The Real Feminist

"I am a bad feminist.", was always my response when I would sit down with my family and watch ESPN. I would say this random side bar because whenever the announcers were discussing the recent game or the players stats, there was always that one woman announcer that annoyed me. She would speak in an upbeat, girly accent that seemed like a different language compared to the buff, sports experienced, male announcers. Her laugh seemed fake and pageant like, which is not what I preferred to hear when there was a discussion about Lebron James and the 2012 NBA Championship basketball game. Honestly, she seemed like a ditz that was just put into that position to shut the feminists up. Whenever I screamed, "Get that blonde off the screen!" at the TV, my family would all turn toward me and give that same look that basically said, "Your telling a girl to shut up about sports when you yourself are, in fact, a girl...hypocrite." 

This week opened my eyes to what feminism actually means and why my views on female sports announcers is completely impartial and unfair. "Feminism" surprisingly is the belief that all MEN and WOMEN should be given equal political, social and economic rights. When I learned this, my mind made this face...

I had been wrong this entire time about what feminism actually meant and how it is applied towards our society. Once I understood the real definition of feminism, I delved more into the the reasons why I felt this strong vexation and annoyance with a female sports announcer. I have come to the conclusion that it is the media's fault! (Not me, yay!) The media has brainwashed people into associating slender, pretty woman with "girly sports" such as ballet, dance and volleyball. When a female is placed in a "man sport" they are viewed automatically as a lesbian. How unfair is this circumstance? The reason for this stigma is the idea of the hegemonic male and hegemonic female. We ideally view men as strong and powerful, therefore when a man joins the cheerleading team or decides to pursue his lifelong dream of being a ballet dancer, we mock him. The same is regarded toward females and dainty, graceful sports. The "norms" of the female and male are not just and correct to me, and this small lesson has changed my view of the female sports reporter. Next time I see the curvaceous blond woman sports announcer on ESPN, I won't roll my eyes and tune out what she has to say. Her opinion matters no matter her appearance and sex. Take that media! (By the way, I am now an official feminist. Snaps for Ashley!)