Normally I don’t watch much TV. But this past week, the TV has been on constantly because of the Olympics. And while I’ve been watching, I’ve noticed that the men are getting way more hype than the women, even though the women have been doing better overall. For example, of the 9 medals we currently have, six of them have been won by women. There was also a night where I was watching women’s snowboarding in the half-pipe, when they switched over midway through the competition to talk about men’s hockey for a while before the game even began. And we cannot forget the controversy before the games even began!
On top of that, I got an email at the beginning of reading week from LUSU that said the following:
Hey everyone,
Just writing to let you know that the Outpost will be open for ALL men’s olympic hockey games. Even during reading week. So stop on by for some great food and a big screen to check the game out.
ENJOY THE BREAK!
Why just the men’s hockey? Why not the women’s? Canada’s women’s hockey team has played some fantastic games over the years, so why isn’t the Outpost opening for their games as well?
The short answer is that patriarchy is alive and well, both in the Olympics and within the university community. While we are selling the Olympics as “equal” because we have events for both men and women, the men and the women are not being treated equally. And this is a real shame. Canada prides itself on being non-discriminatory, but here are three different examples where this isn’t the case. Gender discrimination is still alive and well.
An Acquaintance with Letters 
I think you brought up some really good points. I don’t watch a lot of sports but before the Olympics I said I wanted to watch the opening ceremonies and the gold men’s hockey (if Can is in the final). Once the games started I realized what I had said. Which is odd, considering I view myself as an equalist and that the women team are doing much better then the men. As a result I am happy to same I have been giving both genders equal viewing time:)
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lol, that’s good! I’ve been trying to catch a little bit of everything, too 🙂
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