I'm sick of it. Sexism is very much alive in the Olympics and I don't see an end to it anytime soon. Female athletes year after year have been fighting to change society and year after year society proves sexism is very much alive.
This year, the announcers have demonstrated sexism multiple times with their commentary. As a female college athlete this really disappoints me. Announcers are more concerned with the outfits and husbands of these female athletes rather than the important things like their talent and skill.
For instance, the Egyptian Olympic Volleyball was judged on their appearance. The commentary spent more time discussing their outfits rather than the fact that they were making their first Olympic appearance. They wore a hijab during competition. Great. So what? Does the hijab make them play better or worse? Probably not. I don't see commentators spending time on the rookie male's outfits. It disgusts me that commentators often discuss female athlete's outfits as if this somehow was important to their skill. That's not even the worst example of sexism in the Olympics.
Let's talk about the sexism involved with Katinka Hosszu and Corey Cogdell. Instead of talking about how one broke a record and one earned a bronze medal, the media wants to discuss their husbands. Not only talk about their husbands, but they want to CREDIT their husbands. I'm not making this up. When Katinka Hosszu broke a record the commentator literally said as they panned to show her husband, "there's the man responsible". Wait what? While her husband may be the coach, he wasn't the one swimming in that race. Corey Cogdell may have won a bronze medal but her identity is portrayed as being the wife of the bear's lineman. As if this has any impact on her performance. I mean you don't see Michael Phelps being called the fiance of former Miss California. Like no. The media just doesn't do that for men.
So why is it okay for them to do it for women? Why do women have the image of being less accomplished than men? Women work just as hard, dedicate just as much time, and have the same amount of talent in their respective sports. So why are we focusing on their outfits and their husbands? it kills me. Women don't get enough credit for their performances and it just isn't fair.
As a female athlete myself, it's disheartening that even in the biggest stage of competition and having the honor to represent your country, sexism still exists. It's just not fair for these talented athletes. It's disappointing that the media makes your accomplishments seem less to men. What kind of society are we building for the next generation of athletes? Little girls are growing up being constantly compared and made to seem less accomplished than men. They grow up thinking they have to compete against men to gain more attention from society instead of focusing on being the best them. They are focused on their image during competition to please the media. I don't know about you but I don't want to see this continue to happen. I'm over it.
So how do we change this? Simple: Start giving females the credit they deserve. It may be a simple answer but it's easier said than done. How are you going to fix this problem?
