Beach volleyball players: Did anyone else notice...

[pax]

...that when Misty May and Kerry Walsh, the #1-ranked women's beach volleyball team in the world, won the gold medal on Tuesday night, they held hands on the medal podium?

I think it's interesting that I've not read, heard, or seen one word of comment on how May and Walsh embraced and rolled around in the sand, hugged and kissed, and held hands on the podium. Now, as most of you in FYM know, I don't really care if their celebrations were those of two really good friends or something more. But I wonder if two men had done the same thing--or even if they'd *just* held hands on the podium--if there wouldn't be some kind of outcry...?

I just think it's funny that no one seems to mind when two young, attractive women roll around in the sand together, but if it had been two guys...

 

[Mullen-Girl]

Yeah hubby really enjoyed that to say the least LOL

 

[BVS]

Yeah I brought this up once in here and got "yelled" at. I think there's a huge double standard.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Well I don't like the idea of having equality, as a man I would much rather see two (good looking of course ) women hugging and rolling around in the sand than two men - not that theres anything wrong with that. Face facts - men run the world and men dont like to look at other men liking men, its a conspiracy I tell you, a conspiracy.

Dont take this post ultra seriously, I have no problem with gays, people should live their lives the way they want to as long as it doesnt hurt anybody etc. but I know that I would rather live my life looking at beatiful women than men, thats the way I feel and im sorry if it offends people - let me be myself! lol.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

I think it's a double standard that the women have to wear those skimpy outfits-when they fell down and they zoomed right in on..top and bottom, well, you get the idea. The male volleyball players wear regular shorts and shirts

You could clearly see the women constantly adjusting

At least women get the male swimmers

That is a very interesting point, re if the guys did the same thing, holding hands, hugging, etc. I wouldn't mind at all

Some of the female Olympians have posed for Playboy, I have to wonder if any of the guys have posed for Playgirl

 

[SouthPark(R)]

i liked it when the tall one spanked the little one in the glutorial region as they were frolicking in the sand while celebrating.

 

[ThatGuy]

Some of the female Olympians have posed for Playboy, I have to wonder if any of the guys have posed for Playgirl

Aren't those really both just men's magazines anyway?

I did notice that the tall blonde (I don't remember their names) was a big fan of the "good job" butt-pat. She'd do it to her teammate after every point and to members of the other team when they met at the net after the matches. Not that I minded seeing that.

 

[zoney!]

Pax...I didn't think of the double standard...but I did wonder if there was something more.

Although, I am kinda glad no one has made it into a bigger issue.

I am REALLY tired of folks complaining about "the beach volleyball shorts" though.

 

[indra]

I am REALLY tired of folks complaining about "the beach volleyball shorts" though.

On the guys? But they are hideously ugly!! I mean these are great looking guys...what's wrong with showing it off a bit? And don't tell me they can move better in that baggy crap! I think it's quite a pity that the women can look so good, but the men look so awful. And the basketball players....pfftt! Pitiful looking outfits...not even worth watching. I will never understand when or why guys ever decided they looked hot in those clothes. Sorry guys, you look like crap.

As for the winning women and their celebration, I just figured they were happy. Period. Anything else is none of my business. Same thing if they were guys. Now if they wore ugly clothes....

 

[nbcrusader]

Do we really benefit by speculating what would happen if two guys did this? Are we inventing a double standard?

 

[forbonou2]

CAn't we just be happy for these womens teams that they won? It's their moment they worked so hard for, why criticize this?

 

[pax]

Of course we can be happy. Personally, I'm thrilled. They seem like two nice women and kick-ass athletes.

Wondering about why our society creates double standards for same-sex PDAs, regardless of whether they are sexual or not, does not diminish our pride and happiness for May and Walsh.

It seems pretty obvious to me. Even in high school, my (female) best friend and I often held hands or walked arm-in-arm at my small-town mall without so much as a glance from passersby. If it had been two guys, though, I doubt they would have gotten off that easily.

 

[Angela Harlem]

Why do people get so up in arms over skimpy outfits these women volleyballers wear? They're incredibly fit and beautiful women. Let them flaunt and be flaunted. Lets admire them instead of taking the tired old PC route. PC is wrong when it wont let us enjoy what we can do, or how we look.

I say good on them. Let the men of the world admire them. They deserve it. At least they're not just there for show like bikini models. They are actually very skilled sports people. Let the world smarten up to understand the difference between appreciation and oggling, instead of dumbing the rest down to prevent a few who are too thick to applaud it for the relatively insignificant thing it is.

/feminist bashing which is not, as always, directed at anyone of this fine and open minded forum

 

[indra]

Why do people get so up in arms over skimpy outfits these women volleyballers wear? They're incredibly fit and beautiful women. Let them flaunt and be flaunted. Lets admire them instead of taking the tired old PC route. PC is wrong when it wont let us enjoy what we can do, or how we look.

I say good on them. Let the men of the world admire them. They deserve it. At least they're not just there for show like bikini models. They are actually very skilled sports people. Let the world smarten up to understand the difference between appreciation and oggling, instead of dumbing the rest down to prevent a few who are too thick to applaud it for the relatively insignificant thing it is.

/feminist bashing which is not, as always, directed at anyone of this fine and open minded forum

I agree! I just wish we could do the same with the guys in many sports. C'mon guys! I want to be able to appreciate your incredibly fit and beautiful bodies too!

Oh, yeah, I think someone mentioned that the women in beach volleyball had to keep adjusting their suits -- I didn't notice that at all. I fact I was amazed at how much they stayed the same throughout the matches!

 

[zoney!]

I agree! I just wish we could do the same with the guys in many sports. C'mon guys! I want to be able to appreciate your incredibly fit and beautiful bodies too!

Yeah...but often guys have gross and ugly hair that grows up the backside of their legs and......well, hopefully I could just end there and you will be fine with it!

Short shorts: the BEST FYM conversation ever!

Thanks Indra.

 

[DaveC]

 

[A_Wanderer]

^Second

 

[AvsGirl41]

 

[A_Wanderer]

Must Wash Eyes, hand me that mace! (j/k)

Case in point most guys dont like to look at gay men, old people or ugly people, we like to see something a little more pleasing to the eyes, and that first picture falls under that category.

 

[indra]

Must Wash Eyes, hand me that mace! (j/k)

Case in point most guys dont like to look at gay men, old people or ugly people, we like to see something a little more pleasing to the eyes, and that first picture falls under that category.

Wow! That's shallow.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Well that was what I was going for

 

[zoney!]

HERE is the double-standard:

As a male...if I were to say "I don't mind seeing two guys kiss" - I would almost immediately (whether it was verbal or not) be labelled "gay"

I think "society" has told me to see that and feel uncomfortable.

 

[Salome]

I don't mind seeing two guys kiss
but 2 guys who run into eachother while both having their tongues half a feet out of their mouths makes a crap arse picture though

 

[pax]

Fortunately, zoney, I think that's changing for our (?) age group (I'm almost 22 for the record). My fiance is straight (obviously), but has gay friends and doesn't bat an eye if they hold hands or kiss around him. I think this is probably evolving more in urban centers, but I hope it is reaching other areas if the country as well, as more and more straight guys learn that they can't be "turned" gay and that gay guys don't spend all their time trying to hit on straight ones.

 

[oliveu2cm]

I read some interesting blogs, and this subject came up last week on a lot of them. The writers were mainly concerned with the way women beach volleyball players are regulated to dress.

Echidne has some great things to say about this:

"I'm going to tell what I heard one of the commentators say. Supposedly there have been many more ball handling errors in Athens than is usual, and according to this commentator the reason is in the ball being wet. The wetness comes from the forearms of the first player who touches the ball after it crosses the net. The correction to a wet ball is for the athletes to use their tops and shorts to dry their forearms.

Good. And what do the female athletes use for this drying operation? Their hair? I suspect that there are more ball handling errors in the women's games for this reason. Just remember that if you read that women commit more beach volleyball errors than men."

If you read the comments at that post, you'll see an email response from Holly McPeak, who stated that "for me the most comfortable outfit is a 2 piece bathing suit. My sponsor Speedo makes me my own suit that fits perfect and doesn't turn into a wedgie. The problem with the olympics is that our USAV sold the rights to Nike to make our suits. Unfortunately, not all the suits fit great."

Another opinion posted by a guest blogger at feministe.us

*edit to fix links

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

That's interesting olive-I agree about the camera angles and Yahoo photos. I guess you can also argue the angle that part of these sports is about a celebration of the body form. TV wants to exploit it for ratings, just like they do in other shows I hope most people think about the females' athletic ability in the Olympics, and in other sports, more than their bodies.

I guess this doesn't count because they're brothers

Steven Lopez, left, from the USA kisses his coach and brother Jean Lopez after he won the men's under 80kg taekwondo gold medal against Turkey's Bahri Tanrikulu at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, Saturday, Aug. 28, 2004

 

[nbcrusader]

Who is exploiting the female form in these Olympics? It seems that a number of female atheletes have electively posed (partially clad or fully nude) in a number of men's magazines.

 

[oliveu2cm]

Who is exploiting the female form in these Olympics? It seems that a number of female atheletes have electively posed (partially clad or fully nude) in a number of men's magazines.

So what if some pose in men's magazines- does that mean they should all be regulated to play a sport in bikinis (that ride up and offer no cloth material to wipe sweat).

Furthermore, most teenagers and children have limited exposure to men's magazines and I, for instance, don't have to buy them if I don't want to. The Olympics are on nationally-syndicated TV, and is supposed to be about the sport- not the gratuitious butt shots.

 

[nbcrusader]

Carrie, I think we are on the same page on the issue in general.

Perhaps the choice made by a few athletes makes it more difficult for the rest.

Beach volleyball in general was not presented with the same ideals as other Olympic sports. The "entertainment" factor was present in many ways, including rock music during breaks and the Canary Island dancing girls.

I guess this is a problem when you create Olympic events. Beach volleyball was transplanted from the beach. And many of the elements unassociated with Olympic sports were brought along as well.

 

[DaveC]