聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 The Rio Olympics have showcased the abilities of men and women. The raw power, the finesse, the determination, and the sportsmanship that comes with being an Olympic athlete has all been featured at the Games. I actually thoroughly enjoy watching the Olympics because I enjoy watching people do amazing things, things that I couldn鈥檛 even imagine doing.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 However, for certain television stations and news outlets covering the Games the coverage of women鈥檚 events was kind of brutal in a sense. Personally I thought CBC did very well in simply delivering us unbiased events. Yet, other headlines, mostly from our neighbours to the south focused on other aspects of women in sport.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 When American athlete Corey Dogdell-Unrein won a bronze medal in trap shooting she was referred in the press simply as 鈥淲ife of Bears鈥� lineman wins a bronze medal today in Rio Olympics.鈥� I鈥檓 sure she loves her husband, but she just won an Olympic medal how about put her name in there somewhere at least.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Other coverage included NBC stating, after a fantastic performance by a Hungarian swimmer, a comment of 鈥渁nd there鈥檚 the person responsible for her performance,鈥� as her coach/husband was picking something up in the background of the shot on her. Granted this one might have just been an errant way of saying that her coach/husband helped her along the way as a coach and a support system does, but it came off as undercutting the fact that in the moment the only one responsible for the performance was her鈥� I mean her coach/husband wasn鈥檛 in the pool, so a poor choice of words perhaps.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 There was also a ton of attention on Egypt鈥檚 first ever beach volleyball team at the Olympics鈥� but the only discussion was of how they were wearing spandex pants and long sleeves and one of the athletes was wearing a hijab. Why does any of that really matter? They were the first female beach volleyball team out of Egypt to make the games鈥� but I didn鈥檛 find that out until three days after I watched their first game.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Apparently the American gymnastic team looked like they belonged in a mall鈥� which ok鈥� they鈥檙e young girls, all dressed up with make-up on, and standing in a circle chatting either before or after a performance, I don鈥檛 remember which. But, it just seems like an unwarranted statement focused on their looks as opposed to their abilities as athletes.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 A judo competition was referred to as a 鈥渃atfight,鈥� while Katie Ledecky set a women鈥檚 800m freestyle record and was given what looked like a footnote under a banner about Michael Phelps winning silver.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Perhaps this all just seems odd to me because being Canadian鈥� we鈥檙e not the strongest in the summer Olympics, give us some snow and off we go, but although our athletes have improved in the events, it鈥檚 still not quite the same as those that dominate the top medal counts. Additionally this year, I watched a variety of events and in the beginning it seemed like Canadian medals were only going to be brought home by the ladies competing. So, I guess Canada鈥檚 press couldn鈥檛 really minimize what female athletes were doing because until a few days ago they were the only ones on the podium.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Now, before you say I鈥檓 a crazy feminist, there was a moment where a male was also subjected to the scrutiny of the internet and the press in similar ways as the female athletes. The Tonga flag bearer at the opening ceremonies was shirtless and covered in oil, so there was media coverage focused on what he looked like. However, one moment doesn鈥檛 make up for the multiple ones women have seen in the media at the Games. But, at least there鈥檚 dialogue and discussion.
