Friday, December 20, 2013

Lingerie football sexism claims driven by class snobbery as much as anything

Caught a little of that cringe worthy morning news show Studio Ten. The panellists were yabbering on about lingerie football. Needless to say, the women didn't like the idea and wheeled out the tired ol' victim feminist bleat about how it's demeaning to women, etc. I thought this was pretty ironic since the only reason these ageing barbie dolls still had gigs as talking heads was 'cause some old white blokes had decided they were still passable as eye candy.

Sure, lingerie football is not exactly edifying entertainment (but then what entertainment is?). It's definitely all about the perve factor. But at least it's got the, er, balls to be upfront about that. (Well, at least until some finger wagging journo accuses its reps of sexism and they feel obligated to take a PC line and deny the obvious truth, that is. Always makes them look so silly. Why not just be upfront and unapologetic about it? Would be great if they just said: "Yeah we're exploiting the women for their looks and they're exploiting us for the easy money. So what?")

And the perve factor is everywhere anyway. Without a doubt voyeurism has heaps to do with the popularity of pretty much every outdoor sport (except maybe lawn bowls). Men and women just love to look at young, toned, strong bodies involved in vigorous physical activity. It was ever thus. And there will always be those with an entrepreneurial bent who manage to turn a buck out of it.

But now, thanks to the relentless negativity of so many sexually constipated sisters, there's this stupid double standard in operation that everyone feels they have to observe. The same women who think it's so sassy to openly savour the phwoar! factor when watching beefy blokes in tight shorts playing Aussie Rules footy become puritanical scolds if the game involves sheilas showing cleavage instead.

And one of the main reasons the squitterati are so upset about lingerie football is because of the class element. See, they can't stand the fact that it caters to blue collar men. The born to rule bolshies just loathe anything that pleases those they deem to be from "the lower orders".

This is why middle class feminist chicks who crave the male gaze are in such a bind. They can't do it openly and brazenly like a stripper would. So they opt for burlesque instead.

They claim that this is because the former performance mode is exploitative while the latter is empowering. But really, it's because one is working class, the other is middle (even upper) class. Academic, PC feminism is just sooo sneeringly sanctimonious and snobby, isn't it?

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