Just over a week ago, CityNews reporter Shauna Hunt fought back against the vulgar string of FHRITP taunts that have engulfed North American news coverage. While it’s been an ongoing battle for journalists (mostly female), it was refreshing to finally see one of those reporters – victimized by the degrading action – respond by turning the tables on those perpetrating the act.
While Hunt’s response received an flurry of support, the lack of respect accompanying the FHRITP calls is simply a reassurance that we are far from where we should be in accepting gender equalization in our society. In fact, you don’t have to look any further than the world of sports to see just how far off we are from equality here in the 21st century.
The Larger Scale, Covering Sports
We all remember the fiasco that took place when Mark Sanchez and some of his New York Jets teammates were accused of catcalling TV Azteca’s reporter Ines Sainz in 2010. While Sainz explains now that she didn’t feel uncomfortable with the alleged harassment that came in the Jets locker room, Jane McManus of espnW.com writes that the reporter shouldn’t be blamed or victimized by the situation.
“Sainz was wearing her work outfit of jeans and a white blouse to interview Mark Sanchez that day, a uniform that suit her entertainment-focused network but didn’t dovetail with American standards of business attire. Had she maintained that she was made to feel uncomfortable, as she initially tweeted in Spanish from the locker room, the backlash from elements of the fan base and the media might have been worse. Victim-blaming can be harsh, so it’s understandable to try to avoid the victim’s role altogether,” wrote McManus.
But that avoidance, is what keeps bringing these sorts of issues to light. Sure, leagues, teams and players can try to bury these individual situations – sweeping them under the carpet – but what does that offer to those victimized by the locker room mentality?
Recently, during the lead up to the Mayweather-Pacquiao bout, two female reporters tweeted about having their credentials for the fight revoked. CNN’s Rachel Nichols and ESPN’s Michelle Beadle made it known that they had been blocked from the fight thanks in large part to the Mayweather camp.
The two voiced their surprise and displeasure on social media – not accusing anyone, but stating the fact that their credentials were no longer good to use to gain access to the event.
No fight for me or @MichelleDBeadle. Mayweather's team told my producer the camp was blocking my credential. https://t.co/JTjjXadPp8
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 2, 2015
I, along with @Rachel__Nichols, have been banned from the MGM Grand Arena for the fight tonight by the Mayweather camp. #TheFightGame
— Michelle Beadle (@MichelleDBeadle) May 2, 2015
While Mayweather’s people denied the accusations, questions surfaced even further when both reacquired credentials just prior to the fight. As Kevin Kaduk points out in his article, both of these journalists have been critical of Mayweather’s record of domestic violence.
“Nichols even conducted a heated interview with Mayweather last fall that she re-posted on Twitter,” wrote Kaduk.
Here's my interview with Floyd Mayweather from this past fall, the same week the Ray Rice video was leaked: https://t.co/yFiBhEQhFb
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 2, 2015
But isn’t that their job – to find the story and report on the story? How does that warrant the revocation of credentials? How can you deny someone access to an event simply because you don’t like the way they report on you?
Maybe, it’s because these women have reported on the string of domestic violence in a different capacity than their male counterparts. But in an ideal world, that should not matter. It’s the definition of how athletes and professional leagues have the ability to control – at least to some extent – the way stories are reported. But the inequality – the attempt to maintain this masculinity of sport – goes deeper than the simple denial of credentials.
Laddism in Sports Coverage
John Doyle, from the Globe and Mail, writes that laddism “is the blithe, unthinking sexism of lewd remark, the grope, the joke about rape, the intimidation of women in places where they have the right to feel safe.”
The fact of the matter is that this sort of gross intimidation takes place in all kinds of sports coverage. From harassing catcalls to whistling to the perverted gazing from fans, athletes and others in the sports community, they all fall under Doyle’s explanation of laddism.
But what have we done to change that. In a well-thought out piece by Katie Flynn over at the Pension Plan Puppets, she discusses how even Hockey Night in Canada’s transition from CBC to Rogers Sportsnet came with equality-based casualties.
“The two rink-side reporters that made the cut are Sportsnet’s Christine simpson and Canadian hockey legend Cassie Campbell-Pascal. Just two, of the many, Sportsnet could have included in their broadcast team this is comprised of 43 members, three of which are women.”
– Katie Flynn, Pension Plan Puppets
But she also brings up an extremely valid argument. Why wasn’t Campbell-Pascal offered an opportunity to sit among the men at the analytical desk – a chance to talk about the game that she played and conquered for so many years? Can we even name one true female analyst that controls the table of men in sports analysis? I’d have a hard time doing so.
And it doesn’t stop there. Flynn goes on to talk about the full-time female in-studio host during the CBC days – Andi Petrillo – who ran the Chevrolet i-Desk delivering news and updates between periods.
“Petrillo stood in heels every Saturday night, dressed to the nines in designer clothes. Jewellery, makeup, hair, lighting; the set had it all,” explains Flynn. “When she was called upon for an update, the camera came swooping down as to give a clear view of what she was wearing before the highlight packs started rolling. She was literally put on a pedestal and ogled.”
Her predecessors? Well they sat at a desk and did the same job, Flynn points out. But what happened to Petrillo? With the move to Rogers, was she simply a viable limb waiting to be amputated?
The fact of the matter is that there remains a male majority when it comes to sports. Whether it be the coverage of these male-dominated games (even on the field of play), or the experiences in the stands, women are often overlooked as simple pawns in sports communities.
Even as fans, it’s easy to ignore the comments and stereotypes placed on other fans of the opposite sex. Simple-minded. Just there for her boyfriend or husband. Even terms like ‘puck bunny’ have been coined to describe why women watch sports. When in fact, there are many women who have more knowledge regarding these games than their male colleagues.
Whether they’ve played them or studied them, we as a sports community should not be appalled or surprised when women – fans or journalists – have the capability to start and lead discussions on sports. It’s time for all of us to see the bigger picture, to stop brushing these on-going matters under the rug and to understand that sport is no longer a male-dominated world. It’s time that we stop pretending that we have, in fact, evolved and accepted this and learn to actually accept that there isn’t a separation when it comes to women and men and their involvement in sports.
Have some thoughts about this week’s column, let me know at @AndrewGForbes or @Tape2TapeTHW on Twitter.
Tape2Tape is a column looking at some of the biggest stories from around the world of hockey. Discussing different topics, it focuses on one major story each week. Agree or disagree, writer – Andrew Forbes – would love to hear what you have to say.
