I recently read an article in Cosmo magazine implying the only time females should watch the Superbowl is for the half time show. I was actually quite astonished this coming from a highly respected female magazine. Sure it isn't every girls big dream to sit down and watch a Superbowl game but why should it be limited to the male species alone?
On the flip side I even heard negative comments about how females shouldn't even preform during half time at a Superbowl game because its a "man's sport". What exactly defines a "mans sport" anyways? I know many respectable adult males that do not enjoy the game of football. That is not my place to judge how "manly" this makes them.
I realize we have certain stereotypes and gender roles that are usually followed in today's society. As a female I sure wouldn't want several guys twice or three times my size chasing me down a football field.. it would be physically impossible for me to tackle most of them. However I do enjoy watching a good game of football and seeing a good football performance as an individual.
So where do people get across drawing a line between what is female/male entertainment only? Should ladies now be banned from action movies and males banned from romantic "chick flicks" (even though I'm sure some would not mind)?
Now, I'm not saying men should go around painting their nails bright pink and women should start learning to urinate standing up (unless that's your thing, best of luck). I'm stating that just because an individual enjoys something that is not the norm for that gender it shouldn't be a judgement. So where do we draw the ten yard line between what is acceptable female/male entertainment?
This article brings up an interesting philosophical question. Who would want to stop women from watching the Superbowl? I don't know why Cosmo would publish such an article. Although, from a man's perspective, I do understand why some men might not want to encourage women to take an interest in football. I have only begun taking an interest in football myself in the last couple of years. For most of my life, I didn't care much about sports in general. Because I didn't, I was considered to be something less of a "real man". I think that there is a resistance to women being active football fans because, to a lot of men, football is one of the last exclusive provinces of masculinity. Whatever women take an interest in they usually change to conform to their own standards, either overtly or inadvertently. Consider the Budweiser commercial that aired during the Superbowl this year. The Clydesdale that ran after its trainer years after they had parted. That commercial was obviously intended to produce an emotional “Aww, how sweet!” reaction in the viewer. Now, do you suppose that emotional ad was men to appeal to the men that were watching the game? Guys don’t want to see a commercial that brings tears to the eye when they watch the Superbowl. They prefer to reserve their tears for when their team’s quarterback throws an interception pass that is run back for a touchdown.
ReplyDeleteWomen tend to assume that men are annoyed because they think that women don't know their place anymore. That is not actually the case. Men are annoyed because they themselves don't know where they fit in anymore. They don't know how they're supposed to act, who they're supposed to be or what they're supposed to do in order to be attractive to women. In the modern era, it is acceptable for a woman to do and be whatever she wants to be. She can be an astronaut, a president, a construction worker or a front-line soldier. In addition to all the new powers women have that are now equal to that of their male counterparts, they have one more. Women still control the sex. It is becoming increasingly unacceptable to display any typically masculine behavior anymore. Men can’t just be good providers and responsible citizens anymore. No…Now they have to be man-scaped and moisturized and to participate in activities like antiquing and couple’s spa days…..
You want proof that women’s involvement is changing pro football? We had to watch our grid-iron heroes prance around for a month this year wearing as much eye-searing pink as they could get onto their uniforms to support breast cancer awareness. Now, I am all for “saving the ta-tas” as the slogan goes. I like breasts as much as any heterosexual man and probably more than most. However, prostate cancer kills nearly as many men each year as breast cancer kills women. Yet there are 7 drugs to treat breast-cancer on the market for every 1 drug that treats prostate cancer. Where’s our month of awareness and recognition?!
To summarize ladies, it’s not that we want to hold you back from going any place you want to go in today’s America…it’s that there’s no place left for us there.
Thats a great point and really clears somethings up for me! Thanks for the insight!
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