Same job, different uniform.

Monday, August 06, 2007

Fair Play

I am not a feminist in the modern sense of the word, though I might say I am in the classic sense. "Equal pay for equal work," the right to life, liberty and vote. I have more in common with Susan B. Anthony and Eliazabeth Cady Stanton than Gloria Steinem does, but today we pro-life feminists are the red-headed step children of the movement.


Still, I am enough of a feminist to recognize a chauvinist.

According to Yahoo! sports, Danica Patrick, one of only four women ever to qualify for the Indy 500, "ripped the likable Brit [Dan Wheldon] for causing a major crash after Sunday's Firestone Indy 400."

Apparently there was an "initial confrontation after the Milwaukee race on June 3. That's when Patrick was attempting to pass Wheldon in the first turn and believes the 2005 IndyCar champion cut her off and sent her off the track.

Patrick had one of the fastest cars in the race at that point and was able to continue, but she believed at that time Wheldon cost her a chance at victory. She charged at Wheldon on pit lane after the race and even grabbed his arm, which led Wheldon to refer to her as a yapping little dog biting at his ankles. "

That is the kind of insult that a man would aim only at a woman. I am not suggesting Wheldon would never insult a man, but he would not refer to them as yapping little dogs. The implication is that Patrick is a nuisance, someone not to be taken seriously.

That is patronizing. That is sexism.

See what else Patrick has had to put up with.

Labels: , ,


SHARE THIS: Facebook | Stumble It! | Del.icio.us | DiggIt! | Technorati

12 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...




So it's alright for Danica to grab another driver and use her gender to her advantage, but it's not alright for Dan to call it as he see's it. Sexism goes both ways you know.

I'm a girl, and I for one didn't find anything wrong with Dan's comment. You can't afford to be offended by everything you come across in life, because you'll just end up being jaded. There are far worse people to go after than Dan Wheldon if you've got an agenda.

Monday, August 06, 2007

 
Blogger girlfriday said...




Thank you for the comment.

In what way did Danica use her gender to her advantage?

I didn't argue that sexism doesn't go both ways. This is one of the reasons I don't belong in the modern feminist movement. University campuses, for example, are rife with reverse sexism.

This did not offend me. I am not Danica, who may or may not have taken the insult to heart. This was an observation.

And I do not have an agenda. Unless you'd like to chat about equal rights for unborn women, and then I'll introduce you to my agenda.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...




If I may quote from Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage:
"gender, n., is a grammatical term only. To talk of persons or creatures of the masculine or feminine g., is either a jocularity (permissible or not according to context) or a blunder."

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...




Dad Friday is tempted to say something funny here, but nothing comes to mind. Anonymous makes a good point, Girl Friday.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

 
Blogger girlfriday said...




Thanks DadFriday. Excuse me while I wriggle this knife out of my back.

Seriously, did you read my reply? It's not even clear what anonymous is referring to.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...




I guess I don't see his comments as sexist, just as being cocky. He could have said the same thing about anybody, and I don't think he should just hold back if it's a woman. His comment just be judged according to how it was stated to a competitor, not on the basis of whether or not the opponent is a woman. Doesn't mean he either is or is not a jerk.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...




by the way, that last anonymous was DadFriday

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

 
Blogger Nathan said...




I agree with the previous poster. Hard driving, motivated people have a tendency to look down upon, and refer in diminutive terms about, their rivals. It happens in medicine (my own field) it happens in sports all the time, and we can see here it happens in car racing.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...




First of all, Dan Weldon extended the greatest compliment a driver can give to another driver when he "cut off" (the technique is called blocking at critical points on the track where a faster race car is attempting to pass) Danica. She is supremely fortunate she wasn't racing in the NASCAR circuit and hadn't been blocked by the likes of Tony Stewart or Kyle Busch. Had she confronted either of those two volatile drivers, the outcome may have gone beyond words.

Danica is an anomaly in the totally male-dominated racing economy, where men like to be boys at times. Even Weldon, who is very much a gentleman, said after the incident that had he been confronted by a man in the same situation, the result may likely have been much more physical. If feminists are offended by Dan's comments about Danica, they need to either attend in person, or watch a race on TV, and see what the boys have to say to each other during and after the races. Verbal and sometimes physical altercations are many and varied.

Danica is a talented and gutsy young lady who is destined to win an IRL event in the near future, but those who want to view her as a recipient of gender discrimination need to "get over it." I, for one, applaud Dan Weldon for his cool response.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

 
Blogger girlfriday said...




Well, that's me told!

If my posts are going to draw out the likes of Pops and Uncle Tom, expect more controversy here, folks!

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

 
Anonymous Anonymous said...




I agree with DadFriday and Uncle Tom. And I'm a woman...

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

 
Blogger Julie said...




I'd say something but I'm having my own blog, uh, "gender" battle.

Um.

Go Danica.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

 

Post a Comment

<< Home