Women's Boxing

[Zombie]

Britain has just won Gold in women's boxing. This is the first Olympics it has been a medal event. I didn't watch it and I'm not celebrating. It makes me queasy. Am I alone? Unreasonable? An old-fashioned reactionary? Sexist?

 

Note to Mods - if you feel this is contentious, and not just an exchange of views and thoughts, please relocate!

[NotNoNever]

Britain has just won Gold in women's boxing. This is the first Olympics it has been a medal event. I didn't watch it and I'm not celebrating. It makes me queasy. Am I alone? Unreasonable? An old-fashioned reactionary? Sexist?

 

Note to Mods - if you feel this is contentious, and not just an exchange of views and thoughts, please relocate!

 

Alone? Absolutely not. Unreasonable? Yes, but only because if men can, so should women be able to. Old fashioned? Quite the opposite, imo. Sexist? Clearly, if you refer to my answer to unreasonable.

 

I never get why Muhammed Ali is called the greatest ever. Getting your head battered about so it brings on tremors, and probably contributed to his Parkinsons Disease doesn't seem at all clever to me, far less great.

[Zombie]

OK, I am mildly uncomfortable about men boxing. However, I accept that physical aggression is part of being male. And male pugilism has been around at least 2,000 years as a "sport", which seems to support this. I also accept that male boxing has been and is a way to channel young male aggression in structured and controlled boxing clubs, especially for young guys in socially deprived areas to have an alternative to the violence of "gang" culture and, maybe, the chance - however remote - of a career.

 

But there are physical, physiological and emotional difference between males and females, as well as the level of testosterone (which is linked to inherent male aggression). As to sexism - well I have to put my hands up here. I feel as queasy about this as the prospect of infantrywomen going into battle. But I also accept there were female warriors in the ancient world, including Boadicea (or Boudicca) in Britain. Despite this, however, to me it just seems "wrong". But that is just my personal opinion I don't deny the delight of Nicola Adams at winning Gold and her exuberant smile. I just wish she'd won gold for something else.

[NotNoNever]

Tsk! Beer needed to settle this one!

[Bill W]

Maybe in the past I'd have felt the same way, Zombie, but after watching vids of female bullies and some of their fights, I'd say the world has definitely changed. No longer can any of us look at females as the weaker sex. Hell, I'm not sure I could handle some of them.

 

On a more general note, I've never been a big boxing fan, because I don't get what's so great about two people bashing each other's brains in. I love a lot of sports, but the fights are one reason I don't care to watch hockey either. It would be a great game, but any more it seems as if your watching a extreme ultimate fighting match when a hockey game breaks out.

[NotNoNever]

Anybody who thinks men are scarier than women has never seen a mother react to a threat upon her child. Men are naturally better equipped to be violent, but women are naturally better equipped to be absolutely bloody terrifying. Which (I believe) is why they are better talkers, because if they didn't have the talking gene, there would be no walking men! lol

[hh5]

actually ... in the movie take the lead ... channeling that energy into an art form of ball room \ hip hop dancing is very constructive

by taking the challenge to the dance floor ... displaying the ability of style and sophistication ... the nuances of strength in dance politics

lol they should make dancing an Olympic sport

 

yeah I have to catch up on watching the olympics on DVR

maybe I'll take a look at the latest in CAT fights

 

OK, I am mildly uncomfortable about men boxing. However, I accept that physical aggression is part of being male. And male pugilism has been around at least 2,000 years as a "sport", which seems to support this. I also accept that male boxing has been and is a way to channel young male aggression in structured and controlled boxing clubs, especially for young guys in socially deprived areas to have an alternative to the violence of "gang" culture and, maybe, the chance - however remote - of a career.

 

But there are physical, physiological and emotional difference between males and females, as well as the level of testosterone (which is linked to inherent male aggression). As to sexism - well I have to put my hands up here. I feel as queasy about this as the prospect of infantrywomen going into battle. But I also accept there were female warriors in the ancient world, including Boadicea (or Boudicca) in Britain. Despite this, however, to me it just seems "wrong". But that is just my personal opinion I don't deny the delight of Nicola Adams at winning Gold and her exuberant smile. I just wish she'd won gold for something else.