A Commentary on Sports Feminism

I told everyone that I would do this (a Random Tigers Thoughts from Laura) post on Tuesday, but its been a pretty rotten week, and I am only just getting to this now. But after my night tonight, this post should be filled with the rage and passion it so desperately requires. This is no longer a Random Thought; instead, it has evolved into a full-fledged commentary on a very personal subject that is close to all three of our hearts.

The three of us were on our way to our first game of the season together at Comerica Park tonight (Saturday night). It was a gloomy day, cloudy and overcast with no hint of sunshine. If only we knew the shit that was going to come, we wouldn't have gone. But whatever.

First of all, when my sisters and I go to Tigers games, we don't like to look bad. In fact, since it is our disgustingly desperate lifelong dream to date a Tigers player (kidding. Not really. Yeah, we're kidding. Kind of.), we like to look nice. Not slutty, stupid, BumpIt-wearing bimbo-type "nice," but nice. So when people (men especially) act surprised and mock us when they realize we know what we're talking about when it comes to baseball, it pisses us off. And let it be said that this happened more than once today. Then of course, the skies opened up and the game was washed away. But while we waited for the Comerica powers-that-be to tell us that the game was called, we were thinking not of our future husbands, but of a woman. A very specific woman, known to all FSDetroit viewers.

That's right, FSD resident hot-chick-of-the-moment, "Lauren." For the past few months, both on this blog and in the privacy of our home, we have slighted, bashed and berated "Lauren" because of her sensual commercials and her, stripper-like exotic good looks. She is everything the modern-day feminist rejects and everything that the modern-day beer-swilling ex-fratboy embraces. She's beautiful, she wears tight shirts that show off her definitely real chest, and she adds a certain pizzaz to FSD commercials that apparently the actual athletes who play the games we are watching cannot. 


But, while at that sham of a game Saturday night, and being stared at and catcalled like we were pieces of meat, we began to empathize with our sister, "Lauren." I wonder why some men assume that women are unable to understand sports. Instead of bashing Lauren, who on her FSD profile says she loves the Pistons as well as the Tigers, we should accept her into our fold as a fellow sports-lovin' gal. Any woman who promotes a healthy interest in athletics should be celebrated, not persecuted. Go Lauren!


However.


Fox Sports Detroit, you should be ashamed of yourself. How dare you subscribe to the easy-out male advertising pattern of objectifying good-looking women by using their bodies and seductive natures to sell beer, sports, real-estate, peanut butter, what have you. We can guarantee that close to half of your audience does not want to see a twenty-something chick purring into the camera between innings. What is this saying to young girls?! That all they're good for is using their bodies to promote men playing sports? Something which women's bodies has absolutely nothing to do with?!?!?! This is hardly a way to encourage and raise female participation in athletics. If more girls liked sports, then more girls would watch baseball, and your viewership would increase that way, dumbasses. 


Also, what does this say to the girls that know their sports? That FSD doesn't value their business? We watch FSD to watch our favorite sports teams: the Red Wings, the Pistons, and especially the Tigers. We don't watch it to see Lauren pose and smile mindlessly. 


Look. We don't want to give people the wrong impression. We like Fox Sports Detroit. We also enjoy taking pride in our appearances. But so do men. And you don't see FSD thrusting a shirtless Rick Porcello in front of the camera. While that would be a sweet sight, it has nothing to do with baseball (but hey, it has more so to do with baseball than Lauren does). While we state often on this blog about how cute or how hot a certain player might be, we don't go overboard. We don't really want to see random men being objectified same as we don't want to see women objectified. Women know sports. We should be treated as equals, not as eye candy.


So, though we may ramble and rant, we know we are not alone when it comes to our issues with FSD and its advertising choices. And as for Lauren? More power to ya, sister.