Guys, I don’t always mean to be on my soapbox. But when I continually see shit on the internet that riles me up, what’s a girl to do?!
Back in September, I railed on how women are portrayed in the media, regardless of the outdoor connotations. To date, it’s my most popular post, which says a lot since it’s only been on the World Wide Web for six weeks. Apparently I’m not the only one who is irritated with the visual depiction of females.
Yet again, I stumbled across another glaring example of inequality…and I don’t feel like keeping my mouth shut. Per usual.
If you haven’t heard of the Lingerie Football League, you’re in good company; I never knew such a thing existed. Apparently it’s been re-coined the Legends Football League; perhaps in the hopes that these scantily-clad women would become the thing of lore?
Regardless, here is the takeaway: it is a 7 vs. 7 tackle football league comprised entirely of women. What started out as halftime entertainment during various stadium tours turned pro in 2009 and became a sport of its own. According to the website, NBC Sports’s Rick Chandler called it the “fastest growing pro sports league in the nation.” All that is fine and well, but here is the catch: the female athletes play in bikinis. No, that is not a typo.
Truthfully, I’m not going to address the insurance and salary disparities. It’s frustrating, ridiculous and annoying. However, what could possibly be the logic behind wearing the bikinis?!
Near as I can tell, these women are caught in a frustrating catch-22 because they are female. Sure, one could argue that if you don’t like the uniform policy, then don’t play the sport. But where else can a female play pro football? When we box these ladies into a corner where their only option is to topically subscribe to the “sex sells” mantra, what other options do they have? As it stands, you run around half naked and shred your skin to a bloody pulp; it’s the only way to play the game. And for those who truly love it, how fair is that?
More than anything, I’m frustrated. Why do we continue to force women to use their sexuality as a weapon or a tool? And worse, why does sex continue to sell? I am the first to admit that there is definitely a time and a place for sexuality, and I suppose that happy place {no pun intended!} is entirely subjective. However, I’m willing to bet that most will agree that full-contact football is not that place.
And as the author of this article points out, what does all of this say about how we view our female athletes?
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