Journalist Comments on Olympic Women, “Womanhood is Dying (because in his mind, the women are not “feminine…”
Perhaps some journos havent gotten around much in life seeing and being friends with many many kinds of women– strong women laborers for instance (one of my daughters is a welder and pneumatic drill operator), women athletes in particular.
This fellow journo, shown in photo at the end of the article, is a Turkish reporter who in younger years appears to have posed for many romantic photos of himself, which are very nice and probably could be contenders for book covers of Harlequin romance novels.
And perhaps that’s where one of the pop culture’s ideas about ‘what is a real woman’ comes from– the ‘bodice ripper brigade’. Nothing wrong with bodices, nor ripped bodices, presumably novelistically consensual.
But an idea that all woman ought also look like the covers of romance novels with her heaving breasts barely contained by the torn pink lacy dress and with the fires of Atlanta burning in the background…well, that’s sort of in the dress-up as the maid, school librarian, mistress whipstress, kneesock teen… category. It all ok, but it’s not for everyone. Many are far different, and deeper in their fantasms, pun intended.
But, back to the journo who complained that he thinks women in the Olympics have no breasts, are flat-chested and are too ‘masculine,’ that ‘womanhood is dying’. The journo is Yuksel Aytug (pictured below). He said “the Games were distorting women’s bodies and that extra points should be given to female athletes based on how feminine they looked.” Apparently Yuksel doesnt know that most women athletes bind their breasts to avoid ligament pain, chafing of tender parts, and to be as aerodynamic as possible… the sports bra industry is truly ‘structural’ in that regard.
But back to Yuksel’s comments. I think discretion is the better part of valour here and will not say what first comes to mind about such –but let me say in as genteel a way as I can: The women in the Olympics have worked harder than most men or women to be strong, limber and cut so beautifully. I find them all a wonder. All of them, from the women weight lifters to the divers to the sprinters to the boxers. They are amazing to watch as their muscles and minds carry them to strive for victory.
And this too: women cant make adult men-or adult women– feel safe… in the sense of forming and carving or growing or deleting parts and pieces of themselves mentally, emotionally, spiritually or physically so they fit the projection each male or female might carry overtly or secretly about which kind of ‘female turns that individual on.’ If one is focused on working-and-winning, to try to be whatever random thing a stranger thinks one should become, has to fall to the bottom of one’s ‘to do’ list at number #456,709,099.
Breast tissue in terms of volume or other ‘requirement’, seems such a non issue for those who are serious about health, longevity, being a lover and an athlete. Especially given the oddly eyeball-busting billboards on most every highway advertising women with breasts that are bazooka-sized artificially.
Were I a man who is attracted to women, or a woman who loves women, I would be so knocked out by a woman’s generosity with her body, her sharing her mind, spirit, soul and emotional self. I would be wowed by her warmth and intelligence, and especially her humor and her bravery, her wanting to help me, wanting to shelter, her vulnerabilties, and her dedication to enduring things.
Too, there are tribes of one-breasted women in our cultures across the world. They and the tribes of woman in our culture who have survived the challenge of cancer without either breast intact, are not to be judged by volume of breast tissue either. They are sexual beings, filled with heart, and often some of the most beautiful women who ever walked the planet, and their lovers are often madly in love with them, having almost lost them.
I grew up in a rural area and in 4-H, and I cringe when I hear some people lean toward ‘parting out’ a woman like she is a conglomerate of fetlocks and roasts and ribs.
I see that the journo who made these remarks is of the ‘older generation’ and that may be a holdover relic, the idea that a woman ought be judged entirely in her womanliness by her breasts or lack of solid muscle. But, I’m sympathetic to the nostalgia some older people carry about women of their Vargas dreams. And those images by Vargas were truly beautiful in the way ancient Greek and Roman sculpture is beautiful.
But, for younger generations, there’s far more leeway for women to develop as they will and as they wish… whether others find them ‘of the magic wand’ or not. For me personally, because I lift, and though I’m an average looking duck but far above average in the chi-chi department, the only thing I can say about being strong and athletically aspiring as a female, is that doing curls over the high bench, lifting heavy, it is true that chi-chis, depending on size, can get in the way and one has to decide whether to position oneself atop the ramp, or under it. Either way the squish while curling can be near equiv in pain to a mammogram. Thus, I’d rather a journo forget about his/her personal preferences/projections in women Olympians sexually, for that kind of ‘inch deep’ news as Gene Robinson calls it, is trivia soon forgotten. I’m far more interested in how to become stronger as a woman, even though I do own a few bodices. (I hope you are smiling with me)
Yet, wouldnt it be interesting to think about weight equip and benches for women of different chest dimensions so that all are at optimum comfort while lifting to fatigue. That would be a real contribution that many women could agree on and give unconflicted thanks for. (There are such designs in chiropractic and sports massage peripherals).
Well, back to the journo’s comment: I find the women Olympians beautifully feminine all draped in their well defined muscles and strengths that are more than adductors or pecs or gluts, or delts …. to become so shapely and strong, a woman athlete has given forth immense strength of purpose, strength of focus, strength of soul, strength of care for self… and also for the young who are aspirants toward their hope to be in the Olympics one day themselves.
The idea that a woman or man should look’ one way only’ is a closed-culture with a single mono-image with slight variations permitted. Oddly and blessedly, the culture of sport and strength-training, ironman, ironwoman, is open to anyone, and it is never ever too late in life to join in. Never. Our muscles have long long memory from our childhoods and young adulthood, and muscles, whether you personally hold the faith about it all or not, know the way from lagging flesh to buff edifice again.
Seriously.
And therein is the breadth and depth of allowing the body to find its most healthy and strongest edges… it is not by accident that athletes speak about exhilaration in the working out and the performance. It is there waiting for any woman or man who takes up the hammer to build the house, and nails it time and time again to the best of their abilities.
You too, as you wish. To each his own, AND to each her own…
including one’s opinions about what is ‘feminine’ and what constitutes ‘masculine’… also to each his own, AND to each her own.
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Wonderful post Dr. E. Yuksel needs to read it and expand his mind a bit.
Excellent observations. Alas, too many agree with this idiot. Your column needs to be picked up and repeated and repeated!
walt
The Turkish reporter is a product/victim of the culture he is from. As well to expect an American woman to understand a Turkish man (or, even harder, a Turkish woman) as a Turkish man to understand an American woman. Some culture gaps are just too great to cross, though an effort should always be made to do so.
Well his loss is what I would say. In fact, I do say it.
Great post….
” And this too: women cant make adult men-or adult women– feel safe… in the sense of forming and carving or growing or deleting parts and pieces of themselves mentally, emotionally, spiritually or physically so they fit the projection each male or female might carry overtly or secretly about which kind of ‘female turns that individual on.’ If one is focused on working-and-winning, to try to be whatever random thing a stranger thinks one should become, has to fall to the bottom of one’s ‘to do’ list at number #456,709,099. ”
Ahhh…..
Just in case Mr. Yuksel Aytug finds his way to this post, would like to leave him to suggestions…
Do read: The Invisible Embrace; Beauty by John O’Donohue
and
The Joyous Body by Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes
http://www.soundstrue.com/shop/The-Joyous-Body/3610.pd
After you read and listen to these, lets talk about beauty and the body….
Other derogatory comments i have heard about women from men in the Olympics are; some are too fat, some (weightlifters and judo) are too scary to watch, then the issue of precious little Gabby’s hair, color of the female gymnast suits are not patriotic enough… plus the color of the suits for medal ceremonies make them look ‘butch’…
sigh….
Amen, or as it’s said in Spanish, Amén
(the add-on was just to get past the spam catcher)
Maybe we should rethink which sports (Olympic and otherwise) women can participate in and create some new ones.
Instead of track and field women can have bake sales, running around trying to sell them. That would be a great sport to watch on TV.
Instead of weightlifting women can carry the many loads of laundry their men give them to wash.
Instead of boxing, women can break up fights between their children.
Instead of sharpshooting women can take aim at men who tell them what a man wants women to do.
As a woman, I find his comments insulting and derogatory. Maybe someone should tell him ‘real men’ don’t get perms in their hair!
Oh! Dr. E.
Nailed it, lady.
Bravo.
First of the guy who made these comments is obviously a pig raised in a culture I will never understand. However, there is a point in the disgusting statement.
What it is to be a man and a women is dying. Society has worked hard to bridge the gender gaps and bring equality. When you spend years creating a culture were men and women are thought of as equal then much of what made them different disappears. In the noble goal of removing sexism we have created a new problem, that where each gender struggles to identify how to can be male or female in a world that demands strength and sensitivity, complete awareness and control of emotions, the perfect amount of concern over ones appearance, the list could go on forever.
The world is a better place with men and women living in more equal society. However, I think as attitudes about gender continue to level out it will only continue the trend of what it is to be male or female to die off.
I think the women olympians finally showed the world that fit and strong is healthy and beautiful.
That these girls work hard to achieve and win, and they show their body with pride.
We recently wrote about this as well olympic women, strong is the new beautiful and I am glad that these women will inspire a generation of young girls.