Since the moment plans for a certain calendar of Mets fans was announced I was against it. I made it clear on twitter that I didn't like one of my most despised aspects of society invading my favorite baseball team. It's relevant again today so I thought I'd expand on my feelings in a setting that allows me to use more than 140 characters.
Girls and women are still facing an uphill battle when it comes to equality in the sports world. Tremendous strides have been made and there are now plenty of female athletes and writers and other figures in the sports community. However, there is still a ways to go for all females to have the same credibility as males, be it as a fan, athlete, writer, or otherwise. It's something I think is ridiculous. It's also something that I have a hard time ignoring when I see people make the situation worse for female fans.
This calendar is supposed to be a calendar of female Mets fans, representing the fanbase and also the brand associated with the calendar. This year anybody could apply to be in the calendar. You just had to submit a picture or two and a short piece about yourself as a Mets fan. It seemed harmless enough but it still bothered me. This year's calendar was all about sexy Mets fans and the one being created for next year would be the same, just this time the public had a voice. Yes, the requirement for a piece about being a fan makes it seemingly necessary for all applicants to be actual fans but the main thing was clearly the pictures. Some of the entries only had one sentence in the fan description part.
Why does this make the situation for female fans worse, you ask? It's another layer added to the pile of "females would rather look cute than be taken seriously" crap. This isn't a calendar of 12 of the most-dedicated female fans, it's a calendar of 12 of the most attractive females who have the ability to wear Mets clothing. It's not saying that females can be huge Mets fans too, it's saying females can look hot if you put the right ones in half a shirt. It's saying if you don't look like these 12 women you're not going to get attention from male fans. The most bothersome thing is that these 12 women may not even really be fans. There's nothing about which games they've been to or how many times they change plans so they can follow a game, it's about how sexy they can look in a certain piece of clothing. Sure, they could be die-hard fans, but it's just so hard to believe when all they really want to do is flaunt their looks, not their dedication.
Instead of this calendar I think it would be more fun to have a calendar of fans having fun at games. Don't single out certain people to represent an entire demographic. Show fans together, enjoying being a fan. I want to see people having fun being a Mets fan, even in the times when it's hardest to be a fan. Those fans will truly represent the fanbase and there is no shortage of female fans that could be included. If you insist on promoting your brand, show off the pictures you took of people in your gear at games all season, everyone knows you have plenty. I just don't get this calendar. I wouldn't get it if it were a calendar of attractive men showing dressed in Mets gear either. Give me real fans in a real environment or give me the players. Show me the fun of the game, not a staged photo-shoot.
Let's Go Mets!
Girls and women are still facing an uphill battle when it comes to equality in the sports world. Tremendous strides have been made and there are now plenty of female athletes and writers and other figures in the sports community. However, there is still a ways to go for all females to have the same credibility as males, be it as a fan, athlete, writer, or otherwise. It's something I think is ridiculous. It's also something that I have a hard time ignoring when I see people make the situation worse for female fans.
This calendar is supposed to be a calendar of female Mets fans, representing the fanbase and also the brand associated with the calendar. This year anybody could apply to be in the calendar. You just had to submit a picture or two and a short piece about yourself as a Mets fan. It seemed harmless enough but it still bothered me. This year's calendar was all about sexy Mets fans and the one being created for next year would be the same, just this time the public had a voice. Yes, the requirement for a piece about being a fan makes it seemingly necessary for all applicants to be actual fans but the main thing was clearly the pictures. Some of the entries only had one sentence in the fan description part.
Why does this make the situation for female fans worse, you ask? It's another layer added to the pile of "females would rather look cute than be taken seriously" crap. This isn't a calendar of 12 of the most-dedicated female fans, it's a calendar of 12 of the most attractive females who have the ability to wear Mets clothing. It's not saying that females can be huge Mets fans too, it's saying females can look hot if you put the right ones in half a shirt. It's saying if you don't look like these 12 women you're not going to get attention from male fans. The most bothersome thing is that these 12 women may not even really be fans. There's nothing about which games they've been to or how many times they change plans so they can follow a game, it's about how sexy they can look in a certain piece of clothing. Sure, they could be die-hard fans, but it's just so hard to believe when all they really want to do is flaunt their looks, not their dedication.
Instead of this calendar I think it would be more fun to have a calendar of fans having fun at games. Don't single out certain people to represent an entire demographic. Show fans together, enjoying being a fan. I want to see people having fun being a Mets fan, even in the times when it's hardest to be a fan. Those fans will truly represent the fanbase and there is no shortage of female fans that could be included. If you insist on promoting your brand, show off the pictures you took of people in your gear at games all season, everyone knows you have plenty. I just don't get this calendar. I wouldn't get it if it were a calendar of attractive men showing dressed in Mets gear either. Give me real fans in a real environment or give me the players. Show me the fun of the game, not a staged photo-shoot.
Let's Go Mets!
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