The @BucksDancers have been hard at work this weekend! Select your Top 10 Finalists & win » http://t.co/0rSpA3digy pic.twitter.com/ClAR76aFTR
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 20, 2014
Do men really need female eye candy in sports? Matt Story wants to know.
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With basketball season approaching, the Twitter feed of my favorite NBA team, the Milwaukee Bucks, has been bombarding me with messages about auditions for the Milwaukee Bucks Dancers. Obviously, they’ve never seen me dance.
Invariably, these messages are accompanied by an image of young, scantily-clad women in mid-dance, smiling so broadly that their teeth appear to be trying to take over their faces.
The name “Milwaukee Bucks Dancers” seems a little misleading to me. Maybe I’m just cynical, but I can’t help thinking that these ladies’ primary purpose is to be ogled by heterosexual men rather than to impress sports fans with their dancing prowess or to get people excited about the Milwaukee Bucks. I checked out the the Milwaukee Bucks Dancers calendar (important article research, honey), and, strangely enough, none of the images in it seem to have anything to do with dancing or the Milwaukee Bucks.
I don’t mean to single out the Bucks. I use them as an example here because they’re my team, but they’re hardly unique. Nearly every NBA and NFL team has dancers or “cheerleaders” (I never see them leading any cheers).
The sports world, apparently, really wants me to ogle women.
Television cameras at sporting events regularly sift through predominantly male crowds to find attractive female fans and then zoom in on them for the pleasure of viewing audiences.
Sports Illustrated, whether you ask for it or not, mixes in their “Swimsuit Edition” full of almost-naked young women with subscribers’ regular diet of sports journalism. The most recent one features Emily Ratajkowski (from the “Blurred Lines” video) in a tankini with a see-through top—very pertinent to the future of the Miami Heat’s remaining free agents.
I’ll wait while you Google it, you pervs.
Everywhere I look, the sports world is hellbent on presenting me with attractive women, usually in ways that have nothing to do with sports. I don’t get it: sports franchises and publications seem to fear I’ll abandon them if they don’t find ways to fulfill my regular quota of boobs.
I don’t want to disparage boobs; I like boobs as much as the next heterosexual man. There’s nothing wrong with finding people attractive, and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying looking at attractive people. But that doesn’t mean I need sexualized images of women to be constantly and artificially inserted into my experience as a sports fan.
Men aren’t starved for images of women. We have the internet. We have television. Many of us even have relationships with actual women. Even knowing all this, though, sports franchises and sports media still think they need to dangle women in front of us like a carrot to keep us watching sports.
Maybe they think we make all our decisions, including what to watch and whom to root for, based on boobs. Maybe they believe the “every seven seconds” myth (it is a myth, by the way). It’s hard to imagine an explanation for this phenomenon that men would take as a compliment.
I, for one, could do without it all. I could do without 30 seconds of legs and midriff in the middle of a 60-second timeout. I could do without Go Daddy Super Bowl commercials. I could do without Dan Patrick having awkward interviews with swimsuit models less than half his age on a show that is supposed to be about sports. I could do without “hottest World Cup fans” galleries.
Someday, I’d like to take my daughter to basketball games the way my dad used to take me to baseball games. Unless things change drastically in the next few years, though, that’s eventually going to involve answering her questions about why the boys are playing basketball while the girls are just, well, gyrating.
I could definitely do without that.
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are the cheerleaders really for men over 35? as to my eyes most young women under 26 or so, look like they are playing dress-up in their mum’s clothing.
similar aged women in photos and in movies from the 1940s to 1960s looked young, but also older than their actual age. i think it was the lead in the air that coarsened the skin slightly, that caused that effect. whereas from the 1990s maybe even 1980s onward people in the twenties started looking younger than their age generally.
they are playing dress-up in their mum’s clothing.
edit: they are playing dress-up in their mum’s clothing, and makeup box
The evidence is pretty clear. Obviously cheerleaders are *not* necessary in big-money professional sports like the NFL. There are a few NFL teams (New England and Pittsburgh, I think) that do not have cheerleaders. Somehow they stay in business. Somehow the fans find enough to watch on the field without pom-poms. Then there’s that gigantic money-making machine known as Major League Baseball. Maybe you’ve heard of it. No cheerleaders in sight. Yes, the young ladies sitting in folding chairs in foul ball territory might be considered eye candy, but that’s as close as you might get. Somehow, some way, the… Read more »
I grew up going to football games from my early teens to my mid 20s. The last couple years I had season tickets, the NY Jets invested in a cheerleading squad. The cheerleaders had an impact in the tone of the fans that was not an entirely pleasant one. While I always enjoyed going to games and watching men have a good time with each other bantering over sports in the way men do, the stadium felt less female-fan friendly and exclusive with the infusion of the cheerleaders. The men were even more crude in the stands talking about the… Read more »
Erin: What did you get so much hatred of men from.
but more importantly where did you get such a low opinion of women from.
Women are objects to you with no agency whatsoever.
Phillip, how do I have hatered for men? Show me where in my comments that alludes to this.
Also, show me in my comments, what alludes to the idea of having a low opinion of women.
Finally, show me in my comments that I believe women are objects with no agency.
You offered a lot of accusations with very little discussion.
@ Erin
So you’re OK with special events / promotions to get women interested in football, but have a problem when they market things to men? Women and men don’t have to have the same inducements.
“Women and men don’t have to have the same inducements.” That basically sums up the basic, ultimate explanation/excuse men use when trying to defend their “space” and “ways” (ways that sometimes, you know, kinda upsets the other groups because, well, the other group’s image is being manipulated, boxed and used). Women and men have not the same biology, so let the men cheat, dominate and lead. If not, you are being against men and their natural ways. Women and men have not the same cultural conditioning, so don’t ever even question the ways media uses the bodies of women to… Read more »
Just as long as inducements for women are still OK, right? Don’t dare question the fairness of any inducement or even have the temerity to suggest other inducements for the other group. This sport where men use their physical abilities / capabilities for the entertainment off women. it’s so wrong for a man to take pleasure in the sight of a woman, but men potentially hurting each other for the viewing pleasure of women, hey that’s cool. Sexism is OK as long as women do it to men. Got it.
I’d love to see a parity of a game where cheer leaders come out and all the men look down at their feel until the cheer is over …. A fashion show where all the male designers are forced to look down at their feet … Car shows with only males describing the cars. …. just realized something, don’t lesbians “objectify?” Ruh Roh …. now what?
@ Tom Brechlin When two football players collide, do the spectators see two people or do they see two objects, just cogs on their team to use for the goal of winning? I really doubt most people including women are thinking, gee I wonder what quality of life this guy is going to have when he’s 50 after the repeated concussions / physical toll becomes painfully obvious. I think they’ve pretty mush made the decision to objectify the players. The point I seem to be hearing from a lot of women is if I like something even if it’s objectification… Read more »
Only looking isn’t the same as objectifying. The sexual objectification is played when someone is only seen as their body for the visual sexual gratification of the other part(ies). And yes, some lesbians objectify as well.
Nah, I also detest violent sports, men or women playing it. And most of the American football fans are other men. But yeah, thanks for playing the assumptive idiot. Mentioning the sexual objectification of women = not caring about any other type of objectification or about men’s issues in your tiny head. How do you live with that? And omg, look at that: if men were the ones wearing mini skirts and gyrating for the pleasure of women in the women’s sports (even more if most sports were played by women and most sexual exploitation were of the male body,… Read more »
@ July
“But yeah, thanks for playing the assumptive idiot.”
Real bad assumption when Erin writes.
“I grew up going to football games from my early teens to my mid 20s. The last couple years I had season tickets ”
Since you’re supposedly smarter than an idiot, maybe you’d like to point out where she laments men getting injured for her pleasure. Maybe you should learn to read.
“I would be as dismissive about it as well.”
I’m sure you would be, just not necessarily as incensed.
John asked: “So you’re OK with special events / promotions to get women interested in football, but have a problem when they market things to men? Women and men don’t have to have the same inducements. ” Boys will be boys right John? Men can’t help themselves. They *need* to objectify women to relate to them right? And this is how we know male privilege is still alive and well. Because it is still acceptable in our culture to justify objectifying women because it makes men happy to see it. And as I see men voice their concerns over media… Read more »
@ Erin And how are guys looking at attractive women who choose and agree to be looked at any different from women looking at men crashing into and injuring each other for their entertainment. Oh yeah, the “objectified” women will still be able to walk and speak n 30 years. Seems to me that you’re OK with men getting permanently disabled for the enjoyment of others because both sexes want to see it. So like Tom said, what about the lesbians. They’re women too. I don’t have a problem with companies trying to get new customers. I also don’t have… Read more »
When you can’t justify the absurd sexualization of the female body (at the expense of the rest of their value, which is the standard female role in our media right now) for the male pleasure: just try to change the subject (even though you are not smart enough t do it more subtly) and well… talk about more issues faced by men! Oh, and just assume the “enemy” does not care about it.
How unique. I would have never expected that.
“Here’s the thing. We can spend our time trying to suppress things that others enjoy because it makes us feel uncomfortable or because it will result in reduced quality of life for the individual or we could say their bodies their choices and to each their own.” How about we spend time thinking about how are actions impact others instead of justifying a reduced quality of life for others because something makes ourselves feel good? I honestly can’t believe you want people to accept a reduced quality of life so that other people can objectify them. I’m just gobsmacked by… Read more »
“Women are never going to be respected if the the only thing that gets men to see things differently about the treatment of women is only when they have daughters themselves.” True. We see that all the time. “There is something about the infusion of alcohol, testosterone, an already established competitive nature with other men and adding cheerleaders in the mix that make a lot of men less female-friendly and down right degrading.” True again and WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT. That is something even the most aware men will not be talking about soon. The reason why female-appreciating,… Read more »
There’s a great piece on Jezebel today that I think is very much on point for this discussion – and actually so many of the discussions here on GMP:
http://bit.ly/1nVUZW3
Who says feminists don’t have any good ideas? Not me!
elissa: Advertising does not help sales, it helps “keep” sales. The biggest worry of any advertiser is churn and anything that mitigates churn, is by definition, good advertising. — You’re talking about customer ACQUISITION and customer RETENTION. Good advertising can help with both. But again, advertising is sizzle. It’s not effective without decent steak. And of course advertising helps initial sales – in most markets. You have a new product/service, and you have to let your market know about it. That act is advertising. — If you’ve ever been to an NBA game, you will note the pervasive sensory overload… Read more »
I could take it or leave it while I’m watching the game. During half time, they’re nice to watch. Personally, I miss the Honey Bears. They used to do a fundraiser for my high school in the 70s / 80s. I can’t speak for the girls, but when you’re a high school boy, it’s nice to have a group of beautiful women come by to get you in the school spirit.
That’s one thing you might want to look into before making a decision. Some of the squads will do charity work or other events.
You know what I also noticed? There’s this magazine that they’re putting out now, called SPORTS ILLUSTRATED. But the weird thing is, a lot of the illustrations are pictures of gorgeous women who are practically NAKED! I mean, sometimes, their bathing suits are actually PAINTED on their bodies. What’s up with THAT? And then there’s this: There are these other magazines, like VOGUE and COSMOPOLITAN, that aren’t even about sports – or about anything that men would even care about – and they’re filled with pictures of gorgeous naked women, too! What’s THAT about? Of course, #NotAllMagazines are like that.… Read more »
Thank you, really, thank you for pointing the tree that hides the forest that everyone misses while on the it’s all women/it’s all men’s fault bandwagon; capitalism. Popular culture force-feeds up stereotypes left and right to make a buck, even if it has nothing to do with what people, men and women, really want but with used, overused and oversimplified clichés. Movies, for example, are not made by directors anymore but by producers, who cookie-cut and paste together all they think would sell, no matter if it makes sense or not. Just for a buck. “Sex sells”, I could understand… Read more »
Well, the fact is that people are apparently just as interested in sex in socialist and communist countries as they are in capitalist ones. So that doesn’t seem like the right take on the “problem”. As for the XFL, all that story proves is that you can’t just sell sizzle if there’s no steak underneath it. The basic product, girls playing football, was unsellable. There’s no point trying to put lipstick on that pig, and Vince McMahon was smart enough to cut his losses, and not throw away good money after bad. But if the product IS sellable, it’s often… Read more »
I’m with you to a point, Randy. In general, when I see sexism in marketing, my first instinct is to blame the market rather than the marketers. But I’m not sure that’s the case here. I haven’t been able to find any data indicating that the “shmear of sexy” makes any money for anyone. Do you know of any? There are five NFL teams with no cheerleaders: The Bears, the Giants, the Steelers, the Browns, and my Green Bay Packers (the Lions are technically a sixth, but they have a team of unofficial cheerleaders who are basically the same thing).… Read more »
Matt: I haven’t been able to find any data indicating that the “shmear of sexy” makes any money for anyone. Do you know of any? — Maybe you should ask the folks at SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, or COSMO. I’m not sure they’ll want to share their precious marketing data with you, though. It’s expensive, and typically held very close to the vest. But you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what the data shows. Just follow the money. What do companies choose to do when it comes to spending money and promoting their products and services? That… Read more »
I agree with most of what you say Randy, though I would like to make a small alteration and do so in general terms. Advertising does not help sales, it helps “keep” sales. The biggest worry of any advertiser is churn and anything that mitigates churn, is by definition, good advertising. If you’ve ever been to an NBA game, you will note the pervasive sensory overload of the spectacle – only things missing are a few Christians in sandals and some hungry lions. Attaching to human base emotions such as fear, sex, loathing, empathy, competition and cooperation is what keeps… Read more »
Randy, basically what I gathered from your response that it’s okay to use women’s bodies to sell things because it makes men happy to see it (I.E. “Men are visual”) and that men who don’t want to see women objectified only do so because of their wives. Which is really a lot of speculation on your part and not backed up by any data onto itself. But honestly, it should not matter that men are “visual”. Who cares that men are visual? Why has that become an anthem for justifying using women to please men? Women are too often objectified… Read more »
Your whole comment is full of avoidance. Full of ignorance as well. “So this whole conversation is really about the fact that people think about sex a lot, and men are very visual. In other words, it’s about NOTHING.” Yes, people think about sex and PEOPLE are visual. Yes, both females and males got eyes. Lived in South Korea for 4 years and noticed how most sexy and held-nakedness used to sell is of the male body. It works. It works both to sell it to females and to make males have much lower self-esteem. “None of this should be… Read more »
I wonder if the reason those teams (except SF) doesn’t have cheerleaders is because they are from VERY COLD areas of country.
The Giants (who don’t have cheerleaders) and the Jets (who do have cheerleaders) play from the same exact part of the world in the same stadium Phillip.
I had the interesting experience of sitting in a bar, catching up with some friends I knew back in college one night. As always, the bar had the game on, one of the NFL playoff games I believe, and the majority of the men there were watching that. On the other side of the bar they had booked a “lingerie show” and there were a few guys watching that but the overwhelming impression was that most of the bar wished the ladies on the other side would just wrap it up and let them watch the game in peace. Guess… Read more »
Based on the World Cup that just ended, it is clear that men can do without it – your question must be rhetorical then, maybe leading towards a conversation on the morality of something that can be done without. Is this where you want to go?
As you say, you like boobs too.
That’s because the media really oppresses men and their sexuality, never pays attention to what men, even more when it comes to the white straight cis man, want and need and never acknowledges them and… oh, wait. And for real, women can’t complain. Because women always have the same amount of eye-candy and the male cheerleaders’ six-packs and bulges flying around around when women’s sport is being aired, which happens as often as the men’s sports and… OH, WAIT! But yes, just wait and many good men will just come around to give you excuses to that and who knows,… Read more »
Meh, more of the same bigoted nonsense that you like spewing. There’s a portion of the male fan base that wants to see that, yes, but it’s rather sexist of you to suggest that the rest of us are watching Football or Basketball in order to see the women perform. And if that’s the case, then how do you explain that Baseball is so popular and they only have 2 ballgirls, both of which are usually highschool students? More likely it’s simply a matter of tradition and women weren’t historically going to these games. Even now, I’d be surprised if… Read more »
I don’t see where either Lolabunny or my article is suggesting that men are only watching football or basketball in order to see women perform. Your point about baseball, I think, fits in nicely with what I’m trying to say in the articlee: sports don’t need this kind of stuff to succeed. You’re right, of course, that the femal fanbase for professional sports is much smaller than the male fanbase, but have you considered the possibility that the objectificaiton of women that is happening all over the sports world might actually be turning some women off to sports who might… Read more »
Men don’t seem to have a problem wtih the objectification of men in sports, so I’m not really sure why a minor part of some sports being cheerleading would be an issue. The reason why there aren’t more women interested in sports has little or nothing to do wtih the cheerleaders. It’s much more likely that it’s because women are less interested in sports to begin wtih. Whether or not that’s a natural lack of interest or the result of socialization is up for debate. I’d suggest you reread her comment, because there’s tons of snark and accusations in there.… Read more »
“Men don’t seem to have a problem with the objectification of men in sports, so I’m not really sure why a minor part of some sports being cheerleading would be an issue.” The objectification of men is a totally different subject and experienced differently than the female sexual objectification. In North America (and alike) men are still beginning to be sexually objectified. The levels are very uneven. When the levels start getting close, and I have lived in some Countries passing through this, men start getting more and more conscious. They start minding it more and more. Of course, unfortunately… Read more »
You will have to make that easier for me before I’m able to reply, if you would be so kind: 1. What was bigoted in my comment? 2. I did not suggest “the rest of you” or any proportion of “you” for that matter, is watching whatever sport in order to see women “perform” (scantily-clad?). My comment was really vague about it, I didn’t even say “all men who love sports” are asking for cheerleaders or any other type of sexy show. It could pretty much be what a minority want, but because everyone knows straight men like women anyway… Read more »