Does it bother feminists that the popularity of women's sports is heavily affected by how they dress?

Question

Does is bother feminists that the popularity of women's sports is heavily affected by how they dress?

Examples are women's tennis and beach volleyball.

Now, the Table Tennis association knows they better do the same thing or the sport will die.

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/tabletennis/news;_ylt=AiJ2wZEd7rA9k7xhcb01nrCoaJh4?slug=reu-tabletennisskirts_pix&prov=reuters&type=lgns

If you can't get Chinese people to watch you play ping pong, you know it's boring.

Answer 1

No it only bothers feminists that women in sports DO dress s**y.

Answer 2

Yes, because it affects people's perception of how well these athletes play. By looking at their bodies and not the game, many people come to the belief that the women can't actually play them but are only there to look attractive. As for women being more beautiful than men, well, that's a matter of personal opinion. I would much rather watch a male diver than see a scantily clad woman jumping around on the sand while playing beach volleyball.

Answer 3

When you are trying to increase the popularity of a sport, meaning heighten its entertainment value then many of the actions taken have nothing to do with the actual sport itself. Let's not lose sight of this.

NBA players have to wear business casual attire to games, as many of its stars are Black Americans, as to not offend whites from spending their money to go to the games. The associations that male athletes belong to are encouraged to interact with the media. I seriously doubt an athlete posing in a magazine with his shirt off is for the average male sports' fan. Perhaps in an ideal world it should only be about the sports but in the realistic capitalist world we live in, athletic associations make economic decisions. Most sports were invented by men for other men to play. Since men are faster and stronger it is natural for women to have a hard time competing against men in certain sports.

Women can't complain they don't make as much as men in certain sports but complain it's unfair they have get ogled upon. Male athletes pimp themselves to make extra money. If women want that same money they are going to have to pimp themselves too.  

Answer 4

It certainly bothers me. You don't see anyone encouraging male tennis players to look sexier, even though they're doing the exact same thing. People should be focusing on the game, not the players. (But ping-pong would be boring anyway, let's face it.)

Answer 5

It bothers me...I mean how does wearing skimpy bikinis help them play? it doesn't, especially when I see them picking the bottoms out of their bottoms. I don't think this "sport" is a sport at all, just another legitimate  opportunity for men to oogle women bouncing around almost naked.  

Answer 6

I think that many male sports figures wear equally s**y outfits - such as football players, male beach Volleyball players, male gymnasts, swimmers and divers, and all track and field events.  Athletics is just s**y.  

Answer 7

I think it is up to the female athlete, if she doesn't want to show off her body it's up to her, no one can make you do something you don't want to...if so then you are a weak willed and weak minded person that goes men or women. This question should be asked directly to the players. Maybe they like showing off there bodies. If you spend time working out, running or whatever to stay trim or cut....you probably want to show it off....and heres a news flash, if a women looks good, she could be covered up completely and wearing a huge skiing jacket and men are still going to look.  

Answer 8

Think about this for a second, its BEACH volleyball.  When you go to the beach and you see a very fit woman, she is most likely in something similar.  Men at the beach wear trunks and women bikini's, the ones that have nice bodies or are not afraid to show it off that is.  You don't see womens INDOOR volleball players wearing bikini's because its not BEACH volleyball.

Answer 9

It does bother me, though there is little one can do about it.  For example, I was watching the men and women's volleyball.  Men are dressed in trunks while women are dressed in tiny bikinis.  It clearly seems that the only way to lure watchers is through the exposure of skin-- which is unfair in that the women are actually quite good in their own skill-- they shouldn't have to go around half dressed just for people to notice they're good at their sport.

The other thing I thought was odd about the woman's volleyball during the olympics is that  good portion of the commentary was on the women's HUSBANDS.  It was more about what the husbands did or how they met and less on the women themselves.  And yet the wives of the men's volleyball players were never mentioned.  Why is that?