The Ultimate Double Standard

He can be ugly, smell bad, covered in tattoos, have one eye and he’ll still get airplay if he’s athletic; he’ll get sponsored, he’ll get paid, he’ll get watched, followed and loved. SHE had better be sexy, long hair, great physique, tan, toned, perfect make up, teeth, then be athletically talented or she’ll never get out of the amateur world. No matter how good she is, without model looks, she’s not making THE team.

When you think of the worldly equalities that have moved society forward; voting, military positions, clergy, Title IX, there is still a double standard when it comes to women’s professional sports. In a male driven audience, women’s sports will never really be taken seriously – in the same breath you’ll hear “Danica Patrick is so sexy, and sure knows how to drive.” Can she not just know how to drive? I suppose it could be argued that women find Tebow hot but we still watch football even with the not so hot guys on the team.

I’ve become more and more bothered by this double standard as I watch female athletes become sex symbols first, athletes second. If you’re a strong female athlete but are so-so or average looking then you might as well join roller derby because that’s the only league that allows a melting pot of looks, builds, etc.

It’s sad to read articles about upcoming MMA fighter Ronda Rousey and her title fight against Meisha Tate this March. “Barbie Breaks Arms” the title of the Fitness Rx Magazine article on Rousey. “With top fighters sporting pretty faces and long flowing hair – women’s MMA is gaining popularity.” REALLY can you not start out talking about her career in Judo or the Olympics, or even just her amateur record in MMA – her looks should be a hindsight. There aren’t articles that read “with his all-American boy-next door good looks, chiseled abs and Christian lifestyle, Tim Tebow is excelling at the sport of football.”

I doubt there will ever be change in this arena – sports will always be dominantly driven by men both playing and watching, paying and drooling. It certainly doesn’t help that females allow the sexy posing because it sells seats, but I’d like to hope that for the average athletic female the field would become a far more level ground, they’d be recognized for their talents as an athlete not their physical attributes. Sexy may fill the seats but it’s not sexy that wins the game, match, tournament, it’s skill, hard work, athleticism and teamwork. It’s putting in the same work as the boys, training just as hard, wanting just as much and deserving the respect for the talent, not bra size.