I haven't paid much attention to the Lingerie Bowl that happens every year during halftime at the Superbowl. Not at the Superbowl, of course. That show features actual nudity (i.e. Janet Jackson's breast a few years ago). But for the bargain price of $19.99 you can order from Pay-per-View the Lingerie Bowl in which models play football in their nicely coordinated underwear.
I knew it existed but frankly it's just too obvious for comment: sexploitation of women, women-on-women action for the benefit of men (I don't want to hear about how this possibly might be "beneficial" to lesbians, too); perversion of women's sports, etc. Like most things associated with the Superbowl, I just let it go.
But now there's going to be a Lingerie Football League. Oh, yes; an LFL. It has eight teams.
First, if I was one of the women who played real football, you know with pads, for a league like the Independent Women's Football League, I would be so depressed right now. Like women who play football don't have a tough enough time trying to get legitimate coverage and respect for their athletic endeavors, now they have to deal with models in underwear and garters playing "real football"--you know, because it's with the regular rules and they tackle.
I don't have anything against people becoming involved in new sports as adults. In fact, I encourage it. But these women don't seem like they had a burning desire to play football their entire lives and were purely stymied by a patriarchal sport system that prevented their participation. The LFL is not helping women realize their dreams. It's helping men with theirs.
If you're a parent with a football-playing daughter, my guess is that you're not going to take her to an LFL game. That alone speaks volumes as to the "goals" of this league and the version of entertainment it is purveying.
The people involved better just own their sexploitative ways. But they're a tad defensive about this endeavor. At least president of the Sear Centre Arena, where the Chicago Bliss will be playing, is. The link above includes Jeff Bowen's comments that include how those who are critiquing the league are just holding something against these women because they are attractive.
Yes, that must be it. We all just hate the pretty people and resent them their beauty and are begrudging them their right to play football.
So it's not the LFL that sucks--it's the rest of us.
2 comments:
The LFL: Sign of the apocalypse.
The current "post-feminist" argument (I learned, during the election, that I am a "paleofeminist")is that women--oops--girls--such as those in the LFL make money and get opportunities to make even more money, therefore, their participation is a "feminist" activity.
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