Yesterday, I made a post about the recent Sports Illustrated cover featuring Serena Williams as its Sports Person of the Year. Here it is if you don't feel like just scrolling down the page to see it:
http://grandstander.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-sports-er-person-of-year.html
I posted this entry to both my Facebook news feed and a sports related Facebook group page in which I participate, and while there were not a lot of comments, certainly not enough to draw any statistically significant conclusions, the results were interesting, nonetheless.
First off, I am not doubting the worthiness of Ms. Williams winning this award, nor am I saying that this is anything but a striking and attractive picture of a striking and attractive woman. My gripe was that in the context of the story, such a pose was out of place and hypocritical of SI, but not unexpected, given their annual Swimsuit Edition.
Anyway, back to the responses. Most of the men who responded tended to agree with me, while most of the women, thought it was okay. This surprised me, and I wonder what women would think if Ms. Williams decided to strike the exact same pose on the cover of something like Maxim?
One young (late twenties) woman with whom I volunteer told me last night that she did agree with my reasoning, and wondered if SI would have asked a male athlete to strike a similar pose, and, if so, would those athletes have agreed to do so?
I also found it interesting that one of my Facebook posts was "Liked", but without comment, by another mid-twenties young woman who was a varsity athlete for four years in the Big Ten. Would love to hear her further thoughts on that subject as she would be coming at as both a young woman and an athlete.
In the end, however, Serena Williams agreed to pose for this picture, so what I and others of my ilk see as exploitative and sexist, she obviously sees as something else.
Showing posts with label Serena Williams. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Serena Williams. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Monday, December 21, 2015
The Sports, er, Person (?) of the Year
Last week Sports Illustrated announced it's annual Sportsman of the Year Award, and it was tennis player Serena Williams. Now, let me state right off the bat that I have no problem with Ms. Williams winning this award. Her accomplishments in 2015 and over the course of her career make her a worthwhile recipient of the honor, so congratulations, Serena Williams.
My gripe is with Sports illustrated itself and how they chose to present this award in their magazine.
First, they chose to call it the "Sports Person of the Year", presumably because, what with Ms. Williams being female and all, they couldn't call it Sportsman of the Year. Now, I don't get as hung up on political correctness as much as many of my generation does, but sometimes these gender neutral pronouns drive me up the wall. What would have been wrong with naming Serena Williams the Sportswoman of the Year? Had the award been bestowed upon Tom Brady, Steph Curry, or Bryce Harper would they have been designated the Sports Person of the Year? And if Brady, Curry, or Harper, or any other male athlete wins it next year, will they be called the Sports Person of the Year?
My second gripe is the cover shot that SI chose to showcase Ms. Williams. Did they show Serena in her tennis togs in a triumphant moment on the courts of Wimbledon of Roland Garros? No, they chose this shot:
Sports Illustrated will often take editorial stands and pat themselves on the back on behalf of equality for women athletes everywhere, will say that the female athletes work just as hard, and achieve accomplishments every bit as great as their male counterparts, and how these women athletes should not be denigrated or pushed aside by the sports loving public. Then they publish this photo on their cover, a photo that would probably work quite well on the "new look" Playboy magazine that will debut this spring.
But, of course, Sports Illustrated is the magazine that brings you the annual Swimsuit Edition, which is, of course, all about sports fashion, right?
And what was Serena Williams thinking in agreeing to this?
Am I the only person who thinks this?
My gripe is with Sports illustrated itself and how they chose to present this award in their magazine.
First, they chose to call it the "Sports Person of the Year", presumably because, what with Ms. Williams being female and all, they couldn't call it Sportsman of the Year. Now, I don't get as hung up on political correctness as much as many of my generation does, but sometimes these gender neutral pronouns drive me up the wall. What would have been wrong with naming Serena Williams the Sportswoman of the Year? Had the award been bestowed upon Tom Brady, Steph Curry, or Bryce Harper would they have been designated the Sports Person of the Year? And if Brady, Curry, or Harper, or any other male athlete wins it next year, will they be called the Sports Person of the Year?
My second gripe is the cover shot that SI chose to showcase Ms. Williams. Did they show Serena in her tennis togs in a triumphant moment on the courts of Wimbledon of Roland Garros? No, they chose this shot:
Sports Illustrated will often take editorial stands and pat themselves on the back on behalf of equality for women athletes everywhere, will say that the female athletes work just as hard, and achieve accomplishments every bit as great as their male counterparts, and how these women athletes should not be denigrated or pushed aside by the sports loving public. Then they publish this photo on their cover, a photo that would probably work quite well on the "new look" Playboy magazine that will debut this spring.
But, of course, Sports Illustrated is the magazine that brings you the annual Swimsuit Edition, which is, of course, all about sports fashion, right?
And what was Serena Williams thinking in agreeing to this?
Am I the only person who thinks this?
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