johnnyp wrote:
I think the culture secretary is on to something. It is sexist to have the women segregated.
I think the entire tournament should be unisex, then we would not have any problems with representation or bias.
Dr. Evil wrote:
I second that idea.
Add the two first prizes together and give it all to the best player on the field. No more special olympics.
This would be a valid point at the original Olympics in Greece. I think it's an amusing way to illustrate how we are never supposed to say that men outperform women in all sports - except maybe synchronized swimming. However, the suggestion that all female sports should be eliminated to get rid of sexist double standards earns the label of "lunatic fringe." It is unrealistic and unnecessary.
Why? Because athletes are really entertainers who do not do real productive work. In this sense, female tennis players are certainly capable of being equally entertaining. Or do you not enjoy watching Maria Sharapova play Martina Hingis? On the other hand, I don't find any players in the WNBA at all interesting. The public in general decides who has entertainment value.
The problem is, (as stated by hansside) that the women do not provide entertainment for equal amounts of time compared to men. Therefore, they should be paid less in proportion to the amount of time they spend on the court. If they want to be paid equal to men, then they can play 5 sets. Women are always bragging about their aerobics courses and how they have greater endurance to men, so 5 sets should not be a problem for them physically.
I have more of a problem with college sports and Title IX. I don't mind women competing in their own events, but this does create the mindset that women should be judged according to their own gender-normed standards. It conditions everyone to accept women as equals at whatever standard they demand. Scholarships should be given out on merit, and as such, universities should not be compelled to hand out equal numbers of grants to male and female athletes. I'm not saying that college female athletes should not get scholarships at all, I'm saying it should be up to the universities to decide without interference from the social engineering fascists. Universities should be free to invest more on sports that raise the most money. If female students want to play tennis, golf, or join the rowing team, they can sign up and pay for the classes.