When the choice arises of going to a men’s athletic game or a women’s athletic game—I always choose a men’s game. But why? Besides the oblivious fact that I am a girl, and attracted to men, there is something more to be said for me always picking to watch boys over girls. I never realized this, or thought it was weird, I always just thought “well that’s how it is.” But when I really look at it--- is that how it should be?
As a female, I am providing more support to men then I am to women.
sexism. Noun. prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex.
Reflecting on the word sexism and what it entails- discrimination against women- makes me ask myself… am I sexist? Or is the sporting event itself the thing that promotes the sexism? I am the one not going to female event but I am also the one choosing a type of entertainment that is more appealing to me because of the speed and the on court energy.
There is an overall concept in our society that men are better at sports. Which in my opinion, is debatably, to an extent true. The testosterone in the male anatomy simply makes them stronger, faster, and overall in some sense better; the game is inevitably going to be more fast past and aggressive- which makes the sporting event more entertaining.
When female sports first came out they were determined to be seen as an educational environment and simply to pass the time. However, since the enforced laws of Title IX, women’s sports have become more popular, and have evolved to be, more successful, if not more, to the male substitute. Recently, some of the women’s soccer national team stars asserted the problem of pay discrimination, which including a complaint saying players earn a fraction of their male counterparts despite superior achievements. These young women are three-time World Cup winners and defending Olympic champions; while, on the other hand, the men’s team has not progressed through the quarter finals since 1930. The revenue the team creates is widely successful, for example their victory against Japan was watched by 22 million viewers, yet they are still overlooked.
The difference in a male sport and a female sport is the game itself; their is a lack of power in a woman's game. But is that the females fault or the refs? There are more restrictions on female sports when comparing the two. As a woman's college water polo player, I can relate to how fouls are given out so much more in a woman’s game, which not only slows the game down, but also creates easier passing of the ball which leads to a slower game. As well as, if you are too aggressive, the ref has the power to eject you, which happens a lot more frequently in a woman’s game then a men’s.
Along with the game reefing, the balls are manipulated to fit a female’s “delicate” hands. For example, in high school basketball, girls use a slightly smaller ball- 28.5 to 29 inches in circumference and 18 to 20 oz. in weight while a boys' basketball is 29 to 30 inches in circumference and 20 to 22 oz. Arguably, this standard of hand size does not apply to all; factually, there are boys who have small hands and some girls have big hands. So why does the sport add in rules which limits one’s hands size according to sex?
With all the female activism in today’s day and age, it is something to think about, and to ask yourself which sex do you like to watch more? And why? Women like to think that they are not sexist, and supporting ladies through advertising feminism, but sometimes we are not advocating more for women and unconsciously society has made us adapt to the dominant appearance of a male.
