is that Natalie is a much stronger dancer than some of the stars left in the competition. (At least my conscience is clean—I made sure to vote for Natalie every week.)

For those who missed seeing the nasty business live:

You have to admire 21-year-old bodybuilder Hayley McNeff (Facebook, MySpace). Her work ethic, her determination, her brazenness—model qualities for female athletes who truly want to excel:

Sufficiently hyped, ESPN The Magazine's "Body Issue" hit newsstands Friday. The issue features several male and female athletes in various "nude" poses (PG-13 stuff, perhaps). Predictably, this has sparked some little controversy, much of it unwarranted, but not all of it.

First I of course refer to the prudes. They are animated, whether they admit to it or not, by a worldview quite uncomfortable with sexuality and the human body. (One is tempted to ask if they understand how they came to be.) Thus, to them, an athlete's appearing nude is a dirty, low thing that depreciates the athlete's athleticism. Never mind that sport is in fact all about bodies, and that the nude athletic form has been admired since antiquity.

Second is a slightly more nuanced scrutiny. Here the critical eye looks to see if female athletes are therein portrayed fairly, especially compared with how their male counterparts are portrayed. In other words, are they presented as strong, dynamic, potent—all the things we most associate with elite athletes? Such scrutiny can be overdone, but isn't entirely without justification. For example, we know that female athletes often feel pressured to present a softer look. (Serena Williams, one of the athletes featured on a "Body Issue" cover, recently admitted as much.) And I don't know how many times I've seen photos of a female athlete that had obviously been airbrushed (or the digital equivalent) to soften her look, whereas had the subject been a male athlete, the photos would have been, if anything, sharpened for the opposite effect.

Often, however, this scrutiny betrays a provincial worldview. It is generally white, middle- or upper-class, heterosexual, and of that authoritarian mindset which ironically passes for liberalism these days. Nor is it without its own streak of Puritanism (common in the US, not so much in Europe). Here one often finds subtleties overlooked in a rush to judgment. As one example, a strictly male-female sexual dynamic is taken for granted, overlooking the appeal erotic images of female athletes might hold for lesbians. Another, the classism on which most prudery is actually based.

So where does the "Body Issue" fall in my view? Well, I can't say. I don't have a copy yet. What I've seen (sample gallery) is, I think, tastefully enough done. (The Sarah Reinertsen cover, in particular, I find affecting and gorgeous.) Judge, then, for yourself; only do so with an open mind.

A common myth, one found in some variation all over the globe, is that of an enchanting, yet formidable, aquatic creature; two familiar terms for this mythical female being are siren and mermaid.

The myth resonates, its origins become more easily apprehended, when one sees Esther Williams in the water. A great athlete and even greater Hollywood icon, Williams deserves every honor given her. Like this beautiful video homage, which I just discovered today:

Time once more to recognize organizations that have wisely decided to enlist star female athletes to promote their goods and services. Of which there are two today:

The Amazing Avocado:

Jenny Finch has teamed up with Avocados and kicked off the Avocado League. Eight women are competing for the game day avocado recipe that best embodies the spirit, passion and flavor of their hometown. Stop by www.theamazingavocado.com/bighit to take a look at the delicious recipes. Votes will be counted from September 23 until October 14. The "Big Hit" recipe – the one with the most votes – wins the title of Avocado League MVP and receives the grand slam prize package – a $1,000 grocery gift card and a year's supply of avocados.

Tampax:

Tampax, the number one tampon brand in the U.S., announced today that tennis champion Serena Williams will appear in a print advertising campaign starting in October 2009. The images bring to life Tampax's "Outsmart Mother Nature" campaign, further illustrating the brand's commitment to celebrating today's women and empowering them to live life on their own terms every day.

Williams will be featured in a series of playful, lighthearted advertisements and online videos. In each piece, Williams defeats Tampax's Mother Nature character, who tries to deliver her "monthly gift" in an unsuccessful attempt to throw Williams off her game – on and off the tennis court.

"Serena embodies the energy, independence and strength we celebrate in women, and this exciting partnership is a game-changing moment for the feminine care industry," said Courtney Schuster, Associate Brand Manager, Tampax. "In this creative, lighthearted campaign, Serena embodies the playful wit of Tampax as she continues to be a champion and successfully Outsmarts Mother Nature."

We end with a video from the new Tampax campaign. Not so surprisingly, this ad has raised eyebrows and prompted a few comments (e.g. see here and here). I refrain from comment, yielding for once to my prudent self:

Iris Kyle won her fifth Ms. Olympia last weekend. One doesn't risk much saying that she is this decade's dominant female bodybuilder. But has she been rewarded enough for her talent and hard work? Apparently not. Kyle was paid a meager $28,000 this year while the winner on the men's side got $200,000—a shocking discrepancy that leaves little doubt about how far we need to go before female athletes are justly compensated.