Podium Girls

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Somehow worse than denying there is a problem at all?

Where is the evidence of this problem in regards to podium girls? You seem to have taken a stance of podium girls' knight in shining armour and want to protect them from being exploited. Maybe this is something your parents instilled in you, or some baggage you've picked up along the way.

You don't seem to have any insight into the world of the podium girls and are basing your argument on tabloid and media portrayals.

I, on the other hand do have an inight and used to 'hang out' with podium girls and their partners and I know that they are in no way (in the most) exploited...in fact...it is MEN...who are exploited by them.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

If I want to look at pictures of tits; they are but a click away.
If I want to look at pictures of attractive women; they are but a click away.
If I want to read posts written at the level of a "lads mag" that objectify individuals according to their perceived sexual desirability; such posts are but a click away in other forums.

I don't need or want to come in here and find such material.

THANK YOU mods for intervening.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

If I want to look at pictures of tits; they are but a click away.
If I want to look at pictures of attractive women; they are but a click away.
If I want to read posts written at the level of a "lads mag" that objectify individuals according to their perceived sexual desirability; such posts are but a click away in other forums.

I don't need or want to come in here and find such material.

THANK YOU mods for intervening.

In the same vein, 'tis only one less click to not see them.

 

[RiflemanSmith]

That picture was offensive in conjunction with the comment on the post.
The essence of the comment is that the commenter likes looking at the breasts of the woman.
The picture itself isn't offensive, the comment with it encourages the view that the particular woman should be thought of in terms of her breasts and that cyclechat is a place where it is acceptable to do so.
Without the picture, the poster states his personal opinion of podium girls but at least we aren't implicitly endorsing cyclechat as an environment where people should indulge that representation.

Yep totally agree the context in Which it was posted was purile but still don't agree with removing it.

 

[Spinney]

Where is the evidence of this problem in regards to podium girls? You seem to have taken a stance of podium girls' knight in shining armour and want to protect them from being exploited. Maybe this is something your parents instilled in you, or some baggage you've picked up along the way.

You don't seem to have any insight into the world of the podium girls and are basing your argument on tabloid and media portrayals.

I, on the other hand do have an inight and used to 'hang out' with podium girls and their partners and I know that they are in no way (in the most) exploited...in fact...it is MEN...who are exploited by them.

FFS - are you being deliberately obtuse? I directly said in a previous post that I didn't have a problem with the podium girls themselves, it was with the message being sent to other women! ALL women, not just podium girls. When have I said the podium girls are being exploited?

 

[SlipperySquid]

Well Mr Flying Monkey sir, looks like even though as you have already stated "this topic has been flogged to death" seems like you have a lot to say about it? Maybe you just like reading your own replies? I know I do but I've got an ulterior motive. With my goodself being a newbie here I need to get my post count up and found this an intersesting topic to join in on? Sorry if this in anyway upset you?

Anyway swiftly moving on sexism is purely in the eye of the beholder? Is a couple of pretty girls handing out flowers and a kiss really that bad? no but is it needed? again no but then again what is really needed? It's all entertainment at the end of the day to fill up our mundane lifes because we dont have to hunt and gather anymore. The problem as I see it isn't with the girls it's everyone that has an opinion on it Yes I do include myself in that one.

 

[RiflemanSmith]

You really are a bunch of hypocrites.
Yes that picture was posted in bad taste, but it became part of the thread.
It was connected on and discussed, yes?
It has been removed so any body reading this after the removal won't be able to see what is being debated and tapes about and make a decision for themselves.
Well done.

 

[coffeejo]

What have looks / beauty / ability to fill a bra got to do with sport / success at sport? That's my objection to the concept of podium girls.

 

[Spinney]

Also, if someone can demonstrate that the implications of them being there are truly detrimental to society and not just a debatable opinion on a forum, then I'm happy to listen.

Just one link from the first page of a google search:
http://www.westminstercollege.edu/myriad/index.cfm?parent=2514&detail=4475&content=4795
There is plenty of other stuff out there, if you want to look. (I'm not suggesting you should be looking here, necessarily, but just accept that there possibly IS a problem).

Obviously it isn't just podium girls, but a whole media thing. But podium girls don't help. It wouldn't be a problem if they wanted to (say) pick the first 6 people they happened to pass in the street and ask them to present the prizes, but I'd take some convincing that they aren't picked because they are female, slim, pretty, young etc, etc.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Just one link from the first page of a google search:
http://www.westminstercollege.edu/myriad/index.cfm?parent=2514&detail=4475&content=4795
There is plenty of other stuff out there, if you want to look. (I'm not suggesting you should be looking here, necessarily, but just accept that there possibly IS a problem).

Obviously it isn't just podium girls, but a whole media thing. But podium girls don't help. It wouldn't be a problem if they wanted to (say) pick the first 6 people they happened to pass in the street and ask them to present the prizes, but I'd take some convincing that they aren't picked because they are female, slim, pretty, young etc, etc.

That isn't about podium girls. Which is where you have based your stance in this thread...your seem to be moving the goal posts to suit your argument.

I haven't mentioned any other areas as I have no direct experience except podium girls and models...this has been my stance from the beginning.

 

[Arjimlad]

Personally I am torn between Benny-Hill-ish humour and sexism as a child of the 70s, and the sensible approach but overall I think there is a problem with this, in how women are objectified & treated as eye-candy in professional sports.

Most sports have got over this and moved on, and it would appear to me that cycling should do so as well.

I don't recall seeing podium girls at the Olympics. If I were to have my time again and win a bike race, I would want a kiss from my wife (rather than have her watch me get pawed by or pawing a nubile young maiden or three as her reward for indulging my sporting passions). I do entirely agree that it's a free choice for the girls concerned but if I were organising the podium they'd not be on my list of stuff to schedule.

With an image-obsessed society, where we judge so readily on looks, perhaps it is time for sports that want to be taken a bit more seriously (and dare I say which might have some ground to make up after various doping scandals) to get with it.

 

[Spinney]

That isn't about podium girls. Which is where you have based your stance in this thread...your seem to be moving the goal posts to suit your argument.

I haven't mentioned any other areas as I have no direct experience except podium girls and models...this has been my stance from the beginning.

You really can't see that podium girls are part of the whole 'image of women' thing?

Your stance appears to have been 'I'm married to one/know a lot of podium girls' and I know they're not exploited, therefore Spinney is living in some fantasy land and is making up arguments'. Completely ignoring the fact that I wasn't talking about exploiting the podium women themselves at all.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

No no, the original theme of the thread was podium girls are just exploited females giving other females a bad rep.

I believe that podium are not exploited and as such are actually empowered by their beauty and job, why else would highly professional women choose to do it? Unless of course your saying highly successful professional women are just pandering to media and societal pressure to become the stereotypical bimbo.

 

[theclaud]

You really are a bunch of hypocrites.
Yes that picture was posted in bad taste, but it became part of the thread.
It was connected on and discussed, yes?
It has been removed so any body reading this after the removal won't be able to see what is being debated and tapes about and make a decision for themselves.
Well done.

It was removed before I saw the thread. It makes no difference - "look at the tits on that" is not a "debate".

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

It was removed before I saw the thread. It makes no difference - "look at the tits on that" is not a "debate".

Who said it had to be debate? Maybe it was just a one off point of interest and ill judged joke?