[Closed] Podium girls

Yep tour down under got shot as it's a 70s throw back. Also really doesn't fit with the promotion of women's sport.

Though 3 2 1 knuckle draggers on their way to gawp and have a little fumble over the eye candy

'hôtesses du Tour'

https://twitter.com/letour_hotesses

It's awful I agree FWIW

It's bad enough at motor shows, but the type of people who are 'into cars' probably have that type of mentality.

In fairness, F1 got rid of it years ago.

Presumably they're not struggling with recruiting gorgeous young ladies to stand there and look gorgeous? As long as they're well paid what's the problem?

Agreed, it's day has passed.

err because it's objectification of women. The promotion that they are to admired because of their bodies, merely for the pleasure of men.

As long as they're well paid what's the problem?

Some good reasons here

“The Government’s paying for grid girls at the same time we’re putting money into mental health areas to help young women who have body image problems,” Bignell said.

“What we actually want to do is inspire girls and young women who come to the motor racing to be car drivers or to be mechanics or to be engineers.”

Podium girls are a long-standing tradition in cycling. Officially known as “hostesses”, these models present and assist race winners with their jerseys and trophies before planting a ceremonial kiss on their cheeks.

Yet the use of podium girls is met with an increasing amount of disdain every year due to the objectifying use of women, and the continued display of women in sports as trophy holders instead of athletes.

As long as they're well paid what's the problem?

Because it continues to objectify women.

They might as well be called Imodium Girls , cause i'm guessing they'd struggle to give a shit what we all think about it.

err because it's objectification of women.

In whose eyes?

The promotion that they are to admired because of their bodies, merely for the pleasure of men.

Who's exploiting who here?

loddrik - Member

.....but the type of people who are 'into cars' probably have that type of mentality. Cycling really needs to move with the times.

I agreed with what you were saying until the moronic bit above....

Are 'cycling' people somehow better than 'into cars' people, or perhaps more 'with the times'?

i'm guessing they'd struggle to give a shit what we all think about it.

Probably true, but there's an argument that the issue is a smaller part of a bigger problem, and that when all the small parts are tackled the bigger problem is solved.

Maybe.

Try the reasons from South Australia cg. They are real and serious concerns about reinforcement of stereotypes and gender roles along with body image, basically sport wants women there looking nice not taking part.

err because it's objectification of women.

In whose eyes?

The promotion that they are to admired because of their bodies, merely for the pleasure of men.

Who's exploiting who here?

I guess you could apply the same reasoning to female prostitution.

In fairness, F1 got rid of it years ago.

Not seen the F1 grid girls on the grid and when the drivers are walking to the podium!?

C_G been sacked from that Spare Rib job then? 😉

Marcus Brigstocke was a podium dancer.....

Does that count?

Thanks for that link Mike. I'll quote from Peyote's post which is rather good:

Probably true, but there's an argument that the issue is a smaller part of a bigger problem, and that when all the small parts are tackled the bigger problem is solved.

Maybe.

On a serious note women who wish to, er, exploit their assets can now do so on their terms and Katie Price is a good example of this. So again, I ask the question who's exploiting who?

Do boxing matches still have ladies parading round the ring with a round number placard?

Not seen the F1 grid girls on the grid and when the drivers are walking to the podium!?

Ah so not completely stopped then.

Not stopped in any way!...

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/photos/main-gallery/?sz=9&t=grid+girl&s=-6&oft=136&p=4

I thought the whole point of feminism was that we are all equal. Do women need you lot to defend them?

If you think they do you may have missed the point...

Try the reasons from South Australia cg. They are real and serious concerns about reinforcement of stereotypes and gender roles along with body image, basically sport wants women there looking nice not taking part.

And yet we see this posted on a bike forum:

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/god-help-me-im-enjoying-love-island

😉

I ask the question who's exploiting who?

I would say that the individual 'podium girl' is 'exploiting' her assets, however the concept is exploiting women and promoting objectification.

They individually may not feel they are exploiting themselves, but they do no favours for other women.

[i]I thought the whole point of feminism was that we are all equal. Do women need you lot to defend them?

If you think they do you may have missed the point..[/i]

Maybe if you think they don't then you've missed the point?

I see no good in saying Women should be banned from earning money any way they want to, including working in PR.

I don't think it's a bad thing at people can, and are paid for being good looking - Men and Women with a broad appeal look are paid to promote products and services because other people like looking at them - it's hardly forced prostitution.

Who's exploiting who here?

I guess you could apply the same reasoning to female prostitution.

You certainly could.

If there's a transaction occuring at an agreed price then both parties are willing then nobody's being exploited.

Clearly if there's coersion involved that changes things but I see no evidence that Podium girls are being forced into it.

I thought the whole point of feminism was that we are all equal. Do women need you lot to defend them?

Depends on the branch of feminism, and on the route to that particular ideal.

No women don't need men to defend them, it doesn't do any harm (and probably helps) to have members of the class in power supporting the oppressed class though. Just got to be careful how you do it and not seek to take over the control of the movement. See also white supporters of the civil rights movements.

I see no good in saying Women should be banned from earning money any way they want to, including working in PR.

"Banned" is an oft-misused word. I think what we're saying is that we'd prefer it if professional cycling events didn't employ podium girls (or boys).

I see no evidence that Podium girls are being forced into it.

It's all about the context I guess. Assuming they arrive at their vocation after having the same choices that men do is probably not a sensible way of looking at it.

I dont see the problem, no-one is forcing them to do it. There are bigger problems in the world than this.

it doesn't do any harm (and probably helps) to have members of the class in power supporting the oppressed class though

In this case supporting the oppressed class by ceasing to buy their 'product' so they get sacked.

There are bigger problems in the world than this.

Sexism at British Cycling?

There's two separate issues in these type of discussions.

On an individual level, the podium girls (or strippers, or whatever else this type of discussion is about) should of course be allowed to do whatever they like.

But at a society level, having women (or men) there simply as eye candy is not a healthy thing as it promotes inequality and bad body image, especially for younger people. It shouldn't be banned, but I don't think it's the kind of message that should be encouraged at major sporting events.

[i]There are bigger problems in the world than this.[/i]

There's very few problems in the world that there aren't bigger problems in the world than. It doesn't mean that they should all be ignored.

My view is that, whatever the individual choices of the women involved are, the podium girl is a symbol of the 'spoils of victory' - the laurels, the trophy cup, the jersey, the trophy woman.

And that's why it's bad - women as an incidental adjunct to victory, objects to be won by the fastest and the fittest, willing to symbolically present themselves to whoever the winner happens to be.

In this case supporting the oppressed class by ceasing to buy their 'product' so they get sacked.

May be on an individual level, but if you view that product as detrimental in the grander scheme of things, its a price worth paying.

I could compare it to the tobacco trade and the tobacco leaf pickers getting sacked because their 'product' is considered damaging to people and society. I'm not sure if that is too tenuous, but I'm sure you catch my drift.

Podium girls, formally known as "Tour hostesses" (French: hôtesses du Tour), are women who are best known for presenting prizes and kisses to the winners of the Tour de France and other major cycle races, including the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España. In the Tour de France, a team of four podium girls is employed by the race's main sponsor, the French bank LCL S.A..[1] They are responsible for entertaining clients of the sponsors before the morning departure of the race and in parties after the end of the race, but their most visible and prestigious role is in the award ceremony at the close of each day's racing. The job requires working long hours in all weather conditions but is [b]well-paid and sought-after[/b], with candidates selected on the basis of their looks, endurance, personalities, and linguistic abilities. Although they are forbidden to interact with the riders, other than kissing them in the award ceremonies, several podium girls have ended up marrying cyclists. The employment of podium girls has prompted a certain amount of criticism about sexism in professional cycling, though current and [b]former podium girls have defended their role as part of the sport's traditions[/b].

I can't see a problem with it. They're not forced into it and compared to what you see on TV on other forms of entertainment it seems very tame.
If you don't like what you see and it offends you then don't watch it go march on the French embassy instead.

And that's why it's bad - women as an incidental adjunct to victory, objects to be won by the fastest and the fittest, willing to symbolically present themselves to whoever the winner happens to be.

So, does this offend you?

[img] [/img]

My view is that, whatever the individual choices of the women involved are, the podium girl is a symbol of the 'spoils of victory' - the laurels, the trophy cup, the jersey, the trophy woman.
And that's why it's bad - women as an incidental adjunct to victory, objects to be won by the fastest and the fittest, willing to symbolically present themselves to whoever the winner happens to be.

Going back 20 years or so in order to become the winner you had to take so many drugs that they died by the dozen of strokes. Even today the riders are suffering far more than the podium girls and therefore you could argue being far more exploited than girls who jus thave to stand around a bit. They competitors are probably wearing more revealing clothes as well.

Or maybe nobody's being exploited - they're all doing a task they're willing to do at the price offered.

😆

Edit: at the pic.

My view is that, whatever the individual choices of the women involved are, the podium girl is a symbol of the 'spoils of victory' - the laurels, the trophy cup, the jersey, the trophy woman.

And that's why it's bad - women as an incidental adjunct to victory, objects to be won by the fastest and the fittest, willing to symbolically present themselves to whoever the winner happens to be.

Does the womens tour have podium girls? I know other womens world tour races have podium girls. How does that fit in with your view of the world?

[i]So, does this offend you?[/i]

I'm not 'offended' by women doing it, I just think it's unnecessary and the symbolism is archaic.

Men always come back with 'but men do it too' with anything where someone says women shouldn't be put in a certain role or position that is exploiting their gender. Men do not have a long history of being given second best, being only valued for their looks. So when you see a male 'podium girl' there isn't the same 'trophiness' associated with them being in that role - it can be laughed off, the tight gold shorts, the obvious genitals positioning - it's not beign done in a pseudo sexual way, it's 'knowing'.

My issues with podium girls have nothing to do with the individuals concerned. I've read a few times over the years that the TdF podium girls tend to be highly educated, and generally very pleased with their lot. It would certainly be patronising to assume that they are somehow forced to do it against their will because they have no other employability (yes that's a word) factors other than their looks.

Up until a few years ago I always thought "well, it's a bit daft, and makes cycling look a bit dumb, but really there are many bigger things to be concerned about in the world than this", but in more recent times (perhaps not unrelated to the fact that I now have a daughter), I've started to notice more the kind of 'passive sexism' of this kind of thing.

On its own, it's not the end of the world, but it is another little subliminal message to the world that men do the important stuff and women just look pretty. I heard someone also point out that there is a kind of symbolism involved whereby it's almost as though the race winners somehow 'win' the (attentions of) the podium girls. We just don't need any of those kinds of messages seeping into the minds of young people. And in womens races!? Just crazy!

Ditching podium girls won't fix the world, but it would be one easy little step in the right direction.

As far as I can see every poster on this thread bar one is a male..

the only lady to yet comment doesn't appear to have an issue with it..which probably tells you all you need to know..

My tuppunce worth..i don't really care either way. I'm assuming however that many girls would love to be have the job and those that do clearly don't see it as exploitation, so I don't really see an issue whatsoever.