Coxford_lou Posted 11 April, 2015 Share Posted 11 April, 2015 Inspiring clip about the women's boat race: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rowing/32130222 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadoldgit Posted 11 April, 2015 Share Posted 11 April, 2015 If they had agreed to row naked I am sure there would have been plenty of money in it for them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadoldgit Posted 11 April, 2015 Share Posted 11 April, 2015 On a more serious note - I never really though about this as a sexist issue. The boat race has always been a male thing as has the FA Cup Final etc. I'd always assumed that women rowed but what does that have to do with the annual boat race (queue the old joke about how come Oxford and Cambridge get through to the final every year). It is something that happens that people make a fuss about that happens to be done by blokes. You could argue that if you open it up to women then you should open it up to other universities too as it is exclusive as it stands to males in just two universities. The whole point about this race is that it is a one off between Oxford and Cambridge and traditionally it has been competed for by males. There are plenty of other rowing competitions out there that include women aren't there if that is your bag? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxford_lou Posted 11 April, 2015 Author Share Posted 11 April, 2015 On a more serious note - I never really though about this as a sexist issue. The boat race has always been a male thing as has the FA Cup Final etc. I'd always assumed that women rowed but what does that have to do with the annual boat race (queue the old joke about how come Oxford and Cambridge get through to the final every year). It is something that happens that people make a fuss about that happens to be done by blokes. You could argue that if you open it up to women then you should open it up to other universities too as it is exclusive as it stands to males in just two universities. The whole point about this race is that it is a one off between Oxford and Cambridge and traditionally it has been competed for by males. There are plenty of other rowing competitions out there that include women aren't there if that is your bag? Well, I don't really have a strong opinion on it in that sense (although anything that is men only is an exclusion), I just watched the film, and felt their frustration. I guess, without experiencing what they've come up against, we don't really know if it's sexist or not. But certainly the comments around whether or not they're physically capable. Or press guys asking them to be photographed in towels - yeah that's sexist. But they've clearly come up against something, persisted, and got there in the end. And that's pretty admirable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batman Posted 11 April, 2015 Share Posted 11 April, 2015 no one cares about the women's race Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxford_lou Posted 11 April, 2015 Author Share Posted 11 April, 2015 no one cares about the women's race Factually incorrect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batman Posted 11 April, 2015 Share Posted 11 April, 2015 Factually incorrect. I wonder what the viewing figures would be both at the event, betting, on telly had the race been held on a different day. BBC are going all out to ensure ladies sport is given an equal footing, despite the interest being very small Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxford_lou Posted 11 April, 2015 Author Share Posted 11 April, 2015 I wonder what the viewing figures would be both at the event, betting, on telly had the race been held on a different day. BBC are going all out to ensure ladies sport is given an equal footing, despite the interest being very small If you're like me, you'll like any kind of competition. I'm not sure what your problem is? Does watching sport make you feel uncomfortable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batman Posted 11 April, 2015 Share Posted 11 April, 2015 If you're like me, you'll like any kind of competition. I'm not sure what your problem is? Does watching sport make you feel uncomfortable? no. Just saying hardly anyone cares. No where near the as much as the BBC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadoldgit Posted 12 April, 2015 Share Posted 12 April, 2015 Well, I don't really have a strong opinion on it in that sense (although anything that is men only is an exclusion), I just watched the film, and felt their frustration. I guess, without experiencing what they've come up against, we don't really know if it's sexist or not. But certainly the comments around whether or not they're physically capable. Or press guys asking them to be photographed in towels - yeah that's sexist. But they've clearly come up against something, persisted, and got there in the end. And that's pretty admirable. I don't disagree and fair play to the girls. Where does it stop though? A womens final before the FA Cup Final? A womens Grand Prix before the FI Grand Prix? I am all for equality and the girls were clearly delighted at the end of their race to have had their day too. I also think that the viewing figures would have been much lower of they had raced on another day and that it is an issue that many people wouldn't have bothered about unlike equal pay for equal jobs etc. I think there are more important battles to fight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadoldgit Posted 12 April, 2015 Share Posted 12 April, 2015 no. Just saying hardly anyone cares. No where near the as much as the BBC It is one of those annual events that is part of the British "season" like the Chelsea Flower Show. You can bet if it was the LSE against Camberwell Art College they wouldn't give a stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hypochondriac Posted 12 April, 2015 Share Posted 12 April, 2015 The bbc have obviously been told to start prompting female sport more and consequently their coverage is wildly disproportionate to the popularity of the actual sport. Having said that with regards to the boat race I don't have much of an opinion on it because I rarely Watch. I don't think there is any problem with putting it on before the men though because it isn't much of an organisational problem for a one off event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearsy Posted 12 April, 2015 Share Posted 12 April, 2015 This is great news! The Boat Race has always been disgustingly elitist - normally the only people allowed to compete are those that are good at rowing, so it's brilliant to hear that they are widening the field Every year a lot of people turn up for try-outs, and are turned away because other people are "better at rowing" and I've always thought that was wrong! Often it's not their fault that they are not very good at rowing, i.e. they may be very fat, or asthmatic, or whatever, and why should they be discriminated against, for reasons that are purely accident of birth? I actually think it would be better for viewing figures if the Boat Race was handicapped, like the Grand National. It would be a much better spectacle if every boat had to include, in addition to someone who is good at rowing, someone who has no nutsack, and someone with a BMI of 50+, and i.e. someone with no arms or whatever. They could also introduce i.e. a small hole into each boat's hull, and a dozen or so sharks into the Thames, and I guarantee if they did all this, viewing figures would increase min. 3-fold! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxford_lou Posted 12 April, 2015 Author Share Posted 12 April, 2015 I don't disagree and fair play to the girls. Where does it stop though? A womens final before the FA Cup Final? A womens Grand Prix before the FI Grand Prix? I am all for equality and the girls were clearly delighted at the end of their race to have had their day too. I also think that the viewing figures would have been much lower of they had raced on another day and that it is an issue that many people wouldn't have bothered about unlike equal pay for equal jobs etc. I think there are more important battles to fight. I never really understand the 'more important battles to fight' point of view - it's as if there was one person in charge of it all needing to prioritise where they spend there time, rather than the real world which is 50% women, all with different interests and things they feel passionate about. But also, women and sport is actually quite an important thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxford_lou Posted 12 April, 2015 Author Share Posted 12 April, 2015 This is great news! The Boat Race has always been disgustingly elitist - normally the only people allowed to compete are those that are good at rowing, so it's brilliant to hear that they are widening the field Every year a lot of people turn up for try-outs, and are turned away because other people are "better at rowing" and I've always thought that was wrong! Often it's not their fault that they are not very good at rowing, i.e. they may be very fat, or asthmatic, or whatever, and why should they be discriminated against, for reasons that are purely accident of birth? I actually think it would be better for viewing figures if the Boat Race was handicapped, like the Grand National. It would be a much better spectacle if every boat had to include, in addition to someone who is good at rowing, someone who has no nutsack, and someone with a BMI of 50+, and i.e. someone with no arms or whatever. They could also introduce i.e. a small hole into each boat's hull, and a dozen or so sharks into the Thames, and I guarantee if they did all this, viewing figures would increase min. 3-fold! :( take the mickey out of women's rowing all you like. But as the Olympics show, female rowing is as entertaining to watch for the mass public, as men's. And if silly men got off their high horse obsession with protecting men's sports, then they see that any bit of competition is fun to watch. Christ, I've even been known to watch darts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearsy Posted 12 April, 2015 Share Posted 12 April, 2015 I was serious! I genuinely think it would be more entertaining if they did like I'm suggesting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxford_lou Posted 12 April, 2015 Author Share Posted 12 April, 2015 I was serious! I genuinely think it would be more entertaining if they did like I'm suggesting! What you described is It's A Knockout, not serious sport! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearsy Posted 12 April, 2015 Share Posted 12 April, 2015 omg you think women's rowing is "not serious sport"???? I've trolled you into a corner! I'm claiming an Internet Win for Team Bear! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coxford_lou Posted 12 April, 2015 Author Share Posted 12 April, 2015 omg you think women's rowing is "not serious sport"???? I've trolled you into a corner! I'm claiming an Internet Win for Team Bear! No Bear. This is a fail of an effort to troll me into a corner. Weaker than a pint of Fosters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadoldgit Posted 13 April, 2015 Share Posted 13 April, 2015 I never really understand the 'more important battles to fight' point of view - it's as if there was one person in charge of it all needing to prioritise where they spend there time, rather than the real world which is 50% women, all with different interests and things they feel passionate about. But also, women and sport is actually quite an important thing. I don't disagree about sport but think there are bigger issues than the boat race. It is just some snobby annual event that I really think that most people couldn't give a stuff about. All that has happened is that we have two snobby races now instead of one. It would be more of a victory to have women racing alongside men in Formula 1. I am sure plenty of women ate passionate about motor sport and it is one where the physical differences between men and women count for less. Hopefully someone will have the bright idea of integrating men and woman in the boat race and I can go back to ignoring one race each your rather than two! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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