07:39 PM
04/25/24
04/25/24
April 05, 2011
Out of Bounds: Sex and the AFL. Some thoughts on sport and its effect on men, women and our power relationships. Sample quote for US readers: “Psychiatry has not taken enough interest in jock culture as a window into other American pathologies.”
My first observation is that the American and Australian speech rhythm is incredibly different-I had a hell of a time getting through that piece.
Interesting read, though. There definitely seemed to be striking similarities in the preferential treatment received by star athletes, both socially and legally, that make you wonder why. It's long been known that it goes on, but the article raises a valid point that we should take a long, hard look at why it does. There does seem to be a bit of a pathology, apparently an intercontinental one, that makes us incapable as a society of separating on-field heroics from off-field blamelessness and forgiveness. Although money is a fairly universal language, I suppose.
Bringing the Columbine killings up was interesting, but she seemed to give it short shrift, as if it was a foregone conclusion that preferential treatment led to the targeting of athletes. I'd add insane jealousy to one of the reasone that she omitted.