Everybody is talking about the Olympics these days, and I mean everyone. Every four years we have this amazing tradition of athleticism and patriotic attitudes within the United States that can be seen from miles away (even though the rest of the time we look like fat slobs to the rest of the world). But as great as the Olympics are, there is still something terribly wrong with them: sexism. All throughout the Olympic games I have heard commentators degrade women and focus on their looks, their clothing, and their husbands while continuously discounting their pure athletic ability and dedication to their sport. It kind of makes me sick honestly. Here are a few things that have happened in the Olympics so far that would drive any feminist crazy.
1. Simone Biles and the Uneven Bars
Simone Biles is incredible. I'll just go ahead and say it. Her mastery of gymnastics and body control is unbelievable. I mean I can do a cartwheel and a flip on a trampoline, but this? Forget about it.
But when an NBC reporter made the comment that "she might even go higher than some of the men," it dawned on me that manly reporters think that we as average people can't understand how talented these women are without first comparing them to men. Seriously? It's just unnecessary. And this trend continued throughout the games.
2. Corey Cogdell is just a wife
Corey Cogdell is a two-time bronze-medal winning in trap shooting. Nobody associates bronze medals with being the best, but that means she was the third best in the world, twice. But her accomplishments were taken away swiftly as the media labeled her as merely a "wife." And not just any wife, the wife of a Chicago Bears lineman. Why not just say "Corey Cogdell wins a bronze medal again" ? It just doesn't make sense to me because if I accomplish something as amazing as this, then I was to be recognized for my accomplishments. I wouldn't want to be "wife of Bears' lineman." I'd want to be "Corey Cogdell."
3. Katie Ledecky swims like a man
Katie Ledecky won gold during the 400-meter freestyle and broke the world record by 2 seconds, but what the commentators decided to compare her to was a man, saying that "some people say she swims like a man." No, she swims like Katie Ledecky. And Katie Ledecky's hard work and dedication for four years have proven that you can win (more like dominate) cleanly and fairly. I believe she is an inspiration to millions of girls out there who now believe that it takes the effort to achieve greatness. Hats off to you Katie.
4. Husband is responsible for Katinka Hosszu's success?
Wait a minute, what?! Hungarian athlete Katinka Hosszu breaks the world record in the 400-meter individual medley and NBC focuses on her coach (who also happens to be her husband) and says "there's the person responsible for her performance." Granted I'm sure her husband played a large part in her training and motivation, but to say that he is responsible for her success? Give me a break. She was the one in the pool, she was the one who broke the world record, so she deserves all the credit for that medal. Period.
But don't get too obsessive over all of this, because then we focus even less on the achievements of these women. Focus on them, on their success. Because they don't do it in the name of feminism. They do it out of love and pride for their country. I'm proud of all of these women for their accomplishments, and you should be too.
