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What If Every Olympic Sport Was Photographed Like Women’s Beach Volleyball

Nate Jones asks, “What if every Olympic sport was photographed like beach volleyball?”

James Joyner
10

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Nate Jones asks, “What if every Olympic sport was photographed like beach volleyball?“

The above pic gives away the joke: Women’s beach volleyball players show off their (mostly rather fantastic) physiques in very skimpy  bikinis—previously mandated but optional for the 2012 Games—and the photographs often zoom in on their (often spectacular) backsides.  Men’s sports photography doesn’t emphasize that particular region, even in sports where the men are not all that covered up.

Plausible explanations include rampant sexism or the fact that shots of the backsides of hot women playing volleyball is art in its highest form whereas zooms of dudes’ crotches are just nasty.

via Erin Simpson

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10 responses to “What If Every Olympic Sport Was Photographed Like Women’s Beach Volleyball”

  1. Christopher Bowen Avatar
    Christopher Bowen

    It’s like the old Bill Hicks joke, regarding the old books Daddy’s New Roommate and Heather’s Two Mommies:

    “Folks I’m going to have to draw the line here and say I find this really fucking disgusting. You know, it’s abhorrent, I think it’s fucking evil, alright. And I’m talking of course about Daddies new room-mate, Heathers two mommies on the other hand… wow! Quite a fetching read.”

  2. michael reynolds Avatar
    michael reynolds

    I think the latter part of your conclusions are spot on.

    I already don’t care about sports, and gymnastics has been ruined for me by the realization that many of the athletes are 14, so really beach volleyball is all I have left.

  3. Tsar Nicholas Avatar
    Tsar Nicholas

    What If Every Olympic Sport Was Photographed Like Women’s Beach Volleyball?

    Depends upon what the meaning of the word “what” is.

    If you’re NBC then you only show women’s beach volleyball, women’s volleyball, women’s tennis, women’s swimming, etc.; other sports simply don’t get televised.

    If you’re part of the “ism” crowd (sexism, racism, etc.) then you find something else over which to project your issues and to be a malcontent.

    Incidentally, the other way in which Nate Jones could have posited that query is as follows: “What if women beach volleyball players didn’t dress up like Lolita in heat?”

  4. de stijl Avatar
    de stijl

    @Tsar Nicholas:

    If you’re NBC then you only show women’s beach volleyball, women’s volleyball, women’s tennis, women’s swimming, etc.; other sports simply don’t get televised.

    I guess I’m watching a different NBC than you.

    Or is your point that NBC is showing too many women’s events?

  5. de stijl Avatar
    de stijl

    @Tsar Nicholas:

    If you’re part of the “ism” crowd (sexism, racism, etc.) then you find something else over which to project your issues and to be a malcontent.

    Meet my friend Kettle.

  6. Gromitt Gunn Avatar
    Gromitt Gunn

    There’s an excellent Buzz Feed article (which I can’t link to from work since Buzz Feed is firewalled) entitled “The Olympics, or Gay Porn?” Mr. Jones just might be surprised.

  7. mantis Avatar
    mantis

    @Tsar Nicholas:

    Incidentally, the other way in which Nate Jones could have posited that query is as follows: “What if women beach volleyball players didn’t dress up like Lolita in heat?”

    Athletes dress for their sport. The male swimmers and divers wear skimpy swimsuits, but they aren’t photographed knees to chest like the female beach volleyball players. That was the point, which apparently slid right off the one on your head.

    Also, Lolita was a child of 12. The beach volleyball players are adult women. Do you really think women in bikinis look like 12 year-olds “in heat?” I think that’s a problem with you, not them.

  8. Ben Wolf Avatar
    Ben Wolf

    . . . shots of the backsides of hot women playing volleyball is art in its highest form whereas zooms of dudes’ crotches are just nasty.

    James Joyner should be Speaker of the House. There isn’t a straight man who won’t support this statement and vote for its author.

  9. al-Ameda Avatar
    al-Ameda

    Women’s Beach Volleyball is “SexSells-ism” at it’s finest.

    The only downside is that married men are forced to lie to their wives when asked by the wife why they’re watching THAT.

  10. Boyd Avatar
    Boyd

    Like others, I’ll vote for “just nasty.” I mean, as an analysis, not as a preference.

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