I am appalled, I am hurt and I’m tired of almost every Olympic headline I read being sexist and ludicrous. Will the way women are talked about ever change? From Gabby Douglas, to Simone Biles, to Corey Cogdell, all we have seen are women standing in the shadows of their male equivalents – because women can’t be great by just being themselves.
Women in Rio are winning gold and the media can’t seem to get past the fact that all they are are athletes. Not the wife of a Chicago Bears player, not the female equivalent of Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt. Athletes.
I myself am not the athletic type, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t look up to the countless women who are extraordinary athletes, fighting for their right to be treated as such.
Headline after headline has appeared this month discriminating and belittling the accomplishments of these athletes. You would think that reports would start to catch on by now, but oh, no.
Why would you give a woman the respect and admiration she deserves? Katie Ledecky is not Michael Phelps. Simone Biles is not Usain Bolt. Women are setting records and changing history everyday at the Olympics this year.
Michele Carter won the first gold medal for women’s shot put. Simone Manuel won gold in the 100 meter freestyle, making her the first black woman in history to win an individual medal.
Why are these accomplishments not good enough for the media? Not good enough for the American public?
If you Google “Athletes winning gold in Rio,” not one single headline on the first page features a female athletes name.
Gabby Douglas was targeted on social media for not putting her hand over her heart at the medal ceremony and for having “bad hair.” Are you kidding me? These are Olympic athletes, people. And yet, we are still criticizing them for the way they look.
There was even a Fox News segment on whether or not the U.S. gymnastics team should have been wearing makeup during their performances. After reading this, I honestly had to scream into my pillow.
To quote host Tamara Holder, “Female Olympians are sexing it up more than ever by wearing makeup.” If someone could please tell me when Olympics became about sex, that would be great.
Let me ask you Tamara, as a fellow woman, what the heck is wrong with you? How could you honestly objectify these superhuman athletes and sleep at night?
To put the cherry on top of an incredible round of Olympic games for all the female athletes, Andy Murray was recently interviewed on winning his second gold medal in tennis.
He may have one the gold for singles, but he also won gold in fact checking when he shut down a sexist reporter who said in the interview, “You’re the first person ever to win two Olympic tennis gold medals. That’s an extraordinary feat, isn’t it?”
Brilliant, Andy Murray replied by reminding this sexist idiot that Serena and Venus Williams have both won about four gold medals each in the Olympic singles tennis.
Boom.
During the rest of these "historic" Olympic games, I really do hope to see some change in the way that women are being talked about. These athletes deserve more respect, admiration and honor than anyone can ever give them. Keep on fighting girls and keep bringing home the gold like I know you will.
