Nothing like some Old-School Sexism

You'd really think that with the amazing women in athletics these days, people would stop saying things like "He throws like a girl" and associating women and girls with poor performance in sports.

You'd also like to think news anchors would stop saying such obtuse, incorrect, and offensive things. You'd be wrong. Dylan Ratigan, a MSNBC morning show host, just the other day jarred viewers, and his cohost, by commenting that girls usually don't throw very well. His comment was in response to a Limbaugh comment that President Obama threw like a girl.

It obviously bothers me that he, or anyone, thinks that women are incapable of being good athletes, but it bothers me more that he, as a member of the media, felt comfortable saying that. Come on! Without having to think too hard or even utilize my immense feminist powers, I can think of examples of women not only performing spectularily, even in throwing balls (!), but even outperforming men.

For example, did you know that women often perform better than men in long-distance swimming and other endurance events? Our society just focuses on the types of sports that are traditionally masculine, like football and baseball. It's messed up. There are some FIERCE girls and women out there, and sexist comments like that not only deny their skills and strength, but their struggles to be recognized and the discrimination they face.

Photo courtesy of www.flickr/daphid