Former WTA CEO, Larry Scott and Billie Jean King.In 2006, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) collaborated with the Women's Tennis Association in a +ACI-landmark partnership+ACI for global gender equality. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-It was the first time that UNESCO had ever partnered … [Read more...]
“Forgive me Father for I have thinned”: Confessions, Surveillance, and the Biggest Loser
Photo from The Huffington Post.This past July, a colleague and I published an article in the journal, Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-Our impetus for this particular research project was to try and see how viewers of The Biggest Loser make sense of the reality show and the … [Read more...]
Artistic Defiance: Street art and mega-events
I have never really understood art. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-For some, paint on a canvas speaks to them like another human being. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-For me, I hear nothing but silence, especially when we are talking about the Jackson Pollack - a three year old could have done that - type of art. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-However, through learning … [Read more...]
States of Exception: A review of Dave Zirin’s “Brazil’s Dance with the Devil”
+ACI-The World Cup is like a marvellous party, but what happens the next day when we're hung over and the bill comes due?+ACI-This summer the sports editor for The Nation released a new book titled, Brazil's Dance with the Devil: The World Cup, the Olympics, and the Fight for Democracy. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-As an advocate … [Read more...]
American Ninja Warrior and the Standardization of Play
Kacy Katanzaro. Photo from Zap2it. American Ninja Warrior (ANW) is awesome. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-If you haven't seen this show - where the heck have you been??? +ACY-nbsp+ADs-We are amused by embarrassing falls and face plants. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-We are inspired by people like tiny Kacy Katanzaro, who even made me rethink the physical … [Read more...]
Mud running, masochism and (some preliminary remarks on) the ethics of suffering [GUEST POST]
Tough Mudder. Spartan Race. Warrior Dash. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-If you yourself have not participated in one of these events I am sure that you know someone who has. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-Endurance mud running events have become all the rage recently feeding into our Western tradition of Protestant/Puritan work ethic … [Read more...]
Make @Warrior Accountable: A social media campaign against sexism in sport
It was brought to my attention today that Warrior is a horrifically sexist and misogynistic company. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-This was very disappointing to learn since I am a consumer of Warrior of equipment. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-I tried out a bunch of sticks when I switched to a one-piece hockey stick and I am sad to say that the … [Read more...]
What do athletes and models have in common? A Sh!tty labour structure
Professional sports and the world of modelling both represent dreams worlds for us mere mortals. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-We see them on billboards. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-We aspire to be like them for one reason or another. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-We tend to think, +ACI-that seems like a nice life+ACI. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-And for the most part I think it is. … [Read more...]
Shouldering the Burden: Sherpas, responsible tourism and gender norms.
Photo from National Geographic.On April 18th the+ACY-nbsp+ADs-tragic deaths of 16 Sherpas+ACY-nbsp+ADs-closed tourist access to Mount Everest for the remainder of the season. The Sherpas were swept away by an avalanche while trying to prepare route access for tourists on the Khumbu icefall. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-This event has … [Read more...]
The Irony of Women, Biking and Sexual Harassment
Since I created Offside Plays (+AEA-offsideplays) as a site to expose the everyday discrimination (e.g. racism, sexism, homophobia etc.) that takes place in sport and exercise nothing has caught my attention more than the harassment that women face while biking. +ACY-nbsp+ADs-The comments and cat calls that … [Read more...]