Earlier this week, the White House honored the members of the U.S. Women's World Cup team, all media superstars in their own right. There was a lot of talk about the game itself, an astounding 5-2 victory against Japan back in July, and about how the lives of the team members have changed since. But the central part of the visit came during Obama's speech, in which he touched not only on the effect this victory has had on the sports world but on the ways it reflects the changing views of a country in the midst of messy debates over reproductive care, gay rights and the definition of feminism.
To quote him directly, "This team taught all of America's children that 'playing like a girl' means you're a badass."
He commented on the potential this victory had to challenge a legacy of sexism that is taught to kids from a very young age, and is often difficult to unlearn. This team hasn't just inspired girls to play soccer: they've inspired them to hold positions of power, to take risks and see themselves as important. And, he said, it's inspired boys to look at girls differently too.
All of this sounds very positive, and, for the most part, it is: these incredible athletes are continuing to receive the recognition they deserve for an outstanding accomplishment. But when you look more closely, it's obvious that the World Cup win, while welcome, hasn't changed everything.
In fact, some of the team's biggest supporters on the field are the ones holding them (and other women) back once they're off of it. These players are cheered and made into celebrities, but all the while they're being paid nearly $33 million less than the men's team for doing the same exact thing. The sexism that's evident in instances like this only worsens when you look at the rest of the U.S- if successful, powerful women can be paid less than men for equal work, what happens to women who don't have that power?
I don't mean to criticize Obama for his decision to bring the Women's team to the White House- I think that what he did was a step in the right direction, and can only reinforce the important topics the World Cup victory brought up four months ago. His comments help cement the team's position as worthy role models for plenty of girls (and boys). But when we consistently ignore the pay gap issue and focus almost exclusively on feel-good celebrity, it becomes painfully apparent that while there are people out there who think playing like a girl is a good thing, there are still plenty more who think just the opposite.
