deadspin.com: This morning, gymnastics fans awoke to the news that the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) had solved one of the most pressing problems facing the sport. No, they didn’t decide to address the abuse that has been running rampant on the women’s side of the sport for decades. Instead, FIG finally tackled the problem of one gymnast wearing cat makeup in her floor routine.
3 comments:
This feels like such a silly thing to make a rule about. I get that the FIG wants gymnastics to be seen as serious and people dressed up in theatrical makeup might change the perception of gymnastics to less of a sport and more of a performance. And I get that runners and swimmers and other athletes typically don’t wear super bold makeup, but so what if they did? I think the core of this problem is that theatrical makeup could make people see the sport as less of a sport, and I’m pretty sure that stems from the idea that makeup is feminine and sports are masculine and femininity and masculinity are contradictory. Then again, given that they allow makeup in general, they also just might not want the press of someone being dressed as a cat, which, while I personally don’t think it matters, I’m not the one trying to keep a certain image and preserve the brand of the sport as a whole.
I really like the comparison the author makes to her high school dress code surrounding makeup. The amount of times I have seen both men and women comment "she looks so much better without makeup" on a photo of a woman who is clearly wearing foundation, eyeliner, lipstick, mascara, blush, ect...is ridiculous. This dichotomy of women needing to look good but also needing to avoid wearing makeup for fear of seeming "fake" or superficial needs to end. In sports, use of makeup is seen as evidence of a lack of passion for the sport. This is wrong. There is no reason a gymnast's makeup should ever be questioned. It is an inherently sexist act. Being "feminine" and wearing makeup is not a crime. Allowing so-called "feminine traits" to be displayed in a sport doesn't make it less athletic or difficult. Traditionally feminine characteristics are not a weakness or hindrance.
This is honestly ridiculous. With the amount of media coverage the gymnastics community has had recently regarding years of sexual abuse of gymnasts -- they're going to focus on how much makeup is or is not acceptable? Seriously? Gymnasts are athletes but I also believe they are artists. They are apart of a special kind of sport that both requires serious athletic ability at a competitive level, but also a high level of performance skills to be able to portray different messages - mostly in their floor routines. This girl was performing to a song from CATS the musical and had some cat makeup on to help her look. She didn't go out in a full CATS style costume -- she had a little makeup, but apparently, that is "not appropriate" for this sport. I think there are many more important issues in the gymnastics community that the FIG should be focusing on. Makeup, especially when it was not even very crazy and it was just being used as an artistic element in her performance, is NOT their main issue right now.
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