Women vs. Men vs. Mike Wise
If we can take anything away from reading the comments on Mike Wise's latest column, it's that the blow-up dolls of the world have very few advocates.
In case you've been living under a rock that doesn't get wi-fi, here's the situation:
"An unidentified player props up two nude, inflatable dolls in an American workplace -- dolls with bats strategically positioned around them and one holding a sign that read: "You've Got to Push," a juvenile reference to the White Sox hitting slump."
This immature (though some may say hilarious) act offends several women's activists, which offends men who don't get what the big deal is (typical), which offends Mike Wise, who thinks men need to be more sensitive, which offends Mike Wise's readers, who are clearly all men. Yes, it is quite the conundrum.
Here's a sampling of the backlash (to the fourth power):
knight1977: grow a pair Wise. . .men like you are what is wrong with this country.
clandestinetomcat: We have voted and decided you must immediately turn in your man card.
wassavi: Most people, myself included, don't think a locker room is the same as an office. You, however, think a locker room is equivalent to every workplace (as if they're all the same).
Didn't you know? For those of us who work in sports, they're exactly the same.
AnotherPerspective1: You think women don't do things just as "degrading?" They do. My ex girlfriends on women's sports teams at my undergrad did things that would make you whine, friends on women's teams at my grad school did things that would make you whine, and I can promise you it happens at the professional level too.
Please. You expect us to believe that women play sports? Nice try, pal!
akmzrazor: Sometimes you have to say " that went a little too far " and leave it at that.
Obviously, akmzrazor doesn't understand what the Internet is all about. We're still talking about Spygate, for crying out loud.
FergusonFoont: Gee. Sexism in a sports locker room. What a SHOCKER! Why, I once even read that a dog bit a man somewhere. Haven't we become just a little bit overwrought about such things, don't you think maybe? Why do you suppose they call it "locker room humor?"
Of course, there are always a few commenters who bravely go against the grain:
D87DG: Thanks to the Sox I had to try and not explain what a blow up doll is my nine year old son who reads the sports pages everyday and watches Sports Center. I guess I'm just naive to still believe that professional athletes can be role models or that they even embrace the idea that they can or should be.
Alright, who let the women in?
Finally, someone sticks up for the poor blow-up dolls, who seem to have been thrown under the bus in this battle of Real People:
csterling: You can't understand what it is like to go through life afraid of needles, pins, or other sharp objects. Anywhere we go we have to be carried, we can't feed ourselves, some of us don't even have shapes we are just round. Also when we get BLOWN up we are full of hot air, JUST LIKE THIS COLUMN. Signed, National Association of Balloons and Balloon People.
Team Blow-Up Doll!
By Lindsay Applebaum |
May 13, 2008; 2:30 PM ET
| Category:
MLB
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Posted by: Papa Smurf | May 13, 2008 3:05 PM
I strongly dislike Mike Wise for his annual "The Redskins' is a racist name article" (even if he is right); however, I am in complete agreement with him on this. Who would question a man's virility in regards to humping plastic? Last time I checked, real men prefer real women, or at least action figures over dolls.
Posted by: Wise-man | May 13, 2008 3:47 PM
Sometimes you have to say " that went a little too far " and leave it at that.
If only the sports media could understand that: It went a little too far. That's it
In Wise's defense, he took exception with the fact that no one from the White Sox organization seemed apologetic.
Even if they didn't do anything "wrong" they still offended people. They shouldn't be punished by MLB as Wise suggested.
Also, CSterling's comment was the funniest thing I've read in weeks.
Posted by: Daryl Pounds | May 13, 2008 4:08 PM
Wise is quickly showing himself to be one of the dumbest writers on the Post. When a legend leaves (or severely cuts back such as TK) someone always gets labeled the next big thing. News Flash.... It sure as heck ain't Wise. Every article he writes makes him look even more and more like a pansy.
Anyone remember that article about Philly fans from a month ago? The I am afraid to watch a fight article. That was an embarrassment to DC, and this article makes him look even more like one of those losers who would probably protest against Grand Theft Auto for 3 days.
No one is arguing what the Sox did is morally right, just lets not claim the apocalypse is coming because the White Sox wanted to kid around.
Posted by: Go Nats | May 13, 2008 5:11 PM
Oh come on -- you know Mike Wise isn't dumb. He's a great writer. This column just didn't, uh, work for his misogynistic readers.
Posted by: Lindsay Applebaum | May 13, 2008 6:08 PM
You know, I have to agree with Wise. Boys will be boys, but when you're being paid millions of dollars to play a game, you should start acting like grown men (gentlemen, even) and the professionals that you're implicitly employed to be.
To some extent, whatever happens in the locker room is fine as long as no one is offended. The problem occurs when cameras are allowed in, giving access to all sorts of people who may or may not take exception.
Was I offended? Of course not; I stopped thinking of baseball players as roll models when I realized how flawed and simian they really were.
Posted by: Aaron | May 13, 2008 7:49 PM
One problem with Wise is that he has said that he feels something to the effect of "if other people are offended then I am offended." This was said on the radio back when the LeBron/Gisele mag cover was the latest media craze. Because SOMEONE was offended by the cover, then Wise was offended. Because SOMEONE is offended by the blow up dolls, Wise is offended. Because SOMEONE is offended with the skins name, he is offended.
I like Wise's work (especially the series he did on Gilbert a couple of seasons ago), but this philosophy is just as annoying as shock jocks/writers who go against the grain for the sake of it while adding little independent though to any discussion.
Posted by: Truthsayer | May 14, 2008 8:57 AM
Wise is dead on, and the 99% of Washington males who think that they're pretty cool right now because they can take sexist jabs at women on a message board and never have to show their faces for it are a bunch of pansies.
Lindsay, I've been highly critical of your blog in the past, but this was actually a worthwhile posting. It shows how many lowlife scumbags we have living in this great city of ours. Thanks for your work.
Posted by: Cart | May 14, 2008 10:25 AM
Thanks, Cart!
Posted by: Lindsay Applebaum | May 14, 2008 4:07 PM
What would they have said if instead of blow up dolls they a blow up Eve the Love Ewe? Yes there really is one? We fill one up with helium and fly it at herding trials. Herding trails the one rela sport in world! And female trialers dont get upset.
Posted by: | May 15, 2008 7:29 AM
Was that English?
Posted by: Cart | May 15, 2008 2:25 PM
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These blow-up dolls merely represent the physical embodiment of man's terrible loneliness in a world where he has been heartlessly abandoned.
Oh, and one more thing, Wise is a Wuss.