Podium Girls

[Archibald]

Re:

this is one subject that always morphs into something bigger and completely different from it's origin.
Showing woman from India..ok..they are in the streets primarily for woman's rights, in the streets and in the courts. After women are gang raped or killed they is little to no justice. A man or group of men can rape a woman(and other sexual assaults) with little to no consequences. The women march also to protest the minimal public outrage at the events..pretty different from podium girls.They are marching to end or change life and death issues.

that pic was more for the sign than who's holding it or the issues going on in India, and in reference to the difference in standards held, as well as society's thought processes...


As for podium presentations, I'd take a punt that the riders may have no objection to some celebrity or cycling legend handing out the prizes/jersey. Tour of California - Bradley Cooper? DeNiro? take your pick, there's loads of celebs there...
On the continent, again take your pick.
If you won Paris/Roubaix, who would you prefer; some pretty girl or someone like RDV, Moser, Kelly, Hinault, Museew, Van Looy or even Merckx to give you your cobblestone?
May not have to be a 'local' either - I'd think that when Caleb Ewen won his Vuelta stage, he'd have been pretty happy to have some previous top sprinter like Robbie McEwen present his trophy, no?

 

[fatandfast]

archibald your answer/suggestion is a good one...father and son trophy hand off would have been great. Yes I would like to get an award from Moser or Eddie rather than a skinny beauty. I also hope that cycling can continue to try and get it's product in the public eye. If they follow the model of many of the major sports sex appeal is still a big part of marketing toward fans,

The debate about women's rights, violence against women and cultural norms that have woman as something less has little to do with cycling.
Women's pro cycling needs to ask itself some serious questions about the product. If podium girls is issue one that ok but they should probably ask why there is very different revenue streams in pro women's everything, golf, basketball, football..both kinds and other women;s pro sports. I think we should note that some major women's tennis just took place...pretty high level of sex appeal and a pretty high veiwership,lots of sponsorship and big prize money or female pro racing could look like women's pro baseball

 

[jsem94]

Going to jump in here. About women's football comparative to men?

Let's look at one of the best national teams in women's football. The Swedish. The head coach decided it would be a great idea to face them off against the U-17 team of one of the major clubs in the country. The national team lost. 0-3.

Now tell me again that female footballers have a chance against male. Maybe, and I mean MAYBE, the top 10 players could play in low-end Serie B teams. At best.

I'm sorry, but it's incomparable. Women's football can be more entertaining at times though. Much less of this diving BS.

 

[Brullnux]

Re:

Going to jump in here. About women's football comparative to men?

Let's look at one of the best national teams in women's football. The Swedish. The head coach decided it would be a great idea to face them off against the U-17 team of one of the major clubs in the country. The national team lost. 0-3.

Now tell me again that female footballers have a chance against male. Maybe, and I mean MAYBE, the top 10 players could play in low-end Serie B teams. At best.

I'm sorry, but it's incomparable. Women's football can be more entertaining at times though. Much less of this diving BS.

Ofc men's sport is at a higher quality in general than women's, but often women's sport is more exciting than men's.

 

[Gigs_98]

The article is interesting but as it has already been written, no podium girls wont suddenly lead to more importance of women's racing. However some dresses of podium girls are absolutely ridiculous and definitely nothing one should support.

 

[jsem94]

I wouldn't cry if they removed podium girls though. I find it unnecessary and maybe it's about time to get with the times already.

 

[Ruby United]

Re:

Merckx" Physically, women on average simply aren’t as athletic as men"

Women may not in most cases be as physically strong but they are certainly as athletic. There are many sports where Woman show as much Skill and physical capabilities as men. Have you seen some of the women Free climbers ? Have you seen some of the soccer skills ? have you seen the athletical ability's of woman Gymnast's , have you seen woman's boxing? I could on . Some of these woman have much more natural athletic ability than most men.

As others have mentioned, this, from what I know, is simply scientifically wrong.
Asides from a few exceptions in every sport (perhaps Vos is a good exception in cycling), in nearly every sport men are naturally better. This is simple facts and science, no sexism. An elite woman can't compete in an elite men's race; they just aren't as physically able. Frazer-Pryce can't beat Bolt, Radcliffe can't beat Farah, and elite women definitely can't compete with elite men in boxing etc.
Another example that you mentioned was soccer skills; no women would make it into a top team's starting 11. Anyone who watched the women's world cup would tell you that, though impressive, the women are simply less capable physically to men and therefore unable to compete with them in soccer and most other sports.

 

[jmdirt]

I was passively involved in a conversation about pro sports cheerleaders, and the two woman speaking were both irritated that people from the outside determine that woman are (sexual) objects when in reality they are empowered. It was about a 10 minute rant so that one sentence doesn't quite summarize their feelings, but you can get a sense.

I think that I might have posted something along those line in this thread (if I didn't actually post, I was thinking it). Yes, men (me included) oogle at cheerleaders, podium girls, etc. so by definition we are objectifying them, but if they are making a comfortable living, doing what they enjoy does it really matter what we do or think?

Obviously I'm not talking about woman who are being exploited, that's an entirely different issue.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

Thin, thick.
Tall, short.
Wide, slim.
White, black.
Blue, orange.
All kinds of people.






Okay... maybe not orange and blue...

Yeah I agree, just make it like jury duty. In the UK a comedian called Sara Pascoe brought forward the idea that the page 3 topless models should be random (didn't happen ofc) so why not podium girls?


I'm being serious btw

Don't think that would be to good an idea. After all; isn't jury duty something you have to?
Being a podium girl should be something you'd want to. However, everybody who wants to should be able to.
Then we might even get podium girls who don't have to bend down to kiss those tiny riders.

 

[sir fly]

Re: Re:

Thin, thick.
Tall, short.
Wide, slim.
White, black.
Blue, orange.
All kinds of people.






Okay... maybe not orange and blue...

Yeah I agree, just make it like jury duty. In the UK a comedian called Sara Pascoe brought forward the idea that the page 3 topless models should be random (didn't happen ofc) so why not podium girls?


I'm being serious btw

Don't think that would be to good an idea. After all; isn't jury duty something you have to?
Being a podium girl should be something you'd want to. However, everybody who wants to should be able to.
Then we might even get podium girls who don't have to bend down to kiss those tiny riders.

You want to be a podium girl, admit!

 

[jsem94]

I want to be a podium guy. I want to kiss Pauline Ferrand-Prévot when she wins races.

But seriously, there's no need to keep this archaic BS around.