Staff Reports
The outrage culture seems to rise like a phoenix every time there’s a hint of female athleticism and, apparently, Olympic spirit. Flashback a mere twelve years: NBC dared to showcase female athletes at the London Olympics, proudly presenting their talents through a vibrant six-minute video. Cue the rollicking sound of keyboard warriors, specifically from the usual suspects like Think Progress and Jezebel, who quickly labeled the video as “sexist” and “creepy.” It seems that any celebration of women’s athleticism must be immediately squashed if it deviates from the rigid narrative of how women should be represented.
The irony is rich when one considers Jezebel’s obsession with topics sure to raise a few eyebrows, such as sex positions and the latest vibrators. Yet, paradoxically, a mere visual celebration of athletes in their uniforms is seen as objectification. NBC’s depiction of women performing their sports surely elicited scandalous gasps, reducing impressive athletes to mere objects of scrutiny. Apparently, representing women in their athletic gear is akin to brandishing a “forbidden” sign; after all, one mustn’t admire hard work and discipline if it involves appreciating the human form. If that logic holds, one wonders why empowerment isn’t found in the enjoyment of athletic achievements, regardless of the attire.
Paris Olympics Camera Guys Are Ordered Not to 'Frame' Women in 'Sexist' Ways https://t.co/Jyumirkdgg
— NahBabyNah #Trump (@NahBabyNah) July 29, 2024
The thought process behind critiques from outlets like Think Progress appears to be more of a circus act than genuine analysis. Their assertion that the footage communicates nothing about the athletes’ skills is baffling because, for anyone truly watching, the video simply celebrated what these women accomplished. It raises eyebrows as to whether these critics even bothered to pay attention to the content before expressing their scripted indignation.
Enter Greg Wyszynski of Yahoo Sports, who ramped up the alarm, blowing the whistle on NBC’s supposedly decaying morals. Amidst an avalanche of feminist faux outrage, he somehow missed the mark with his own embedded piece about female athletes fawning over Prince Harry. While he dubbed this meeting a fairytale moment, he proceeded to sanctimoniously condemn the same athletes for being imperfect representations of womanhood. Who could miss that delicious irony? He blazed through the principles of equity, all while celebrating the female athletes in skirts so short they barely registered as uniforms—clearly, a double standard in nearly every conceivable direction.
Meanwhile, the Paris Olympics seems to have taken this “women-first” fanaticism to a new level, with organizers pledging to showcase female athletes more prominently than ever. The event schedule is now meticulously crafted to ensure women have the spotlight, with an all-female grand finale—tradition be damned! The Olympic Broadcasting chief has made it abundantly clear that women are not there to be “eye candy” but rather elite athletes. If only that were true in practice amidst a promotional circus aimed at achieving “equality.”
Despite this grandstanding, the International Olympic Committee’s announcements ring hollow when the reality reveals a mere five thousand men to just over five thousand women participating in Paris. This begs the question: is the disparity not reflective of the unfortunate realities of global attitudes toward gender? A case in point is nations with systemic barriers to female participation in sports, such as Iran, where only a fraction of their representation comprises women.
The IOC’s relentless push for a narrative of equality in a world still riddled with traditional barriers may be commendable, but it feels like an exercise in futility, one that contradicts the very spirit of competition. Your average sports fan doesn’t view the Olympics through a highly politicized lens; they tune in for athletic excellence, not the pandering to ideological whims. In the end, an Olympics divided against its traditional values may find itself grappling with an empty stadium as true sports enthusiasts tune out the incessant drumbeat of social justice narratives attempting to distort the fundamental spirit of the Olympic Games.
