While the Men MOCK

This week, I blogged about the alternate "coverage" CBC will be offering during the Stanley Cup Finals entitled "While the Men Watch". Two women who have chosen to comment on sports without any desire to comment on the game itself will be providing commentary on playoff beards, and sexy coaches, and how to cheer your man up after his favourite team loses the big game. Personally, if I wanted to know who's hot and who's not, I'd watch Access Hollywood. But apparently, it's infiltrated the sports world as well.

The controversy that surrounded this program wasn't solely based on it's blatantly sexist nature, but rather a faction of people who believe that I, and people who were equally offended, were overreacting. I was even told not to get my "knickers in a twist" (I won't even delve into how sexist that comment is in and of itself). 

Apparently, I should commend and applaud these women for their enterprising idea. Well, that just isn't going to happen. And as long as I have fingers to type, and a voice to speak with, I'll continue to tell anyone who'll listen just how insulting it is that publicly funded CBC would endorse such sexist programming.

I anxiously await the CBC to include Stanley Cup coverage entitled "While the Whites Watch", that consists of black Rastafarians with Jamaican accents sitting around laughing at the white men skating in a cold arena, and considering whether DeBoer would look good with dreadlocks. They would never include programming such as this, as it would be deemed racist and insensitive in a heart beat. Well, "While the Men Watch" is just as offensive. In part because there are black men who play hockey, just as there are female sports fans. 

I LIKE SPORTS. I don't watch sports because Lundqvist is hot. I don't watch sports because I want to be a man. I watch sports because I love watching underdogs rise up. I watch sports because I grew up watching the Habs on Hockey Night in Canada with my father. I watch sports because it's entertaining. Don't insult my intelligence by trying to get me to buy into sexist programming. 

If CBC wanted to appeal to the female market, perhaps they could get rid of the crotchety old men who have been presenting us with their prejudiced view on sports for the last 30 years, and hire some young, female talent. Provide young girls with women to look up to. Apparently I should aspire to rating hockey players based on their looks, and satisfying a man's needs. Well that's just bleak. Feminism isn't a dirty word. Stop making it into one.