I am opposed to the olympics for many reasons, and rarely write about sports (with this exception) but I just saw a BBC article that pissed me off... apparently, in order to distinguish female boxers from males at the olympics, the regulatory body is considering making them wear skirts! At this time, skirts are optional in most places.
Poland has already made it compulsory for female boxers to wear skirts, saying that it is more "elegant". Because it is essential that women be elegant all the time.
Here is a picture of one of the skirts, although there are also longer, less frilly ones available.
Is it really such a big deal if television viewers cannot tell men and women apart at first glance? And do women really look more "elegant" punching each other while wearing skirts? Can we also enforce pink gloves, headgear that allows us to see their perfectly made up faces (which they should not be able to punch because we wouldn't want anyone's lipstick to smear) and of course, stilettos! Have to get as many straight male viewers as possible!
To me, this is another example of male-as-normal and female-as-other. We can do the same stuff... no complaining, because look, we are in the olympics now, just like men. But, really, those governing bodies have to find a way to make what women do less serious than men, and objectify us whenever possible in that process.
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