- Joined
- Jan 15, 2012
Ooh, what an interesting article, spikydurian! Thanks for bringing it to our attention. I just downloaded it. I didn't realize at first that the author also wrote a book (Artistic impressions: figure skating, masculinity, and the limits of sport) that I have been reading off-and-on for a while now. (I swear I came to the ideas in my post above independently; wasn't meaning to plagiarize Adams. )
Pepe, unfortunately my (workplace) library doesn't carry Adam's book as I thought I may wish to have a read too. I only found a review on the book in a journal. I think it's true that anything seen 'feminine' is lesser sport. I asked a young man what his immediate reaction in relation to figure skating as a sport after watching program? The answer I received was 'NO, he didn't think it is spport because of how it was presented - music and nice costumes'. I think the glamourization of sport played down its technical difficulty. People (who doesn't know figure skating) see great costumes, pretty girls and nice music but not the blade and edge skills required to do what these skaters do. Interestingly when I talked to people who have learnt figure skating, they talked about its technicalities and edges whereas casual fans look for the 'special connection' to the music and the program. In short, hard to please all.
A very interesting article, Spikydurian. I always thought of Sonia Henie as making the sport less ladylike, because she was the first (I think) to wear shorter skirts and do athletic tricks. I see how this author's idea applies, though. Once women turned out to be really good at a sport (and keep in mind, it's done to music, which to some mentalities has to be questionable)...it couldn't be suitable for guys.
Something else strikes me. A lot of girls and women who excel in other sports, such as track and field and team sports, are often thought of as lesbians. (Presumably because their enjoyment of and excellence in physical activity is somehow unnatural.) I just realized that skating is one of the few sports where that implication is absent. Hmmm. Maybe it's the skirts.
Yes, I think so. I do think track and field can be glamourous. Look at this lady!