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Oh I say! She's wearing red knickers We try to keep out the sexism in covering tennis, but sometimes it's difficult
(about 14 hours later)
Wimbledon once more. Some sun and strawberries and some Guardian readers who believe that the way the newspaper sometimes portrays women players could do with coaching into a less sexist presentation. One reader said that an article about a game in the French Open, headlined Sharapova hangs tough again to earn title showdown with Halep, 6 June 2014, was "sexist and over sexualised".Wimbledon once more. Some sun and strawberries and some Guardian readers who believe that the way the newspaper sometimes portrays women players could do with coaching into a less sexist presentation. One reader said that an article about a game in the French Open, headlined Sharapova hangs tough again to earn title showdown with Halep, 6 June 2014, was "sexist and over sexualised".
These are the two paragraphs to which she was objecting: "At first, the patrons of a packed Court Philippe Chatrier were not sure which of the two ladies in pink might win their affection on this blessedly sunny day. Would they remain faithful to their old flame, Maria Sharapova, or did the charms of the younger Eugenie Bouchard hold more long-term promise? At the end of this very public ménage à trois, they went with the Russian, rising to acclaim a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 win that takes her into Saturday's final of the French Open against Simona Halep. The gifted little Romanian, the No 4 seed, beat Andrea Petkovic, 6-2, 7-6 in the second semi-final in front of a paltry audience after the theatre that had gone before."These are the two paragraphs to which she was objecting: "At first, the patrons of a packed Court Philippe Chatrier were not sure which of the two ladies in pink might win their affection on this blessedly sunny day. Would they remain faithful to their old flame, Maria Sharapova, or did the charms of the younger Eugenie Bouchard hold more long-term promise? At the end of this very public ménage à trois, they went with the Russian, rising to acclaim a 4-6, 7-5, 6-2 win that takes her into Saturday's final of the French Open against Simona Halep. The gifted little Romanian, the No 4 seed, beat Andrea Petkovic, 6-2, 7-6 in the second semi-final in front of a paltry audience after the theatre that had gone before."
Well, sports coverage is a specialism that searches out metaphor like an indefatigable bloodhound hunting down a felon. While the author denies sexism he accepts that in pursuit of the neat conceit he used a reference based on sex.Well, sports coverage is a specialism that searches out metaphor like an indefatigable bloodhound hunting down a felon. While the author denies sexism he accepts that in pursuit of the neat conceit he used a reference based on sex.
But then he might have used the same gambit had the players been Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. Jane Martinson, the Guardian's women's editor says that her rule of thumb is if you could put a man's name in the same piece. In this case, is the sexualised language possible to imagine if it had been used in a game between Murray and Nadal? In 2014 I think it is possible to imagine that.But then he might have used the same gambit had the players been Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray. Jane Martinson, the Guardian's women's editor says that her rule of thumb is if you could put a man's name in the same piece. In this case, is the sexualised language possible to imagine if it had been used in a game between Murray and Nadal? In 2014 I think it is possible to imagine that.
And the writer is well aware of the debate, having written derisively of the fuss about Murray's new coach, Amélie Mauresmo in a sports blogpost (21 June), when he wrote about the comments from some male tennis stars on Mauresmo's appointment: "This trivialisation of the subject soon ran out of steam and Mauresmo's French compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga saw it more sensibly. 'Today, we're part of the new generation – we don't really care whether our coaches are girls or men. It doesn't matter if your coach is black, white, yellow or green, a girl, a man or whatever.'"And the writer is well aware of the debate, having written derisively of the fuss about Murray's new coach, Amélie Mauresmo in a sports blogpost (21 June), when he wrote about the comments from some male tennis stars on Mauresmo's appointment: "This trivialisation of the subject soon ran out of steam and Mauresmo's French compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga saw it more sensibly. 'Today, we're part of the new generation – we don't really care whether our coaches are girls or men. It doesn't matter if your coach is black, white, yellow or green, a girl, a man or whatever.'"
While there has always been a public preoccupation with women's hemlines at Wimbledon, the power of sponsorship gives an increasing role to players of both sexes as mannequins, on and off the court, which often sets the tone for a lot of the coverage.While there has always been a public preoccupation with women's hemlines at Wimbledon, the power of sponsorship gives an increasing role to players of both sexes as mannequins, on and off the court, which often sets the tone for a lot of the coverage.
"Wimbledon is tightening its dress code this year, with stricter rules on 'almost entirely white' clothing" was the opening of the subheading on a gallery of pictures published on 23 June, which showed images from "130 years of pushing tennis style boundaries". For women. One reader wrote: "I am complaining about it because I am utterly tired of sexist rubbish like this masquerading as coverage of fashion or, indeed sport. Because what did we have? An article about fashion at Wimbledon which covered only women and which... just had to contain the obligatory crotch shot of a female player... Do you really have to encourage this sort of stuff, and the photographers who sit and take pictures like this? If you wanted to make the point that women at Wimbledon wear coloured knickers... you could have done it more discreetly.""Wimbledon is tightening its dress code this year, with stricter rules on 'almost entirely white' clothing" was the opening of the subheading on a gallery of pictures published on 23 June, which showed images from "130 years of pushing tennis style boundaries". For women. One reader wrote: "I am complaining about it because I am utterly tired of sexist rubbish like this masquerading as coverage of fashion or, indeed sport. Because what did we have? An article about fashion at Wimbledon which covered only women and which... just had to contain the obligatory crotch shot of a female player... Do you really have to encourage this sort of stuff, and the photographers who sit and take pictures like this? If you wanted to make the point that women at Wimbledon wear coloured knickers... you could have done it more discreetly."
Picturing French star Tatiana Golovin's red knickers in 2007 is, I think, unnecessary – but why did the Guardian choose to feature just women? My colleague from the fashion department reasoned that while the new rules affected both men and women it was the clothes of women's players that had changed more, and there was already a lot of menswear content because it was Milan menswear fashion week. But, on reflection, perhaps they could and should have run a gallery of men too. Picturing the French tennis star Tatiana Golovin's red knickers in 2007 is, I think, unnecessary – but why did the Guardian choose to feature just women? My colleague from the fashion department reasoned that while the new rules affected both men and women it was the clothes of women's players that had changed more, and there was already a lot of menswear content because it was Milan menswear fashion week. But, on reflection, perhaps they could and should have run a gallery of men too.
These are not trivial issues. According to the women's media center in the US only 10% of all sports journalists are women.These are not trivial issues. According to the women's media center in the US only 10% of all sports journalists are women.