sexuality in sports: it's all about the ass!

Sexuality in sports...what's with the ass obsession

The camera angles: So I was watching a track meet on television, the angles that were being showed to us by the cameramen remind me of those little boys in high school and college who asked to “hold your blocks” naively we thought they were trying to be helpful, but in actuality they just wanted a “better view”. Why does it seem like these same little boys are now cameramen? When I watch track meets on TV, ass all up in my face, ALL the time it’s an epidemic. Track & Field is a sexualized sport this we know: Athletes in spandex- some of which will rise into the cheeks if you are not careful- and the lucky cameraman or photographer to get that shot! Athletes bodies, some of which are sculpted to perfection, athletes who have this abnormal confidence, this mysteriousness or a particular swag, the list goes on, but why is so disproportionately discriminative in it’s blatant objectification towards women?

I read the article about Candace Parker in ESPN and thought  “wow, this dude.” in reference to the author. I read it to a few of my training partners during lunch, and we all discussed it. The classic men vs. women debate, the women were put off and disgusted, the men laughed! After all ESPN is a magazine for men, written by men, so really, do you expect the article to be written about her talents? NAW, its all about the BOOBIES! This is a young married woman, with a child on the way, and you rant a rave about how good she looks and her boobies. The day I see a sports writer write about a track woman’s ass, I can imagine “the way her tight backside fits into those spandex, which appear to be a few sizes too small” We won’t hear about it because, our sport, my sport is already sexualized. Unlike women’s basketball, which wears loose fitting basketball attire, we practically compete in panties and bras. So were one can only imagine what is beneath a woman's basketball attire, they can see in a track uniform, hence, there is no reason to write a story detailing a track woman's body, just show the back shot photo you took.

Our lifestyle has desensitized us towards sexuality, lines have been crossed, and things that many others sports find uncomfortable, unacceptable or just weird, we have just accepted. Case and point, Europe is NOT sexually oppressed like here in America. I came in contact with a massage therapist, who is American, but who spent a too much time in Europe, I had yet to had experience a European massage therapist at this time, I hop on the table, he massages my hamstrings, next thing he shoves my shorts and panties upward, one cheek is being exposed (yes I was shocked) my response “the hell…” then he made the mistake of making a comment and smacked my ass. My response, I will not repeat. In Europe, they could care less; they are very professional, kinda. Yet I get this perverted ass, European wanna be. Fast forward to few weeks ago, In Europe, this time a woman, I’m on her table in my underwear, 3 days she had been working on my hip flex, decided to “go for it”, slid my underwear down to mid thigh and THEN asked “ may I”, my response “hey. You already got them down, why not?” all I’m thinking is please don’t let no one walk in cause this looks pretty x rated. And then she gives me a compliment. Hmmm. So one day, in the track shed, a few of us are getting treatment, and we started discussing our massage experience, and the stories, my gawd! LMAO, we could not stop laughing at our awkward encounters. Who is to blame, the Americans for being so prude, the Europeans for being too open and free, or us for actually adapting to the European way of massage, though we still get caught off guard from time to time.

Yes we are desensitized, but you would think they would be a little discrete when it comes to the coverage, or at the very least be unbiased, yes, track sprinters and jumpers have very nice and toned ass*s but damn, every time I watch a meet, all I get is ass, ass and mo’ ass, not that I mind, I enjoy a cute butt here and there, but I am overwhelmed. lol. but I mean hey, you gotta promote the sport right, at least exploit the men too!!! So my question is, what is the obsession about the ASS?