Who'd of thunk

All Photos from The Other Paper

I've noticed that things go downhill rapidly once a man tells a woman that she "must" do something. Musts tend to be deal breakers which quickly escalate to cold hearted revenge. It's a bad deal for everyone.

Last fall I wrote about the efforts of several international sports organizations who upon the advice of expensive media consultants, told their female competitors that they must wear skirts or dresses during matches, to improve the television image of their sport i.e. sex it up. The London Olympics were anticipated as ground zero for the new religion.

It began with women's boxing which becomes an Olympic event this year. With headgear on the athletes, Joe 6 pack was suspected of be unable to discern what he was watching.

Put the girls in skirts so everyone can tell at a glance, so the thinking went. Badminton's authorities drank the Kool-Aid as well a several other international sports bodies.

The women's opposition was fierce, vocal and swift. Backpedaling by the authorities began immediately with promises of revised uniform codes for men and women athletes in time for the Olympics. And so they did. You won't be seeing many skirts during the London O's.

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Let us give thanks for....

Had you forgotten that the London Olympics are approaching?

In an effort to sex up the games, several international sports organizations hired consultants to make suggestions on how to make female athletes "more attractive". For instance, last May, the Badminton World Federation in an effort to make a more "attractive presentation" instituted the Skirt Rule for its women members. "We just want them to look feminine and have a nice presentation so women will be more popular" said the sport's mouthpiece.

It took the women less than a week to have the rule tossed. New uniform standards for both men and women are expected in December.

Sex of course sells, and few athletes are sexier than women boxers. The Amateur International Boxing Association,preparing for women's boxing's first Olympic participation, is taking a page from the Badminton World Federation. The AIBA worries that television viewers may be unable to distinguish male from female boxers. (I wish I were clever enough to make this stuff up.) Their solution? World wide eye exams? No. Mandatory 3D HD television reception? Nada

The AIBA wants female boxers to wear, wait for it...Skirts in the 2012 Olympics. How hot would that be?

In a just world, women's hockey would hire the same image advisers. Gymnastic burkas anyone?

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