It Does Matter (stop feminizing male sports teams)

[Truththinker77]

Perfect example of a mangina.

[moshebeadle]

@Truththinker77 Are those the words of wisdom you wish to impart on us?  Really? Your comment adds absolutely no substance or value to this conversation. But, I'll leave it up because it says more about you than it does about me.

[moshebeadle]

@TheRealJawnz I think u are missing the entire point. But, I'll take the bait. Let's say I accept ur comment as valid. There are still problems. What does "superior" mean? Jump higher? Run faster? Hit harder? Who developed these as measurements and created sports around them? Probably men. Why are traditional sports even crafted to benefit the strengths of the biological male body? How about we as a culture rethink what we should value and reshape sports to meet more egalitarian values.

[TheRealJawnz]

To be fair, men in sports are vastly superior to women in sports. It's not sexist, it's just a fact of life.

[td264]

@jayc342009 Just saying something doesn't make it true, learn some facts (not just your hunches), *then* let's have a debate about them. Evolutionary argument about lung capacity: interesting, but research doesn't support it (see Birke, "In Pursuit of Difference," 1992). Also, globally, women live longer than men- there are SO many studies, I can't cite just one- but do a basic google search and see multiple sources. In America, e.g. men live on average to about 72, women to about 79.

[td264]

@hustlingwithme quick note (helpful when trying to disprove someone else): "your" is possessive, like "your comment is confusing because it uses the wrong word and makes me take you less seriously"; "you're" is contractive- short for "you are," like "you're trying to make a point I find hard to take seriously because it's basically a personal attack" etc.

[framboise595]

By the way ,do you know the REAL reason WHY sports have been promoted to girls ??? Stop accepting things without thinking over !

Promoting sports for the female gender is part of a broader vile agenda to force male criterias upon women and duping them into seeking achievement instead of family.

This has been done for no other reason than destroying family and womanhood.

There's NOTHING natural in a woman to do such things. Competition and strength is the male world.

[Asarelah]

Amen to that! 

[6Lunar6]

Thanks for these good points well made!

I agree with you.

[crabber338]

You know what I think? I think people are way to sensitive nowadays and like whining about everything.

In other words: They should grow some balls! :P

[Doza2G]

I think the bottom line here can surpass tip-toeing on how we act, speak, or treat certain people of different sex, or race, religion and any other cultural difference for that matter. We should not focus on giving anyone "special treatment" and focus more on giving everyone "special treatment." That "special treatment" being respect. If we would just be more respectful with how we speak to one another and treat one another the entire "special treatment" issue goes right out the window. I'm Back

[td264]

Calling the Cowboys the "Cowgirls" is NOT pointing to evolving biological realities of the difference in muscle development between men and women- it's using femininity (here specifically girlhood) as an insult. This isn't about variances in sports performances; it's about insulting men by suggesting that they are feminine.

[Gleasonator]

@td264 You meant "it's about insulting women by suggesting the being feminine is weak" right? Don't get me wrong from my previous comment; I can understand that there is a problem by suggesting that all females are weak, as many have trained hard to become superior athletes to males. My point was just that there is an element of truth in females being naturally less physically capable than males without extensive training. I felt like this point was not considered in the video.

[moshebeadle]

@Gleasonator I'm not sure why this point of physical prowess has to be considered. First, it's a three and a half minute video, not a doctoral dissertation. Second, it's not really important to the central message. Finally, regardless of any particular female's muscle mass (because biology always carries variance), it's ALWAYS wrong to feminize males as though being feminine is bad. That is really the only point of the video. Peace.

[td264]

@Gleasonator - thanks for your comment- (yay! reasonable discourse!) Yes, the average female body is less strong than the average male body (though maybe not less physically capable... women are generally more flexible, have larger lung capacity, live longer, etc.). But the problem is not that there is is an actual comparison going on here in comments like "you throw like a girl," but the using of "girl" as an insult. I don't think we're necessarily disagreeing, but are seeing it differently.

[jayc342009]

@td264 Women don't have larger lung capacity than men, lol. Men do because they have evolved to cope with physical challenge like hunting. Oh and women don't live longer either, that's just a myth.

[khayree]

I agree and appreciate every word you spoke, Especially since im the father of 4 Daughters! Thank you!!!

[Gleasonator]

But... females are biologically different than males. It is naturally easier for males to become successful athletes versus females due to the presence of testosterone and the nature of their bodies. Saying that an athlete throws like a girl doesn't suggest that a girl can't be successful in life, it suggests that a girl is physically incapable of performing such a task, which to a certain degree is true unless she trains that much harder than a male. The problem is that it attacks ALL females.

[squeeziecat]

women - and others - have been waiting a long time to hear a man say this with such clarity and passion. thanks for pointing out that everyone posseses a range of virtues and strengths - whether male or female - and that different does not mean bad or weak. it just means different. thanks for making my day a little brighter.

[ireyfish]

courageous or confident. This is not an attack on brave strong men. This is an effort to get men to not use their language to take away a young lady's desire to become a courageous, confident woman. We are all human before we are male and female, and we all possess courage, vulnerability, confidence and passion. Men and women are not polar opposites. We compliment each other. We can only reach our highest levels with each other at our sides. It's about building, not destroying.

[Kingsamuelson]

@ireyfish

No I did fully understand it, I just completely disagree with attacking guys on sports teams for calling eachother girls when they arent performing up to par. This, along with all other forms of victimizing women is nothing but giving women special treatment. A "tough" girl, like the ones you speak about wouldnt give a shit if some guy called another guy on a sports team a girl. She wouldnt be that insecure.

[Kingsamuelson]

@Kingsamuelson But yet for some reason we should all stop and give a girl special treatment because we "might" offend her? Do you not see how contradictory that is?? If what your saying ( that women are mentally equal in toughness), then they should handle discouragement the same way guys do: not give a shit . Making small things into big issues like this is a great way to kill people's freedom of expression when they have to tiptoe on every word they say because it "could" hurt someone!

[moshebeadle]

@Kingsamuelson Hey, I really appreciate the fact that you are so passionate about this issue. However, I think you are really monopolizing the conversation here (and I'm not sure why). From what I can see, people have just been posting opinions, just like you. If I had to sum up what I'm hearing from folks, it's that it's demeaning for a certain identity (here, biological females) to be used as a putdown. That's all folks are saying. No one is asking for "special treatment".

[ireyfish]

@kingsamuelson

I don't think you fully understood the message. The aim was not to equate women and men on the basis of physical strength. We all know that men are the physically stronger gender. But do we also know that physical strength is not the same as emotional/mental strength? There is no one gender that has a monopoly on traits like courage, confidence, discipline, or perseverance. But when men say things like, "grow a pair" or "man up," they are essentially saying that women cannot be c

[DigitalDezinesCEO]

Thank you, Brotha!!

[NAEEM718]

wow... this is whats wrong with our views... men and women are not the same, and that is whats great. we are not equal at curtain things and thats great... women do not have the upper body strength that most men do, i don't see the problem with that... embrace our strength and weeknesses

[MsBiswatchin]

And, my daughter kicks butt on the field and the court as a member of the "Lady Statesmen." Truly, the school's mascot is "Statesmen." But she does it anyway. It matters what we say, what we call each other, and what we call ourselves. She and all the girls who play sports at her school hear the message everytime they step onto the playing field that they are secondary, based on the name they are called.

[Shanita2714]

Thank you so much for making and posting this video. All we have to do is watch the news lately to be reminded that language matters. With countless stories of teenage suicides bec of bullying and derogatory language about gender norms and stereotypes, it's not hard to see that the way we define and police gender has real consequences including violence and death. We need more brave men to stand up and be allies to women who have been spreading these messages tirelessly for years, so thank you.

[AmyCavender]

Dude. You're amazing. I wish there were more men like you who get it.

(Also, nice shirt! Looking sharp!)

[riskhope]

I think you make a lot of really great points in this video that are not talked about enough in the mainstream. Something simple like how we name our sport teams is one of those (of many) things that goes unchallenged - but should be challenged - and I think this video does a great job challenging it in a way that make sense. I am going to show it to everyone I know. I'm so glad I ran across it!

[Incashirt]

Great video! I always appreciate the thought you put into your creations (videos, essays, etc.) I'm analyzing now the meaning of the white cloth (pillows?) against the tan wall. Is that about how similar and yet different we are? How we talk about gender and sex in a black-and-white way and by doing to we make invisible all the other hues?

I'm sure your director's choice is very nuanced, so I will continue to dig deep to understand the subliminal subtext that surely supports the text.

[Kimmongo]

Who cut the video? Nice job! And thanks for the topic.

My friend just threw out the first pitch at a Giants game and all of his facebook friends were "try not to throw like a girl" and I REALLY HATE that--because again as you say so eloquently it equates femininity with failure. Jennie Finch (and possibly even I) could out throw most (if not all) of the dudes on his page who actually used the phrase "throw like a girl."

But yeah next time I'd go with consistent lighting.

[ctothemizarsh]

also...moshebeadle. i like you're shirt. did you buy the undershirt and the button up together? how did you get two shirts that were so similar in color to go together? i think its great! i look forward to more videos from you!

[ctothemizarsh]

awesome awesome awesome awesome! i really like what you have to say in this video. i think it's a relaly interesting topic that needs to be critiqued a lot more. i am a teacher and i see a big gap between elementary school and high school in girls playing sports. i believe this is because as young girls they are encouraged to play and participate but as they hit middles school then they start to get made fun of for being athletic, or better at sports than the boys.

[ctothemizarsh]

awesome awesome awesome awesome! i really like what you have to say in this video. i think it's a relaly interesting topic that needs to be critiqued a lot more. i am a teacher and i see a big gap between elementary school and high school in girls playing sports. i believe this is because as young girls they are encouraged to play and participate but as they hit middles school then they start to get made fun of for being athletic, or better at sports than the boys. i think its really sad that

[MsBiswatchin]

Yes, yes, yes. Sounds like an excellent topic for a series from moshebeadle: You think it doesn't matter, but it does. Such as, whether I am sitting on a futon or a bed. Or whether I am wearing a Dickies shirt made in China or made in the USA. Or whether I am on YouTube or on NBC. Or whether I shave my head because I look so cool like this, or because I am going bald. Or whether I tell you these things because I care or because I have a paying sponsor (such as Dickies, or futons.)

[msworld796]

I don't think it's a bed. I'm pretty convinced that's a futon. Those fold down, I realize. But typically you don't automatically assume that a futon is a bed. A futon is both/and.

Oh, and I agree with every word, moshebeadle.

[ferowold]

for those of you who missed the point -- EQUATING FEMININITY WITH FAILURE IS WRONG.

[Kingsamuelson]

Eh, I think you are disconnected from reality.

Of COURSE woman are considered worse at sports , because THEY ARE! You are defending girls and attacking men for doing something which is entirely natural. Men say derogatory things to their friends to challenge them, and that is exactly just like how dogs play fight eachother to make eachother sharp.

You, yes you are acting female by making a big deal out of nothing(overdramatic). Yes guys call eachother "weak" or "girly" to tease eachother

[Kingsamuelson]

@Kingsamuelson *continued*

because for a GUY to be girly it is indeed a bad thing. Its the same as if a girl calls another girl MANLY. But girls arent like men and they dont act the same way, despite all that bullshit feminism that says otherwise with a haphazard theory that says we were all "brainwashed" growing up xD. The reality is that women are physically weaker than men, and you yourself have made it seem like its a crime to say so. This "discouragment" to little kids is nothing but a

[Kingsamuelson]

@Kingsamuelson challenge that they face regardless of how much you try to pamper and protect them. We all faced discouragement from ppl growing up and the only way we get over it is by ourselves. When you try to pamper kids too much, you make them much weaker in facing the realities of the world.

[moshebeadle]

@Kingsamuelson The comments you make are interesting. However, I'm not going to try to argue because your comments totally circumvent the point, which is that calling males "girly" as a putdown is disrespectful to women and girls. I wasn't actually making an argument for differences in sex (which is not the same as gender). But, I do appreciate your comments. The point of the video is to elicit discussion. Thanks.

[Kingsamuelson]

Men knock eachother with all kinds of things just like dogs do, and its totally normal. If some woman gets offended about something NOT EVEN DIRECTED AT HER, then let her be offended. Its not their fault shes that insecure is it? And besides , ur totally ignoring the fact that its true that women are naturally less strong and quick. So yes being like a girl = failure in the context of male dominated aggressive competitive sports. Saying the truth is not a crime, stop making it into one.

[Krenolds1]

@Kingsamuelson But men aren't dogs. They are men. Your response is essentially "ah well, boys will be boys!" Please stop enabling this behavior.

[Kingsamuelson]

@Krenolds1

Men arent dogs, but dogs are our one of the most similar animals to men. This is why dogs and cats are the most domesticated animals, we are very similar to them behaviorwise. Why else do you think a group of guys are so loyal to eachother and see eachother as brothers? They protect eachother and also play fight eachother to keep eachother sharp, just like dogs or wolves do. This whole video is trying to guilt trip men for simply stating the truth because it "might" offend some girl