The deification of women has never been more evident in our society after a recent uproar over a photo of a female footballer was published online here in Melbourne, Australia.
The photo featured a young woman, Tayla Harris, frozen in action as she kicked a goal during a clash in the AFWL.
A few trolls online made sexually explicit comments about her open legs and pose.
These comments led to an explosion of outrage rarely seen even in this radically left leaning, feminist society. It was nauseating to be hearing or reading about this issue on a daily basis with no-one, other than a handful of male ex footballers quietly muttering that they too were exposed to endless denigration of their appearance, their ability and even death threats, without so much as a ripple of reaction from the media. But these attempts to change the narrative or cause the mob to pause and consider the utter hypocrisy of those participating in this latest witch hunt fell upon deaf ears.
Once again, the derogatory comments of a handful of individuals (assumed to be males but with no conclusive proof) became another weapon to be used against toxic masculinity and the acceptance of misogyny, rape culture and male privilege.
The young woman claimed the comments about her were, “sexual abuse”.
The comments I saw were sexual abuse, if you can call it that, because it was repulsive and it made me feel uncomfortable. This is what I would consider sexual abuse on social media.”
Tayla Harris called for the AFL and possibly police to take action.
She continued:
These people need to be called out by the AFL, yes, but also taken further-maybe this is the start of domestic violence, maybe this is the start of abuse.”
Then the first of what was a tsunami of opinion pieces by mostly female journalists appeared. First in line was the Herald-Sun article, AFLW: This is a kick in the guts for women’s sport.
It opened with this very tired and overused canard.
I don’t think anyone would be shocked to learn that female athletes have a long way to go in earning the same respect as their male counterparts.
Tayla Harris had more to say:
Here’s a pic of me at work … think about this before your derogatory comments, animals” she posted on Twitter with the photo. On Facebook, alongside the photo, Harris wrote, “My hamstring is OK but derogatory and sexist comments aren’t.”
Fiona Bollen (the journalist) finished her piece with these inspiring words:
Her case should be a pivotal moment for women’s sport, a time when a player stood up and called it out and the people rose also from the benches to say ‘enough’. Till my dying breath I will shout from the rooftops-
Where was your fucking concern when men were being mocked, denigrated and vilified in our media? I didn’t hear any cries of “enough” when male footballers or athletes were humiliated by mainstream media journalists-not anonymous trolls.
Dane Swan was also involved in a more insidious story when a woman he had been involved with published nude pictures he had texted to her. The reaction to this disgusting betrayal and criminal behavior? Dane Swan was a silly fool for allowing himself to be compromised.
Dane Swan and Travis Cloke were investigated for contravening AFL rules!
►EXCLUSIVE! Collingwood stars Dane Swan and Travis Cloke engulfed in nude-photo scandal
►Explicit photos of Collingwood players Dane Swan and Travis Cloke leaked
►Woman’s Day publishes nude photos of Collingwood footballers Dane Swan and Travis Cloke
Not one of the countless articles about this issue ever condemned the women who broke the trust of these men and sold the images to the media. The players were idiots and fools.
Women’s magazines rushed the photos into print for their huge female audience to drool over.
No objectification here. No reducing male footballers to mere meat for the gratification of women.
Another Australian athlete by the name of Matt Shirvington was reduced to nothing more than his well- endowed package. When the first footage of Shirvington sprinting in his lycra was aired on television the public went into meltdown mode.
Dusty Martin, another AFL footballer was subjected to lewd comments from female fans after a photo of him was published.
But a female radio host and another female journalist believed that sexual comments directed at men were not the same as those directed at women.
However, host Deborah Knight and Sarrah Le Marquand from RendezView were quick to dispute the claim that the two cases were comparable.
‘It’s not a level playing field, pun intended, is it?’ Le Marquand said. ‘Those comments made about a woman play into the misogyny of how we treat female athletes in this country.
‘For a man it’s very different … he’s not actually feeling violated or fearing for his safety. Most importantly on this issue he’s not worried he’s not going to be taken seriously as an athlete and I think that’s the whole story here.’
So there we have it. The sexualizing or objectifying of men can never be considered humiliating, embarrassing or invasive for the male because these women simply know that it is different for women.
I would love a statistical analysis of all of the online trolling by strangers of female athletes which has led to any of these women being assaulted or physically threatened. I would suggest it would be close to zero.
As for linking a female athlete being trolled to her talents or skills not being taken seriously- where is the evidence for this? Many attractive female athletes have been accorded the appreciation their skills deserve even if people are equally impressed by their physical appearance.
From female surfers to female tennis players, many women have been the lucky recipients of praise for their sporting prowess and their good looks. It is no different for males. The true chasm emerges when we examine the denigration and mockery of less than attractive male athletes in comparison to their female counterparts.
I mentioned the fact in another article that there is literally no criticism of the female Australian Rules footballers. Whether it be their physical appearance or footballing skills, the commentators could well be calling an under tens match such is the patronizing, “kid gloves” approach they take to the women’s game, all the while punctuating the contest with “Girl Power” advertisements and demands for equal treatment.
It is so transparently pathetic even I find it hard to get riled up. A slow headshake will usually suffice. I can’t actually watch more than a minute of the women’s game so low is the skill level. But if you speak these words aloud, you will have the mob baying for your blood. If you don’t enjoy women’s football, the reason is quite simple. You are a misogynist.
You probably hate any progress women have made and you are a part of our societal rape culture.
The truth has never been more starkly on show. We simply have nothing but contempt for the hurt, humiliation or sadness men may feel as a result of abuse.
It does not even register as an issue in the eyes of our government and sports administrators.
But women are now an elevated species. There are two sets of standards operating simultaneously in our Family Courts, prisons, streets or in the world of music, writing and sport.
Women are to be lionized, praised, acknowledged, celebrated, glorified, acclaimed, admired, exalted and applauded.
Nothing less than this will be tolerated.
Read the words of Tayla Harris’s coach, Daniel Harford:
“Tayla said it herself this morning that it’s become more than about her, it’s a bigger picture than that, it’s so much bigger than that and we, the mature male population seem to be the problem at the moment, so we need to have more education and more understanding of what these things can do to people and how it affects people.
“It’s absolutely unacceptable.”
Once again, the words of a handful of late-night trolls is a problem for the mature male population (whatever that means).
Harford played football at the highest level and I am sure he is aware of the abuse which targeted his teammates. He would have seen the depression so many of his fellow players succumbed to, often largely due to the online abuse and scrutiny to which they were subjected. Yet Dan never, to my knowledge, spoke out against trolls or demanded females stop treating players as a notch on their belts.
The most alarming aspect of this endless circus is that once again, the bigoted attitudes of feminists are acted upon.
The AFL has declared war on trolls after a stunning photo of Carlton superstar Tayla Harris in full flight became fodder for ugly online abuse.
The hunt for those responsible for the cruel invective is set to become a “watershed moment” for Australian sport, as some of the biggest names in football, entertainment and politics have called for tighter online controls to combat abuse.
AFL integrity unit investigators are to join forces with Channel 7’s social media platforms in an attempt to identify the perpetrators, who could be banned from games and stripped of their club memberships.
The only time I have seen a similar reaction involving a male was when the male happened to be an indigenous player. For me, this is never about protecting men but simply a virtue signaling exercise and another opportunity to slam “toxic males”.
The abuse targeting males is minimized, deflected, or of no consequence, according to the many women who choose to write about the issue. They never provide a convincing argument to explain why this is so.
The stunningly myopic opinions expressed by female journalists on this issue are quite shocking. So many women seem to truly believe that women have exclusive ownership of suffering. They do not see men or boys.
We seem to be physical objects which fill in the background scenery of their lives. Men are simply extras in the movie of their existence. We are cardboard cutouts, devoid of emotion. We exist only as demons to be denounced or villains to be blamed.
It is sad.
I love so many men and boys in my life. My heart aches for them. I have seen so many damaged men in my life. Weeping, shuddering, broken and lost males who have been brutalized by life. They will never be seen by the countless females who carry their entitlement and privilege as the very minimum they should be expected to possess as they live their lives.
References
