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8/15/2016

Gender Inequality of Olympic Proportions | A response

Among the coverage of Olympic events, there are statements made which insult the battle of feminism thus far. I will remind you, as the term is often confused with a concept of female superiority (a connotative definition which better fits misandry), that feminism is primarily about gender equality.

A popular example is the disregard of female competitors by identifying them in headlines by their relationships to men - and for the majority, not even other competitors. Rather than congratulate them by name, big-name news outlets write that girlfriends, fiancées, and wives have done well in their competitions; there has been at least one apology, by the Chicago Tribune, for their specific incident. Others compare winning women to winning men, such as Michael Phelps, when these women won on their own and are overall incomparable. As the gold medalist put it herself, "I'm not the next Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps. I'm the first Simone Biles."

In addition, there is a double-standard hidden in this coverage, as the ever-popular Buzzfeed has published several articles featuring male competitors in lists of attractiveness, pictures in and focused on their swimwear, praising their bodies sexually, and otherwise objectifying them in much the same ways as women are often subject to. While Buzzfeed specifically objects the sexualization of women, and promotes friendly body positivity, they don't seem to have any qualms with completely sexualizing men. Unrelated to the Olympics, there has also been a newsletter on Buzzfeed dedicated to pictures of attractive men; there are much more appropriate things to subscribe to, which Buzzfeed could support, such as a Twitter account that rates puppies based on cuteness.

The goal is to be as attentive to female athletes for their sport as is common and expected for male athletes, not to turn the traditional tables. Olympic women are not successful because they know men; Olympic men are not successful because they look nice; Olympic athletes are successful because they're exceptional at what they do.