Comments on: Super Bowl Quiz: What does NFL “family” entertainment tell girls?

By: Edward

Edward — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:42:50 +0000

I agree with what Ms. Leeds wrote. You see things through your beliefs, and therefore because YOU disagree with it, it’s wrong.

I also get the sense, Ms. Culver, that there is a deeper issue with what you wrote-disagree with me or not-and that is, in its purest form, jealousy. Your post, and those of others, seems to be “If I can’t, then no one else should either.” “I don’t like it, therefore no one should do (insert activity here.) I seriously doubt that if you could be a NFL cheerleader, that you would feel this way.

Instead of being judgmental about what others freely choose to do, you might want to consider building yourself up to a higher standard. Instead, with an article like this, you and those who “think” like you-try to make yourselves less unhappy by trying to bring others down to your misery level. Luckily, there are far more enlightened people than yourself, so your ideals will never advance much further than they do right now, and that’s a good thing,

By: Katie Culver

Katie Culver — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:39:06 +0000

I agree women and girls should be encouraged to be risk-takers, and this should not be considered against a social norm. What is troubling is that cheerleading and the lingerie football league establish that women can only take risks (or people will only take notice) if they take off their clothes as well. When women defend their choices to partake in such activities, they uphold the notion that their bodies matter more than their ability. Why can’t women play football in regular football gear? The truth is, they wouldn’t be taken seriously. And that is the problem. Risk-taking does not have to do with bearing all. I know many risk-taking, adventurous women who keep their clothes on while playing sports. Let’s support THEM.

By: Sylvia Leeds

Sylvia Leeds — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:57:21 +0000

In response Ms. Chapner’s question, I think
we don’t always see things as they are. More often than not, we see them as we are. So we should try not to be sinister in our interpretation of why a certain group of women choose to don underwear to play football, choose to wear makeup while playing sports or choose to become the next Bachelorette or SI cover girl. The bigger picture here is they were not afraid to take a risk (a common assumption is women are risk- averse), jump into the unknown and exercise their freedom to make choices. This birthright applies to both women and men equally. We may not always agree with choices people make but, in this instance,we can at least acknowledge the team’s courage to “try” regardless of how it may fly in the face of conventionality or out-lived social mores. Whether or not their choice was a frivolous one or simply an attention grabber, it’s not my place to say. They’re the ones who must assume responsibility and accept the consequences whatever they may be. Presently, they all seem to be enjoying themselves.

By: Davi-Ellen Chabner

Davi-Ellen Chabner — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 23:23:24 +0000

To take this a step beyond cheerleading, I just found out about something called the Lingerie Football League. It is women playing football in panties and bras. I’m having a hard time not seeing this as denigration of women. Interestingly, the women who were interviewed and participating were enjoying themselves and said that if this was the only way that they could play football competitively, they wanted to do it.
What do you think?