Nearly-irrelevant comment:
Is anyone watching "I Love Dick" on Amazon? Interesting series (fiction) about artists and the female artist going unseen and unheard until she goes to great lengths to insist that she be seen/heard. A story involving sexual objectification of a man told from an entirely female point of view. Startling, and gives us some insight into the whole dynamic. From the creator of Transparent. Perhaps should be in a separate thread.
N0, but I heard an interview with Kevin Bacon about it on the podcast Death, Sex, and Money.
Does seem like a different topic.
... Not trying to create any discord here, but is it possible that men watch sports more than women and therefore drive where sports dollars are invested? After all, advertisers pretty much drives sports funding now. ...
I saw this on the skidiva facebook page, and have been banging my head on the wall that it was on a women's ski blog named "Lady Parts."
If you don't like it, stop posing in bikinis, stop being suggestive, just stop. I'm afraid the horse has left the barn, in this insta world, but no one is literally forcing female athletes to plaster naked photos of themselves all over social media, or to bare themselves in magazine shoots. Will they make more money in bikinis? Yes, and that sucks. But this is no different from any other sport or whatever else. Sex sells.
If you truly want things to change, you have to change how things are being done. If you want to be seen as an athlete, then be an athlete, not a swimsuit model. Kelly Clark is seen pretty much "as an athlete," because she is a normal-looking person who poses in baggy pants and jeans.
I am not blaming the girls in the video, as I feel like they are trying to say the same thing, but it's hard to confront the big dogs in your sport. There was a video last season from some pro who actually addressed this, feeling some guilt about sexy photog shoots ... that's where it will have to come from. Not men, not bystanders. There is no reason the big dogs can't band together, as women, and put their feet down and just say, This isn't helpful. But right now, it's every bikini for herself, imo.
(I am not blaming the victim here, for "dressing like she wanted it." There is a difference, which I think most of you understand, but I can go into it if necessary. Basically, if you dress like you want to be ogled, you'll be ogled. That doesn't mean it's ok to cross the line. Any line. )
...There is a similar issue though that has perplexed me for some time. While I appreciate the unique female perspective of SkiDiva and the many things it has to offer, I am always curious about Diva's who post much more "technical" questions on gender neutral ski forums. To me this rings hollow-if we really are at the same level as men, why not ask the same level of questions on a female forum? sorry for the hijack.
I think that can be as simple as casting a wider net in order to get a question answered.
Except that those questions are often not asked here as well. So that would actually be a narrower net.
I've been interested to see how unlike Lindsey, Julia, or so many other ski racers, Mikaela Shiffren is not doing the sexy stuff. I've never seen her in a bikini--I'm trying to remember the last time I didn't see Lindsey or Julia on social media in a bikini or sexy pose. She sure doesn't seem to have suffered for it--she has tons of sponsors and probably gets more attention in the ski world right than any other skier...she isn't a household name like Lindsey but she also hasn't put in the years and 4 Olympics like Lindsey has. The most skin you might see from her is in workout shorts or a tank. I'd never argue with the idea that sex sells, that woman face more pressure for this, etc, but here we have a great example of someone that isn't playing that game and doesn't seem to be suffering at all for it. So I'd agree--just don't do it if you don't want to. (And hey, if you love doing it and aren't complaining about it, whatever. I'm not going to judge someone for that).
And with skiers, well, tennis players, swimmers, figure skaters, they all compete in skimpy clothing already. I kinda see where you want to get out of the head-to-toe clothing and be proud of yourself.
Plus, she is/was very young.
"People are more focused on how they look than they are on their physical talent."
She's 22, that's plenty old enough to get sexy if she thought she had to. I don't have any quibbles with your points, this was to illustrate that the following doesn't have to be true. I don't think people are more focused on how Mikaela looks than on her talent, and she doesn't pander to people that are interested in her looks.
It certainly helps that she is the best and while like I said I don't want to judge those who want to get skimpy, I do wonder and kind of hope she can provide a new model. Maybe show other women that you don't have to take off your clothes to get noticed.
I should also say I'm at work and didn't watch the video, so there may be salient points I'm missing.