Post by Banana Cat on Jul 8, 2011 0:02:49 GMT -5
sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ycn-8751701
Women who practice in their underwear: Lingerie Football League
By Cheryl Ragsdale, Yahoo! Contributor Network
7 July 2011
The Lingerie Football League is creating controversy and excitement by expanding into new markets.
"Don't support the league because it's not about sport," says Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi in a video posted on WomenTalkSports . Dr. LaVoi is associate director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sports.
"No, I'm not a fan. I've been watching this league since it's inception…and I would argue that what they're really marketing here is sex. They're not marketing true women's professional sport."
I don't agree with Dr. LaVoi about withholding support. Marketers are demonstrating that there are people who want their sports entertainment mixed with both sex appeal and skill.
Maybe the Lingerie League has found the sweet spot (sex appeal vs skill balance).
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Nicole Neverson, a university professor at Ryerson stated that the sport objectifies women, exploits its unpaid athletes and is yet another example of the "sports media complex," which reinforces gender stereotypes constructed around heterosexual male desires. She notes that the women are certainly athletic, but that is certainly not the focus of the league. WomenTalkSports
Yes, the women are in small uniforms, but the LFL announcers report the game just like any other athletic event.
Mixed martial arts is at least as aggressive as Lingerie Football. Female MMA fighters wear vale tudo shorts or what I call "MMA panties" with a little sports bra. Some women choose to wear longer shorts. Male fighters wear vale tudo shorts too.
UFC Ring Girl Arianny Celeste always turns up in her underwear (uniform) at UFC sporting events. Apparently, she's comfortable just wearing lots and lots of limes too.
Yes, Arianny's part of the event just like the cheerleaders at the NFL football games.
On a side note: what about adding in some male cheerleaders for the Lingerie Football League?
Have You Been To A Yoga Class Lately?
Have you ever been to a hot yoga class? The room is over 90 degrees and humid. People wear as little as possible - no matter what they look like - and they bend themselves into provocative postures to develop flexibility.
Our eyes adjust to see whatever it is we're most interested in.
Why is sport any different from other areas in life?
My opinion: As long as you feel comfortable, wear whatever you want and show us your best skills in your chosen sport. Women who have both sex appeal and skill can choose to play up both strengths. If you have either one or the other, then do your best work. Be comfortable with who you are and have fun with how you choose to participate in your sport. What other choice do you have?
More from this contributor: Cheryl Ragsdale, BJJ blue belt, trains in MMA with UFC Fighter Kenny Florian and Keith Florian at Florian Martial Arts Center in Brookline, MA. Follow her on twitter @thatgirlisfunny
By Cheryl Ragsdale, Yahoo! Contributor Network
7 July 2011
The Lingerie Football League is creating controversy and excitement by expanding into new markets.
"Don't support the league because it's not about sport," says Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi in a video posted on WomenTalkSports . Dr. LaVoi is associate director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sports.
"No, I'm not a fan. I've been watching this league since it's inception…and I would argue that what they're really marketing here is sex. They're not marketing true women's professional sport."
I don't agree with Dr. LaVoi about withholding support. Marketers are demonstrating that there are people who want their sports entertainment mixed with both sex appeal and skill.
Maybe the Lingerie League has found the sweet spot (sex appeal vs skill balance).
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Nicole Neverson, a university professor at Ryerson stated that the sport objectifies women, exploits its unpaid athletes and is yet another example of the "sports media complex," which reinforces gender stereotypes constructed around heterosexual male desires. She notes that the women are certainly athletic, but that is certainly not the focus of the league. WomenTalkSports
Yes, the women are in small uniforms, but the LFL announcers report the game just like any other athletic event.
Mixed martial arts is at least as aggressive as Lingerie Football. Female MMA fighters wear vale tudo shorts or what I call "MMA panties" with a little sports bra. Some women choose to wear longer shorts. Male fighters wear vale tudo shorts too.
UFC Ring Girl Arianny Celeste always turns up in her underwear (uniform) at UFC sporting events. Apparently, she's comfortable just wearing lots and lots of limes too.
Yes, Arianny's part of the event just like the cheerleaders at the NFL football games.
On a side note: what about adding in some male cheerleaders for the Lingerie Football League?
Have You Been To A Yoga Class Lately?
Have you ever been to a hot yoga class? The room is over 90 degrees and humid. People wear as little as possible - no matter what they look like - and they bend themselves into provocative postures to develop flexibility.
Our eyes adjust to see whatever it is we're most interested in.
Why is sport any different from other areas in life?
My opinion: As long as you feel comfortable, wear whatever you want and show us your best skills in your chosen sport. Women who have both sex appeal and skill can choose to play up both strengths. If you have either one or the other, then do your best work. Be comfortable with who you are and have fun with how you choose to participate in your sport. What other choice do you have?
More from this contributor: Cheryl Ragsdale, BJJ blue belt, trains in MMA with UFC Fighter Kenny Florian and Keith Florian at Florian Martial Arts Center in Brookline, MA. Follow her on twitter @thatgirlisfunny