Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending
  • Nic nests in the heart of Makhanda
  • Africa could lead the way in precision medicine
  • Wall-to-Wall Creation
  • Covid grant should be increased to at least R413, say civil society groups
  • National shutdown goes off peacefully in Makhanda
  • A bond forged by mentoring
  • Ibe yimpumelelo itumente yolutsha eQhorha
  • A good financial planner is indispensable
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Grocott's Mail
  • NEWS
    • Courts & Crime
    • Features
    • Politics
    • People
    • Health & Well-being
  • SPORT
    • News
    • Results
    • Sports Diary
    • Club Contacts
    • Columns
    • Sport Galleries
    • Sport Videos
  • OPINION
    • Election Connection
    • Makana Voices
    • Deur ‘n Gekleurde Bril
    • Newtown… Old Eyes
    • Incisive View
    • Your Say
  • ARTSLIFE
    • Cue
    • Makana Sharp!
    • Visual Art
    • Literature
    • Food & Fun
    • Festivals
    • Community Arts
    • Going Places
  • OUR TOWN
    • What’s on
    • Spiritual
    • Emergency & Well-being
    • Safety
    • Civic
    • Municipality
    • Weather
    • Properties
      • Grahamstown Properties
    • Your Town, Our Town
  • OUTSIDE
    • Enviro News
    • Gardening
    • Farming
    • Science
    • Conservation
    • Motoring
    • Pets/Animals
  • ECONOMIX
    • Business News
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Personal Finance
  • EDUCATION
    • Education NEWS
    • Education OUR TOWN
    • Education INFO
  • Covid-19
  • EDITORIAL
Grocott's Mail
You are at:Home»Uncategorized»Sexism on the courts
Uncategorized

Sexism on the courts

Grocott's MailBy Grocott's MailJuly 11, 2013No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email

A callous remark made by BBC Radio commentator John Inverdale at the Wimbledon women's tennis final last week raises the question: How much sexism can one sport take?

A callous remark made by BBC Radio commentator John Inverdale at the Wimbledon women's tennis final last week raises the question: How much sexism can one sport take?

Both the sport and British media came under fire after Inverdale said new women's champion Marion Bartoli would have to be "the most dogged, determined fighter that anyone has ever seen on the tennis court if [she was]going to make it" because she's not "you know, a looker".

Even more shocking than Inverdale's inappropriate comment, perhaps, is the fact that after the BBC received nearly 700 complaints, his only punishment was a slap on the wrist.

Firstly, why on earth was this man not fired?

The BBC said it couldn’t sack Inverdale because he was too much of a long-standing experienced broadcaster. He was made to apologise and take ownership for his remarks however.

Bartoli took the insult with a pinch of salt though, shrugging the comments off as irrelevant.

But I still don't think the BBC did enough to rectify the situation, which makes me question where its priorities lie.

Media institutions should be fighting social issues like sexism rather than contributing to them. By keeping Inverdale as a voice for BBC, does it not somehow condone his behaviour and attitudes?

What does this say about what the broadcaster feeds into public opinion? Secondly, the British media needs to check its archives.

Andy Murray, who won the Wimbledon men’s singles, was heralded by a number of newspaper headlines as the 'first British winner in 77 years'.

They couldn't have been more wrong. Briton Virginia Wade won the women’s singles in 1977, but the British media casually forgot this victory.

In fact, four British women have won the title since Fred Perry did in 1936.

But even The Daily Mail, the paper that published a very recent interview about her win, claimed Murray was the first British winner in almost eight decades.

Does a Wimbledon victory not count if it was earned by a woman?

One would think that six years after the All England Club bridged the £30 000 gap between the men's and women's prize money, sexism would have left tennis with its tails between its legs.

In 2006 winners Roger Federer and Amelie Mauresmo received £655 000 and £625 000 respectively.

In a nutshell, the BBC and Wimbledon have a bit of explaining to do. And perhaps some apologising.

Previous ArticleG’town on the map with Ovation Awards
Next Article Councillor’s assault case postponed
Grocott's Mail

Comments are closed.

Tweets by Grocotts
Newsletter



Listen

The Rhodes University Community Engagement Division has launched Engagement in Action, a new podcast which aims to bring to life some of the many ways in which the University interacts with communities around it. Check it out below.

Humans of Makhanda

Humans of Makhanda

Weather    |     About     |     Advertise     |     Subscribe     |     Contact     |     Support Grocott’s Mail

© 2023 Maintained by School of Journalism & Media Studies.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.