Roller Derby

Figuring we might try and be topical for a change, weve done an episode on Roller Derby to coincide with the release of Whip It the first major motion picture featuring the sport prominently.

We even got some footage of celebrities in there!

WATCH OUT, PEREZ HILTON

http://www.igotopinions.com/
http://www.handfulofminutes.com

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Whip
• It
• Roller
• Derby
• Drey
• Barrymore
• Ellen
• Page
• Toronto
• International
• Film
• Festival
• TIFF
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[sinaz]

Roller Derby has come up as an ALL GIRL thing, tons of hippy feminists claiming for themselves. But the sport has grown in leaps and bounds over the years. Although MOST leagues still start as womens leagues, the refs and coaches generally get tired of the girls having all the fun and for willing leagues, mens teams are starting to come along as well as the guys that just think its a kewl sport and start their own.

[HandfulOfMinutes]

@sinaz This is totally true and I feel a bit silly for putting that angle on things in the episode! I've since been properly corrected on the matter and am glad to have been.

[jcrodick]

Hah. Also. "ALL GIRL ACTION". That made me chuckle.

[HandfulOfMinutes]

@jcrodick Cheers! You're right, I guess it isn't an all-girl sport...it just seemed that way to me at the time given the way it's promoted in Toronto, through the film and in the websites I looked at. However, it's certainly a bit absurd to assume that NO MEN ANYWHERE are doing it!

[tiperith85]

It is a very female dominated sport but being in derby myself, I have discovered more leagues that are co-ed and male only members. These are new and still small but I predict that we will see more male derby skaters in the USA in years to come. Especially once they can start registering like the all-female leagues. I also know in the past, Japan has had all-male leagues. I don't know if they are still as big or even exsist anymore.

[StephSides]

I've been dealing with the question of "is it appropriate for a woman to use her sexuality?" since I was a preteen in the 90's. I was developing and the Spice Girls were promoting Girl Power, but also sex appeal. I can't sum up my feelings on the subject in the comments section. 

[DemonicDutchess]

No matter how equal men and women will ever become, I feel (and many with me) that the female figure will allways be the more beatifull or more sexy one. This has been used by men seeking to make money and then our sexuality is seen as a degrading comodity, BUT if we take control of our own sensuality/sexappeal it becomes instead a very empowering comodity. We're handing it out on our terms as did the powerfull ladies you showed in the spisode. There are fine lines however that some do cross. :(

[jcrodick]

Roller Derby definitely isn't an all-girl sport. I'm a dude, and I play on a co-ed league.

[CanadianRollerDerby]

So roller girls is just an attempt to exploit Roller Derby for it's perceived kitsch value and to turn it into an aspect of the sex trade. So roller girls don't have any connection to the historical Roller Derby at all.

[CanadianRollerDerby]

After the loss of sponsorship in the mid 70's Roller Derby had struggled on in small promotions of dedicated individuals such as Roller Games International and the American Roller Skating Derby based in California. But roller girls don't come from sport or skating, so where did they come from? The roller girls were created by a man, Dan Policarpo, in Austin Texas and featured performers from the Burlesque revival that was happening there.