Too high, too short, too sexy, too long, against my religious beliefs ... the Miss Universe contestants? Nope, women athletes thinking about or being told what to think about their game-clothes. Now it's the turn of women badminton players to see what's its like to have your concentration disrupted and focused on something completely irrelevant.
But the thing is, it's not irrelevant. What you wear when playing sports can make the difference between winning and losing, getting that ball or dropping it, punching accurately or not. The decision should be based on what works for you as an athlete, not what works for the TV ratings. And yes, I know women's sports have to sell ourselves to get the ratings, to get the sponsors but why does it always come back to revealing more flesh? I feel like Dougal on The Magic Roundabout, going round in circles without ever getting off or making any changes.
2 comments
This is a frustrating fact of the sporting industry. Sure there are sports where less clothing is better, like beach volleyball for example, but not necessarily others.
I'm not sure if this issue will ever get resolved but until it does I find that it helps to look at it in a positive light - women's bodies are more attractive than men's so why not be proud to show them off and get on with the sport :)
Maybe eventually people will see that female athletes are as competent as men and deserve the same attention as men's sports- even if it means showing a bit of flesh for now.
I wouldn't mind the showing of flesh when people are comfortable with it. Someone like Serena Williams for example revels in her looks, but I get the feeling with the badminton that they're just not happy. It's a hard balance really, something I keep coming back to cause I'm not so sure what to think, depends on the examples. And like you, live in hope that some day we will be recognised as equal!
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