I drove by the Sun Center National Bank Arena and on the promotion board there’s an advertisement for tickets to a Lingerie Football League game. As I waited for the light to change, I couldn’t help but to feel appalled.
This “Lingerie Football League” consists of partially naked young beautiful women playing a mockery of football. Uniforms consist of shoulder pads, elbow pads, knee pads, garters, bras, panties, and ice hockey-style helmets with clear plastic visors in lieu of face masks. Even the names of the teams have a sexual undertone: Chicago Bliss, Dallas Desire, Miami Calinete*, New York Majesty, Philadelphia Passion, Tampa Breeze, Dallas Desire, Denver Dream, Los Angeles Temptation, San Diego Seduction, Seattle Mist. (*Calinete translates to HOT in English)
This “sport” is evidentially profitable. According to the Observer newspaper, “despite a down economy in 2009 which greatly impacted all major professional sports, the Lingerie Football League had an incredible inaugural season in 2009 with 30% higher than projected attendance, including several near capacity crowds, 2nd in Primetime TV ratings, record internet traffic and 2010 expansion markets”.
Some people might say why I would let something like this bother me…… I guess it’s because I work extra hard in order to be taken seriously as a woman. The reason it bother me so much is because of stupid comments made by people like the coach from the Miami Calinete who said, “These girls don’t want to be treated as models. These are real football players they’re athletes.” Give me a break!!!! If supposedly these girls are really athletes, then why do they have to play almost naked? During the games, the women wear shoulder pads and helmets, but that’s about it. If the people involved (players, coaches, team owners) are in it for the money, then just say so, but to say it’s a serious sports is an even better insult to women.
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Ok, this really bothers me too!! I’m not at all surprised about how profitable this Lingerie Football League has become. It seems like a joke to have scantily clad “hot” women playing football and then for a coach to claim they’re real athletes. Who is he kidding? This is not about athleticism. Are any of these women weighing 250 lbs from enormous muscles? I doubt it. I’m sure they all have very nicely toned yet slender bodies to play the sport and still attract tons of male spectators. I don’t think women built like Michael Strahan will attract the same patronage to this pseudo-sport. Like you said, even the names are sexual showing “Hey look, we got some hot women not wearing much more than shoulder pads and helmets trying to play football!” It sounds demeaning and pretty ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteI have never even heard of this advertisement or league before. And I have to say I was taken aback reading this. Now I am not naïve when it comes to how most women are viewed, and only viewed as something sexual. So, a half naked woman does not seem to be an issue with most when it comes to making a profit. When it comes to money morals and ethics are out the window. People are so greedy when it comes to making money and will do anything and everything to achieve it, no matter what is sacrificed. Sex sells. There was no problem with advertising this for all to see, or even having such a league. I do not understand why they could not have them fully dressed in athletic attire, as would the women of the soccer and softball league do and so on. So many women are trying to not be seen as sexual objects in their everyday lives, the workplace, the media, and just so many other aspects. And yet, there are still those people who continue to display women as such, and most of the time it is women themselves. Some that do it have no problem in doing so, and then there are those who enjoy sexualizing themselves. But what do they do it for? Just as you say the money, but yet no one wants to admit that. And yes, I would rather them just admit that they are all in it for the money, and the sport at hand is not even the concern.
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