How many fathers would be comfortable letting their daughters play in the Lingerie Football League? I mentioned that Angela Rypien, Mark Rypien’s daughter, was following in her father’s footsteps as quarterback for the LFL’s Seattle Mist, and I think my husband’s head did a full 360. Then I mentioned that her dad had attended the first game on September 30, and he said, “What’s wrong with that guy?”
I doubt my husband is the only father that would feel this way. The strange thing is, Mark’s hands off parenting style seems to be getting a lot of approval in the media. Both daughter and father agree they haven’t really discussed if dad is comfortable with his little girl out there on the field, playing ball in her bra and panties, and he hasn’t stepped up and said, “I think this a horrible idea.”
In fact, Mark spends much time rationalizing to the media how he can sit there in the stands while lusty men cat call his daughter. He is quoted as saying:
Yeah, they’re out there in their bra and panties and they’re playing football. Once the first snap happens and they start smacking each other around, you lose sight of all of that and you’re looking at the technical aspects of the game.
I can’t be sure he really means this because later in the interview when asked if he feels there is the potential of getting in a fight with a fan, he says:
There’s no chance of [a fight] happening. One, some guy [would] probably whoop my a** out in the parking lot. What good’s that gonna do? And if I did whoop his a** in the parking lot, what good’s that gonna do? I’ll get a lawsuit against me.
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I hate to point this out, but if the only thing holding a dad back from getting in a fight is a big, messy, publicized lawsuit, then you are probably holding back your true feelings about this situation.
Since when is it “bad” parenting for a dad to want to protect his daughter’s honor and propriety? Even when our children grow into young adults, it is always the father’s job to protect and care for his children.
How can a father allow his daughter to prostitute herself for a sport in front of millions of fans that calls itself “True Fantasy Football?” Yeah, I think we can all guess what the fantasy is here.
If we want our daughters to grow to feel proud of their bodies and protective of their sexuality, they first must have a strong relationship with their father or father figure. As a young girl comes of age, her father is the first man that demonstrates to her how men treat women, respect them, and honor their sexuality. If a father isn’t showing his daughter this, then who will? If a father isn’t defending this, who will? It’s part of honoring our children and our family, and it IS our job as parents.
—Photo KellBailey/Flickr
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[…] Rosker’s post on the LFL: “Would You Let Your Daughter Play Lingerie Football?” received a lot of attention — so much that she was asked to be on The Tom Hartmann […]
Megan:
Do you have any idea how much you insulted Angela Rypien? She’s an adult. What her father thinks does not matter.
“Since when is it ‘bad’ parenting for a dad to want to protect his daughter’s honor and propriety?”
This sounds like something you would read in a defense for “purity balls” or “chastity pledges,” whatever you want to call them.
“How can a father allow his daughter to prostitute herself for a sport in front of millions of fans that calls itself “True Fantasy Football?” Yeah, I think we can all guess what the fantasy is here.”
I’m surprised that you confined your criticism of Rypien to the charge of negligent, insufficient parenting. If a father enthusiastically supports his daughter’s participation in ribald, titilating activity, then the chief suspicion is that this father has an unsavory, untoward interest in his own daughter.
As a woman I find your stance offensive. It’s not my father’s job to ‘protect my honour.’ it’s his job to treat me and my choices with respect, and mentor me in a supportive way. What could be more supportive than this guy coming out to watch his kid play a game she loves? You have focused entirely on this dad, like he invented lingerie football. Yes, it’s frustrating that women have to play in their undies to get PR, but that’s not his fault. He probably just wants to support his kid as she plays a game she loves.… Read more »
I don’t believe she is saying that the father should go on the field and pick his daughter up over his shoulder and storm out, or tell her what to do with her life. You people leap at any chance to bash the contributors of this website
kay, then if we’re wrong, what IS she saying? She’s been asked by several commenters and posters on this site “what would you have him do?” And so far, there’s been no response.So what do you think the author wants fathers in this position do? or did you just want another chance to appear morally superior to the rest of the commenters on this board?
You people are so fucking hostile and misguided. You read all of these articles every day just to bash the ideals behind the site you’re paying so much attention to. Fuck off and get a life.
In other words, we’re the problem because you say so? Mature. If you have issues with what people are stating, then why don’t you use your great enlightenment to take on their arguments instead of having a hissy? If you disagree so strongly and they are so misguided, then it should be terribly easy to nullify their points. If you can’t do that, then maybe the many detractors of this sight have a much better point than you’re willing to admit and that’s why you’re REALLY angry. Many men AND WOMEN are not willing to tolerate radical feminists broken ideology… Read more »
[…] Rosker recently took former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien to task for watching his daughter, 20-year-old Ange…. Megan thinks women playing sports in their underwear is a form of prostitution and thinks Mark […]
If Megan Rosker were to print this article on a feminist forum, but talk about a fathers obligation to stop a grown woman from entering the military she would be dog-piled. Isn’t it ironic that feminists claim that they want to throw off patriarchal (not to mention purity) influences on women, unless they happen to align with the way feminists think. Every woman is somebody’s daughter. How about at colleges we go back to all sororities (no living off campuses) with matrons who enforce no visitors and lights out? How about we have chaperones anywhere that women go to under… Read more »
What really burns the feminists is, despite their relentless propaganda, there are still women who will make their own choices. Maybe the cropping of the picture conceals the armed criminals pointing loaded firearms at the women and forcing them to play. Perhaps their families are being held hostage and threatened with death if the women don’t don skimpy outfits and play American Football.
Or maybe these adults made their own decisions…I know scary thought but roll it around a bit and think on it. Its possible.
Hey, I’m a feminist, and I think the LFL is a great silliness — but I agree with those who say that a father has no business telling a grown daughter what to do. We don’t solve one oppression (sexualization) with another equally bad idea (paternalism.)
The problem with your analysis hugo (and the analysis w/almost all your articles and most feminist scholars I come across) is that feminism seems to want to throw out all moralizing and shaming and declare it’s own as the only valid one. People who criticize grown adult women for inter-racial relationships? Bad. People who criticize grown adult women for gay relationships? Bad. People who criticize grown adult women for entering dangerous fields/military? Bad. People who criticize teen girls having abortions? Bad. People who criticize grown adult women for modeling/porn/sex work? A-ok! People who criticize grown adult women for having relationships… Read more »
I’m a feminist and I don’t think people have a right to criticize grown adult women for inter-racial relationships, gay relationships, entering dangerous fields/military, having abortions, modeling/porn/sex work, relationships with much older men.
And yes, if my daughter were an adult and wanted to play Lingerie Football I wouldn’t give her a hard time over it. I may not fully understand the allure but if she’s happy I don’t care. As with any professional athlete, I would warn her to have a back-up plan for when her sports career is over.
Hey Jeni, I applaud you for having the consistency that most mainstream feminist authors and public pundits don’t. I’ve very rarely seen them pass up an opportunity to infantilize women. This can especially be seen when you see feminists editorialists and authors talk about the swath of female teachers statutorily raping teen boys. Most often these feminists will try to paint these women as very immature and confused as a defense of getting a lesser sentence. In most cases these ridiculous arguments work and these female teachers get sentences under 2 years or suspended sentences or therapeutic sentences. It seems… Read more »
Wait, wait wait… I’m confused. When that Tide commercial with the dad sabotaging his daughter’s skimpy wardrobe was being discussed, the general consenus seemed to be that the dad was wrong to try and police his *still underage* daughter’s dress and sexual expression. Something about how he was inadvertantly slut shaming her or giving her a negative, puritanical outlook on sexual expression or somesuch. …but now the idea seems to be that this father has a duty to step in and protect his *legally adult* daughter from her own choices in dress and conduct. So…uh… which is it? Because the… Read more »
This site critcizes men who are all up in their adult daughter’s personal lives. So, the GMP right answer is no.
However, the in touch with reality answer is that it doesn’t matter since an adult doesn’t need permission.
Interesting variant on the whole “patriarchy” thing – a daughter playing her dad’s position and wearing his number! But, equality has to start somewhere, I guess. It would be great if someday a daughter would be able to follow in her mother’s footsteps and be a pro quarterback proudly wearing her mom’s number.
I’m not sure what papa Rypien is supposed to do in this case, unless we’re suggesting that he run out onto the field, throw a blanket over her, give her a public scolding, and drag her off the field like a child. I don’t think it would help matters much if he publicly denounced the league because of the uniform that his daughter wears (or doesn’t wear, as the case may be). A father drawing attention to what his daughter wears is hardly going to help her be proud of her body and not ashamed of it.
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Your writing this article may result in some men calling you names and making inappropriate references. Did your father let you write this?
Slow clap into standing ovation…..That Guy FTW
ohmygod! I laughed so hard thatguy! Totally classic!
Baaahahahaha, AWESOME That Guy!!!
I’m a woman and trust me, not all of us are as far gone as the author. Defense of he honor…sounds like she’s the slut-shaming, rape-culture enhancing type…
I think you’re bringing some assumptions that I just don’t share. Let’s say we do want our daughters to be “proud of their bodies.” I’m guessing the women playing the sport are pretty confident about their bodies. I’m guessing for some of them playing the sport actually gives them a feeling of empowerment, not shame, about their bodies. I’m not sure what “protective of their sexuality” means. If you’re suggesting that sexual modesty and sexual privacy are good things that we want young women to have, I agree, but I think those values can be taken to extremes (Taliban, anyone?).… Read more »
The Hills are alive with the sounds of infantilization. Ms Rosker at this point it has become fairly obvious that you wish to treat women like helpless children so that YOU may better guide them towards a path of “Greater Womanhood” as defined by You… A father is supposed to let his daughter make her own decisions. Angela is her own women. I find Your passive aggressive diggs on Angela & Mark Rypien’s relationship is Cowardly, Pathetic & reprehensible. You’re basically advocating for a Patriarchal Ogre to swoop in and drag his daughter back to her “Rightful Place”. Has it occurred… Read more »
Megan, get a clue. She is 20 years old. Parents can’t stop a grown woman from doing something she really wants to do. And to say she is “prostituting” herself is just ridiculous. There are no sex acts taking place in exchange for money. She’s playing football in her underwear. This is not a crime nor is she dressed in less revealing clothing than the women on Dancing With the Stars. And that show is considered “classy.” Mark Rypien has two choices: boycott the league because he disagrees or support his daughter. And he’s supporting her, so I say good… Read more »