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naraburns  nihil supernum  2yr ago (text post)   4612 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for November 20, 2022

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

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Why do I find it so heartbreaking that so many 2022 FIFA World Cup commentators and panelists are women? I have a hard time articulating my justifications for these feelings, but there’s a weight in my chest as if I’ve lost a close friend or just discovered that my lover is cheating on me. One of those ideas that’s like seasickness - you feel like you’re going to die and everyone else thinks it’s pathetic and funny.

This doesn't answer your question, but I think as the US and the world enter a recession, products and services are likely to return to prioritizing maximizing returns, which in FIFA's case may mean having more male commentators/panelists, assuming there are more of you willing to watch ads and spend money than viewers who prefer women in the same roles.

To me it's just a symptom of the professionalisation of sports "journalism". Commentating on sports shouldn't be like a board meeting, you're supposed to have fun!

Often it's not even the women themselves that's the issue, it's that it has to be both men and women. Commentating is a great deal about banter repertoire, men and women almost never have it together. It would be ten times better if half the matches had female commentating teams and the other men, then people wouldn't be so stiff and "professional".

As sports are a parasocial relationship to some degree, having female announcers is a nonstarter for many fans. It would be like me watching a girl play video games when I’m not horny. Why would I do that? I watch to relax and listen to a guy I relate to, which is a kind of parasocial friendship. So with sports, I want to relax and hear a bro talk. For this reason, men watch Joe Rogan, not because anything he says is insightful, but because he’s the Average Joe Rogan.

FIFA probably has female announcers because western lib democracy countries thought it would be a propaganda win over the Arab world

but there’s a weight in my chest as if I’ve lost a close friend or just discovered that my lover is cheating on me. One of those ideas that’s like seasickness - you feel like you’re going to die and everyone else thinks it’s pathetic and funny.

I am very familiar with this feeling, The feeling of abject hopelessness at superficially innocuous things. Even though I don't really feel it for this specific case. It's a tough one to disperse given that you can't share it with anyone without coming off as batshit insane.

In this particular case, I can't say much because I don't watch football.

Perhaps its more women for the reason that all traditionally male professions are have more women nowadays. They are hired for "equality". So do you think that the male commentators they replaced are a great loss?

Or is it merely the fact that they are women and you don't like the fact that those people who are willing to put women in places for no reason other than being a women are in power?

Try to write it out, it's the best way to articulate fuzzy ideas.

AFAIK commentators and pundits come from the ranks of retired male players. I imagine it felt meritocratic and natural to have the people who participated in those competitions commentate them.

Having women do it feels more awkward (since it doesn't have the same justification) and perhaps feels like another intrusion into male spaces/jobs.

That's my theory anyway.

I'd be upset too if my band's village was overtaken by an invading tribe's longhouse culture.

Just count yourself lucky you're not American, because it can get a lot worse. FIFA isn't spending a hundred billion dollars to put a black woman on the moon and calling anyone who questions why a sexistracist.

Looking at the crew list, I'm predicting black woman, white woman, hispanic man, and maybe asian man or woman for the fourth unless they get bumped by a higher priority group (native or transsexual) A small step for man, but a great leap for dei.

They have tried to "Americanize" football before - e.g. having Dua Lipa singing during the Champion's League final- but a lot of people are resistant.

Not sure how long that'll last; the European game is incredibly centered around monetization and American sports seem like too attractive a model (much more ads - hell, the Superbowl is basically ad central)

When a woman is good at something it's as meaningless as a man being good at something. It just is.

The vast majority of women sports commentators are awkward and off-putting. It would be better to have two women doing it.

Sports commenting requires repertoire with your fellow commentator, two commentators, three if they are absolute jive together, which they never are, knowing when to STFU, knowing the sport, having a sense of humor, being the right amount of gruff, etc etc.

Tbf to women sports commentators, the vast majority of men sports commentators are absolutely awful. Even the NFL can not get it right and they only need something like 32 total any given week.

I've been watching sports for about 30 years and would guess 90% of sports commentators are awful and detract from the game.

With women, they're awful AND new, so it's even more jarring. I really think that's the issue. I'll take something awful that's been awful forever rather than trying something new that's equally offensive.

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